Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Author: A Dose of God Today

  • Believe and Witness

    Believe and Witness

    April 24, 2022 – Second Sunday of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/042422.cfm)

    As Christians, often times, we come across skeptics – people who at least doubt or disbelieve our Christian faith. Once a young man said in the heat of discussion: “I will not believe until I meet Jesus”. And a Catholic missionary retorted him: “But you cannot see if you don’t believe first. Only in faith, that you will be able to experience and witness our risen Lord Jesus Christ”.

    Yes, in this day and age it is unavoidable to meet people who maintain: “To see is to believe”, i.e. to base their faith on facts, sciences and evidences. In other words, they only trust and have confidence on what are sensible, logical, and scientific. Nowadays, it is not easy for others (& even ourselves) to believe. We ask usually for signs, proofs, or evidence in order to trust and have faith on others. We need some credentials first in order for us to believe. Many at times we claim, “We will never believe until we see it”. Others would even say, “Show me the money first before I trust you”.

    However, signs, facts, proofs and evidences are not the basis of our Christian faith – not even on the empty tomb of Jesus, but on the testimony and faith of the disciples and of us who experience & witness the risen Lord as He reveals Himself in our normal lives and such witness has totally transformed us.  Like the disciples in our first reading, faith in the risen Lord makes us experience the risen Lord in our lives, and make us witnesses (sharers of the Lord’s presence) to others. Such Christian faith and witnessing of our risen Lord make us Christian different from other religions.

    Now, what does it entail, to witness Jesus and to be witnesses of Jesus? What does it mean, and how it is to be today’s Christian witnesses of the Lord’s resurrection?

    Same way as being a witness in the court, Christian witnessing entails and requires us:

    1st, to experience the events, or what is going on or happening, as it happens or unfolds in the ordinary life. This would mean we should be there present, and not absent like Thomas, at the moment when Jesus reveals himself to us.

    2nd, Be conscious or aware of what is going on. Physical presence is not enough. We must pay attention to ordinary miracles that are happening in our midst. Thus, our total self must be present and sensitive with His revelations.

    3rd, Let the events happen in its own course. Let things be and happen as it unfolds. Savor the moment without controlling and programming. Don’t interfere or else we become accessory & not anymore a witness.

    4th, be affected by the event – be transformed by the events. Be moved, surprised, amazed, awed, inspired, and shaken by the experience.

    5th, share and testify the events to others, as we have experienced and been affected by the encounter.

    The same process of witnessing happened with the apostles in our gospel today. 1st, while going back to their ordinary lives of fishing and catching nothing, a man appeared and suggested them to fish in the other side of the boat. 2nd, having a great catch, they eventually recognized and became aware that the man is the risen Lord Jesus. 3rd, as no one dared to ask: “who are you”, they let Jesus invite and serve them a breakfast. 4th, with their first breakfast with the Lord, once again they are moved, transformed, and inspired to continue with their faith and mission. 5th, their very meeting and sharing bread and fish with the risen inspired them to follow Him and in feeding the Lord’s lamb in faith and life. In other words, we witness the risen Lord to others, by our being present and conscious of the Lord’s appearances in our ordinary life, meeting him naturally and affectively, and passionately share to others our faith and encounter of the risen Lord.

    Again, Easter is all about the risen Lord continuously meeting us in life – appearing and making himself known to us. As the Lord meets us in our day to day lives, our experience of Him challenges us to believe, i.e. to recognize and trust Him and His ways, as well as to witness Him, i.e. to taste and see (savor) His being with and acting in us, as well as to share our experience of Him with others.

    Easter season reminds us not only of Eucharist as our last supper, but more so, as our usual first breakfast with the risen Lord in our day to day witness of our faith and life. The Lord’s resurrection is thus God’s offer of life and meaning to the whole world – appealing us to Believe and Witness His son Jesus Christ, as we encounter and experience Him in our daily lives. May our Christian faith and celebration of Eucharist, as community continually inspire us to believe and witness the risen Lord to ourselves, others and to all in our lives. Amen.

  • SEE AND BELIEVE

    SEE AND BELIEVE

    April 17, 2022 – Easter Sunday

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041722.cfm)

    Our gospel today proclaims that the disciple saw and believe,…. though they did not yet understand.

