Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Fr. Jom Baring, CSsR

  • The Sign of God’s Covenant  

    The Sign of God’s Covenant  

    February 20, 2025 – Thursday Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022025.cfm)

    When I was assigned in Sumba Island in Indonesia in 2014, it was my first time to see a double rainbow in the sky. And it did not disappear immediately. I was so amazed because most of time there would only be one rainbow and would just easily disappear after few minutes.

    This phenomenon is due to the reflection of the sun to the raindrops in the sky. And as the sunlight reflects twice in a raindrop, thus, creating another reflection above the primary rainbow.

    Today, the rainbow has also become a sign of pride, unity and diversity of the LGBTQ+ community. Yet, at the very beginning, as to be found in the Holy Scriptures, it was God the Creator who first made this bow from above, which now we call as rainbow, as a sign of God’s covenant and faithfulness to us.

    Let us explore a bit our readings today, and discern how God invites us to grow in our relationship with one another, with the whole created world and with the Lord.

    In the story of Noah, we have heard how the Lord renewed the covenant with the whole human family. The Lord God still sees hope in us. And the wonder of this renewal of the covenant with God, as God says, “I am now establishing my covenant with you,” carries with it the call and responsibility to nurture, cherish, develop and give life.

    What does it mean? As the Lord renews the covenant, God also demanded an accounting for the life of every animal and every human life. This is not a threat from God but rather the Lord wants us to value every life. This is how the Lord wants us to flourish and discover the wonder of life here on earth and be embraced by life itself through the whole creation of God. Every creature of the Lord reflects God’s goodness and love and every human being also reflects and carries God’s image.

    In this way, we understand the call to be fertile and multiply within the context of life, in nurturing, cherishing, developing and giving life. This calls us to defend life from anything that will suppress life, abuse life and destroy life.

    The very covenant that we have with God is a testament of that life and promise of the fullness of life. The rainbow is not just some ideological color, however, it is a biblical sign of God’s presence among us, a sign of life and a sign of renewal.

    This calls us further to commit ourselves into that covenant with God so that we too shall become cooperators of God’s action and presence in the world in bringing and giving life, in recreating and renewing our community.

    We can fully express this in our homes, communities and organizations, and into our relationships. Every time we give hope to those who are hopeless, every time we give a helping hand to those who need it, every time we give more attention in taking care of animals and of nature, every time we defend and nurture every human life – these are simple ways of expressing that covenant and call to give life.

    In a way, the Gospel today tells us also how Peter recognized the fullness of life in Jesus as he confessed that certainly, Jesus is the Christ. However, after realizing that Jesus is to be persecuted, will suffer and die, Peter retreated from his commitment to be with Jesus, the Christ.

    Like Peter, if we confess that Jesus is the Christ, our Lord and Savior, then, this implies commitment and risk. After all, when we commit ourselves to somebody we love, risks and sacrifices are implied.

    As we embrace the covenant God made with us, may we come to fully commit in that relationship with the Lord. Let us therefore, allow our human relationships and relationship with the rest of the created world to be fertile where we can multiply love and multiply life. Hinaut pa.

  • Be Grateful! Be Generous!

    Be Grateful! Be Generous!

    February 20, 2025 – Thanksgiving Mass (Baccalaureate)

    Mt 7:7-11

     

    A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.

     

    Jesus said to his disciples:

    “Ask and it will be given to you;

    seek and you will find;

    knock and the door will be opened to you.

    For everyone who asks receives;

    and the one who seeks finds;

    and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

     

    Which one of you,

    would hand his son a stone

    when he asked for a loaf of bread,

    or a snake when he asked for a fish?

    If you, then, who are wicked,

    know how to give good gifts to your children,

    how much more will your heavenly Father

    give good things to those who ask him,

    do to others what you would have them do to you,

    this is the Law and the Prophets”

    I would like to ask you first to look at the person beside you now, on your right and on your left. Look at that person and say “thank you.”

    It is just fitting for us to say thank you to people around us; especially, to you graduates, to be grateful to people who have been part of your journey as students. And so please take time to express your gratitude to your friends and classmates, to your teachers and the non-teaching staff of this university, to your nanay and tatay and your brothers and sisters here in the Chaplaincy, to your parents and siblings, and of course to God the source of all wisdom and knowledge.

    Now, as you go forward in life with your different paths and career; you will have a new environment, new people to meet, new experiences to behold, new realizations and discoveries that will mold you and mistakes and failures that will continue to teach you lessons.

