Category: Fr. Jom Baring, CSsR

August 14, 2022 – 20^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081422.cfm)

It is confusing or even to some perhaps terrifying. We certainly want peace. We want unity. We want prosperity. Yet, Jesus asked us today, “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” He even said earlier, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”

What Jesus actually means about this peace is the peace that the world knows. This peace is about the comfort and routine of life or of ‘business-as-usual.’ This means that we go and proceed to what we usually do in life by doing what we want and by satisfying our needs and desires, from mere complacency. This peace only knows about maintaining the status quo, that we are comfortable with and preserving an environment that will not disturb us. Yet, this peace is shallow and remains self-centered. It focuses on our ego.

However, Jesus is not bringing this kind of peace but fire and division that will disturb us. This includes disturbing our comfort, our current situation, our complacency, passivity and routine.

This is what we have also heard in the first reading from the Book of Jeremiah. Prophet Jeremiah by being true to the mission God gave him, disturbed the comfort and complacency of those in power and influence. By reminding the people of their covenant with God, “I am your God and you are my people,” they too were reminded that this covenant was bounded in fidelity and receptivity of God’s commands and of giving oneself for others. This role of the prophet includes the denouncement of the misdeeds and unfaithfulness committed especially by those in power and authority.

But then, Jeremiah’s presence in constantly calling the people to repent, became a sore and threat to those who were in power. This was the reason why they wanted to silence and eliminate him by killing him. Yet, Jeremiah was rescued by a foreigner, Ebed-melech, who realized that Jeremiah was a prophet of God.

This experience of Jeremiah must have made him realized too that indeed, it is dangerous to believe in God. Believing in God and committing to be faithful to the Lord is dangerous because we shall become a “sign of contradiction” to what is popular, to the comfortable and to the powerful.

This brings us again to what Jesus said in today’s Gospel that “he has come to set the earth on fire, that he brings not peace but division.”

Indeed, the Lord comes to disturb us when we have grown so attached with our comforts and when we are so caught up with maintaining to what is only beneficial for us.

Thus, when we become passive, we do not want to be challenged, we do not want to go beyond and become life-giving. We do not want to confront ourselves and others because it might cost us conflict and division or to sacrifice the contentment that we apparently enjoy. But, God does not want us to become a person who becomes a prisoner of his/her own selfish desires. We will become abusive and corrupt yet the most insecure of all.

Jesus does not want us also to just go with the flow and remain passive. We might find ourselves to settle to what is only easy, comfortable and beneficial by doing the same things, thinking the same thoughts and imagining the same ideas to the point that we refuse to do more and give more.

This happens to us when we are trapped in our routine and comfort. We might go to mass every day, receive communion, say our prayers, doing the same sin again, do our work and struggle with the same problems without any change in our thoughts and actions as we relate with others. Or we might just bury ourselves in the same addiction, fall into the same bad habits and then feel guilty but later do the usual things again. Or in dipping ourselves into our abusive practices in our work, business or profession in order to advance our selfish and self-serving tendencies.

It would be good, then, to ask ourselves, “What are the burdens that I am carrying? What are the sins that prevent me to go forward?”

If we are able to ask ourselves these questions, then, this will help us to be open to the presence of Jesus. This presence of Jesus will disturb us because it will make us recognize our selfish desires. He disturbs us because he challenges us to go beyond, to go forward and not to settle to what is only comfortable for us. He disturbs us so that he will be able to bring true peace in us and in our community.

The Lord wants us to find freedom. Jesus is not in favor in making ourselves passive, complacent, self-contained and self-satisfied yet stagnant. Jesus wants us to grow, to be mature and to become the person and community He wants us to be.

This means that our relationship with God is not limited with what we are doing now, by just attending this Eucharist and that’s it. This Eucharist and the presence of Jesus in this celebration is not to be taken so lightly then.

The invitation for us is to allow the Lord to touch and to disturb our complacency, passivity and routine so that we will be able to see things differently and wonderfully.

Hopefully, as we allow the Lord to disturb us, we may be able to see new perspectives in life despite its monotony, more dynamic and life-giving ways of relating with people around us, and a deeper and a life-changing encounter with God through the ordinary expressions of our faith. And remember, this calls us to become “a sign of contradiction” to what is evil, abusive and oppressive by being pro-active, honest and courageous in expressing our faith and the values that we believe as Christians. Kabay pa.

