Luke 12:13-21, 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time In our Gospel reading, we are presented with a parable and in it the picture of a man consumed not by heavenly treasures but worldly ones. This man busies himself gathering treasures and harvests in his barn more than enough to meet his present needs and he is…
Category: Season
Rich – Jett Villarin, SJ
Luke 12:13-21, 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time In the eyes of the world, one becomes rich by getting. In the eyes of God, one gets rich by giving. The question then of our life’s richness depends on whose eye matters to us more: the world’s or God’s? If God does not matter to us, we…
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…
Vows – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 13:54-58, on the occasion of the Profession of Perpetual First Vows of Jesuit Novices Jaclay, Masaya, Renier, Paulus, and Giovanni Mang Tino is our longest-staying and most cheerful sikyo. He always says, “Salamat po. Good morning, salamat. Good afternoon, salamat po. Salamat.” Two years ago, on a retreat, I spent some time again with…
Dare You Ask For The Spirit? – Francis Alvarez, SJ
“Ask and you will receive,” Jesus promises us in our Gospel today. But let’s be real and go deeper: How many times have you prayed for a particular favor only to be disappointed? What do you do when you ask but do not receive? The way I used to make sense of the times when…
Love Language – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Luke 10:38-42, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time If you haven’t read Gary Chapman’s book, I’m sure you’ve nonetheless heard of his “5 love languages.” Chapman is an 81-year-old pastor and spiritual director. After long years of shepherding his flock and counselling married couples, he concluded that from the many ways we express love, we could distill five chief ways of what he calls, “languages,” of loving,namely: (1) giving gifts, (2) spending quality time, (3) saying words of…
Peace – Jett Villarin, SJ
Luke 10:1-9; 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Boomerang is supposed to be a crazy pose of you that loops your motion on camera. It’s meant to be a fun alternative to the usual static photographs we post on social media. Boomerang is also what happens, Jesus tells us today, when you offer peace to an unpeaceable person….
Accept and Choose – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Luke 9:51-62, 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time There’s one priest from the probinsya who, whenever he arrives in Manila, he takes the airport shuttle to LRT 1, gets off at UN Avenue, and walks to Pius XII Center. Many diocesan priests from outside Manila usually get a room there when they visit. I don’t think…
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…
Meal – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Luke 9:11b-17, Solemnity of Corpus Christi Let’s call them, “Tita Em” and “Fr. Sea.” Tita Em was the mom of Fr. Sea. She was very well loved and remembered not just by her own family, but also by her extended family—that is, Fr. Sea’s brothers in his religious community. When Tita Em was still alive,…
How Can We Be More Connected? – Francis Alvarez, SJ
Luke 9:11b-17, Solemnity of Corpus Christi Today, the Feast of Corpus Christi, Catholics thank God for the gift of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. We believe that in the consecrated bread and wine, Jesus is truly there. When we receive the Body of Christ, it is indeed Jesus we are receiving. This may conjure…
What Is Fullness? – Francis Alvarez, SJ
When Jesus tells us today, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you,” I think he wishes us more than just an absence of conflict. Peace here is not just a space of quiet and calm, a break in the fighting, nor a cessation of hostilities. What Jesus wants to bless us…
One Lost Sheep 