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Category: AUTHORS

  • Return to the Heart

    Return to the Heart

    February 18, 2026 – Ash Wednesday

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021826.cfm)

    Many of us today could have become busy fixing our outward life. For many young people, we fix our social media posts. We fix our appearance before going out. We fix our schedules, our plans, and our budgets. This means, there is a desire in us that we want everything to look okay in the outside. Yet sometimes, in the middle of all these, we forget to check what is happening inside our hearts.

    And so on this Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Season of Lent, we ask, “How is your heart?” To discern on this, let us explore our readings and their invitations.

    In the first reading, the prophet Joel spoke in a very strong but loving way, “Return to me with your whole heart.” Not just with rituals, not just with external actions, but with the heart. The people during Joel’s time were doing religious practices, but their lives were far from God. So the Lord tells them, “Rend your hearts, not your garments.” In other words, do not just show repentance outside. Let your heart truly turn back to God.

    This is also the message of the Gospel today. Jesus warns us not to practice our faith just to be seen by others. Jesus mentions three important practices: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These are the pillars of Lent. But Jesus says, do them quietly, sincerely, and from the heart. Because Lent is not about impressing people. Lent is about coming closer to God.

    For us Filipino Catholics, this message is very real. We are a religious people. We attend Mass, we join processions, we observe traditions. These are beautiful expressions of faith. But Lent invites us to go deeper. Not only devotion outside, but conversion inside.

    So, first, Prayer. Prayer is not only about asking God for what we need. Prayer is relationship. It is being aware that God is present in our daily life even at home, at work, in our struggles, and in our worries about the future.

    Sometimes we think prayer should have many words. But the Gospel reminds us, “go to your room, close the door, and be with your Father.” This means that even a few minutes of silence each day by just sitting quietly and telling God, “Lord, I am here” can already change the heart. When we become aware of God, we also become aware of ourselves including our weaknesses, our fears, our need for His mercy. Thus, prayer humbles us and brings us closer to the Lord.

    Second, Fasting and Abstinence. Many think fasting is only about not eating meat or skipping meals. However, fasting is deeper than that because it is about freedom. So, we ask, “What are the habits, attitudes, or distractions that keep me away from God and from others?”

    Maybe it is too much time on the phone. Maybe it is anger that we hold in our heart. Maybe it is gossip, pride, or laziness. Lent asks us now, “What do I need to let go so that my heart becomes lighter and freer?”

    This means that when we fast from something that controls us, we make space for God. We also become more patient, more understanding, more available to our family and to others.

    Third, Almsgiving. If prayer makes us aware of God, and fasting makes us free, then almsgiving makes us life-giving. Almsgiving is not only about giving coins to the poor. It is about giving ourselves.

    In our situation today, many people carry hidden burdens. We have financial problems, family struggles, loneliness, sickness, anxiety. Almsgiving can be our time, our presence, our listening ear, our encouragement. Sometimes what people need most is not money, but someone who will understand and care.

    This Lent, we can ask: What can I give from my heart? My time? My attention? My forgiveness? My patience?

    When we give ourselves, we begin to see the real faces of our brothers and sisters. And in them, we encounter God.

    Now, the ashes we receive today remind us that life is fragile and temporary. But more than that, they remind us of hope. Because our God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, rich in kindness.”

    And so, in this Lent, let us keep it simple but sincere:
    Pray more so that we become aware of God. Fast with purpose so that we will be free. Give generously so that we will be a gift.

    As we live these from the heart, this season will not just change our practices. It will change our lives. And hopefully, as we grow closer to God, we also become closer, kinder, and more available to others. Hinaut pa.

  • Choosing Life, Becoming Light

    Choosing Life, Becoming Light

    February 15, 2026 – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021526.cfm)

    What keeps you going? What makes you wake up every morning? Your answers will surely vary. For some, it is their family. For others, it is their children’s future, their work, their dreams, or simply the hope that tomorrow will be better than today.

    And yet, if we listen carefully to the stories of many, we also hear fatigue. Many are tired of stretching a small income to meet rising prices. Many are anxious about job security, about the future, about the kind of country their children will inherit. Some continue to work hard even when appreciation is little. Others carry silent battles. We have family problems, loneliness, disappointment, or the fear that their efforts may not be enough.

    In the midst of these realities, a deeper question slowly emerges in the heart. What truly gives meaning to my life? What really brings life to me?

    This Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time invites us to reflect that indeed, life becomes full and meaningful when we freely choose God and choose love. And through these daily choices, we allow ourselves to choose life and become a light for others. Now, let us discern our readings.

