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…
Category: Author: Fr Harold Parilla
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…
Finding God in the Gentle and Ordinary – Fr Harold Parilla
Matthew 14:22-33, 1 Kings 19:9, 11-13, 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time One can define life as a journey of constant, restless seeking. As children, we spent our days looking for food, games and playmates. As we grew older, we shifted our search to friends, grades and achievement. As young adults, we looked for appropriate careers…
Of Hearts and Desires – Fr Harold Parilla
Matthew 13:44-52, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Reflecting on the Readings for today, I think we can bring them together under the word “desire”. The First Reading, for instance, talks about God asking Solomon what it is that he wants, and Solomon responding that he desires an understanding heart. The story ends with God granting…
The Word Does Not Return Empty – Fr Harold Parilla
Matthew 13:1-23, 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time A story is told about two Italian boys who were altar servers in their parish. Their names were Annibale della Genga and Francesco Castiglioni. In the year 1770, during a benediction, these two boys started quarreling, and the altercation escalated into a physical fight with Francisco hitting the…
Are All Endings Sad? – Fr Harold Parilla
Matthew 28:16-20, The Ascension of the Lord Are all endings sad? Most of them, I guess. A funeral, for example, is a sad ritual because it signals the end of a person’s earthly life. People left behind, especially those who are close to the person who had died, will move on with a gaping hole…
Joy, Kindness and Love – Fr Harold Parilla
John 17:1-11a, 6th Sunday of Easter In a sense, the readings for this Sunday anticipate the approaching Feast of Pentecost. The readings alert us to the presence of the Holy Spirit among us and to the signs of that presence. Is the Spirit of God truly with us? What are the manifestations of the presence…
The Voice – Fr Harold Parilla
John 10:1-10, 4th Sunday of Easter The word “voice” is constantly repeated in the Gospel Reading for today. The sheep hear the voice of the shepherd; they know his voice, but the voice of strangers they do not recognize. When I think of the word “voice”, I am reminded of one of the features of…
Emmaus and the Church in Distress – Fr Harold Parilla
Luke 24:13-35, 3rd Sunday of Easter It is now the third Sunday of Easter but the atmosphere is strangely quiet. The streets are not as crowded and the malls are closed. It feels like the Holy Week of my childhood except that the churches too are inaccessible. Donagh O’Shea said that the Emmaus story featured…
Short, Sweet and Simple – Fr Harold Parilla
Luke 19:1-10, 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time The Gospel for this Sunday focuses on the man known by the name Zacchaeus. It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word from which this name is formed means “clean, pure, innocent”. I would like to structure our reflection using three words which can describe the person…
Invest in Things that Last – Rev Fr Harold Parilla
Luke 12:13-21, 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time If you are a pessimist, you will find the First Reading quite affirming. It says, “Vanity of vanities, all things are vanity”. Vanity here does not mean preoccupation for external glamour. It refers to the fleeting quality of everything under the sun. It is to say there is…
Embrace – Fr Harold Parilla
Luke 9:11b-17 A story is told about a Jewish boy named Mortakai who refused to go to school. His mother decided to take him there herself. He cried, screamed and protested on the way, and when her mother left, he ran back home. This scene played out over and over again for several days. His…
One Lost Sheep 