ONCE the Sun smilingly received a challenge from the whirling Wind to see who was the stronger. With undisguised pride, the Wind said, “I will prove to you that I am stronger. See down the road that old man wearing a big coat? I bet you I can take away his coat much quicker than you can.” “Okay,” replied the Sun, as he humbly hid behind some clouds through which he could still see what the Wind would be doing.

The Wind huffed and puffed with all his might thereby raising a great cloud of dust. However, the harder he huffed, the tighter the old man clung to his coat. In the end the Wind gasped for breath and gave the Sun his chance to take off the old man’s coat from his back. (more)

By Evelyn R. Luab
Light Sunday

My naughty grandson easily says “sori, sori” (sorry) if his small, tin car lands on Kates’s head or his big fire truck hits my toes. However, we always tell him it’s not enough to say “sorry!” Make amends!

Peter denied Jesus Christ no less than three times and he made several blunders in his early life, but after the crucifixion, Peter became the strong one. He preached the word of God far and wide, and showed his strength in his faith. He more than made up. He died a martyr.

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By Fr. Flor Lagura, SVD
In the Service of the Word

Right after Easter the parish of St. Therese will celebrate with their missionary priest-pastor, Fr. Francis, his golden jubilee as a priest. At the end of the jubilee mass the choir will render “Handel’s Halleluiah” as well as the Latin song, “Gaudeamus igitur” (Therefore let us rejoice).

At Easter when peoples of all ages have all the reason to say, “Thank you!” I fondly recall the years I served in the island parishes of Siargao, Socorro and Dinagat. As the Easter Vigil comes to a close, the parishioners, instead of going home to sleep then get up early the next day, would immediately hold the traditional “sugat” with the men folk processing in one direction in order to meet with the women coming from the other direction.

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By Celeste Faith dela Cruz

THE Archdiocese of Cebu continues being relevant to today’s youth with the holding of the 11th Vocation Jamboree (VocJam) at the Cebu International Convention Center last February 23.

With the theme “Our Way: Jesus,” the gathering aimed to help young people discern God’s will for them. It gathered 10,000 participants from various schools and religions organizations.

Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal said the core of the activity was to let the youth understand the meaning of discernment and how a vocation search-in can be a tool for that.

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By Fr. Flor Lagura, SVD
In the Service of the Word

PEOPLE, like Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens� A Christmas Carol who summarily dismisses Christmas saying, �Bah, Humbug!� and loves to wield their control over others, make people below them feel so small and powerless that they can turn to no one else but God to help them.

Six centuries earlier, St. Francis of Assisi realized the lesson of the coming of Christ, the lesson of poverty and weakness of the Almighty and Supreme God. This saint made the first belen before which he used to meditate during Advent on the meaning of the coming of the Lord. His Franciscan brothers continue to do so in many places of the world.

One of these places is the village in Judea where John the Baptist was born. The Franciscan Friars built near the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth a church aptly called the Church of the Visitation. The place has a fantastic view of the city of Jerusalem.

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