    When was the last time you find yourself in this situation? Seeing & Believing, yet not Understanding. Though it happens to us occasionally & once in a while, we do have experienced situations in our lives that we find ourselves seeing & believing, though not yet understanding what is happening.

    Come to think of it. Just for these past few recent years & months, we saw and still seeing a lot of challenging things happening in our lives. We are witnesses lately to life-threatening & life-changing experience of massive infections, sickness, & death caused by Covid pandemic that rendered our lives constricted with lockdowns, quarantine, protocols of social distancing, isolations & immunization. We see also the devastating effects of the natural disaster of typhoons, heavy rains, landslide, & flooding into our livelihood. We see also the influx as well as the lack of humanitarian & government response. We see also the threat of world war & the political turmoil in both local & global level. We have seen & still seeing the best & the worse of humanity & the world unfolding before us.

    As we saw & still see a lot of things happening in our lives lately, we also yet to understand why all these things are happening to us. We still yet to understand the sense, meaning, or purpose of the life we had & having, are now being challenged & changed. We are yet to understand the ever-present losses, worries, anxieties & fears that we are going through a lot these days. We are yet to understanding why we idolize (make God of) others to somehow save us, while we also demonize (make devil of) others to blame of our present predicament.

    As things happen & still happening, and we not yet understanding all these, be as it may, we cannot help but find ourselves believing not only on our own & other’s capacity to rise & respond to the occasion & be responsible for all these. Above all, we cannot help but find ourselves bowing & knelling down in humility before God, believing that He has better plans than what we had, in store for us in our life ahead.

    Consider then that, in our gospel today, as they witnessed themselves the passion, death & burial of our Lord, the disciples had just lost hope & meaning of their very life – Jesus Christ. And worse, amidst their hopelessness & despair, what they saw then is an empty tomb. Jesus was not only gone, but worse His dead body is also gone missing. Their experience of empty tomb & missing body may have been devastating, non-sensical & incomprehensible to them. But they saw & believe, without even understanding yet. They see & believe. They have seen & will forever believing.

    Same way as disciples of Jesus-then, this is also how we will now experience the Lord’s resurrection into our lives now & always – By Seeing & Believing in God’s Plans for us, though not understanding yet.

    Easter, the Season of Our Lord’s Resurrection, challenges us then to See & Believe, even yet to understand the life we are going through at this moment now & will about to happen, for our God has a lot better life in store for us ahead. As we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection this year in our lives, we are invited to view the things that are happening to us now & about to happen ahead in the near future, in Faith in God & with Our Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

    Be reminded then that Easter season is our yearly reminder of God’s everlasting love for us. God assures us that “I have love you with an everlasting love”. His love for us then is from eternity to eternity. He loves us long before & ever since from the beginning, until now & always be forever. And as Henri Nouwen would say: “Life is just a little opportunity for us during a few years to say, “I love you too, My God.” What we have and having now then is just our short chance in life to see & believe in His love & to love Him in return.  

    Though life nowadays may not be comprehensible, or no-sense at all, we do know deep inside & in faith that there are more better life yet to be seen & believed with Our God & our Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

    So, Brace Ourselves. Abangan. For there are more yet to come & to happen, as the Lord has risen into our lives now & always.

    Alleluia. The Lord Has Risen, Indeed. Amen.

  • Home for Holy Week

    Home for Holy Week

    April 10, 2022 – Palm Sunday

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041022.cfm)

    For us Filipinos, there are three occasions in the year that we come home, get together, and spend quality time with our family: Christmas, All Souls’ Day, and Holy Week. These are the moments when and where us, Filipinos BE with each other, that is where and when we experience, encounter, and meet each other again as family and community which usually lead to renewal, deepening and strengthening of bonding and relationships among family. While during Christmas, we are with our family and friends, and during All Souls’ day, with our family and relatives remembering our beloved dead members of the family, Holy Week is particularly our time and space with God.

