Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Fr. Jom Baring, CSsR

  • MERCY, NOT EARNED BUT FREELY GIVEN

    MERCY, NOT EARNED BUT FREELY GIVEN

    March 14, 2021 – Fourth Sunday of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031421-YearB.cfm)

    In the Book of Chronicles, a historical event in the life of the Hebrew people tells us how the Lord showed his mercy. The people who invited destruction and death upon themselves because of their sins and unfaithfulness to God’s covenant, was shown mercy. God did not desire the destruction of His people. It was the people who went towards destruction and death. God, in history, called out again and again His people through the prophets, yet, the people rejected God’s invitation. The time of exile and slavery became a period of purification, not merely as punishment.

    Yet, the mercy that God showed, through the person of Cyrus, was God’s initiative. Though the people were not deserving of God’s mercy but God showed mercy because God is Mercy.

    The Lord indeed does not forget His people. This is what the Psalm proclaimed to us. The Lord remembers and this is embedded in the heart of the people who also longed to see the Lord. The people who were exiled in a foreign land, subjected to misery and slavery longed to be home and to be embraced by God.

    God’s memory is vast. God’s heart is too big. God’s embrace is so wide. This is what the letter of Paul to the Ephesians tells us. Paul reminds us that God grants us the grace not because we are deserving. We will never be deserving, anyway. However, because of God’s great love for us, he showed mercy to us. We are brought to life with Christ. Through this grace, we are saved. However, again, not because of our works, not because we have become deserving. No! God showed mercy to us, because God simply loved us, greatly loved us.

    The Gospel of John tells us more about this, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” Jesus’ presence with us means mercy. The Lord who is with us is grace and mercy made flesh. Jesus will not condemn us but rather save us. Jesus is the grace and the mercy of God being offered to us.

    Now, if we cannot earn God’s mercy, does it mean that we do not have to do anything? Remember, Paul said, through faith, we are saved. The Gospel of John also tells us, whoever believes in him, will have eternal life. Thus, it is through faith that we respond to God. Faith is not a passive attitude of being a Christian. Faith is an active response towards God. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said, “faith is a human response of love to God who first loved us.”

    Our faith as a response of love is also an expression of gratitude to the Lord. This is what makes our faith alive. Our good works, our expression of piety and charity should not be our way of making God see how good we are that God will become indebted to us for being good. No! However, our honesty and sincerity, our service to others and kindness are our expressions of being grateful to the Lord who showed mercy to us.

    With such grace from the Lord, this only calls us to rejoice, to be deeply joyful. In fact, this Fourth Sunday of Lent is also called as Laetare Sunday, meaning “Rejoice.” We, indeed, rejoice because God is for us. God shows us mercy. God gives us the grace through His Son, Jesus, our Lord.

    To express better our deep joy, there are two concrete invitations for us today that we may work out this week.

    First. Humbly acknowledge our faults, failures and sins, our ways and attitudes that condemn and reject others. As we acknowledge them, this also invites us to become open to God’s offer of mercy and friendship. Thus, seek it through the gift of the sacrament of reconciliation and of the Eucharist.

    Second, show mercy and offer your gift of friendship. God showed mercy to us, and so, we are indeed capable to showing mercy and building friendship with others. By showing mercy, this makes our heart generous and kind to people around us.

    As we commit ourselves into these invitations may our faith truly become a response of love to God. Hinaut pa.

    Paul tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast.” Thus, salvation is a gift, a grace freely given by the Lord to us. No one can boast himself/herself that one earned God’s grace because grace can never be earned. Salvation is not earned but given. God’s mercy is not earned but given.

    The Gospel of John tells us more about this, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” Jesus’ presence with us means mercy. The Lord who is with us is grace and mercy made flesh. Jesus will not condemn us but rather save us. Jesus is the grace and the mercy of God being offered to us.

    Now, if we cannot earn God’s mercy, does it mean that we do not have to do anything? Remember, Paul said, through faith, we are saved. The Gospel of John also tells us, whoever believes in him, will have eternal life. Thus, it is through faith that we respond to God. Faith is not a passive attitude of being a Christian. Faith is an active response towards God. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said, “faith is a human response of love to God who first loved us.”

