Trinity

The first commandment says that there is only one God. Yet, in this one God, there are three persons. In the Gospel Jesus said, “Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. How can there be three persons in one God?  Here are some analogies: The…

Who is Family?

Part of our humanity is that we are attracted to people who are popular, rich, famous, and powerful. Hence, many people name drop that they are related to this person and to that person. In a town, people would like to be related to the mayor. In a parish, people would like to be related…

Inheritance

For us priests, one of the things people bring to us for prayers and consultation are matters about inheritance. Whether the inheritance is huge or just enough, it can be complicated, absurd, and even bloody. You cannot imagine what sibling can do to sibling, parent to their child, and child to their parents. Once I…

What Are You Looking For?

We are a week into 2022 and while the new year means a new start and therefore a new reason to be hopeful, we know that there is still so much uncertainty and anxiety. Hence as we start this new year it would be very nice to ask ourselves the question asked of the two…

The Truly Blessed

Once I blessed a new office that was beautiful, modern and one could sense, prosperous. What was truly inspiring though, was the story behind the office. Five years earlier the owners had a business partner who embezzled corporate funds. Not only did the owners lose it all, but they were also already deep in debt…

Welcoming the New Year

We Filipinos can be very superstitious. When someone in the family is getting married, we have superstitious beliefs. When someone in the family passes away, we have superstitious beliefs. Yes, we welcomed the New Year, along with so many superstitious beliefs. An article enumerated some of our superstitious beliefs at New Year celebrations: Makes noise…

Where is the Church

Christ knew that his mission on earth would all come to an end. Hence, he tells Peter, “Upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of the netherworld will prevail against it.” Hence for twenty-one centuries, the Church has been around and yes, until Christ comes again it will always be around….

Christ Will Come Again

In the old profession of faith, we professed:  Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again Today we are still in the Christmas season. Remember that Christmas is not a day, it is a season. The season that we celebrate the birth of Christ. Why did Christ have to be born to us?…

Expect the Unexpected

Luke 1: 67-79 For the Chinese, the character for crisis is also the character for blessings. In other words, hidden in the challenges of life, are the blessings. However, because our view of life is limited, we find it difficult to see the blessings immediately when we are in crisis or undergoing difficulty.  In the…

The Most Wonderful Time of Year

A Christmas carol says that it is the most wonderful time of the year. The adults will say that indeed for Children, it is. They are the happiest, the most excited, and the ones who enjoy the most. However, what about the adults with all the concerns and challenges of daily life? How many of…