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,…
Category: Trust in God
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…
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…