We have a puzzling gospel reading today. The master in the story praised the dishonest steward. But does it mean that Jesus also praises those who are dishonest? Certainly, no! It was not the dishonesty of the steward that was praised neither by the master in the story nor by Jesus but rather the ‘prudence’ of the steward.
Let us look again how the steward acted prudently. The steward faced with a crisis, he was about to lose his job for being dishonest to his master. In his mind he couldn’t go on by becoming a labourer by digging or by begging. What he did, then, was to take away the commission that he would usually get from the debtors of his master. That is why he asked one debtor to make 50 for the one who owed 100 measures of oil and 80 for the other who owed 100 bushels of wheat. Surely, those debtors would be very happy of being unburdened of such debt. The steward had just thought about his future so that when he will be fired, there will be people who would hire him for a job out of gratitude to him.
This is what Jesus tells us today, that as Christians, we are challenged to be prudent enough. We are challenged particularly in using and spending our material possessions in the hope of making our relationship with other people to be better. For this reason, we are called to be careful that we may not be ‘possessed’ by our own possessions which will only bring us into the danger of indifference and oppression towards the lowly and the poor.
Consequently, we are also called to be fair and to be generous enough as we deal with those who are economically struggling. Thus, it would be a big help to support local vendors and local businesses, to buy products from local peddlers and show fairness with our own business too. Our material possessions can be best employed also in reaching out to others by feeding the hungry and clothing the naked especially those who are being affected recently by the super typhoon Rolly.
Indeed, these are ways of recognizing God as the generous giver of graces. By being grateful to the Lord, may it move us then to be generous also to the needy. This is a way of building relationship with one another, building friendship and helping one another as a community of believers. Hinaut pa.
I find it disturbing that while Jesus was trying to bring people to conversion, to freedom and closer to God, there was a group of people also who grumbled and complained because of Jesus’ actions. The parable of the lost sheep and of the lost coin are images of God searching for those who along the path of life have lost their way, distanced from the community and from God. Yet, God longs and desires the presence of those who lost their way. Thus, these two parables tell us really how dear each of us in God’s heart. God will not rest and will not surrender until God wins us back and finds us again.
However, such image and nature of God, was received with hatred by those who wanted to control God. The Pharisees and scribes complained and grumbled because Jesus was eating with sinners and being friendly with them. They did not want a God who forgives and redeems sinners and the lost. They wanted a God who condemns.
This was the reason of their grumbling because they wanted a condemning God. Having this kind of God, then, they can easily incite fear among the people and control people according to their agenda and selfish intentions.
That is why, Jesus’ presence was indeed a threat against these people, because Jesus was turning the table against them. Jesus revealed the true face of God, a loving and forgiving God.
Hence, while Jesus tells us of God’s embrace and God’s longing for us, we too are reminded of our tendency to reject God. The Pharisees and the scribes represent that tendency in us to reject whatever is of God’s. However, just as the shepherd never stopped until he found the lost sheep and just as the woman searched carefully until she found the lost coin, God also continues to call and invite us, to search and to find us until we allow God to embrace us.
This is something that Paul also realized. His letter to the Philippians recounted his past where he thought that he was already in the right path. Yet, Paul was a lost soul believing that righteousness based on the law was enough. However, when Jesus found him, Paul also found himself and gained everything in Christ.
May these parables always remind us of this God who longs and desires for our presence, for our conversion and for our freedom. Moreover, may it move us too to be more embracing, accepting and welcoming of our brothers and sisters who need a lot of understanding and loving because of unfortunate circumstances in their life. Hinaut pa.
Jom Baring, CSsR
Please take more doses of God today. The only side-effect is for you to become holier.
March 8, 2026 – Third Sunday of Lent Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030826.cfm) Common people from rural villages teach us a simple wisdom: “If and when the well runs dry, (don’t look for another wells) just dig deeper. (Kon ang atabay mahubsan, ayaw pangita og lain, palawomi lang : Pag ang balon natuyo, huwag…
Lent reminds us that faith is not about staying where we are. It is about becoming who God is calling us to be. And as we continue this journey, may our lives also become a blessing to others. Because when we allow God to transform us, we ourselves become His gift to our families, and…
March 1, 2026 – Second Sunday of Lent Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030126.cfm) Usually the word OBEDIENCE is associated with being compliant with an order or submission to the authority of other than oneself. This explains why we call someone who follows the law, willing to do what is commanded & submissive to the…
Why do some human relationships cause more pain and harm than joy and peace in us? Why do some human relationships fail and eventually hurt us for the rest of our life? We have seen how broken human relationships bring people towards desperation, loneliness, bitterness, anger and hatred. The jealousy, unfaithfulness, insecurities, betrayal and irresponsibility can cause havoc and damage to our human relationships whether at home, at work, among lovers and couples, among friends and communities.
