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Category: Fr. Jom Baring, CSsR

  • BEING CALLED AND CHALLENGED

    BEING CALLED AND CHALLENGED

    March 20, 2022 – Third Sunday of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032022-YearC.cfm)

    The first reading from the Book of Exodus tells us a wonderful story of the call of Moses. His call from God captures the invitation for each of us as we are now on the third Sunday of Lent. So, let us explore together our readings today and see how God invites and calls us.

    The first reading is a story of conversion of Moses. We have heard that it began through the “burning bush” which led to the encounter of Moses with God. But what really happened there? Let us take it step by step.

    When Moses noticed the flaming bush but was not consumed by fire, Moses became curious. His curiosity led him to come near to the burning bush. As he came near, it was at that moment too that Moses’ name was called. And when he responded, Moses was made aware of the holy presence of God as he was standing on a holy ground. Moses has to remove his sandals and to present himself in bare foot before God. When Moses did remove his sandals, it led him to a personal conversation with God because he became more grounded. By removing his sandals, Moses felt and became more connected with God.  It was an intimacy shared by Moses and the Lord. Moreover, this encounter brought Moses to a mission. God sent Moses, and that is to bring the Lord to his fellow Israelites.

    This encounter of Moses with God allowed Moses to know God and be more aware of God. God’s name is “I am who am” or basically means, “I am with you always, all the time.” This was how Moses realized that God is relational. This means that God does not remain remote or alien to human suffering. In fact, the Book of Exodus described God’s words in this way, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering.” This led Moses closer to God.

    This is indeed a conversion story because from the kind of life that Moses was so comfortable with, God disturbed him. That disturbance was God’s way of calling Moses to go beyond from his comforts and even from his fear of being killed by the Egyptians. Remember, Moses fled Egypt because he killed an Egyptian soldier who had beaten a Hebrew slave. The burning bush then, became the opportunity for Moses to encounter and know God, and being called and challenged by God as well.

    Moreover, the call of conversion is what St. Paul reminds us in his first letter to the Corinthians.  The history of unfaithfulness, of the grave sin committed by the people in the past must be a learning experience. That cannot be forgotten. St. Paul calls us, definitely, not to grow complacent and to just be secured with what we have in this world. He even expressed this in these words, “whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.” 

    The same call of conversion that would bring us closer to the Lord is what the parable in today’s Gospel revealed. In the parable of the fig tree, Jesus tells us that the Father is a God of many chances. God gives us many chances to change our ways and to come nearer to him so that we may find fullness of life. This is described to us as Jesus expressed in the parable how the owner visited the fig tree. Yet, in the person of the gardener, Jesus tells us that indeed, God gives us another chance when we fail and commit mistakes, when we grow complacent and refuse to be life-giving. The gardener expressed hope to the owner as he asked him to give the fig tree another year. The gardener promised to cultivate it so that it may bear fruit. The gardener saw hope for transformation and hope of being fruitful in that tree.

    Indeed, God always sees hope in each of us too. This was how God saw hope in Moses who left Egypt to hide and to make him as God’s messenger. God also saw hope among his people who were made slaves in a foreign land to give them the fullness of life.

    Out of these things, there are three invitations that I want you to remember on this Third Sunday of Lent.

    First, to be more conscious of our own “burning bush.” This “burning bush” could be an experience were we also became curious about God but led us to a personal encounter with God.

    Second, let us remove our sandals, as what Moses did, and to remove anything that is not helpful and toxic and those that prevents our growth.  This means that we are challenged to remove and to let go those unnecessary things, attitudes, behaviors, opinions, beliefs and lifestyle that prevent us from becoming a life-giving person.

    Third, to go beyond. This is where we find the message of hope and the call of conversion. We are not limited by our failures and mistakes in life, not even by our sickness, struggles and difficulties that we have at this moment. God sees hope in us and it is God’s desire that we are able to enjoy life and celebrate life in its fullness. Thus, go beyond from our protected shells of pretensions and complacency by allowing ourselves to grow in our relationships. And also, go beyond  from our fears and sins by seeking peace and reconciliation, go beyond from our insecurities, anger, hatred, disappointment and trauma by making ourselves confident with God’s gift of healing and of his faithfulness to us. Hinaut pa.

  • LEARN TO WAIT. LEARN TO DISCERN.

    LEARN TO WAIT. LEARN TO DISCERN.

    March 19, 2022 – Solemnity of St. Joseph, the Husband of Mary

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031922.cfm)

    As it happens in small villages, Mary must have been subjected to gossips and fake news. Mary was judged without further investigation. The eyes and fingers of the people around her must have pointed and branded her to be a shame. In their eyes, the promise of the engagement was broken.

    Joseph also must have been confused and must have been very hurt. However, Joseph’s response was not out of anger or bitterness. In the heart of Joseph, he wanted to save Mary by divorcing her quietly. Joseph must have thought that Mary was in another relationship. To divorce her quietly will allow Mary to be engaged with the man who fathered the baby in her womb.

