Prayers for my Eight-Day Pre-Diaconal Retreat

I, together with the rest of the HULMA (Hinirang upang Laging Maglingkod) Class of San Jose Seminary, will be having an eight-day (pre-diaconal) silent retreat from May 31 to June 8, 2012 at Mount Peace Retreat House, Baguio City. 

Prayers promised and requested! God bless!

Top 10 Dunks of the NBA 2011-2012 Season

three blake griffin dunks (two of them over pau gasol, the other with perkins getting mozgov-ed), lebron jumping over lucas, kd to skeletor, and gerard green flying and flushing the windmill with those concords.

dunks. that makes basketball better than football.

Thunder sends the Lakers to vacation

i've got nothing more to comment on this game. as long as kobe does not get another championship this season, i'm a happy man. and yes, that "balibag-tae" shot of russell westbrook was just plain tsamba.

Oops, they did it again!

when you're 13 points down in the final quarter, more often than not you think that the game is over. perhaps you start thinking about making adjustments for the next game, or just play better then. in a similar situation on game 4 of the western conference semis, the oklahoma city thunder had other things in mind. with russell westbrook eating the defense alive and kevin durant hitting the go-ahead three pointer to erase the deficit and come from behind once more to win against the lakers. deja vu of game 2? that effort erased kobe bryant's 38 point performance in their bid to tie the series after winning game 3 on a rare back-to-back night at staples center. sorry, kobe. they did it again. hope they eliminate your team next game!

Coming from behind to win = Sweet and Satisfying

one at a time. that's how you rally from a lead in the dying seconds of a game to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. down by seven with a little over two minutes left in the game, thunder unzip nine straight points to beat the lakers. again, another satisfying victory especially if it is at the expense of kobe bryant. they should have equalized the series but they let this one go. as the series shifts to staples center for games 3 and 4, i hope they snatch one there and return to oklahoma to advance to the next round.

Rolling Thunder zaps "Lost" Angeles Lakers

it's always satisfying for me to see the los angeles lakers, especially kobe bryant, lose big against any team. the oklahoma city thunder just did that in game 1 of the western conference semis, beating the lakers who look lost throughout the game. i hope kevin durant, russell westbrook, serge ibaka, and the rest of the gang from "loud city" eliminate the lakers in five games.

Sixth Sunday of Easter: Kaibigan

 photo by macoy eronico

“As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.”

John 15:9-17 

Friends. Ano nga ba ang isang kaibigan, ang isang friend? Sabi nga ng isang awitin, “Sino pa ang tutulong sa iyo, ulirang katulad ko… Kaibigan mo ako.” Why do we have friends? Siguro dahil kailangan natin ng karamay hindi lamang sa mga malulungkot kundi pati na rin sa mga masasayang sandal ng buhay. Marahil hindi natin kayang harapin ang buhay ng nag-iisa at walang karamay o kasama. O di naman kaya’y mas masaya lang talaga kapag may kaibigan na kapiling sa ating tabi. 

Kaibigan. Sa gitna ng salitang “kaibigan” ay ang salitang “ibig,” o sa wikang ingles ay “love.” There’s a saying, “true love is costly.” A true lover gives the best he can offer and is willing to sacrifice everything he or she has for the beloved. That's the nature of true friendship and love — the willingness to give all for the beloved. True friends will lay down their lives for each other. Ganito ang ginawa ni Hesus na tumuturing sa atin bilang kanyang mga kaibigan. Ang kaibigan, nagmamahal ng lubusan – buong puso at walang inaasahang kapalit. Handa niyang ibigay ang lahat, kahit ang pag-alay ng kanyang buhay, upang ipakita kung gaano niya tayo kamahal.

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta once said, “If you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” Panginoon, turuan mo akong tularan ang pagmamahal sa akin ni Kristong aking kaibigan, na handing magmahal at magbigay ng sarili. Panginoon, turuan mo akong maging bukas-palad sa aming pagbibigay ng sarili, nang hindi naghihintay ng kapalit kundi ang mabatid lamang ang iyong kalooban.

Paranaque Diocesan Seminarians - 2nd Semester 2k11-2k12

here's a video featuring the activities of the Parañaque Diocesan Seminarians ParDS during 2nd semester of school year 2k11-2k12!

featured activities:
- sembreak general assembly
- audience with bishop jesse e. mercado (sembreak and christmas)
- BAON 2k11 (blessing of tombs at manila memorial park)
- missioning for banat 2k12
- chrism mass
- BANAT 2k12 (annual summer apostolate)

got the photos from our facebook profiles.
featured music: "super bass" (instrumental) by nicki minaj
to be presented during the pards summer general assembly and outing on may 14-15, 2012

Fifth Sunday of Easter: Rooted, Nourished, Fruitful

photo by jay fonacier

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

John 15:1, 4-5, 7-8

Jesus is the vine and we, the followers, are the branches that grow from the vine. Jesus offers true life: the abundant life which comes from God and which results in great fruitfulness.  

Bilang mga sanga sa puno, tintatawag tayo na magbunga at magbigay-bunga. Ang bunga ng ating pananampalataya at pagmamahal kay Kristo ay nakaugat mismo sa karanasan natin ng kanyang pag-ibig sa atin. That is why it is important for us to stay in God’s love. Dito, tayo ay lumalago, tumutubo, at namumunga, tulad ng mga sanga na nakaugnay sa puno na siyang pinagmumulan ng buhay at kalakasan.

As branches of God’s life, how firmly rooted and intimately united are we with Christ? How do we draw inspiration and nourishment from the Jesus, the true vine? How do our lives bear and cultivate the fruits of faith, hope, and love in our relationship with God and others?

Fourth Sunday of Easter: On the Good Shepherd

photo by jay fonacier

A homily delivered to the parishioners of Santo Cristo Parish on the Fourth Sunday of Easter

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is often known as "Good Shepherd Sunday" as our gospel reading for today suggests. Known as the "Good Shepherd discourse" from the tenth chapter of the Gospel of John, our gospel for today used variety of metaphors like “sheep”, “shepherd”, "hired man", and "good shepherd." These images bear shades of meaning that would help us grasp the message of Jesus and how they reveal the Father and His plan for humanity. These words of Jesus continue to speak to us in the here and now as we search for greater meaning and seek answers to our deepest questions in life.

For our reflection today, we ask ourselves two questions: "Who is the Good Shepherd?" And "What does the Good Shepherd do?"

Who is the Good Shepherd? We all know that "Good Shepherd" is one of the many titles of Jesus. However, we can fully understand the identity of the good shepherd as he is placed side-by-side with evil, selfish shepherds. These “bad shepherds” failed to care for and feed the sheep, but rather allowed them to be scattered and to fall prey to wild animals. This then refers to the leaders who fail to perform their God-given responsibilities and as a result render their charge vulnerable to attack. On the contrary, Jesus is the one good, true shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep and knows his own sheep in the same manner that his sheep know him. What makes the Good Shepherd "good" is his readiness to lay down his life for his sheep. This death makes him the shepherd that is good or noble: he is the admirable shepherd because there is something admirable, heroic, and attractive in his death. This role of permanent shepherding is actually patterned after God’s “good shepherd” par excellence, David. Therefore, Jesus is said to be the model or noble shepherd because he is willing to die to protect his sheep.

What then does the Good Shepherd do? The Good Shepherd fosters communion with his flock, expresses compassion to the sheep, and has commitment to the fold entrusted to him.