Some people have this misconception that if one is poor, that person will go to heaven and if the person is rich, that person will go to hell. The Gospel reading of Lazarus and the rich man reinforces this misconception. Hence, the questions are: Why then, did the rich man go to hell? Was he…
Category: Social Awareness
Sickness
When one is chronically sick, the instinct to survive goes on overdrive: he seeks the opinion of other doctors; he listens to the advice of other people; he does research on the internet; he even goes to faith healers, not aware that the spirit doing the healing is not from God. In the Gospel, there…
Power of Words
Matthew 8: 5-13 Pearl Strachan Hurd once said: “Handle words carefully for words have more power than atom bombs.” How many of us are even affected by words of strangers? We are in the marketplace, someone curses us. We curse back and our day is affected. On the other hand, someone compliments us, we feel…
Life After Earthly Life
Mark 12: 18-27 There is a bumper sticker which says, “He who dies with the most number of toys, wins.” For a person without faith, this is very true. After all, happiness comes from the material things in this world. But for a person with faith, we all know that we came into the world…
Planting the Seeds
These two sayings have the same message: “The greatest Oaks have been little Acorns.” “Large streams from little fountains flow.” It is a reminder that in life, often, things start small. I understand what we know now as SM, the biggest mall operator in Southeast Asia, was once a small store in Carriedo and eventually…
The Heart Sees What is Essential
Mark 7: 14-23 When my mother was still alive, I used to accompany her to the doctor. I became curious why the blood pressure is always taken. When I eventually queried, the nurse explained it quite simply. “It is the heart that is the most important organ. It is the heart that determines whether there…
Love of God and Love of Neighbor
Mark 12: 28-31 Once I had the opportunity to join a procession. We went around town praying the rosary and singing religious songs. It was solemn and beautiful. Upon reaching the Church, to signify the end of the procession, the priest blessed the Carozas. Suddenly, there was a commotion – people started receiving the flowers….
Possessions and Eternal Life
Matthew 16: 13-19 When we see someone who is rich, we feel that the person is blessed. He has found favor with God; that is why all the blessings occur. Further, he always connotes material blessings with happiness. That too was the thinking of the Jews during the time of Jesus: material possessions equals happiness…
Reap What You Sow
I am sure that we have heard people lament, “What is the point of doing good and what is right? Just look at the people who do otherwise. They have nicer houses, nicer cars, nicer clothes, and more properties.” Indeed these people may have a point. But there is one thing that they always forget…
The Secret to Eternal Life
Often people who have had a relative or a loved one who passed away will query about their experience with their deceased loved one before passing away. “Kausap niya ang aming lolo or lola na pumanaw na rin naman.” While science and medicine would have an explanation for what we usually call “Pagsusundo,” it still…
3 Ways 2 Your 1 God 