Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Fr. Jom Baring, CSsR

  • When Good Things Become Dangerous

    When Good Things Become Dangerous

    February 22, 2026 – First Sunday of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022226.cfm)

    Sometimes the biggest Lenten sacrifice for many Filipinos is not giving up meat on Fridays… but giving up the use of our smartphones. We say, “Five minutes lang,” then one episode becomes three, one scroll becomes one hour, one game becomes twenty, and suddenly it’s past midnight and our prayer time is gone.

    Temptation doesn’t always come as something obviously bad. Most of the time, it comes quietly, gently, and very attractively. This means that temptation is part of everyone’s life. Students are tempted to choose entertainment over responsibility. Workers may be tempted to be dishonest when needs at home are heavy. Families are tempted to avoid difficult conversations and just keep the peace on the surface. Some are tempted to look for love and attention outside their marriage. Others are tempted to escape their problems through alcohol, addiction, or even by giving up hope.

    Thus, temptation is real. And Lent is not about pretending we are strong. It is about learning where our heart is weak and letting God strengthen it. And so let us explore our readings and discern God’s invitations for us on this First Sunday of Lent.

    In the first reading from the Book of Genesis, the story of Adam and Eve shows us how temptation works. The serpent did not force them. It simply started a conversation. And the more they entertained the voice, the more attractive the forbidden fruit became. What was once clearly wrong slowly began to look “good, pleasing, and desirable.”

    That is how temptation grows when we keep entertaining what we already know is not good for our soul.

    Their sin was not simply eating the fruit. The deeper temptation was this: to live life without God, to decide on their own what is good and evil. And the result was not freedom but fear, shame, and separation from the very grace of God.

    Saint Paul tells us in the second reading that sin entered the world through one man. But the good news is this, “grace comes through one man also—Jesus Christ.” Where sin increased, grace increased even more.

    That brings us to the Gospel. After His baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert. He fasted, prayed, and faced temptation not when He was strong, but when He was hungry, tired, and alone. Let us take the temptations of Satan to Jesus, one by one.

    The first temptation was to turn stones into bread. This was not just about food. It was the temptation to use power for self-gratification. It was to satisfy personal needs first.

    We ask ourselves, “How many of our decisions today are guided by comfort? Are they driven by “Kung saan ako masaya” at “Kung saan madali?”

    However, Jesus teaches us that “life is not only about satisfying ourselves. True life is about doing the Father’s will.”

    The second temptation is to throw yourself down and let God save you.
    This was the temptation to test God. It was to demand certainty, security, and proof.
    Many of us struggle with this. When life becomes uncertain, we panic. We want guarantees. We want control. But Jesus shows us that real faith is trust even when the future is unclear.

    The third temptation of Satan to Jesus was “All the kingdoms of the world I will give you. This was power, wealth and success without sacrifice.

    This is very familiar today. We live in a culture that tells us success is everything. Titles, followers, influence, possessions. But Jesus reminds us: Anything we put before God becomes an idol even if it is good in itself.

    Notice this: the devil did not offer evil things. Bread is good. Security is good. Success is good. But when these things become more important than God, they begin to control us. They fill us with anxiety, fear of losing, and the need to have more.

    That is the real danger of temptation because it slowly replaces God at the center of our life.

    And if we look at our society today, we see this struggle everywhere. The pressure to earn more even at the expense of family. The obsession with image and approval. The fear of missing out. The desire to stay comfortable and avoid sacrifice. The silence in families because no one wants to confront the truth.

    With all of these, lent is God’s invitation to return, to simplify, to detach, and to remember who truly gives life.

    Remember, Jesus did not defeat temptation by His strength alone. He defeated it because He was rooted in prayer, in the Word, and in his trust in the Father.

    That is also our path. This Lent, we are not only asked to give up something. We are asked to choose something deeper: to choose God over comfort, trust over control, and service over self.

    And so now, I leave with you three takeaways.

    First, guard your conversations. Do not entertain thoughts, habits, or influences that slowly lead you away from God.

    Second, choose sacrifice over comfort. Every small act of discipline like prayer, fasting, honesty, forgiveness strengthens your heart.

    Third, put God first every day. Before decisions, before worries, before plans pause and ask: “Lord, what is Your will?”