    As you go forward, I want you to remember always to have an attitude of GRATITUDE, of just being thankful as a person. So, if I would ask you, “With all the pains and joys, successes and failures, sins and graces, how grateful are you today?”

    GRATITUDE makes us see what surrounds us, both the good and the bad. GRATITUDE also allows us to be embracing and accepting of the things and people around us. It is when we are grateful too that we become joyful persons. We shall see the goodness and uniqueness of others. Through this joy within us, we also become aware of God’s tremendous generosity to us despite our weaknesses and sins. In fact, this is what we recognized in our Responsorial Psalm, “We are nourished by the hands of the Lord.” The Lord indeed, is generous and provides what we need.

     And so, as we express our thanksgiving today on this special day of your life, remember that when we become joyful, we also become generous of ourselves towards the people around us, no matter who they are, whether they are our friends or strangers. Such acts of joy and generosity are expressions of a heart that is filled with gratitude.

    However, if our heart is without gratefulness but rather bitter, hateful and vengeful because of our personal failures and failures of others towards us, then, we become close-minded, rejecting, and vicious in the way we relate with one another and even in the way we relate with God.

    And so let us discern together how the Lord invites us today to grow in this confidence of being grateful particularly as we grow in our Christian faith and in prayer as our way of life.

    In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells a parable to his disciples that basically highlights the attitude of persistence in prayer. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For the one who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to him who knocks the door will be opened.”

    Jesus tells us of the generosity of the Father and of His availability for us. It signifies that God wants to give what is best for us and what is wonderful for us. Yet, what Jesus tells us should not be misunderstood also. We might think that we can just ask anything we want according to our selfish desires.

    True prayer keeps us away from our selfishness but brings us closer into God. This means that this relationship found in our prayer is a process of letting go of ourselves and letting God to work in us. This can be possible when we also learn to ask, to seek and to knock. This is an invitation for us to grow in confidence with God despite the many uncertainties that we may face in life, whether in our relationships, in our personal struggles, in our work and in any endeavor we are in at the moment.

    Thus, ask the Lord but we can only ask the Lord once we know what we desire. Hence, name what you desire. Name your problems to be solved. Acknowledge your concerns and recognize your issues. Only then, that we will be able to allow God to work in us.

    Moreover, Jesus would like to remind us that in these many areas of our life they also require more than asking. We too are in need to seek. This means that prayer is also a form of searching what is hidden or what remains undiscovered in us. To pray is not about searching God but to seek ourselves and to let God find us.

    Thus, seek for a deeper insight, seek for understanding and wisdom because God answers us not outside of us but within our own context, experiences and relationships.

    After such understanding and unfolding of mysteries in our life, we also want to move on, to go forward to where God is leading us. This requires now the attitude of knocking, which means seeking entrance, to enter into it. We might have realized that we have been so hurt by a loved one or a friend who betrayed us. And the pain that we have experienced made us inaccessible, scared and resistant to forgiveness. Now, Jesus tells us to knock, to look for an opportunity to take the risk of entering. Indeed, knocking a door is a risk because knocking here does not only mean one knock but a persistent knock repeated many times until the door opens for reconciliation and peace.

    The Lord in his mercy wants us to exercise our freedom, that we can make a choice for ourselves. To knock God’s door will lead us to many opportunities for growth, for peace and freedom. Jesus assures us that as we come before God to boldly and persistently knock, it shall be opened to us. God would willingly and lovingly open his door of forgiveness and affection to embrace us and to welcome us.

    In this way, we become children who are transformed into the likeness of Jesus, who will not throw tantrums when we do not get what we want just for our selfish reasons, but children who are fully aware that God’s desire for us is far better than our own.

    Therefore, as we ask, seek and knock may these become the very attitudes of our heart so that it will be molded into a grateful heart that finds God’s abiding presence and faithfulness in our life.

    Let us be more grateful then of the gifts and blessings that we have already received each day, no matter how small that would be. But if we have received so much also, be more thankful and be more generous.

    Remember, a grateful person is a person who goes forward, because when we are grateful we also become contented of the present, whatever there is. We also become reconciled with the past, whatever that was. And we become hopeful and positive of the future, whatever there will be. So, be grateful as you go forward by building and cherishing your relationships with your family and friends and people whom you will meet along the way of your journey. Be grateful and be generous! Hinaut pa.   

