Veritas PH

The WORD. The TRUTH.

 237 total views

When I was a young boy, my religion teacher told me a story which can never forget. It is the story of St. Martin of Tours.

My teacher told me that one time, St, Martin of Tours met a beggar who was very dirty and asking for alms. St. Martin had nothing, in his pocket. The only thing that he could offer was his cloak. But he said, ‘IF I give you my cloak, | will have no cloak” So he took his sword, cut his cloak in half and gave one half to the beggar.

That same night, St. Martin had a dream where he saw Jesus wearing the other half of his cloak.

I thought it was a fairy tale. I thought it was Jesus coming in disguise. I thought it was one of the fairy tale stories which featured a frog who turned out to be a prince, or a rag-clad Cinderella who was transformed into a beautiful woman. But the Gospel today proves to us that Jesus does not come with a disguise Jesus is the poor, Jesus is the prisoner, Jesus is the one who is thirsty. There are no disguises which convey the notion that a person is not what he actually is. If we say that Jesus is disguising, it will mean that it is not Jesus but he just appears to be like Jesus.

What the Lord is telling us is not to be interpreted that way. The Lord is telling us, “It is I, I am not coming in disguise. It is I who is coming to you; in the poor, in the neglected, in the marginalized”

Sadly, however, so many of us find it very difficult to understand this, or maybe, we simply refuse to understand.

It might be so because we would rather enjoy praying the rosary than attending to the poor. We would rather enjoy hearing Mass in the air-conditioned church like the EDSA Shrine than reach out to the people in Smokey Mountain, in Payatas, in Commonwealth.

Unfortunately, we are missing the whole point. If we will continue this way, then Karl Marx will rise from the dead and scoff at us that truly, religion is the opium of the people. Religion is not the opium of the people. Religion should make us aware, aware of the needs of the poor.

LOVE THE POOR
Mt. 26:31-46
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

Ningas-cogon

 38,485 total views

 38,485 total views Kapanalig, ang salitang “NINGAS-COGON” ay tumutukoy sa ugaling Pilipino … Masigasig at masipag sa simula lamang, ngunit walang natatapos sa kalaunan (NEVER TO FINISH WHAT THEY STARTED). ANG “NINGAS-COGON” AY karaniwang maihalintulad sa mga “hearing in-aid of legislation” ng Kongreso na binubuo ng Mababa(Kamara) at Mataas(Senado) na Kapulungan ng Kongreso. Kadalasan, ang Kongreso

Read More »

Job Mismatches

 49,560 total views

 49,560 total views “Job-skills mismatches”, Kapanalig ito ang malaking problema sa Pilipinas na hindi pa rin natutugunan ng pamahalaan at education sector. Sa pag-aaral ng Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), malaki ang ambag ng “job-skills mismatches” sa umployment at underemployment sa bansa kung saan hindi napapakinabangan ang potensyal ng young workforce. Ayon sa Commission on Higher

Read More »

Mining

 55,893 total views

 55,893 total views Kapanalig, nararanasan natin sa Pilipinas maging sa buong mundo ang “climate crisis” na dulot ng climate change o nagbabagong panahon. Ang Pilipinas bilang tropical country ay dumaranas ng mahigit sa 20-bagyo kada taon na nagdudulot ng matinding pinsala sa ari-arian, kabuhayan at buhay ng mga Pilipino. Ngunit sa kabila ng banta ng climate

Read More »

Kasabwat sa patayan

 60,507 total views

 60,507 total views Mga Kapanalig, ganoon na lamang ba kababa ang pagpapahalaga natin sa buhay ng ating kapwa-tao na handa natin itong bawiin ng mga iniluluklok nating berdugo sa ngalan ng pagkakaroon ng payapa at ligtas na kapaligiran? Ganyan kasi ang mapapansin sa mga sentimiyento ng ilan nating kababayan habang isinasagawa ng Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee

Read More »

Walang magagawa o hindi handa?

 62,068 total views

 62,068 total views Mga Kapanalig, kasabay ng malakas na ulang dala ng Bagyong Kristine dalawang linggo na ang nakalilipas ang buhos ng batikos kay Pangulong Bongbong Marcos Jr.  Ika-23 ng Oktubre, kasagsagan ng pananalasa ng bagyo, nang bigyan ng situation briefing ng mga pinuno at kinatawan ng iba’t ibang ahensya si PBBM. Papalapit na noon ang

Read More »
catholink
Shadow
truthshop
Shadow

Related Story

Father Soc - Everyday Jesus
Most Rev. Socrates Villegas

3 Cs OF MARY

 8,990 total views

 8,990 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)

 24,040 total views

 24,040 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

 28,053 total views

 28,053 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

 54,759 total views

 54,759 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

 55,400 total views

 55,400 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

 55,400 total views

 55,400 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

 55,398 total views

 55,398 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!

 55,415 total views

 55,415 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

 55,445 total views

 55,445 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

 55,725 total views

 55,725 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?

 56,379 total views

 56,379 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

 58,121 total views

 58,121 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

 59,109 total views

 59,109 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

 59,534 total views

 59,534 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