Rediscovering Childhood Joy

Many of us would agree that our childhood days were the happiest. To start with, it was simple. All we cared for were our food, toys, friends, and TV. We took it for granted that our parents would always be there. Not much to worry about. As we grew older though, we supposedly have become…

Wrong Turns in Life

For drivers like me, thanks to technology, we have been relying on an app that is very much appreciated: WAZE. Just key in your destination and it will tell you how to get there. Yes, if you get lost, it even helps you get back on the right track. We all know that life itself…

Being Prepared

One reality of life is being prepared. For students who have an examination tomorrow, the challenge to prepare is by reading, researching, studying, and even memorizing. For a lawyer with a court case, the challenge to prepare is by studying the facts, the evidence, and talking to the witnesses. For a priest going to celebrate…

Deception through Flattery

Mark 12: 13-17 There is the famous tale from Aesop’s Fables, of a fox who wanted to eat the cheese he saw in the mouth of the bird. He first approached the bird and praised how beautiful his color was. He then praised how beautiful were the bird’s feathers. Then he said, “I am sure…

The Last Request

Mark 16: 9-15 All of us have experienced someone passing away. How we wish to be by their bedside to say goodbye. Of course, there are also the last wishes or the “huling bilin.” For a person about to transition to the next life, the last wishes are the ones he or she feels are…

Auditing Time

It is said that one of the most stressful moments in corporate life is when it is the season for auditing. A team of auditors comes to the office and reviews the documents. That, of course, is followed by the questions, explanations, and clarifications portion. What a relief if all is okay and all is…

Envy

In ancient Greece, there is a story of a very skillful athlete, Theagene. Since he brought great pride to the city, a monument was erected in his honor when he died. Theagene had a rival, Pausanias, who never won against him. Pausanias would vandalize the monument every night. One night, while he was vandalizing and…

Divine Mercy

John 20:19-31 It has been more than two years since the pandemic started and in the eyes of the world, there still is no light at the end of the tunnel. Hence so much fear and worry with the many questions we have in mind: When will the pandemic end? How many more variants do…

Thirst

John 19: 28 A past advertisement would tell us to “Obey your thirst.” This is part of our humanity. We need to eat and we need to drink as well. However, between eating and drinking, science says we will last longer without eating than without drinking. It is harder to deal with thirst. The fifth…

He is Risen

On April 15, 2019, at about 6:50 pm, a fire broke out beneath the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral. After about six hours the fire was put out. One of the earliest pictures of the state of the Cathedral that came out was a picture of the altar with all the burned wood and destroyed…