“I have seen the Lord.” Mary Magdalene made this announcement to the apostles after she saw, heard and spoke with the Risen Jesus. As told in the Gospel (John 20:11-17), this made her not only the very first witness of the resurrection but also its first apostle, or one sent to do a mission for...
Category: Faith
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A testament to faith stands strong in a coastal town in Camarines Sur
CALABANGA, CAMARINES SUR—In the heart of this first-class municipality by the coast, a testament to faith stands strong. The wooden figure Amang Hinulid and the passion play “An Pasyon ni Kristo” have become integral parts of Calabanga’s identity, drawing tens of thousands of pilgrims each year and making the sacred tradition a source of pride...
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When the Pope and priests wear pink
“Gracia” was dismayed to see the parish priest wearing pink while celebrating Sunday Mass. She said a priest should be neutral and not openly declare himself a “kakampink” (literally, pro-pink), a supporter of then presidential candidate Leni Robredo. Pink was then the campaign color of choice of Robredo and her supporters. Was the parish priest a “kakampink”?...
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Marking Ash Wednesday and recalling Pope Francis’ call to ‘return to God with all our heart’
The Holy See Press Office announced on Feb. 28 that Pope Francis would not preside over the traditional celebration of the Ash Wednesday liturgy on Aventine Hill, which is to take place on March 5. The Pope has been confined for more than two weeks in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital to receive treatment for bilateral pneumonia...
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The Sinulog is also a festival to recall Christianity’s birth in the Philippines
The Feast of the Santo Niño or the Holy Child Jesus falls yearly on the third Sunday of January. Though originally a simple religious feast, it has become one of the grandest and most colorful festivals now called the Sinulog. To celebrate this year’s festival, various activities were lined up by the Basilica Minore del...
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Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah!
It is the fourth time since 1900 that the Jewish festival Hanukkah is being celebrated during the Christmas season, which ends on the Feast of the Epiphany or the baptism of Jesus on Jan. 5. This year, Hanukkah began at sundown on Dec. 25 and will end on Jan. 2. (The date of the holiday...
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Renewing faith and devotion to Our Lady of the Candles
ILOILO CITY—Years into her marriage, Maria Fe Villanueva Esquillo had been without a child. But her frustration and seeming endless waiting were eased somehow by her constant prayers and supplications to Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Our Lady of the Candles) at the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral. “I asked for at least one child. Instead, the Lady...
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Finding LGBTQIA+ affirmation in Open Table MCC
Jun Torres was casually scrolling through Blued, a gay social network app, in May 2021 when a direct message caught his attention. He was being invited to an online worship service by the manager of the account of “a church for LGBT.” He followed the link to the Facebook page of Open Table Metropolitan Community...
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Workers’ equality in the kingdom of God
Jackieh, a library assistant, had to walk fast or run to be on time for work. Tardiness would mean a salary deduction if her reason for being late is not acceptable. During the pandemic when the norm was to work from home, she set the alarm 10 minutes before 10 a.m., her time in, so...
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Arayat Rizalistas believe in superiority of spiritual education
Filipinos honor their heroes—the men and women who led or contributed to the country’s struggle for freedom against the Spanish colonizers—on the last Monday of August, which falls on Aug. 28 this year. But for a group in Arayat, Pampanga, every day is spent in veneration of National Hero Jose Rizal. The group’s members do...