God’s Love in the Family

The feast that we celebrate today, which belongs fully to the Christmas cycle, is an invitation to look towards Nazareth and contemplate the life of the family of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. In this family the fragile Jesus who was born in the manger, submitted to the advice and teachings of his mother and showed…

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She kept silent and treasured all these things in her heart

There was this one time, a few weeks right after I arrived in the missions in Panamá, where I was the only one left in our parish. My two other companions were not around because they had to do attend to other commitments. A middle-aged woman probably in her late fifties suddenly came knocking on…

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My Christmas “yes”

 I just can’t imagine how festive the atmosphere right now knowing that we are already on the 4th and the last Sunday of Advent which coincides with the last day of “Simbang Gabi” and that finally the long wait is over!

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The Nativity of Christ (Christmas Day)

Readings: Is 52:7-10; Ps 98:1,2-3,3-4,5-6; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-14 “COME.” This has been our cry while hopefully waiting for our Savior Jesus Christ. This prayerful supplication is a confession of a wounded race that is incapable of coming closer to God without God himself extending his hands. At the same time, it is our confession…

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John means “God’s gift”

The first time I realized that the name JOHN is an abbreviated expression that means “Gift of God,” I was really filled with amazement. For Zachariah and Elizabeth who was barren all their lives, the baby named John was indeed a great gift, a blessing from God.

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7th Sunday of Simbang Gabi (Dec. 22, 2017)

Noong nasa elementarya pa ako lagi kung naririnig sa mga matatanda na ang mapagkumbaba ay pinagpapala. Tulad ni Maria ang kanyang kababaang loob ang nagtulak sa kanya na  tanggapin ang misyon na iniatas ng Diyos sa kanya na maging Ina ng Diyos at siya ay biniyayaan.

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“Greatly Troubled”

“[Mary] was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.”

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4th Day of Simbang Gabi (Dec. 19, 2017)

Readings: Jgs 13:2-7; 24-25 Luke 1:5-25 The Text 5In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the…

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