Ang mga ilaw na hindi pwedeng mapundi (The lights that must not burn out)

We cannot teach or demand excellence from others (in my context, demanding excellence from my students) without discussing responsibilities. In a way, staying mediocre is more convenient because it means less responsibilities. It’s also less risk in terms of avoiding burning out.

The challenge is that we cannot let our students burn out too. Sila ang mga ilaw na hindi pwedeng mapundi. People are not lightbulbs or candles that can be disposed and replaced.

How can we demand excellence without leading to burnout?


Matthew 5:13-16. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-164: JUNE 13, 2023]

On emotions, peace, and boredom

The highest form of worship for Catholics, which is the Holy Mass, is less about heightened senses and more about inviting peace.

Isn’t this contrary to what we expect of rituals – the heightened emotions, spectacle, and the celebrations?

When I was young, I conflated peace with boredom. But going through this adulting and parenting phase, I realize how rare true peace really is. Boredom is when we are not moving and cannot find something meaningful to do. Peace is when we know what we could do and what we have accomplished, then letting go of those beyond our control. Boredom makes us feel stagnant, while peacefulness predisposes us to flourishing.


Matthew 5:1-12. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-163: JUNE 12, 2023]

A tangible and literal unconditional love

Please pardon the imagery if this is sensitive for you. Witnessing my wife breastfeed my son and learning how a mom’s breastmilk can adapt its nutrients based on the needs of the child is nothing short of amazing.

I would even go as far as saying that it is a tangible and literal form of unconditional love – the baby cries, then the mother gives without expecting anything in return. The body produces just the right nutrients to nourish not one’s own body but another.

Three months of sleepless nights into raising my son, we’ve already gone through challenges. I realize and am grateful for all the things that went right for my son to continue being healthy and resilient against various illnesses (we just came home from the hospital). So many things have to fall into place to nourish a baby.

And nothing is as compelling as witnessing my wife truly become a mother, ready to care and nourish our son.


John 6:51-58. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live for ever.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-162: JUNE 11, 2023]

Authentic and whole

If we do not know who we are and who we ought to be, we cannot fully devote ourselves to a cause or to a mission.

In the greater scheme of things, what matters is less about the number of times we serve and more about how much of ourselves do we give when we serve.


Mark 12:38-44. “I tell you that this poor widow put more in the offering box than all the others. For the others put in what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, put in all she had — she gave all she had to live on.”

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-161: JUNE 10, 2023]

Where does insight come from?

We must pay attention to our experiences, for these can trigger questions for reflections.

The formation of insight indeed happens inside us, not outside us. When we gain information from others, it is simply a transfer of knowledge. But when the information or experience resonates with us, we allow insights to form.

In a way, the term “extract insight” or “extract meaning” seem to be misrepresentations of the authentic insight experience. We can be provoked, triggered, or inspired by external entities, but it is us who must keep an open mind and heart.


Mark 12:35-37. The Holy Spirit inspired David to say: ‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit here on my right until I put your enemies under your feet.’

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-160: JUNE 9, 2023]

“In love” and “loving”

Being “in love” depicts being in a state of feeling, while “loving” depicts an action born out of both feeling and acting.

Oftentimes, I hear stories about people searching for the former rather than the latter. “I want to feel in love” versus “I want to learn how to love”.

Doing the latter requires more sacrifice, insight, and commitment.


Mark 12:28-34. And to love God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, is more important than to offer animals and other sacrifices to God.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-159: JUNE 8, 2023]

Living with

Having a family of my own while also being part of a bigger family (and community) punctuates how essential it is to live with others. Even as an introvert, I find that there is strength and inspiration in being able to live with people we love.

Indeed, as we truly live with each other, we can approximate what it means to have a great spirit emerge out of our genuine love towards one another.


Mark 12:18-27. He is the God of the living, not of the dead.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-158: JUNE 7, 2023]

When we are players in a game we don’t want to play

Sometimes, we can find ourselves reluctant participants in figurative “games” others may instigate. These “games” may refer to the complex interactions, power dynamics, or strategies people use in various spheres of life. Although our initial inclination might be to avoid these confrontations, certain circumstances demand our unwilling participation.

In such instances, it’s essential to have an understanding of the game’s nature, not with the intent to play along, but rather to protect ourselves. This involves learning the rules, deciphering the tactics, and observing the players. A deeper understanding can help us predict certain moves, recognize manipulative strategies, and respond effectively. We’re not aiming to be the best player; we’re aiming to build a strong defense.

Like a chess player who studies the game’s nuances, we need to take the time to comprehend these social dynamics. By doing so, we can avoid being caught off guard and even potentially influence the situation to our advantage.

In the end, we may not have the choice to opt out of the game entirely, but we do have a choice about how we navigate it. This isn’t about winning or losing, it’s about self-preservation and standing tall amidst the challenges that come our way.


Mark 12:13-17. But Jesus saw through their trick and answered, “Why are you trying to trap me? Bring a silver coin, and let me see it.”

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-157: JUNE 6, 2023]

Subtle greed is insidious

When I was an undergraduate student, during my frosh year, I was guilty of an insidious mindset. I thought that the best way was to have the least amount of effort for the highest amount of grade. Positively, this could be framed as “working smart”. But negatively, with hindsight, I’d frame this mindset as “subtle greed”.

This mindset is insidious because it breeds entitlement and predisposes a person to game the numbers. It can put authentic learning on the sidelines. This mindset initially made me view grade consultations as a game of haggling, bargaining, and negotiating with my professors. Now, I realize that this mindset made me an inauthentic student during my early college years.

Looking at my journey in college, I recall meaningfully the courses that I barely passed or those courses where I put a lot of effort but was very satisfied with a 2.5 grade (in the DLSU system, 0.0 is fail, 1.0 is pass, 4.0 is exemplary). Now, as a teacher, I lament instances where students would bargain not to pass a course, but to turn a 3.5 into 4.0 under the pretense of being a Latin honors candidate.

Fortunately, I was able to get a hold of myself in my latter years as an undergraduate and carried a respectable work ethic in my masteral and doctoral journey. Indeed, the best way is a reasonable amount of effort for the highest amount of learning – that time, I knew my weaknesses, what I was willing to sacrifice, and what I needed to preserve to maintain my mental health. And this mindset, I’d like to believe, put me in a space where I can better thrive as a whole person.

The tricky thing with “subtle greed” is it’s hard to notice and easy to justify. It takes a very sober understanding of our weaknesses to stare at ourselves in the mirror and say: “This is not good enough, this is not who I am, and this is not who I am meant to be.”


Mark 12:1-12. But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the owner’s son. Come on, let’s kill him, and his property will be ours!’

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-156: JUNE 5, 2023]

On believing, reflecting, and insighting

When we read the words “I believe”, it seems like an easy phrase to utter and an easy act to perform. However, these words carry much weight.

Beliefs are the accumulation of external influences and our internal conditions – in other words, beliefs should be the accumulation of our insights. Insights are the culmination of our reflections.

Therefore, to claim that we believe in an almighty benevolent God means we have opened ourselves to inquiry and we have courageously danced the tensions of faith and yet-to-be-resolved doubt. It’s not sufficient to utter what we claim; we must live it, again and again.


John 3:16-18. Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God’s only Son.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-155: JUNE 4, 2023]