THIS is said of Mary, the mother of Christ and our Mother too. This was prophesied already of her in the Book of Isaiah 7,14: “Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.” And it was realized...
THE gospel episode about the barren Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary, who because of the faith of her husband, Zachary, managed to bear a son who later on became John the Baptist, the precursor of Christ, (cfr. Lk 1,5-25) simply tells us that the key...
THESE are the angels, of course. Each one of us is assigned a guardian angel which is one way God makes himself present in us and continually helping us. Let us remember that in this life of ours on earth, we actually are engaged in...
WE need to be clear about this. We may have our human ancestry that defines our biological and natural identity. But we should not forget that we all come from God and our identity is not limited to the biological and other natural standards alone. Let’s...
THIS is what we can gather from that parable about a man with two sons, asking them to work in his vineyard. (cfr. Mt 21,28-32) The first one refused but eventually went, while the second one said yes, but actually did not go. That second son...
THAT’S from Psalm 25,4, and is used as a Responsorial Psalm for one of the Masses in Advent. It’s a psalm that should always be on our lips, since we cannot deny that we are meant to be identified with Christ, the pattern of our...
(Excerpt during the 66th Parochial Fiesta Celebration of Immaculate Conception Parish, Mintal, Davao City, and Installation of Rev. Fr. Zenon Ampong as Parish Priest last December 8, 2025) Dako kaayo ning fiesta, ilabina kining fiesta sa Immaculada Concepcion, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. Kay lagi...
The Philippines, a country with a rich Catholic heritage, observes one of its most cherished traditions during the Christmas season: the Misa De Gallo and Simbang Gabi. These practices are not only religious but also deeply embedded in Filipino culture. During the reign of the Spaniards...
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...
IT’S good to keep this spiritual and ascetical formula in mind as we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12. Mary, the Mother of Jesus is also our Mother. How she cared and identified herself completely with her Son is also...