Woman wearing veil praying in Church (Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash)

Wearing the Proper Dress Code: Reverence in Our Attire

Catholics are sometimes mocked, even by fellow Christians, for being lax—or even irreverent—when it comes to the proper dress code in church. At times, stepping inside the sanctuary can feel more like entering a tourist site than a sacred space.…

Confession (Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash)

Confessing Without Repentance

I have been pondering lately the nature of my confessions. Have they truly been acts of contrition, or have they become rituals I follow merely to be absolved—without a genuine desire to change? Some of us, if not all, may…

Archdiocese of Davao Chrism Mass 2025

For the Shepherds Who Also Need Rest

In a previous blog, I reflected on how priests are expected, often silently, to play multiple roles: public figure, community organizer, counselor, fundraiser, event host, confessor, spiritual guide, and, unofficially, everyone’s friend. You are expected to be available, gracious, attentive,…

Christ Healing the Mother of Simon Peter’s Wife by John Bridges, 1839

The Beauty of Brokenness in the Church

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” – Luke 5:31 “The Church is called to be the house of the Father, with doors always wide open.” – Evangelii Gaudium, 47 The image of the Church…

Priest holding chalice | Photo by Julia Michelle on Unsplash

When Our Priests Must Perform

I’ve had an on-and-off relationship with the Church since I was 14 years old. But when I became a full-time employee in its media ministry, I entered a world that I hadn’t seen before—not from the pews, and certainly not…

Inside St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

When the Mission Becomes the Burden

When I left my job to join the newsroom for the Church media, I thought I was walking into a gentler kind of labor. I expected more grace, more understanding, more purpose. I thought serving God through media work would…