Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Fr. Jom Baring, CSsR

  • GOD’S RECONCILING PRESENCE IN THE HEART OF MARY

    GOD’S RECONCILING PRESENCE IN THE HEART OF MARY

    June 12, 2021 – Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Philippine Independence Day

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061221.cfm)

    “The love of Christ impels us.” Paul reminds us in his Second Letter to the Corinthians. This means that this love indeed urges and motivates us to go beyond and become the person God wants us to be. Hence, Paul also says, “whoever is in Christ is a new creation. The old things have passed away and new things have come.” This has been made possible because of God who came and initiated that we become reconciled with Him.

    Certainly, reconciliation with God transforms us from old into new, from death to life. Such transformation urges, impels and moves us to become a reconciling presence in our communities, in our Church and in the world.

    However, how does a reconciling presence influence others and bring change? Our Responsorial Psalm proclaims today of four main points.

    • First, it gives pardon to all our iniquities.
    • Second, it heals all our ills.
    • Third, it redeems our life from destruction.
    • And fourth, it crowns us with kindness and compassion.

    This is the experience of the Hebrew Community of which the Psalm speaks about. God’s presence in the midst of His people is a reconciling presence because the “Lord is kind and merciful.”

    Such confidence and faith in God must have filled the heart of Mary, whose Immaculate Heart we celebrate today. Her heart is immaculate because what we find there is the Lord who is kind of merciful made into man like us. Yes, the heart of Mary is filled with Jesus.

    This is the reason why Mary remained calm and at peace despite the fear and confusion she felt at the announcement of the Angel Gabriel to her, during the arrival of the shepherds when Jesus was born and now of being baffled and anxious when Jesus was lost but finding him in the Temple.

    Though she did not understand fully everything at an instant but Mary would always “keep everything in her heart.” With all the complexities, strangeness and difficulty to understand the situation, Mary keeps the Lord close to her heart. She keeps all those revelations from the Lord close to her heart that she may be able to understand them in the way God desires them to be understood.

    This was how Mary would always find wisdom and strength because with the many events that happened in her life, she might not be able to bear them all. Mary will surely remain confused, afraid and unable to decide and do anything if she chose to distance herself from the Lord by reacting out of impulse or mere emotions.

    “Keeping all those things in her heart” really means that she tried to understand how God was uncovering and revealing to her the plan of salvation. Mary realized that God reveals Himself every day. Mary did not want to miss all of them.

    Mary was able to do that because within her heart, God is already there. She has welcomed the Lord and allowed the Lord to be always in her heart. This led her into understanding from God’s perspective and so she responded to every invitation of God for her, willingly and lovingly.

    This is how we find Mary’s presence reconciling in our Christian faith because her life is an example of a perfect communion with God. We now find comfort in her, as a mother, because her human heart is touched by the Lord who is kind and merciful. Mary, indeed, has become a reconciling presence to us because we find in heart Jesus, the Lord.

    In the same way, we are called today that our hearts be also touched by the Lord, that we become more welcoming to the Lord and allow the Lord to be in our heart. Like Mary, as we allow the love of Christ to touch our hearts, it may impel us to become a reconciling presence in our homes, communities and in our beloved country, the Philippines. Hinaut pa.

  • LOVE IS THE FULLNESS OF GOD

    LOVE IS THE FULLNESS OF GOD

    June 11, 2021 – Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061121.cfm)

    In the Book of Prophet Hosea, we have been presented with an image of God as a parent and as a healer. Hosea beautifully captures these images of God who only fills with love His child, Israel. God’s love, indeed, nurtures and heals, builds and forgives. Such way of loving from God is written in the whole Scripture that is why we are always reminded how God calls us again and again through love.

    This is best described in the Responsorial Psalm today taken from the Book of Isaiah. The Prophet expresses his confidence in God because he has experienced with God the love that gives strength and courage. God’s presence is water that fills and satisfies our empty heart, quenches the thirst in us for love and support.

    In the same confidence, Paul also reminds the Ephesians of the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge. This is love beyond idea or any ideology, but this is in its most concrete expression of love that sacrifices oneself for the sake of the beloved. This is love that gives life. This is how Paul affirms that the love of Christ truly fills us because love is the fullness of God.

    In that fullness of God, God only desires to share that love that will fill every empty but insecure and fearful heart. This is how the Gospel of John reveals to us the physical and literal overflowing of blood and water from the pierced heart of Jesus. The soldier who thrusted his lance into the side of Jesus witnessed this.

    The seemingly dead body of Jesus, flowed out blood and water which only gives life and joy, satisfies emptiness and also nurtures and heals, builds and forgives. This tells us that even when Jesus was being hurt, the Lord continues to bring out his love and only love.

    This is the very message of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. This Solemnity is not a mere worshipping of an organ, “the heart” per se, but of Jesus himself who constantly showed us the love of God spoken about in the Scriptures.

    There are two invitations for us today.

    First. Be filled by that love of Christ. His love only brings fullness in us. Thus, learn to be confident in his love! Be overwhelmed by his love! Seek his love that will satisfy our every hunger and thirst for love and intimacy, for acceptance and support.

