Fyodor Dostoevsky, who lived in the 19th century Russia, was not a psychologist; he was a writer.  However, through his writings he showed insights into humanity and spirituality like no other; one of them is this: “that the whole work of man really seems to consist in nothing but proving to ...

On Wednesday morning, Christ Our Lord came to take Oom Peter Subadya, Santy’s dad and my father in-law, home. For years he was bedridden, unable to stand and walk; and had to endure discomfort and sometimes pain. Several times he was rushed to the hospital for emergency care, taken on a stretcher,...

Some people look forward to retirement, but some do not. In fact, some dread it, like a germ we must stay away from. Like it or not, we must retire, we cannot and should not hold on to our positions. Work has no expiration date, but job does. Those who look forward to retirement usually […]...

In his devotionals, Inspirasi Hidup (Life’s Inspiration), A. J. Soenarja, SJ, points out the fact that Moses was a not leader of an army that obeyed and admired him. On the contrary, they never stopped expressing their dissatisfaction and disobedience to him. So, here lies the secret that made Mos...

Every week I meet this father and his son in the locker room at the YMCA where Santy and I go swimming.  The father is in his late 50s and the son, in his late 20s; and both are mentally challenged. But this is what I always notice: They are always talking to each other. […]...

Last week while I was reading on our patio, I noticed something on a small plant that we had in our side yard: a bee swarm!  Hundreds or perhaps thousands of bees were hanging on that little plant.  I was surprised because a couple of days before, I didn’t see them there.  I guessed...

God can do anything; there is nothing that He cannot do.  But our reading on Mark 6:5 says differently, “He could not do any miracles there, except lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them.”  At the time, Jesus Our Lord was visiting His hometown Nazareth and as usual, He wanted...

Recently I read a study about the relationship between gratitude and longevity that involved thousands of participants over a long period of time.  It showed that those who experienced gratitude tend to live longer than those who did not experience gratitude. Further, the study showed that thos...

This week two people that I knew from my middle school years passed away: a classmate and a classmate’s mother.  My classmate reportedly did not even know that she was sick until it was too late.  Within months she succumbed to her disease and died.  The mother of my classmate fell ...

Oom Anton Tan told me a story that made me chuckled.  The other day while he was at a donut shop, he spotted an old lady.  Wanting to be friendly as he walked by her, he greeted her, “Good morning.”  The old lady looked up and warmly reciprocated the friendly gesture by exclaiming...