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Category: AUTHORS

  • On the Road to Recognizing Jesus

    On the Road to Recognizing Jesus

    April 19, 2026 – Third Sunday of Easter

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041926.cfm)

    Nanay Tequia was an old woman I met in one of the remote communities I was assigned before. Her husband had already died, her children were far away, and she was living alone in a small hut. One afternoon, while we were talking, she quietly told me, “Father, there are days when I feel like God is far away. I still pray, but I do not feel anything. I still go to church, but I feel empty.”

    Her words were painful because they were honest. Deep in her heart, what she truly desired was not money, not comfort, not even the return of the many things she had already lost. What she desired most was to know that God was still with her, that her life still had meaning, and that she was not alone.

    And perhaps this is also true for many of us. We too desire many things in life. We desire good health, stable work, success, a peaceful family, faithful relationships, and a better future. Yet, beneath all these desires is one deeper longing. This is the desire for God, the desire to know that our life still has meaning, that we are loved, not alone and not abandoned.

    This is exactly what we find in the Gospel today. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus also had their own desires. They desired to follow Jesus. They desired a better future. They desired to see the Kingdom of God. And they believed that Jesus was the answer to all these hopes.

    But then, Jesus was crucified. The one they trusted had died. The one they followed was gone. Everything they hoped for seemed destroyed. That is why they were leaving Jerusalem. Their journey to Emmaus was not just a physical journey. It was also a journey away from pain, disappointment, confusion, and grief. It was an act of isolating themselves from what was painful and shameful.

    Yet even as they walked away, they could not stop talking about Jesus. Why? Because deep in their hearts, they were still searching. They still wanted to understand. They still wanted meaning. They still desired God, even if they themselves did not realize it.

    Many times, we too are like those two disciples. There are moments when life disappoints us. We experience family problems, sickness, financial struggles, broken relationships, failures, or the death of someone we love. And because of these painful experiences, we sometimes feel that God is absent. We continue praying, but we feel empty. We continue going to church, but we feel nothing.

    This was exactly what Nanay Tequia was feeling. But after a while, she added something beautiful as well. She said, “Yet when people visit me, when somebody remembers me, when someone sits down and listens to me, I realize that maybe God was never really far away.”

    That is the turning point. Because this is also what happened to the disciples. As they walked, a stranger joined them. That stranger was Jesus Himself. He listened to them and allowed them to speak about their pain and confusion. Then, He slowly explained to them the Scriptures and helped them understand what had happened.

    Yet, the Gospel says, “their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.” It was because their hearts were too filled with sorrow and pain. Their minds were clouded by disappointment. They were too focused on what they had lost that they could not yet see that Jesus was already walking beside them.

    Indeed, this also happens to us. Sometimes our pain becomes so heavy that we fail to see the many ways God is already present. We do not recognize Him in the people who help us, in the family members who remain with us, in the friends who listen to us, in the stranger who shows kindness, or in the ordinary blessings of every day.

    It was only when the disciples invited the stranger to stay with them and when He broke the bread that their eyes were opened.

    In the breaking of the bread, they recognized Jesus. And in that moment, everything changed. Their sadness turned into joy. Their confusion turned into purpose. Their fear turned into hope.

    They realized that they were not abandoned. Jesus was certainly alive. He had been with them the whole time. That is why, they immediately returned to Jerusalem to tell others about the resurrection.

    This is also the invitation for us today. When life becomes painful and confusing, do not stop searching for God. Do not walk too far away from Him. Because even when we do not recognize Him, the Lord is already walking beside you. And like Nanay Tequia, we too will one day realize that God was never really far away. Jesus is with us. Hinaut pa.

  • BEWARE

    BEWARE

    April 19, 2026 – Third Sunday of Easter

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041926.cfm)

    Easter proclaims that the Lord has risen. Let us be glad & rejoice. We, Christians proclaim our faith that our Lord Jesus Christ has risen from the death & now is with us present – offering us new life in Him.

    However, we may ask ourselves: “Has the Lord really risen now? Who & where now is the risen Lord? How do we recognize the risen Lord in the midst of our daily lives now?”

    Surely our disciples in our gospel today must have asked the same questions.

