Pentecost Sunday marks the 50th day after Easter Sunday. It is a big feast for our Church, for our Christian community, for the people of God because it is our seal of quality and authenticity.
A few nights ago, I was having dinner with a dear friend and his family. A “dominant theme” in the conversation was making a difference in a person’s life. We all agreed that this was one of the most meaningful things one can do in life.
The Society of Jesus (SJ) or the Jesuits have been thrust into the limelight anew with the election of Pope Francis, a former Jesuit. As most people would know or wonder, this was unlikely to happen.
This Palm Sunday, I thought I would share some points for prayer this Holy Week. The overarching theme I propose is the New Evangelization that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI called for as we celebrate the Year of Faith from October 2012 to November 2013.
When news of the new Pope broke out in the early morning of Thursday, it was greeted with much joy and hope.
TODAY, Sunday, is also known as “the Sunday of the Five Loaves,” from the traditional Gospel reading for the day. Before the adoption of the modern “common” lectionaries, the Gospel reading for today in the Lutheran, Anglican, Roman Catholic, Western-rite Orthodox and Old Catholic churches is the story of the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
In the evening of Oct. 4, 2002, several dining tables and bedrooms in Linden Suites in Ortigas were filled with frames with this line, “One chance!” This was the night before game three of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ men’s basketball championship. It was in Linden Suites where the Ateneo de Manila UAAP men’s basketball team was quartered for the championship series.
When I conduct leadership seminars, one exercise I sometimes use is to ask what the participants think are the three important things for a leader to do when he/she assumes an office of leadership.
Once, a five-year-old kid asked me what “cool” meant. I said “cool” is someone who is always pleasant; someone who is good and calm, not easily upset or disturbed by what’s going on around him even if it is palpak. Then she said, “God is cool!”
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) Today is Gaudete Sunday, one of two Sundays in the liturgical year when the priest wears rose-colored vestments. (The other Sunday is the third Sunday of Lent.)
This Sunday’s Gospel is an interesting one, considering that it goes to great pains to establish the historical fact of the person, life and work of John the Baptist. Take note that the first half of the Gospel establishes this historicity of John the Baptist—the Roman bosses, then the Palestinian leaders and finally the Jewish religious authorities are named in succession. This is to drive home the point that John was for real!
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