TO determine the true spirit and intent of our laws, we should go to Christ. That’s because he is the original and final lawgiver. We should be wary when we would just make and interpret laws, whether the natural, moral or purely human laws, according...
“IF any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Lk 9,23) Christ’s words may frighten us at first, but he is actually giving us the best deal we can ever have in this life. We...
IT’S Ash Wednesday once again. And with it, we begin the liturgical season of Lent, a serious time of preparation for the culmination of Christ’s redemptive mission through his passion, death and glorious resurrection. Thanks be to God, Ash Wednesday in our country always evokes a...
YES, we have such tendency, and so we have to be wary of it. We are reminded of this fact of life when after Christ told his apostles about his impending suffering, death and resurrection, the apostles were caught simply discussing about who the greatest...
“HIS disciples asked him in private, ‘Why could we not drive the spirit out?’ He said to them, ‘This kind can only come out through prayer.’” (Mk 9,28-29) This is the concluding part of that gospel episode where Christ was approached by the father of a...
Two years ago, I adopted a two-month-old puppy whom we named Teddy. My youngest daughter was the one who named him because he's like a small cute teddy bear with a thick black and brown fur. Teddy is actually not a pure breed; his bloodline...
(Excerpt from the Homily of Most Reverend Romulo G. Valles, D.D., on the 20th Parochial Fiesta of the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Bangkal – February 11, 2023) Busa karon niining atong fiesta, Viva Maria, unsa ang murag take-away nato? Unsa man ang good news? Unsa...
“Practice makes perfect, but nobody is perfect,” they say. However, according to our Lord Jesus Christ, our “Heavenly Father is perfect.” Therefore, perfection is possible if we imitate our Heavenly Father. How do we think we can do that? Jesus Christ tells us, “Love your...
“IF one strikes thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other: and if a man will contend with thee in judgment, and take away thy coat, let go thy cloak also unto him. And whosoever will force thee one mile, go with...
“WHOEVER wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mk 8,34) For sure, everytime we read these words, our Pavlovian reaction would be to be filled with dread. Who likes to deny himself, who likes to take up the...