Matthew 6:1-6; 16-18, Ash Wednesday If today’s Gospel were written in 21st-century vernacular, maybe it would say: “When you do righteous deeds…when you give alms…when you pray…when you fast, please…take care not to post it on Facebook, or announce it on your blog, or humble-brag about it. Most of all, take care not to take…
Category: Author: Arnel Aquino, SJ
Burn – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 1:40-45, Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Have you ever been moved with pity so deeply that you felt it in your guts, na sobra kang awang-awa na parang hinalukay ang bituka mo? The last time I felt very deep pity was last Monday. I was waiting for a cab down in Barangka. I decided…
Voices – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 1:21-28, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time The Jesuits are in charge of chaplaincy in Philippine General Hospital and I had the opportunity to go on a month-long summer exposure there many years ago. I will never forget that day when I was assigned to the children’s ward. Late one afternoon, they rolled a bed…
Related – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 10:13-16, Feast of the Santo Niño On the first week of the new year, I went home to Davao to visit with my dad for a week. One day, I decided to walk from the Jesuit Residence to San Pedro Cathedral. My mom used to love hearing mass there. The church is a good…
The Who – Arnel Aquino, SJ
John 1:35-42, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Do you know that we have students in Loyola School of Theology who are in their late 40s and 50s? One is even in her early 60s. Lay people. Some of them have retired early. Some are still working part-time. But they’ve all decided to either do an…
Roadblocks – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 1:1-8, Second Sunday of Advent The following stories were told by friends directly involved in the situations I’m about to share with you. So they’re not fake news. A very devout woman ran frantically to a priest-friend of mine one day. She was coming from a troubling confession with another priest. After several years…
Watch – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 13:33-37, 1st Sunday of Advent Last Friday, while I waited for my Augustinian friar friend outside San Agustin Church, I overheard a conversation between a visitor and the manang running a food stall in the premises. In thick Visayan accent, the lady said, “Excuse me po, katedral po ito?” “Hindi po,” manang replied. “San…
Nevertheless and However – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 25:31-46, Feast of Christ the King The Gospel today is not just about the “end of the world.” Although many of us priests love to jump on “end of the world” scenarios to hurry people off to confession in preparation for Advent. But the Lord’s message today is not just about the end of…
Talent – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 25:14-30, 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Just a few days ago, I had a conversation with a young guidance counselor. He works in an exclusive school for kids from wealthy families. These families own whole industries that earn millions by the day. The young man is assigned to eight- and nine-year-old boys in the…
Neither a Crammer nor a Borrower be – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 25:1-13, 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time In biblical times, weddings were a huge celebration in the entire village. After the wedding rite in the synagogue, the new couple is paraded back to the house. Tradition dictated that you took the longest, most roundabout route home, so that the whole town could cheer its newest…
A Discerning Heart – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 23:1-12, 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Did you read about the 83 year-old old Chinese mother, Mrs. Huang, who killed her 46 year-old disabled son, Li? Li was born prematurely, in severe mental and physical disability. He could neither walk nor talk, and his condition worsened with age. From the day he was born…
Wider and Wider Circles – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 22:1-14, 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time When I was a novice, I was assigned to Culion island, in Palawan, for a month. I visited patients in the hospital everyday. And there was always one or two patients who would go down memory lane and tell me lovely stories about Jesuits who had been assigned…
One Lost Sheep 