    The first reading from the Book of Sirach speaks with clarity and honesty. It tells us that God has placed before us a choice like fire and water, life and death, good and evil. And the important thing is this, God does not force us. God respects our freedom. Hence, the commandments of God are not chains that limit our happiness. The laws are guides that lead us to the fullness of life.

    Sometimes, we may think that God’s commandments restrict us. And so we could feel that following what is right is difficult, and that honesty is costly, that integrity slows us down in a competitive world. However, Sirach reminds us that every choice we make shapes our life and the lives of others. When we choose selfishness, dishonesty, anger, or indifference, relationships break and trust weakens. But when we choose truth, compassion, fairness, and responsibility, life becomes deeper and more meaningful.

    Sirach also speaks about the “fear of the Lord.” This is not fear of punishment. It is the fear of losing what truly matters. This is the fear of being separated from God’s grace, from love, and from the fullness of life that only God can give.

    Moreover, Saint Paul continues this reflection in the second reading. He tells the Corinthians that the wisdom of God is different from the wisdom of the world. The world measures success through wealth, influence, power, and recognition. But the wisdom of God is revealed in Christ. This is manifested in a life of humility, service, sacrifice, and love.

    Paul reminds us that this wisdom is revealed through the Spirit. When we allow God to guide our decisions, our work, our relationships, our plans, then, our lives begin to reflect a different kind of strength. The question is no longer, What will benefit me the most? but rather, What is right? What gives life? What serves others?

    This brings us to the Gospel.

    Jesus says, “I have come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it.” For many religious leaders of His time, the law had become a set of rules to follow externally. Religion had become compliance without conversion. But Jesus brings the law back to its heart. The law is not about legal perfection. It is rather about relationship with God and with one another.

    When the heart is missing, then, religion becomes routine. One can pray, attend Mass, and observe traditions, and yet still live without compassion, honesty, integrity or mercy. Jesus reminds us now that the fulfillment of God’s law is love lived in concrete ways.

    Now, in our present social situation, our country does not lack intelligent people. We have many talented, skilled, and capable individuals. But what our society urgently needs are people of conscience. People who will remain honest even when corruption is common. People who will choose fairness even when shortcuts are easier. People who will show compassion in a culture that is becoming easily harsh and judgmental.

    This means that the crisis of our time is not only economic or political. It is also moral and relational. This is how we realize that trust is fragile and our words easily wound. And so, indifference has become normal. This is why the Lord’s invitation today is urgent: Choose life. Choose what builds. Choose what heals.

    Because every time we choose truth over convenience, we give life. Every time we choose kindness over anger, we too give life. Every time we choose integrity over personal gain, we become witnesses to the wisdom of God.

    The question we must bring home today is this: What truly motivates my life?

    If what drives us is approval, success, comfort, or comparison, we will always feel anxious and never be satisfied. But if what moves us is our relationship with God and our desire to bring life to others, even simple and ordinary days will feel meaningful.

    Choosing God is not one big decision made once in a lifetime. It is a daily choice made in our small moments, silent struggles, and ordinary situations.

    So let me leave you with two simple and concrete takeaways:

    First: Each day, before making an important decision, pause and ask yourself: Will this choice give life to me and to others? Choose what builds and not what harms.

    Second: Do one silent act of goodness by helping someone, listening patiently, forgiving, or choosing honesty even when no one is watching. These small choices shape our becoming as a reflection of the light.

    Thus, when we choose God, we too choose life.  And through our simple but faithful choices, we do not only live well, we too help others live as well. Hinaut pa.

  • SPIRITED

    SPIRITED

    February 15, 2026 – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021526.cfm)

    “Do you believe in chain letters? or nowadays we may call it as Copy-Paste & Post OR-ELSE…. Facebook, Messenger, or Twitter posts?”

    At times, I have been asked about this, & I find myself giving the same answer. I say: “In general, I don’t trust anything that offers promises or threats, IF (meaning, with conditions) you do or don’t this or that, with the usual addendum “Or Else…”. In my book, deserved gifts are called prizes or salary, but underserved gifts are called Grace and Blessings. God’s grace is not something we do to God, but what God does to us. Just try to be the better Christian, as you choose and can be, not as what others (in chain letters, posts, or messages) want you to be.”

    For the past Sundays, we have been hearing about the public ministry of Jesus where he proclaims to us the Good News of God’s salvation. In his preaching, Jesus basically calls us to change our ways for God is with us (Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand). He then in Beatitudes makes known to us how blessed are the meek, humble, merciful, and righteous, because they are faithful enough to welcome God’s blessings into our lives (Blessed are you…). He also reminds us that much as we are blessed, we are also a blessing to others (You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world). Wow, what a gospel – a GOOD NEWS indeed to us!

