Opinion: Turning Evil into Good by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

THERE IS is a fascinating book entitled “The Obstacle is the Way” by Ryan Holiday.  The book teaches us how we can draw good things from everything even in seemingly bad situations.

Opinion: The Virtue of Prudence by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

HOW DO we become more prudent?  By being more wise.  But how do we acquire wisdom?  Wisdom is rooted in values.  The term “values” is derived from the word valuable, or anything that is precious or important to us.  When you ask a person, what are your values? It is tantamount to asking what you hold important in your life. 

Opinion: The Virtue of Meekness By Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

TO COUNTER the capital sin of anger, we need to talk about its antidote.  There are two beatitudes that confront the deadly sin of anger: meekness and its product, peacemaking.

Opinion: The Virtue of Loyalty By Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

LOYALTY is fulfilling a promise made by way of oath, or allegiance to a person or institution.  It is under the virtue of justice.  For loyalty to be virtuous, it must serve what is good.  Blind loyalty is not a virtue but a vice.

Opinion: The Theological Virtue of Faith by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

FAITH IS a very rich virtue.  Much like the virtue of charity it has many definitions.  Faith in God means to believe, to trust and to obey Him.  St. Thomas Aquinas calls faith the door to spiritual life.  It is the door to our relationship with God. 

Opinion: Virtue of Generosity by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

THE VIRTUE of generosity is giving to another person something of yours as an act of freewill.  It is giving something usually monetary not out of obligation but out of goodness of one’s heart.

Opinion: The Virtue of Forgiveness by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

“LIVING A life of unforgiveness is like driving your car with your parking brake on.  It causes you to slow down and lose your momentum.  And you end up tired and worn-out.”  (John Mason) Holding a grudge is like having a termite inside you.

Opinion: The One Thing Necessary by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

IN the corporate setting, the one thing necessary is the most important office task of the day. When we get to do it, we could say that our day was purposeful and meaningful.  Prioritizing and accomplishing the important tasks of the day is one of the main ingredients in time management.  

Opinion: The Theological Virtue of Charity by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

IN Genesis Chapter 22 of the Old Testament, God put Abraham to test by asking Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a human sacrifice only to be held on when Abraham was about to kill Isaac.

Opinion: The Theological Virtue of Faith by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

FAITH is a very rich virtue.  Much like the virtue of charity it has many definitions.  Faith in God means to believe, to trust and to obey Him.  St. Thomas Aquinas calls faith the door to spiritual life. 

OPINION: The Spiritual Dimension of Our Everyday Work by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

SOME PEOPLE might shun work and be turned off from it because it requires effort and with effort there is tiredness. We might ask, “Is work a punishment from God?  

OPINION: The Next Small Step by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

GOD PAYS attention to small things.  We should too.  When Christ did a miracle of multiplying the loaves and fishes to feed five thousand people, he instructed his disciples to gather the left-over food.

OPINION: Solidarity with Others and Envy by Engr Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

HERE'S another virtue that we can appreciate better if we talk first about its opposing vice.  The virtue we are referring to can have many names.  It can be called solidarity with others or being united with them in their cause or in their joys as much as we are united with them in their sorrows. 

OPINION: Saying No to Some Things Means Yes to Better Things by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

A GOOD idea is not necessarily a “God idea” says John Mason.  He meant that there are many good, noble things in life you can engage yourself in, but you don’t have to, because you will lose your focus.  Just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should.  

OPINION: Sanity and Sanctity by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

SANITY IS defined as being in the right mind.  It can also mean having a rational or reasonable behavior.  In short it is using our head rather than our heart or our feelings.  Sanctity on the other hand is holiness or saintliness.  It is associated with seeking sanctity or trying to become a saint.  

OPINION: Questioning our Faith by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

FIRST OF all, is it important to ask questions?  Yes, because we are humans.  It’s human to ask questions.  God doesn’t have to ask questions because He knows everything.  Angels don’t ask questions because they get their knowledge from God by mental telepathy thus, they also know everything.  And of course, animals don’t ask questions. 

OPINION: Proofs of the existence of our soul by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

HOLY SCRIPTURE is very clear in telling us that there is life after death. As a consequence of that, we therefore have something within us that does not die.  It can’t be our body since it can only live by an average of 71 years, which is the life expectancy in the Philippines according to the World Health Organization. 

OPINION: A Powerful Statement from Scripture by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

THE TERM powerful here means authoritative and forceful. Holy Scripture contains many powerful statements and one of them is from the Gospel of St. Matthew that says, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet lose their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?  (Matthew 16:26)

OPINION: Overcoming Our Limiting Beliefs by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

A LIMITING belief is a personal belief that hinders us from our growth in the area of faith, family, marriage, finances and health.  It is akin to a superstitious belief. 

OPINION: Ordering our Life in Christ by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

A MONSTRANCE is a sacred vessel that contains the sacred Host so that Jesus in the form of bread can be adored.  If we have been to a Perpetual Adoration Chapel found in our churches the vessel containing the sacred Host on display inside the chapel is the monstrance.  The word monstrance comes from the Latin word “monstrare” which means “to show”.  The vessel is very ornate in design, usually forming a sunburst to symbolize Christ’s radiance of light, love and holiness.