    Our faith as a response of love is also an expression of gratitude to the Lord. This is what makes our faith alive. Our good works, our expression of piety and charity should not be our way of making God see how good we are that God will become indebted to us for being good. No! However, our honesty and sincerity, our service to others and kindness are our expressions of being grateful to the Lord who showed mercy to us.

    With such grace from the Lord, this only calls us to rejoice, to be deeply joyful. In fact, this Fourth Sunday of Lent is also called as Laetare Sunday, meaning “Rejoice.” We, indeed, rejoice because God is for us. God shows us mercy. God gives us the grace through His Son, Jesus, our Lord.

    To express better our deep joy, there are two concrete invitations for us today that we may work out this week.

    First. Humbly acknowledge our faults, failures and sins, our ways and attitudes that condemn and reject others. As we acknowledge them, this also invites us to become open to God’s offer of mercy and friendship. Thus, seek it through the gift of the sacrament of reconciliation and of the Eucharist.

    Second, show mercy and offer your gift of friendship. God showed mercy to us, and so, we are indeed capable to showing mercy and building friendship with others. By showing mercy, this makes our heart generous and kind to people around us.

    As we commit ourselves into these invitations may our faith truly become a response of love to God. Hinaut pa.

  • TRUE AND AUTHENTIC IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS

    TRUE AND AUTHENTIC IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS

    March 7, 2021 – Third Sunday of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030721-YearB.cfm)

    A friend who lives in the US, fell in love with a fellow Filipino. The reason why she fell in love was because the man was so sweet to her. She felt that he showed care and concern for her. Just like any other suitor, she would always receive a message from him greeting her every morning. The constant communication provided by the social media sites opened a great opportunity for the two of them to be connected with each other and be intimate despite the distance.

    Things like these melt her heart and soon enough said her yes to him. Just after a year, she went home here in the Philippines to get marry with that man whom she thought will be her “forever.” Few months after their wedding, things became odd and strange for her. Her husband was actually secretive to her. And lo and behold, there was an occasion when she found out that her husband was in relationship with another woman. Later, she too found out that she was just used by that man to secure a green card for the United States. She too found out that her husband and his girlfriend planned it all along so that they will be able to migrate to US for a greener pasture for the two of them.

    My friend was completely devastated when she knew this. She felt violated and indeed was deceived by the person whom she loved so much. She was so angry and helpless that every time she remembers it, it gives her so much pain and disgust.

    Some of you might have also this kind of experience where you were also deceived and used by people who were significant to your life. Indeed, this causes so much pain and suffering to us when those people whom we trusted and loved, used us for their personal gain.

    A similar experience of deception and destructive attitude for personal gain has been told to us in today’s Gospel. The passage from the Gospel of John narrates to us how Jesus also felt the pain when the Temple of God was used by the merchants as a way to enrich themselves. The House of God was abused by these people for their personal gain, for their own profit at the expense of the poor and ordinary Jews.

    Thus, Jesus was so angry upon witnessing this kind of attitude from the people. Jesus could not accept that the people focused on what they can gain materially in the name of Religion and in the name of God. More so, Jesus was disgusted when those people used that opportunity to exploit the poor by having an unfair and expensive prices for animals to be offered on the altar. The merchants made sure that the animals that shall be offered to the Temple must only come from them. Because of that monopoly in the market, they made the prices of the animals twice as expensive to its original price. What they did was neither for the Temple nor for God but simply to gain more profit for themselves.

    What has been done was a violation to God’s covenant, to the relationship built on trust and love between Yahweh and His people. The Temple is a symbol of that relationship of the Hebrew people and God. The Temple was the image that God is with His people, faithful and loving. Yet, the people used this relationship also for the sake of personal gain and pleasure.

    This reveals to us now how we can be cunning and deceiving also in our own relationships. There is a tendency in us to use other people for our personal gain and pleasure. We please others for the sake of gaining favors from them. We build connections from others in order to boast ourselves and advance our personal agenda which is very common in the political arena; not just in politics but even in religious and our personal relationships.

    Consequently, we have been given with the ten commandments proclaimed in the first reading. The ten commandments which basically talked about our relationships with God and our neighbor present to us the proper and right attitude in relating to God and with one another. These commandments are not designed to limit us or to put mere restrictions in relating with another, but rather, making us freer and life giving as we build and develop relationship with God and with one another.

