THAT gospel episode about a sinful woman barging into a party where Christ was and proceeding to wash Christ’s feet with ointment (cfr. Lk 7,36-50) shows us that Christ loves everyone, including those who are in very sinful situations, without of course condoning what is...
THE Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of Christ (September 14) gives us the occasion to consider once again the importance of the cross in our life. Let’s savor some words of the readings used on that feast’s Mass. (cfr Jn 3,13-17) “Just as...
SINCE sorrows are unavoidable in our life, we should know how to deal with it properly, even taking advantage of it, for it indeed can help us attain our ultimate goal in life, which is our own salvation, our own redemption. In this we have to...
“When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’” This was the reaction of Christ when a centurion who asked for a cure of his sick...
TO be truly Christian, we have to see to it that we are becoming more and more “alter Christus,” another Christ. That may sound impossible, and, indeed, it is, if we are to rely only on our human powers. But Christ has given us all...
Q: I want my driver’s license to have a notice that I want to be an organ donor but I’m afraid if I am unconscious in a bad accident, the doctors will finish me so they can use my organs for other purposes. A: The top...
As Pope Francis exhorts us to celebrate and pray for the care for creation from September 1 to October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, let us be challenged by his words: “Many things have to change course, but it is we human beings...
(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.) The gospel that you have heard,...
In Chapter Six of Fratelli Tutti (n. 198), Pope Francis lists the following as his "list" of human encounter: "approaching, speaking, listening, looking at, coming to know and understand one another, and to find common ground: all these things are summed up in the one...
“Focus your energy on the things you can control” is a mantra I have learned and lived during this pandemic. The truth is we can only control ourselves. We have no control of other people. Yes, maybe we can but that would be stressful for...