Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Author: A Dose of God Today

  • God Looks at the Heart

    God Looks at the Heart

    January 20, 2026 – Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012026.cfm)

    Jesus often made people uncomfortable, especially those who thought they were already right with God. In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees watched Him closely, not to learn, but to find fault. They complained because His disciples picked grain on the Sabbath. For them, the law mattered more than hunger, more than people, more than life itself.

    The Sabbath, which was meant to be a gift, had become a burden. Something meant to give rest had turned into a tool for control. A hungry person could not eat. A suffering person could not be helped. All because the “rule” had become more important than mercy. Jesus saw this clearly and said it plainly, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” God’s law is meant to give life, not to choke it.

    This same problem is already present in the First Reading from the First Book of Samuel. Samuel was sent to choose a new king among the sons of Jesse. Naturally, Samuel was impressed by the tall, strong, and confident sons. They looked like kings. But God stopped him and said something very important, “Not as man sees does God see; man looks at appearances, but the Lord looks at the heart.” In the end, God chose David, the youngest, the least noticed, and the one left tending the sheep.

    This brings into the realization that when we focus only on appearances, rules, and status, we miss the heart of God.

    The Pharisees saw a violation of the law but missed hungry men. Samuel saw strong bodies but almost missed a faithful heart. In ordinary life, we could fall into the same trap. We judge quickly. We complain easily. We focus on what is “wrong” rather than what is needed. We protect rules, routines, and even our religious practices, but sometimes forget compassion.

    You know, Jesus is not against the Sabbath. God is not against leadership or structure. What both reject is a faith that forgets people. If our religious practice makes us hard, judgmental, and bitter, then something is wrong. If our sacrifices prevent kindness, then they are no longer pleasing to God.

    God chose David not because he was perfect, but because his heart was open. Jesus defended His disciples not because rules do not matter, but because mercy matters more. God’s question is never, “Did you follow every rule?” but rather, “Have you given life?”

    This challenges us to look honestly at ourselves. We may ask, “What do we see first, rules or people? Faults or needs? Appearances or hearts? It also challenges us to ask, “What kind of God do I really worship? A God of love and mercy, or a god made of rules, pride, and status?”

    Jesus invites us back to the center. Faith is not about winning arguments or pointing out mistakes. Faith is about choosing what gives life. Like David, we may feel small or unnoticed, but God sees our heart. Like the disciples, we may be judged by others, but Jesus stands with those who choose life. Hinaut pa.

  • Listening Is Better Than Explaining

    Listening Is Better Than Explaining

    January 19, 2026 – Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011926.cfm)

    Most of us want a life that feels safe and predictable. We follow routines, hold on to habits, and protect traditions because they give us a sense of control. We know what to expect, and that feels comforting. But slowly, without noticing it, what once helped us can begin to trap us. We start doing things not because they give life, but simply because “this is how it has always been.”

    In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus uses simple images: old cloth, new cloth; old wineskins, new wine. He is not attacking tradition. He is pointing out something deeper. When God is doing something new, old containers may no longer be able to hold it. New wine needs fresh wineskins, not because the old ones are bad, but because they have become rigid.

    The same struggle appears clearly in the First Reading from the First Book of Samuel. King Saul follows God’s command only halfway. He defeats the enemy, but keeps what he personally considers useful. When confronted by the prophet Samuel, Saul explains himself, even claiming he did it “for God.” Samuel’s response is sharp and unforgettable, “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” Indeed, God is not impressed by religious excuses. What the Lord desires is a listening heart.

    This makes us realize that God desires obedience that flows from a listening and open heart, not from rigid practices that protect our comfort.

    Saul thought sacrifice could cover disobedience. The people questioning Jesus thought fasting defined holiness. In both cases, the problem is the same. People believed and were more attached to their way of doing things than to what God was actually asking of them at that moment.

    This is where the message becomes very close to our daily life. Sometimes we are like Saul. We obey, but only up to the point where it does not disturb us too much. We pray, but avoid forgiveness. We serve, but refuse correction. We keep traditions, but resist change when God asks us to grow.

