Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Author: A Dose of God Today

  • Allowing the Lord to look at us intimately

    Allowing the Lord to look at us intimately

    January 4, 2020 – Saturday before Epiphany

    Click here for the readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010420.cfm

    Homily

    Jesus began to call his first disciples. The first two of them were John (the beloved) and Andrew who later introduced his brother Simon to Jesus. Simon has been called by Jesus as Cephas or Peter, which means the rock.

    John and Andrew were disciples of John the Baptist. Hence, because of John, the two have been hearing about John’s prophecy of the Messiah who is to come. They have actually been waiting for him to arrive.  Perhaps, when they finally met Jesus, they too were astonished at the appearance of Jesus. They were surprised not because of the grandiosity of Jesus but because of his simplicity. Jesus was just an ordinary Jew, dressed in an ordinary way as common people did at that time. His physical feature was not that astounding, like a “model or artista,” no! However, there was something in Jesus that they have deeply felt.

    Jesus was a man who when he looks at you, you will be captivated by him. Yes, when Jesus looked at them, he did not just look at them in the eyes but through their heart too. When Jesus looks, it is nothing casual because he looks at us with love and concern.

    This experience of the two led them to see and recognize the Messiah! And this prompted them to follow Jesus. 

    Each of us also is invited to look at Jesus, look at his eyes, and also allow the Lord to look at us so that we may see how he loves us so much. The look of Jesus is neither condemning nor terrifying because of the sins we have committed. Jesus’ look will always be loving and merciful, inviting us to come closer to him. Thus, let Jesus look at us intimately today.

    When we are able to do that, surely Jesus will also say to us, “Come!” –that is to follow the Lord in the way we live our lives and perform our duties as parents, as children, as students, as professionals, as workers and as person. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Bringing others to Jesus through us

    Bringing others to Jesus through us

    January 3, 2020 – Friday before Epiphany – Memorial of the Most Holy name of Jesus

    Click here for the readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010320.cfm

    Homily

    At first, John the Baptist was not actually aware that it was his cousin Jesus who was the Messiah. Before the appearance of Jesus to the public, John has become popular among the people. He already had followers with him. People gathered wherever he went. People were amazed at what he proclaimed and were captured by his own charisma as a prophet. And so people flocked to be baptized by John.

    John had all the fame if we would look at it in modern times. He had followers or likers. Yet, the fame that he was gaining from the people did not distract John. He remained humble and continued to seek the one greater than him, who was ahead of him for he was before him . The humility of John, his self-awareness and confidence in God actually led him to recognize God in Jesus, and recognized him as the Lamb of God.  

    If John had been self-absorbed, insecure and self-assuming, he could have claimed that he was the Messiah that the people had been waiting for. But no, John was faithful to his mission and was ready to disappear from the picture once the Messiah would reveal himself to the public.

    Indeed, this was how John brought the people around him to also recognize God. As we have celebrated the birth of our Lord, hopefully, our Christmas has become an encounter with God. And in that encounter, we are called to bring God to others, to let others recognize God too through us.

    This is the invitation for us today, that through us, our brothers and sisters, will recognize God’s presence in our life. That through us, people will feel God’s presence; through our actions and words people will be drawn not to us but to God.

    And so like John, let us always be aware of ourselves. Let us be conscious when we turn to be selfish and self-absorbed because that will only reveal how insecure we are with ourselves. Let us be confident in God instead and recognize that what we have and that what we enjoy in this life are all coming from God.

    Our mission as Christians, like John the Baptist, is to be the herald or the messenger of God to others – to bring others to Christ. So it means that we too first should be close to God by being sincere, humble, compassionate and loving to others even to those we do not like and people we hate. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Knowing who we truly are

    Knowing who we truly are

    January 2, 2020 – Thursday before Epiphany – Memorial of Sts Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzen

    Click here for the readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010220.cfm

    Homily

    What is easier? To pretend who we are not or to be who we are truly? 

    With the phenomenon of social media sites, it has become easier to pretend who we are not and to portray to others a self filled with icing. A person can just create multiple accounts on Facebook or Instagram and portray a different image of himself or herself. Others also can just display an image of himself or herself on social media sites different from what is real. 

    Why is that? This comes from a deep longing of fulfilling a person’s desire to be recognized or praised by others. The space provided by the social media allowed such persons to be recognized and praised, that is, in gaining likes or shares and followers. Others would portray happy occasions through their pictures and videos to hide a painful and traumatic background of their life. Others would show how affluent and comfortable they are in life to hide their insecurity due to poverty. However, such attitude can also become problematic. Portraying to others whom we are not, distances us from our real self and thus, from recognizing who we are before God.

    In today’s Gospel, John reminded us of the importance of recognizing our true self before God and before others. People were asking John if he was the Messiah or Elijah or some great prophets from the Old Testament. John could just easily pretend that he was someone else of great importance. However, John was honest enough to say that he is not God nor a great prophet. He was just a simple and humble friend of God, whose voice cries out in the dessert to bring people closer to God.

