When I was a seminarian, I was able to join a Holy Week celebration in one of the provinces. During the procession, we went around the town, praying and singing. Very nice celebration. When the carozas returned to the Church, during the closing rites, the priests blessed all the Carozas. Suddenly there was chaos. People…
Category: Peace
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…
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?…
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,…
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…
Judging
One thing we are guilty of is judging people. Some common examples: We judge people based on their looks, their place of residence, their family name, how they speak, the school they come from, and the list can go on and on and on. In the Gospel, even Jesus was not exempted from being judged….
Peace and Family
Whenever we celebrate Mass for a deceased parent, we are honoring their memory. A testimony that these have indeed bore fruit is that peace is further in the family. Peace is a very important theme in Gospel readings because we are told: If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able…
Isolation
As people, we are relational by nature. “People need people” and “No man is an island” are two quotations proving this. Yet every now and then, we have family, a friend, or a loved one who suddenly isolates himself or herself. Not going out, not answering phone calls, no response by text. By this, we…
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…
3 Ways 2 Your 1 God 