How to Deal with Betrayal

John 13: 21-33, 36-38 One of the most important factors in any relationship is TRUST. We need trust in friendships; We need trust in a business partnership; We need trust in marriage. On the other hand, it is very painful if the trust is destroyed. I remember a story of a woman whose husband left…

The Last Request

Mark 16: 9-15 All of us have experiences of someone passing away. How we wish to be by the bedside to say goodbye. Of course, there is 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…

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…

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…

From Waiting to Joy

Luke 3: 10-18 One of the most difficult realities in life is waiting. We do not want to wait. Our time is wasted, we should we doing something else. Also when we wait we become restless (di mapakali), irritated (irritado), angry (galit), worried (balisa), tired (pagod) and also fearful (takot). Often when waiting is over…

Temptation

Matthew 4: 1-11 When applying for employment, there is always a period of probation. It is during the probation that a person is tested. Will this person be a good employee? Can the person do the job? Can the person get along with other people? It is also a period of testing. The number 40…

Lack of Faith

“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” By the time the Pharisees spoke these words, they must have heard that Jesus had brought back people from the dead to life; cured many people who were sick; and fed thousands of people with 5 pieces of bread and 2 fishes. Yet the Pharisees and…

Rest

During an Anointing of the Sick, I had the opportunity to speak to a doctor about sickness. The topic dwelled on what he calls the “Silent Killer.” This is none other than STRESS. It not only affects the heart, it affects the mind, the immune system, the digestive system, the sleep, etc. What causes stress:…

Signs of God

Mark 8: 11-13 Once I had to visit the Underground River in Puerto Princesa in Palawan. In the 1.5 km trip of God’s marvelous creation, the guide made a comment which perhaps describes one the mysteries of life. “Even in the deepest recesses of the world, animal and marine life are still bustling.” How many…