Luke 1:1-21, 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time If you Google, “life expectancy in first century,” you’ll get 30-35 years, average. Ang ikli ng buhay nila, ‘no? But before paracetamol, penicillin, vaccines, plus back-breaking work before modern engineering, the first-century human body really took a beating. So, if scholars are right in saying that Jesus died…
Category: Season: Ordinary Time
Summer – Jett Villarin, SJ
Mark 13:24-32, 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Winter is coming. I know. The egrets are here again on campus. They are here for the warmth and the light, to escape the cold and dark of the north. Their visitation will only be for a few months. Come summer, they will be gone. Winter is coming….
Loving God with all Our Hearts and Minds – Manoling Francisco, SJ
Mark 12:28b-34, 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time The Shema, from the Hebrew word, “Hear”, is the fundamental Jewish prayer made up of three scriptural texts from the books of Deuteronomy (6:4–9, 11:13–21) and Numbers (15:37–41), which devout Jews recite upon rising in the morning and before retiring at night. The Shema is to the Jews…
Letting Go – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 10:35-45; 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Sisters and brothers, this thing that James and John asks Jesus: “Grant that in your glory, we may sit, one at your right hand, the other at your left,” that sounds familiar. Parang mas maganda sa Pinoy: “Lord, ‘pag hari na kayo ha, baka naman pwedeng second in…
Wisdom – Jett Villarin, SJ
Mark 10:17-30, 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Come to think of it, that question asked of Jesus by the rich man in the Gospel today is something I would ask our aspiring presidential candidates. In campaigns and political debates, people will ask our candidates what…
To Be Really Catholic – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 9:38-48; 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time When we were kids, on the way to Mass, we would often drive past nice-looking churches. I’d ask, “Bakit ‘di tayo ‘jan magsimba? Ganda ng simbahan ‘o.” Then, my mom would say, “’Nay, hindi ‘yan Katoliko!” with a shudder! So, I grew up with the impression that non-Catholics…
Who – Jett Villarin, SJ
Mark 8:27-35, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Of all the questions that begin with what, where, when, who, why, and how, the most difficult are the why ones, the ones children learn to ask early on. Why should I eat my vegetables? Why do we have to stop playing? When I was six, I remember…
Manhu – Jett Villarin, SJ
John 6:24-35, 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time The Israelites did not know what it was, those fine flakes in the desert that were like “hoarfrost on the ground.” And so they asked, “Manhu?”, what is this? Ano ito? This ano from heaven was ano for their hunger. Manna for the Israelites, ano for us. Manhu…
Your Heart Today – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 6:30-34, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Please allow me to tell you about a memoir I read over my retreat last week, entitled, Fr. Joe: The Man Who Saved My Life, by Englishman Tony Hendra, a prize-winning satirist, famous in the US and the UK. He created the National Lampoon Magazine, wrote for comedy…
Prophet – Jett Villarin, SJ
Mark 6:1-6; 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Part of my work with many others is to predict climate change. For more than two decades now, we’ve been telling people that the sky is indeed the limit, and that the sky is, well, falling. We do not relish this role of messenger. No one wants to…
No Bother – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Mark 5:21-43, 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time The late Fr Archie Intengan was always very busy. Fr Archie was never a man of half measures when it came to his responsibilities, especially in taking care of us. We have funny stories of how quirky Fr Archie could sometimes be, precisely because of his intensity and…
Prayer for the Pandemic – Jett Villarin SJ
Mark 4:35-41, 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Lord of the waves and wind,Help us to listen to what you are telling us these days. Lead us to know what you are asking of us in this storm. You are inviting us to leave familiar shores while the waves are high. You are asking us to…
One Lost Sheep 