Monday, 2nd Week of Lent             A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death. “But I don’t ask for justice,” the mother explained. “I plead for mercy.” “But your son does not deserve mercy,” Napoleon … Continue reading BE MERCIFUL

2nd Sunday of Lent                          Mountains are important places in the Sacred Scripture. There is Mount Sinai, the mountain of morality. It is there that God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. There is Mount Carmel, the mountain of decision. It is there that Prophet Elijah convinced Israel to choose Jehovah as the only God, … Continue reading MOUNTAIN AND VALLEY

2nd Sunday of Lent                          Is there anyone here who has not been accused of selective hearing? Lahat naman tayo, siguro, napagsabihan na: “Pinipili mo lang ‘yung gusto mong marinig!” Many kids today suffer from partial deafness. Ang mga bata ngayon parang mga bingi kapag nakatutok na sa mga gadgets nila – smartphone, tablet, laptop, … Continue reading THE BEST HEARING AID

2nd Sunday of Lent                          A teacher confronted one of her students about his inability to understand the lessons she was teaching. “Do you have hearing problem?” asked the teacher. “No,” the student replied, “I have listening problem.”             There is a lot of difference between hearing and listening. I remember another anecdote: A class … Continue reading LISTENING IS WANTING TO HEAR

Saturday, 1st Week of Lent             Included in the list of enemies we should love and pray for are the following: those who have deprived us of their concern and care – the significant people in our life who should have loved us. those who have hurt us (and continue to hurt us) – physically, … Continue reading BETTER SPIRITUAL SPACE

Friday, 1st Week of Lent                Today’s gospel passage is already a ‘sermon’ in itself – in fact, it is a very down-to-earth sermon. One does not have to be an expert or knowledgeable about the Bible in order to understand its meaning and its message. We do not even have to interpret it; we … Continue reading RECONCILIATION

Thursday, 1st Week of Lent                           “Ask and it will be given to you…”             The words of our Lord in today’s gospel reading indicate that God does answer our prayers. Our Lord’s insistence on this fact puts one in mind of the well-known story of that little girl who was taunted by her friends … Continue reading TO PRAY IS…

Wednesday, 1st Week of Lent                       “No sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.”             A friend told me of her dream in which she saw Padre Pio looking very sad. She asked him why he was sad. And Padre Pio replied, “I am sad because many people come to me and … Continue reading REAL MIRACLE

Tuesday, 1st Week of Lent             In the desert the devil tempted Jesus by saying: “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” This is one of the three temptations of Jesus that we heard last Sunday. In subtle ways – on TV commercials, on billboard ads, through … Continue reading DAILY BREAD

The Chair of St. Peter                     We celebrate today the feast of The Chair of St. Peter. Quite strange, isn’t it? Why do we celebrate a piece of furniture? Well, of course, we are not referring to the ‘chair’ as a piece of furniture, but as a symbol of authority. In other words, we are … Continue reading CHAIR OF AUTHORITY