But if we would really look at its roots, we will surely find “selfishness” as the active agent that corrupts our human relationships. Our tendency to advance our personal agenda, to prioritize what is only good for ourselves, to secure benefits for ourselves alone and to satisfy our personal desires above others will eventually make us very toxic to our relationships.
Thus, a selfish lover or spouse will turn out to be abusive and emotionally manipulative. A self-centered parent can become controlling and even violent in words and actions towards the children. A self-centered friend can be constantly seeking recognition and praise from others or could be insisting to always consider his or her comfort but unwilling to compromise for the sake of others. These are just few examples of possible actions and tendencies of selfishness that can certainly destroy and cause damage to our relationships.
That’s why, we also long for a relationship that will truly help us as persons and mold us to become better persons. The readings today have very important message for us and for our human relationships.
For our human relationships to have a grounding and a better foundation, our relationships must be rooted in God not to our personal preferences and selfish intentions. This means that becoming a disciple of Jesus leads towards a healthy and holy human relationships. This is what Jesus meant as he said, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, he cannot be my disciple.”
Though hating one’s family member seems to be so harsh for us today, but Jesus did not mean the English word “hatred.” This is a Jewish idiom that meant for “preferences.” Thus, Jesus meant that when we give more preference or priority to others than God, then, we cannot be his disciple. Our human relationships too will lose a good foundation.
Hence, Jesus also said, “everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” The possessions, which could be our wealth and material things, self-image and fame, position and influence, achievement and status in the community, may possess us to the point that they become our priority rather than God and loving others through service.
God asks us today to make Him as our priority over our other priorities. What is more beautiful here is God’s invitation for us to make our relationship with Him as the “life and soul” of our human relationships. It is from our relationship with God that, hopefully, we will become responsible and generous persons especially as we relate with others as a parent, sibling, a child, a friend or as a professional or whatever work, profession and status we have now.
This is what Paul also expressed in his letter to the Philippians. A community that lives in the presence of God and rejoices in God’s presence “will shine like lights in the world.” Therefore, giving priority to God and making God the very center of our human relationships will transform us like lights in the world.
Consequently, we will also witness how a couple whose relationship is grounded in God becomes loving and inspiring to others. A family whose relationship prioritizes God becomes a source of comfort, security and joy, becoming a true home. A friendship where the Lord plays the most important part among friends becomes welcoming and discerning.
This is how the Lord moves us as we make God the very priority of all our human relationships. We may all work on this so that we will also become less and less self-centered and selfish and become more self-giving and life-giving. Hinaut pa.
God has so much to offer for us. In God’s infinite love for the world and for every creature, God became man and expressed in a loving service the love that redeems and gives the fullness of life. The Letter of Paul to the Philippians contains this early Christian hymn to Jesus, the Lord. In this hymn, God’s desire for us to have the fullness of life, the Son became man and lived a human life. The Lord “emptied himself” to show us how Jesus did not cling to his divinity so that we will be able to see his face.
God broke the barrier that separated us from him. Because we cannot come near to God, and God came to be with us. This is how the loving service of Jesus became more life-giving. He was most willing to offer his life so that we may have the fullness of life.
This is what our Gospel also reminds us today. The parable that Jesus gave reinforces this desire of God to offer us the fullness of life. As the master of the house also called the presence of the poor and the crippled, and blind and the lame and of those living in the highways and peripheries, God also invites us the wounded and the brokenhearted, the sinners and guilty. All of us.
God, certainly, has so much to offer us. However, just as the invited guests found excuses not to go to the banquet, we could also become dismissive and indifferent to God’s daily invitations for us. Our lame excuses of having other affairs, of having fears and anxieties, of having other priorities, in overwhelming our hearts with anger and hatred, in filling up our mind with selfish intentions, and in clinging to our habitual sins will surely prevent us to joyfully accept God’s invitation.
God calls us to empty ourselves from all these unnecessary distractions and to fill our hearts and mind with God’s presence so that we may grow in that desire of God to experience the fullness of life in the here and now with our community. Hinaut pa.
