Dear OLP Family,

Happy Feast of Epiphany! Usually I take my vacation in January. As you read this, God willing, I will be far away in Kerala, India. I use this time to be with my mom who is in her 90’s and visit my siblings, family, and friends.

Let me now share with you a reflection on Epiphany. That word, in its Greek origin, refers to God’s revelation to humans.

Dear OLP Family,

Merry Christmas! I do hope you all had a happy time with your families for Christmas dinner. But it takes more than a festive Christmas dinner for many families to really have a great time with each other. Bringing a family together requires the patience to listen, the selflessness to forgive, the commitment to heal and mend.

Dear OLP Family,

Merry Christmas! Christmas is that magical time of the year when glittering decorations line the streets and homes and children are eagerly waiting to open the gifts under the tree. One word that we need to understand and reaffirm at Christmas is ‘incarnation.’ It literally means taking flesh. Christmas is the feast of God incarnating as a human being.

Dear OLP Family,

Just ten days more! It’s the season to be jolly! Christmas and New Year season is an exciting time but it can also be a time of frenzy. Is it going to be a wonderful time filled with fun, peace, joy, laughter, optimism, fellowship, family, friends, good food, giving, winter activities, cozy evenings, and fond memories? Or is it going to be a miserable time for stress, anxiety, sadness, frustration, hurry, loneliness, disappointment, overworking, overeating, over drinking, and overspending?

Dear OLP Family,

The Advent season is a time of preparation. “A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.’” (Isaiah 40:3). We keep hearing this call from John the Baptist too, the immediate forerunner of the Messiah.

Dear OLP Family,

Today we begin Advent - our yearly pilgrimage through the events of our history of salvation starting with the preparation for the birthday celebration of Jesus and ending with the reflection on his glorious “second coming” as judge at the end of the world. Advent means coming.

Dear OLP Family,

We are in the Thanksgiving Week. Is Thanksgiving a religious holiday or a secular celebration? Although the secularism of our present culture may have turned the focus more to indulging in food, fun, games, and family gathering, we must not forget the history and the religious significance of this quintessential American holiday.

Dear OLP Family,

Did you hear the recent debate about Mother Mary in Catholic and non-Catholic circles all over the world? It is based on a doctrinal note that the Vatican issued on November 4, 2025, titled Mater populi fidelis (The Mother of the Faithful People). This note offered positive guidance for Marian devotion while cautioning against expressions that might be misunderstood.

Dear OLP Family,

Why is the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica celebrated today? Because, this anniversary is ranked as a 'Feast' unlike the 'Memorial' of other Roman churches (St. Mary Major, St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Paul Outside the Wall). The dedication of a church is a feast for all its parishioners. St. John Lateran is, in a sense, the parish church of all Catholics, for it is the pope's parish, the cathedral church of the Bishop of Rome.

Dear OLP Family,

We are entering the month of November that reminds us so much about death and life after death. Today being All Soul’s Day, we pray for all the departed souls. Our 12 noon service is a special Memorial Mass during which those who passed away this year are remembered and prayed for. We welcome, in a special way, the families and friends grieving the loss of a dear one this year. Reading their names reminds us that they are still part of our life.