Abuse of Power

There is a movie quote from the film Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility”.  This is a saying that is very true because if your look at the world today, people abuse the use of power. Some displays of power in everyday life:  During the times of Jesus, the Jews and the Samaritans were…

Faithfulness

When I was a newly ordained priest, my parish priest told me to give priority to couples celebrating their 25th and 50th anniversaries. Further, he explained why. We live in a world that is so consumeristic – when a new item comes along, we dump the old one. Sadly, it influences our relationships. Hence, with…

Eternal Life

We live in a world wherein there is the seen and the unseen, the good and evil, the wheat and the weeds, the spiritual and the material. There is life on earth and eternal life. We live in a world wherein it is not one or the other. We live in both worlds. In the…

Courage

Who would ever think that we would see the day that: Even calling out an inappropriate relationship brands one as judgmental and intolerant.  Despite all of these, right is still right, even if no one is for it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. Further, we remember the saying, “All it…

The Greatest

There is a story of a school winning a basketball competition. Out of Jubilation, the students shouted and cheered, “We are number one.” After some time, the cheering and shouting died down. From the bleachers came a booming voice from one of the other school’s professors – “What is the problem of being number two”?…

Talents

In the parish, when the pandemic hit us hard in 2020, so many people lost their jobs, so many people were displaced, and many people experienced fear, anxiety, worry, and depression due to the changes that we happening. The top priority then was helping out people with gift checks, thanks to Caritas Manila, and food….

Creation

One time I was riding a cab and the moment we got inside the complex the driver expressed surprise. He said he never thought that there would be a forest in the middle of the city.  I call San Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex the lung center of Makati. Nowhere else in Makati will you find…

Bearing Fruit

Bearing Fruit As human beings, we are prone in comparing our life to others. Typically, we count their blessings and forget to be grateful for our own blessings. When these happens, typically, three things happen: The Gospel reminds us that our lives are meant to bear fruit. The time, talent and treasure that goes with…

Meaningful Death

Once I attended a wake. While the relatives were very sad that their mother passed away, their greatest consolation was that she was prepared. She picked the dress that she would wear in the coffin. She had a list of priests who would celebrate Mass for her for the three days of viewing. She picked…

Power of Words

Matthew 8:5-13 There is a saying that “A pen is mightier that a sword.” Throughout history, words have influenced people and not violence. A person who grew up with affirmation, is confident. Compare this to a person who grew up with criticism, as often criticism also comes out of the mouth. In St. Matthew’s Gospel,…