The speaker in the House of Representatives, Pantaleon Alvarez, and the member from Capiz, Fredenil Castro, want to put the death penalty back on the Philippine law books claiming that it is a deterrent to crime.

A few weeks ago, 69 Vietnamese victims of human trafficking were found in The Philippines. They had been brought from Vietnam two at a time on tourist visas by a syndicate and made to work for three years, on low wages or none at all, by human traffickers.

The whole group was then abandoned by the gang-masters, declared indigent and deported.

Dahil sa kahirapan at kakulangan ng oportunidad sa sariling bayan, marami sa ating mga kapwa Pilipino ang nangingibang bansa upang manilbihan. Buong tapang na nakikipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa kahit hindi alam kung anong kalagayan ang haharapin at anong pagtrato ang dadanasin sa magiging amo.

Di inaalintana kahit ang sariling kaligtasan at walang kasiguruhan, kahit marami na ang napabalita na naabuso o napagsamantalahan. 

God speaks in the silence of our heart.

The good news he would like to impart.

To have him in the communion of the heart.

Welcome him and let us have a good start.

Are we aware of God’s presence each day?

If not, start to feel his presence from today.

Lily passed away one Sunday morning in spring,

when the sunlight is warm

Our love is with her.

That Saturday morning

She left home early for the university.

She told us that she would come home early for dinner

after her service in church.

Sitting high in the judgement seat keeps us from getting on our knees. Matthew 7:1 says, “Do not judge others so that God will not judge you.”

Many celebrities act like judges. Some even have their own television shows where they scold, cajole and sentence those who are invited on the show. Sometimes it is tempting to put on the long black robes ourselves and pass judgement on others. It is easy for us to see their faults and pronounce them guilty.

Notre Dame parish in Ma Tau Wei, Kowloon, held a whole day celebration of Mercy Sunday on April 3.

The day began with a Mass in Chinese at 8.00am celebrated by Father Joseph So Chi-chu and the exposition of the blessed sacrament at noon, followed by the recitation of the Chaplet of Mercy, also in Chinese. The sacrament of reconciliation was available throughout the day.

HONG KONG (UCAN): Despite finding comfort in the latest apostolic exhortation from Pope Francis, The Joy of Love (Amoris Laetitia), a divorced and remarried Catholic in Hong Kong said she has lost faith in the Church hierarchy and would not seek its help anymore in resolving the issue of her divorce after two failed attempts.