As we make our journeys
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…
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Here comes another year
The old year has passed and we commemorate it while invoking the illumination of the year’s days of authentic indulgence, simplicities, celebration and closure. As we welcome the new year,…
Viagra, ginseng, liposuction
Are stomach ulcers caused by bacteria? Yes, a very common cause of peptic ulcer (stomach ulcer) is a bacteria called H. Pylori. In the past, it was thought that peptic…
A new Tabula Rasa
“…Purpose does not come as clear as the light of day. We have to seek it out…” 2020 presents to us all a new lease on life — a fresh…
The blessing and challenge of Christmas and New Year
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…
December to remember
THE gift of the yuletide comes to us wrapped, not in tissues and ribbon but in cherished events of ceremony, celebration, connections and parties that constellate about the holiday season….
Three contingencies in home buying
by: Martin Santiago, Broker-Associate BUYING a home is a big deal. Too often, I think people rush into home ownership because it’s seen as a sign of adulthood and financial…
‘Just Mercy’ author vows to continue social justice work
HUMBLED BY ACCOLADE, PRAISE BRYAN Stevenson wears many hats. He is a lawyer, a social justice activist and founder of Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). He wrote a New York Times…
The coffee mystic
A RECENT study by The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (TISIC) suggests that “a higher intake of coffee and caffeine, up to 5 cups of coffee per day, could…
Like riding a bicycle: Circles, cycles and movement
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” —Albert Eistein A circle is perhaps the perfect geometric structure there is. Although some would claim…
Trump’s impeachment shows no one is above the law
“Our nation is founded on the principle that we do not have kings. We have presidents. And the Constitution is our compass. When you see something that is not right,…
My best Christmas gift
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…
The secret of the best Christmas
I thought I have forgotten what the real Christmases were like, but, I remembered. Christmas comes but once a year, made up of equal parts of love, good cheers, gentleness…
COPD from GERD
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a consortium of various progressive lung diseases, including chronic bronchitis, refractory (non-reversible asthma), and emphysema, characterized by increasing shortness of breath. About 24 million…
A Christmas Story: The innkeeper’s untold tale
“As he told the story of that wondrous night to Luke, Joshua carefully removed himself from the narrative. It was to be between him and God alone.” …
Greetings on this third Sunday of Advent!
“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…
My Christmas box
IN both fiction and reportage, I’ve always made known that the winding down of autumn and ushering of winter puts me in a heavy and philosophical mood. I’m thinking about…
Disputed heart study
A recently published article in the New England Journal of Medicine alluded to a study that concluded, in essence, that intensive medical treatment had the same results as interventional therapy…
Remember the wonder
“Lest we forget ……… CHRIST is the reason for this season.” “REMEMBER the Wonder” was a catchy TV ad slogan for Wonder Bread, an iconic bread company that fled the…
Fatima, Portugal: ‘A window onto a new inner world with the light of Heaven within’
Part I of II “Each thing becomes a window onto a whole new world, an inner world, composed of the light of Heaven within everything.” – A Course in Miracles…
The ‘unkabogable’ love of Vice Ganda and Ion Perez
WHAT could be more romantic than a reciprocated love? Is it a love that you proudly declare and show off for the whole world to know and see? Such is…
December 7, 1941: The Pearl Harbor moment
HOW could it have happened? Pearl Harbor and its awful treachery and death, is one of the worst defeat ever suffered by the U.S. It is a tragic story of…
Advent: a season of fierce hope!
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…
Ampalaya for diabetes?
Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, on January 29, 2008, issued a circular, rescinding a previous one released in 2003, reinstating ampalaya (Momordica charantia) on the Department of Health’s list…
The power of prayer
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” — Pierre Teilhard de Chardin AT a breakfast after mass at the Holy…
Part III: Tradition, fear and spirits
THE past two articles touched on different spirit presences, how they communicate and why are they still lingering. Now let us be aware of actual occurrences and how to react…
So much Grace to be had when your life is into right doings
“A Warrior of the Light knows that he has much to be grateful for. Angels help him in his struggle; celestial forces place each thing in its place, thus allowing…
Deep and reverent appreciation for God’s gifts
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,…
PH Commission on Filipinos Overseas Secretary Francisco Acosta meets LA Fil-Am community
PICTURE a man across the hall. He carries his everyday business suit like they were black tie and tails, and his demeanor gave the impression that he had been born…
Vaping: a faster killer!
While cigarette smoking destroys lungs (first, with recurrent respiratory infections, then emphysema, COPD, and worst, lung cancer) over decades of inhaling more than 4,000 (not 400) different toxic substances, 200…