Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Fr. Mario Masangcay, CSsR

  • Homecomings

    Homecomings

    March 29, 2026 – Palm Sunday

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032926.cfm)

    For us Filipinos, culturally there are three occasions in the year that we come home, get together, and spend quality time with our family:   Christmas, All Souls’ Day, and Holy Week. These are the homecoming moments where and when us Filipinos BE with each other, that is where and when we experience, encounter, and meet each other again as family and community which usually lead to renewal, deepening and strengthening of bonding and relationships among family & community as church. While Christmas is for & with our family and friends, and All Souls’ day is to & with our family and relatives remembering our beloved dead, Holy Week is particularly our time and space for & with our God.

    Today, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of our Holy Week this year. Significantly holidays of this week is our church time and space to BE with our God. This week is specifically our God-time and God-space.

    This week then is more than just our chance to be with God but more so, God’s chance to be with us. Meaning, this week is not only our time and space with God but more so, GOD’s time and space with us, His church. It is more like God must be first and foremost “Be with us” rather than “we must be with Him”. The center or focus of this week then is not ourselves but God. This week is not about us and ourselves but about HIM and His being with us now.

    Thus, this is our opportunity to experience, encounter and meet God in His own terms and not on our own terms. The best attitude then is to let Him set the agenda, activities, schedules, and venue of this week. Meaning, to let Him takes the steering wheel. Allow Him to drive & lead your life this week. Let God be God, not be a god as we want or need Him to be.

    And so, these days of Holy week become our homecoming moments with God through the paschal journey of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so that we might be at home again & anew with our God.

    To do this and make the best of this week, some appropriate approaches might be in order as to how we prepare ourselves for this week.

    First, RECALL. As I have said, this is not about us but about Him. So, once again be reminded, that is to put into mind – God’s story with Us which is the Jesus story. We are to call again and remember (to make it member or part of ourselves) what God did, does and is doing to us through the life and mission of Jesus Christ in the past year. So, time and space to “Recall, Remind, Remember” God’s story with us through Jesus rather our story with God.

    Then, REFLECT. This is an invitation to mirror back or reflect back God’s story with and along our faith-story with Him now. In other words, “Manalamin”: to look and see our faith-life experiences from the point of view of God’s story and less from our own perspective, and to understand what happened to us lately with the lessons we realized from God’s story with us. Meaning, Be moved. Be disturbed. Be influenced. Be shaken. Be challenged. Be transformed by God’s story, presence, words, movements, plans, agenda and will for us – you and I, now and ahead.

    And above all, RESPOND to what, when, how, when and where God is calling, inviting, and leading you now in whatever faith-life commitment you choose to be. Meaning, whether you are ordained, married, professed, or baptized Christian, DO be a BETTER version of Christian follower as you choose and committed to be.

    Today we begin our Holy Week this year. Recall, Reflect, and Respond anew to what God did, does and is doing to You and Us now by being with Him, not in our own terms but in His own terms. May we, you and I, have a blessed and inspired homecoming week ahead with Him now & these days.

    So May It Be. Amen.

  • BELIEVE

    BELIEVE

    March 22, 2026 – Fifth Sunday of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032226.cfm)

    While consoling Martha at the death of Lazarus, Jesus in our gospel today of  said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Do you believe in this?”

    “To believe and not to believe Jesus as the resurrection & the life?” is the very basic question of our Christian faith. Each and every one of us is confronted at every moment of our life, from birth to death, from womb to tomb with this question: “Do you believe in Jesus as the resurrection and the life, or not?” This is the very question we are confronted with: as to our parents – from the moment of our conception; as we are, as we grow and mature as a person until our deathbed; and as to our loved ones, at the moment of our death.

    We do believe, as followers of Christ, in Jesus Christ, our resurrection and our life. Whenever we say “Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again,” we proclaim the mystery of our faith. Yes, as Christians, we believe in Jesus Christ. We believe in the death, resurrection and the parousia (the 2nd Coming) of Jesus Christ. And, in the Apostles’ Creed, we profess our faith in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. This would mean that our faith in Christ lead us, followers of Christ, to believe that like Jesus, after death we will rise again, and someday we will share in His eternal life.

    This is clearly expressed in our practice and traditions regarding burials. Since we may raised the question: “Why all the elaborate ceremonies, maintain memorial parks and cemeteries, yearly visits & the mass intentions for our beloved dead, …. if we don’t believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting?”

    This is what we believe. This is our faith. For some, like the Sadducees, this is crazy and ridiculous. For others, this is absurd and unbelievable. But for us, this is mystery of our faith, the core expression of our faith. This is the meaning of our being Christian. Resurrection and eternal life are the meanings of Christian life and death.

