Veritas PH

The WORD. The TRUTH.

 367 total views

Very little is known about St. Bartholomew. We are not even sure how he died. However, we are sure that his death was as heroic and as holy as the way he lived. His name is not mentioned in the Gospel today. What the Gospel refers to is Nathaniel. However, there is very strong evidence to prove that Nathaniel and Bartholomew are one and the same person.

What lesson can we pick-up from the feast of an apostle like St. Bartholomew?

Number one: A calling, the work of an apostle, is, first and foremost, God’s initiative. It is God who takes the first step. It is not man responding. It is not like applying for a job where the applicant is either accepted or rejected. It is not the same for the work of an apostle. If we were to present our bio-data to be considered as apostles, all of us will fail because we have no credentials to prove that we can truly be disciples.

If we are Christians, if I am a priest, it is not because my bio-data is impressive or because our background is impressive, and we are baptized in the Catholic Church. It is only because God is so generous and takes the first step for all of us: He calls all of us.

That is the first thing. God initiates, God makes the first move.

The second point we should keep in mind is, once God has made the first move, once God has called us to become Christians, that call, according to St. Paul, is always irrevocable. God does not change His mind. If we become unfaithful in the course of following His call, God will not change his mind.

As human beings, we can marry, realize after some time that we have married the wrong person, then go our separate ways. But that cannot be the same with God. God decides to give us the dignity of being called His children. Whether we are faithful or not, God will still continue to call us. That is why they say whether we are Christians or not, when we die and go to hell, we are still Christians. God will not change His mind if we live in sin.

These are the two lessons: God initiating in spite of what we are, God’s choice never changing in spite of what we are.

Let us keep these lessons for ourselves. We, who are so fickle-minded. We, who are always afraid to make the first move because we are afraid to commit a mistake. Let us learn from God. God is willing to make a choice and when He makes a choice, He does not revoke.

IRREVOCABLE
Jn. 1:45-51
Only Jesus, Always Jesus

ads
2
3
4
previous arrow
next arrow

Veritas Editorial

Rev. Fr. Anton CT Pascual

Rev. Fr. Anton CT Pascual

President of Radio Veritas

Pagtulong na gumagalang sa dignidad

 24,090 total views

 24,090 total views Mga Kapanalig, bumuhos ang tulong sa mga kababayan nating lubhang naapektuhan ng Bagyong Kristine. Mula sa mga pribadong indibidwal at organisasyon hanggang sa mga ahensya ng ating gobyerno, sinubukang maparatingan ng tulong ang mga pamilyang nawalan ng bahay, kabuhayan, at maging ng mga mahal sa buhay. Nakalulungkot lang na may mga pulitikong sinamantala

Read More »

Mental Health Awareness Month

 55,229 total views

 55,229 total views Mga Kapanalig, ang buwan ng Oktubre ay Mental Health Awareness Month. Layunin nitong bigyang-pansin ang mga usaping may kinalaman sa mental health at labanan ang stigma o mga negatibong pagtingin tungkol sa sensitibong paksa na ito.  Ang mental health ay state of wellbeing o kalagayan ng kagalingan ng isang indibidwal kung saan naaabot

Read More »

Pananagutan sa kalikasan

 60,814 total views

 60,814 total views Mga Kapanalig, pinaalalahanan tayo ni Pope Francis sa Laudate Deum tungkol sa realidad ng climate change: “It is indubitable that the impact of climate change will increasingly prejudice the lives and families of many persons. This is a global social issue, and one intimately related to the dignity of human life.” Climate change

Read More »

Salamat, mga VIPS

 66,330 total views

 66,330 total views Mga Kapanalig, nagpapasalamat ang ating Simbahan sa mga VIPS. Hindi po natin tinutukoy dito ang mga “very important persons”, isang katagang ikinakabit natin sa mga taong may mataas na katungkulan, may natatanggap na mga pribilehiyo, o mga sikat na personalidad. Pero maitutuing din na very important persons ang mga pinasasalamatan nating VIPS. Ang

Read More »

BAYANIHAN

 77,451 total views

 77,451 total views BAYANIHAN… Ito ay kumakatawan sa napakagandang kultura at kaugalian nating mga Pilipino…Kultura kung saan ang isang ordinaryong Pilipino ay nagiging bayani (heroes). Kapanalig, ibig sabihin ng BAYANIHAN ay “community service” o pagdadamayan, sama-samang pagtutulungan upang malampasan ang anumang kinakaharap na krisis at kalamidad… Pagtulong sa kapwa na walang hinihingi at hinihintay na kapalit

Read More »
catholink
Shadow
truthshop
Shadow

Related Story

Father Soc - Everyday Jesus
Most Rev. Socrates Villegas

3 Cs OF MARY

 7,943 total views

 7,943 total views Sunday is the Lord’s Day. Today is September 8, Sunday. It is also Mary’s day. When we have a choice between the Lord’s Day and Mary’s day, the Lord’s day takes priority. That is why the Mass is not the Mass for the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is the Mass celebrating the 234th

