BJ Gonzalvo

Finding Meaning in Our Rituals and Traditions

Traditions and rituals mark important moments in our story that must be remembered and passed down to future generations. They allow us to not only remember but acknowledge, appreciate, and honor the stories of those who have gone before us.

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The Power of Positivity and Prayer to Start a Purposeful Day

When I was discerning the priesthood/religious life, I got to spend time with several religious orders and learned quite a few valuable lessons. That time afforded me the opportunity to not only explore my vocation but also pick up and develop important habits for daily living.

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The Crisis of Our Age: The Loss of the Interior of Our Lives

It is hard to believe that this quote is from the year 1078 when Saint Anselm wrote it in his Proslogion (in English, it translates: “Discourse on the Existence of God”):

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Lent Gets Personal

I Love Lent! As a Catholic, I really love all these opportunities to celebrate the cycling of the seasons of life throughout the year.

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Reading Makes Saints

Saint Josemaria Escriva once said, “Reading has made many saints.” And indeed, many of the saints we admire now started their own spiritual journeys by reading.

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Church Volunteers - the Hands and Feet of Christ

Church volunteers make the parish vibrant. They are the backbone of the Church. They come from different backgrounds serving as altar servers, Eucharistic ministers, musicians, catechists, lectors, kitchen servers, and yes, volunteers include our priests and nuns.

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Nomophobia? Let Go, Look Up, Let God

Nomophobia. It's short for "No mobile phone phobia." It's become such a problem that now there's a term for it. It's the new term being used to describe our growing irrational fear of not being able to use or not having our mobile devices.

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New Year's Resolution: One Rosary Bead at a Time

I remember when I was first told to lead a decade of the rosary. I got so uneasy and intimidated as my turn approached. I was afraid that I would fumble holding the beads, lose count, or not say it the way it should be said.

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The Power of Music to Lead us to the Divine

Music does inexplicable things to us. The hills are alive with the sound of music. Music moves us. It sways us and causes us to tap our fingers or bop our heads as we listen to the rhythm and beat of that Drake’s “In My Feelings” hiphop hit or Taylor Swift's version of "Last Christmas".

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Sharing the Joy of Christmas through Simbang Gabi

This Advent Season, you'll probably encounter the Filipino tradition of celebrating Simbang Gabi at your local parish. For many Filipinos, Christmas is a very exciting celebration and we tend to go all out in our expressing our faith, our joy, and excitement during this time of year.

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Three Attributes St. Joan of Arc Taught This Military Veteran

The opportunity that I had to serve in the military is definitely a source of pride and honor for me. It was one of the most challenging things I have done in my life and it would not have been possible if not for the role models I had as a young service member. In the day-to-day challenges brought on by military life, I often drew lessons from the lives of the saints to give me inspiration,

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Revisiting Halloween in the Philippines

With the forces of globalization, secularization, social media, and whatever else, the Halloween I remember as a child in the Philippines in the 1980s, or what’s called “Todos Los Santos” (All Saints Day) or “Undas” might be morphing into something completely different nowadays. It might also be losing its meaning, its value, and ultimately its sacredness.

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Church of Immigrants - Recognizing Christ in the Other

In his book, “Religion and Immigration,” sociologist Peter Kivisto pointed out that religion was once a neglected topic in migration studies. But for many immigrants, religion is really a vital aspect of the resettlement experience. Timothy Smith even proposed that immigration is a “theologizing experience.”

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Rest in Peace, Humility?

Mother Teresa and Saint Francis of Assisi constantly reminded their followers that the work they did was not theirs but God’s.

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The Filipino Saints for the Filipino American in Me

As an Asian American male growing up, there wasn’t a lot of popular public figures that I could recall treating as my childhood hero other than Bruce Lee.

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