Krus at Lipunan

ALIAS OVES HABEO Screenshot from Philippine Star Facebook Page “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (Jn 10:16) Jesus mentioned in the Johannine Gospel that there are other sheep which he must lead. These sheep do not belong to the flock on whom these words were addressed. According to some biblical commentaries, these pertains to other group of ‘Apostolic Christians’ who does not go along for some unknown reason with the Johannine community. The beloved disciple tries to convey among his audience that no one has the monopoly of Christ, the Good Shepherd.  He is the Good Shepherd that searches for the lost (cf. Mt 18:12-14; Lk 15:3-7) and prayed for all the Father has given him (Jn 17:6-26) that all of us may become one like his oneness with the Father. When John told the Lord that they prevent someone who cast away demons in his name simply because this person does not b...

Krus at Lipunan: A Filipino Theology of Liberation “Not a Silent Yes: Mary, Mother of God, and the Cry of Filipino Women Against Violence”   The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God is often received in Catholic piety as a gentle and consoling feast, marked by images of serene motherhood and quiet obedience. Yet such domesticated portrayals risk muting the disruptive power of this celebration. Properly understood, the title  Theotokos,  Mary as God-bearer, is not a sentimental honorific but a theological and political claim: God enters history through the body, consent, and risk of a woman. In societies where women’s bodies continue to be sites of control, abuse, and violence, this claim is anything but neutral. In the Philippine context, where gender-based violence remains widespread, the Solemnity of Mary confronts the Church with an uncomfortable question: what does it mean to venerate the Mother of God while women’s dignity is daily violated? The affirmation of Mary...

Krus at Lipunan: A Filipino Theology of Liberation “The Cross and the Sickle” Rev. Boyet Dalogdog, Jr., MTh The Catholic Proletariat stands as the heart of society, the faithful masses whose overlooked yet sacred dignity pulses with the very life of the Church. They are the workers, farmers, skilled laborers—people who labor with sweat and sacrifice, sustaining communities and bearing heavy burdens. These souls are not forgotten by God but cherished, made in His image (Genesis 1:26 NRSV), and called to rise with a collective strength rooted in faith, justice, and mercy. Dorothy Day , through her profound witness in the Catholic Worker Movement, invites us to see the poor as "the jewels of society," reflecting the divine image with unspeakable worth. Her prophetic voice pierced through the complacency of her era, denouncing the hypocrisy of those who scold the poor yet shield the sins of the wealthy. She lived out the mandate of Proverbs 31:8-9, pleading, "Open your m...

Krus at Lipunan: A Filipino Theology of Liberation Mary, at the Dusk of Life: A Reflection on the Final Journey By Rev. Boyet Dalogdog, MTh. Photo Credits: RMN Zamboanga (Bong Simbajon) Last October 12, during the solemn pontifical Mass for Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar , a breathtaking sunset painted the eastern wall of Fort Pilar, where the image of the Blessed Mother stands in silent vigil. The sky shimmered with golden-orange hues, a magnificent blend of earth and heaven meeting in one sacred moment. This radiant dusk, tender and gentle, whispered to the soul of all who beheld it: soon, night will fall, and darkness will cloak us once more, but this darkness is not to be feared. It is the final veil before the sunrise of eternal life. As I scrolled through my Facebook feed, I saw many friends post images of that same sunset, capturing the spirit of Mary’s maternal presence watching over her children in Zamboanga. Her presence in that twilight evokes a powerful image: Mar...

The Flood and the Gate: A Lucan Liberation Reflection on Corruption and Indifference By Lou Joshua Francisco “There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores…”   — Luke 16:19–20 The Flood is Not Just Water Every rainy season, the flood returns — merciless, familiar, biblical. Streets turn into rivers, homes into islands, and lives into statistics. But the true flood is not the one that comes from the sky. It is the flood that rises from the rot beneath   — the flood of corruption, neglect, and indifference. Each typhoon unmasks the same tragedy: billions for “flood control,” yet the poor still drown. Behind every submerged barangay is a contractor who smiled at a ribbon-cutting, a politician who took credit, and a system that has long forgotten compassion. The flood exposes what we refuse to see — a moral failure  far deeper than any river.  At the heart of i...

Krus at Lipunan: A Filipino Theology of Liberation USQUEQUO, DOMINE? (How long, O Lord?) Open-Letter to our Shepherds on World Mental Health Awareness Day 2025 October 10, 2025 “How long, O Lord? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me?” — Psalm 13:1 (NABRE) Dear Shepherds — bishops, priests, religious, and all who bear the scent of the sheep — Peace be with you! I do not write as an authority but rather as one who has gone through silent periods, times when faith was hardly there and the heart was so heavy that even words found it hard to express. During the quiet time of praying and suffering, I discovered that a lot of people among us have hidden weights. Some identify them as mental health problems, while others simply say it is a time when making it through the day is the only grace there is. I write to invite you to join me not to answer my query, but to listen — the listening that gets one healed. The psalmist is not doubting God'...