    Second. Learn from his way of loving. Let our expression of love to truly give life. Let our love nurtures immaturity, builds the confidence of the fearful, heals the brokenhearted and in pain, forgives the sinner and does not plant hate and violence. Hinaut pa.

  • Friendship over a Meal

    Friendship over a Meal

    April 18, 2021 – Third Sunday of Easter

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041821.cfm)

    “Have you anything to eat?” Jesus asked his disciples. It was a very ordinary question from Jesus yet, this question brought the disciples into a deeper realization of themselves and a deeper encounter with the Risen Jesus in a meal, in a form of sharing food.

    In many cultures, a shared meal plays a vital role. Sometimes important decisions in the family happen over a meal because that will be a time where family members are gathered. It is also true with our friends, we gather, remember past experiences and share stories over a meal and drinks.

    It is when we are able to sit down and share the meal with one another that we come into terms, make decisions, connect with one another and become more intimate with our family members and friends. Indeed, it is over our shared meal that we come to understand each other.

    This is what we find in the Gospel. It was through that ordinary meal shared by the disciples with Jesus that the disciples were able to realize that it was the Lord. It was through this simple meal with Jesus that they have been commissioned to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations.

    It started with two disciples who were talking about Jesus who appeared to them. Yet, even though the Lord has revealed to them, these two disciples were still doubtful. They have recognized the Lord in the breaking of the bread but then, after that revelation, they seemed not so convinced yet.

    That is why, when Jesus appeared to them once again, the two were terrified and couldn’t believe that they were seeing Jesus. Because of their disbelief, Jesus has to give and assure them with peace! “Peace be with you!” is Jesus’ repeated gift to the disciples after his resurrection.

    After the death of Jesus, the disciples were filled with fear, disgust and shame for themselves. They all ran away and hid themselves while their master was beaten and crucified. Judas Iscariot betrayed the Lord, Peter denied Jesus three times and the rest of them were nowhere to be found. They might have blamed themselves for what happened to Jesus. They might have considered themselves failures and worthless because of what happened. They might have thought that what they did to their master was beyond forgiveness and mercy from God.

    The disciples must have believed that they failed Jesus. Consequently, they couldn’t believe Mary Magdalene’s testimony that the Lord is alive. That feeling of being a failure is also the reason why these two disciples still doubted and were terrified upon seeing Jesus once again. They couldn’t believe that they were forgiven, that they have been accepted and loved by Jesus.

    Despite what they did, Jesus has forgiven them and the resurrection of Jesus is God’s action of forgiveness. But because the disciples found it hard to believe God’s forgiveness, Jesus made the effort to let them understand that they have been forgiven. Jesus has to do it repeatedly to assure his disciples. Thus, Jesus did not just appear to them once but several times and each time he reveals himself to them, Jesus gives his peace – the peace of forgiveness, of mercy and of being loved. This is what Peter proclaimed to the Jews in the Acts of the Apostles and also what has been proclaimed in the First letter of John – God’s peace of forgiveness.

    This peace was concretely showed by Jesus in the breaking of the bread, in the shared meal with his disciples – which was in a very ordinary way of eating with friends. This is how eating with friends becomes symbolic in the Bible because Jesus made this event as an occasion where he reveals himself to his friends. At the same time, eating with friends becomes an occasion also for his disciples to lay down their fears, shame and doubts but to be accepting and open to God’s revelation to them.

    This is the hope expressed to us by our Psalm today, “Lord, let you face shine on us.” Like the disciples, we too, shall glimpse God’s face when we learn to accept God’s invitation to sit down and dine with Him.

    These are the invitations for us today.

    First, Jesus says to you and to me, “Peace be with you,” because Jesus is with us. We might have been so burdened right now because of something wrong we did, Jesus says to us, “Peace – because I am with you!” Jesus assures us that peace has come upon us because he is alive and we are forgiven.

    Second, Jesus invites us to dine with him, to sit down with him so that we will be able to recognize him in our life. The Eucharist is Jesus’ invitation for all of us so that like the disciples our minds will be opened too and will be able to understand his message for us.

    Third, like the disciples, we are called to become his witnesses to others, to be his preachers of forgiveness especially to people around us. Thus, each of us is also called by Jesus to dine with our friends, to eat with those who have hurt us, who have caused us disappointment and pain and show to them that they have been forgiven just as Jesus forgives us. Hinaut pa.

  • GOING FORWARD AND TAKING RISKS

    GOING FORWARD AND TAKING RISKS

    April 9, 2021 – Friday within the Octave of Easter

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040921.cfm)

    Jesus who was thought to be the Messiah and Son of God was crucified and died on Friday. He was buried in a tomb but on Sunday morning Jesus resurrected. However, his disciples like Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael and other disciples did not know yet that the Lord is alive. These disciples only knew that their Lord was buried in a tomb. Because of this, their hearts were filled with pain, disappointment, with fear and doubts.

    When Jesus was there at their side, they were filled with enthusiasm and spirit but when Jesus was arrested they fled and when he was crucified, they hid themselves for fear of the Jews. Because of these negative experiences, they believed that they have failed the Lord, and so they themselves were failures.

