“Whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mk 9,40) With these words, Christ told his apostles, and is telling us now, that we should have a universal regard for everyone, irrespective of the unavoidable differences and conflicts we can have among ourselves. Especially when these...
THAT gospel episode where Herod the tetrarch was perplexed about Christ and was more disturbed than simply curious about him, (cfr. Lk 9,7-9) reminds us that if we are to be like Christ, we should be ready to be misunderstood and even hated. Like Christ, we...
THERE is no doubt we are all meant to be apostles of Christ, to be his ambassadors. That’s simply because we are meant to be like Christ, to be ‘another Christ,’ and so we share also in his redemptive mission which is a continuing affair...
THAT’S true! God can call us in a surprise. But that’s not because of God who wants to surprise us. Rather, it is because of us. To be sure, everyone is called by God because we are supposed to be like him and to be...
I FIND it amusing if it were not a disturbing and sad story. While Christ was already predicting his passion, death and resurrection, all that his apostles did was to discuss who among them was the greatest. (cfr. 9,30-37) This, to me, is the example...
IN the gospel, we can notice that Christ was going from one place to another, busy preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. (cfr. Lk 8,1-3) We need to realize that since we have to be like Christ, we should also...
(An excerpt from the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao, September 1, 2021 during the live streamed mass of the Ordination to the Sacred Order of Deacon of Sem. Oliver Ganas in San Pedro Cathedral.) Now in our liturgy today, what...
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...
TO be truly Christian, we should be what Christ wants us to be—light of the world. As such we have to learn how to give good example to others, obviously with the proper motive and purpose. Christ pointed this out when he said, “No one...
For the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II), there are two phases of formation in the priestly vocation. “Preparatory formation encompasses all formation leading to priestly ordination; permanent formation is that which follows and lasts the entire priestly life” (PCP II 564). Those who...