I was in the middle of the “unknown” until I had a divine visitation on February 12th, 1996, during my seminary formation days. I dreamed of the appearance of Jesus bleeding profusely and the blood was dazzling. Initially, I couldn’t recognize Him because he presented himself as a priest I…
In today’s Gospel (Luke 18:9-14), there are two attitudes regarding our basic convictions about God and towards others. I will reflect on those two attitudes. The attitude of the Pharisee: The Pharisee begins by giving thanks to God. This is certainly commendable. However, the reason for his thanksgiving is that…
All Jews recite the Shema before their feet hit the floor every morning, with hands covering the eyes: “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one. Therefore, you shall love the LORD your God, with all your heart, all your being, and with all your strength.” In the reading…
‘‘Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people’’ Today’s liturgical readings emphasize the importance of listening to the voice of God. They invite us to stop for a moment and ask ourselves if we are listening to the voice of God, the…
Many people, both inside and outside the Christian faith, tend to regard Jesus as one who stood athwart the Jewish traditions and laws. Before him, there were the numerous commandments detailing how Israel was to worship the Lord; after him, we are given the Beatitudes, the law of love. Were…
Today’s Gospel reminds us of the magnificent mercy and justice of God in the parable of the merciless servant. Jesus tells this parable when Peter asks how often he should forgive his brother and thinking he was being generous adds “As many as seven times?” Jesus said, “Not seven…
In today’s readings, we are invited to take a look at new facets and gifts in ordinary life situations and in our fellow human beings. In the first reading, we experience the human tendency to underrate the ordinary through the story of Naaman, an army general of the king of…
When you stay a long time without cleaning up a room, everything in it begins to look like a trash. It becomes messy because nothing is in order, everything is out of place. And you know one thing? It is so easy to mess up a room, it takes little…
How deep is His Love! How awesome his mercy! How incredible His grace! I have experienced the manifestation of these sublime characteristics of God in my priestly ministry, both in my personal life and in that of many others. I would like to share one of such moments with you.…
In this first half of Lent, we hear in the Mass readings especially about virtue and vice and how we should choose virtue. Today’s first reading shows us a particularly nasty act. In my eyes, it is one of the worst deeds described in the Bible, since it involves the…