    Their immediate response was to go back their old self, to retreat and not to go forward anymore. Because they believed that they were failures, they succumbed to the temptation to go back to their old ways and that was to fish. They have been called from being fishermen to become fishers of people, yet, having a painful and horrible experience on the death of Jesus, they retreated to go back to fishing. This was what Simon Peter and the rest did.

    However, all night they caught nothing. The “night” in the Gospel is very symbolic because it reveals to us that the disciples were in darkness and they couldn’t find light. They felt hopeless and even in a helpless situation. They wanted to give up. But, at dawn a stranger appeared on the shore and asked them if they have caught anything. They all answered, no, they caught nothing. That stranger said, “cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” And they did, they trusted that stranger and to their surprise, when they pulled the net they could barely pull it back because there were plenty of fish.

    Then, the “beloved disciple” recognized that it was the Lord Jesus. Jesus is alive and waiting on the shore. This prompted Peter to jump into the sea in order to meet the Lord with excitement and joy.

    This reminds us that there will be times of sorrow, of disappointment and discouragement, times of fear and failure. We might come into the point of our life where we feel hopeless and helpless because we have failed, because the situation is just too difficult, family problems are just horrifying, our poverty is just overwhelming, or our relationship with others have failed – and then, our immediate reaction is to retreat, to hide in our own failure and pain, to dwell so much on our problems, to go back to our old and bad habits, becoming fearful, anxious and mediocre – which means going into the darkness of depression rather into the light of hope and life.

    Indeed, this happened to the disciples and because they retreated into the night of fear, they caught nothing. They thought that they could catch fish by themselves alone. They believed that they could surpass that difficulty by being alone, but, no! Being alone and separated from God only brought them into a deeper disappointment in life. It is when we are with Jesus that we find meaning and joy even in the midst of pain, of failure and difficulties.

    The Risen Lord invites us today.

    First, when we meet failures and difficulties, do not go back to the old ways and old habits (which could be our addictions and depressive behaviors). This will only bring us into deeper darkness and hopelessness. Rather go forward and take the risk.

    Second, in taking the risk of going forward never take the road alone, or never think that we can do everything by ourselves. The journey is lighter when we are with somebody else whom we can trust, whom we can share our story. Find and build long lasting friendship, build a deeper family relationship, invest in your relationships. When we are told to cast our net, to change the course of our boat and to change our life – go for it and trust the Lord because it might be in that direction that we will find the abundance of love and life.

    Third, be always aware of God’s presence waiting for us on the shore. Just like the beloved disciple let us always be intimate with Jesus. It is only when we become intimate with Jesus in our prayer that we also become aware of his presence in everyone. Hinaut pa.

  • SCARS INTO GRACE

    SCARS INTO GRACE

    April 8, 2021 – Thursday within the Octave of Easter

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040821.cfm)

    What scars do you have in your body? And what scars do you have in your heart? We both have physical and emotional scars. Every scar would remind us of pain in the past. Some scars may become insignificant through time. Other scars especially the big ones may remain significant even though the pain has gone. The trauma that we have been through in the past could sometimes still shaken us at present.

    Emotional scars compared to the physical ones carry more weight and longer time to heal. The stories behind our emotional scars can also sometimes bring back old memories of pain and sadness. Yet, it is also possible that those scars we have whether physical and emotional, can become signs of victory, of growth, of wonder, of beauty and even of grace.

    Such possibility of turning our scars into grace is what has been told to us in today’s Gospel. Jesus appeared before his disciples. He greeted them with peace because their hearts were filled with fear and troubles. The very thought of the death of Jesus brought so much sadness and fear into the hearts of the disciples. Because of this, they could not believe that Jesus is alive and was in front of them.

    Jesus rather invited them, to look a hands and feet. Jesus said, “touch me and see.” Jesus wanted the disciples to touch and see that indeed he bore the scars from the wounds he endured at his crucifixion. To touch and see the scars of Jesus, those signs of wounds and of his death is to be able to behold the grace of God.

    This tells us that the resurrection of Jesus has made those scars, now, as signs of victory, of wonder and of grace. Those scars remind us that Jesus went through suffering and he knows very much the feeling of being in pain, being humiliated, being abused and being maltreated. Those scars revealed the cruelty of sin and evil.  Yet, beyond those scars also is the grace of God that brings new life and new hope for all.

    Thus, as the disciples were invited by Jesus to touch and see the scars in his body, the Lord also calls us to look at our own scars. Do not deny or hide in forgetfulness and in shame those scars in us. The very scars we carry can become opportunities where God shall bring graces to us. Through our own scars, we shall find healing and life, transformation and hope.

    Hiding in forgetfulness or in shame and denying that we are scarred will not help us. These attitudes will only bring us into more fear and sadness. Our heart will remain fearful and troubled like the disciples who were in hiding.

    As we allow the Lord to work wonders in us and make his grace be revealed through our own scars, may we also experience today the grace of new life through his resurrection. Hinaut pa.