I HAVE SPENT a whole day with the members of the Caceres Lay Institute for Mission (CLAIM) at La Playa (Stella Maris Renewal Center), Tigaon, Camarines Sur in order to have a day of prayer, reflection, and sharing.  I was struck by the lay missionaries' simplicity of faith yet profound experiences of God in their lives in spite of the big and small trials.  What gave me much joy was how they saw their trials in 2009, especia

MAPPING THE FUTURE is actually envisioning the future in visual terms.  James Canton's book, the Extreme Future (Penguin Group 2007), that gives a picture of the top trends that will reshape the world in the next 20 years, has powerfully captured the need to welcome the extreme future prepared.  Canton writes: "Maps are so much revealing, though, when they're studied closely in the context of when and where they were

I WANT TO WRITE ABOUT a couple of things, about some thoughts that have been following me or have been nagging me to say something about them.

WORKING PEOPLE usually look forward to a day off in which they would be away from the regular working schedule and be able to find time to rest and to have a respite from the more difficult and demanding tasks of daily life.

I heard a story about a conversation of a priest and an old lady parishioner at a bus terminal.  The priest was working in a remote parish and after a month of hectic schedule, he decided to have a day off.  While waiting for the bus to leave for the city, a parishioner who frequented daily masses saw him at the bus terminal and asked him politely where he was going.  The priest simply said that he was going for a day off.  The lady parishioner said: "Father, why do you want a day off?  The devil does not have a day off."  The priest retorted: "That is precisely the reason why I want a day off.  I don't want to become a devil."

MANY SEE Yuppies as young professionals who are restless in pursuing upward mobility, pursuit of excellence and material comfort. There’s something more behind the Yuppie phenomenon.

IT’S HOLY WEEK AND MANY people are looking forward to a few days of vacation with families and friends. It has been observed that many Filipinos associate Holy Week with the suffering and death of Jesus Christ without giving much emphasis to His Resurrection, which completes the Paschal Mystery.

I RECEIVED AN EMAIL from Nabua Forum about the demolition of the Gabaldon in Nabua, Camarines Sur. I can attest to the truth of the matter since I saw during my last week’s visit to Nabua that a temporary fence—to give way to the construction of an LCC Mall—has surrounded the former site of the building. I am a Nabueño and I am concerned about what happened to this historical building.