OUR PARISH PRIEST

THE LOVE THAT GIVES ALL SOLEMN FEAST OF THE TRINITY For many Catholics, the closest we get to the mystery of God is when we make the Sign of the Cross as we begin to pray.  That is, if we are serious enough to consider what we say and do as we trace the Cross on our bodies. Today we celebrate the great feast of the Christian God, the One God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Most Blessed Trinity.  Is the Trinity an “opening” prayer?  Is the Trinity a matter only for the catechism class?  Is the Trinity merely a doctrine to embellish our faith? The Trinity is real – real God, real life, real love!  How must we reflect on the Trinity? The best way to do so is to start with what we do each day – by means of the Cross.  Jesus explained to us the Father and Himself and the Holy Spirit. But most specially, he showed to us that God is One and God is Three Persons as he went through his death and resurrection. Take a cross and look a...

THE HOLY SPIRIT OF FREEDOM PENTECOST SUNDAY Nowadays people give a lot of thought to spirits, albeit, evil spirits.  There is no dearth of market for horror films.  Books on exorcism and deliverance are on bestseller lists.  Ghost buster groups can be found here and abroad.   Just when we think that the world is steeped in materialism and pragmatism, here comes a renewed interest in the world of the spiritual and invisible realities.  Many people have come to realize that the worldly is not complete without its form, the spiritual aspect of existence.  How apt is the reminder of St. Paul:  our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephes. 6:12). However, as Christians, when we speak of “spirit”, our hearts are first turned towards the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who...

THE POWERFUL FAREWELL ASCENSION SUNDAY A farewell is a powerful experience.  Even a simple one of a person going to the airport can elicit a host of emotions.  How much more a farewell whose effect will last forever? Years ago, I read an excellent book on farewells:  Praying Our Goodbyes.  I loved the book and I hated the book at the same time.  It taught me that goodbyes need prayerful reflection because they are not only emotions, but life-changing experiences. But the book made me cry a lot in my room that I never touched it again! Today, we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord Jesus into heaven.  After 40 days since the Resurrection and a series of apparitions to his disciples and close friends, finally, Jesus returns to the Father to claim his heavenly glory.  Looking at some depictions of this event, it would seem that Jesus very serenely floated on air while being transported beyond the clouds.  The apostles too, se...

PRAYING FOR YOU, MOMMY, THAT GOD’S GRACE WILL ENABLE YOU TO PREPARE YOUR HEART FOR JESUS! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

LIVING IN TRUE LOVE Easter - 6th Sunday If you give your child everything he wants, is that love? What many times has been considered affection is really spoiling, but not loving, and you destroy a child’s mindset by making him prefer only a world of personal comfort and selfish desires. Seeing a neighbor doing wrong but saying nothing about it - is it love? Maybe it is fear or cowardice, but certainly not love. Soon your neighbor will move on to worse things and you will be a regretful witness to his personal decay. If a family member drifts steadily into vices and you ignore it, can you say it is love?  At best it is indifference, but that cannot qualify for love. Soon you will lose grasp of the very person you want to keep close to your heart. There are some things we consider as love, which really run short of the very essence of love. For in many cases, we fail to understand the very things we think we already do.  That is why we need to turn to ...

REMAIN IN ME This is a beautiful and evocative gospel, this message about Jesus as the vine and we, his branches. This is one of my personal favorites, John 15, since my seminary days of reflecting and reading the Word of God. As in previous times I read this passage, I always marveled at words often repeated.   Maybe this is John’s style to drive home an emphasis, his way of gently asserting his message. This time, I noticed the word “remain” and the many repetitions included. “Remain in me as I remain in you.” “A branch cannot bear fruit unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.” “Whoever remains in me, will bear much fruit.”   “The one who does not remain in me will be thrown out and wither like a branch.”   “If you remain in me and my words remain you, ask whatever you want and it will be given to you.”   Here, in this gospel, can we not say that “remain” seems to be one of Jesus’ favorite words? But ...