2 Maccabees 12:43-46 (He acted in an excellent and noble way as he had the resurrection of the dead in view.)
A reading from the second Book of Maccabees
Judas, the ruler of Israel,took up a collection among all his soldiersamounting to two thousand silver drachmas,which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice.In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way,inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view;or if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again,it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death.But if he did this with a view to the splendid rewardthat awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness,it was a holy and pious thought.Thus he made atonement for the deadthat they might be freed from this sin.
Psalm 103:8 and 10, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18
R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger, and abounding in kindness.Not according to our sins does he deal with us,nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
As a father has compassion on his children,so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.For he knows how we are formed,he remembers that we are dust.
Man’s days are like those of grass;like a flower of the field he blooms;The wind sweeps over him and he is gone,and his place knows him no more.
John 14:1-6 (In my Father’s house there are many dwellings.)
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Jesus said to this disciples:“Do not let your hearts be troubled.You have faith in God; have faith also in me.In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.If there were not,would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?And if I go and prepare a place for you,I will come back again and take you to myself,so that where I am you also may be.Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,“Master, we do not know where you are going;how can we know the way?”Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Homily
Since the lockdowns and community quarantine, funeral masses and burial rites have been deprived to many. Even our own Redemptorist Brother (Bro. Dominic Alcover, CSsR who died of heart failure) was deprived to be dressed properly for burial, was also deprived to be given a dignified funeral mass. Bro. Dominic served many years in the missions and in many parts in Visayas and Mindanao. It was just so sad that we couldn’t bid our goodbyes before he was laid to rest.
Moreover, a friend’s mother died in September but was in the Intensive Care Unit for more than 100 days. She died without a loved on her side. Though, she died uncertain of Covid-19, but she was unceremoniously cremated immediately without the presence of her family. There was no funeral wake as the whole family was locked up in their home though they never had contact with their mother. It was heartbreaking experiencing this kind of grief.
One could just imagine that while grieving the death of a loved one, we will surely be overwhelmed too with frustrations and disappointments because of the many restrictions. These are just two of the many situations happening today. Many families who lost their loved ones since this Covid-19 time, whether of the virus or not, underwent this kind of difficulty.
To celebrate properly, with devotion and affection the death of our loved ones reminds us of the sanctity of life. Equally, we also celebrate their memories and the gift of life of our loved ones. This is the reason why frustrations and disappointments will also overwhelm us because of the deprivation of celebrating these rituals, something embedded in our faith and culture.
Today, on this All Souls’ Day, we remember in a very special way the memories of our beloved dead. Others could have still feel the grief particularly with those whose loved ones just recently died. And today even, we too are prohibited to visit the cemeteries as a measure to contain and not spread any further the Corona Virus. However, all these should not prevent us also from celebrating this day of Commemoration of the All the Faithful Departed.
As we remember them, how do we celebrate in a simple but wonderful way the All Souls’ Day? There are there invitations for today.
First. Gather as a family and pray together at home and in the Church.Our readings today from the Second Book of Maccabees tells us of this devotion of praying for the dead. We are told how a sacrifice was made to the Temple for the dead, for the forgiveness of their sins. This is a belief of the resurrection and life beyond death. Indeed, our beloved dead continues to be present in spirit. Thus, as we remember them, pray for them and pray with them.
Second. Let go of our troubles and guilt.Others are sometimes haunted by their guilt when a loved one died because they have not done enough for them, because they have not loved them enough, because they were not able to ask for forgiveness. Jesus told his disciples not to be troubled anymore but to trust the Father, to trust Jesus. Holding on to our troubles, worries and guilt will do no good to us and to our beloved dead. We give peace to ourselves and peace to our beloved dead, as we embrace God’s mercy and compassion for us. Trust the Lord’s embrace.
Third. Live life to the fullest and celebrate the fullness of life. As we remember the life of those who have gone before us through the precious memories left in us, we too are invited to live our life and celebrate life to the fullest. Thomas asked Jesus, “We do not know where you are going, how can we know the way?” Yet, Jesus also said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus is basically telling us, to live life fully is to follow me, to know me and to live in my life. Indeed, we shall be able to live life fully with joy, with peace and with satisfaction as we learn the way of Jesus, as we embrace the person of Jesus and we live day by day the life of Jesus.
Thus, living our life today to the fullest is a way of honoring and giving more importance to the our beloved dead who made significant impact in our life. To play dead while still alive, or to become indifferent while being on earth, is certainly a violation of God’s generosity and gift of life. By becoming contented and happy, free from fear and anxiety, then, we give praise to our Creator who shall call us someday to join with Him in eternal life. Hinaut pa.
A DOSE OF GOD TODAY 