I just love this first reading for this Sunday’s mass. It is the story of Ahaz, King of Judea, whose Kingdom is about to be attacked by Syria and Israel. Isaiah tells the king to ask Yahweh for a sign to show His faithfulness to Israel. What we do not know is that Ahaz was about to make an alliance with Assyria; and so when Isaiah visits him to ask for a sign, he’s really asking Ahaz to trust Yahweh and not human alliances like the one with Assyria.
Speechless
Several weeks ago, I got a call from two of my former students. Their dad died suddenly catching everyone by surprise. They flew in from Cebu early morning. I met them at the hospital and was there during the whole ordeal. This was what I wrote while all this was happening. I've always had some difficulty in front of pain and suffering. This was my way of expressing the frustration as well as the respect that I feel every time I face death.
Bread and Fish
When I was a Jesuit and assigned to the Ateneo Christian Life Community in Ateneo de Manila, I directed a first year college student named Robbie Paraan for his first 5 Day Retreat. We became good friends afterwards. He eventually became OAC (Over All Coordinator/President) of the organization, graduated from college, and worked in HSBC.
An Ode to the Humanity of Heroes
In my highschool back in Cagayan de Oro, there is an award called the Xavier Award. The Xavier Award is given to someone who is able to embody in himself the values that Xavier University High School (also known as Ateneo de Cagayan) stands for.
Love Always Wins
My friends Mikki and Iris got married last Saturday. It was a beautiful wedding full of laughter and a lot of tears (most of it from Mikki). I had the privilege of giving the toast along with Iris' sister. The original plan was for me to give the homily and years ago, in a retreat, I made the homily already. But things happened and that first wedding did not push through (THAT is a story that can be made into a soap opera) and I left the Society.
prayersofapilgrim.com 