    After they have witnessed the death on the cross of their Lord Jesus, they decided to just go “nalang” back home with a heavy heart & question: “Has the Lord truly risen?” Some of them have already seen & testified that the Lord has risen indeed. But these two disciples have some doubts & could not believe what they have heard about it. On the road back home, to their ordinary lives, lo & behold, the risen Lord appeared to them, went with them on the journey, be with them in their grief, sorrow & hopelessness, explained to them the meaning of what they have experienced & experiencing, and stayed with them for dinner.

    From their experience along the road back to Emmaus with the risen Lord, we could have a glimpse as to how we could experience now the risen Lord in our day to day lives.

    First, the Lord joined & walked with them in their journey. Meaning, the risen Lord IS & will be in our normal ordinary day to day life journey, & not so much on big & special events.

    Second, as He joins us in our journey of faith & life, we might not recognize at first the risen Lord with us. He usually comes then to us as a stranger to us. Meaning, we should be open ourselves to the unfamiliar/strange, unusual events in our ordinary life.

    So, whenever we sense something ordinary yet particularly moving, (like, feeling the cold breeze, hearing moving music, loosening up as we see and hear playing children, reminded of some memories, finding yourself talking to a stranger), perhaps the risen Lord is making Himself known to us.

    And above all, the risen Lord appears to people who believe in Him. However strong or weak our faith in God may be, the risen Lord can be recognized in & with the eyes of His faithful with their  faith in Him, most especially whenever we break bread together in  memory of Him in our Holy Eucharist.

    Through these, we may come to realize that the risen Lord reveals Himself to us as we are in our day to day journey of faith & life journey as He wills, not as we want & need Him to be. All we have to do is to be aware of His self-manifestations, understand what it means, and challenge us to respond to the life anew He is offering us here & now.

    And so as we celebrate Easter season, let us be more sensitive & be aware of the presence of our risen Lord in our midst, as we live our ordinary normal day to day lives, open to something new & unfamiliar things to happen, & see & respond to these encounters with Him through the eyes of our Christian faith.

    Again, Easter invites us to brace ourselves for with the risen Lord, there are more Lord encounters to come & happen in our lives ahead for the better. In other words, “Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.” BEWARE for there are more Life to come now & always with our risen Lord.

    So May It Be. Amen.

  • Free Outside, Imprisoned Inside

    Free Outside, Imprisoned Inside

    April 15, 2026 – Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041526.cfm)

    There was once a man who had already finished serving his sentence in prison. The day finally came when he was allowed to leave and return to his family. Everyone expected him to be happy because he was now free. But as he walked out of the prison gate, he quietly told one of the guards, “I am leaving this place, but I feel that the prison is still inside me.”

    Those words are painful, but very true. Because there are many people who are physically free, yet remain imprisoned inside. Some are imprisoned by fear, by guilt, by anger, by jealousy, by the need to control, by the shame of the past, or by the opinions of others. A person may smile outside, work every day, and even appear successful, but deep inside, the heart can remain trapped.

    This imprisonment is what we find in today’s readings. Let us discern about this and find how our hearts can be trapped and how we can be free.

    In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter and John were deprived of their liberty. This was not the first time. They had already been imprisoned once before, and now they were imprisoned again because the religious authorities were filled with jealousy. The Jewish leaders could not accept that the Apostles were doing good, healing the sick, helping the poor, and preaching about the resurrection of Jesus.

    What Peter and John did were concrete expressions of what they believed and held in their hearts. They believed in the Risen Christ. They believed that Jesus was alive, and because of that, they were willing to continue doing good no matter the cost.

    Of course, Peter and John must have been afraid. They were human after all. They worried about what might happen to them. Yet, something had changed in them. They had learned to trust in God. The constant invitation of Jesus, “Do not be afraid,” had already grown in their hearts. That is why, even when they were imprisoned physically, their hearts remained free.

    This is very important for us to understand. There are at least two kinds of imprisonment in today’s reading. The first is physical imprisonment, like what happened to Peter and John. But the second is deeper and more dangerous. It is the imprisonment of the heart.

    The chief priests, Sadducees, and Pharisees who persecuted the Apostles were actually more imprisoned than Peter and John. They were imprisoned by jealousy, by greed, by pride, by fear, and by their refusal to believe in Jesus. They were blinded by their own insecurity. They could not rejoice in the good that others were doing because their hearts were trapped in darkness and bitterness.