August 7, 2020 – 19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080722.cfm)

Who among you here have dogs at home? Are you also aware on how your dogs would react whenever you come home? Once the dogs are left at home they can be anxious without the presence of their humans. Yet, dogs display patience and attention to wait for their humans to return home. Their attentiveness allows them to be more conscious of their surroundings. And when our dogs would sense our coming and smell our presence even at a distance, they begin to get excited. Dogs would wiggle their tails as a sign of excitement. And when they finally see us, they would make terrible sounds as their expression of joy, or lick us, jump on us and run around us. This shows us how our dogs can be intimately connected with us. Moreover, the attentiveness of our dogs to our presence has something to teach us on this 19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The first reading from the Book of Wisdom tells us how the people patiently waited and hoped for the coming of the Lord. They had been suffering for many years from the Egyptians. Their children were massacred, properties confiscated, and they were made slaves until their death.

We could imagine their fears and anxieties, as well as the feeling of being abandoned by God. But through the presence of Moses, the people realized God’s presence among them. God’s promise was to be fulfilled after all. As a result, we were told how the people prepared themselves for the Lord’s coming who shall free them from that suffering. As a community, they became more attentive to God’s presence.

In the same way, the second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews allows us to recall the attitude of our grandfathers in the faith particularly of Abraham. Abraham was indeed a man who put his trust and faith completely to God. Abraham left the comfort of his family and friends, to journey to a land that God promised to him.

Certainly, Abraham also felt anxiety and insecurity as he journeyed with God especially when God gave him Isaac and later demanded that Abraham should sacrifice his son. That was Abraham’s most vulnerable moment in his life. Yet, he realized too that everything he had were all from God. With that, he was grateful to God. That gratitude made his faith even stronger, despite the pain of sacrificing his son. Indeed, he allowed God to surprise him and to unfold God’s plan by completely trusting the wisdom of God.

The surprise was to receive Isaac back and to become our father in faith today. His close relationship with God allowed him to go beyond his fears and anxieties by making him more attentive to God’s presence and invitations.

This is what Jesus taught to his disciples in today’s Gospel of Luke. Jesus reminds us to grow in our attentiveness of his presence. The parable in the Gospel is an affirmation to a person who consciously makes himself/herself familiar to God’s presence. It is when we are attuned to God’s presence that we also become aware of the presence of other people around us. As a result, this makes our faith active and alive by being able to give life.

However, the parable is also a warning to those who have become mediocre, complacent and procrastinator. These are attitudes of a person who is not attentive to God’s presence and has taken advantage the gifts given by the Lord. Therefore, the person is only concerned of himself/herself. This person would become the most insecure, most anxious and at the same time can also be the most vicious and abusive to others.

Hence, a mediocre or complacent person is only contented in doing things below his/her potentials. It means that we do not really give the best in us but we settle to what is only lesser and comfortable for us.

Thus, when we become so caught up with our comforts but then we refuse to go beyond by giving ourselves for others, when we refuse to let go of our grudges and hatred, and when we refuse to actively oppose the evils and unjust systems in the community, then, we have surely grown to become mediocre and complacent. We do not want to be challenged because we do not what to make a stand. We do not want to go beyond from ourselves and to give our full potentials for God and for others. We only give what is small and minimal. However, this is a life that refuses to recognize God’s presence and invitations.

Moreover, a person who procrastinates loves to delay things like in making decisions and actions. This person does not see the need to respond because he/she is caught up with his/her own mood. Consequently, when we procrastinate in our faith, we feel bored, we feel empty, and we feel lifeless and so we see no reason at all to become life-giving.

What is common with these attitudes is the fear to take risks. Remember, trusting God and believing in Him requires risks. Faith is to take risks as what the Hebrew people showed in waiting for God to free them and for Abraham to journey outside his comforts and in sacrificing Isaac. Yet, it is in taking risks that God makes wonders through us and in us. It is in taking risks that we grow in our consciousness of God’ presence in our life. And it is also in taking risks that we grow deeper in our relationships.

Our dogs who patiently await for our coming every time we leave home, put their trust on us and so have taken the risk to trust us in providing them an emotional assurance. Hopefully, we too in our journey with God will grow in our attentiveness to God’s presence by taking the risk in believing in him and trusting God’s wisdom by avoiding from our tendency to become mediocre, complacent and procrastinator in our Christian faith. Kabay pa.

July 31, 2022 – 18^th Sunday in Ordinary Time  

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/073122.cfm)

According to the recent study of OXFAM International, an independent non-governmental organizations, a new billionaire is created during this pandemic in a span of 30 hours only.[1]  There are at least new 573 people who have just become billionaires because of this pandemic. Wow! This sounds so promising and encouraging, isn’t it? However, behind these a few hundred billionaires, OXFAM also said that because of this, there is an expected 263 million people who will crash into extreme poverty, at a rate of 1 million people in every 33 hours[2] because of Covid-19, of rising global inequality and the shock of food prices supercharges by the war in Ukraine.[3] As a result, it is projected that the number of undernourished people in the world could reach to 827 million this year, 2022.[4]

The world, indeed, has so much wealth and resources even during this pandemic for all of us but then, it seems that only few are possessing and benefitting them in an extravagant and outrageous way. This shows how inequality in our society greatly bring suffering to many and of the vanity that the few elite group enjoy.