    Our faith-conviction in the resurrection of the body and life-everlasting then means that, we believe in Jesus, who has died, has risen and will come again as the Resurrection and the Life. And because of His death and resurrection, to believe Christ and follow Jesus is worth living and dying for, as shown to us by faith of our martyrs, our saints, & our beloved dead. His death, resurrection, and promise of eternal life offer us Life – giving us hope, meaning and cause to live in this present world. That is why we honor our beloved souls and saints, because they have lived and died faithfully believing in Jesus Christ, the Resurrection and the Life.

    By their very Christian examples, we witness their faith, giving us hope, and meaning in our life and death. Believing in Jesus Christ then is our fundamental option, our core choice and response to God’s love.

    As a priest, I have the opportunity and privilege to witness people’s faith. Parishioners and faithfuls ask for my blessings and my presence in their suffering and sickness, in their joys and sorrows because simply they believe. Sick people in their homes or hospital ask for a visit, communion or anointing because they believe. We attend mass because we believe. In confession, I hear not only the sins of the penitent but also the resolution and faith to come back to the Lord. For me, these are faith-encounters, opportunities, where I witness what we believe as we proclaim our faith.

    As St. Augustine says, “Faith is to believe in what we do not see, but the reward of faith is to see and enjoy what we believe.” Thus, as the Lord asked for our faith, like Martha, pray we respond: “Yes, Lord, I come to Believe that You are the Christ.”

    Perhaps then in preparation for our celebration of the Paschal Mystery of Christ this year and as always we grapple with life’s questions, frustrations, and challenges, may Thomas Merton’s prayer of abandonment express our true heart’s desire before our Lord whom we believe most….

    My Lord God,

    I have no idea where I am going.

    I do not see the road ahead of me.

    I cannot know for certain where it will end.

    Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

    But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.

    I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.

    Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

    So May it Be. Amen.

  • In Life’s Dryness

    In Life’s Dryness

    March 8, 2026 – Third Sunday of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030826.cfm)

    Common people from rural villages teach us a simple wisdom: “If and when the well runs dry, (don’t look for another wells) just dig deeper. (Kon ang atabay mahubsan, ayaw pangita og lain, palawomi lang : Pag ang balon natuyo, huwag humanap ng iba, hukayin lang ng mas malalim.) Simple practical words of wisdom that speak not only of how important water is to our life, but also offers us deeper meaning to our experience of thirst & dryness in life, in our love for others & even in our faith in God. 

    In life we do indeed experience dryness. Like wellsprings “atabay”, there are moments in our lives that we feel dry and thirsty in life and in our relationships with God, others and even oneself. There are periods in our life that like the Israelites, we grumble before the Lord about our life-miseries, challenges, and problems, doubting His presence & wondering “Is the Lord really with us or not?” Yes, we do have moments of spiritual & personal dryness in our relationship with ourselves, others & God in life.

    However, experiences of dryness in life and in our relationships with God & others could be an invitation and opportunity to go and be connected with God himself, the source of life. And so, in our experiences of life’s dryness and thirst, and God’s seeming absence, as the saying goes “If and when the well runs dry, (don’t look for another wells) just dig deeper. (Kon ang atabay mahubsan, ayaw pangita og laing, palawomi lang: Pag ang balon natuyo, huwag humanap na iba, hukayin lang ng mas malalim.)

    Meaning, our experiences of thirst for God’s love and/or dryness in our life and relationships could also then be the opportunity not to search for another wellsprings, but  to dig our own wellspring deeper, which is, the right time and place to examine our life and relationship, be in touch with our realities and ideals, at the same time deepen our relationships and commitments. In other words, dryness in life are moments of encounters or meeting points where we can experience once anew for ourselves our relationship and commitment with others and with God deeply.

    The gospel we have just heard is an account of the meeting of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. This is one of the most touching encounters in the gospels which pictures God’s love and human conversion : a story of God reaching out to us and us reaching back to God through the person of Jesus.

    At Jacob’s well, Jesus expressed God’s thirst for our faith and love for Him as well as offered us God’s life-giving or love-giving life. At Jacob’s well, the Samaritan woman became in touch with her own dryness and thirst, her need for God’s eternal life at the same time quenched her thirst in her encounter-meeting with Jesus. As she met Jesus at Jacob’s well, the Samaritan woman began to know and accept herself deeply (from being a Samaritan, descendant of Jacob, a divorcee to a believer) as well as she began to know and accept Jesus deeply (from a Jew, Sir, Prophet, Christ). At the Jacob’s well, Jesus recognized and satisfied the woman’s need for God’s love, and the woman recognized and fulfilled Jesus’ need for our faith & trust in Him.

    Thus, in dryness and abundance of water, there may be a lot of positive things will happen at wellsprings of life. Usually at the wellsprings of our life we experience, renew, and deepen our life-commitments and relationships with one another and our faith in God through Jesus.

    The season of Lent is also the wellspring moments of our Christian life. Amidst our spiritual dryness & seeming absence of God, Lenten season is the appropriate place and time to once again to encounter and experience God’s life-giving saving act through the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ.

