Reflection – A DOSE OF GOD TODAY

Sacrament: Love made visible

Have you been in love? I am sure that you have been in love too. The first time I realized that I was in love, it made me restless until I could have a glimpse of her. I realized that my attitude towards her had changed. I suddenly became more caring and thoughtful towards her. Though that puppy love did not last as it was based on emotional and physical attraction only, but that gave me a bit of understanding how love can change a person’s behavior…

Moreover, our Christian understanding of Love is much deeper than that. It is beyond romantic love, beyond physical attraction or emotional attachment. It is more concrete than those. If you have been listening to the prayer earlier, what we have prayed described “who love is.” Notice, I did not say, “what love is,” but “who love is.” Meaning, love is a person who concretely showed to the beloved that love. Yes, love is a person, God’s self-revelation is love and made visible through Jesus. What I prayed and shared with you in that opening prayer is the story of love being revealed to us, in our human history. It’s love that creates, that liberates, gives life and gives hope.

This is what sacrament is. This is what I want to share with yo, to always remember that the sacraments in our Church are concrete expressions of Love, expressions where the grace of love, of loving and of being loved made visible. Thus, Sacraments are expressions of love made visible.
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CONTINUING CHALLENGE TO RENEW THE CHURCH

A REVIEW: A VISION OF A CHURCH RENEWED, Living The Ecclesiology of Vatican II and PCP II Fr. Amado L. Picardal CSsR, Claretian Publications, Foundation Inc., 2022 Amidst the disturbing news that the highly esteemed Holy Father, Pope Francis’s health is deteriorating (most of his photos these days show him seated in a wheelchair andContinue reading CONTINUING CHALLENGE TO RENEW THE CHURCH

WRITING MINDANAO, RIGHTING MINDANAO – ONCE MORE WITH FEELING!

A SOJOURNER’S VIEW by Karl M. Gaspar CSsR It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season ofContinue reading WRITING MINDANAO, RIGHTING MINDANAO – ONCE MORE WITH FEELING!

Serve Ta: On Being an OMPH Parishioner-Redemptorist

Daily gazing at the backdrop of the great Mt. Apo, I remember, growing as a kid in Buhangin, I cannot help but wonder about the world beyond out there. From a protective and less-involved but regular church-goer family (of seafarer father), world-out-there, life-beyond family & school was made known to me with a simple invitation: “SERVE Ta”.Continue reading Serve Ta: On Being an OMPH Parishioner-Redemptorist

My ASSIGNMENT AS DAVAO PARISH PRIEST: “Galloping Around the Barrios” 2002-2004

After having been unexpectedly and abruptly transferred to join the mission team in Tacloban, I was given another unexpected and sudden assignment as parish-priest of our parish in Davao. Again this was a change in venue and type of apostolate I was totally unprepared for. On top of this, it happened in the middle ofContinue reading My ASSIGNMENT AS DAVAO PARISH PRIEST: “Galloping Around the Barrios” 2002-2004

OMPH DAVAO PARISH GIFTED WITH BULAWANONG GASA

Fifty years ago in June of 1972, the Our Mother of Perpetual Help parish under the administration of the Redemptorist Missionaries was founded. These were the circumstances leading to this historic event (as quoted in the 50th anniversary commemorative publication). “ It was not until the early 1970s when the idea of a Redemptorist parishContinue reading OMPH DAVAO PARISH GIFTED WITH BULAWANONG GASA

The Rise of Decolonial Theology in the Philippines to Promote Climate Justice

Today the Philippines is third in the list of countries with the most number of Catholics. Of a total of 105 million people, 89% are affiliated to the Roman Catholic Church in terms of their faith. To include those among Protestant denominations, there would be 93% of the entire population who are Christians. The rest would be Muslims and those who continue to adhere to their indigenous faith tradition and a sprinkling of Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs. Continue reading The Rise of Decolonial Theology in the Philippines to Promote Climate Justice

THE ASCENSION AND LEAVE-TAKING

Three days that remain between the Ascension Feast and Pentecost Sunday. Before the curtain falls on the Ascension, we still linger on the drama of Jesus leave-taking, waving his last benediction before ascending to heaven. It is not difficult to imagine what the disciples must have felt then. It did not matter to them thenContinue reading THE ASCENSION AND LEAVE-TAKING

SOWING THE SEEDS OF BEC AND THE POSTULANCY PROGRAM

It was in the summer of 1972 when the Ordinary Council assigned me to Dumaguete as assistant in our Perpetual Help parish after returning from a year’s post-graduate course in Chicago. This short stint was an experience I welcomed, a change to active pastoral ministry after ten unbroken years as teacher and director in ourContinue reading SOWING THE SEEDS OF BEC AND THE POSTULANCY PROGRAM

FOUR FOR THE ROAD

This is a reflection of Fr. Ramon Fruto, CSsR – He is currently based in Iloilo City and the Director of St. Clements’ Retreat House. “ Recall your ‘shrines’” was an exercise given us in a joint seminar on “elderhood” for us who belong to the senior and the golden age generations. To the outsider,Continue reading FOUR FOR THE ROAD