Mark 8:38-48, 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time This reflection was written in 2015. I am reposting this because Pope Francis needs our prayers as he faces vicious attacks even from within the Church. I’m reading the new book from Filipino priest-poet, Fr. Albert Alejo, SJ, Nabighani. It’s a lovely book of religious poetry translated into Filipino and guaranteed to…
Month: September 2018
Patterns – Willy Samson, SJ
Mark 9:37-43, 45, 47-48, 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time We are living and surrounded by people. But it takes a while for us to know their real colours and intentions. This is also true in our spiritual life, sometimes, we are not sure whether something in front of us is good or bad. Is it…
The Inside Story – John Foley, SJ
Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48, 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time We have an interior and an exterior, you and I. This seems to be the key to Sunday’s Gospel. We can find clues to our “interior” in the calm we find at a quiet lake or at the sight of a budding tree or in the…
Covet – Pat Nogoy, SJ
Mark 9:30-37, 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Its roots can be traced to the Latin cupiditas which can refer to passionate desire, eagerness, or ambition. What makes it distinctive and more dangerous is the fact that it is a passionate, eager, or ambitious desire of what belongs to another. We can find “covet” repeated twice…
“Mana” – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 9:30-37, 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time “O,ano ba ‘yung pinagtatalunan ninyo kanina habang naglalakad tayo?” Jesus asked his friends. Now don’t you think a pagtatalowould have been loud enough for Jesus to hear it? But he had to ask: “What were you arguing about on the way?” Well, this could mean only one thing:…
God as Love – Arnel Aquino, SJ
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13/Luke 7:31-35, Wednesday of Week 24 in Ordinary Time Last week, I thought a lot about the sexual abuse scandals in Pennsylvania, more than 1000 children victims, 300 priests. I wanted to see what the priests looked like so, I Googled. All of them are over 70 years old by now, several already…
The Gospel according to Jolina Magdangal – Weng Bava, SJ
Mark 8:27-35, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Long before there was KathNiel or JaDine, the quintessential love team of Philippine Cinema in the 90s was Marvs and Jolen (The millennials would have to Google them to know who they are). And in one particular movie that I and fellow college seminarians lined up at the…
Cold – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 8:27-35, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Was Peter so evil that Jesus suddenly called him Satan? Wasn’t he dissuading the Lord from returning to Jerusalem because there, his enemies would do him serious harm? Peter felt so vehemently against Jesus’ plan that the Gospel used quite a strong word: “Peter took Jesus aside and…
The Twelve – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Luke 6:12-19, Tuesday of Week 23 in Ordinary Time When I was with Ateneo Student Catholic Action (AtSCA), oh 500 years ago, we would spend all of a Friday night into lunch of Saturday – and sometimes long into the afternoon – evaluating applicants to our organization. The longer the list, the more eyebag-weekends it…
Turning the Tables on God – Johnny Go, SJ
Mark 7:31-37, 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time I’ve been thinking about Cristy these days. I don’t think I will ever forget what I saw when I last visited her in the hospital. I had been warned about her, but I was shocked anyway. She wasn’t at all the Cristy I knew. Her cancer had ravaged…
Mother of Rebellion – Nono Alfonso, SJ
Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary WHAT IS YOUR image of the Blessed Virgin Mary? Who is Mary for you? As we celebrate today the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our mother, I ask you, which image of Mary is accurate: Is Mary like Rizal’s Maria Clara – icon of beauty,…
Access – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 7:, 31-37, 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time I’ve shared this story before but in a different context with a different Gospel. It’s a great anecdote told to me by a Josefino two years ago. As soon as the Uber driver knew that it was a seminarian who hopped into his car, the driver started…
One Lost Sheep 