  • Seeing but not Recognizing

    Seeing but not Recognizing

    February 19, 2024 – Wednesday Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021925.cfm)

    Have you ever experienced searching for something yet could not find it? After a while, that object was actually right in front of you. You must have seen it but was not able to recognize that it is was what you were looking for. Perhaps, as you were walking on a street, a friend met you and greeted you, yet, you were unresponsive. You’ve seen the person but was not able to recognize that it was a friend of yours.

    In medical term, it is called as “agnosia.” This is a disorder of which a person sees an object despite the normal vision but cannot identify what the object is. In particular, this is called as “visual agnosia.” There is also so called “auditory agnosia” of which we heard something but cannot recognize what it was.

    In psychology, this is referred to as “inattentional blindness.” This means that we fail to notice or see something within our visual field because our attention or consciousness is so focused on something or somewhere else. This also applies to our hearing. As a result, we become absent-minded and out-of-focused.

    In our Christian faith, this can also happen. And this is best described in today’s healing story of the blind man in the Gospel of Mark. Jesus who took the blind man by the hand and brought him outside of the village performed the healing. Jesus has to do it twice for the person to see and recognize clearly. The man’s eyes were healed at the fist attempt yet, cannot distinguish between people and trees, thus, a “spiritual agnosia”. And so, for the second time, Jesus touched his eyes then his sight was completely restored.

    What the man received was not only physical healing but also spiritual healing. This means that he was both blind physically and spiritually. As he was healed and restored completely only then that he recognized the Lord’s face in front of him. Then, he was told not to go back to the village of Bethsaida.

    The actions in this healing story are filled with spiritual insights and so, let us take them one by one. Jesus needed to take the blind man out of the village and later told him not to go back. Bethsaida was a symbol of a place of evil, sin and rejection of God’s presence. Jesus was not accepted there.

    Hence, in order for the man to be freed from his illness, he too needed to be freed from that place that made him blind. He was told not to go back but to go home, so that he won’t be able to go back to his old cycle of darkness and sin.

    Jesus also allowed his disciples to witness this event to make them realize of the importance not just of our physical sight but also of our spiritual insight. The disciples actually struggled and found difficulty at recognizing of the wonders that Jesus did. They remained anxious on what to eat even though Jesus fed five thousand people. They were troubled when things got rough and difficult even when Jesus was with them in the boat. At this time, they were still figuring out who Jesus really was. Indeed, they too were blind, spiritually blind because their hearts were still filled with fear, anxieties and doubts. Hence, they too had spiritual agnosia.

    Yet, Jesus remained patient just like with the blind man, until such a time they too received the spiritual insight and recognized that God was with them all along.

    This calls us now to ask for the grace of spiritual insight. This begins by humble owning and acknowledging the beliefs, attitudes or experiences that continually bring us into darkness and sin.

    Indeed, we may have a perfect physical vision and some may have blurred vision and so the need of eye glasses, but most importantly, may we too have a perfect spiritual sight to see and recognize the Lord, his gifts and manifestations. Hinaut pa.

  • Goodness in the midst of Evil

    Goodness in the midst of Evil

    February 18, 2024 – Tuesday Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021825.cfm)

    The rise and popularity of the social media platforms have significantly reshaped our consciousness on many matters as individuals and society. The influences that we get and receive from constant interaction whether passive or active interaction in social media, affect how we think and believe, behave and act.

    In consequence, fake news and disinformation entertained by many have been very damaging into our culture and relationships. People who are not aware of the sources and the credibility of the reports, are being deceived and in effect brought more damage to the community by spreading them. However, through the social media, we also realize that it can be a medium to raise proper and correct awareness of the realities in our communities. Hence, this kind of influence promotes social awareness for activism and social change.

    Aside from this, there are also other “offline” influences that we get from around us. These may come from people whom we interact with personally. Significant persons, persons in authority, peers and organizations of which we are affiliated can also influence that way we behave and make decisions. Spiritually, we also believe in the influence from good or the evil spirit.

    Being aware of the many influences that surrounds us, Jesus also reminds us of this. In today’s Gospel of Mark the Lord firmly warned his friends, he said, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

    The leaven is used to make the dough to rise, was used by Jesus as an image to depict the silent but cunning influence of the Pharisees and of Herod. The passive yet indifferent, aggressive and oppressive attitudes of the Pharisees and of Herod was so attractive to people who tend to seek recognition and praise and those who tend to worship the powerful and the corrupt, the arrogant and the aggressive. They portrayed that those who have the power and influence were always the victorious.

