Fr. Ronnie is a friend and fellow priest. This entry is from the mass of his 14th Anniversary of Ordination. A Priest is always wrong because . . . If he begins his mass on time, his watch is advanced; if he begins a minute later, he keeps people waiting. If he preaches too long,…
Money and Eternal Life
Once upon a time, in rich cities, it was noted that relatives of rich families married each other. In an article on Lipa’s Old Gentry, it was mentioned that in the early 1900s when Lipa became very prominent because of coffee, the families of Solis, Luz, Katigbak, Roxas, Kalaw and Dimayuga inter-married. Why was this…
Love of God, Love of Neighbor
When it comes to the Philippines, many tourists who have been here say that it is still the world’s best kept secret. Tourists often go to Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, and China. Very seldom is the Philippines at the top of the travel list. The impression is that it is full of…
The Harvest is Great, the Laborers Few
Matthew 9:32-38 When one goes through the daily news, I guess one cannot refrain from the question, “What are all these things going on in the world today?” When earthquakes are just around the corner… When violence is on a scale that is unthinkable… When world leaders act like dictators… When morality is based on…
What Profit Would It Be
Matthew 16:24-28 A lawyer friend once said, “fact is stranger than fiction.” He explained that you cannot imagine what parents will do to their children, children to their parents, one part of the family to the other, a person to the best friend, couples to each other, all because of money, properties, and inheritance. That…
The Greatest
One of the beauties of traveling is that we learn a lot. As the saying goes, if we don’t learn from History, we are bound to repeat it. When it comes to travel and history, one important lesson is that nothing lasts forever. What was once the greatest city is now all ruins; what was…
Who Owns Who
A blog had a survey, “What is one thing that you cannot live without?” Of course, the answers varied, but there were some very interesting ones: Gummy Bears, Pistachio Ice Cream, Vicks Vapor Rub, Vinyl Record Collection. The most mentioned items were money, family, and cellphones. In the Gospel, a rich man runs up to…
Trust in God like a Child
I came across a story of a flight that experienced turbulence. After the scary experience, a man asked a boy who was seated beside him if he was afraid or not. The boy responded, “no.” He explained, “My father is the pilot and I know he will take care of me.” Jesus said when it…
The Message and the Messenger
Luke 4:16-30 According to an article that came out not too long ago, the top 5 endorsers in the Philippines are:5. Sarah Geronimo, 4. Anne Curtis, 3. Angel Locsin, 2. Xian Lim, 1. Kim Chiu They are the top endorsers because people listen to them. When they say this product is good, people believe; when…
Cleanliness of the Heart
There is a saying that “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Hence, who does not want a clean house, a clean car, a clean bedroom, a clean chapel, and a clean person. In discussing cleanliness, a friend of mine casually said that we Filipinos are one of the top users of bath soap. He explained the…
3 Ways 2 Your 1 God 