Pastors Desk 03-12-17
There is a mysterious story in 2 Kings that can help us understand what is happening in the Transfiguration. Israel is at war with Aram, and Elisha, the man of God, is using his prophetic powers to reveal the strategic plans of the Aramean army to the Israelites. At...
Pastors Desk 03-05-17
In Greek mythology, the Sirens are creatures with the heads of beautiful women and the bodies of attractive birds. They lived on an island (Sirenum scopuli; three small rocky islands) and, with the irresistible charm of their song, they lured mariners to their...
Pastors Desk 02-26-17
Of the many volunteers who help in the smooth running of our church, Mass Coordinators are very special. Because all the activities in our church is finally geared to the celebration of the Eucharist which the Vatican II calls it as “the source and the summit of the...
Pastors Desk 02-19-17
On the Veterans Day of November 1996, Phan Thi Kim Phuc, now 33, came to the black granite Vietnam Veterans Memorial as a wife and mother, to tell several thousand spectators that she forgives those who bombed her village and has put the past behind her. Kim Phu...
Pastors Desk 02-12-17
Some of the memorable events in my life as a priest have taken place during the last six years that I have been the pastor of St. Joachim parish, Hayward. One such incident took place on Friday, January 27th 2017. I was informed by our office secretary that a couple...
Pastors Desk 02-05-17
It is such a joy to celebrate mass in St.Joachim church. One of main the reasons is our parish is blessed with committed group of volunteers who meticulously prepare everything needed prior to the celebration of the mass. All these committed volunteers trace their...
Pastors Desk 01-29-17
The feasts and festivals that we had celebrated in recent times such as the Festival of Guadalupe, the Simbang Gabi celebrations, the Posada celebrations, the festival of Christmas etc., has demonstrated beyond doubt that St. Joachim is full of life. Quite a few times...
Pastors Desk 01-22-17
On Saturday January 14th I was informed that Tita Ising Buendia died the previous day in the Philippines. The first thought that came to my mind was, “what a saintly woman we had and lost.” Indeed I consider it such a privilege and fortune to have come to know her....
Pastors Desk 01-15-17
On Saturday 7th 2017, as I was waiting for the entrance hymn to begin to proceed to the altar, one of our parishioners came closer to me and said, “It makes me feel sad that next week we are going to take down the Christmas decorations. This year’s Christmas...
Pastors Desk 01-08-17
It was a hot day in July 1969 on board an aircraft carrier in the Pacific. Sailors with binoculars were searching the sky above the carrier. Suddenly they let out a yell. There, orange and white parachutes exploded and bloomed in the blue sky. Dangling from them was a...
Pastors Desk 01-01-17
A boy asked his father, "Dad, if three frogs were sitting on a limb that hangs over a pool, and one frog decided to jump off into the pool, how many frogs would be left on the limb?" The dad replied, "Two." "No," the son replied. “Here is the question again: There are...
Pastors Desk 12-25-16
It was the day after Christmas at a church in San Francisco. The pastor of the church was looking at the manger scene, when he noticed that the baby Jesus figure was missing from the cradle. He immediately turned and went outside and saw a little boy with a red wagon...