Through Untrue Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Contemporary society puts a very high premium on work, not rest. For countless people in offices, factories, assembly lines, and construction projects, work has become their sole purpose for living. But it is a too-narrow purpose. It locks us into a...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. We see many signs that say: "Jesus Saves!" In a way, Jesus never saved. He did not save money or wealth, nor did he keep a pile of souvenirs that will remind people of Him. Jesus did not even have a place He could call His own. He told those who wanted...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. George Burns once remarked that happiness is having a large, caring, close-knit family, residing far away from him. One wife said something similar when asked how she and her husband stayed married for 50 years: "We seldom see each other." Like them,...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Pope Francis once said that we are destroying the world with our “throwaway mentality." This is the kind of thinking that considers everything as disposable. We discard anything that has outlived its usefulness, and replace it with something bigger,...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. In our Gospel reading today, Jesus likens himself to the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep (John 10:11-18). We cannot question Jesus's valuation of Himself as a self-sacrificing shepherd. That is indeed who He is. But should we view...
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. 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. 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. Last week, a friend told me: "I don't know what's happening to me. I’m constantly stressed and always tempted to be angry. Before the pandemic, I knew exactly who I was. But now, I'm turning into someone I don't want to be." When I told him I...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. The gospel reading today narrates that when Jesus called His first apostles, they left everything to follow Him. Discipleship seems very easy, like a walk in the park, but is it? Responding to God's call always entails suffering. And perhaps, the...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. First the good news: According to a study released by the Pew Research Center in America, there are more people attending Masses online than those who surf for sites devoted to gambling, banking, and trading in the stock market. This indicates that many...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. The word ALMOST is an incredibly sad word. It usually denotes a crushing sense of failure, disappointment, and regret. I once watched a race where the fastest runner was clearly ahead of his competitors. But as he approached the finish line, he slowed...