    Therefore, the ten commandments are given to us so that we will be able to give life and celebrate life. This is essentially what the covenant of God is all about, giving life and celebrating life. A true relationship then is not about what we can profit from others, but about growing together and finding joy with one another.

    This is the call for all of us then, on this Third Sunday of Lent – and that is to be true and authentic in our relationships with one another. The commandments provide us the way on how we can freely love God and the person next to us. And that our relationship is not about what we can gain or profit but rather what we can give and invest in our family, with your husband or wife, your children, friend, our community and God. Truly, it is in mutual giving that we also find our relationships more flourishing and fulfilling.

    Now, I want to invite each of you to do something for this coming week as we continue to observe the Season of Lent. There are two invitations that you may do for those special people who could be your partner in life, children, friend or community.

    • First, invest your time and presence. It means give enough time to be there for them, to listen to their concerns and problems. Let your presence be felt by them who have become afraid, lonely and ashamed.
    • Second, say to thank you to those people who are special to you. Express your gratitude to them and to the relationship that you have with them. It also means that you are to recognize the gifts that they have and the things that they did to you.

    Hopefully, these attitudes will make our relationships with God and with one another stronger and sincere and that we will relate not on the motivation on what we can profit and gain from others, but on how we can give life and meaning to each other. Hinaut pa.

  • GOD REMAINS AND ALWAYS merciFUL

    GOD REMAINS AND ALWAYS merciFUL

    March 1, 2021 – Monday in the Second Week of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030121.cfm)

    Prophet Daniel as revealed in our first reading today, expressed his intercession on behalf of the people who had been exiled in a foreign land. The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem also brought people to be dispersed and many of them became slaves. When the Temple was destroyed, people felt that God abandoned them since the Temple was an assurance of God’s presence.

    However, instead of blaming God for abandoning them and letting that terrible event in their life to happen, Daniel, being shamefaced, realized their unfaithfulness towards their covenant with God. Daniel who prayed on behalf of the people recognized how they have turned their eyes blind and ears deaf towards the prophets whom God sent to their leaders. The leaders and the people continued to break their covenant with God by oppressing the weak among them and worshipping other gods. It was them who actually distanced from God.

    With this recognition of their failures, unfaithfulness and sins, Daniel also saw how God remained faithful to them despite everything. God remains merciful.

    This is the invitation that Jesus also spoke to his disciples in today’s Gospel, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Mercy, as Pope Francis said, is the name of God. God is mercy and it is God’s identity card.

    In this Season of Lent, may we always realize God’s mercy upon us that despite our own unfaithfulness and sins, God remains for us, because God is Mercy. This invites us now to become merciful, to express that mercy in the way we relate with one another and in the way we live our very life.

    Mercy shall give us freedom from shame, and life from the death caused by our sins. Let mercy be the very measure to be returned to us. Hinaut pa.

  • TO JOURNEY WITH GOD IS TO LISTEN TO GOD

    TO JOURNEY WITH GOD IS TO LISTEN TO GOD

    February 28, 2021 – Second Sunday of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022821.cfm)

    We are so familiar with the story of Abraham. God called him to go to a foreign land he did not know. Despite his insecurities, he took the risk and trusted God because God promised him that he will have children, land of his own and shall be a blessing to all the people on earth. However, our first reading tells us the opposite. God indeed gave Abraham and Sarah a son, Isaac, but God asked Abraham to sacrifice sin only son for God. Abraham was surely confused; he was deeply distressed at this request from God. Yet, Abraham took the risk and completely trusted in God.

    God just tested Abraham. And God saw how Abraham remained dedicated and faithful despite the pain that Abraham endured. What was very interesting in him was his ability to listen to God who called him. It was by listening to God that Abraham was able to go beyond and conquer his fears, doubts and confusions in life. Because of that, God blessed him throughout his life. By this attitude of Abraham, he was TRANSFORMED by God making him a blessing to all.

    But what is more interesting in our readings today is the TRANSFIGURATION of Jesus as witnessed by the three disciples – Peter, James and John. They have seen in advance the wonderful face of Jesus in the glorious resurrection. However, we would wonder, why would Jesus allow the three to see in advance or have a foretaste of the glorious resurrection? The voice that came from the clouds would tell us something. That mysterious voice says, “This is my beloved son. Listen to him.”

