John 20:19-31, Divine Mercy Sunday A week after the glorious solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord, we celebrate today Divine Mercy Sunday. But for quite a number of us, we go about this day with unexpressed questions in our troubled hearts: How can a merciful God allow the tragic loss of lives in another…
Category: Evangelist
Epitaph – Willy Samson, SJ
John 20:19-31, Divine Mercy Sunday Epitaphs are words honoring the deceased, most commonly inscribed on a tombstone or plaque. Most of the epitaphs are quotes from holy texts like the Bible. In the Philippines, the most common epitaphs are R.I.P (Rest in Peace) and S.L.N. (Suma-Langit Nawa). But in Manila North Cemetery, a funny…
My Lord and My God – Rudolf Horst, SVD
John 20:19-31, Divine Mercy Sunday Today is a very special day. It is not only the Second Sunday of Easter, meaning, we continue to celebrate Easter and so the Resurrection of Christ, it is also the Sunday of the Divine Mercy. Every year we hear on this Sunday the story about Thomas. We call him…
From Death to Life – Pat Nogoy, SJ
Matthew 28:1-10, Easter Sunday It was supposed to be an ordinary visit. Getting up, preparing spices, washing up, and a slow walk to the tomb comprised a routine that might help heal a broken heart. It had been done before. Many times. Parents, cousins, friends, lovers. And now a beloved teacher. Shattered once more, she might…
Free Again! – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 28:1-10, Easter Sunday 2017 Aren’t you glad that the purple linen covers here at the altar are now gone? In the past, churches covered the crucifix and the saints only after Holy Thursday mass. Recently, however, the covers go up much earlier, for some strange reason that probably only liturgists know. Personally, I’ve found…
Horror Vacui – Johnny Go, SJ
John 20:1-9, Easter Vigil Two great mysteries bookend our Lord’s lives–and they feel so different from each other. At the beginning, of course, is the birth of our Lord, which we celebrate at Christmas, and in the end, we have his resurrection, which we commemorate today as Easter. The Christmas narrative seems to happen in…
Stay in Us – Rudolf Horst, SVD
Matthew 28:1-10, Easter Vigil “Stay with us, Lord, for it is almost evening.” This was the insistent invitation that the two disciples journeying to Emmaus on the evening of that very first Easter addressed to their companion who had talked to them in a way that their hearts were on fire. Weighed down with sadness,…
Surplus – Jett Villarin, SJ
Matthew 28:1-10, Easter Vigil Fasten your seatbelts. I have some particle physics stuff to tell you. I know physics can be difficult but don’t worry. One graduate physics professor advised us once: if you don’t know the answer to the question, just say “energy”. Let’s try this. What keeps the sun shining? (Energy) Why is…
What About Love? – Arnel Aquino, SJ
John 18:1-19:42, Good Friday 2016 A little over a year ago, ISIS took a video as they incinerated a Jordanian pilot in a cage. My friends said that the footage was all over the net, but I resisted the temptation of watching it. I learned my lesson many years ago when a friend sent me…
Staycation – Mario Francisco, SJ
John 13:1-15, Maundy Thursday All gathered here could consider the next three days as staycation. We stayed to avoid traffic at expressways and airports as well as to save time and costs. Moving through everyday life 24/7, whether at work, school and even home, is tiring and burdensome. We all need rest of body and…
Fighting back with the Towel – Willy Samson, SJ
John 13:1-15, Maundy Thursday In boxing, when a trainer sees that his boxer is being badly beaten by his opponent, he throws a towel and the fight is over. Throwing in the towel then, is a sign of surrender and giving up. But in the arena of loving, it’s a different story. A towel around the…
Beyond Betrayal, Beyond Death – Arnel Aquino SJ
Matthew 26:14-25, Holy Wednesday Did you ever wonder if Judas is in heaven or in hell? There’s not been a few times when people have asked if I think Judas is in heaven or in hell—like what I think matters in the whole thing. “He betrayed Jesus and then killed himself, so he must be…
One Lost Sheep 