Once I celebrated Mass in a condominium complex. In front of where the Mass was being held were two condominium buildings. One was very nice, very clean, and very orderly. The other building was very dirty, chaotic and a place you would not be excited to go home. After the Mass, I asked a resident…
Category: The Commandments
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…
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….
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…
Who is Not with Us is Against Us
Every once in a while, I am approached by parents lamenting that their son or daughter is not Catholic anymore. No more Mama Mary or rosary, no more images, and intercession of saints, no more Masses and the litany continues. I often ask the parent if the son or daughter has become a better person….
Public Opinion
John 7: 40-53 One of the favorite pastimes of people is talking about other people’s lives. Even Jesus was not exempted. They were talking about him. “Is He a prophet?”, “Is He the Christ?”, “Is He from the family of David?”. Yet Jesus had only one thing in mind, to do the will of the…
Go to All the Ends of the Earth
Mark 16: 15-20 In the 50s, it was said that the Philippines was the 2nd strongest economy in Asia. In fact, the first airline in Asia is in the Philippines; the first stock exchange in Asia is in the Philippines; the first steel church in the world, San Sebastian Church, in the Philippines; the first…
Forgiveness
John 18: 33B-37 As a priest, two of the most urgent sacrament are Confession and Anointing of the Sick. Why? Because these two Sacraments have the capacity to forgive sins. In Confession, the priest forgives in the name of the Church, “I absolve you of all your sins, “In the Name of the Father, of…
Courage Versus Entitlement
Mark 12: 1-12 In today’s context, the Gospel could be retold as Mr. Juan de la Cruz, out of compassion and kindness, allowed a family to stay in his property. Many years after, the children grew up and got married. They built their houses at said property. Throughout the years, relatives from the province came…
3 Ways 2 Your 1 God 