Try a Little Gentleness – Ben Sim, SJ

Matthew 11:25-30, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, a Greek slave, by the name of Aesop,  compiled a collection of stories known today as Aesop’s Fables.  One of the fables deals with a dispute between the sun and the wind. The dispute was over which of the two was…

Space for God – Willy Samson, SJ

Matthew 11: 25-30, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time The Gospel today brings us closer to the heart of Jesus, especially his desire for us to develop a deeper relationship with Him and with the Father through our prayers.  I remember preacher Bo Sanchez sharing his experience of sitting in a chair and watching his children…

The Enemies of Love – Willy Samson, SJ

Matthew 9:1-8, Thursday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time In our Gospel today, Jesus expressed his disappointment with the Pharisees after he attempted to forgive the sins of the paralyzed man and was branded doing a blasphemous act. He said, “Why do you have such wicked thoughts in your hearts?” Think about it. Like…

Worth It – Rudolf Horst, SVD

Matthew 10:37-42; 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Let us be honest, it’s not easy to follow Jesus, but it’s worth it. That sums up the message Jesus is trying to communicate to us in today’s Gospel passage – and it’s a message that we constantly need to be reminded of, especially when age and illness…

What if God were one of us – Mark Aloysius, SJ

Matthew 10:37-42, 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time I. There was once a monastery which was dying as it only had five monks left. Despairing over the eventual demise of his monastery, the Abbot went to see a wise Rabbi who lived nearby for advice. The Rabbi welcomed the Abbot in his little hut. The two…

Thaw – Arnel Aquino, SJ

Matthew 10:37-42, 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time You’ve heard of parents who would love for a son or daughter to enter the priesthood or to be a nun. My parents were like that. Funny how you remember some things like they happened only yesterday, but it was one rainy night when Dad and I sat…

Guest – Jett Villarin, SJ

Matthew 10:37-42, 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time God’s word to us today is simple and clear: we are to be hospitable to those God sends to our life. From the old French, the word “hospitable” itself means “to receive a guest”, to play host to someone who comes to us from outside. It is of…

Broken – Mark Aloysius, SJ

John 6:51-58, Solemnity of Corpus Christi If you have been following the BBC series Broken, which centres around the life of a Catholic priest in Liverpool, you would have noticed how the story is punctuated with Eucharistic motifs. Though much of Broken shows people in great difficulty, my favourite scenes were those of children, their…

Father – Rudolf Horst, SVD

Matthew 10:26-33, 12th Sunday In Ordinary Time Twice in today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of his “heavenly Father. Whenever we make the sign of the cross, we begin with “in the name of the Father,” so that we don’t find anything strange with calling God our Father. But the Fatherhood of God has come under fire…

Secrets – Arnel Aquino, SJ

Matthew 10:26-33, 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time A good friend of mine lost a little over P100,000 recently. Apparently, the ATM he had used was rigged. All the “secrets” kept in that magnetic strip were stolen. “Skimming” is what they call the scam. Banco de Oro said they’d been trying to get in touch with…

Make My Heart Like Yours – Willy Samson, SJ

Matthew 11:25-30, Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Dear Jesus, I come to you today, with my bended knees. I recognize your Presence in my life – that without you, I’m nothing but a passing wind. O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, meek, mild and adorable. come to me now in haste, and…

You Are what You Eat – Rudolf Horst, SVD

John 6:51-58, Solemnity of Corpus Christi Last April 13, we celebrated Holy Thursday, that day and moment when Jesus transformed for the first time bread and wine into his body and blood. But since Holy Thursday is part of the Holy Week, we focused more on the Passion and death of the Lord.   And…