    Hence, temptation will always be part of life, but, so is grace. Though Adam fell in a garden. Jesus stood firm in the desert. And this Lent, the Lord walks with us in our own deserts not to condemn us, but to strengthen us. Hinaut pa.

  • Return to the Heart

    Return to the Heart

    February 18, 2026 – Ash Wednesday

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021826.cfm)

    Many of us today could have become busy fixing our outward life. For many young people, we fix our social media posts. We fix our appearance before going out. We fix our schedules, our plans, and our budgets. This means, there is a desire in us that we want everything to look okay in the outside. Yet sometimes, in the middle of all these, we forget to check what is happening inside our hearts.

    And so on this Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Season of Lent, we ask, “How is your heart?” To discern on this, let us explore our readings and their invitations.

    In the first reading, the prophet Joel spoke in a very strong but loving way, “Return to me with your whole heart.” Not just with rituals, not just with external actions, but with the heart. The people during Joel’s time were doing religious practices, but their lives were far from God. So the Lord tells them, “Rend your hearts, not your garments.” In other words, do not just show repentance outside. Let your heart truly turn back to God.

    This is also the message of the Gospel today. Jesus warns us not to practice our faith just to be seen by others. Jesus mentions three important practices: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These are the pillars of Lent. But Jesus says, do them quietly, sincerely, and from the heart. Because Lent is not about impressing people. Lent is about coming closer to God.

    For us Filipino Catholics, this message is very real. We are a religious people. We attend Mass, we join processions, we observe traditions. These are beautiful expressions of faith. But Lent invites us to go deeper. Not only devotion outside, but conversion inside.

    So, first, Prayer. Prayer is not only about asking God for what we need. Prayer is relationship. It is being aware that God is present in our daily life even at home, at work, in our struggles, and in our worries about the future.

    Sometimes we think prayer should have many words. But the Gospel reminds us, “go to your room, close the door, and be with your Father.” This means that even a few minutes of silence each day by just sitting quietly and telling God, “Lord, I am here” can already change the heart. When we become aware of God, we also become aware of ourselves including our weaknesses, our fears, our need for His mercy. Thus, prayer humbles us and brings us closer to the Lord.

    Second, Fasting and Abstinence. Many think fasting is only about not eating meat or skipping meals. However, fasting is deeper than that because it is about freedom. So, we ask, “What are the habits, attitudes, or distractions that keep me away from God and from others?”

    Maybe it is too much time on the phone. Maybe it is anger that we hold in our heart. Maybe it is gossip, pride, or laziness. Lent asks us now, “What do I need to let go so that my heart becomes lighter and freer?”

    This means that when we fast from something that controls us, we make space for God. We also become more patient, more understanding, more available to our family and to others.

    Third, Almsgiving. If prayer makes us aware of God, and fasting makes us free, then almsgiving makes us life-giving. Almsgiving is not only about giving coins to the poor. It is about giving ourselves.

    In our situation today, many people carry hidden burdens. We have financial problems, family struggles, loneliness, sickness, anxiety. Almsgiving can be our time, our presence, our listening ear, our encouragement. Sometimes what people need most is not money, but someone who will understand and care.

    This Lent, we can ask: What can I give from my heart? My time? My attention? My forgiveness? My patience?

    When we give ourselves, we begin to see the real faces of our brothers and sisters. And in them, we encounter God.

    Now, the ashes we receive today remind us that life is fragile and temporary. But more than that, they remind us of hope. Because our God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, rich in kindness.”

    And so, in this Lent, let us keep it simple but sincere:
    Pray more so that we become aware of God. Fast with purpose so that we will be free. Give generously so that we will be a gift.

    As we live these from the heart, this season will not just change our practices. It will change our lives. And hopefully, as we grow closer to God, we also become closer, kinder, and more available to others. Hinaut pa.

  • Choosing Life, Becoming Light

    Choosing Life, Becoming Light

    February 15, 2026 – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021526.cfm)

    What keeps you going? What makes you wake up every morning? Your answers will surely vary. For some, it is their family. For others, it is their children’s future, their work, their dreams, or simply the hope that tomorrow will be better than today.