    Jesus does not come to destroy what is old. He comes to fulfill it. But fulfillment always involves change. New wine stretches us. It questions habits that no longer give life. It exposes excuses that sound religious but hide fear.

    God’s invitations often feel uncomfortable because they ask us to listen more deeply and let go of control. But this discomfort is not meant to break us. It is meant to renew us. Like fresh wineskins, we are called to remain flexible, humble, and attentive to God’s voice.

    The real question is not, “Am I doing religious things?” The real question is, “Am I truly listening to God today?” As Samuel reminds us, God prefers a heart that listens over hands that perform rituals.

    When we allow God to surprise us, we discover that His call, though challenging, always leads to life, healing, and deeper freedom. With that, I leave you two takeaways for today.

    First, pause and listen before acting. Ask daily, “Lord, what are You asking of me now, not yesterday?”

    Second, let go of one habit that no longer gives life. Replace it with one concrete act of obedience, however small, but begin today. Hinaut pa.

  • When God Chooses to Be Small    

    When God Chooses to Be Small    

    January 18, 2026 – Sunday, Feast of the Sto. Niño

    Is 9:1-6; Eph 1:3-6, 15-18; Mt 18:1-5,10

    Every year, around the Feast of the Sto. Niño, I remember a simple scene I once witnessed during a Sunday Mass. A young mother was struggling with her toddler who was restless, noisy, and clearly bored. Trying to control the child, she whispered, though loud enough for others to hear, “Behave. Stop it. Father will get angry. Look, he’s watching you.” The child suddenly froze, his eyes wide with fear, clutching his mother’s arm.

    I gently smiled at the boy and said, “That’s not true. I’m not angry. You can move, it’s okay.” Slowly, the fear left his face.

    That small moment stayed with me. Because without realizing it, many of us grow up learning to associate God, the Church, and faith with fear rather than love. We are taught to be quiet, to behave, to obey, but often through fear. In fact, a friend shared with me as well how she felt uncomfortable at first to bring their baby to the Church. She’s afraid that the grown-ups might stare harshly to her and her toddler when the boy would make some noise in the Church.

    And yet today, on the Feast of the Sto. Niño, God reminds us of something deeply important: God chose not to come to us as someone to be feared, but as a child to be loved.

    This is the heart of today’s feast. God chooses to be small so that no one will be afraid to come close.

    In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a message spoken to a people who were living in darkness. This darkness was caused by suffering, injustice, violence, and fear. And into that darkness, the prophet proclaimed hope: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” But how does that light come? It comes not through power, not through force, and certainly not through fear. Isaiah said clearly: “For a child is born to us, a son is given us.”

    This is God’s surprising way. When the world expects strength, God gives a child. When the world uses violence, God responds with gentleness. When hearts are burdened by sin, guilt, and pain, God offers light, forgiveness, and peace. The Sto. Niño is God’s answer to our wounded world.

    Saint Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, deepened this message. He told us that we have been chosen and blessed by God in Christ even before we deserved it. God did not wait for us to be perfect. God chose us out of love. And Paul prayed that our hearts may be enlightened, that we may truly see the hope to which we are called.

    This is important. Many people today live with wounded hearts. Families are burdened by poverty, stress, anger, and fear. Children grow up not always feeling safe, sometimes even in their own homes. During the pandemic, studies showed a rise in violence against children, abuse, and deep emotional distress. Many suffered quietly, unseen and unheard.

    And this is where today’s Gospel becomes very concrete and very challenging.

    In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus himself brought a child in the midst of the disciples. Why? Because in that culture, children were considered unimportant, a disturbance, and a waste of time. They had no status, no voice, and no power.

    Moreover, in Mark’s Gospel Jesus also said, “Let the children come to me. Do not prevent them.” And more than that, Jesus embraced them blessed them and placed them at the center.

