Matthew 21:28-32, 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Did you do God’s will? This is essentially the question that is asked of us in the Gospel today. The story is rather simple, and that is why the Gospel reading is short. But we will see later that the meaning of the story is rather complicated. The…
Month: September 2020
Neither of the Two Sons – Fr Harold Parilla
Matthew 21:28-32, 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time If we pay closer attention to the Gospel for today, immediately we are led to a very important element of the Christian life. The Gospel tells us that what ultimately counts is not what we say. Our “yes” or our “no” is finally measured up by what we…
From No to Yes – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthwe 21:28-32, 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time This confrontation between Jesus and the hierarchs happened after three critical events: First, Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which was like falling into the trap of his enemies; Second, the cleansing of the Temple, which gave his enemies categorical grounds to pounce on him, and third, the cursing…
The Parable that Almost Got Me an F – Johnny Go, SJ
Matthew 20:1-16, 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Many years ago I was a student in a class called “Homiletics.” Maybe you can’t tell, but people training to be priests take a class to learn how to preach. Our final examination for that class is an actual homily that we deliver before our professor. I had very…
What Drives You? – Ro Atilano, SJ
Luke 7:36-50, Thursday in Week 24 of Ordinary Time What drives you? Why do you do the things that you do? What keeps you going? It has been six months since the start of the lockdown here in our country. At the beginning, we never thought that it would last this long; at least, we…
Sweetest of Joys and Bitterest of Sorrows – Mon Bautista, SJ
John 19:25-27, Our Lady of Sorrows on the Tuesday of Week 24 in Ordinary Time Today’s feast day (Our Lady of Sorrows) reminds me of the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. The year was 1981 – May 13, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Pope John Paul II was shot four times…
The Cross – Pat Falguera, SJ
John 3:13-17, Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross If there is one place I would nominate as a “go to” tourist destination in the Philippines, it would be the island of Culion. Part of the Calamian group of islands, Culion and its 41 surrounding islands have some of the best powdery white sand beaches, UNESCO heritage-worthy coral reefs and limestone structures in the…
Unfinished – Jett Villarin, SJ
Matthew 13:54-58, Feast of St Ignatius Loyola Last day. So I’m down the wire, cramming again. There are still piles of diplomas and letters to sign. I had wanted to tie up loose ends and do a smooth turnover to Fr Bobby tomorrow. But they never really end, the loose ends and the handing over,…
Beyond Reckoning – Fr Harold Parilla
Matthew 18:21-35, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time You must have heard about the story of, or at least the name, Ingrid Betancourt. She was a prominent politician in Colombia, a former senator and anti-corruption activist. At the height of one presidential election campaign in which she was a candidate, she was kidnapped and held in…
A Eulogy for Sacred Trees – Mark Lopez, SJ
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time/2nd Sunday in the Season of Creation My love affair with trees began when I was 17 years old. I remember jogging around the Subic Naval base then, where I was spending my summer as an intern, jogging at the edge of beautiful rainforests, the likes of which I was seeing…
A Time to Clear the Air – Mark Lopez, SJ
Matthew 18:15-20, 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time/1st Sunday in the Season of Creation On this first weekend of the season of creation, let’s begin where many mystics of various faith traditions usually begin – by taking a long, deep breath . . . and by being mindful of how the divine is not only outside…
Zero Tolerance – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 18:15-20, 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time If China came to invade us and stayed a few years outlawing any citizens’s organizations, imagine how many religious and para-religious communities would be decimated, or even killed: like the Couples for Christ, the Iglesia ni Kristo, the charismatic communities, and who knows, maybe even Catholic parishes. That…
One Lost Sheep 