By Fr. Roy Cimagala This was clearly expounded by Christ himself when he said, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire.” (Mark 9:43) And he continued, “And if your foot …
The Underpinning
Creativity in preaching God’s word
By Fr. Roy Cimagala It’s amazing how St. Paul and his companions weathered all kinds of trials and challenges just to proclaim the Good News about Christ and our salvation. Even when he was mocked by non-believers, he just persisted in preaching, trying his best to adapt his preaching to the way the people were, …
God first, everything else follows
By Fr. Roy Cimagala Let us remind ourselves of the need to have the proper priorities in our life. Nowadays, with so many things we have to deal with, it’s important that we are clear regarding this duty. Truth to tell, this need to have the proper priorities has become an urgent need. We cannot …
The power of God’s word
By Fr. Roy Cimagala What reassuring description we have about God’s word! From the Book of Isaiah in the first reading, we read: “As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and return no more thither, but soak the earth and water it, and make it to spring, ang give seed to the sower, …
The danger of being trapped by our human laws
By Fr. Roy Cimagala We, of course, need laws. Otherwise, our world would be in chaos. But we have to learn the different kinds of laws and know the importance, coverage and effectiveness of these laws. Offhand, we can distinguish between divine law and human law, the natural law, which more or less governs the …
The constant danger of treachery and betrayal
By Fr. Roy Cimagala That Bible episode about King David and his rebellious son, Absalom, (cfr. 2 Samuel 18:9 – 19:3) perpetuates the narrative that treachery and betrayal will always be with us for as long as we live. Even at the start of creation, some of the angels, headed by Lucifer, rebelled against God. …
God shares his power and authority with us
By Fr. Roy Cimagala One day in Capernaum, Christ with his followers was teaching in a synagogue and the people were amazed because he taught as one “with authority and not as the scribes.” Later, the people were again amazed when Christ drove away the unclean spirit that possessed a man there. They could not …
Remain child-like even as we age
By Fr. Roy Cimagala That’s essentially the point of our celebration of the Feast of Santo Niño that, thankfully, enjoys a very popular devotion in our country. Let’s hope that the message not only sticks in our minds but also is effectively lived out in our daily affairs. Christ himself said it very clearly. “Amen, …
The need to unite our will with God’s will
By Fr. Roy Cimagala That need is clearly seen when Christ himself said: “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35) If we always abide by our Christian faith that we have been created in God’s image and likeness, meant to share in his divine life and nature, …
Our reason needs to be guided by faith and charity
By Fr. Roy Cimagala “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” (Mark 3:22). Filled with anger and unbelief, the scribes of Christ’s time did not realize they were contradicting themselves. Thus, Christ immediately pointed it out. “How can Satan drive out Satan?” Christ asked. “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom …