One of the hardest things to swallow in the Gospels is the teaching about turning the other cheek. In Matthew 5:39 Jesus says, “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” A mind-blowing concept indeed. Is he serious? … Continue reading Turning the Other Cheek
The Son Who Stayed
I wrote a prayer from the perspective of the Prodigal Son in my previous post. This is a reflection from the perspective of the Elder Son, the one who stayed behind to be his father’s heir. What things in your life right now do you do only for the sake of responsibility? How has your … Continue reading The Son Who Stayed
Prayer of the Prodigal Son
This was something I wrote just before I left the Jesuits. It’s a very special poem for me, not only because of the things I went through when I was writing the poem, but because in many ways, it is something that continues to be true for me today. We journey through life thinking that … Continue reading Prayer of the Prodigal Son
Chora Makra: A Contemplation on Emptiness
Those translations do not capture the beauty of the original Greek. In the Greek version, the distant country/ the malayong lupain is Chora Makra. Chora Makra means the ‘the Great Emptiness’. The son did not just go to a ‘distant country’, he went to a place of seeming no return. We have a similar word in Filipino to describe someone who has separated himself from the rest of the world and acts as if he has nothing to lose: NAGWALA. Nagwala ang anak.
Lost
For crying out loud, it was just one sheep, one sheep that was lost. And the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and goes all out in search of that one sheep? The Lord says, “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and … Continue reading Lost
The Son Who Stayed
by Eric Santillan One of the most iconic stories of the bible is that of the Prodigal Son. I've written a poem from the perspective of the younger son before. This is a reflection on the story from the perspective of the Elder Son, the one who stayed behind to be his father's heir. May … Continue reading The Son Who Stayed
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