Matthew 28:16-20, The Ascension of our Lord Working from home has been tricky. Of course there’s something to be said about not having to commute, not having to wear office attire, not having to be stuck at work from 9 to 5? What’s not to love about working from home? You’re comfortably attired (sometimes too…
Category: Season: Special Occasions
Are All Endings Sad? – Fr Harold Parilla
Matthew 28:16-20, The Ascension of the Lord Are all endings sad? Most of them, I guess. A funeral, for example, is a sad ritual because it signals the end of a person’s earthly life. People left behind, especially those who are close to the person who had died, will move on with a gaping hole…
Sense of Place – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Matthew 3:13-17, Baptism of our Lord “I need to be baptized by you and yet you are coming to me?” That’s how I imagine John to have said that. It’s highly unlikely he said it that way, though, with the personal pronouns in italics. But the point is John did not expect Jesus, the Messiah…
Gazing on the Cross – Peter Pojol, SJ
John 3:13-17, Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross I think it may be safe to say that everyone has had an experience of recoiling at something horrible, of being so distressed by something that it makes us turn away in order to, momentarily at least, block out whatever evil confronts us. It could be…
Assumptions – Arnel Aquino, SJ
Luke 1:39-56, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Our Gospel today has two distinct parts. Look how interesting it is. The first part, Elizabeth’s, is filled with second-person pronouns. “Blessed are you among women…and the fruit of your womb. How wonderful that (you,) the mother of my Lord should come to me! When I heard you greet me, my baby leaped in me. Blessed are you who believed what the Lord told you!” Elizabeth showers…
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…
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…
50 Days of Easter – Arnel Aquino, SJ
John 20:19-31, Divine Mercy Sunday How many days is the Advent season? 23 days. How many days is the Christmas Season? 12. What about the Lenten Season? 40 days. And Easter, which, by the way, many Catholics forget is a Season, too, like Advent, Christmas, and Lent? How long is Easter? 50 days! Easter is the longest…
Immaculate – Jett Villarin, SJ
Luke 1:26-38, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Our faith is beautiful. Its beauty is found not just in its rationality or reasonableness but also in its humanity. Take our devotion to Mary our Mother. While our Catholic devotion to Mary can be a challenge to both believers and non-believers, our Marian…
Crowded Cemeteries – Oliver Dy, SJ
The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed Were it not for two consecutive nights each year, the ambience of cemeteries across our native land would resemble that of scarcely populated isles. The stark difference would lie in the type of permanent inhabitants creating such aura of silence. One would be due to a few living…
One Lost Sheep 