“IN truth, God shows no partiality,” St. Paul wrote to speak of one of God’s attributes. It’s true in the sense that God does not favor anyone but sees all of us as his beloved children. It does not matter what status, means, education or background we have in the society. He’d pour his graces…
“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” John 15:1-8 JESUS’ image on the intimate connection between the vine and the branches speaks of his earnest desire to be in union with us. It’s the same…
THERE is a restlessness in many of us, one that makes us think about life and questions the varied facets of human existence. It’s a divine restlessness because it urges us to contemplate on one’s purpose and meaning of life and the happenings of this world in different periods of its history. It’s what Tom…
”Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” –John 24:38-39 IT’S truly perplexing that God would make his presence known…
I heard this beautiful story last week from a group of Lebanese Maronite Catholics during my visit to St. Maron’s Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?” The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery….
I ADMIT that there have been times in my life when my faith and prayer have run dry. What do I mean? It means that even in my life as a priest, I have experienced doubt in my faith and have questioned its disciplines and practices. It means that I too have experienced the humdrum…
REMBRANDT Harmenszoon van Rijn, one of the greatest visual artists in the history of art (1606-1669), portrays this Sunday’s Gospel in his painting, Christ Driving the Moneychangers from the Temple, with vividness, realism, passion, and conviction. It’s the exact message that the Gospel of John conveys. Jesus came to fulfill his Father’s will and mission…
Trust in God is what we need to face the hardships and incomprehensibility of life. It’s what Abraham in this Sunday’s First Reading manifested to us. He trusted in God’s inscrutable command. “Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up…
“This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you: I set a bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” (Genesis 9:12-13) MANY of us are familiar with the sign…
“If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touch him, and said,‘I do will it. Be made clean.’— Mark 1:40-42 WHEN we think of leprosy in this Sunday’s Gospel, we imagine it as the Hansen’s Disease that people of the island of Molokai suffered from in the late 19th century. It’s…
GOD wants our total well-being. He desires that we lead healthy, fulfilled, and peaceful lives. He does not want us to distress about anything. He wants us to remain calm. I know that it’s easy to claim these truths about God, but it’s hard to live them out each day when even little things like…
“Jesus said to them, ‘Come after me and I will make you fishers of men.Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. — Mark 1:19 IT has been 11 days since my trip to the Philippines. I was joined by my sister, Raquel, her husband, Edmund, and their young children, Lauren, Francesca, and Gavin; and my other…
“What are you looking for?’ they said to him, “Rabbi (which translated means teacher) “where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and you will see. –John 1:35 WHERE shall we find God? In a distant space? In a sacred place? In the desert, the sea, or on a mountaintop? Where does he dwell? In…
A FEW days before Christmas, I asked my niece, Ann, to suggest to me another phrase for “having a deep sense of awe” that I can use in my preaching. She answered, “It’s living the moment, Uncle.” I took her suggestion as I preached this theme to people during the Simbang Gabi Masses, and, indeed,…
HAVE you ever felt the profound love of another human being? Have you loved someone so deeply? If you did, then you have experienced what it is to be truly human. It’s because God created us for love and to be loved. It’s because we came from God, who is love. We Filipinos are very…
“REJOICE always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Jesus Christ.” St. Paul admonishes us with these words in his Letter to the Thessalonians (1 Thes 5:16-17). They are words that fit our celebration on this Third week of Advent, which the Church calls…
“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” – Mark 1:3 MANY residents of Southern California may not feel like celebrating Christmas this year. It’s because of the series of wildfires that destroyed numerous homes and devastated the lives of thousands of people, interrupting their plans for this most celebrated holiday. This enormous disaster…
“YES, O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay, and you are the potter: we are the work of your hands” (Is 64:7). These are beautiful words the Scripture presents to us on this First Sunday of Advent as we prepare for Christmas! We’re going to spend the weeks of Advent in prayer,…
WE often speak of “the bottom line” — the bottom line of a financial report, an educational program, or a political speech. In the grand perspective of life, however, a bottom line does not merely refer to a result or profit. Rather, it’s about the crux or the heart of the matter, the essence of…
WE’VE heard inspiring stories of men and women in our present time who have overcome their physical disabilities and live their lives to the fullest. The stories of men like Nick Vujicic, the Australian who was born without hands, feet, and legs, but goes around the world spreading hope and encouraging others to trust God…
WE know people who recovered from a stroke, survived a cancer, or escaped a fatal accident. We may think that they have learned and lived the most spoken lesson that “life is short and we must live each day as if it is our last.” But they will honestly tell you that it’s not always…
IN the midst of the hype of the Dodgers games this past week, I felt a deep longing for my parents’ presence. Perhaps it’s because it’s that time of the year in the Church when we especially remember our deceased family members and friends. And so, on my day-off last Monday, I went to my…
”He said to them: You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” — Matthew 22:37-40 THEY were beautiful and heartwarming wedding ceremonies: an intimate one…
WE can’t escape this world. We can’t isolate or numb ourselves from all its influences and its happenings. Be it a political issue, a natural disaster, or a threat of nuclear war, our personal lives–which includes our spirituality, faith, or religious beliefs–interface and intertwine with the affairs of this world. This fact is much more…
“ The garment that we need to wear when God invites us to his “wedding banquet” is hope. We can be religious and righteous, but if we don’t have hope for ourselves and others, our faith becomes shallow.” This Sunday’s Scripture readings provide us a clear vision of the richness and the promise of the Kingdom…
“THERE is evil in the world.” I heard many people express these words after the Las Vegas massacre last week. It’s one of the statements that help people grapple with violence and senseless death of dozens of people, who were just “out there” enjoying life with country music among family and friends.” How else can we…
“If you ask me if I’d die for my Christian faith as St. Lorenzo Ruiz did before his torturers, I’ll say I’m not sure,” Deacon Danilo Guinto openly said during his homily to the seminary community on the Feast of St. Lorenzo Ruiz and his companions. “I hope I could,” he added. His honest and…
“AS Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the custom post. He said to him, ‘Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.” (Matthew 9:9) This excerpt from of the Gospel Reading on the Feast of St. Matthew led me to an insight to this Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 20:1-16) on…
I’VE always wondered what “human formation” is in regards to training men to become priests. I understand the spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation, but I couldn’t quite grasp human formation. Perhaps it’s because the term “human” is too general and encompasses varied aspects of existence. The term becomes intelligible to me when I look at…
THE message of this Sunday’s Gospel is straightforward. It’s about forgiveness. When Peter asked Jesus how often he must forgive, Jesus answered, “not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” To expound on this lesson on forgiveness, Jesus shared with his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to…
