Jul 24, 2026 DISCOVERING OUR TRUE VALUE IN GOD Recently, I started my new service in our seminary as a formator. It always amazed me to see young Filipinos who joined us because they want to becom…
May 29, 2026 Reflection on Trinity Sunday and Magnifica Humanitas Happy Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity! In our Gospel today from John 3:16-18, we hear words that many of us know by heart: "God so loved the worl…
Mar 27, 2026 “Passion Sunday,” not "Fashion Sunday” Today we celebrate Palm Sunday, but the liturgy reminds us of its deeper name: Passion Sunday. It is a day of sharp contrasts—the joyous waving of pa…
Jan 23, 2026 REPENT AND FOLLOW In the Gospel of Matthew 4:12-23, we see Jesus beginning his public ministry after the arrest of John the Baptist. He doesn't stay in his hometown bu…
Nov 7, 2025 The Temple of Your Heart I had the privilege of visiting the Lateran Basilica in Rome last year, the church we celebrate today. It’s hard to describe the feeling. I was simpl…
Sep 19, 2025 Who is your master? Who is your master? This is the question Jesus asks us in today’s Gospel. At the end of the parable of the dishonest steward, Jesus gives us a clear…
Jul 18, 2025 Welcoming Jesus One of the things that has always amazed me as a foreigner living in the Philippines is the warmth of Filipino hospitality. It’s not just about offer…
May 23, 2025 A Peace the World Cannot Give Have you ever experienced a moment when everything felt overwhelming, yet somehow, a deep calm remained in your heart? In today’s Gospel, Jesus speak…
Mar 28, 2025 A journey back to the loving Father Lenten season is a special time to receive the sacrament of confession. We just finished the “kumpisalan pamparokya” in Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish…
Jan 24, 2025 Finding Joy in the Word of God There’s a story about a man who found a wallet full of cash on the street. Excited, he shared the news with his friends. One said, “You’re lucky! Tha…
Nov 22, 2024 Hope in the Lord, the King I was blessed to visit Italy recently, and my journey took me to the heart of Christianity, the eternal city of Rome. For the first time, I had the p…
Sep 20, 2024 True Greatness: The Path of Humility and Service Who doesn’t want to be great? The desire for greatness is a powerful inner force that drives us to achieve our goals in life. Without this desire, we…
Jul 12, 2024 The communal nature of Jesus' mission In the Gospel of Mark 6:7-13, we see a profound moment where Jesus extends His ministry to His disciples, granting them the authority to cast out dem…
Apr 26, 2024 Jesus the Vine, and We the Branches Jesus uses the vine and branches metaphor to illustrate our relationship with Him: “He is the vine, and we are the branches.” Just as a branch cannot…
Feb 16, 2024 Desert: a path leading to freedom In today’s Gospel, we encounter Jesus's journey into the desert, where he faces temptation and emerges to proclaim the arrival of the Kingdom of God…
Dec 1, 2023 Advent Lesson: Surrendering to God's Molding Hands This year, the first Sunday of Advent coincides with the memory of a remarkable saint, Francis Xavier. He stands as an example of readiness and…
Sep 22, 2023 Sana All In the Philippines, there is a saying that fits well with the parable of the workers in the vineyard: "Sana all." This means "I hope everyone ha…
Jul 28, 2023 Lesson from Solomon and Jesus' Parables Imagine if God appears to you in a dream at night and grants you a wish to choose anything you want. What would you choose? In the book of 1 Kings 3…
May 27, 2023 Embracing the Holy Spirit's Mission Today, we celebrate the feast of Pentecost, a special day when we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. When Jesus breathed on t…
Mar 10, 2023 “If you knew the gift of God…” It may seem an ordinary day for the samaritan woman doing her chores and daily activities. But there is something strange in the story; it is noon, t…
Jan 8, 2023 The wise men from the East: searching for the Lord and proclaiming the Good News The church celebrates the solemnity of the Epiphany or manifestation of our Lord. It commemorates the revelation of the child Jesus to all the people…
Oct 29, 2022 Mercy: conversion and joy At the end of the mission month, the liturgy proposes a unique perspective on the vastness of divine mercy, which embraces the whole creation. The ex…
