FEAST OF THE DEDICATION OF THE BASILICA OF ST. JOHN LATERAN- A Stream of Grace: From Childhood Memories to the Waters Of Salvation

One of the sweetest memories from my childhood was spending summer days in the hills of Córdoba, Argentina, in a small village where my grandparents lived. We’d visit them every year, and those days were filled with joy. I remember the stream that ran down through the colorful stones, its waters crystal clear, fresh, and pure. My younger brother, cousins, and I would play in it until sunset—building little dams, catching tiny fish, splashing around. Time flew by so fast! Last year, my brother came to visit me, and we went to Tai-O, on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Some Filipino friends took us to a waterfall that poured down from the mountain. The solitude of the place, the shadows, and the cool, clear water brought back those unforgettable days by the stream in that little village on the hills. 

OPEN YOUR BIBLE (7) – Amos and Amaziah (Amos 7:10–17): The Authority of the Prophetic Word

In Amos 7:10–17, we witness a dramatic confrontation between the prophet Amos and Amaziah, the priest of Bethel. Amaziah, acting as a royal official, reports Amos to King Jeroboam II, accusing him of conspiracy and sedition: “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words.” (Am 7:10) Amaziah’s reaction reveals the tension between prophetic truth and institutional power. Amos, a shepherd from Judah, is seen as a threat to the Northern Kingdom’s political and religious establishment. This episode illustrates a central biblical principle: the prophetic vocation stands above monarchy and priesthood, serving as the voice of God’s justice and mercy.

KENYAN PRIEST AMBROSE KIMUTAI – God’s Servant Alongside Small Tea Producers

After Sunday Mass on October 26th, Father Ambrose Kimutai, parish priest of the church in Ndaraweta, Bomet County, in the Western Rift Valley, once again drew attention to the exploitation suffered by small tea producers, whose wealth inevitably ends up in the hands of corrupt officials. With this appeal, Father Ambrose is giving voice to the “small tea producers of Bomet, Kericho, and Nandi counties.” They are the ones who produce the enormous quantities of tea from which Kenya reaps huge profits through its export, which, in theory, allows it to pay the salaries of civil servants, teachers, and other employees. However, “and unfortunately,” the very system created by the government is destroying small farmers, imposing structures that exploit them and prevent them from obtaining sufficient income. Father Ambrose refers to the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), a state agency founded in 1964 with the intention of helping local farmers improve their production and which buys a large portion of the tea grown in the Rift Valley region.