We Filipinos are very fond of having things blessed: from houses to cars, from offices to store. Once I was asked to bless a pencil. When I queried, “What for?”, the response was, “I will be taking the board exams.” When we request a blessing, typically the desire is for good fortune. Hence if the…
Category: Trust in God
Signs
In the old testament, when Moses warned the Pharaoh to set the Israelites free, he showed him wonderful signs from God. Why was Pharaoh not impressed? Because he himself had a magician who could easily mimic or copy the signs that Moses did. Yes, the devil always tries to mimic the divine. Until it led…
God’s Blessings
Many years ago, my cousins and I went home to the province to take a look at the property of our grandparents. It was a property that could not be sold because it was full of informal settlers. Nevertheless, we went there to take a look at the property. Since we were new to the…
Come and See
When I was going through the discernment process of whether to leave my work to enter the seminary, one thing that the seminary told us is that we would not be offered anything. All they had to say was “Come and See.” This was difficult because we were working. It is not uncommon to leave…
Good Tree and Good Fruits
Matthew 7:15-20 It is said that we human beings are composed of body and soul. When it comes to our bodies, modern science and technology make almost anything possible: If you want to look young, it is possible If you want to look like this person or that person, it is possible If you want…
Laborers and Harvest
It is said that in the Archdiocese of Manila which is composed of Manila, Pasay, Mandaluyong, San Juan, and Makati City, there about 200 priests. 80 priests are 60 years old or above. Only 40 priests are 30 years old and below. The average age of the priest is 54 years old. Surely we need…
Praising God in Difficult Times
I came across a story of a wife who prayed for a baby for more than two years. One day she received the good news from her doctor and in her excitement, she texted family and friends and all were happy for her. Four days later though, she knew something was wrong with the baby….
Elijah vs Prophets of Baal
In a popular reading, we hear of Ahab and Jezebel filling the land of Israel with a false god, and they kill the prophets of Jehovah. What did God do? He sent the prophet Elijah to give Ahab a message. Hence the competition to prove which God is true, with Elijah on one end and…
Christian Persecution
Is it said that two-thirds of the 2.3 billion Christians in the world today live in dangerous neighborhoods. They are often poor. They often belong to ethnic, linguistic, and cultural minorities. And they are often at risk. Hence, every month, we hear of a Christian being killed. Not too long ago, a priest, Fr. Mark…
Faith and Doubt in God
In any relationship, doubt sinks in every now and then: In a marriage, a partner might question their spouse’s faithfulness. In an employer-employee relationship, a boss might question one of his staff’s honesty. Likewise, the staff might also question if the boss keeps his promises. In any friendship, each side could ask if this person…
3 Ways 2 Your 1 God 