WORD ALIVE During the days of the Civil War in America, a guard was caught sleeping on duty. For that, he was sentenced to death. When Pres. Abraham Lincoln heard about it, he himself talked with the guard and ordered the penalty be commuted. His generals complained, but the president’s decision...
WORD ALIVE When Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991 causing great devastation to Zambales and Pampanga provinces, many deemed it as God’s wrath over two “cities of sin” located within those provinces. The Mt. Pinatubo tragedy may be compared to the ones mentioned in the gospel of this 3rd...
WORD ALIVE A patient, who was being wheeled into the operating room, pleaded with the young doctor: “Doc, please be gentle with me; this…this is my first time to be operated on!” The surgeon, who also looked nervous, glanced at her and blurted out: “Do…don’t worry, madam, this…this is...
WORD ALIVE There's an amusing story about a young man who was constantly bedeviled by sensual thoughts. Feeling guilty, he consulted a priest-friend. "Don't worry," the priest assured him, "these thoughts popped out in our minds. They're not sinful but only enticements. But the moment you start...
WORD ALIVE A parish priest happened to meet one of his parishioners in a mall and said, “Johnny, I haven't seen you in church for a long time. What happened?” “Father, I've stopped going to church. There are a lot of hypocrites there.” Whereupon, the priest smiled and said:...
WORD ALIVE In the Sunday gospel (Lk 6, 27-38), Jesus teaches about forgiveness which is very difficult to practice. He declares, “Love your enemies and pray for your persecutors.” How in the world can you “love” someone who has abused your daughter or injured your brother, or a husband...
WORD ALIVE Everybody wants to be happy. But happiness is a very elusive thing. And the reason is we don’t agree on what it means to be happy. Some maintain that you can be happy if you have lots of money, including ill-gotten. Others believe in the saying, “Eat, drink and be merry for...
WORD ALIVE SVD priestly ordination. Five deacons of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), class “Koinonia” will be ordained priests on Feb. 8 at 9 in the morning at the Divine Word Seminary Chapel, Tagaytay City. The five SVD deacons are allFilipinos: Rev. Jeyvee Vagilidad, missionary to...
WORD ALIVE There’s one feast in the Catholic Church’s calendar which is not very well known. That is the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple which is celebrated every Feb. 2. According to the ancient Jewish tradition, a child is never given to parents by...
WORD ALIVE The National Bible Sunday culminates on National Bible Week. The week reminds us of the all-important Word of God as our guide and instruction. As someone puts it, BIBLE is the acronym for: “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.” * * * A man once bragged that...
WORD ALIVE This Sunday is the feast of the Sto. Niño in the Philippines. It is immensely popular among Filipinos. Rich and poor, young and old alike maintain a strong, if not fanatical, devotion to the Holy Child. * * * On the feast, big and mini statues are dressed endearingly in...
WORD ALIVE There was once a woman who brought her child to church for baptism. “What’s the baby’s name?” asked the parish priest. “Toyota,” said the mother. Taken aback, the priest said, “Why that name?” “Kasi po Father,” she replied, “iyong panganay ko ay nagngangalang...