To possess material wealth is, in fact, not in itself evil. Material wealth is God’s gift to us. However, material wealth becomes a problem if we would allow this to possess us. We might believe that to possess so much wealth will give us security and joy. Nevertheless, this is not the case because the more we possess things, the more we also become insecure and anxious. Just observe ourselves. The more a person possesses wealth, the more the person also becomes defensive. High walls are built to protect a rich house, sometimes with electric current running 24/7 on barb wires and with a 24-hour security personnel and CCTV all around the property. And when the person becomes unaware of his/her unquenchable desire to possess more, then the heart turns greedy and insecure, and even corrupt and oppressive.

Our readings this Sunday have something to tell us about this. The Lord invites us to examine our attitudes towards our material wealth, the resources that we have gained and received, the riches that we possessed vis-à-vis the relationship we have with one another.

Thus, even though we may not be part of the group of billionaires in the world, but then, the possessions that we have may could also possess us. These may prevent us from being grateful to the source of blessings and generous to those who are in need. Let us explore then, our readings and see how God unfolds his invitations for us today.

The author of the Book of Ecclesiastes tells us that what we possess now and our worldly achievements could not really guarantee satisfaction to our inner desires. Qohelet says, “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” Indeed, everything will be in vain when we become too focused on material possessions and when our heart becomes materialistic. With this attitude, we will lose the essential things in life and that include our relationships.

This is the reason why Jesus warns us of our tendency to be greedy. Greed comes from a heart that believes in self-satisfaction and that desires total independence from God. But then, material things could never quench our greatest desire to be satisfied and fulfilled. Thus, a person will tend to accumulate more and possess more even at the expense of others.

Hence, the very situation of the man in the Gospel would remind us of a common dispute among siblings even today. Families are being divided and wounds of hatred and resentment would overwhelm them because of wealth or properties left behind by their parents. Sometimes this hatred and resentment would even reach the courts, in legal disputes over inheritance claims and even up to violence and killings among family members.

This is how the cycle of corruption and oppression happens. When our desire becomes unsatisfiable, we become greedy of many things, who will tend to collect as many material things and wealth us much as possible.

Well, such attitude will not just appear in our heart out of nowhere. Sometimes, this has something also to do with our childhood memories. A child who has been deprived from many things particularly of essential things in the child’s development such us food, shelter, toys and clothing and even affection and love from parents may become a form of emptiness in the heart of a child. When the child becomes adult, that kind of experience could give the person the anxiety to be deprived again. Hence, in order to gratify such anxiety the person could become a hoarder who accumulate things and possessions.

When this happens too, a hoarder or a greedy person is blinded to see the needs of others. It will be difficult for the person to open up and be generous to those who are in need around him or her because the person feels insecure every time he or she gives.  The person would only look at his/herself and never to others. This is an attitude of the heart that is truly being possessed by possessions.

Thus, Jesus said, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Jesus tells us that our life is more than our possessions. Consequently, St. Paul in the second reading calls us “to put to death parts of us that are earthly.” These are attitudes that are driven by greed.

Be mindful, then, of our possessive attitudes because these may affect and endanger our relationships with our families, friends and colleagues.

We may ask, what is it that possessed me? What are those that kept me from being free? We do not have to think of millions of pesos because even a single smartphone may possess us. Remember, when we put so much focus and attention to a material thing, it could make us indifferent, ungenerous and unkind towards others. Our attachment to a single smartphone may indeed, prevent us from giving more time, attention and focus towards our studies (for the students), or may prevent us from giving our affection and presence to our loved ones. Or, our obsession and anxiety to succeed in our careers or business may also prevent us from spending quality time and presence with our loved ones, with your children or spouse to the point that you have no more time for them.

We believe that what gives us true satisfaction, freedom, joy and contentment is a life with God. Jesus calls today to have a life with Him and to slowly let go of whatever that possessed us because this is the way of making ourselves free for Jesus and free for others. Then, by being free for Jesus, we shall be able to let ourselves be satisfied truly by the Lord himself. In response, our self-satisfaction from the Lord will lead us to recognize that everything we have is God’s blessing that must be joyfully and generously shared to others. Kabay pa.

