We celebrated this Year's (2021) Mindanao Week of Peace with the theme, Interfaith Peace Unity Inspiring Health Protocols. This came from the three, Catholic, Muslim and Protestant, co- convenors who considered it "practical". By considering it "practical" they gave in their Joint Statement One important reason....
This is a play on two English words. It is a simple mental exercise but they can bring us to a deeper knowledge - perhaps? - of the mystery of what is termed "Mystery of Incarnation". This refers to the moment when God took human...
God does not need us because He is self-sufficient. Because He is the source of everything that exists. But He has a claim on our awareness, recognition and respect, of our gratitude, humility, and trust. More importantly, over and above everything supreme or the best we can...
This was the topic of my homily in the Holy Mass which I celebrated on November 01 in the parish church of St. Francis of Assisi in Maa, Davao City. November 01,1934 is the date of my birthday. So that was 87 years ago. When I...
The words, "time of our birth" usually refer to what we call ageing or aging, or another expression, "getting on in years". More often we relate to it as a problem. The problems are mostly in our physical health, and they are many. Most of...
A commentator made this remark when asked about the effect of living in a new culture of encounter. To my mind this is possible if one is open to dialogue. We in the Bishops-Ulama Conference (BUC) we are familiar with four ways of dialoguing, so...
It happened somewhere in North Cotabato in early 1995. A "baylan", Manobo word for "shaman", a respected spiritual person I was conversing with under the shade of a mango tree. He was telling how good and caring was the priest. He wanted the local office...
In my early years in Interreligious Dialogue, my staff composed of Fr. Leonardo N. Mercado, SVD (now deceased), and Ms. Lou Q. Solijon, sidsa, we also had several dialogues with the IPs (Indigenous Peoples). Yes, following the advice of Francis Cardinal Arinze, then Prefect of...
October 4 is a special day in the liturgical calendar of the Church dedicated to the celebration honoring St. Francis of Assisi. He was the founder of the congregation of Franciscans priests and religious brothers. But he did not become a priest. Why? I don't...
In last week's Shalom article I made mention of Blessed Charles de Foucauld whom Pope Francis considers his model of a Universal Brother (Fratulli Tutti, n. 287). I then added an info on Jesus Caritas International, an association of priests who follow the spirituality of...