    In a nutshell, we need to change our life since we are already and always blessed and a blessing to others because we believe that God is with us and his Kingdom is at hand. This is the very core message of Jesus ever since and until now as being always proclaimed to us and by us, His Church.

    After always hearing, reflecting, and knowing Jesus’ good news of God’s salvation, what then for us now?

    Somehow, we wonder as to HOW to gratefully respond to and live out such great blessings into our lives. We ponder on HOW can we remain, endure, and persevere in living with Jesus’ gospel in our day to day living. Like, what are we to do now to respond and be converted and practice His gospel into our lives? And surely for Jesus, it is not enough just to keep the Torah or observing the Ten Commandments or the law of Moses.

    In our gospel today, we hear the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus wherein he directs us how to live in the good news of God’s salvation. By reviewing and commenting on the Torah, which is the Jewish standard of righteousness, Jesus reorients people that there is far more better in His message of God’s salvation than just observing the Law of Moses. He reiterates that God’s kingdom is more than just the practice of not killing, not committing adultery, and not making false promises. God’s kingdom is more so and above all about respecting life, reverence for people’s union – making marriage sacred, and living life with integrity before God & others.

    For Jesus then, to live in His blessing of God’s salvation is not a matter of just practicing and observing but more so fulfilling the Law of Moses. Here Jesus is upgrading the Jewish Law of Moses into His message and mission of teaching, preaching, sharing, and witnessing the values of God’s Kingdom in our lives – An Upgrade from Torah to the Spirit of Jesus.

    Important here is the consistency between our being and our doing – our person & action now as Christian. In a way, Jesus is teaching us that our actions must now reflect our being as blessed and blessing people.

    In other words, be and become consistent with who you are now with what you do, as well as, do what you are supposed to be as Christian. Meaning, far beyond the practice (living out) the values of God’s Kingdom, there must be a Spirituality. For Spirituality is the “because I am” of the “why’s in life, i.e. “Why I do this or do that?” “Because I am…”. Spirituality is thus the spirit of the person behind the action – the meaning behind the practice.

    What matters is not just about the practice but also the spirit behind the practice and action – not only about what we do but why we do it, knowing that ours is a grateful response in thanksgiving to what God does and doing to us, and not like chain-letters, what we may do as bribe or payment for His graces.

    Perhaps you may reflect these days about your Spirituality. Ask yourself: “Why you do what you do?” Be in touch with the meaning and spirit behind your behaviors & actions. Pray that you be a better blessed and blessing Christian you choose and can be, not as others may want you to be. Pray also that our actions be a response in thanksgiving to what God does and is doing to us, rather than as what we do to Him to gain His favor.

    May we live in the spirit of the commandment with our Lord Jesus now & always.

    So May It Be. Hinaut pa unta. Amen.

  • Influencers

    Influencers

    February 8, 2026 – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020826.cfm)

    Weeks after ordination, four newly-ordained priests were summoned by the bishop for a meeting in his house. As they have settled down in his office, the bishop addressed them: “Young fathers, humor me with some experiment. I have here some piece of stone, cotton, clay and sugar. I want you to choose one of these things and place them on a glass of water before you.” And so they did as instructed by the bishop. Then the bishop said: “Before I will announce to you your new assignment, I want you to learn something from this little experiment we did. Consider the glass of water as your new assignment and consider the kind of priest will you be in your new assigned parish community.

    You can be a stone who does nothing except to be a  new added member in the parish. You don’t influence the parish and the parish does not influence you. You can also be a cotton who easily adjust in the parish but eventually reduced and diminished the parishioners because you centralized everything to yourself. Everything in parish life is now about you, and not about them. You can also be a clay who slowly adjust to the parish, but eventually create disorder, problems, tensions and a lot of stress within, thus becoming a negative influence to the parishioners.

    However, you can also be a sugar who slowly adjust and selflessly dissolve at the background into parish life – sharing positive influence and energy to make the parish sweet, and change it for the better. 

    In life, we do encounter different kinds of leaders in our community. Like the little experiment, we may have categorized our leaders as the stony heartless leaders who does not care at all, or as the Selfish cotton “Me first” leaders who depletes our energy, or as the evil clay tormentor leaders who sow chaos in life, or as the selfless sugar influencing leaders who encourage and inspire us in life.

    And definitely we prefer and expect our leaders to be selfless sugar influencers who have been a blessing to us for they motivate and empower us to be responsible members and change our lives for the better. We also dislike and avoid the stony-heartless, the selfish cotton “me-first” and the evil clay tormentor leaders for they make our family & community life heavy and miserable. 

