By Fr. Roy Cimagala That’s a question that immediately comes to mind when we read in the gospel the following words of Christ: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! … Do you think I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell …
The Underpinning
Making the right judgments in these changing times
By Fr. Roy Cimagala That’s what Christ is telling us in that gospel episode where he reproached the crowds of his time for knowing how to read the appearance of the earth and the sky, and yet fail to interpret the temper and the ethos of the time then. (cfr. Luke 12:54-59) It’s a reproach …
Nourishing our hope
By Fr. Roy Cimagala If we are guided by our Christian faith, we know that our life here on earth is not our definitive life. We are meant to pursue our ultimate definitive life with God in heaven. Thus, our life here on earth can only be marked by the indispensable virtue of hope which …
When we are tempted
By Fr. Roy Cimagala Temptations will always be around. And we just have to be prepared to deal with them properly. The secret is to learn how to be like Christ precisely at the moment when he himself was tempted three times by the devil. (cfr. Matthew 4:1-11) It’s important that in dealing with this fact …
Christ is never indifferent to our suffering
By Fr. Roy Cimagala Like those who went to Christ for healing, (cfr. Luke 4:38-44) we too should immediately go to our Lord especially when we find ourselves in some form of suffering, be it a matter of sickness or some difficulty in the different aspects of our life, financial, professional, social, etc. We should …
Total self-giving without being showy
By Fr. Roy Cimagala That is the message of the gospel reading for Ash Wednesday. (cfr. Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18) “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them,” Christ said, “Otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.” Then he continued by describing how we should give alms …
Caring for our mental health
By Fr. Roy Cimagala In the gospel, many instances are recorded where some leading Jews would make many rash judgments on Christ and his disciples. One such instance was when Christ cured a man with a withered hand. (cfr. Luke 6:6-11) These leading Jews were quick to observe if Christ would heal that man on …
Why do we always have to forgive?
By Fr. Roy Cimagala Many reasons can come to mind to answer that question. One is that Christ himself said so. When asked by Peter how many times one should forgive, he stretched to practically infinite times the suggestion of Peter of seven times to 70 times seven. On another occasion, Christ also said that …
Faith always works wonders
By Fr. Roy Cimagala Indeed! That gospel episode where a centurion begged Christ to cure his dying slave (cfr. Luke 7:1-10) simply shows us that with a strong faith like that of the centurion, miracles can happen. “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof,” …
Incarnating the Beatitudes
By Fr. Roy Cimagala One of the most intriguing teachings of Christ are the Beatitudes. (cfr. Luke 6:20-26) They make us wonder why it is blessed to go through all kinds of suffering here on earth — to be poor, hungry, persecuted, etc. The answer, of course, is that the Beatitudes clearly tell us what to …