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...
WE have to be wary of the conditions nowadays that would tend to desensitize us from our constant need for penance and conversion. This, I believe, is the message Christ wanted to impart to us when he said, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you,...
CHRIST’S redemptive mission is very much an ongoing affair, and he involves all of us actually in this business. Those words that he addressed to his apostles, giving them their mission, can be considered as addressed to us also. “The harvest is abundant but the laborers...
ON the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (September 29), we are presented with that amusing gospel episode about the calling of Nathanael. (cfr. Jn 1,47-51) We might be wondering how Nathanael’s vocation is related to the existence of angels. My personal take on...
THE secret, of course, of having our death as a way to our resurrection is to die with Christ. Only with him can our resurrection, our victory over sin and death, take place after our death. St. Paul encapsulated this most wonderful truth of our...
YES, we have to be most careful with our tendency to fall into bitter zeal. It’s that zeal that was rebuked by Christ in that gospel episode where his disciples suggested that fire rains on those who did not welcome them while they entered a...
THE gospel of St. Luke 9,46-50, shows us how being childlike in spirit would enable us to accept Christ as he is as well as to accept everybody else irrespective of how they are. It’s a great lesson we have to learn if we want...
(An excerpt from the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao, September 14, 2021 during the live streamed mass of the 70th Founding Anniversary of Holy Cross of Davao College at Sta. Ana Shrine Parish, Sta. Ana Avenue.) Now, let me bring...
Two elderly men were talking about the successes of their respective sons. One said, “You know what? My son Louie is a CEO in a big multinational company in Metro Manila. “Daku siya ug sweldo.” The other man replied, “My son Marty has a big...
To be a seafarer could offer advantages and disadvantages to the life of the family. As one of the promising jobs, seafarers are a support to their family. They are able to send their children to school, build decent houses for their beloved, and answer...