---

[1] https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/pandemic-creates-new-billionaire-every-30-hours-now-million-people-could-fall

[2] Ibid.

[3] https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/terrifying-prospect-over-quarter-billion-more-people-crashing-extreme-levels-poverty

[4] https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/terrifying-prospect-over-quarter-billion-more-people-crashing-extreme-levels-poverty

July 24, 2022 – 17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/072422.cfm)

When I was young, I was always fascinated to see the elderly in our family praying. Their patience and endurance in kneeling from the beginning to the end was amazing. However, I would feel that the prayers would almost take forever to finish. Few minutes after the prayers like the rosary and novena would begin, I would also fall asleep in the comfort of my mother’s lap.

Remembering the persistence of our elderly and grandparents in praying, reminds us too of this day of the 2^nd World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. And so, with love and concern, we acknowledge the presence of our elderly and grandparents who are here present in this Mass today. We thank them for their presence and in showing us the blessings God offers us even in our old age.

In fact, Pope Francis tells us today, that “elderly is growing in humanity by caring for others. Our elderly and grandparents can be teachers of a way of life that is peaceful and attentive to those in greatest need. And that being an elderly is a recognition that we are not saved alone, that happiness is a bread we break together.[1]” Pope Francis continues, that being an elderly and a grandparent, “you are called to be artisans of the revolution of tenderness in our world.”

Such way of life of caring for others, of peace and being attentive to those in greatest need, is what we have heard in today’s first reading from the Book of Genesis. Abraham who was already an elderly at that time showed this concern and care for others by pleading before God to show mercy. Abraham had this audacity to somehow “bargain” before God in saving the people of Sodom even if there were only few righteous people. Abraham’s concern was in fact, to save the people from damnation. His tenderness was being shown in his intervention or intercession in behalf of the people.

God, certainly, showed compassion to the people because through Abraham’s prayer God also sees and finds the goodness in us. Indeed, this is how prayer is also being transformed into care and into tenderness towards others which gives life, promotes life and heals life.

This way of praying as a sign of care and tenderness for others is also alive in Jesus. Our Gospel today would even tell us that when Jesus finished praying, his disciples came and asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” The disciples must have also felt and witnessed how Jesus’ way of praying created big impact to the people whom Jesus helped and ministered. The very way of life of Jesus that is grounded in prayer became more evident in his actions. Jesus brought healing to the sick, forgave the sinners, and freed those who were possessed by evil spirits.

The life-giving way of praying of Jesus captivated and motivated the disciples to learn the way of Jesus’ praying. And such humility to learn the way of life of Jesus in praying, allowed the Lord to teach them the basics of prayer.

God, as Jesus introduced to us, is our Father. By calling God as our father, this brings us into closeness and intimacy with God. God would surely love being called as our Father, whose only desire is for us to grow in love.

This tells us that our prayers and other forms of devotions are not meant to impress others or to flatter or manipulate the Lord because of our long, wordy and unintelligible prayers. What the Lord wants from us is our sincere and humble heart that recognizes God as our Father, growing in confidence and closeness with God.

The Lord’s Prayer brings us also into sincerity and humility because the prayers acknowledges first God, as our Father whose “divine will” takes priority than our own. We seek and recognize the will of God for us and not our wants. This brings us to be more aware of our needs and the needs of others in this present moment, of today, and not to be burdened by our past or to be anxious of tomorrow.

This is very important to remember that the prayer Jesus taught to us, allows us to be more aware of our present moment, of our needs, the needs of others as well as the graces of the here and now. This will certainly make us more contented and confident in life for we shall see how God provides and works for us in the present moment.

Hence, on this 17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time and 2^nd World Day of Grandparents and Elderly, there are three invitations for us.

First, learn the way of Jesus in praying by becoming confident and intimate with God as our Father. We shall grow in that confidence by allowing ourselves to trust God and His ways for us in our daily life.

Second, make our prayer as a sign of our concern and tenderness for others. Like Abraham who pleaded to God in behalf of the sinful people, let our prayers too not be self-centered by only praying for our personal needs and wants, but also to be able to pray for others and their needs.

Third, let our prayers be translated into our actions. Like Jesus whose prayer brings life, healing and freedom to many, let our actions grounded in our prayers also bring life, healing and freedom in our relationships with other people. Kabay pa.

---

[1] Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the Second World Day for Gandparents and the Elderly; 24 July 2022

July 10, 2022 – 15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071022.cfm)

I grew up in a community where people know everybody. I have enjoyed playing and fighting with other kids. As kids, we were welcomed to take something to eat and even sleep no matter whose house would that be. I have enjoyed very much my childhood when we have to make our own kites and toy cars, build our small houses, running around and getting hurt and dirty with other kids. Those days that I had were the foundation where I was able to relate and socialize with others. And most importantly, the early years of playtime and growing up as a child are the opportunities also where a child will develop his or her sense of responsibility, creativity and sensitivity to people around him or her.