    This is exactly what we have heard in the Gospel. The Gospel says that some people prefer darkness to light because their works are evil. Darkness here is not only about sin. Darkness is also anything that keeps us from becoming the person God wants us to be.

    And so, the question of the Gospel becomes very personal, “What is imprisoning me today? What traps my heart?”

    Perhaps it is fear, the fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of what people might say about us. Perhaps it is shame from the past that we cannot let go of. Perhaps it is jealousy because we compare ourselves too much with others. Perhaps it is anger, pride, or the need to always control and dominate.

    There are also people imprisoned by their desire to be recognized all the time. They think that they need to become somebody else just to be accepted. Others are imprisoned by material things, believing that more money, more possessions, or more success will finally make them happy and contented.

    However, all of these can only make the heart heavier. Yet, the good news is this, “Jesus did not come to condemn us but to free us.”

    The Gospel reminds us today, “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” Jesus comes to bring light into the darkness of our hearts. He comes not to shame us, but to heal us. He comes not to imprison us further, but to set us free.

    And freedom begins when we become honest with ourselves. Freedom also begins when we stop hiding. Freedom also begins when we allow the light of Christ to enter the areas of our life that we are ashamed of or afraid to face.

    So today, let us ask the Risen Christ to help us recognize the prisons within us. Let us ask Him to free our hearts from fear, jealousy, anger, shame, and insecurity.

    And let us ask the help of Mary, Our Mother of Perpetual Help, that she may guide us toward the light of her Son. Because only in Christ can we become truly free.

    So, I leave you today two concrete takeaways.

    First: Ask yourself honestly, “What is imprisoning me today?” Name it before God.

    Second: Bring one fear, wound, or insecurity to Jesus in prayer and ask Him to replace it with His peace and light. Hinaut pa.

  • Journey of Faith and Safeguarding

    Journey of Faith and Safeguarding

    My journey as a member of the Redemptorist Province of Cebu Safeguarding Dissemination Team has been deeply intertwined with my faith experiences, especially in the period following my Total Abdominal Hysterectomy with Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy (TAHBSO). It is a story of openness to God’s stirrings, call, and presence—guiding me through challenges and allowing me to flourish and thrive.

    Embracing the Call

    After TAHBSO, I felt a renewed sense of mission. The call to join the Safeguarding Dissemination Team was not merely an organizational role but a spiritual invitation. By saying yes, I embraced God’s call to protect, guide, and nurture communities, especially children and vulnerable adults. This undertaking also allowed me to revisit my good old friends, renew my friendships with them, and reminisce about beautiful sights in different cities.

    Photo from St. Clement’s Church – Redemptorist Iloilo

    Navigating Challenges

    This calling was an addition to my busy life in the academe, as well as my role as a Volunteer Guidance Counselor and Director of the St. Clement’s Pastoral Care and Counseling Ministry. Yet each challenge became an opportunity to listen more deeply to God’s voice. Prayer, reflection, and the support of family and community—particularly the Redemptorist Missionaries through the Ordinary Provincial Council, the Provincial Secretary, the local communities, and the Safeguarding Dissemination Team, along with WVSU and COE officials, faculty, and staff—sustained me, reminding me that safeguarding is not just a task but a ministry rooted in compassion and justice.

    Faith as Anchor

    My openness to God’s presence became the anchor of my work. In times of doubt, I found strength in scripture and in the Eucharist. Faith transformed difficulties into stepping stones, teaching me resilience and patience. Through this lens, safeguarding became more than policy—it became a living expression of God’s care.

    Photo from St. Clement’s Church – Redemptorist Iloilo

    Flourishing and Thriving

    A year after my TAHBSO, my physical examination revealed normal results, despite my busy schedule at the university and weekly travels to different Redemptorist communities within Visayas and Mindanao. This is God’s grace—amazing grace, indeed!

    Through God’s guidance, I discovered new capacities within myself. I flourished as an educator, counselor, and advocate. Thriving meant not only achieving goals but also growing in humility, empathy, and courage. The journey revealed that safeguarding is a path of personal and communal transformation.

    Conclusion

    My post-TAHBSO journey with the Redemptorist Safeguarding Dissemination Team is a testament to the power of openness to God’s stirrings. By listening to His call and trusting His presence, I was able to navigate challenges and thrive in service. This experience continues to inspire me to live faithfully, lead compassionately, and safeguard with integrity.

