THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. In the past, whenever I read today's gospel reading, I used to focus on these words: "I give you a new commandment, love one another" (John 13:34). Today, I put more emphasis on the succeeding words: "As I have loved you." These words indicate HOW we...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. According to Chaos theory, what we consider ordinary, insignificant happenings can have far-reaching influence on subsequent events. A metaphor for this is the "butterfly effect." A butterfly flapping its wings can trigger a powerful typhoon elsewhere....
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. It is a common saying that truth is stranger than fiction. But today, fiction is stronger than truth. Just look at the impact of surveys on our choice of leaders. It is a case of numerical "might is right." Survey firms legitimize their findings by...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. In 1961, Fr. Jorge Bergoglio went to visit Fr. Enrico Pozzoli, an elderly priest who was confined in the hospital. Fr. Enrico was the one who baptized Fr. Jorge, and later became his long-time friend, benefactor, and spiritual director. When Fr. Jorge...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Every Easter Sunday, I feel revitalized, renewed and, above all, forgiven. I feel like a prisoner who is granted unconditional pardon, a debtor whose debts are written off, a wayward child forgiven by a loving father. No questions asked, just a joyful...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. I like to think of Holy Week as Family Healing Week. It is the most opportune time to beg God to heal our families. Many people think that healing applies only to the hurt, sickness, or wounds of an individual. But families, like individuals, also need...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. On this day, I and four fellow Dominicans celebrate our 40th anniversary as priests. Every time I reach an important milestone in my life, people ask me: “What have you done so far?” or "What have you achieved after all these years? I think the more...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Today's gospel reading narrates the story of a father whose two sons abandon him (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32). The younger son goes to his father and says: “I'm going away, so give me my rightful inheritance today.” In his haste, he does not realize the...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Every day, we see wars, calamities, disasters through round-the-clock newsfeeds from the media. Our immediate reaction is fear because they remind us of the shortness of our life. But such a reaction hardly lingers because we have learned how to tune...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. As Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine continues, the possibility of a global war looms on the horizon. The Russians are intent on winning the war. They forget that war has its own law that works in unpredictable ways. Violence is merciless not only...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher, said that the unexamined life is not worth living. For him, self-examination leads to self-knowledge, which is a sure way to happiness. Hence his famous dictum: "Know thyself." Many centuries have since passed. ...
THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Judging from the way the People Power Revolution was celebrated last Feb. 25, it seems that the word EDSA has become a verbal overkill. The quantity of usage has outstripped the quality of discourse. EDSA seems to have lost its power and magic. Many...
