OUR PARISH PRIEST

WHAT’S REALLY WRONG IS GREED A priest was preaching dramatically one Sunday: Do not put your trust on riches! Do not focus your heart on money! You do not need money! In heaven there is no money! Then a young man stood up and said: Father, we are already in heaven. The priest asked why, and the lad replied: Because at home, there is always no money! The priest is right in saying that in heaven, we do not need money. In the afterlife, no dollar or peso or euro can guarantee happiness. But on earth, money is still necessary. People need money. Part of our constant prayer when we go to church is for the Lord to give us money – enough money for our daily needs, for our children, for our future. This Sunday, I’m quite certain that many of you here are asking God for some financial help. We are one in this – I constantly need money for the parish and our projects! Money therefore is, not bad in itself, not sinful in itself. In fact, honestly and i...

THE MYSTERIES OF PRAYER Applying for a US visa in Rome, I was warned that a particular embassy employee humiliates applicants publicly. I was advised to avoid falling into the tentacles of this irate Italian woman. But inside the embassy, I found myself assigned to her counter! Indeed, she spared nobody, even nuns wearing religious habits! One by one, she sent them away empty-handed, visa denied. I clutched my rosary and Padre Pio’s photo, praying for my visa and an escape from the woman’s wrath. When my turn came, the woman silently grabbed all my documents, folded them without even inspecting, and said: “Completi” – complete! Without saying a word, she handed me coupon. I must return in the afternoon and claim my visa. I went home overjoyed, thanking God, the Blessed Mother and Padre Pio. In our modern world, many times we hear people downplaying formula prayer or prayers of intercession. They say it is childish. We should speak to the Lord from the ...

THE LORD REWARDS HOSPITALITY 16th Sunday I regularly stayed at a friend’s house. They prepared a large room complete with aircon, tv and bath. The room was their kids’ playroom when I’m not around. But when I was there, the kids were not allowed to enter or play there. At times I would catch the kids peeking through the door or waiting impatiently outside. I’m sure they felt deprived of their space. One day, having just arrived, I was just trying to settle down in the room when the eldest child approached me with the innocent question: Father, how long do think will you stay here? We are an unforgettable people to our guests, especially to foreigners - because of our unequalled hospitality. It is an unwritten rule that when guests enter our homes, we must give the best we have – the best food, the best room, the best accommodations. At times, things can get out of hand as we even try to give what we do not have or what we cannot afford. The Bible shows...

WHAT THE SAMARITAN KNEW 15th Sunday Angie and Bobby were so in love. They met in the office where they both worked. They set their marriage in a historic, beautiful church. Everything was arranged. One day, Angie fell ill and went to the hospital. There it was discovered that she had a terminal illness and was not to live for long. Angie’s first impulse was to go and tell Bobby, who she expected to lavish her with support and love. Bobby listened but couldn’t speak. Just as Angie was waiting for Bobby to continue comforting her, Bobby just vanished without a trace. He only left a text message saying that he was calling the wedding off. Angie was devastated. In time, she recovered and is still doing well, except that her lover is gone forever. How easy it is to love when the conditions are perfect. It is easy to love when our plans unfold just as we desire it, when the world is a bed of roses, a bright-colored rainbow, a paradise without problems...

VICTORY OVER THE DEVIL 14th Sunday How do you defeat the devil? By flashing the crucifix on its face? By sprinkling holy water all over the place? If you are fans of horror movies, these would be the scenes that signal the end of the enemy. But today’s gospel describes Jesus rejoicing that he “observed that Satan fall like lightning from the sky”. It was not some incantation or an act of exorcism that brought this misfortune on the devil. Rather, Jesus was describing the real cause of victory – the faithfulness of his disciples to the mission they received from God. Jesus first chose the Twelve apostles to be with him and to be sent by him after they received their training and formation. But he further extended his call to 72 others whom he sent to proclaim the Kingdom and to perform wonders in his name. He expanded the mission to other men and women who were willing to follow him and dedicate themselves to him. The 72 gave their best to the task bes...