WHEN Christ told his disciples that the Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind, after which the good fishes are separated from the bad ones, (cfr. Mt 13,47-53) we are clearly reminded that there is...
IN that gospel parable describing the Kingdom of Heaven as a treasure buried in a field and as a merchant searching for fine pearls for which the main characters would be willing to sell everything they had just to get that treasure and those fine...
THE clear lesson we can learn from the parable about the wheat and the weeds (cfr. Mt 13,24-43) is that we should just have hope amid all the trials and challenges in our earthly life, since God will take care of everything. We should avoid...
WHAT lesson can we learn from that rather amusing gospel episode of the two sisters, Martha and Mary, welcoming Christ to their home? (cfr. Lk 10,38-42) Martha was doing well in busying herself welcoming their special guest. But when she complained about her sister, Mary,...
How time flies! The first time I joined in the fiesta of Sta. Ana Parish was in 1983, and I was only 16 years old at that time. Together with some charismatic youth, we presented a dance number to the tune of Flashdance in the...
All opera composers are men. Their perception of women as weak, naïve, and inferior is evident in many of their works. For example, the aria “La donna è mobile” (Women are fickle) in Giuseppe Verdi’s opera *Rigoletto* is very popular. George Bizet’s opera *Carmen* portrays...
(An excerpt of the homily of the Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., during the National Anniversary Celebration of the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals, SMX Lanang Priemier, Davao City, July 20, 2024.) This is important for you which has the letter C in your...
In 2021, Pope Francis declared the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly to take place every fourth Sunday of July in honor of St. Anne and St. Joachim, the grandparents of Jesus, whose feast day is celebrated on July 26. Simultaneously, the Fil-Mission Sunday...
THAT gospel episode where Christ shocked his disciples when he told them that they themselves had to feed the big crowd that followed Christ (cfr. Jn 6,1-15) reminds us that we should just have confidence in the ways of God even if what we are...
IN that parable of the sower and the seed, (cfr. Mt 13,8-23) it’s made quite clear that we are encouraged to be the good ground for God’s word which actually represents his great love for us and our salvation. We should avoid being the wayside,...