    This is not just a sweet scene. It is a strong message of the Lord for all his disciples. Jesus rejects a culture that ignores, silences, or hurts the small and the weak. He tells us clearly that if we want to understand God, we must look at a child. If we want to enter the Kingdom, we must learn the humility, trust, and openness of a child.

    This is why the Sto. Niño is so powerful for us Filipinos. The image of the Child Jesus reminds us that God stands with the weak, the forgotten, and the wounded. God condemns attitudes that reject, ignore, or abuse the small especially children.

    And we must be honest. Sometimes, even without intending it, we hurt children with our words, our anger, our indifference, or our silence. Sometimes, we use fear instead of love. Sometimes, we choose convenience over protection. And Jesus is very clear that this must not be so.

    Yet, today’s feast is not meant to condemn us. It is meant to call us back to light, to mercy, to hope.

    The world may be darkened by violence, corruption, abuse, torn by war and indifference. Our hearts may carry pain, guilt, and brokenness. But God still chooses to be born among us. God still chooses to come as a child. God still chooses to bring light.

    So what does this feast invite us to do as ordinary Christians? There are four takeaways you can bring at home.

    First, learn again how to see God not as someone who frightens, but as someone who embraces us. Remember, faith grows not through fear, but through love. Let us teach our children that God is safe, merciful, and close to us.

    Second, let us become protectors of the small and the weak. This is not optional. It is a Gospel demand for us. Every child deserves safety, dignity, and love. Every decision we make, you as parents, leaders, neighbors, and community members, must be measured by this question, “Does this protect and nurture life, especially the most vulnerable?”

    Third, never use fear to represent God. Use patience, understanding, and love. The Sto. Niño teaches us that God draws near gently.

    Fourth, be a light for a child today. Do this through listening, protecting, correcting with love, or simply being present. Indeed, small acts matter as well.

    Thus, today God reminds us that greatness is not found in power, but in love. Not in control, but in care. Not in fear, but in trust. May the Sto. Niño dispel the darkness in our hearts and teach us again how to live as children of light. Hinaut pa.

  • Great is the CHILD

    Great is the CHILD

    January 18, 2026 – Feast of the Sto. Niño

    In our Wednesday novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, we always ask our Mother to help us learn to adapt to our growing children. Praying this, we acknowledge before the Lord that as Christians and in particular as parents, we are imperfect. We recognize that we encounter problems and difficulties in parenting our growing children and that, at times we fail to love and respect our children as persons and as God’s children. And for this, we implore Our Mother’s guidance and assistance as we parent our children.

    We, Filipinos love the Sto. Nino, the child Jesus, and today – every third Sunday of January, here in the Philippines, we celebrate the Feast of Sto. Nino. Like the Sto. Nino, we honor our children as also God’s gifts and instrument of salvation for humanity. We acknowledge our children as God’s blessing and signs of hope for our Christian families and communities.

    As God’s gifts, children then must be accepted, love and provided with the love and care they need for their growth and well-being. As God’s expression & instrument of His grace, they must also be respected for what they are and will be, with talents and limitations, for in their own unique way children can contribute to the building up of Christian families, and communities, and of God’s kingdom as well.

    In our gospel today, we hear how Jesus emphasizes greatly the value of us being God’s children, and of being children in God’s kingdom. For Jesus, “great is the child”. Our being beloved children of God is thus our very dignity and rights as a persons in this life.

    As God’s beloved children, we enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus and the Kingdom of God. We have the right and duty to grow in faith, to grow in our own personal relationship with God. It is also our calling to be His disciple – to come and follow Jesus Christ and express our response, by our love and respect for others.

    Today, Jesus invites us to especially love and respect our children, as much as we demand respect from them. We are reminded that like us now adults Christians, our today’s children are also God’s beloved children, where the greatness of God’s kingdom is founded.

    Now if we wish to learn how to adapt to our growing children – to respect God’s beloved children, take a good look at the picture of Our Mother Perpetual Help, a portrait of Mary carrying her child Jesus. By merely looking at the picture of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, we readily notice the mother & child relationship between Jesus and Mary – Mary as the mother, the parent of child Jesus the Redeemer.

