Of all the organs in the body, it is the heart that is most important. It is the heart that determines whether the body has life or not. In the spiritual life, the heart is equally important. There are very many bible passages when it comes to the heart. Matthew 12:34 – You brood of…
Category: Mercy & Forgiveness
Works of God
Every now and then, I get blessed with a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Of course, we come across different tour guides with different perspectives, specializations, and points of view. One of the things they would always talk about is the Six-Day War in Israel which happened during June 5 – 10, 1967. Although Israel…
Ponder
Typically we look at life based only on two things: good luck and bad luck. That is why as we celebrate the Christmas season and prepare for the new year, we have all these superstitious practices. Even if we know they are offensive to the Lord, we do it just to bring good luck. However,…
Denial and Rejection
As people, we need people. In fact, it is people that give real happiness in life. Hence, one of the most painful of all human experiences is being “denied” – “You can choose your friends, but not your family” is typically said when we are disowning someone in the family. Further, being rejected is also…
All Things Come to Pass
Once upon a time in New York there existed the World Trade Center. The Twin Towers of 110 floors were completed in 1973. In 2001, it was brought down by terrorists when two planes crashed on both towers. It was a strange feeling that the symbol of American capitalism was brought down just like that. …
Time to Hold On and Time to Let Go
A study found that the main source of true happiness is none other than relationships. As we know though, there is no relationship that is perfect and there is no relationship that has not been tested. The typical questions when it comes to strained relationships: Is it time to let go or do I hold…
Peace
Even before Covid, as priests, we already got a sense that many people are experiencing mental health issues – fear, worry, anxiety, depression, fear, and even suicidal thoughts. Then when Covid came, it even made things worse. That is why the words of Christ are very important – “Peace be with you.” Peace is not…
Betrayal
There is a saying, “Why is betrayal very painful? Because it does not come from an enemy but from a loved one.” There is betrayal everywhere: In marriage, in business partnerships, in friendships, in the family, and in organizations. It is very painful because there are questions that will remain unanswered, such as, “Why did…
Regret (Paghininayang)
Regret is one of the biggest and most common emotions a person can experience after losing someone. On top of the pain of the actual loss, the feelings of regret come rushing through, making even the strongest of us ask: What else could I have done? Why didn’t I do more? Why didn’t I treat…
Anger
During Confession, there are penitents who confess that they got angry. The question is usually, “Is anger a sin?” Even Jesus got angry when the temple was being turned into a marketplace. He also got angry when rules were more important than people when the children were not allowed to come to him, when the…
