Luke 1:57-66, 80, Solemnity of the Nativity of St John the Baptist Oscar Wilde tells the parable of a supercilious rocket so enamored with his pedigree and potential that he shed copious tears while talking about himself. Alas, his tears dampened his gunpowder. When his time came to be lit, he was too wet and…
Month: June 2018
Living the Truth – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Luke 1:57-66, 80, Solemnity of the Nativity of St John the Baptist Sina Fr Zacarias Agatep at Fr Roberto Salac ng mga diosesano, sina Fr Nilo Valerio ng mga SVD, Fr Tulio Favali ng mga PIME, Fr Rosaleo Romano ng mga Redemptorist, at Fr Godofredo Alingal ng mga Heswita, sila noong nakaraang regimen ng…
Grow Unobserved – John Foley, SJ
Mark 4:26-34, Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time The farmer sows seeds in the earth and then waits. He will use a scythe (“blade”) to reap the crop when it is ready. Then he and his neighbors with him will gather it into piles, or “pooks” as they were called in England, so that the farmer…
Possessed – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 3:20-35, Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time How do we tell if someone is possessed by the devil or having a psychotic breakdown? Dr Steven Waterhouse gives us a simple triage so we could begin to discern the difference. Dr Waterhouse is a pastor, a counselor, and a systematic theologian from Michigan. He works mainly…
Divide and Conquer – Joel Liwanag, SJ
Mark 3:20-35, Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Niccolò Machiavelli, in Book VI of The Art of War, presents one of the most effective strategies in warfare. His advice: divide and conquer. If you are a military leader who wants to attack your enemy, then begin by sowing division. Find a way for your opponents to…
His Simple Language – Rodney Hart, SJ
John 19:31-37, Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus My dear friends, our readings remind us of the heart of God and his love for every single man, woman and child. He is the Good Shepherd who leaves the 99 to find one lost sheep. The church today, and throughout this month of June,…
Christify – Bishop Pablo Virgilio David
Mark 14:12-16. 22-26, Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ The Jesuit composer of liturgical music, Fr Manoling Francisco, SJ, has written a song entitled Christify. It is an invented word, no doubt; but so is “transubstantiation”! In Tagalog, I would translate Christify to “gawing si Kristo” or “tulutang maging si Kristo”. Here is…
Indelicate Question – John Foley, SJ
Mark 14:12-16, 22-26, Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Why are you eating somebody’s body and drinking his blood? An indelicate question, but still, why? You walk up the aisle and receive what appears to be bread and wine, but which is really Christ’s Body and Blood. The Roman historian Pliny…
Hugot – Jett Villarin, SJ
Mark 14:12-16, 22-26, Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Now there’s a picturesque Filipino word. It means to draw or pull something out from some depth. Used these days, hugot suggests the drawing out of deep feelings and meanings. A song or line has hugot if it draws these affective movements…
Body and Blood – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 14:12-16, 22-26, Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ On weekdays, my 82-year-old dad gets up at 5:30am. After breakfast, he hops on a cab that takes him to the wharf. Then he gets on a bus that rolls onto a ferry that heads for Samal Island where he works in…
One Lost Sheep 