John 1: 45-51 This October 2017, I will be on my 11th year as a priest. How time flies. After 14 years in the corporate world and 5 years in the seminary, I would tell people that the priesthood “is the world’s best kept secret.” It does have its share of trials and difficulties but…
Category: Trust in God
Change of Fortunes
Matthew 27: 11-54 There this saying that life is “weather-weather” lang. Just look at the weather, at times it is quiet, there are times that it is stormy. There are times it is dark, there are times it is bright. There are times it is dry and there are times it is wet. There are…
Cleanliness
Matthew 23: 25-27 As children, one of the first lessons we learned was table manners, like: Don’t talk when your mouth is full; Wash your hands before eating; Say prayers before and after meals; Don’t touch the food; Elbows off the table. Of course, one of the most important objectives of table manners is to…
Dealing with Failure
Luke 24: 13-35 We all either admire or are envious of successful people. But whether we are envious or full of admiration for a person, one thing is sure – that person is good at what he or she is doing. How did he get to be that good in the field he or she…
In Search of the Sensational
Luke 11: 29-32 As human beings, we are always searching for the sensational. I saw a video of the sun seemingly dancing at the Divine Mercy Hill in El Salvador City in Misamis Oriental. Indeed it is mind-boggling. When we hear of things like this, we are fascinated. For us, things like this are signs…
Help in Our Need
John 21: 1-14 Once in our class, our priest-professor asked us, “Who is the mother of Perpetual Help?” The natural and loud response, “Mary!” Then he asked the next question, “Who is the Perpetual Help?” For a while, the class was quiet until one answered, “Jesus?” My dear friends, God is our perpetual help. He…
Typhoons of Life
Matthew 14: 22-33 Once we took a boat ride towards an island that was said to be very beautiful. In the middle of what was supposed to be a short thirty minute trip, suddenly the winds became strong. Hence, water was getting into the boat. So frightening was the experience, that I bargained with the…
Unhappy People
Luke 13: 10-17 In our many relationships, there are people that we encounter who are not happy with life. We call them “unhappy” people. The thing with unhappy people is that they, too, want people to be unhappy. Someone has a new house, what do they say, “Utang naman yan.” Someone gets promoted, “Sipsip kasi…
Prayer of Faith
Mark 9: 14-29 During my initial exposure with the ministry of deliverance, I noticed the priests that when they prayed, they prayed with so much conviction. I told myself, “As if they were talking the devil itself.” This comment eventually I shared with the main priest doing the deliverance. He confirmed what I said, “Indeed…
Food for the Soul
John 6: 51-58 When a foreigner comes over to the Philippines, one thing he notices is that the Filipino loves to eat and drink. Filipino breakfast is already one of the heaviest meals in the world. Then it is followed by morning snacks, then lunch, then there are afternoon snacks and then dinner. Just before…