THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Many of us wrongly think that if we worked hard enough, and if we seized every opportunity that science and technology offer, we would have everything we want in life. This illusion breeds the modern psychological affliction called FOMO — fear of...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Every time I confess my sins, the feeling of being forgiven, renewed, and loved overwhelms me. I feel like a prisoner who is granted unconditional pardon, a debtor whose debts are written off, and a prodigal son welcomed and embraced by a merciful and...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. We cannot fully understand the meaning of the resurrection because none of us has died and rose again. But many events in our life can be considered "resurrection experiences." These are unprecedented, unique, totally gratuitous and above all, so life...
Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Two years ago, I said a funeral mass for a man who died of heart attack. After communion, the wife asked if she could deliver a short eulogy about her husband. I willingly obliged. I remember her eulogy very well because it did not sound like one. Filled with...
Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Today's celebration of the Holy Eucharist commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus. One dramatic highlight of the Mass is the reenactment of something that happened before the last supper—Jesus washed the feet of His apostles. I was in Grade 3 when I first heard...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Filipino religiosity peaks during Holy Week. If not for the pandemic and the government-imposed restrictions and protocols, many of us would be doing our usual Holy Week observances these coming days. Families would flock to churches for the annual...
The Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs has decided to postpone anew its investigation into the fatal misencounter between operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP). (Senate of the Philippines / FILE PHOTO) Senator Ronald...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Like most people, I seldom found joy and excitement in washing my clothes. The tedious and boring task wore me down. I would rather that someone did it for me. But I realized that avoiding important chores made them more difficult to accomplish. So I...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Many people get easily exhausted just by the thought of house cleaning. They put it off for as long as possible until their house becomes so filthy that whenever they come home, the stench and the chaos make them cringe and squirm. Add to this the...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Before Jesus underwent His terrible ordeal leading to His crucifixion, three apostles witnessed an amazing event in His life – the transfiguration . Today's Gospel reading describes what happened thus: “His face shone like the sun and His clothes...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. As in previous years, people flocked to churches in great numbers last Ash Wednesday, despite the fact that it was not a holy day of obligation. The atmosphere in churches was almost sepulchral as the priests sprinkled ashes on our heads while he told...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Since childhood, we have been taught, and rightly so, that cleanliness is next to godliness. But today, thanks to the hygiene industry and their aggressive advertisers, cleanliness is no longer synonymous with being rid of any form of dirt or messiness....
