IT’S very interesting to note that after Christ was rightly identified by Peter to be the son of the living God, and after Christ made Peter the rock on which the invincible Church would be founded, Christ proceeded to talk about his impending passion and...
“After he dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.” (Mt 14,23) Let’s take note of how Christ himself always gave priority to prayer, despite the hectic schedule he had to follow during his preaching trips. He found not only time...
“AND they came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.” (Jn 6,24) The gospel talks about how the people were so impressed with what they saw and heard from Christ that they were always looking for him. It seemed like they couldn’t help but be attracted to...
WHEN Christ in that parable of the wheat and the weeds (cfr. Mt 13,24-43) advised that it would be better not to uproot the weeds at the moment since doing so may also uproot the wheat, we are practically told that we have to be...
“A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country.” This is Christ’s indictment against the people of his own place who, instead of being amazed and thankful for having among them not only a very special person but the very son of God,...
This expression has both a good and bad meaning. The bad one is an extremely ambitious statement declaring one's thought and desire in place of hard evidence as assurance that some plan will definitely be realized. The good one is simply a humble desire and...
Oratio and Imperata are more than 2,000-year-old Latin words. Oratio is the source of the English word oration -- a formal speech given in a special/ceremonial occasion. Today, it relates to church prayers. Imperata relates to empire (Roman — imperial, emperor, imperium — suggesting awesome...
(An excerpt from the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao, July 25, 2021 during the live streamed mass on the 1st Grandparents and Elderly Day at San Pedro Cathedral.) I’d like to tell you, to close, three stories, quick. Bag-o lang,...
From the very beginning of this pandemic, scientists and medical experts already informed the world that viruses mutate. It does not take a genius to know that. It is in the nature of viruses to mutate into either less virulent forms or into deadlier strains....
THAT beautiful story of the sisters, Martha and Mary, welcoming Christ into their house (cfr. Lk 10,38-42) teaches us a precious lesson about how prayer and piety should take precedence over any consideration of practicality, no matter how legitimate and praiseworthy such consideration is. Such...