    We hear Jesus in our gospel today saying: “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.” From these words, surely Jesus like us, would also want and expect our leaders to be selfless influencers, who leads us by their words and example. However His words are not only addressed to our leaders but also to ourselves, His followers, as light of the world & salt of the earth.

    When Jesus declares to us today that “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world”, He proclaims to our very selves that with Him, we are not only already blessed but we are also God’s blessings to others. This means that as Christian, we are and we should be a blessing and a selfless influencing leader to others – to be light of the world, salt of the earth, and sugar within the family & community.

    Inasmuch as we have been blessed by the inspiration and witness of our selfless influencing leaders, we should also be selfless influencing Christian witness to others within our community. As we have been blessed by God and others, You and I, We as His followers are also and should be then God’s gift and blessings to others within our Christian community – as salt of the earth & the light of the world.

    Consider then that one thing salt & light in common is that they both make a difference wherever they are – and so we should be as followers of Christ. Christians are not only called to blend into the world, but rather make a difference in the world with our Christian values, good works & examples. We must strive to make a positive & life-giving influence & difference in our world by our witness of our Christian faith-life.

    Perhaps then this month, remember the Christians who have been light and salt in your life – who greatly and selflessly influence your growth and formation as  better Christian person. Consider how they have been a blessing to you. Thank God for these Christian witnesses for through them you are blessed. 

    Be reminded also of the people for whom you are trying to be light and salt in life – people under your care, direction and leadership. Consider  how you have been trying to influence & be a blessing  to them as followers of Christ. Pray to God for guidance and courage to be selfless influencing mentors to these people. 

    As a famous theologian, Hans Urs von Balthazar, once said: “What you are is God’s gift to you. What you become in life is your gift to God”. So, BE God’s gift and blessing to others, as much as you have been blessed by God and others.

    Amidst a life that can be dark, broken and tasteless, BE a responsible Christian influencer – a worthy witness to be today’s salt of the earth & light of the world : a sugar in our church now & always.

    So may it be. Siya Nawa. Hinaut pa unta. Amen.

  • FAITHFUL

    FAITHFUL

    February 1, 2026 – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020126.cfm)

    Every first of November we commemorate & honor All Saints of our Christian lives, regardless of their status within the church – whether they are canonized, blessed, recognized or not. But we now beg the question: “What makes a saint a saint?”

    St. Teresa of Calcutta a.k.a Mother Teresa, a modern-day saint known for her charitable works, once said: “God does not demand that I be successful. God demands  rather that I be faithful in life. When facing God, results are not important. Faithfulness then is what is important.”

    Same could also be said of us Christians & our saints. God did not choose us to be successful but rather to be faithful in life. Our Christian calling then is for us to be faithful in this life, rather than to be successful. Regardless how successful or failure our life has been, what is important is our fidelity rather than our accomplishments. Our faith  rather than success is thus expected of us, as faithful Christians. And so, because of their faithfulness with Christ, our saints are blessed, and faithfuls are sainted because they are blessed by God

    This is greatly expressed by Jesus in our gospel today. In the Beatitudes, Jesus lauded those who have been faithful to God rather successful in life. Saintly, righteous, holy and worthy are then those who are blessed by God to be faithful of Him in life.

    As implied in our readings today, our saints are the survivors of the great distress & persecutions, the seekers who longs to see God’s face, God’s children who knows God personally & above all, the faithful people who are chosen & blessed by God, – not wise, noble, powerful & strong in the worldly standard they may be.

    Remember that in response to the crisis-situations the disciples were in, (whether on a stormy sea or failed-healing attempts), Jesus rather challenged them instead: “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” – “Let not your heart’s be trouble. Have faith in God. Have faith in Me”. Thus, in whatever situations we are in – whether in normal or crisis situations, Jesus only requires of us our faith in God and in Him.

    However, God’s grace is wasted without us trusting & abiding with it – without our faith. Better things may also happen in life, though… as long as with God’s grace & our  faith. Again, Christian life is all about our deep faith and trust in Him rather than our triumphs in life.

    We are called & chosen to faithfulness rather than be successful in the worldly standard of  life, for as Jesus said “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

    Here in this mass, we honor & thank the Lord of the witness of saintly simple Christian faithfuls who have also greatly influenced our Christian faith here, now & always. As with Mary, our Mother of Perpetual Help, may their faithfulness to God & in Christ Jesus remain a living example for us to live by now & always.

    So May It be. Amen.