Popular piety—undeniably one of the most important aspects of the Catholic faith—has always served as an enduring marker of a people’s devotion. In his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, the late Pope Francis describes it as the “treasure of the people of God” and an “active evangelizing power which we must…

When I think back on nearly two decades of my being a teacher and coach, I am reminded of countless classrooms, chapels, and courts. In the halls of Xavier School and Ateneo de Manila, where I served as faculty and administrator, I often found that some of the most powerful…

Many older generations believe they speak the same language as the youth, yet it often feels as though meanings shift in midair. Words spoken with confidence are heard differently, and are received with skepticism. When the youth say “change,” older individuals might hear “disrespect.” When they say “experience,” we might…

Back in 2019, I accompanied a group of senior high school students from Ateneo de Manila to an educational trip in Seoul, South Korea. One of the places we visited was Seodaemun Prison History Hall, originally a prison built by the Japanese in 1908 to detain members of the Korean…

In my very first year of teaching, I was assigned to teach Christian Life Education and one of the stories in the textbook was Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree.” It was a very simple story that featured a tree who loved a boy so much that it gave away everything…

Mindanao is different for every person who calls it home. As someone who was born and raised in Cagayan de Oro, part of Northern Mindanao, the island has always been a cradle of simple joys and of many vibrant stories. As someone who continues to live and work in Mindanao,…

In the world of actual law practice, we pray that from the years our graduates spent under our watch, endeavoring to touch upon not only their minds but their hearts, they will perpetually carry with them the suite of values of the Ateneo Lawyer brand: to be principled and skilled…

We are now in the Synod on Synodality where Pope Francis wants that the church should listen more to the needs of the People. We are invited to be a companion for others, a people of God that journey together.

The Suscipe is found in the Fourth Week of Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises. It famously starts with the words, "Take, Lord, receive all my liberty, my memory, understanding, my entire will."

I divided the exposition into two parts. I will first be describing the Sifting Through The Good and then move on to the other part – Discernment of Holy Desires. Sifting Through The Good. The persons I meet in my work are fundamentally good people, people full of good intentions,…