    Today, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of our Holy Week this year of Faith. These days in this week of this year of faith is our time and space to BE with our God. This week is our God-time and God-space. Particularly this week is more than just our chance to be with God but more so God’s chance to be with us. Meaning, this week is not only our time and space with God but more so GOD’s time and space with us. It is more like God must be first and foremost Be with us rather than We must be with God. The center or focus of this week then is not ourselves but God. This week is not about us and ourselves but about HIM and His being with us now. This is our chance then to experience, encounter and meet God in His own terms and not on our own terms. The best attitude then is to let Him set the agenda, activities, schedules, and venue of this week. Meaning, to let Him take the steering wheel – let Him drive your life this week – let God be God, not be a god as we want or need Him to be.

    To do this and make the best of this week, allow me to suggest some appropriate approaches.

    First, RECALL. As I have said, this is not about us but about Him. So, once again be reminded, that is to put into mind – God’s story with Us which is the Jesus story. We are to call again and remember (to make it member or part of ourselves) what God did, does and is doing to us through the life and mission of Jesus Christ. So, time and space to Recall, Remind, Remember God’s story with us through Jesus rather our story with God.

    Then, REFLECT. This is an invitation to mirror back or reflect back God’s story with and along our faith-story with God now. In other words, Manalamin. To look and see our faith-life experience from the point of view of God’s story and less from our own perspective. Meaning, Be moved. Be disturbed. Be influenced. Be shaken. Be challenged. Be transformed by God’s story, presence, words, movements, plans, agenda and will for us, you and I now.

    And above all, RESPOND to what, when, how, when and where God is calling, inviting, and leading you now in whatever faith-life commitment you choose to be. Meaning, whether you are ordained, married, professed, or baptized Christian, be a BETTER Christian as you choose and committed to be.

    We begin Holy Week today. Recall, Reflect, and Renew what God did, does and is doing in You and Us now by being with God, not in our own terms but in His own terms.

    May we, you and I have a blessed and inspired week ahead.

    So Be it. Amen.

  • FORGIVEN

    FORGIVEN

    April 3, 2022 – 5th Sunday of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040322-YearC.cfm)

    There was once a priest who was so envious of his wise and holy parishioner. Because of jealousy, he made every effort to test and ridicule this parishioner. One day, he confronted the parishioner and said, “Sir, you seem to be a pious & religious person.  I’ve heard that God is so pleased with you. Will you please ask your God what is my greatest sin committed?” The man was not able to reply right there and then, and eventually left sadly. Next day, the man came back, asked for the priest, and said: “Father, God said, not to worry about your sin. He has already forgiven you your sins and even forgot about it.”

    As we listen to our gospel today, we cannot help but hear loudly what Jesus said, “Let be among you who has no sin be the first to cast a stone at her”. Through these words, we can also look at ourselves, examine our own failures and sins committed against God and others. Yes, it is true. It is easy for us to see and be sensitive of the faults and sins of others than ourselves. It is easy for us to judge other, to cast a stone or smear dirt on others, likes the Pharisees and teachers of the Law would do. Because of our self-righteousness and over conscious of other’s faults and sins, many lives and relationships shattered and broken. Through these words of Jesus, we can reflect back on our own lives and see our own failures and sins – our sinfulness. And it is not for us to judge others because we are also sinners, and have also committed mistakes, failures, and sins in life.

    However, if we also reflect deeply, the gospel message today is more than just an instruction for us not to judge other, and to examine ourselves and be sorry for our own sins and failures. We are also challenged today in our gospel to recognize and trust in God’s forgiveness and mercy. Yes, it is easy for us to see the faults of other, and slow for us to look on our own sins, but we also know that in the midst of these faults and failures, God intervenes, forgives, and saves us.

    In our gospel today, the scribes and the Pharisees become aware and realize their own faults and sinfulness. But the story does not end there – admitting their sins. It ended when the woman receives the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness. Jesus said, “No one condemns you. Nor do I condemn you. You may go. But from now on, avoid this sin.”

    Like the Pharisees and scribes, it is not enough for us just to be sorry for our mistake. We must also receive God’s forgiveness and mercy. Meaning, the good news is not in the realization and admittance of our sins but in receiving God’s mercy and love. Reconciliation is not only about being sorry for our past faults and failures but also receiving again and anew God’s love and mercy in life. God’s forgiveness then is more than just about our repentance but also renewal of our faith in God. As Yahweh insists in our first reading, “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not. See, I am doing something new!” In other words, stop condemning oneself & others, let go now of our past sin, & allow God do something new & better through you.

