IT’S intriguing to note that when Christ sent out his disciples in pairs to prepare his coming to the different towns, he commanded them to “carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals, and to greet no one along the way.” (cfr. Lk 10,1-9) He...
WE have to be most careful with our intentions because they play a crucial role in our moral life. Our intentions can determine the state of our life in relation to God and to the others. Together with the matter or object, and the circumstances...
Pope Francis opens in Rome, October 10, the path entitled, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission”. He hopes for “a maximum inclusion and participation, reaching out to involve the greatest number of people possible, and especially those on the periphery who are often...
It happened somewhere in North Cotabato in early 1995. A "baylan", Manobo word for "shaman", a respected spiritual person I was conversing with under the shade of a mango tree. He was telling how good and caring was the priest. He wanted the local office...
“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.” (Lk 12,2) With these words, Christ is clearly telling us that there is no point hiding things from God since he knows everything. Neither should we be hiding things...
THOSE gospel episodes where Christ bewailed the self-righteousness of the leading Jews of his time remind us that we really need to be aware of this common anomaly, called self-righteousness, and do everything to fight it. Self-righteousness is a common disease, since all of us have...
WE have to be wary of this common tendency of ours. We are always prone to show externally what we actually are not internally. We easily fall into some kind of political or social correctness without the proper spirit animating it. We easily fall into forms...
WHILE Christ was always patient, compassionate, merciful and the like with everyone, we cannot deny that there were occasions that he showed anger and expressed some lamentations. He even did this with his disciples, and especially with those self-righteous leading Jews of his time and...
THAT’S “strong in the faith” in English. The expression comes from the First Letter of St. Peter (5,9) and is made also in the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (16,13) Both passages are made in the context of our need to be...
It's October once again and for us Catholics it means that we are honoring the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary as we celebrate Rosary Month. We all know that praying the rosary is not just a repetitive prayer of Our Fathers, Hail Marys...