In last week’s reflection, we said that human friendship can sanctify us and must be sanctified. However, one must strive to avoid falling into false friendships as these can be a real obstacle to sanctification. * * * * * * The author of the book, The...
A friend, who got a copy of my newly-published book Clay in the Potter’s Hands, sent me this message on Messenger, sometime last June: “Good evening Padre...
On my 7-hour flight from Brisbane to Manila, two particular movies caught my attention. After watching these two — “Troy” and “Doctor Strange” — I could not help but be struck by similar thoughts, which I shall quote here. The first from “Troy”: “I tell you...
“Asa diay imong uyab karon?” (Where’s your boyfriend now?) I casually asked her, hoping she would not be offended by my quite personal question. She just blushed, which made me retreat a little, assuming she might have thought — and she has the right to...
Sometime in 2003, the then Pope John Paul II was already very sickly he could not pronounce the words well when he talked or even give the blessing. Several critics wondered why he would not give up the papacy since it was quite obvious how...
Hugot, in Filipino, literally means “to pull out”; “to unsheathe” or “to draw out something from within”. In the Philippine setting nowadays, hugot (or pick-up lines) is a slang word used to refer to quotable statements that draw out emotions and convey them to others...
“Let my last heartbeat be an act of perfect love.” Thus run the last line of the Offertory hymn. “What a perfect line to describe the life of Sr. Carmen”, I thought to myself. Then, I whispered the same thought to Fr. Lord Saniel, who was...
Eight years ago, I had the grace of attending in Rome, together with Fr. Bong Dublan, the concluding celebrations of the special Year for Priests, proclaimed by then Pope Benedict XVI, (19 June 2009 to 11 June 2010), which coincided with the 150th anniversary of...
Padre, daghan lagi mga pari ug pipila ka mga obispo moapil-apil ug criticize o kaha moingon nga dili angay iboto ang usa ka kandidato. Mitugot ba diay ang Simbahan niini? This question shows the degree of the faithful’s confusion nowadays on the legitimacy of the Catholic...
“Padre, pwede ba ko moboto sa usa ka kandidato nga pabor sa death penalty, same-sex union o kaha sa abortion?” When I was asked this question a few months ago, and other questions similar to it, I could not hide the wrinkles on my forehead, as...
