This Saturday, June 24, 2017, eleven men will be ordained permanent deacons for the Archdiocese of Washington. I know what they must be feeling because 9 years ago, on June 28, 2008 then Archbishop, now Cardinal, Donald Wuerl ordained 16 of us as deacons at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. There was this feeling of unworthiness for having been called to this Holy Order to serve in this ministry in the Church, and at the same time a feeling

Some Thoughts Yesterday when my friend John M (#2), a former Catholic, came to cut my grass he struck a conversation with me and said with apparent joy and pride: "I have received all the sacraments except one and I asked which one: He said "Holy Orders. I have also received Extreme Unction, or the Last Rites." This month of June is very significant to me because this month 45 years ago (June 18) I received the Sacrament of Matrimony, and 9 years ago (June 28) the Sacrame

Whenever I stand at the church door greeting people at the end of Sunday Mass in my deacon vestments, there are always a few Mass goers who greet me "Father." And instinctively I say "Deacon." To some parishioners who still say "Father, " I say, "Yes, that is also correct, for I am a father," and we both laugh. Father's Day is celebrated in America this coming weekend, in honor of and thanksgiving to fathers who have sacrificed for and loved their children so much and

The other day I attended the graduation of 3 of my grandchildren, Louise and the twins Lynne and Leena in pre-K. It was a joyous occasion for us and the parents of the graduating children and the grandparents. I saw many grandparents there, and they were as excited as I was. Everybody got awards. The teacher, Mrs. Sheila called them "The Silly Awards." Some samples: For Adrienne - "Crazy Straw Award - for being crazy about learning and sipping up knowledge." For Leena - "T

Kuya Pons V., one of our most reflective speakers at PREX (Parish Renewal Experience) Seminars at my former parish in Marikina, is fond of injecting an analysis of numbers to spice up his talks. For example, If there are 10 participants in a PREX class, he could say that this is a very lucky class because 10 consists of the number 7, which is a lucky number in Judaism representing fortune and blessing, and the number 3, which is the number of Divine Persons in the Blessed Tri

A Homily on Pentecost - June 4, 2017 In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Whenever we make the sign of the cross we are not only praying but professing our core beliefs as Catholic Christians. This is what we profess in the Nicene Creed, which we recite at our Sunday Masses, and whenever we start the rosary with the Apostles Creed. We believe in a Triune God, one God in three Divine Persons, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father is the

Whenever I hear thumping sounds coming from above my basement office, I know that they are coming from little feet moving fast. One or more of my grandchildren are here! That sound is music to my ears. And whatever I am doing, I drop it and rush upstairs, and when they see me, they excitedly shriek "Grampa" and we rush to each other's arms and I hold them up in the air one by one, to their cries of joy and laughter that only little children can make. I think that God t

I did not have a lot of years learning to play the violin. I remember I got into it because of three classmates who were already taking lessons, and also because of the encouragement of an old childless distant uncle in a neighboring town who wanted a relative to inherit his old violin. It was a unique violin with the head of a dragon instead of a scroll, and a distinctly deep beautiful sound. I took sincere interest in the violin because my mom was willing to pay the same