WORD ALIVE Gaudete, which means “rejoice,” “be joyful,” is the message of this 3rd Sunday of Advent. That’s why the liturgical color for this Sunday is not violet but pink. The Sunday tells us to be “joyful in hope” because Christ the Messiah has already redeemed us. However,...
WORD ALIVE A soldier and his wife were preparing for the baptismal party of their baby girl when the chaplain arrived for the Baptism. Taking the father aside, the priest asked, “Are you prepared spiritually for this religious event?” “Well, I don’t know, Father,”...
WORD ALIVE Somebody once said, “There are two things we cannot escape in this life — paying taxes and dying.” The first is certainly not true because we know too well that there are tax evaders. But with death, that’s a hundred-percent certainty. And, most often, we do not know when it...
WORD ALIVE Tomorrow is the feast of Christ the King. When Jesus was crucified, a wooden sign (caratola) was nailed over his head with the inscription INRI, which in Latin means “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum”; in English, “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews.” * * * Is Christ really a...
Word Alive When I studied at the SVD theological seminary in Tagaytay, we had an exceptionally bright seminarian. In class when the professor was lecturing, he would make sketches on his notebook, seemingly unmindful of what the mentor was saying. When examinations came, he would get a perfect or...
WORD ALIVE Sometime ago, a news item in Divisoria, Manila, related about how burglars broke into a shop. This would not have raised eyebrows at all since the incident took place in a notorious place. What made it amusing was that it happened to a company that manufactures burglar-proof glass...
WORD ALIVE Once a politician organized a group of businessmen to talk about world hunger and how to remedy it. “Millions of people in the world are starving. They eat barely once a day,” he said. The guests were dismayed, however, seeing a sumptuous dinner served with overflowing laureate menus...
WORD ALIVE Once there was an elderly monk who prayed many years for a vision to strengthen his faith, but it never came. He had almost given up hope when, one day, a vision of Jesus appeared. The monk was overjoyed. But then, right in the middle of the apparition, the monastery bell rang,...
WORD ALIVE One Sunday morning after saying Mass at the Sacred Heart Church in Kamuning, Quezon City run by SVD confreres, a couple approached me. "Father, we're from this parish," they greeted. “We’re lay missionaries working in Papua New Guinea and we're presently on vacation." Then...
WORD ALIVE In the gospel of this 27th Sunday (Matthew 21,33-43), we read Jesus' parable how the heir of the vineyard was badly treated by the tenants. * * * The parable refers to the servants as the earlier prophets sent by the vineyard owner (God) to collect the harvest. But they were not...
WORD ALIVE A man died and went to heaven. At the Pearly Gate, St. Peter welcomed him then gave a tour around. As they were entering a big hall, the man recoiled with fear, seeing so many tongues hanging inside. “St. Peter, how weird this place is! Why are there so many tongues hanging?” the man...
WORD ALIVE One woman said to another: “You know what? My neighbor is always criticizing her husband. But look at me. My husband is irresponsible, lazy and a drunkard; but have I ever said anything bad about him?” (Look who’s talking!). In the gospel of this 23rd Sunday, Jesus says, “If your...