    This difficult situation in Joseph became the way for God to reveal the divine plan to this gentle and thoughtful man. God must have been “waiting” for the proper time when to reveal to Joseph the divine plan. Thus, when everything was in its place and when Joseph was ready enough, an angel revealed to Joseph the mind of God.

     How did this happen? It was when Joseph was asleep. As Joseph was asleep, God also worked wonders through him. Being asleep in the presence of God is putting all our trust and confidence in the power of God to change and to transform us. To fall asleep in God’s presence is a way of exercising patience. If it was not an act of patience, Joseph would have been eaten by his anxiety. He will not be able to sleep just like us when we are overwhelmed by our concerns and problems.

    Thus, as soon as Joseph awoke from his deep dream, he realized the fulfillment of what he was hoping for and the hope of all humanity, the joy of all. Joseph began to see the scandalous situation of Mary’s pregnancy through the eyes of faith and God’s love rather than on suspicion and disappointment.

    Joseph understood that Mary’s pregnancy was a statement of God’s faithfulness and commitment to us. This is God’s assurance to us now that he is present and he lives in the midst of our lives, in the midst of our pain, of our failures, hurts and fears in order to bring to us His mercy, love and friendship.

    This became the foundation of Joseph’s “patience” as he also faced more trials in his life as the husband of Mary and father to the young Jesus. Joseph proved that to be patient is to be able to listen, wait and discern God’s invitations for him.

    From here, St. Joseph tells us of two invitations.

    First. Learn to wait. This calls us to accept the reality that not everything is under our control. We have to wait then and trust the process that we are going through. May it be the process of towards our healing, towards the realization of our dreams, towards our growth as a person or towards understanding. This calls us also to grow in our confidence in God who promised to be with us and to journey with us in the most trying and even terrifying moments of our life.

    Second. Learn to discern. This is to be able to see life us God sees it; to be able to understand our reality as what God wants it to be understood. Therefore, this is not about “what I think” (or our personal opinion and personal understanding of things which can be very subjective and colored by our biases) but to be able to believe in God’s presence, thus, guiding us to know God’s desire for us. Hinaut pa.

  • ENVY DEVOURS US

    ENVY DEVOURS US

    March 18, 2022 – Friday of the Second Week of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031822.cfm)

    We must be familiar with rivalry among siblings. To us children, there would be some occasions where we felt that we are more loved by our parents than the rest of our siblings. Or it could be the other way around, we could also feel that we are receiving lesser love and attention from our parents. This happens when we are being compared from our sibling who excels in his/her studies, who is more talented and more responsible than us. This can really be a pain. A deep wound could sometimes be created deep within our heart because of constant comparison that we receive at home. This is also how relationships among our siblings are being stretched until a gap of indifference and mutual bitterness arise. Hatred, even, begins to boil within us.

    In the Book of Genesis, we were told that “Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his old age.” These are the first words from the first reading today. Yet, that love of Israel towards his youngest son, became the reason for deep envy of his other sons.

    That envy deep within the hearts of Joseph’s brothers must have come from their belief that their brother did not deserve such love. In that culture before, the youngest was considered to be the least and the less important. The brothers must have claimed that they deserved more than him. This was how their envy consumed them to the point that their thoughts and actions became violent and vicious against their youngest brother.

    Though Reuben and Judah tried to save the life of their brother, yet, not one of them stoop up and confronted the evil that they were planning. They could not because they were into it already.

    This tells us that when we become envious of others, we will tend to get aggressively what we wanted. Our selfish ambition and intentions will lead us to corrupt and evil practices, such as in deceiving and manipulating others. 

    Such attitude only portrays a self-image that is dominating, powerful and that must be considered a master who is above everybody else. However, this attitude would consider others as lesser and not important. It is in fact a boastful self, arrogant and vain, but deep within, insecure and filled with bitterness.

    This is what we have heard also from the Gospel. The parable was not actually about labor issues but about the bitterness and aggression showed by the tenants in the parable against the servants and to the son of the landowner. The tenants, who were actually the chief priests and Pharisees, have become self-entitled and believed that they were the only deserving people of God’s salvation. Their hearts that have become envious, bitter and ambitious also became unwelcoming, greedy and vicious.

    Like the brothers of Joseph, they too began to plan evil things against Jesus. They wanted to arrest him and kill him. And indeed, this happened to Jesus. But then, their evil thoughts and evil plans cannot and will not defeat God’s power to bring salvation and freedom to all.

    As Joseph also became the savior of his own brothers during the great drought and famine, Jesus also through his resurrection proved that evil has no match with the wonder of what love can do.

    Thus, as we continue to journey in this Season of Lent, let our hearts be overwhelmed, not by our envy towards others, but by our love and affection towards one another. May we be able to repair any gap of indifference and heal any mutual bitterness with our siblings and with our friends. Hinaut pa.

  • TO HOPE AND FIND SECURITY IN THE LORD

    TO HOPE AND FIND SECURITY IN THE LORD

    March 17, 2022 – Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031722.cfm)

    In the first reading, Jeremiah highlights the choices put before each of us – either, to trust only in the goods of this created world OR to hope in the Lord, who is Creator and Provider of all good. A reminder for us in our Psalm.