    And yet, if we listen carefully to the stories of many, we also hear fatigue. Many are tired of stretching a small income to meet rising prices. Many are anxious about job security, about the future, about the kind of country their children will inherit. Some continue to work hard even when appreciation is little. Others carry silent battles. We have family problems, loneliness, disappointment, or the fear that their efforts may not be enough.

    In the midst of these realities, a deeper question slowly emerges in the heart. What truly gives meaning to my life? What really brings life to me?

    This Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time invites us to reflect that indeed, life becomes full and meaningful when we freely choose God and choose love. And through these daily choices, we allow ourselves to choose life and become a light for others. Now, let us discern our readings.

    The first reading from the Book of Sirach speaks with clarity and honesty. It tells us that God has placed before us a choice like fire and water, life and death, good and evil. And the important thing is this, God does not force us. God respects our freedom. Hence, the commandments of God are not chains that limit our happiness. The laws are guides that lead us to the fullness of life.

    Sometimes, we may think that God’s commandments restrict us. And so we could feel that following what is right is difficult, and that honesty is costly, that integrity slows us down in a competitive world. However, Sirach reminds us that every choice we make shapes our life and the lives of others. When we choose selfishness, dishonesty, anger, or indifference, relationships break and trust weakens. But when we choose truth, compassion, fairness, and responsibility, life becomes deeper and more meaningful.

    Sirach also speaks about the “fear of the Lord.” This is not fear of punishment. It is the fear of losing what truly matters. This is the fear of being separated from God’s grace, from love, and from the fullness of life that only God can give.

    Moreover, Saint Paul continues this reflection in the second reading. He tells the Corinthians that the wisdom of God is different from the wisdom of the world. The world measures success through wealth, influence, power, and recognition. But the wisdom of God is revealed in Christ. This is manifested in a life of humility, service, sacrifice, and love.

    Paul reminds us that this wisdom is revealed through the Spirit. When we allow God to guide our decisions, our work, our relationships, our plans, then, our lives begin to reflect a different kind of strength. The question is no longer, What will benefit me the most? but rather, What is right? What gives life? What serves others?

    This brings us to the Gospel.

    Jesus says, “I have come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it.” For many religious leaders of His time, the law had become a set of rules to follow externally. Religion had become compliance without conversion. But Jesus brings the law back to its heart. The law is not about legal perfection. It is rather about relationship with God and with one another.

    When the heart is missing, then, religion becomes routine. One can pray, attend Mass, and observe traditions, and yet still live without compassion, honesty, integrity or mercy. Jesus reminds us now that the fulfillment of God’s law is love lived in concrete ways.

    Now, in our present social situation, our country does not lack intelligent people. We have many talented, skilled, and capable individuals. But what our society urgently needs are people of conscience. People who will remain honest even when corruption is common. People who will choose fairness even when shortcuts are easier. People who will show compassion in a culture that is becoming easily harsh and judgmental.

    This means that the crisis of our time is not only economic or political. It is also moral and relational. This is how we realize that trust is fragile and our words easily wound. And so, indifference has become normal. This is why the Lord’s invitation today is urgent: Choose life. Choose what builds. Choose what heals.

    Because every time we choose truth over convenience, we give life. Every time we choose kindness over anger, we too give life. Every time we choose integrity over personal gain, we become witnesses to the wisdom of God.

    The question we must bring home today is this: What truly motivates my life?

    If what drives us is approval, success, comfort, or comparison, we will always feel anxious and never be satisfied. But if what moves us is our relationship with God and our desire to bring life to others, even simple and ordinary days will feel meaningful.

    Choosing God is not one big decision made once in a lifetime. It is a daily choice made in our small moments, silent struggles, and ordinary situations.

    So let me leave you with two simple and concrete takeaways:

    First: Each day, before making an important decision, pause and ask yourself: Will this choice give life to me and to others? Choose what builds and not what harms.

    Second: Do one silent act of goodness by helping someone, listening patiently, forgiving, or choosing honesty even when no one is watching. These small choices shape our becoming as a reflection of the light.

    Thus, when we choose God, we too choose life.  And through our simple but faithful choices, we do not only live well, we too help others live as well. Hinaut pa.

