Comparing Oneself to Others

There was once a social experiment where people were made to choose from two scenarios. In the first scenario, you would be given $200 and five of your friends will be given $500. The second scenario would have you receiving $50 and five of your friends will be given just $20. The result of the…

Evil and the Unfaithful Generation

Matthew 12:38-42 In the Gospel, we are told of the reality of how man’s sinfulness led to experiencing punishment. During the time of Noah, the whole world experienced flooding. Sodom and Gomorrah experienced God’s wrath, as did Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum. Eventually, as Jesus predicted, Jerusalem also was destroyed.   Fr. Richard Heilman wrote an article…

God’s Mysterious Ways

Matthew 13:31-35 It all started when Saints Ignatius, Francis Xavier, and Peter Faber started a group originally known as Friends of the Lord. Eventually it became the Society of Jesus, otherwise known as the Jesuits, in 1539. They were received by Pope Paul III in 1540. As of 2016 data, the Jesuits are the biggest…

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…

Love of God, Love of Neighbor

When it comes to the Philippines, many tourists who have been here say that it is still the world’s best kept secret. Tourists often go to Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, and China. Very seldom is the Philippines at the top of the travel list. The impression is that it is full of…

What Profit Would It Be

Matthew 16:24-28 A lawyer friend once said, “fact is stranger than fiction.” He explained that you cannot imagine what parents will do to their children, children to their parents, one part of the family to the other, a person to the best friend, couples to each other, all because of money, properties, and inheritance. That…

The Greatest

One of the beauties of traveling is that we learn a lot. As the saying goes, if we don’t learn from History, we are bound to repeat it. When it comes to travel and history, one important lesson is that nothing lasts forever. What was once the greatest city is now all ruins; what was…

Cleanliness of the Heart

There is a saying that “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Hence, who does not want a clean house, a clean car, a clean bedroom, a clean chapel, and a clean person. In discussing cleanliness, a friend of mine casually said that we Filipinos are one of the top users of bath soap. He explained the…

Are You Prepared?

One of the questions often asked to me is if the end near. The bible says that on the last days:  There will be false prophets and false messiahs There will be wars and rumors of war  Nations will rise against nations  Christians will be persecuted Indeed all of these are happening so one might…

Money and Relationships

Once I blessed a new and beautiful office. Before the blessing started the owners related to me the story behind the office. There was a time that they, the couple, separated because they were always fighting. What was the reason of their fighting? They had a good friend and business partner whom they trusted. Eventually…