    Thus, we are called today to be more accepting of ourselves with all our weaknesses and problems as well as our strengths and potentials. Being honest with ourselves is also being honest with God and with others. In that way, we become an authentic person who is not bothered of any pretension and insecurity. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • God bless you

    God bless you

    January 1, 2020 – Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God

    Click here for the readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010120.cfm

    Reflection by Fr. Mar Masangcay, CSsR

    God bless. God bless you.

    In our world today of texting, almost everyday we read, hear and say those words: God bless, God bless you. But what does it mean? How do we understand it?

    Sometimes we use those words to express what we really refer to mean as “May God bless you”. With this, we imply that it is God who is to give you blessings at the same time we hope that God will grant you the blessings you need or expect from him. 

    Truly, it is really God who grants us his blessings, but we must not forget that his blessings are given to us but also through us. When Jesus gave his blessings to the people our gospel, he does not only assure them of God’s blessing but preach to them that God’s glory and blessing may be revealed through them. The poor, hungry, weeping, hated, rejected, insulted are fortunate not only they receive but make manifest God’s blessings and graces. Meaning, God grants everyone his blessings by making you, me, us and others not only receivers but also sharer and giver of blessings. In as much as God is the author of our blessings, by our words and actions, we can also agents of God’s blessings to others. 

    Our readings today are all about blessings. St. Paul describes how blessed we are for thru Jesus we have now come to acknowledge God as Abba, our Father. And in our gospel today, Mary recognizes not only how blessed she is and we are through her child Jesus, but she cherishes all these graces as she “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. And lastly in the first reading, the Lord teaches us how to bless others. Meaning, we should be grateful for we are blessed, and should cherished, savor, and ponder our blessings in our hearts at the same we must learn how to give and share our blessings to others. Blessings are ours to joyfully receive and celebrate, at the same time blessings are ours to share with others. As we begin a new year in our life with the Lord. We must then be a sacrament of God’s, an instrument and sharer of God’s blessings to others by our good words and deeds.

    Here, we must also never forget that God’s blessings are not only “yet to come” but are “here and now”. It is not only a promise but a reality. It is His gift to us now, not only the reward that we expect and need from him, for what we receive from Him is more than just what we need and expect from Him. Usually it comes as a surprised Gift which is beyond our expectations. As a text message I received this morning say: 

    God’s blessings may come as a surprise and how much we receive depends on how much our heart can believe. May you be blessed beyond what you expect.

    Another year of Blessing has begun. We greet each other not only with a Happy New Year but a Blessed Year ahead. May God bless me. God bless You. God bless us. Nawa’y pagpalain kayo at tayo ng Panginoong Dios.

  • God blesses you as God blesses me

    Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God: January 1, 2020

    Click here for the readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010120.cfm

    Homily

    Can you please look at the persons near you and say to that person, “God bless you!” The words “TO BLESS AND BLESSING” are mentioned in the Old Testament 552 times and 65 times in the New Testament. From the very beginning God blessed all his creatures. This is an evidence that God has blessed every day and every moment of our lives.

    As we gathered today, we thank the Lord for the many blessings we have received. We also celebrate January 1 and begin a new year, we are filled with hope, new aspirations, and resolutions for the new year that has come that it may be favorable and bring more blessings to us. 

    For many centuries our Church designated the 1st day of the year with the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. Today’s solemnity invites us to capture the real hope and the great blessing that has come upon us, to each of us.

    The Book of Numbers reminds us of God’s blessing being invoked upon his people. Moses is told by the Lord to convey to Aaron and his sons that the Lord blesses and protects them. This is God’s promise that shall never be forgotten.

    God never forgets his promises. God is always true to his words. God’s great blessing is manifested in the birth of the Son of Mary. He is the promised savior of the world who brings peace in our hearts and homes. His name is Jesus, which means “Yahweh Saves.”

    This blessing is brought to us through Mary. Her “Yes” to God makes it possible for us despite her many hardships. Mary from Nazareth knows no riches or privileges in her lifetime. Nobody has ever lived, suffered and died in greater simplicity, marked by a strong and simple faith. And amidst of these, she is the Theotokos¸ the mother and bearer of God to the world and to each of us.

    What is also interesting in our Gospel is that, this great blessing was first received by people who were not so important in the Jewish society. They were at the lowest class, deprived of social recognition and poor. They were the shepherds yet have been blessed with the revelation from an angel. That revelation gave them the joy to knock every door in Bethlehem until they found the baby with Mary and Joseph. They have captured in their hearts the hope of salvation for they have seen the face of God. 

    With joy, the shepherds brought the blessing to others they met on the road. They became preachers and witnesses of God’s blessing.

    It is only rightful also that as we hope for more blessings to come to us in this New Year, let this Solemnity of Mary’s motherhood be a reminder to each of us. God has already blessed us with good things and plenty. Count them!

    As Mary is able to bring Jesus to us and the shepherd able to preach the blessing that they have received, we too are called to bring Jesus to others. To bring blessing and not curse. To hope for blessing not just for ourselves but especially for those who are most needy, to those whom we dislike and our enemies. So that in the days to come and in this whole year of 2020, we may always become a blessing to everyone. Hinaut pa. 

    Jom Baring, CSsR