  • Seeing the Light, Then Following

    Seeing the Light, Then Following

    January 25, 2026 – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012526.cfm)

    I once took a taxi from the airport on my way home. Like many taxi rides, it started quietly. Then the driver began to talk not about traffic, not about politics, but about God. He spoke with conviction and warmth. In fact, he felt compelled to share his faith story in order to preach the Gospel and bring more people into baptism.

    He was not a Catholic, but became a Born Again Christian. And so I asked him what led him into becoming a Born Again. He said, “Father, I encountered the Lord when my wife was dying of cancer.” He shared how, during those long days in the hospital, a group of Born Again Christians would visit, pray with them, and simply stay. In that dark season, he said, something changed in him. He felt seen. He felt accompanied. He felt light entering a very heavy moment of his life. That encounter changed him so deeply that he could not keep it to himself. Now, he shares his faith with almost everyone who rides his taxi.

    That very experience bring me now into the invitations being revealed to us on this Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. And so, allow me to bring you all into our readings again and realize God’s gentle invitations and reminders for us.

    In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus begins His public ministry by proclaiming a simple message: “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Then He walks by the sea and says to fishermen, “Come after me.” And immediately, they follow Him. We often wonder: why so fast? Why leave everything behind?

    The first reading from Isaiah gives us a clue. The prophet speaks of people who were walking in darkness and have seen a great light. Israel had lived under oppression, fear, and uncertainty. Hope had been delayed for a long time. When Matthew describes Jesus beginning His ministry in Galilee, he is telling us that this is the light Isaiah promised. Jesus is not just offering teachings, He is offering a new way of seeing life and a new way of living life.

    That is the single theme that runs through all the readings that people follow Jesus because they have seen light in Him. This is the light that gives meaning, direction, and hope.

    Simon, Andrew, James, and John did not follow an idea. They followed a person who made sense of their longing. Before mission came encounter. Before discipleship came experience. They saw something in Jesus that answered a deep hunger within them.

    St. Paul, in the second reading, reminded the Corinthians, and us today, that this light must not be divided or owned. “Is Christ divided?” he asked. The light of Christ is not for competition, labels, or pride. It is for unity and witness.

    Now let us bring this closer to our daily life. Many people today are walking in darkness, though they may look fine on the outside.

    And darkness can be quiet. This can be exhaustion from work, anxiety about the future, family conflicts, sickness, loneliness, or the feeling that faith has become routine and dry. And so, we light candles, attend Mass, say prayers, but sometimes we wonder if we still feel the presence of God.

    That taxi driver was honest. He said that before his wife got sick, he was Catholic but did not feel God’s presence. It was in suffering, and in the kindness of people who stayed with him, that he experienced God. That moment became his light.

    This is where we Catholics must examine ourselves. We are often faithful in rituals, but can be very hesitant in sharing our personal experience of God. We hesitate out of shyness, fear of judgment, or the idea that faith-sharing is only for priests or “church people.”

    In reality, even our Catholic students in MSU-Marawi can sometimes be annoyed or afraid when our Born Again sisters and brothers would ask them, “Do you have 5 minutes?”[1] We find ourselves so weak in speaking and sharing our God-experience and knowledge of the Church to the point that we can be easily swayed.

    However, let us remember that the Gospel reminds us that to follow Jesus is not only to believe silently. We are demanded to witness through our actions, and through words when needed.

    Hence, being Christian is not also limited to Sunday Mass, memorized prayers, or lighting candles. Being Christian means following Jesus where we are – at  home, at work, online, in public transport, or in our ordinary conversations. Remember, the fishermen followed Jesus not by becoming perfect, but by trusting the light they had seen.

    This tells us that the world does not need more arguments about religion. It needs people who have seen light and are willing to reflect it. People who can say, like that taxi driver, “I was lost, and God met me here.”

    Jesus continues to say today, “Come, follow me.” He says it to parents, soldiers and policemen, workers, students, the elderly, and the tired. He says it not to burden us, but to invite us into a life that is brighter and more meaningful.

    And so, I leave you now two takeaways for you further reflection this week.

    First, remember one moment when God brought light into your life, especially during a difficult time. Thank Him for it this week.

    Second, share that experience with one person, not as a sermon, but as a story. Be honest, simple, and real. Hinaut pa.

