Matthew 1:18-25, Simbanggabi Alam n’yo po, lahat ng naging kakilala kong karpintero, tahimik. I can still name all of them: Manong Imo, who lived with us for a long time; Mang Rudy, when I was in the Novitiate, Mang Remy and Kuya Teodor, fantastic craftsmen in San Jose Seminary. And today, we have Kuya Loloy…
Category: Season: Advent
Grounded – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 1:1-8. Second Sunday of Advent From 1968 to the 1990s, archaeologists dug up several purification pools around wherethe Temple of Jerusalem once stood. Mikvoth, they were called, the precursors of our holy waterfonts today. For the Jews, the Temple was the holiest place on earth. You didn’t just waltz into itlike you and I…
John and Maria – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 3:1-12; Second Sunday of Advent The other night, I was astounded to see Maria Ressa appear on the Late Show with StephenColbert. Then, yesterday morning, she appeared on NPR news with veteran journalist JudyWoodruff. And last night, she was on MSNBC news! “How to Stand Up to a Dictator”, the bookshe had written, was…
Awake – Jett Villarin, SJ
Matthew 24:37-44, First Sunday of Advent “Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.”…
Who Has the Power – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Luke 21:25-36B, 1st Sunday of Advent Imagine, just imagine, a foreign government finally rigging nuclear missile launchers into our reefs. Then, they aim them at us. Into their computers, they plot the coordinates of our arsenals, military camps, airports, down to the square meter. Anytime, at their leader’s pleasure, a work-from-home soldier can click on…
But There Will be Christmas This Year – Jun Viray, SJ
John 1:1-18, Christmas Day 2020 There will be no Christmas this year. Mayroon nga bang pasko ngayong taon? Before you censure and brand me as heretical, please hear me out. You and I know that the question is very real to many people. Mayroon nga bang pasko para kay Florentino Gregorio, asawa ng pinatay na…
Homeward – Jett Villarin, SJ
Luke 1:67-69, 9th day of Misa de Gallo (24th December 2020) We saw the “Christmas star” three nights ago. This sighting was not easy. The “star”, the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, was quite elusive for most of the time we were there at the rooftop of the Jesuit Residence. The sky was overcast. And…
Falling Upward – Jomari Manzano, SJ
Luke 1:26-38, Fourth Sunday of Advent In 2011, Fr Richard Rohr, OFM published his book with a catchy title—”Falling Upward.” It talks about directions taken at the two major stages in life or what Carl Jung calls the “two halves of life.” Let us take Mary and Elizabeth as representing the two stages or halves…
Our True North – Arnel Aquino, SJ
John 1:6-8; 19-28, Third Sunday of Advent My rector is one of the kindest Jesuits I’ve ever lived with and one of the most outdoorsy senior citizens I know. Fr. Riyo loves hiking and climbing mountains. He can name more mountains in the Philippines than I ever studied in Araling Panlipunan 500 years ago! I…
A Stranger in Need – Pat Nogoy, SJ
John 1:6-8, 19-28; Third Sunday of Advent It was on the second day of walking that I began to feel the heavy burden of begging. Our humble pleas for leftover food were served with polite rejections. Even harder to accept were the gentle refusals of our requests to be sheltered for a night despite the…
Waiting for What or Whom? – Kit Bautista, SJ
Mark 1:1-8, Second Sunday of Advent When I was a child, my father would accompany me and my brothers (all 8 of us), during the Christmas break, to certain streets in old Manila called Escolta and Rosario, in the old downtown district of Binondo. One year, I remember my father leading us to this brightly-lit…
Off our Knees – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 13:33-37, 1st Sunday of Advent How would you like a parish priest like this: He spends most of his time on his knees, in front of the altar, praying by himself? He hears confessions for six hours every day. In his masses, he always ends up talking about sin, that we should avoid it,…
One Lost Sheep 