Giving back and paying back
THE Mass readings of December 22 somehow reminds us of our duty to give back and pay back what God has given us. We should do our best to at least be more aware of this duty and try to fulfill it in any way...
Category Archives: Opinion
Hurry up to do God’s work
THE readings of the Mass of December 21 ably evoke the sentiment of joy as we look forward to the coming birth of Christ our Redeemer, and the need for dispatch in cooperating in Christ’s continuing work of redemption. In the Book of the Songs of...
The virgin birth
“THE Lord himself will grant to you a sign. Behold, a virgin will conceive, and she will give birth to a son, and his name will be called Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.” (Is 7,14) Thus, the prophecy about Christ’s birth was announced and...
Sports as preparation for Christmas
CHRISTMAS being the birth of Christ our Redeemer, we should be properly prepared for it in both body and soul. The spiritual preparation, of course, takes precedence over the bodily preparation, but the latter also needs to be given due attention, otherwise our spiritual readiness...
Christian confidence amid mysteries
WE are now days before Christmas. Our longing for the birth of Christ is heightened, thanks to our tradition of the Simbang Gabi that up to now enjoys vast popularity especially among the simple people who are gifted with a lot of faith. Let’s hope...
Gaudete
Joy and sadness do not always come together. But it did happen to me once upon a time in the Advent season. A loved-one died while another loved-one gave birth on the evening before the Gaudete Sunday. The coming and the going of people in...
2024
The world feels a great sigh of relief now that 2023 will soon be gone. With the next breath, we wonder if the 2024 dragon will bring peace, prosperity and cover up all the losses, pains and calamities of 2023. From a materialistic and rationalistic...
A Birth Worth Celebrating
Last December 2, 2023, on the night before the 1st Sunday of Advent we experienced a 6.1 magnitude earthquake here in Davao City. Aftershocks were also felt days after the said calamity. Though Davao City is not the epicenter, many of us are living in...
Care for our common home
(Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao during the 24th Parochial Fiesta of San Francisco de Asis Parish in Tagakpan, October 4, 2023.) St. Francis, ikaw baya’y inspiration sa among Santo Papa, for us to be enlightened, to be moved, to be...
Be hopeful and be joyful
Strong earthquake on a Saturday evening and bombing with many casualties on a Sunday morning. These incidents welcomed the First Sunday of Advent. But fear no more because this Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent which is also known as Gaudete Sunday. In Latin, Gaudete...