    We have started the season of Lent during Ash Wednesday with a call to “Repent and believe in the gospel”. This does not only mean that we are sorry for our sins and we are to change our ways, but that we must also deepen and strengthen our faith and trust in God, and for us, to recognize and receive the blessings and graces that God has done and accomplished for us.

    As St. Paul in proclaims: “I have come to rate all as loss in the light of the surpassing knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ. For his sake I have forfeited everything, I have accounted all else as rubbish. I wish to know Christ and the power flowing from his resurrection” may our repentance leads us back to God and renew our faith in Him, who loves us always.

    So be it. So may it be. Amen

  • Chance to Be At Home

    Chance to Be At Home

    March 27, 2022 – Fourth Sunday of Lent; Laetare Sunday

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032722-YearC.cfm)

    In the Gospels, Peter and Judas Iscariot are two of the outstanding characters in the life of Jesus and His disciples. Both are trusted leaders of Jesus: Peter as the manager, and Judas Iscariot as the treasurer. Both have also sinned and failed the Lord: Peter denied the Lord three times, while Judas Iscariot betrayed the Lord. But what makes him worse than Peter is that Judas Iscariot did not allow the risen Lord to forgive and love him again. By killing himself, committing suicide, Judas Iscariot remains far and away from the Lord, missing and not even giving himself the chance to be forgiven and welcomed by the Lord again and anew. Peter, on the other hand, though guilty of his own offenses, remains near and close waiting for the risen Lord, thus giving himself and the Lord the chance to welcome and love him again and anew. Simply put, the Lord forgives, welcomes, and loves those who are near, close, listens and believes in Him. 

    Once again, we hear the parable of Jesus about the Prodigal Son. Surely hearing and reflecting again the parable of the Prodigal Son could offer and bring us a lot of lessons, messages, and challenges in our faith-life as Christians. But among the good news we can learn from this parable, the main theme here is all about “Home-coming”.

    Jesus told us the parable of the Prodigal Son because many sinners were coming near to listen to Him, and he was even criticized for welcoming and eating with them. To make sense of the spirit of what is happening (sinners coming near and listening to him) and of His action (welcoming and eating with them), Jesus shared us the parable of Prodigal Son to teach us the message about Reconciliation: our homecoming or our coming home to God.

    Through the parable, Jesus reveals to us that our God has a special regard for the lost, outcast, and sinners. Our God is thus more concern about and especially loves those of us who are lost, least, and last in life. Like the Father in the parable, God waits, loves, and welcomes back those of us who experience being lost, last and least, as well as estranged, left-behind, marginalized, disregarded, and downgraded in life. At the same time, His love and concern for us can fully be experienced and enjoyed through our homecoming to God – by coming Home again and anew.

    Meaning, God’s love is and can be savored (taste and see) once again if and whenever we give ourselves as well as God a chance to welcome us again and anew. Like Peter, we are forgiven, welcomed, and loved again, if and when we give ourselves and God a chance to be reconciled and be in relationship and covenant with Him anew. As shown to us, the prodigal son enjoys the father’s love and home by coming home, and the resentful elder son may and could enjoy the father’s love and home again if and when he comes back home again.

    Jesus also teaches us how to come home with God. God welcomes and enjoys with those who come near to Jesus to listen. Coming near and listening to Jesus is our way of coming and being at home with God’s love. Homecoming to God is then all about believing and having faith in Jesus who will guide and leads us back to our Father.  Hence, by our homecoming to God through our faith in Jesus (near and listening to Him), we come to experience the promise of God’s love and salvation.

    The sacrament of Reconciliation or the Confession is our Church’s chance & way for us to be reconciled to God. By going to church, confessing our sins, asking and receiving forgiveness, we come back home to God our Father and be near and listening to Jesus in faith, and so be forgiven, welcomed, and loved again and anew. Like the Father of the Prodigal Son, God awaits for our homecoming, and most willing to forgive and love us again if and when we and God gives another chance to make things right with Jesus in life.

    In this Lenten Season, through confession of our sins, may we come nearer and listen to Jesus as He leads us and allow ourselves back to our Home with our Father. Amen.