Cortez: The Vine and the Branches
FOR an electrical appliance to operate, it must be plugged into the outlet. Unplug it and it stops. For a cell to grow, it must be connected to the blood source. Isolate it and it is deprived of its supply of oxygen and nutrients, causing its slow death. And for a cellular phone to function, it...
Cortez: Jesus of the Scriptures (Part I)
THE days following the death and resurrection of Jesus saw his disciples in a state of mixed emotions. They were frustrated; having lost the man who they thought would be their liberator and earthly king. They were afraid of the religious authorities; having been very close to Jesus, they could...
Cortez: Christ Lives
EASTER brought us the greatest news ever told -- Jesus is alive; he resurrected from the dead, and he lives forevermore! “Well, that happened more than 2,000 years ago,” someone may say, “what meaning does it have to me in this post-modern world?”
The answer is “A lot,” and here in our...
Cortez: The verdict: Christ wins!
THIS week, the Christian world commemorates the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We remember his passion -- how he suffered terribly to save us from the punishment due us for our sins.
Cortez: Looking forward to Holy Week
AS THE Christian world celebrates the season of Lent, many can’t help but look forward to its climax - the Holy Week, which begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday. Vacation plans are set and whether out of the country, out of town, or simply at home, families are excited to spend a long...
Cortez: The Paradox of Dying to Live
IN THE Sunday gospel, Jesus tells us, “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves his life will lose it, while anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for...
Cortez: God’s Justice and Mercy
WHY would a merciful God throw an unrepentant sinner to eternal punishment in hell? Because he is just. And why would a just God forgive a repentant sinner and cancel out all the punishment due him? Because he is merciful.
The Bible is filled with stories that show this two-sided...
Cortez: Righteous Indignation
WE HAVE always known Jesus to be the gentle God -- merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. That's what Psalm 103:8 and many other verses in the Bible tell us. Surely he always forgives and if ever he gets angry, his anger does not last forever.
Cortez: No greater love
LAST Tuesday, the world celebrated Valentine’s Day. If there is anything on that day that one might have observed, it was the love that filled the air. Red flowers, heart-shaped tokens, chocolates, dinner dates -- all these brought out the romantic in the Filipino.
Cortez: Jesus the Healer
AMONG other things, the gospel in the first chapter of Mark depicts Jesus as a healing God. But why would a big, all-powerful God who created the vast universe take time and attention to heal man?
First, because our God is a God of love. 1 Corinthians 13 teaches us that love is patient...
Cortez: Baby No More
MANY of us are fond of imagining the baby Jesus - how cute and innocent looking a little boy he may have been. That is normal, for we all love children - their simplicity, freshness, and sense of awe and wonder. After all, don’t grandparents become childlike the moment they see their grandsons...
Cortez: Childlike before God
JESUS in the gospel of Mark (Chapter 10, Verse 15) declares, “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
Cortez: Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh
THE gospel in the second chapter of Matthew records how the wise men from the East saw the star that led them to Bethlehem in order to worship the newly born baby Jesus. Bowing down, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Cortez: The Gift
WITH Christmas Day over, the gift craze has finally subsided. Gifts were bought, exchanged, given and received. With the unfolding of each wrapper were smiles on faces and expressions of gratitude, joy and excitement.
It is our hope, however, that the true message of gift-giving has not...
Cortez: Merry CHRISTmas
AS WE celebrate Christmas may we not forget its true meaning -- what we see in the first syllable of the word -- CHRIST himself, the Savior and Redeemer of the world.
Yes, Jesus Christ is the meaning of the celebration; it is not about us but about him, for he is the reason for the season...
Cortez: Faith by Deeds
THE Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, which is recorded in Matthew 25:31-46, speaks of the second coming of Jesus as the King and Judge of all peoples and nations.
Like a shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats, he will group his people -- the righteous on his right, and the...
Cortez: Awesome Father of All
THIS Sunday’s gospel as recorded in Matthew 23:1-12 reads: Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they...
Cortez: Love - The Substance, the Essence and the Spirit of the Law
THIS Sunday’s gospel is taken from Matthew 22:34-40. A scholar of the Law tests Jesus asking, “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest?” To this, Jesus replies, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the...
Cortez: In His Image and Likeness
IN THIS Sunday’s gospel as recorded in Matthew 22:15-21, we see the Pharisees trying to entrap Jesus with the question, “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” In his response, Jesus requested for a Roman coin and then asked, “Whose image and inscription are these?” to which the...
Cortez: Reflections on the Parable of the Wedding Banquet
THIS Sunday’s gospel as recorded in Matthew 22:1-14 speaks of a parable that likens the kingdom of heaven to a king who hosted a wedding feast for his son. Obviously, the king here represents God the Father, and the son is another than our Lord Jesus Christ. The king sends his servants to invite...
Cortez: The Power of Two
IN THE 18th chapter of Matthew, we find the famous lines of our Lord Jesus when he said: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for...
Cortez: A Reflection on the Parable of the Two Sons
THIS Sunday’s gospel, as recorded in Matthew 21:28-32, is often called the “Parable of Two Sons.” Addressing the chief priests and elders of the people, Jesus narrates the story about a father who commissioned each of his two sons to go to the vineyard and work.
The first son replied, “I...
Cortez: Forgiving…That We May be Forgiven
THE Gospel this Sunday, as recorded in Matthew 18:21-35, highlights one very important principle of Christian life -- that of forgiving others as a requisite to receive God forgiveness.
Peter asks our Lord, “If my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? Seven times?” Jesus...
Cortez: Rebuking in the Name of Love
THE readings and the gospel this Sunday speak about our duty as Christians to win our sinning brothers and sisters back to the Lord.
In the first reading, Ezekiel was appointed watchman for the house of Israel. As such, he shall warn the wicked for his sins. If the prophet refuses to do...
Cortez: Christian Suffering
THIS Sunday’s gospel, as recorded in Matthew 16:21-27, is a continuation of last Sunday’s gospel. Recall that Simon, in response to Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” correctly declared, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
