LAST Sunday’s First Reading from the Book of Jeremiah is one of the powerful biblical passages that I’ve encountered regarding one’s prophetic role. Realizing that the Lord duped  him to take this job, Jeremiah, however, confessed that he could not be silent to speak in God’s name: “I say to myself, I will not mention…

AS I reside with young men and teach them the ways to preach the  Gospel and lead God’s people as future priests, I get insights on who they are and what their longings are. They come with varied backgrounds, educational attainment, experiences, and intellectual capacities. Each of them entered the seminary with particular gifts. There…

WE have another fascinating Gospel Reading (Matthew 14:-36) this Sunday.  As the disciples were on a boat in the midst of fierce winds and waves, Jesus showed himself to them by walking on the water. Then the disciples shouted saying, “It is a ghost!” Jesus responded, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”…

WE have a fascinating Old Testament reading (1 Kings 3-5, 7-12) for this Sunday’s Mass.  The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night to tell him, “Ask something of me, and I will give it to you.” Worried about the tremendous task of governing God’s people, the young Solomon answered, “Give your servant,…

AS my friends and I went out swimming at a beach one summer day, a beautiful rainbow appeared before us. “It’s been quite a while since I saw such a complete rainbow,” I told my friends, feeling awe-inspired at its sight. Then I thought about its biblical symbol of God’s promise and covenant to his…

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 Wrights posits in the opening chapter…

GOD knows those of us who work so hard and who patiently fulfill our responsibilities and obligations. God knows our fidelity and our persistence, despite our struggles, pains, dilemmas, heartaches, and disappointments. God knows our generosity, kindness, and compassion to others. He knows our true motives. And so, despite any false opinions of others regarding…

“God so loved the world that he gave his  only son, so that everyone who believes in  him might not perish but might have eternal life.” – John 3:16 I PREACHED about love last Pentecost Sunday—a revolution of love that the world urgently needs in these times of violence, hatred, and terror. I told people that we need…

MANY years ago when I was an associate pastor, there was a young man named Nick who spoke boldly in front of hundreds of his fellow youth about his Christian faith. He was filled joy, passion and courage as he shared his faith and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He spoke with genuine concern for…

“Worshiped, but they doubted.” “DOUBT isn’t the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith…Sometimes I think it is my mission to bring faith to the faithless, and doubt to the faithful.” –Paul Tillich It’s good to be critical of our faith. Otherwise, we’re merely blind followers, not fully understanding what we’re believing and…

THE rooms of the dormitories are now clean and empty, and the seminary is quiet, for the academic year has ended and the seminarians have left for summer vacation. Some of them finished their long years of seminary formation — seven years for most of them — and they are now preparing for ordination, ready…

JESUS shows his concern and cares for us this Sunday by telling us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a…

I TOLD a friend one day that I probably have one of the best jobs in the seminary. I get to teach and observe seminarians on parish internship engage in pastoral work. This week, for example, I did my final visit to two seminarians in the Diocese of Orange—one at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church…

“ The words of Jesus at the end of Matthew’s Gospel are the promise of Christ’s abiding love for us through His Spirit present in the world. “And behold, I am with you always until the end of times.” IF you want to see an inspiring Christian movie that is still showing in some theaters,…

LAST Thursday night was quite a treat for me. I had dinner with Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, the former Rector of the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and the Vice-Postulator for North American for the Canonization Cause of Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska. I had met him several times before at Puri…

IT’S a brand new day! For me, this greeting sums up the message of Easter, not only because we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, but also because we rejoice in the fact that there is always hope for each one of us amidst our personal and global struggles. If we don’t have hope, we…

ARE you ready for Holy Week? Are you ready to enter deeply into the mysteries of our faith–the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ? Are your hearts open to the graces of renewed faith and the outpouring of God’s mercy and love in the image of water and blood that flowed out…

AD maiorem Dei gloriam, the Latin motto of the Jesuits which means “For the greater Glory of God,” is a phrase that we often use to express our motive when we serve other people. It’s a phrase that some celebrities even use to convey their gratitude to God for their achievements. It’s a saying that…

HAVE you ever wondered why people suffer? Have you ever complained to God about an illness, death, or a crisis? Have you ever questioned some unfairness in your life and the lives of other people? Well, I’m sure that each of us has grappled with these issues in one way or another. But have you…

“IF today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” These were words that came out from my former pastor’s lips many years ago as he began his homily one Sunday mass. He kept repeating these words and expounding on them. They were words from Psalm 95; words that, I thought then, were an appeal…

“I WILL make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”  — Genesis 12:1-4 You will be one of the blessing! This is one of good news of this Sunday Scripture Readings on the Second Sunday of Lent. It sounds offbeat…

WE had the pleasure of having Bishop Joseph Brennan celebrate Ash Wednesday mass at the seminary last week. In his homily, he shared a funny act he put on while working as vicar general of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. One day while he was in a jocular mood, he took the sign “Out to…

“DO not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.” — (Matthew 6:34) It’s not easy to let go and allow God to take charge of our lives. “It’s easier said than done,” we always say. It’s because we want to control the situations and be clear about the decisions of our lives. The Scripture…

“YOU shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart…Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  (Leviticus: 17-18) More and more, we seem to live in a polarized world as we experience wide differences in views on politics and religion among people. This…

WE have a saying in theology that Jesus Christ is the Sacrament par excellence. This statement does not only mean that Jesus is the Word made flesh or the Living Bread that came down from heaven, but it also means that Jesus embodies the whole Law of God. It’s why He says in the Gospel…

“ Share your bread with the hungry; shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord…

I SPENT three weeks after Christmas traveling to the Philippines and China.  In the Philippines, I joined my high school seminary classmates in the celebration of our 40th year anniversary of graduation. In China, I honored an overdue invitation of a long-time friend to visit the American school that he has been running successfully, Qingdao…

Another year has gone by and another year is before us. As we get older we feel the rapidness of life and its brevity. We become more contemplative about life’s mysteries, particularly its purpose and its end. We tremble at our personal finality on  earth, but our faith in God strengthen us to trust in…

A BLESSED and Merry Christmas and New Year to all of you! For my column this Christmas, I’d like to quote Bishop Robert Baron in one of his Advent reflections. Contrasting our personal will to God’s will and purpose in our lives, here’s what he says: “We are dominated today by the ego-drama in all…

THERE were a lot of people at the LA Cathedral on Thursday, December 15. The rain did not stop them, mostly our kababayans, from coming to the opening Mass of Simbang Gabi. By the time that representatives of different Filipino organizations and ministries paraded their parols,  accompanied by the triumphant voices of choir members from…