Sep 3, 2022 The logic of the cross In today's Gospel, Jesus instructs a great multitude, demanding three conditions for those who want to become His disciple. First, not to put anythin…
Jul 9, 2022 Everyday Samaritans As Christians, we are familiar with the commandment of love. We have listened to numerous sermons about love for God and our neighbor. Concretely, wh…
Apr 30, 2022 Abundance and love The gospel can be divided into three parts: the great catch of fish under the instructions of the Risen Lord, the recognition of the Risen Lord in th…
Feb 27, 2022 Guiding and judging Continuing with the Sermon on the Beatitudes, and after calling us to forgive and love our enemies and be merciful as his Father, Jesus tells us a br…
Jan 1, 2022 What you have received as a gift, give as a gift The year 2021 was marked by the 500 years celebration of Christianity in the Philippines. The Solemnity of the Epiphany invites us to revisit and ref…
Oct 29, 2021 Love: the heart of mission We conclude today the Church’s mission month of October with a stunning Gospel passage. The Scribes were the experts of the law and know it by heart…
Aug 27, 2021 A pure heart and clean hands Nowadays, we can find signs of washing our hands everywhere, and we are more conscious about our hygiene. This awareness is not related to any purifi…
Jun 26, 2021 Jesus is the Lord of life Jesus is the Lord of life. He knows and feels when "life" has come out of him, as seen from the two stories of today's Gospel. First, Jesus restored…
Apr 22, 2021 One Shepherd, One Flock The fourth Sunday of Easter is a special day of prayer for vocations based on the theme of the Good Shepherd. The Gospel reminds us that Jesus is the…
Feb 25, 2021 Father and Son The second Sunday of Lent's readings helps us reflect on the relationship between the son and father portrayed by Abrahan-Isaac, and Jesus-God the Fa…
Jan 1, 2021 500 years of Epiphany in the Philippines This year the solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord is enriched by the celebration of the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. Epiphany is a…
Nov 21, 2020 Christ the King The Gospel presents a particular image of the "Son of Man" during the final judgment. He will come as King who identifies Himself with the hungry, th…
Oct 23, 2020 Straight to the essence What happens if you come across a beggar on the street, then you realize that the beggar is your father or someone you love? You could pass by and pa…
Aug 27, 2020 Embrace your suffering and do God’s will I like the way how Jesus talks to his disciples in today’s Gospel: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow…
Jul 2, 2020 ‘Rest’ on times of pandemic I find consolation in today's Gospel during these difficult times of Pandemic. Jesus told his disciples: “come to me, all you who labor and are burde…
Apr 16, 2020 His mercy endures forever Some days ago, I received a message from the public service advisory saying: "it's ok not to be ok. Normal lang na makaramdam ng lungkot, takot, at p…
Jan 31, 2020 Jesus, the light that brings joy The fest of the presentation of the Lord is also known as 'Candelaria.' Throughout this day the faithful bring their candles to be blessed during the…
Dec 19, 2019 To fear or to trust? We’re a few days to begin the Christmas season, then it’s good to ask ourselves if we are already prepared for the coming of the Lord. The Word of Go…
Oct 31, 2019 The experience of God's mercy produces joy Zaccheus’ story is my favorite biblical passage to read during the house blessings. Even though I read it many times, it still feels new while readin…
Sep 14, 2019 True conversion comes from a deep experience of God’s mercy Have you ever experienced God’s mercy in your life? Did you receive forgiveness from God from something that you regret? The readings for this Sunday…
Aug 9, 2019 The things that we value the most must determine our priorities “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Once, in the minor seminary during a retreat, I was asked to write down the…
Jun 20, 2019 The mystery of faith The Church has received the Eucharist as Christ’s gift par excellence, and not only as a gift among many others. It is the gift of Christ himself, of…
May 9, 2019 3 ways of discerning your vocation It is not an easy task to discover our vocation because it is all about the calling of God in our life to do His will. Then, to find our vocation req…
Mar 28, 2019 Rejoice! God loves you “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and k…