    [1] It was their way of starting conversation among Christian students in a predominantly Muslim Community of MSU-Marawi. This is also the beginning of their proselytization.

  • Chosen to Be With Him         

    Chosen to Be With Him         

    January 23, 2026 – Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

    Homily for the Holy Mass of the 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012326.cfm)

    Many of us know the experience of being invited and especially of the feeling of not being invited. For example, you hear about a meeting yet, you were not part of it. Or perhaps you heard of an operation decided without your feedback. A better assignment may have been given to others instead of you, even though you worked harder. And it stings, it hurts our feelings, even for those who have achieved higher education or among seasoned soldiers. Quietly, it makes us ask about our place, our worth, and whether we still matter.

    However, this ordinary human experience would help us enter today’s liturgical readings.

    In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus went up the mountain and called those he wanted. It was a deliberate act. He chose people not because they were impressive, flawless, or powerful, but because Jesus desired them. Fishermen, a tax collector, men with strong personalities and clear weaknesses, these were the ones He called. And the Gospel is very clear about the first reason for the call: that they might be with him. Before mission, before authority, before action, there is first the “presence,” of simply just being present.

    This is a powerful word especially for you, men and women of the Philippine Army. Your life is shaped by readiness, discipline, and action. You are trained to move, to respond, to protect, often under pressure and risk. These are noble and necessary qualities. Yet, the Gospel gently reminds us that strength without grounding can become dangerous, and action without inner clarity can slowly erode the soul. This means that even the strongest soldier needs an interior anchor, a grounded foundation of the self.

    The first reading from the First Book of Samuel, deepens this message. David had every reason and opportunity to kill Saul. Saul hunted him relentlessly because of jealousy. David’s men even interpreted the moment as God’s will. But David refused. Instead, David lowered his weapon and chose restraint over revenge, fidelity over impulse. David knew that power without reverence and respect lead to destruction. He understood that authority must remain under God, not above him.

    For soldiers, this scene speaks clearly. You are trained to carry weapons, but also to carry responsibility. You know better than most that not every opportunity to strike is a command to strike. David showed us that moral strength is revealed not only in courage under fire, but also in the ability to hold back when conscience demands it.

    Here is the one theme that unites the Gospel and the reading:
    that being chosen by God means learning to remain with Him, so that our strength serves life, not fear or pride.

    In today’s context, the challenges are real. Long deployments, separation from family, exhaustion, moral injury, frustration with systems, and the temptation to harden oneself just to survive. Some would cope by shutting down emotionally. Others carry anger quietly. Still others struggle with guilt over decisions made in complex situations. These are not signs of weakness. They are rather, signs that you are human.

    Jesus knows this. That is why His first invitation is not “to go,” but “to stay with me.” Only those who remain with Him can be sent without losing themselves. Only those who stay rooted can act without becoming cruel. Only those who pray can carry authority without abusing it. And only those who truly love can exercise power not as a form of destruction but to nurture and protect life.

    David spared Saul because he knew his identity before God was more important than securing his future by force. The disciples were sent because they first learned how to listen, walk, and live with Jesus. The same is true for you. Your service to the nation is honorable, but it becomes truly life-giving when it flows from a conscience formed by prayer, humility, and reverence for life.

    You are not called merely to become efficient soldiers, but to be men and women of integrity. Hence, you are protectors who know when to advance and when to restrain. You are called to become leaders who act firmly without losing compassion. And you are called to be servants who remain human in the midst of conflict.

    This means that to be “with Him” (to be with Jesus) today may mean guarding your interior life as carefully as you guard your post. It may mean seeking help when the weight becomes too heavy. It may mean choosing silence and prayer instead of bitterness. This is not weakness. This is the deeper discipline.

    Thus, I leave you now two simple and doable takeaways.

    First, make space to be with God regularly, even briefly—before duty, after operations, or at day’s end—so that your strength remains rightly ordered.

    Second, in moments of pressure or anger, pause before acting and ask: “Does my decision protect life and honor God, or does it come from my fear and pride?”

    Remember, to be chosen by God is a gift. To remain with Him is the grace that keeps your service human, just, and truly strong. Hinaut pa.