Peace in the Family

A sociologist once said, if you want to destroy a nation, no need for war, famine, pestilence, economic sabotage, or pandemic. Just destroy the most basic of all social units, which is the family. In other words, it is most essential to keep the family intact. But the reality is how do you keep a…

More Than the Usual

When Adam and Eve sinned, the very first promise of God was the Messiah. Although it took 42 generations from Abraham to Jesus, God never forgot his promise. In fact, Simeon was so happy to see the Messiah to the point that he said, “Lord let your servant go in peace. For I have seen…

Most Important

In our everyday lives, we are barraged with so many things to do. Just to get it right on what is the most important and what can be set aside, a management tool was made to help us decide. The first window is called DO FIRST – this is both important and urgent. The second…

Good Catholic, Good Citizen

One thing people observe about the Philippines is that it is truly a Catholic nation. Nowhere else in the world do you feel the complete traditions of Holy Week, as well as the full celebration of Christmas. Only in the Philippines! On the other hand, how can we be a Catholic country yet so corrupt?…

Corpus Christi

After mass one day in a Church in Buenos Aires, Argentina, there was a woman who showed the parish priest a discarded Holy Communion. The priest got the host, placed it in water to melt, and stored it in the Tabernacle. After a few days, the priest checked the host and found blood in the…

Unseen

Whenever I am asked what film about Exorcism do I like, for now, my response is Exorcism of Emily Rose. It is based on a true story, most of the scenes are in a courtroom discussing faith and science, and the scenes are not exaggerated. In talking about scenes, one of the most memorable ones…

True Healing

One of the most difficult of all human experiences is being sick. There are so many stresses: That is why one reason why people go to God, return to God, or find God is for healing.  In the Gospel. Jesus healed the mother-in-law of Peter among many others and also drove out demons.  In the…

Mary Mother of The Church

There is a saying, “Without a mother, there is no life”. It is the mother’s womb that takes care of us for nine months and throughout our lives, the mother continues to care for us. Even if we reach 50, 60, or even 70 years old, in the eyes of a mother, we are still…

What Are You Looking For?

There is a saying, “The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for”. Hence we are always looking for something in life – it could be love, it could be money, it could be peace of mind, it could be approval, it could be happiness, it…

Forgiveness

As a priest, one of the more meaningful experiences in the ministry is to hear confessions of people who are about to transition to the next life. Typically, it is a long confession: Further, after the confession, the typical question is, “Has God really forgiven me of my sins?” The well-known parable of the prodigal…