Opinion

The celebration of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross started in 335 when the true cross of Jesus was discovered through the effort of St. Helena and installed in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on Mt. Calvary. Before Constantine, Christians were reluctant to venerate the cross which was looked upon as an instrument of torture and execution. After Constantine abolished crucifixion, the cross was no longer held as something shameful and repugnant but was venerated as a triumphant symbol of Christ’s victory over sin and death. Constantine himself was among the first to hold this new appreciation of the cross. He attributed his rise to the throne to the vision he had before the crucial battle on the Milvian bridge where he saw a cross blazing in the sky and the accompanying words ...

The Church dedicates this month of September to the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. This universal observance invites us to pray and reflect on our responsibility as stewards of God’s creation.The theme of this year’s Season of Creation is Peace with Creation. It is a timely reminder for us to make peace with Creation for we all have a share in the dismal state of our present ecology. Today the environment has become increasingly unpredictable and unbearable; extreme heat, deadly floods and super typhoons have become frequent and “normal.” While we readily condemn the greed of the superpowers and big industries which drives them to exploit and devastate the earth’s resources without scruple, we too contribute to the destruction of nature by our own neglect and wasteful li...

The common theme running through today’s readings is clearly that of humility. Once held in high esteem, the virtue of humility is unfortunately less and less valued by our present secularized society.In today’s highly competitive world that estimates self-assurance and audacity as pre-requisite to getting to the top, humility is considered a weakness and even a liability. Since the advent of Enlightenment, the world has increasingly lost its understanding and appreciation of humility. The Scottish philosopher, David Hume, sees humility not as a virtue, but as a vice because it prevents one from flourishing and accomplishing. And that is how the world thinks today. Ambition is in, modesty is out.Even in the area of spirituality, the understanding of humility has become somewhat vag...

Once again, Jesus is presented with an intriguing question which he does not answer but which he uses to impart an important teaching. "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" Jesus replies by saying, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”Jesus does not tell how many will be saved but who will be saved. What is more important to know is not how many will be saved but how one can be saved.We are all called to salvation. This is the very reason why Jesus came on earth and became man. He came that all may have life, and have it abundantly. (cf Jn 10:10) And he came to save not only the people of Israel, but all peoples. Already in the Old Testament, the call to universal salvation was announced by the proph...

With what is happening in the senate and the supreme court today, one cannot help but feel frustrated with the present government and cynical about the future of our nation.The upper house, once an august and independent body of statesmen/women, is now infested with members coming from deeply entrenched dynasties, entertainers and populists who know nothing about law-making, and lawyers who are suspect and beholden to partisan agenda. The highest court meant to be the people’s last resort for justice is lost in non-committal legalese and fails to defend the people’s right to hold their elected leaders accountable.Once again, the question continues to haunt us: is there hope? Corruption is so endemic, it has become “normal.” The political machinery that fabricates fake news seems t...

I remember having read in college a story written by Leo Tolstoy, entitled “How Much Land Does a Man Need?”. It was a standard classic example of a short story (in 66 pages!) recommended for our reading.The story tells of a peasant who enters into an agreement with the owner of a vast track of land. He can have all the land he can cover from sunrise to sunset for 1,000 rubles. Early the next day, the peasant immediately starts his trek as soon as the sun rises. By midday, he covers a sizeable amount of land and is about to return when he notices that the land ahead is so much greener and more fertile. He proceeds to cover also that part of the land. By midafternoon, he knows he needed to return. Seeing that he has gone too far, he musters all his remaining strength and runs as fast as ...

“Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find…” This is certainly among the most reassuring verses from the gospel. Yet, we cannot help but doubt at times when we do not immediately get what we pray for.Today, Jesus teaches us what to pray for and how to pray. He tells us not to give up in prayer and to put our trust in God. God always answers our prayers. Maybe not today, but certainly one day, in his own time. Likewise, God grants our every petition in his own way, not necessarily in the way we expect. Often, we ask God for what we want, and he gives us what we need. For “what father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for fish?”I once came across this lovely prayer which is commonly attributed to an unknown confederate soldier.I asked for strength that I mi...

In today’s gospel, a scribe stands up to test Jesus and asks, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Aware of the scribe’s malicious intent, Jesus throws back the question at him. “You are a scholar of the law, what does it say?” “Love God with all your heart… and your neighbor as yourself.” “Correct, now do it and you will live.”Perhaps embarrassed and wanting to justify himself, the scholar presses on, “And who is my neighbor?”Jesus does not give a direct answer but simply tells a story. A man is travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho and falls in the hands of robbers. He is left on the road, half-naked and half-dead. A priest passes by, sees the victim and passes on the opposite side. Later, a Levite appears in the scene and likewise takes the opposite side.Finally...

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, pillars of the universal Church and founders of the See of Rome. Saint Peter, once a humble fisherman, was chosen by Christ to be the rock upon which the Church was built and became the first Pope, a symbol of stability in the Church. Saint Paul, once a fierce persecutor of Christians, underwent a dramatic conversion and became the Apostle to the Gentiles. He dedicated his life to proclaiming the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles alike, breaking down divisions and striving to unite all believers in Christ. Though vastly different in background and temperament, both were martyred in Rome and are venerated together as faithful disciples of the Lord.As we look around at the troubled state of the world today, with its wars, division...

Corpus ChristiSometime last year, a pastor came to inquire how he could join the Catholic Church. When I asked him the reason why he wanted to become a Catholic, his answer was - the Eucharist.A Baptist pastor for 37 years, he said that every time he read the discourse on the Bread of Life in chapter 6 of John, he became more and more convinced that Jesus truly meant his words, “I am the Bread of life… the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world… unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” (Our Protestant brethren maintain that Jesus did not mean these words literally but only symbolically.)The pastor’s conviction eventually turned into a deep desire and hunger for the Eucharist. He would secretly sneak ...