A passage to Brooklyn, NY



I walk around

seeing the crowd,

watching the people across the roads

on Wilson, Myrtle, Cypress, Cornelia or Knickerbocker Streets

I find Spanish as the language spoken.



Numerous shops like those of the hairdressers, restaurants,

and other business firms

draw me to get in and have a try;

search for something and take a choice

from all those items seen and displayed.



Like any movements in public… Continue

A Reconnoitre in Verona



Nothing can dim the glow of my joy

Those meaningful moments which I still recall

I find certain happiness yet silence in time

With occupying thoughts that always cross my mind.



Along the stream of consciousness, there’s a hidden message

I may be attentive, yet time creeps so fast.

There’s difficulty that hampers me though

a busload of burdens that wrap me till night.

On and off, I turn to gaze at these… Continue

ASSISI: VENTRILOQUISM FOR MY GRAIL



A leap across the hill-top,

Is an encounter with God.

Concealed in the language of history

the depth of human religiosity.



It rings true for me though

those stories of Francis of Assisi.

Surely, striking the hallmarks of simplicity

in quietude where I cling to reality.



There is a twofold bridge in it,

That is historical and biblical

That I must continue to face

the conundrum of life… Continue

In Wuppertal (Germany)



Gloomy, quiet and serene

This is the place where I stay.

People work up to the hilt

following the rhythm of each day.



I see and listen to some of them

with wonder and excitement.

Like any stranger in this place

I get to know where they come from.



Now I realize the richness and mobility

That makes me see and experience

In this beautiful city

Where people come and go.



As an experience… Continue

FLORENCE: ICONIC IN CLASSICISM



Behind the insatiable appetite of people

who come to see and appreciate

The work of art in human history

lies the images and quality of faith.



This beautiful city of Florence

Where a kind of growth and civilization

Has kept the sentiment of tradition

That carries with it all our admiration.



It is the evidence of achievement

that seems to paint with ever greater meaning

The finest features… Continue

Far from home



I drool over

to come and see,

Those lovely places around

truly, a sight to behold.



Artifacts from Spanish times

Magnificent churches,

Buildings and a tad of ruins

have significance to perceive.



Clematis dripping from walls

Cascades of flowers

Green trees elsewhere

give delight to everyone.



A triumph of hope

awaits the locals

as a hybrid nation

a birthplace of… Continue

Such is life



Sadness afflicts us

and sorrow brings us back

to capture the mem’ries of the past

Such a call, such is life.



It’s difficult to accept,

It’s a struggle to keep

with mem’ries that haunt us

to reminisce and believe.



Greet the day with hope

have a cheerful look

and turn over a new leaf

to welcome a new spirit.



A growing sense of optimism

draws us to keep alive.

the expressions of human… Continue

Traveling by air



In a busy airport like Hongkong

where travelers come and meet

along with their families, friends and acquaintances

Mobility continues to soar.



It’s amazing to see them

as they hurry to walk

either for check-in, boarding or whatever

They make an effort to be there on time.



Certain things have to keep going,

realizing the rules and procedures

that concern all passengers

bound for their respective… Continue

Popular spirituality of the Filipinos – in various structures



1. The starting point



Looking back on the past centuries of the Philippine situation, the influences of Spain and the United States of America have become clear to some extend that the self-awareness of Filipinos is still in the process of being born. Faced with the idea of the West towards colonization and acculturation, things have reached into the ways of disequilibrium. This imbalance, in turn, has induced… Continue

Feminism in Migration – a ministry of the gospel



To-day there is much being said and written about feminism that stands on the edge of new possibilities for a common thread in our society. We live in the present time aware of many victims strewn across the pages of our history. These unfold though the ideology of patriarchy and the exploitation of the poor and oppressed.



Recognising the need of feminism side by side with liberation theology, we can keep moving along the… Continue

A passage to country down under - my experience in Australia



Having lived in Australia for even a short period of time has given me already a picture of the country’s present situation in terms of relationships that exist amongst different cultures. One of the parishes where I worked for three years is a good example of multiculturalism.



The image of Australia as a land of opportunity for immigrants, a cosmopolitan country and a staple of popular culture has helped shape… Continue

On our way to Egypt – through the looking glass of time



Unencumbered by the sweltering heat, we slipped across the border of Palestine and visited Mt. Sinai. That sense of expectation and possibility of what we thought of made us realize to keep focused on our faith and keep our Christian hope alive that despite poverty and the angst of centuries ago, we were still animated by our faith that could be recalled in times past by all those who visited or lived in these places. This… Continue

Memories in the sieve – our pilgrimage in the Holy Land



As Abraham Heschel used to stress, “the point is not that we do not know, rather that God does know. What matters is not our feeling close to God but our certainty and conviction of his being close to us. That was the conviction that radiated some kind of assurance as we reflected on what it means to walk through the footsteps of Christ. As we coped with our rope-line schedule for each day, we were taken aback to remember with… Continue

Across the border of Mexico



I did a mission work at Casa del Migrante in the border of Ciudad Juárez, México. It is where a lot of Mexicans, Salvadorians, Guatemalans, Hondurans, and Peruvians cross into the U.S. without fear and discover later that they cannot do so without any necessary documents.

There is a search fro meaning that explores the struggles and difficulties the migrant faces including the relationship between home and away. Of the many stories I’ve heard, their… Continue

Münich: On the prowl for perspective



Starting point



India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, once said, “we live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” Like a distinctive flavor and running theme of my sojourn in Munich, Germany this summer 2008, I was drawn to think about the compelling chunk of that deep enthusiasm to see the city that is known for… Continue