The Underpinning

By Fr. Roy Cimagala They often go together and we are very much prone to them. Thus, we have to be properly guarded, training ourselves to practice restraint and to be quick to rectify once we fall into them. We are reminded of this phenomenon in that gospel episode where the usual critics of Christ …

By Fr. Roy Cimagala It’s amazing that Christ had to excuse himself from his very busy schedule in order to pray. He is God himself. He should have no need to pray. But as the gospel many times say, he had to go somewhere to talk to the Father. As the gospel narrates, “Jesus departed …

By Fr. Roy Cimagala “Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?’” (Matthew 19:3) This is the opening passage of the gospel in the 19th week in Ordinary Time. It brings out the question of marriage and divorce that now is …

By Fr. Roy Cimagala “The disciples approached Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, ‘Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.’” (Matthew 18:1-3) Definitely, these …

By Fr. Roy Cimagala The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi, should spur us to sharpen our understanding and appreciation of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, where Christ himself, both God and man, gives himself completely to us — body, soul, his humanity, and divinity — so we can …

By Fr. Roy Cimagala The gospel reminds us of our duty to give back and pay back what God has given us. We should do our best to at least be more aware of this duty and try to fulfill it in any way we can, although we know that we really cannot fully give …

By Fr. Roy Cimagala That gospel parable about the sower and the seed (cfr. Matthew 13:1-9) somehow reminds us that we have to be the good ground that would readily receive the seed of God and make it grow to its fullness. Only then can we aspire to transform the world the way God wants …

By Fr. Roy Cimagala With the celebration of the Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity, we are reminded of the most important mystery of our faith, the fount of all the other truths and mysteries of our faith, since it shows us the inmost and intimate life of God in himself, even before being the Creator …

By Fr. Roy Cimagala This is what Christ is proposing to us. It is quite intriguing, but to be sure it is what truly is proper to us. We need to somehow lose ourselves to win what is truly necessary for us. We cannot deny that we are notorious for sticking to our own will …

By Fr. Roy Cimagala That gospel episode about some Pharisees who dared to tell Christ that his disciples did not observe the Sabbath law since they were plucking corn in a field during Sabbath (cfr. Matthew 12:1-8) somehow reminds us that if we are not truly with Christ, who is the way, the truth and …