Matthew 22:15-21, 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time A musical instrument such as a violin makes its unique sound from waves of air that ripple from the action of the bow on its strings and the echoes from its wooden body. Another instrument, the flute, pipes its sound by creating a different set of waves from…
Category: Season: Ordinary Time
Love Never Passes Away – David Xu, SJ
Matthew 21:33-43, 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us a parable about a landowner and his vineyard. The landowner leaves the vineyard in the hands of his tenants to tend. However, the tenants behaved far from expected. They seized, beat, stoned, and even killed, the landowner’s servants. This happened again and…
Cornerstone – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 21:33-43, 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time You know how difficult it is to enter Ateneo, right? It’s legendary now. These past months, there’s been a regular turnover of new guards at the gates. So, all faces are unfamiliar to them including ours, campus residents. So, whether we’re in a car or on foot, we…
It’s not where you start – Munching de Guzman, SJ
Matthew 21:28-32, 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Two sons were asked, “Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.” The first son said “I will not,” but changed his mind and went. The second son said, “Yes, sir!” but did not go. Today’s Gospel reminds us that our starting point matters less – what…
Naysayers – Jett Villarin, SJ
Matthew 21:28-32, 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time The first son said no, he won’t go to the vineyard. But he changes his mind and goes instead. The second said yes, but backs out on his word. Our Lord asks, which one did the will of his father? The Gospel today is not about being true…
Timeless – Jett Villarin, SJ
Matthew 20:1-16a; 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Did you know that clocks here in Manila run more slowly than in Baguio or in the mountains? That’s because massive bodies warp space and time. And so GPS satellites that keep time and location have to be tweaked every so often because the time up there is…
90 Seconds – Jordy Orbe, SJ
Matthew 18:21-35; 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Our readings today invite us to reflect on two hot-button themes in Christian spirituality: anger and forgiveness. Perhaps someone we know has anger management issues. Maybe we are bearing the burden of deep-seated, long-standing anger. Certainly, this is something I hear quite often when in confessions. Anger can…
The “F” word – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 18:21-35; 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Peter’s question was a typical question Jews would ask rabbis. Something like the following: “Rabbi, on a Sabbath, how many steps may I do to feed my donkey, so I don’t violate the Sabbath rest? Rabbi, how many days after my wife’s childbirth is she considered impure? If…
Floaters or Gloaters – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 18:15-20, 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time When was the last time you received feedback, sisters and brothers? Was it from family or friend, or from officialdom? How did you take it? Was it a bitter pill, but swallow, you did anyway, because it was true and necessary? Or was it so one-sided and unfair,…
Ouch! – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 16:21-27; 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time My friend told me this story when she came for a visit last month. There’s this professor; famous, published, often quoted, but feared. He’s that type who knows he’s good. But he has ways of reminding you that he is, ‘yung ganong klase. And you know how people…
Great – Jett Villarin, SJ
Matthew 15:21-28; 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time At first glance, Jesus is somewhat testy and heartless in the Gospel story today. You can see it right there in the exchange between him and the Canaanite woman, an outsider. When the woman calls out to him, he first gives her the silent treatment. When she continues…
Crumbs – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 15:21-28; 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Many of us, Catholics, take it for granted that because Jesus was (and still is) both human and divine, God must have wired his brain to perfection, right? Every year, I have students who start out their course in Christology thinking that Jesus didn’t have to be taught…
One Lost Sheep 