The precious gifts of time and presence
FR. Patrick Mbazuigwe shared the following ancient legend in a sermon about the beauty of gratitude. It’s from Kiran Kumar Roy’s blog. A young man while roaming the desert came…
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Two magical words (First of 2 parts)
“…And I think about those people who mean so much to me And for so many years have made me so very happy And I count the times I have forgotten to…
Your heart
Heart, the symbol of love, of Valentine’s Day, even of religious adoration, is always fascinating but still a mystery to most of us. The amazing facts about our most loyal…
Understanding spirits
(Part I of II) WITH the celebration of All Souls’ Day earlier this month, stories of ghosts and hauntings have surfaced — as if they never existed even beyond the…
“Documented,” the film: The truth of a son’s struggle to be reunited with his mother in the context of a broken immigration system
[Editor’s note: This column was originally published in 2014 but has been updated and republished in light of recent immigration conversations in the U.S.] “Immigration is by definition a gesture…
Where have all the soldiers gone?
WAR is just a filthy tragedy. But it has always been like that, whether it was the violent age that was Renaissance, the Roman Empire, or the Golden Age in…
On grappling with life’s questions and mysteries
WE can spend many years of studies, read many books, travel to many places, hear from both simple and erudite people, and learn lessons from the experiences of life, but…
Lacto A: Friendly germs?
What is Lactobacillus acidophilus? L. acidophilus is the most popularly used probiotic or “friendly bacteria.” They live in the intestines and vagina and prevent the entrance and proliferation of disease-causing…
Thanksgiving is all rolled up with this dish!
IF you don’t feel like roasting a big turkey for Thanksgiving, or want to try a great dish for holiday entertaining, you might want to try my Stuffed Turkey Rolls….
Cycling to the end game
“Nothing is important than THIS DAY!” – Goethe HOW has 2018, which is about to come to a close, treated you thus far? Has it been smooth sailing? Or has there been…
Are there leaders with integrity left in America? (Part II of women can change America series)
“This ‘one nation, indivisible’ is deeply divided along political, economic, racial and religious lines. And despite our historic dream of being “a light unto the nations,” the gaps between us…
God’s heart
THE Scripture readings this Sunday present stories about two widows. The first one is from the Book of Kings. Thirsty and hungry after a long trip to the city of…
Maestro Bob and his magic baton glowing like Excalibur
I can never quell a stir of fascination, dread and longing, when the house lights dim and the curtain parts in every Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO)’s gentle riot. It…
Vanny Tousignant and her passion for excellence
TO dream lofty dreams… condescendingly envision a bright future…and reach out for that elusive star… these and much more are what young ambitious souls profess to better their lives and…
Polio-like mystery
A scary polio-like disease, which peaked every other year since 2014 and has stumped health officials all over the United States, is causing widespread concerns, especially among parents, in this…
Circles, cycles and the season of our lives
“To everything – turn, turn, turn. There is a season – turn, turn, turn And a time to every purpose under heaven.” – A song by The Byrds (based on the Book of Ecclesiastes)…
Cleansing the aura (Part III of III)
SINCE we spoke of the aura as a field of energy surrounding a living and non-living thing, it follows that this energy is also open to being corrupted. It interacts…
On bringing back Catholic fervor
MY recent Marian pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes, and the other Marian shrines in Spain convinced me even more of the importance and the urgency to bring back Catholic fervor in…
The human obsession for acceptance and recognition
IT’S not just the celebrity allure. It’s the cut above all. It’s the public acclaim, the attention, and the limelight. Every time you turn around, someone’s winning an award for…
How women can change America
(Part I of II) “You can’t be what you can’t see.” – Marian Wright Edelman “If they see it, they can be it.” – Geena Davis, March 19, 2015 at…
Halloween: its origin and universal observances
AMONG the numerous holiday celebrations worldwide, Halloween takes a remarkable spot in the roster… contending with Christmas, New Year, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, and Thanksgiving Day while taking a…
Entertaining trivia
Here are some remarkable, educational, and attention-grabbing bits of medical and general factoid that could enrich your cerebral armamentarium: • Arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) starts when a child is…
Children just like you (2 of 2 parts)
“The deepest definition of youth is life as yet untouched by tragedy.” —Alfred North Whitehead (Continued from last week’s issue …) “Pay attention, Icarus. Stick close behind me and watch your…
‘The Coming of Good Winds’: Their paintings and the guiding principles of Ronald Cortez, Danny Doce and Master Jessie Mariñas
“We used to be able to manage with the belief that the physical art object was the end product of art, and the process of art was everything that went…
Caregivers: Quiet angels with gentle hearts
IN private homes, we learn yet of another world — of quiet angels with gentle hearts that back home used to be teachers, bank tellers, office workers, civil engineers, registered…
On being healing partners of God
AND as he was leaving Jericho along with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, son of Timaeus sat at the roadside begging. On hearing that it…
PACCAL honors 21 outstanding Fil-Am highfliers and trailblazers
IT was, indeed, an indisputably far-fetched fete that ineradicably marked the elegant celebration of PACCAL’s 26th Founding Anniversary and Awards Night at the posh ballroom of the Ramada Plaza Hotel…
Medical pearls
Losing weight on a diet that is high in fat is dangerous for overall health. The risk of coronary heart disease has been found to increase significantly among those individuals…
Children just like you (1 of 2 parts)
“The deepest definition of youth is life as yet untouched by tragedy.” —Alfred North Whitehead (HERE’S an abbreviated version of a fascinating story from Greek mythology. This is a redux.) Long…
The life force that surrounds you — the aura
(Part II of III) AS a recap of my last column introducing the aura, let me summarize salient points before we dig deeper into the subject matter. The aura is…