Luke 9:28b-36, Second Sunday of Lent I can’t blame Peter. Ang ganda ganda sa Mt. Tabor. It’s not certain though if the church up there today is exactly on the same spot where the Transfiguration really happened. But it’s still breathtaking to be in that general area. It was approaching dusk when we were there…
Category: Author
More – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Luke 1:4-13, 1st Sunday of Lent You don’t have to agree with me on this, sisters and brothers. But I don’t think Jesus was tempted just that one time. We believe and profess that the Son of God is “like us in all things but sin;” in all things…except sin. Which is why I personally…
Remainder – Jett Villarin SJ
Luke 6:27-38, 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time “For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you (Lk 6:38).” Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes. How do you measure, measure a year? … How about love? Well, how about love? How do you measure love? Do we measure it: In daylights,…
Love’s Touch – Pat Nogoy SJ
Sometimes, it is more comfortable to rely on rules to structure our ways of loving. You tell your children a list of commandments, do’s and don’ts, what to get and how to pay, (and the list goes on) with the hope that the household is managed effectively. In religious life, we commit to de more, job descriptions, timetables, and clear goal-setting to determine how we should treat each other and live…
Underdog – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Luke 6:17; 20-26; 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time The word “underdog” came out of dogfights where some people would bet on the dog with the greater chance of losing. They had a gut-feel that the underdog had what it took to win in an upset. An upset, as we know, is when the weaker challenger…
Inaugural – Jett Villarin, SJ
Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time As far as inaugural speeches go, how I wish (wish ko lang, sana all) that every leader would take after Jesus and begin their term of service by making their own the mission of our Lord, the program of action he sets about to do in our…
Smitten – Jett Villarin, SJ
John 1:1-18; Christmas Eve To grasp the very gift and meaning of Christmas, I often turn to this story that is really a parable by Soren Kierkegaard. Once upon a time there lived in a great castle a king so powerful and wealthy he was adored and feared by all in his kingdom. Alas, in…
Gracious – Jett Villarin, SJ
Luke 1:57-66; Last night of Simbanggabi “Goodness gracious, great balls of fire” is a song sung by rock and roll singer Jerry Lee Lewis in 1957. “Great balls of fire” is an old American southern exclamation of surprise (or dismay). The modern equivalent is OMG. Or SMY (SusMarYosep). I don’t know how the expression “great…
Visita – Jett Villarin, SJ
Luke 1:39-45; Fourth Sunday of Advent About these two women in our Gospel today, you will notice how one was barely on the threshold of womanhood, the other, easily past menopause. The Visitation however was more than just a meeting of miraculously pregnant ladies. The second joyful mystery is about two women being pulled together…
Arrival – Jett Villarin, SJ
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36; First Sunday of Advent An airline passenger was clearly stressed because of his fear of flying. To calm him down, his seatmate assured him, “Huwag kang mag-alala, hindi mo pa panahon.” The passenger however would not be consoled. He said, “E paano kung panahon na ng piloto?” Advent, which literally means coming…
Like Widow…like Mother…like Son – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 12:38-44; 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time According to research, life expectancy in first-century Israel, in the time of Jesus, was 30-35 years old. Don’t you find that fascinating? Not everybody died by 35, of course. Still, this was the average period most people lived back then. Jesus left home for ministry at around age…
Seen – Jett Villarin, SJ
Mark 10:36-52; 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time “As far as the eye can see” is an expression of long and wide distances. And yet it also suggests limits of our vision. Pondering the future, Karen Dinesen (Baroness Blixen) in her memoir, “Out of Africa”, writes, “Perhaps he knew, as I did not, that the Earth…
One Lost Sheep 