    Where do we turn now for our inner security, peace, and forgiveness? Remember, the human heart can be devious. Despite our best intentions, self-interest would always immediately come first! Only God can give us a “new heart and new spirit”, cleanse our inner most intentions and being; changing our hardened and stony hearts with hearts of flesh. [Ez. 34:5].[1]

    This is something being elaborated to us in today’s Gospel. The rich man in the Gospel story enjoyed his life and trusted only the goods of this world while the poor Lazarus suffered very much outside his gate. However, there was a turn of events when both of them died. The rich man, who pretended not to see the poor situation of Lazarus ended in hell while Lazarus was carried by the angels.

    The Gospel reminds us that indeed, success and security in life is not about being what we have accumulated or about the material possession that we have amassed. We are only truly successful and secured when we have built lasting and true relationships with people around us and with God.

    Yet, the sin of the rich man was not by being materially rich but by becoming indifferent and blind to the suffering of people around him. He was blinded by his possessions and was not able to see and recognize that Lazarus was suffering. He did not even offer any help to the poor man. The rich man had no relationship whatsoever with Lazarus. He was only being possessed by his possessions. He hoped and trusted only his wealth and himself.

    This was how the rich man had grown ungrateful to God for the gifts he received in his lifetime. He was ungrateful because he felt entitled that only him should enjoy the richness in his life. He did not open his eyes and hands to give others a chance to live a better life through his help.

    Thus, when we become ungrateful we also take for granted the giver of gifts, and thus, the presence of God in our life. Jeremiah puts this in this way, “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD.”

    This happens to us as well when we remain ungrateful and refuse to recognize that everything we have is a gift. Be cursed to us, indeed, when we become ungrateful for we also become self-entitled, demanding in our relationships. Yet, stingy of our time and energy and ungenerous of our resources and presence to those who are asking for our help. And most of all, we become indifferent to people around us and indifferent to God, the source of true hope and security in our life.

    Thus, as Jeremiah reminds us, let us find security and assurance in God’s goodness and faithfulness. This is what it means to hope in the Lord that makes our heart grow and be filled with gratitude. Hinaut pa.

    [1] From the homily of Fr. Manoling Thomas, CSsR

  • TO BE A DISCIPLE IS TO BE A SERVANT

    TO BE A DISCIPLE IS TO BE A SERVANT

    March 16, 2022 – Wednesday Second Week of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031622.cfm)

    There was a friend of mine who applied to a government agency for a job. Though, he had the best qualifications being a graduate with honors in college, being competent in his field and being creative, he could not secure the position that he was applying. There was something lacking in him. He had no “connection” inside that office. There was no one who could recommend him or somebody from the higher office who could be his “backer.”

    This is known as the “Padrino System” or patronage in our Filipino culture and politics. It is a value system where a person gains favor, or promotion, or political appointment through family affiliation (called as nepotism) or through friendship (called as cronyism), as opposed to one’s merit.[1]

    This kind of culture tells us that we use our relationships to advance or to secure a particular job or position in an office. Thus, people have to secure a good connection with those who are above so that they too shall be accepted or promoted. Such culture also can be very problematic since the basic qualification of the hiring or promotion is not according to the one’s merit, quality of work, capacity and potential of the person. With this kind of culture, the quality of work may be compromised and corruption and dishonesty would most likely happen.

    Well, such attitude was also heard in our Gospel reading today. we were told that the mother of James and John, who was believed to be Salome, was a sister of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. She expressed her desire for her two sons. She asked Jesus to make James and John sit at the side of Jesus when he becomes king. Being a close relative to Jesus, she used that relationship to secure what she wanted for her sons.

    As a mother, she was thinking of the future of her two sons and concerned of the honor that she will enjoy as mother to them. The brothers were surely not ignorant to this request from their mother. They must have liked this idea very much. However, this request had a selfish intention.

    This was of total self-centeredness. They wanted security for their future and wanted to be placed first among the rest of their group. They thought on what they can gain from Jesus and on what Jesus can give to them. They were only concerned about their personal promotion. This was the reason why the other 10 disciples were angry because of their unjust intention.

    However, this attitude of the two and their mother was criticized by Jesus because of its selfish and self-entitled mentality. Discipleship is not about to be served or to enjoy a privileged status or to be above others. It is neither about being able to enjoy riches, influence and power. Being a disciple of Jesus is not about self-promotion and self-entitlement. Therefore, by being a disciple we cannot demand “to have this and to have that” attitude as if we become the boss. But rather, to be a disciple is to be a servant of others, closely following the Lord in words and in deeds.

    Today, we are called to examine our motivations and intentions.

    We may ask ourselves, “Am I only concerned about myself, on what I can gain from others and from God? Do I demand from others that I must be served first, be always addressed with honorifics? Am I more concerned of the titles and achievements I have? In doing my responsibilities, do I give more tasks to other and pass them the burden, rather than spearheading it? When I pray, do I only utter what I need and want rather than listening to what God wants for me? Do I also publicize to others how important I am so that I will be served rather than to serve?”

    [1] Definition from Wikipedia.org