Opinion

The first reading taken from the Book of Nehemiah is probably one of the most poignant stories in the Old Testament. After fifty years of captivity in Babylon, a portion of the Jewish people returned to Jerusalem. Finding their beloved city in utter ruin, they started the long and difficult work of its reconstruction. When they had finally finished rebuilding the temple and the city walls, the priest, Ezra, gathered the people, men, women, and those children old enough to understand. He read out to them the Book of the Law from morning till noon, and they all listened attentively. As they heard the words of the law, everyone wept. Ezra then blessed the people, who responded, “Amen, amen!” and they prostrated themselves to the ground before the Lord.How much they must have missed the To...

Once I had a lively discussion with our priests on IVF (in vitro fertilization) or test tube babies, its risks and moral implications. Considering its prohibitive cost and the ethical exigencies, I thought that the possibility of such reproductive technology was remote only to learn that it is being practiced here already.“But why resort to such controversial and dangerous means, when a childless couple can adopt a child?” I asked.Many volunteered an answer or two. The couple would prefer to have a child of their own genes and DNA… Besides, there are many biases against adopted children. What if they are born from rape or from some problematic parents, etc.?“But are we not all adopted children ourselves?” I countered.We are all children of Adam and Eve, our dysfunctional pa...

The story of the Magi is among the best loved stories of all time. We commonly refer to them as the Three Kings who came from the East to pay homage to the newborn Messiah in Bethlehem. It is not certain however if they were actually three, or even kings at all. The idea came about because Matthew tells us in his gospel that they offered the Child three gifts, befitting a king: gold, frankincense and myrrh.Through the years, many stories have been written, which draw inspiration from the inexhaustible richness of the original Christmas story. One such story is the legend of Artaban, which I always loved listening to as a boy.The story goes that Artaban was supposed to be the fourth wise man to travel with the other three to Jerusalem in search of “the newborn King of the Jews.” Unf...

        God was good in 2024 and He will be good in 2025. He alone is worthy of our daily praise and service.  Everything we do or think should be for His honor and glory (Col 3:17).  Through a cooperative services/ministry we reached people in the Philippines and USA in 2024. Together we impacted the souls of our fellow human beings, warriors, and families not only during our lifetime but for eternity.  Many came to know God personally in their hearts. Others returned and started worshipping God on regular basis. Broken relationships were mended. Prayers were answered. God healed many from their sickness. A handful few followed the LORD in baptism. Sadly, we lost family members (my sister Linda Lewis Hayward) and friends. They were...

Every Sunday after Christmas, the Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Family. And fittingly so because God entered our world and became one of us by way of the family. In the same manner, God also enters our life by way of our family.It is in our family where we first come to know God. From our parents and grandparents we learn our prayers and catechism. Above all, it is in our family that we experience God in the love we receive and give each other.Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Beleaguered by worldly concerns and burdened with all sorts of problems, many families lose sight of their reason for being.They say that we can choose our friends but not our family. Our family is a given. It is given to us by God as a gift and a responsibility.As we celebrate the...

Chaplain Manuel A. Biadog Jr. with his granddaughter Pollyanna following the Christmas Eve service in Port Orchard, WA.*Cindy Gore photoThe real meaning of ChristmasChristmas is all about Jesus Christ, God’s greatest gift to humankind. Christmas celebration comes every year. The followers of Jesus observe the true meaning of Christmas because this blessed holiday offers a wonderful message. The Bible records the Good News of the birth of the Savior. The word "Immanuel" in Hebrew means, "God is with us" (Matthew 1:23 NLT). He, who resided in Heaven, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, willingly descended into our world. He did not come to frighten us, but to show us the way to warmth and safety. He breathed our air, felt our pain, knew our sorrows, and died for...

Last October our diocese celebrated our Third Diocesan Pastoral Assembly (DPA3) which was a singular experience of synodality. As one diocese, we gathered together - bishop, priests, religious, and lay faithful (representatives from all our parishes and chaplaincies) - to draw up our diocesan pastoral plan.The diocese holds a pastoral assembly every five years. Preceded by months of preparation and consultation at the parish level, the diocesan pastoral assembly assesses the previous 5-year pastoral plan, revisits its vision-mission statement, formulates its priority objectives, etc.But unlike any ordinary corporate strategic planning, our diocesan assembly’s primary task is one of discernment. More than creating our plan for our diocese, we seek to discover God’s own plan for our ...

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice.” Our entrance antiphon on this third Sunday of Advent sets the mood of our Eucharistic celebration. From the color of the candle and the vestments (a lighter shade of purple or pink) to the prayers and the readings, the whole liturgy is bursting with an uncontainable joy and anticipation. The reason is because “the Lord is near” (second reading), so near as to be actually “in your midst.” (first reading)Today’s liturgy and the readings, in particular, remind me of the story of St. Dominic Savio. When he heard Don Bosco preach in one of his homilies that God’s will for everyone is to be holy, the young student resolved there and then to become a saint. Since then, he changed from a lively typical teenager to a serious loner. He stopped...

Last month, I had the fortune of visiting Timor Leste after so many years. I was happily surprised to see the fast growth and development of Dili, its capital, into a highly urbanized city. I was particularly amazed at the world class streets and avenues which were built in just a few months to be ready for the Pope’s coming in September. My guide told me how he wished the Holy Father had extended his visit to Fuiloro, his hometown in the mountains, so that their roads too, (built since the Portuguese and Indonesian regimes) would be rehabilitated.Like the Filipinos, the Timorese are known for their proverbial hospitality. They treat their visitors warmly and make sure that they are comfortable even at the cost of their own comfort. Thus, despite being a young nation with a struggling ...

Today we start the season of advent. Advent means coming which obviously refers to the coming of Christ. Advent prepares us not only for the celebration of Christmas but for the coming of Christ in general.There are three comings of Christ of which today’s liturgical readings speak. There is the coming of Christ in history which Jeremiah prophesies in the first reading. There is the coming of Christ in our life here and now of which Paul reminds us in the second reading. And there is the third coming of Christ in an unknown future, which Jesus himself describes in the gospel.Advent is a season of joy as it looks forward to the fulfilment of God’s long promise of a Savior who is no less than his own Son. Unfortunately, the use of the apocalyptic language in describing the signs of C...