WHAT does the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, celebrated on September 15, remind us of? I would say that among other things, it reminds us of how our Lady can teach us how to handle our unavoidable sufferings and sorrows in our life. She is...
ON the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated on September 14, we are reminded that our redemption can only be achieved through the cross of Christ. That’s where all our sins are forgiven, where God’s mercy is poured on us and the...
“AS he (Christ) drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her…” (Lk 7,12) So goes the gospel...
THAT gospel episode about a centurion who asked some people to approach Christ for him, and to beg on his behalf for the cure of his sick slave (cfr. Lk 7,1-10) teaches us the lesson that we should have a strong faith if we want...
Webster’s dictionary defines catechesis from the Greek word katekhesis meaning oral teaching in the basic principles of any religion and catechism as a set of questions and answers of any religious doctrine. The church knows that a child from birth to age 5 get religious...
(Excerpt from the Homily of Most Reverend Romulo G. Valles, D.D., on the Launching of the Vocation Month at San Pedro Cathedral Parish, September 1, 2022.) It’s quite obvious, tataw kaayo nga nia kita to promote, to campaign for vocations. Number one task is not to...
As we celebrate the Catechetical Month let us be reminded that Saint Anne was the first catechist of Mama Mary. Catechist is defined as a teacher who prepares students for the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, and Baptism. Their primary role as a...
IT’S a daunting challenge, no doubt, but if we have to be truly consistent to our Christian identity, we better learn, with God’s grace and our earnest efforts, to love the unlovable. This is what we are practically told, nay, commanded in the parables of the...
HOW can we see the truth amid our unavoidable biases and other conditionings that affect how we see, judge and react to things? The simple answer is to be like Christ who himself said that he is “the way, the truth and the life.” Thus, in...
THE Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady on September 8 is a great cause for joy and thanksgiving in the Catholic Church, for it celebrates the birth of the one who is the prototype of a human person in her original and ultimate status...