  •  Fear Locks the Door, Christ Walks In     

     Fear Locks the Door, Christ Walks In     

    April 12, 2026 – Second Sunday of Easter

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041226.cfm)

    In one way or another, there could be many of us living behind “locked doors.” This could be of our own choice because of the thought of wanting to protect ourselves. Or perhaps, we have been locked away against our will because of unpleasant circumstances that we have been through.

    Indeed, this is not only about the doors of our homes, but the doors of our hearts. Because of rising prices, financial struggles, and unstable income, many are anxious about the future. This can make us irritable, overly anxious and restless even in small financial decisions. It could also make us selfish or overly protective of what we have because of the fear of not having enough.

    In our relationships, the experiences of misunderstandings, betrayals, and disappointments can make us more guarded. We become careful, distant, even withdrawn. This means, we protect ourselves not because we are strong, but because we are afraid of being hurt again.

    On this Second Sunday of Easter also called as Divine Mercy Sunday, our Gospel today meets us where we are. And so, let us discern God’s invitations for us.

    The disciples, after the crucifixion, were also behind locked doors. They were afraid and felt lost. What happened to Jesus might also happen to them. So they hid and locked themselves in, not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually.

    What the disciples experienced can also be our experience now. Hence, there is also a kind of “self-imposed lockdown” in our lives. For instance, when we have been hurt, we could become defensive. And so, we stop trusting and withdraw from others. We refuse to invest ourselves again in relationships. We stay in our comfort zones, but deep inside, we remain fearful, anxious and restless.

    This is how fear paralyzes us and locks our heart. This is what happened even to Thomas. When he heard that Jesus was alive, he could not believe. His doubts became his protection and defense mechanism. He said, “Unless I see and touch, I will not believe.” Yet, that also means that his heart was more locked than the doors of the room.

    However, here is the beauty of the Gospel. Even if the doors were locked, the Risen Jesus entered the room, not just once but twice. The Lord did not wait for the disciples to open the door. He came as they were fearful, confused, and wounded. And the first thing He said was, “Peace be with you.”

    This is Divine Mercy. In His mercy, God does not wait for us to become perfect. The Lord meets us in our fears, in our doubts, and in our hidden places. He enters our locked doors not to condemn us, but to bring peace.

    That very grace became also the opportunity for Jesus to show them His wounds. Why? Because the wounds of Jesus speak to our wounds. His pain also speaks to our pain. When Thomas touched the wounds of Jesus, he encountered not just proof, but love. And it is a love that understands suffering and anguish.

    And this is the turning point. Thomas, who doubted, now proclaims: “My Lord and my God!”

    What find in the scripture today, is indeed also our journey from fear to faith, and from locked doors to open hearts.

    In fact, the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles shows us what happens when hearts are opened. The early Christians lived as a community and so they shared what they had. They supported one another and so there was joy, unity, and trust.

    However, this is the very opposite of a locked life, of hearts that are locked away. This means that a locked life isolates but an open heart builds community.

    Peter reminds us in the second reading that our hope is alive because Jesus is alive. Even if we face trials, our faith gives us a deeper joy that cannot be taken away.

    So today, we are invited to ask, “What are the doors that I have locked in my life?” Is it fear? Is it anger? Is it past hurt? Is it doubt in God?

    We ask this and hope for freedom because as long as we remain locked, we cannot fully live and we cannot fully love.

    But remember, the good news is this, “Jesus comes anyway.” The Lord comes into our fears, into our doubts and into our struggles. And He says to you and to me, “Peace be with you.”

    This also means that the Divine Mercy is not just about forgiveness. It is about God entering into our brokenness and restoring us from within. And once we receive that peace, we are sent. Jesus told His disciples, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” From locked doors, they were sent into the world. And from fear, they became witnesses of peace and joy.

    So let me leave you with two simple takeaways for today.

    First, allow Jesus to enter your locked doors. Do not hide your fears, your wounds, and your doubts. Bring them to Him. Let His mercy give you peace.

    Second, open your life to others again. Take one step to forgive, to trust, to care, or to reconnect. Do not remain locked. Rather, choose to live and love again. Kabay pa.