    As parent, Mary presents to us the child Jesus – a child who like any other child needs nourishment, love, guidance, protection and care of a parent. We see Mary as the model of Christian Parenthood for she teaches us how to love, care, protect and adapt to our growing children. The picture also shows us Jesus growing and gradually learning that in fulfilling his vocation in life, there will be coming great changes and suffering (as shown by angels at the side bearing cross & hyssop on spears).

    And Mary has to adapt gradually to the changes going in her growing son’s life. As Jesus grew up in life, so did Mary grow to respect and share the sacredness & giftedness of the growing Jesus, as God’s beloved child to others.

    As we honor today the Sto. Nino, Jesus want us to remember that our devotion to the Sto. Nino must reflect not only our deep joy and thanksgiving to God for sharing us the gift of His only Son, but also expresses our love and concern for our growing children – God’s ninos and ninas amongst us.

    And the most relevant and meaningful way of honoring the Sto. Nino is not by merrymaking, parades or street dancing, but by concretely expressing our Christian respect, love and concern to our growing children, especially the poor and abandoned little ones.

    Perhaps better for us to BE with & spend quality time with our growing God’s children these days. Listen to their stories, their concerns, and their hopes in life.

    Respect and learn from them for they are also God’s children and messengers, for as Jesus warns us in our gospel today, “unless you turn and become like children (of God), you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” In our children & our being children of God, we could find then answer & access to God’s love for us.

    As a popular Filipino folk song would advise: “Ikaw ba’y nalilito, Pag-iisip mo’y nagugulo. Sa buhay ng tao, Sa takbo ng buhay mo?…. Itanong mo sa mga bata, Ang buhay ay hawak nila. Masdan mo ang mga bata, Ang sagot ay ‘yong makikita. (Are you confused, are your minds troubled, Of man’s life, of the direction of one’s life. Ask the children, life is in their hand. Look closely at children, You will find the Answer)

    Like Mary, may we honor the greatness of God’s kingdom in our growing children, and by adapting with them, may we discern and respect God’s ways and plans for a better life now & ahead of us.

    So May it Be. Amen.

  • Baptized to Become the Compassion of Christ

    Baptized to Become the Compassion of Christ

    January 11, 2025 – Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

    Click here for here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011126.cfm)

    On this Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we are invited not simply to recall a moment in the life of Jesus, but to look deeply and honestly at our own lives as baptized Filipinos. This feast quietly yet firmly asks us: What has our baptism truly done to us, and what is it asking of us today?

    The Philippines remains one of the most religious countries in the world. According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, nearly 79 percent of Filipinos still identify as Roman Catholic.[1] Prayer, devotion to saints, novenas, and religious fiestas continue to shape our culture. At the same time, recent surveys reveal a growing tension beneath the surface. A Social Weather Stations survey reported that while about seven out of ten Filipinos[2] say they pray daily, far fewer attend Mass regularly, especially among the younger generation. Many still believe, but many also struggle to connect faith with daily decisions, social issues, and moral responsibility. Faith is present, but often fragile, routine, or confined to our rituals.

    Thus, this reality invites us to examine ourselves. Have we really grown in our faith? Have we deepened our relationship with God and with one another? But, let us remember, our faith cannot be reduced to kneeling and standing, holding a rosary, or faithfully reciting novenas though these are also important practices.

    As sociologist Dr. Jayeel Cornelio has observed, many Filipinos today are searching for something “more” from their faith.[3] This “more” is not about abandoning Catholic tradition, but about longing for a faith that transforms life, confronts injustice, heals wounds, and gives direction amid uncertainty. This “more” is precisely what the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord places before us.

    To discern this “more,” let us allow the Word of God proclaimed to us on this Sunday to guide us.

