Faith of Friends

There was a study made on a group of people who were sick. They were divided into two groups: one had no one praying for them and the other had family and friends praying for them. At the end of the study, they found out that there were more healings in the group that was…

One with the Church

Once I was on a tour in HK and at that time, the British just turned over the country to China. The query was whether our workers would be affected? The tour guide guaranteed that Filipinos would still work in Hong Kong. Why? Because Filipinos have a sense of what is right and what is…

Having the Best

Typical of parents is that they will always want what is best for their children. Hence, one of the biggest frustrations is when the children do not do what is supposed to be good for them. The biggest frustration is when children do not listen to their parents and they go astray. Somewhat similar to…

Hate

There is a saying in tagalog, ,“Ang bungang hinog ay binabato.” (A stone is thrown to a ripe fruit). Then you have the crab mentality which Filipinos are known for: When someone is rising, the tendency is to pull others down. Why this reality? Because hatred and jealousy are two very damaging emotions. Even Jesus…

Living Forever

Matthew 25: 31-46 Two very good friends made a promise to each other that if one goes ahead, the other would send a sign that she is okay in the next life. Many years later one of the two friends passed away. Many days after the burial, the one who was left was thinking of…

Faithfulness

When I was a newly ordained priest, my parish priest told me to give priority to couples celebrating their 25th and 50th anniversaries. Further, he explained why. We live in a world that is so consumeristic – when a new item comes along, we dump the old one. Sadly, it influences our relationships. Hence, with…

Eternal Life

We live in a world wherein there is the seen and the unseen, the good and evil, the wheat and the weeds, the spiritual and the material. There is life on earth and eternal life. We live in a world wherein it is not one or the other. We live in both worlds. In the…

Being Wise

Recently there are two people who were part of my formation that passed away. One was a priest and the other was a friend and a teacher. Both were younger than me. With this reality, again, I am reminded that life is short and uncertain and that at any time, God can call you. The…

The Greatest

There is a story of a school winning a basketball competition. Out of Jubilation, the students shouted and cheered, “We are number one.” After some time, the cheering and shouting died down. From the bleachers came a booming voice from one of the other school’s professors – “What is the problem of being number two”?…

Everlasting Life

Due to Covid, many people have been thinking about the meaning of life. Some of the realizations: In the Gospel, Jesus was asked if many will be saved. The response was of Christ, “It is how we live our life”. Hence, three things we can do to prepare ourselves: The three teachings of Christ when…