    Jesus seemed to see and realize such tendencies among the disciples. This was the reason why Jesus reminded them when they began to worry of having not enough bread. Even until that moment, they did not yet recognize that the Lord was with them and had already worked wonders by feeding thousands of people. This prompted Jesus to ask them, “Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?”

    The hardened hearts, the eyes that couldn’t see and the ears that couldn’t hear must have been gripped through the influence of selfishness.

    This is what we realize in the story from the Book of Genesis. We are reminded of the disheartening event where the Lord regretted and his heart was grieved. God found evil in the hearts of humanity. Their hearts had been influenced and consumed by wickedness and evil. With that, the Lord can’t play a blind eye to the atrocities committed by humanity. God decided to wipe out the earth and reshape it.

    Yet, Noah found favor with the Lord. Noah was neither influenced nor consumed by evil and selfishness. Rather, Noah remained obedient and devoted to God even when others were not. Noah carefully listened to God’s voice and followed God’s commands even when he was ridiculed and insulted. Noah remained concerned and faithful. Indeed, there was goodness in the heart of Noah even in the midst of evil around him. This was how the Lord found hope in us to reshape the earth and renew our hearts.

    Today, like the disciples and like what happed in the story of the Book of Genesis, the Lord also calls us to watch out those distractions or influences that may lead us away from the grace of God, from God’s presence and away from each other. We may always realize that God is working wonders in us and through us.

    Let us not allow our hearts be influenced by evil or selfishness or by our negative emotions. Let us recognize, see and understand those many wonders that God is doing in our lives. The Lord calls us that we may be influenced by God’s grace in our sacraments, by God’s words in the Bible, and by the Holy Spirit. Hinaut pa.

  • WHEN RESENTMENT CONSUMES US

    WHEN RESENTMENT CONSUMES US

    February 17, 2025 – Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021725.cfm)

    A person who becomes resentful in a relationship or work or in any other things, can easily nurture emotions like anger, frustrations and disappointments. When these negative emotions are being built up from within and being “nested,” the more the heart becomes resentful and even violent.

    Yet, our resentful heart does not acknowledge the wrong or the failure in us but only blames our frustrations and anger towards others. We could easily hold grudges against others; having a passive-aggressive expressions of anger in the forms of sarcasm, overly critical and inaction or indifference. And these are also forms of bitterness of the heart that slowly consumes and destroys our relationships.

    This is what happened in the story we have today in the Book of Genesis. Cain, the first born of Adam and Eve, grew resentful towards God and jealous towards his younger brother, Abel.

    Cain must have felt that God was unfair towards him because the Lord only accepted the offerings of Abel and his was rejected. Abel’s attitude was different from his brother. Abel offered the best and what was due to God. Abel offered those gifts as an act of thanksgiving. He offered his best gifts out of joy and gratitude.

    However, Cain only gave his offerings passively and complacently. It was rejected not because of the value of his gifts, but the attitude of his heart. Cain’s offering was not an act of devotion and gratitude to the Lord, and thus, his offering was rejected. His ungrateful heart has become seedbed of his resentment. He felt wronged by God and seen Abel as his competitor.

    This resentment grew more in his heart. The Lord God warned Cain of this, “sin is a demon lurking at the door; his urge is toward you…” This was how Cain allowed his resentment to consume him until he became vicious and violent. And so Cain, with a deceptive heart brought his brother Abel away and killed him.

    And worst, when God asked the whereabouts of Abel, Cain responded again with a resentful heart, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” This only confirms his guilt and the blood in his hands. This was such a horrifying and sad story between brothers.

    This resentful heart also reflected in today’s Gospel among the Pharisees who demanded signs from Jesus. It was the hardness of their hearts and vicious thoughts that made Jesus to “sigh from the depth of his spirit.” They asked for a sign, yet, they cannot recognize the greatest sign in front of them, already talking with them.

    However, despite this tendency in us, the Lord gives us a chance. God sees hope in us as well. This was the reason why God never condemned Cain to death, not to condone his actions, but give a chance for Cain to repent, to be renewed and to be freed from the evil in his heart.

    Indeed, we also ask the grace that our heart may not become resentful and bitter but will rather be grateful and contented. Having such attitude in our heart, may we always be mindful of God’s revelations and His presence. Hinaut pa.