WE are now days before Christmas. Our longing for the birth of Christ is heightened, thanks to our tradition of the Simbang Gabi that up to now enjoys vast popularity especially among the simple people who are gifted with a lot of faith. Let’s hope...
Joy and sadness do not always come together. But it did happen to me once upon a time in the Advent season. A loved-one died while another loved-one gave birth on the evening before the Gaudete Sunday. The coming and the going of people in...
The world feels a great sigh of relief now that 2023 will soon be gone. With the next breath, we wonder if the 2024 dragon will bring peace, prosperity and cover up all the losses, pains and calamities of 2023. From a materialistic and rationalistic...
Last December 2, 2023, on the night before the 1st Sunday of Advent we experienced a 6.1 magnitude earthquake here in Davao City. Aftershocks were also felt days after the said calamity. Though Davao City is not the epicenter, many of us are living in...
(Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao during the 24th Parochial Fiesta of San Francisco de Asis Parish in Tagakpan, October 4, 2023.) St. Francis, ikaw baya’y inspiration sa among Santo Papa, for us to be enlightened, to be moved, to be...
Strong earthquake on a Saturday evening and bombing with many casualties on a Sunday morning. These incidents welcomed the First Sunday of Advent. But fear no more because this Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent which is also known as Gaudete Sunday. In Latin, Gaudete...
THE 3rd Sunday of Advent is usually dubbed as Gaudete Sunday (Rejoice Sunday) because the Entrance Antiphon of the Mass for that day starts with the joyful greeting, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near.” (Phil 4,4-5) We are clearly...
WE are now in the Season of Advent, a time to develop the sense of yearning for Christ in our life. And the readings of the Mass on Friday of the 2nd Week of Advent encourage us to do just that. In the first reading, from...
THIS should be the attitude to have. If we still don’t have it, then let’s start training ourselves to acquire such outlook in life. The secret is again to strengthen our faith in God who takes care of everything, even if his ways escape our...
IT should be to look for Christ, to be with Christ, to follow Christ. That’s where we can find what is good for us in any situation we can find ourselves in. If that is not yet our greatest desire, then it’s about time that...