This kind of development in us is being nurtured within the environment where we are in. In this case also, we understand that our neighbors play a vital role in our everyday life. Our encounter and everyday exchange of gifts, stories and even quarrels and gossips make as animated and alive.

That is why, we also find neighbors helping one another in times of need and sorrow and sharing their joys in times of abundance and blessing. We understand that our neighbor is someone who is close to us, somebody we know and someone we are familiar with. And we consider those outside this circle as strangers to whom we could easily show an indifferent attitude. However, this kind of understanding of neighbor is being challenged today. This is what we have heard from the Gospel of Luke.

And so let us explore now the invitation for us this Sunday through our Gospel.

There was a lawyer who asked Jesus on how he would be able to attain eternal life. What he asked was not just actually about what lies after death but also of the present moment. Eternal life then means eternal joy and this joy can already be found now.

The lawyer knew the answer, that is why, he also answered his own question to Jesus. This joy can be attained by loving God and loving one’s neighbor. This love of God can only become concrete when a person also shows the same love to his or her neighbor. And so it means, that these two are inseparable.

But, the lawyer asked Jesus again and clarified, “who is my neighbor then?” And Jesus’ answer must have left the lawyer speechless. In the parable that Jesus gave, a neighbor is somebody who is in need regardless of the persons’ belief, culture, race or status.

This is the reason why the victim in the story was portrayed to be naked and unable to speak because he was half-dead. The person had no particular culture or race, or language or belief. The person then symbolizes anybody.

Moreover, a neighbor is also a person who responds to those in need. A neighbor is a person who feels the suffering and pain of the other and because of this, a neighbor is moved to extend help and assurance to that person in need. This is done out of generosity and kindness.

Thus, the priest and the Levite in the story who merely showed indifference to the dying person were not neighbors. Their fear of becoming unclean and not being able to enter the Holy Temple or perhaps fear to do something that it might be just a trap of the thieves, prevented them to extend their hands to the person. They must have surely felt pity for the victim but then they remained in the feeling and did not move into action.

That is why, to only feel pity for the person in need without changing anything from us, is empty. True pity leads to mercy which also leads to kindness, a generous action.

This is how we realize that being a believer of God, your faith and my faith does not mean to be static or passive. Faith is not dependent on letters or traditional practices and rituals as shown by the priest and Levite. But faith is dynamic and pro-active because it is about a relationship. This is what the Samaritan showed.

Therefore, true faith builds relationship, friendship. It is sensitive and generates kindness, generosity, mercy and compassion. In other words, action!

Thus, Jesus invites us today that to attain eternal life or eternal joy is also to build relationships. The Samaritan despite the discrimination against him by the Jews as heretic, impure and lowly was able to build relationship by recognizing that victim as his neighbor.  This was how the Samaritan extended his hands for the man who was in pain and suffering. His hands provided comfort and healing to the person. His presence became an assurance and security for the victim of abuse and crime. He did all those not because he was after some recognition or reward. He extended his hands and went beyond what was expected of him because he cognized the man as a person in need of help and healing and because he recognized God in that person.

This is how Paul in his letter to the Colossians reminds us too that Jesus is the very image of the invisible God. As the Good Samaritan recognized God in the person of the victim and the suffering man, we too are called to recognize Jesus, the image of the invisible God among our brothers and sisters.

And so for this Sunday, there are three take-aways that I want you to remember and to bring with you at home.

First, make our faith alive. We have realized that faith is not limited with our memorized prayers, traditional religious practices and Sunday obligations. Faith is a way of life for us Christians that allows us to build relationships with God and with our neighbors. Let us not make our faith become stagnant and passive. Make our Christian faith alive by generating kindness and generosity, love, compassion and mercy.

Second, touch to bring healing. As the Good Samaritan took the risk and the time to touch and bring healing to the man in pain, let our touch bring healing as well to people around us. Let not our touch be a cause of pain and suffering to others like what the robbers did to the man. Their touch was oppressive, cruel and abusive. Rather, let us make our touch become a source of healing and comfort by being gentle and kind.

Third, be a neighbor. This is what Jesus is trying to tell us today that our very presence with one another will also become a source of support and understanding not judgment, be a source of comfort not gossip and intrigue, be a source of solidarity and empathy not indifference and to be a source of life and joy in our community and not of abuse, corruption and death. Kabay pa.