Luke 11:1-13, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time When he was about 12 years old, one of my nephews told me that he found it problematic to believe in God. “Because if God did exist, then why is there so much suffering in the world?” he said. The question got me unsettled, of course, especially coming…
Category: Evangelist: Luke
Lord, Teach Us to Pray – Weyms Sanchez, SJ
Luke 11:1-13, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time We all have had our share of struggles with prayer. Perhaps for many among us, we have often wondered if God really listens to us, if He actually responds to our prayers, or if anything really happens in prayer beyond the silence. Many who have attempted to take…
What do you dare ask from God? – Francis Alvarez, SJ
Luke 11:1-13, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time At Mass, right before we pray the Our Father, the presider encourages us with the words, “At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say….” And indeed, the Our Father is a daring prayer. That we dare to address God implies that we dare…
The Good Innkeeper – Johnny Go, SJ
Luke 10:25-37 (15th Sunday in Ordinary Time) We’ve all heard the Parable of the Good Samaritan before, and of course, its message is loud, clear, and timely: Just like the Good Samaritan, we are each called to help those in great need–even and especially strangers, those of a different race, region, or religion. I can’t…
Will You Attempt to Look with the Eyes of the Heart – Errol Fernandes, SJ
Luke 10:25-37 (15th Sunday in Ordinary Time) The Parable of the Good Samaritan has often been interpreted as one which tells the listener that one’s neighbor is anyone in need of help. While that is true, it is only a small part of the meaning and message of the story. The main point of the…
God’s Promise – Mark Lopez, SJ
Luke 10:1-9, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Towards the end of World War II, my grandparents had to flee from Silay, their hometown on the island of Negros in the Philippines. During the first years of the occupation, Lolo Cardo (my grandfather) was among the few whom the Japanese trusted enough to allow him to…
Less Stuff, More People – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Luke 10:1-9, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Fr Hernando Maceda was one of the most cheerful Jesuits I’ve ever known. He was a small guy, not much taller than I, but he had the biggest smile that I felt went from his face down to his good heart and back! Fr Maceda was from a wealthy…
Harvest – Jett Villarin, SJ
Luke 10:1-9, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Sometimes I wonder what that means. I look at our own nation, and I say, indeed, the harvest is great, and yet the potential of…
Why is God so demanding? – Francis Alvarez, SJ
Luke 9:18-24, 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time On Sundays, the First Reading is chosen carefully to mirror certain themes in the Gospel. A tip if you want to go deeper into the Sunday readings: Before the Mass, read the Gospel, then go through the First Reading looking for connections (a good website is: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings). After…
Love: The Antidote of Sin – Jojo Magadia, SJ
Luke 7:36 – 8:3 (11th Sunday in Ordinary Time) A sinful woman enters the house where Jesus is, bathes his feet with her tears, wipes them with her hair, kisses them, and anoints them with the ointment. In response, Jesus makes two statements which are related, yet different. The Lord points out that because of…
Bump With Love – Willy Samson, SJ
Luke 7:11-17, Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time People bump into each other everyday. According to one study, at an average of 78 years lifespan, and assuming that we bump three new people daily, at the end of our lifetime, we should have met a total of 80,000 people. Think about it. Just imagine the potential…
Fullness – Jett Villarin, SJ
Luke 7:11-17, Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time “You haven’t lived.” That’s what I say to people when they tell me they’ve never climbed Mount Apo or done the whitewater of Cagayan de Oro. It’s only an expression I know but a line I hope that pauses people (including myself) and makes us ask about what…
One Lost Sheep 