Read More »
Father Soc - Everyday Jesus
Most Rev. Socrates Villegas

Lord Save Us! We Are Perishing! (Matthew 8:25)

 22,993 total views

 22,993 total views Lord Save Us! We Are Perishing! (Matthew 8:25) Pastoral Letter for the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan to be read as homily for all Masses for the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 15 and 16, 2024  Beloved people of God in the Church of Lingayen Dagupan:  The threat is no longer imagined.  It is

Read More »
Father Soc - Everyday Jesus
Most Rev. Socrates Villegas

WOUNDED FOR LOVE

 27,006 total views

 27,006 total views I am sure you know at least one person who has left the Church due to a hurtful experience within it. This individual, once identifying as Catholic, has abandoned their religion because of disappointment with a priest or with people in the Church. Perhaps they encountered a priest who was unfaithful to his

Read More »
Father Soc - Everyday Jesus
Most Rev. Socrates Villegas

ASTONISHED

 53,712 total views

 53,712 total views In one short paragraph, Jesus astonished the people around Him for two significant reasons. Firstly, they were astounded by His preaching. Secondly, they were astounded by His healing. Why were they astonished by His preaching? Because He spoke only the truth. Truth possesses its own power. It requires no sugar coating. It needs

Read More »
Father Soc - Everyday Jesus
Most Rev. Socrates Villegas

ASTONISHED

 54,353 total views

 54,353 total views In one short paragraph, Jesus astonished the people around Him for two significant reasons. Firstly, they were astounded by His preaching. Secondly, they were astounded by His healing. Why were they astonished by His preaching? Because He spoke only the truth. Truth possesses its own power. It requires no sugar coating. It needs

Read More »
Father Soc - Everyday Jesus
Most Rev. Socrates Villegas

GOD DOES NOT LIKE MIRACLES

 54,353 total views

 54,353 total views By nature, we like miracles. When we hear about a miracle or read about it, we rush to the miracle site because we want to experience the supernatural through those miracles. Human beings probably like miracles a lot, but God does not like miracles. That is why miracles happen very rarely. God does

Read More »
Father Soc - Everyday Jesus
Most Rev. Socrates Villegas

DISBELIEF

 54,351 total views

 54,351 total views The story of Zechariah is our story as well. Zechariah received a blessing. We all have been blessed at one point or another in the past. After Zechariah received the blessing, his response was doubt. His response was fear. His response was disbelief. Isn’t that what we often do after we are blessed

Read More »
Father Soc - Everyday Jesus
Most Rev. Socrates Villegas

INSPIRATION!

 54,368 total views

 54,368 total views Once in a while, we come across children who have plenty of toys and children’s books, and yet go to their parents and say, “I am bored.” We see college students shifting from one course to another, not knowing what career path to take, and then they say life is boring. This attitude

Read More »
Father Soc - Everyday Jesus
Most Rev. Socrates Villegas

BLINDNESS

 54,398 total views

 54,398 total views The blind man could not see. That is a fact. Yet, he warns to me that even if he could sense or see with his being, he could not see with his eyes, but he could sense with his heart. That is why he immediately felt the disgust of the crowd. That is

Read More »
Father Soc - Everyday Jesus
Most Rev. Socrates Villegas

BE GRACIOUS

 54,678 total views

 54,678 total views In Grade 3, I learned a poem about good manners: Hearts, like doors, will open with ease With very, very little keys. But don’t forget that two of these Are thank you, sir, and if you please. People who are grateful, people who know how to say thanks sincerely, win the hearts of

Read More »
Father Soc - Everyday Jesus
Most Rev. Socrates Villegas

WHY DO YOU GIVE?

 55,332 total views

 55,332 total views Why do people give? Why do people do good things for other people? Unfortunately, our motivations are not always clear and good. Unfortunately also, we are not always aware of the impurity of our motives. Why do people give and why do people do good things for other people? The first motivation, unexpressed

Read More »
Father Soc - Everyday Jesus
Most Rev. Socrates Villegas

CLAY AND POTTER

 57,074 total views

 57,074 total views Most of us are familiar with the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” The prayer has been adapted by many rehabilitation programs for dependents on drugs, alcohol, gambling, and even

Read More »
Father Soc - Everyday Jesus
Most Rev. Socrates Villegas

RESPECTFUL GOD

 58,062 total views

 58,062 total views Children are expected to respect their parents. Younger people are expected to respect their elders. The laity are expected to respect priests. The priests are expected to respect their bishops. And the principle is—the higher, the more experienced, the older, the more deserving of respect. If we follow the same principle, then God

Read More »
Father Soc - Everyday Jesus
Most Rev. Socrates Villegas

PRAYER IS STRENGTH

 58,487 total views

 58,487 total views Prayer is our strength. Prayer is a strong tool. Where does prayer get its strength? The strength of prayer does not come from the one who prays. The strength of prayer comes from the one to whom it is addressed. In other words, prayer does not become a strong tool because we pray.

Read More »

Latest Blogs

Scroll to Top