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 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 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 This Sunday we celebrate the feast of the two greatest saints —Saints Peter and Paul. In the beginning, the two were far from perfect. Paul was never a God-fearing, gentle person. Harsh and cruel, he relentlessly oppressed the early Christians, imprisoning them and even...
WORD ALIVE There’s an old saying which goes, “If at first you don't succeed, try and try again.” “Try and try again,” that’s what the Canaanite woman did in the gospel episode in this 20th Sunday. She kept on pestering the Lord to the point of vexation to cure her possessed...
WORD ALIVE Did you know that Jesus mentioned “television” in the gospel? After the Transfiguration at Mt. Tabor, he said: “Tel-e-vision to no one.” (Mark 9,9). The gospel in this 18th Sunday does not relate about television but the vision of Jesus’ transfiguration (cf. (Mk 9,2-10). The...
WORD ALIVE In today’s gospel, Jesus declares: “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” When he talked of persecutions, he was referring to the persecutions his disciples had suffered at the hands of the Jews and the Romans in proclaiming his teachings. Today, the persecutions...
WORD ALIVE The old mentality wherein the laity were expected just to say "amen" and to "pray, pay and obey" has long been over. As a result of the numerous charismatic seminars, some lay people I know, who attended such renewal activities, now preached in streets and restaurants. Entering...
