Forced Suffering
In my homilies and talks I used to recall the words of Fr. San Juan SJ that there are two ways of considering or reflecting on suffering. One way is to consider it as a problem; the other way is to see it as a...
Author: Archbishop Fernando Capalla, DD
“A Little Learning Is A Dangerous Thing”
If my memory doesn't fail me these words between quotation marks are from the famous English writer and poet William Shakespeare. He was right. There were people in his day who knew very little about topic or issue but talk or wrote proudly about it as...
Conscience
In our Catholic tradition conscience is a "voice from within" telling us what is right and what is wrong. This inner voice is usually enlightened and guided by God's Spirit. This enlightenment and guidance comes from knowledge of God's commandments and laws. We distinguish three modes...
Sta. Ana Parish Church Dedicated as Shrine
On the 24th day of July 2000 the parish church whose patroness was already St. Anne was officially declared and "dedicated" or "raised to" the rank of "a diocesan shrine". The document of official elevation of the parish church into a shrine was written and...
Institutions and Persons and the Sacred Heart
The Church is awesomely blessed and enriched by the enduring devotion to the Sacred Heart. This spiritual blessing and enrichment is carried by institutions and persons. There are institutions like the parishes carry the name. We have two in Davao: the Sacred Heart Parish in Obrero...
June month of the Sacred Heart
One of the enduring and favorite devotions of Filipino Catholics is the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Or, popularly called, the First Friday Devotion. Lest Catholic millennials forget, here is a reminder from Church history. Quotes are from The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia (1994). "...
Celebrations with Meaning and Fruits
For a meaningful and fruitful celebration of the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons, several diocesan bishops, heads of institutes of consecrated persons, lay ecclesial movements and communities are have been preparing conferences, symposia, recollections, prayer sessions, and liturgical rituals to renew and strengthen...
Unity Among Believers and the Holy Spirit
Believers worldwide can be divided into two general groupings. These are known by the names Non-Christians and Christians. The Non-Christians outnumber the Christians. Believers can also be grouped into non-churched and churched, meaning, the former are those who do not belong to organized churches, and the...
Barangay Elections
Despite the election-related killings Comelec reports the national situation is generally peaceful. Our elections have so far been described as a popular Pyesta when lots of easy money is available. People are enjoying the pyesta. Never mind the moral corruption it is perpetuating and dulling...
A Mixed-up Culture and Religion?
One of our realizations on living in Marawi and in other predominantly Muslim areas in Lanao del Sur was the tendency, or perhaps an ingrained habit of Maranao Muslims, of treating what is cultural as Islamic or Muslim. For instance, the Maranao language and way...