    The voice from the cloud tells the three that Jesus is indeed the chosen one, the Messiah that they have been waiting for – the BELOVED ONE to whom they should LISTEN! The disciples are told to LISTEN to Jesus and to follow him in this life. They are told to listen to the life that Jesus will show them. Yet, this life with Jesus entails struggles, suffering and even death but there will be also joy and peace in the glorious resurrection.

    Indeed, as they listened and followed Jesus, these fishermen turned into fishers of men. From being fearful and doubtful followers of Jesus they have become dedicated apostles and preachers of the Gospel. By listening to the Lord, they were transformed and converted into new persons.

    This is now the message, the call that is being offered to us on this Second Sunday of Lent – that each of us and as a community we are called to JOURNEY WITH GOD. By journeying with God, it is essential that WE LISTEN TO GOD, to His Word. God is telling us now, “Be my herald of the good news, be my gossiper of the Gospel! Be my blessing to others”

    As we respond to the call of Jesus, expect that we would feel what Abraham felt at the beginning. We can be fearful and doubtful like the disciples of Jesus. However, let us be confident that we will be transformed into new persons as we continually listen to what the Lord is saying to us. Let us remember, in following the Lord, it entails taking risks and trusting God to transform us and to change our old and destructive ways, habits and mindsets.

    These old habits, they could be our passivity – which means that we go to church, sitting on that same area where you are seated now, saying the same prayers, responding your ‘amen’ and then go home. And that’s it! We can be very comfortable with that without confronting what is wrong with us or without recognizing our mistakes and ways of being indifferent towards other. Yes, we can we comfortable with our passivity.

    Or this could be our overwhelming self-centered heart – that desires to dominate or manipulate others, to have everything and to be in control of everything and everyone. We can be very comfortable with that! – of having an overwhelming self-centered heart.

    Orthiscould be our paralyzing fear, self-doubt and shame – that reject and do  not recognize our own giftedness and talents. We may tend to put ourselves down and discredit the possibilities that we are capable of. We can be very comfortable with that! – With our paralyzing fear, self-doubt and shame.

    Indeed, we can be very comfortable with those old and destructive ways, habits and mindsets  that we have been practicing and doing because we tend to stay to what is only familiar to us. Nevertheless, this is not what God is asking us now and not what God wants us to be.

    God tells us, “Listen to me!” God speaks in our hearts through the words in the bible, through this celebration that we are not to remain passive, self-centered, fearful and doubtful of ourselves but to become pro-active, self-sacrificing, life-giving and confident in God’s words like Abraham and the disciples of Jesus.

    Thus, for this Second Week of Lent, I would like to ask each of you to find time for the whole week to open your bible, read the Gospel of the day and stay in silence at least for 5 minutes. Let that passage speak to you, let God speak to you through the bible, listen to Him! Hopefully, through this simple exercise, we may be moved to gradually be transformed into the way God wants us to be. Hinaut pa.

  • ASK AND SEEK

    ASK AND SEEK

    February 25, 2021 – Thursday of the First Week of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022521.cfm)

    What are we supposed to ask actually? What is it that we should really seek? The invitation of Jesus is grounded on a deep faith and trust in the goodness of the Lord. The Lord does not say that whatever we ask and desire will be given to us immediately and absolutely. Jesus wants us to realize how important it is to pray, to be able to communicate with God, with all honesty and humility.

    Prayer, therefore, is not just about asking and desiring what we want only for ourselves, that we become self-centered. Prayer is allowing ourselves to be more aware of God’s presence in our life, and more aware of the people around us. Prayer builds up our faith and trust in God, but also, it brings us to be deeply in loved.

    The story of Queen Esther in our first reading tells us about this. The Queen, in all humility, pleaded to the Lord God to rescue the people from death. She did not ask the Lord God to just secure her status, her title and wealth as Queen. She, however, became an intercessor on behalf of the people.

    Queen Esther asked the Lord for courage and strength that she may be able to become a mediator between the people and her husband the King. She knew that this would be too risky and she might also lose everything she had as Queen. Yet, what she asked and sought from the Lord made her deeply in love with God’s people. Indeed, her prayer was answered because God found delight in her heart filled with humility and love.

    As we continue to journey in this Season of Lent, may we also grow deeply in love with God and with people around us, making our heart more available for others and for God. Hinaut pa.