Matthew 16: 13-19 When we studied Church History as seminarians, our professor told us that when you look at the history of the Church, twenty-one centuries of it, you will realize that it is a very human organization. It is composed of 99 percent lay people and less than one percent ordained ministers. It has…
Category: Trust in God
Rough Times
John 6:16-21 For those of us who have ridden a boat and were caught by a storm in the middle of the sea, we still remember the feeling – FEAR. We were in a small boat in Antique once, and suddenly we experienced strong rains and winds. Water was getting into the boat. With a…
A Heart that Ponders
When my mother was still alive some years ago, the doctor’s clinic and hospital admittance became part of the last five years of her life. Being the one who has the most flexible schedule of my siblings, I would always accompany my mother. Eventually, I noticed that regardless of the type of doctor we would…
What is Most Important
Matthew 13:44-46 There was once a survey made and the question was, “What is the most important thing in life?” The top twelve answers were: Health Family Friends Love Purpose Passion Wellness Education Time Water Food Sleep Indeed they are important but they are all fleeting, fading, and passing. One day it is useful, the…
Power of Words
Matthew 8:5-13 There is a saying that “A pen is mightier that a sword.” Throughout history, words have influenced people and not violence. A person who grew up with affirmation, is confident. Compare this to a person who grew up with criticism, as often criticism also comes out of the mouth. In St. Matthew’s Gospel,…
Father’s Day
When Jesus was asked by his disciples, “Teach us how to pray” He started the prayer with the words, “Abba, Father.” The Jews were surprised because all the while they thought that God was an angry God. Hence, they had all these burnt offerings, animal offerings, and crop offerings simply to appease whom they thought…
Corpus Christi
After mass one day in a Church in Buenos Aires, Argentina, there was a woman who showed the parish priest a discarded Holy Communion. The priest got the host, placed it in water to melt, and stored it in the Tabernacle. After a few days, the priest checked the host and found blood in the…
Desert Experience
Once, on a trip to Egypt, I noticed that after a 9-hour road trip, nothing changed in the scenery. It was all sand, rocks, and cacti. It was only then that I realized how blessed the Philippines is. Any 9-hour travel would show how rich the country is in water, mountains, plants, trees, and birds….
Mary Mother of The Church
There is a saying, “without a mother, there is no life”. It is the mother’s womb that takes care of us for nine months and throughout our lives, the mother continues to care for us. Even if we reach 50, 60, or even 70 years old, in the eyes of a mother, we are still…
Ascension Day
Once I was mentored by an elderly priest and he would always say, “May misyon pa” (there still is a mission). A woman was able to recover from a chronic disease, he would say, “May misyon pa.” A man was able to recover from a motorcycle accident, “May misyon pa.” People in their 90s celebrating…
3 Ways 2 Your 1 God 