Calling

During the time of Jesus, he was an excellent preacher for three reasons: People during the time of Jesus knew that sheep were not very intelligent animals, hence would always need the guidance of the shepherd, especially for direction.  Three realizations about callings in life: That is why we continue to be still so we…

Faith and Service

I came across a story of a mother who found out from her doctor that her daughter had autism. Although she suspected something was different with her daughter, it was devasting that it was autism. “Why my daughter”? “How am I going to take care of her”? “Lord, what wrong have I done?” Fifteen years…

Luck vs Blessed

We Catholics often interchange and get confused between good luck and a blessing.  How many of us Catholics would also dabble in Feng Shui because of the “good luck” it brings. In our houses, while we may have the altar, we also display objects that bring “luck and good fortune”. What ends up happening then,…

Overcoming Evil

In the world that we live in, remember to look at everything that is happening not only economically, not only politically but also in the spiritual realm. Remember that St. Paul said that the greatest battle is happening in the realm of the unseen – good versus evil. The Gospel reminds us that good will…

Truth

Who would ever think that we would come to a generation wherein false news would become an industry. On the other hand, when you speak the truth, either you will be bashed or your character maligned. False news will be spread against the person, and in the worst cases, the person is killed. No wonder,…

What is Prayer?

The Jews, for the longest time, had this impression that God was an angry God. Hence, to appease his anger, there were many offerings: money, animal, and crop offerings. However, the apostles saw the impact of prayer in the life of Jesus. Good times or difficult times, Jesus would always be in prayer. Hence when…

Zechariah

When good things happen to good people, we tell ourselves that they are being blessed by God. When bad things happen to bad people, we just say they are just reaping what they saw. But what do we say when bad things happen to good people? Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in the eyes of…

God is Faithful

A Christmas carol says that this is “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, but for those who have attended the Simbang Gabi Masses, the many Gospels tell us that the lives of people who were related to Jesus were affected and disturbed. Their lives have been altered to the point of a crisis. There…

Blessing

Typically, anyone who is rich, powerful, and famous, in the eyes of the world, is considered blessed. However, there is a saying, “If the rich are the happiest, how come they are not dancing in the streets?” If the powerful are the most secure, how come they have many bodyguards? If the famous are the…

Finished or Not Finished

During the exams we would always hear the words of our professor, “Finished or not finished, pass your prayers.” If we did well, we were happy, but if we feel we did not do well, those words were such a dread.  Perhaps these words too are the words of Jesus about our journey on earth,…