A blog had a survey, “What is one thing that you cannot live without?” Of course, the answers varied, but there were some very interesting ones: Gummy Bears, Pistachio Ice Cream, Vicks Vapor Rub, Vinyl Record Collection. The most mentioned items were money, family, and cellphones. In the Gospel, a rich man runs up to…
Category: Sacrifice
Desert Experience
On a trip to the Holy Land, we ventured one day in the desert of Egypt. For hours there was nothing to see except sand, stones and cactus. The mountains were barren and there were a few trees. Our tour guide explained that at night it gets very cold and during the daytime, it is…
To Be Right or To Be Good
Each day in our lives we are confronted with decisions. In making the decisions, there are things to be considered: Is it good or is it bad? Is it about me or is it about my neighbor? Will I benefit from this or will I have to make a sacrifice? Will there be a benefit…
Service
Whenever it’s campaign time, politicians are always promising to make the Philippines great again. I remember the stories from the older generation that in the 1950s, when they would be mistaken for Japanese in Europe, they would say, “We are not Japanese, we are Filipinos!” Indeed, the Philippines was once a rich nation. It had…
Persevere
A common mentality these days is to get rich without working hard. People want to get rich quick. Never mind how, never mind if it is illegal or immoral, as long as one does not get caught it is fine with them. One of the fastest ways, for a few lucky individuals, is through the…
Giving
Luke 14: 12-14 Jesus would always see things from the heart: He lambasted the Pharisees and Scribes because they were holy on the outside with their titles, places of honors, and vestments. However, God saw what was in their hearts. Despite the town willing to punish her, Jesus did not judge or punish a woman…
The Truth Will Always Prevail
Matthew 10: 24-33 Thanks to technology, it is so easy to obtain information: Is it raining in Baguio? Just text a friend who lives there and you will get your response. How does one go to Mall of Asia fastest? Just go to Waze and it will teach you the way. What is happening in…
A Mother’s Prayer
Matthew 15:21-28 Once in a wake, our group was talking about death and the difficulty that the family deals with. One commented which everyone agreed – the most difficult thing is when it is the parents who bury their children. That is why even the Irish has a saying, “May you never bury your children.”…
John of the Cross
If one would study the history of the Church, one would realize that there were moments in her long history that the Church went astray. God in his goodness and in his love for the Church would send reformers to renew the Church. Today we celebrate the memorial of one of them – John of…
Love of God
When tragedy strikes, one of the first who gets blamed is God. Where was God when Tsunamis hit the Indian Ocean and Japan? Where was God when the earthquake shook Chile? Haiti? And the rest of the world? Where is God during war? A parent had to deal with the question of her teenage child…
3 Ways 2 Your 1 God 