Bad News and Good News

The days leading to the passion, death and resurrection must have been very confusing for the disciples. They thought it was bad news when Jesus decided to enter Jerusalem. After all, He always said that it meant his death. It turned out to be good news that he was warmly received and given a king’s…

After the Good Fridays of Life

As we celebrated Easter Sunday yesterday, the most important Feast of the Church, let us remember to get to this point we had a week that was very hard for Jesus. He experienced three things that all of us can relate to in our own lives. All of these have contributed to the Passion and…

Do They Know It’s Christmas Time?

In the US, there was a survey made by Gallup Poll that says in 2021, only 81 percent of Americans believed in God. The survey started way back in 1944. Up to the 1960s, 98 percent believed in God. Up to 2011, it was 92 percent believed. Up to last year, 17 percent do not…

Authority and Participation

Ed. Note: This entry is from Fr. Mon’s series of Simbang Gabi homilies A synodal Church is a participatory and co-responsible Church. How do we identify the goals to be pursued, the way to achieve them, and the steps to be taken? How is authority exercised within our particular Church? What are the practices of…

Be Prepared

How many times has this happened to us – we get a call or we see on social media that a family, friend, office mate, or neighbor just passed away unexpectedly. Of course, at first, there is always denial, but eventually sadness and grief sink in. Also, two realities come in: First, we are reminded…

Mother Mary’s Birthday

ed. note: This was a mass homily given at LaSalle campus a few years ago, hence the student-athlete references. — Luke 4:31-37 Many years ago, a book titled A Purpose Driven Life came out and became a bestseller. The message was simple yet very profound, especially in a world that puts value on money, fame,…

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…

Mother’s Day

According to a survey, the seven most popular words of a mother to her children when she is angry are as follows: These words bring a smile to our faces because these words have been uttered from one generation to the next. When the younger generation grows old and has a greater concept of life,…

When Death Does Not Make Sense

Every now and then we go to a wake, we send our condolences to the family and yes, we hear of the circumstances of how a loved one passed away. Yes, there are stories wherein death does not make sense. It is mixed emotions in the case of saying goodbye to an old parent who…

Entitlement

Whenever people ask about the priesthood, I always say, “It is the world’s best-kept secret.” Why? Because fewer men are making it an option. On the other hand, no other vocation will allow you to journey with people from birth to death, in joy and in pain, and in every milestone of their lives. Hence,…