This Passion/Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week. Sadly, we will not able to celebrate Holy Week in our churches because of the carnivorous pandemic. It’s a huge cross…

“Let’s deal with them, struggle with them, remain hopeful for each other and the whole humanity, and trust in the mighty power of God over our lives and the universe.”…

“ This is now the best time for our light, our Christian faith, to shine!” AS I was praying in the rectory chapel last Tuesday morning, the glaring light of…

“ Let’s take this Lent as a time of purification. Let Jesus purify our minds and hearts to what is essential in life.” ON this third Sunday of Lent, we…

WORRIES are part of human life. They bring fear in us and rob us of sleep. They prevent us from being fully present to others and mindful of the work…

ON this beginning of Lent, let me share with you a Lenten prayer by William Arthur Ward:  Lent can be more than a time of fasting. It can also be…

“ What Jesus asks us to do is to try every means to achieve peace and not to resort to violence.” IN the Gospel this Sunday (Matthew 5:38-48), Jesus gives…

“ God continually calls us to moral excellence and integrity, especially nowadays, when it’s hard to see the truth in society.” DARE greatly! In other words, don’t settle for mediocrity….

“ He wants us to be free—free to be ourselves and yet willing to take a risk and to show up to be a light of hope for others.” YOU’RE…

THE tragic deaths of Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other people in a helicopter crash shocked us all.  It’s unimaginable, heartbreaking, and utterly depressing. We are all…

“ Our spirits and faith should never get old. God should always see this in us.” I’VE often wondered why we Filipinos have a great devotion to Santo Niño. And…

“I WILL make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:5-6). My fellow Christians, these words that God spoke…

“ It’s trusting in God’s providence and protection in good and bad times.” LIVE the moment! This is my advice to all of you this new year! It’s the attitude…

AS we celebrate the New Year, let’s remember the famous words of Dag Hammarskjold, the Swedish diplomat and second Secretary-General of the United Nations: “For all that has been, thank…

NOW that Christmas passed by, we look at the photos of families and friends shared on Facebook and Instagram and express a profound gratitude to God. Thank God for another…

FOR my Pastor’s Notes this 4th Sunday of Advent, let me share you this reflection I wrote several years ago: My best Christmas gift in December 2011 was not a…

“We want to see Christians manifest joy in their faith.” AS many of you know, I spent five years working in seminary to train future priests. A big part of…

THE Old Testament Reading this Sunday is one of my favorite Scripture readings during Advent. It speaks so much of promises of hope, harmony, and peace. Its contrasting images capture…

IT’S Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. Happy Thanksgiving Day to all! As I reflect on the beauty of this day, I remember a thanksgiving homily that my fellow priest,…

ON this last Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Solemnity of Christ the King, I’d like to use Archbishop Socrates Villegas’ insights on the kingship of Christ.  A deck of cards…

“We can’t close our eyes and ears to the tragedies and changes happening in the world.” “THAT’S too scary to think about,” one person would say, referring to this Sunday’s…

OUR junior high kids in the Religious Education program were in high spirits when I visited them in their class last Sunday. Three students took turns responding to their teacher’s…

YOU may have been saved from a fatal accident, healed from cancer, freed from an unjust accusation, or received a much-needed help.  Any of these miracles happened in your life…

CAN we recognize the giftedness of the person next to us? Can we appreciate him or her as a sister and a brother in Christ? Can we honestly say that…

ASK God with a sincere heart for his absolute forgiveness for all your failures and sinfulness, and he will grant it to you. Plea to him for a place in…

AS I write this article, I’m watching on television wildfires spreading around Southern California once again. We pray for the end of this disaster and the safety of all people….

“You claim his lordship and power over your life. You know that you are nothing without God!” DID you wake up this morning saying to yourself, “I will do everything…

LAST Wednesday, a group of parishioners and I kicked off our celebration of 40 Days for Life with a rosary procession to an abortion clinic near our church on Arden…

THIS Sunday, September 22, thousands of us, particularly Kapampangans, will gather at the Cathedral of Los Angeles to celebrate the 63rd Canonical Coronation Mass of Virgen de Los Remedios.  We…

SAINT Ambrose (397) beautifully reflected on the images of a shepherd, a mother, and a father to connect the three parables we hear this Sunday: The Lost Sheep, The Lost…