We Filipinos, when it comes to blessings, are very faithful. When we get a new house, a new car, or a new office, we have it blessed. Typically, when one is asked why do the blessing, the response is for “Good Luck” and that “Money Flows In.” If it is truly about good luck and…
Category: Trust in God
Follow Jesus
There is a saying that when times are good, there are many people around you. Why? You have something that they want – it could be money, it could be fame, it could be power. Then when you hit rock bottom in life, they are nowhere to be found. In the Gospel, there were people…
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…
Grief and God
In the book Praying Our Goodbyes, Sr. Joyce Rupp the author, says that life is a series of hellos and goodbyes. The very first goodbye was the womb that nursed us for nine (9) months. Simultaneous to this we said hello to the world. The very last goodbye will be our last breath, but then…
Like Father, Like Son
John 5: 17-30 How many of us think that God is a God who is angry? “I go to Mass because otherwise, bad luck might be experienced in my personal life, in my family life, or in my professional life”. Or “if I experience misfortune, it is only because of my sins in the past….
The Lord is my Shepherd
John 10: 1-10 In the Middle East, one of the most visible people in the countryside is the Shepherd (Pastol). Being a shepherd is considered one of the oldest professions, about 5000 years old. Most shepherds were usually men and not married because they had to go from one place to the other. When Jesus…
Persistence
Once there was this dog who fell into a deep well. The villagers suggested many ways how to save the dog. Finally, the wise man of the town suggested getting shovels. Upon the return of the villagers with their shovels, they got surprised by the suggestion of the village wise man, “Shovel dirt and throw…
Coming of the Kingdom of God
Matthew 13: 47-53 In the summer of 2016, a sad event in the history of the Church happened in France. An 85-year-old priest was killed while celebrating Mass. As to the events that followed, we can only pray. On social media, one of the current topics is the end times. When things become unbearable and…
Ups and Downs of Life
Luke 13: 10-17 How often have we heard people say, “You cannot predict life.” One day life is good, the next moment, all the challenges in life. Or one day life is difficult, then with an expected twist, suddenly life is good. In St. Luke’s Gospel, people were so amazed at how a demon was…
Doing My Father’s Will
Whenever I officiate a wedding, I always remind the newlywed couple that when they have children of their own, two things will cross their minds: The many acts of kindness, generosity, sacrifices, and forgiveness of their parents Dad was right after all, and mom was right after all. Their words, advice, teachings, and sermons (many…
3 Ways 2 Your 1 God 