    In the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah, we hear about the Servant of the Lord. This Servant is chosen, beloved, and pleasing to God. God’s Spirit rests upon him. But what defines this Servant most clearly is not power or dominance, but compassion. He brings justice not through violence or force, but through gentleness. Isaiah tells us that a bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench. This Servant does not crush the weak; instead, he protects what is fragile, restores hope to the weary, and lifts those bowed down by suffering. He opens blind eyes and frees prisoners living in darkness. God’s justice, as Isaiah presents it, heals and restores before it confronts and corrects.

    The Psalm continues this vision in a quiet but powerful way: “The Lord will bless his people with peace.” This peace is not simply the absence of conflict. It is the peace that flows from living in God’s presence, from recognizing that God is active in creation and present in every human life. When we truly acknowledge God’s presence in everything and everyone, respect and reverence naturally follow. Peace then becomes something we embody and share, not just something we pray for.

    This promise finds its fulfillment in the Acts of the Apostles. Peter proclaims that the Servant spoken of by Isaiah is Jesus of Nazareth. He is anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, and His life is marked by a simple yet profound description: He went about doing good and healing those oppressed by the devil. These words summarize the entire mission of Jesus. He restores dignity, heals brokenness, and brings hope to those crushed by sin, fear, and injustice. This is how God chooses to be revealed and not through domination, but through mercy.

    All of this reaches its deepest meaning in today’s Gospel, the Baptism of the Lord. Jesus enters the waters of the Jordan, not because He needs repentance, but because He chooses full solidarity with humanity. His immersion in the water is an act of complete trust in the Father. As the Psalm proclaims, the voice of the Lord is over the waters, and Jesus allows Himself to be embraced by the Father’s will.

    As He rises from the water, the Spirit descends like a dove. This moment reveals that God is not distant or unreachable. God’s Spirit rests upon Jesus and remains with Him. Then comes the voice from heaven: “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” These words echo Isaiah’s prophecy and confirm Jesus as the beloved Servant. He is sent to bring healing, justice, and peace.

    This feast today speaks directly to our own baptism as well. In baptism, we too are claimed as beloved. We too have received the Spirit. We too are sent. This is where we discover the “more” that many Filipinos are longing for in their faith. Baptism does not make us passive believers. Rather, it calls us to become active disciples of Jesus.

    We are reminded first that we are deeply loved. This truth alone has the power to heal many wounds, fears, and insecurities. In a society facing economic pressures, environmental threats, and growing inequality, our identity as beloved children of God becomes our deepest strength. We are also reminded that God’s presence is not far away. The Spirit of God dwells among us, in our families, workplaces, classrooms, and communities. We do not need to search only in the clouds to find God. We too are invited to recognize the Lord here and now.

    Our baptism also carries a clear responsibility. We are called to bring justice and peace, not through anger or force, but through compassion and gentleness. Isaiah reminds us that true justice protects the weak and restores hope.

    To live our baptism is to participate in the ministry of Jesus and that is to open our eyes blinded by greed, pride, and indifference, and to free hearts imprisoned by hatred, guilt, and sin.

    As we look ahead to 2026, Filipinos face serious challenges. We have economic uncertainty, the worsening effects of climate change on vulnerable communities, and a growing temptation to reduce faith to mere ritual. The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord calls us back to the heart of discipleship. The “more” in our faith is “to make Jesus more present in our actions, more present in our words, and more present in our homes and communities.”

    Let me leave you with two simple reminders to carry with you now:

    First. Live your baptism daily. Let love, honesty, and compassion shape your choices.

    Second. Be Christ where you are. In your family, your work, and your community, allow others to encounter Jesus through you.

    May the grace of our baptism continue to renew us, strengthen us, and send us forth as bearers of God’s peace. Hinaut pa.

    [1] https://www.bworldonline.com/the-nation/2023/02/22/506351/catholics-make-up-nearly-79-of-philippine-population/

    [2] https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1195717

    [3] See https://www.ucanews.com/news/young-filipinos-keep-the-faith-but-shun-conventional-piety/97562