    So again, if and when the well runs dry, don’t look and no need to dig for another well, just dig your own wellspring deeper and be in touch and be quench once again with your original life-giving water.

    We pray then that the Lord may grant us the grace to know Him deeply, love Him more dearly and follow Him closely during this another new Lenten Season of our Christian faith & life now & always.

    So May It Be. Amen.

  • LISTEN & RESPOND

    LISTEN & RESPOND

    March 1, 2026 – Second Sunday of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030126.cfm)

    Usually the word OBEDIENCE is associated with being compliant with an order or submission to the authority of other than oneself. This explains why we call someone who follows the law, willing to do what is commanded & submissive to the authority’s order as obedient person.

    However for St. Benedict, the father of Western monasticism, there is more to obedience than just adherence to the rule & simple blind obedience without any question. Most especially in Christian faith & in spirituality, for St. Benedict, obedience entails listening & responding. What is essential then for our obedience to God is for us to listen intently & respond accordingly to God’s will & plans for us. For common sense teaches us that without listening, no response happens; with listening, better things may happen.

    This is the kind of obedience Jesus expect of us when he said: “whoever has ears ought to hear”. Same obedience God expects of us in our gospel today, when he said: “This is my beloved Son…. listen to Him.” It is not enough then that we just simply obey what God has commanded of us, but moreso we have to hear & listen with discernment what is being said…. what we hear… what we say & what God is saying about being said….  Before we respond accordingly. Simply put, obedience is not just a matter of “Command & Obey” but moreso about “Listen & Respond”.

    In other words, obedience to God is our responsibility – our ability to respond to God’s invitations & visitation for us at this very moment of our life in faith with Him.

    Like Abraham in our first reading, what is expected of us then is not our blind submission & passive compliance, but our obedient response to God’s will & plan for us at this time with the assurance of His help, as Jesus  encourages us to “Rise and have no fear” in our faith-journey with Him.

    While we “ought to hear” what God said and is saying to us now,  most especially during this Lenten season, may we listen & respond obediently & accordingly to what is being offered & in store for us for the better of our today & tomorrow now & always.

    So May It Be. Amen.

  • M.I.C.E.

    M.I.C.E.

    February 22, 2026 – First Sunday of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022226.cfm)

    Every Holy Tuesday, we usually remember the circumstances of the treachery & betrayal of Judas Iscariot that has led to the eventual passion & death of our Lord Jesus Christ. There, we come to know Jesus exposé of Judas’ betrayal as trusted finance officer of the disciples of Jesus who corrupted their funds & conspired with the bashers, detractors & enemies of Jesus that led to the Lord’s arrest & execution.

    We may have known how painful it is & would be, if & when we are betrayed by our own trusted people. Betrayal of trust is surely a difficult & traumatic experience for us that breaks people’s hearts & lives. But we may beg the question & wonder, “what moves and tempts people to betray others?”

    It has been said that in the espionage world or the world of spies, there are four factors that tempt spies to defect & betray their loyalties & people. Its acronym is MICE (Money, Ideology, Compromise & Ego). And somehow we might say that these are the four reasons that we & other may tempt & cause to betray ourselves, others & even God. Temptations & betrayals then somehow always involved with (MICE) Money, Ideology, Compromise & Ego.

    These are very true in the case of Judas Iscariot. Definitely, he was in to betray Jesus for the M-money (30 pieces of silver). He was in for business-influences & market-consumerism of I – ideology, willing to C- compromise his faith, beliefs & values, & to conspire with the enemy. And above all, His selfish E – ego, self-centeredness causes Judas to betrays his Lord. This simply explain why we always associate people who betrayed us as Judas & we consider Judas as betrayer.

    Glimpses of MICE may also be discerned in the temptations of Christ. Same MICE tactics are employed by the tempter. We see in our gospel today how the devil tempts Jesus to turn stone into bread, (which we now associate with M-money); then, the devil dares Jesus to jump from the high cliff to I- ideologize His greatness & C-compromise His faith; and the devil offers the Lord the whole world to boost & boast His E-ego.

    These are the same pitfalls & warning signs that may fall & lead us to the temptations of betraying & betrayals. Same MICE tactics (Money, Ideology, Compromise & Ego) make us betray our suffrage – our right to vote & betrayal of public trust that lead us to vote-buying & vote selling. Somehow same MICE tactics that make building contractors & government officials corrupt & exploit our government projects that cause recent mass death & human disasters.

    And so, let us be aware of MICE tactics (Money, Ideology, Compromise & Ego) that the devil uses & have caused people & even ourselves to be like Judas Iscariot in betraying ourselves, others & our Lord that is making life difficult, harmful & traumatic for all & everyone. And above all, beware of MICE (Money, Ideology, Compromise & Ego) for it could lead us to betray our faith in Jesus Christ, & ourselves as Christians.

    Nevertheless, trials & tribulations have always been part of our life. Somehow sometime we do experience & deal with temptations & tests in life. This is not only life-trials that we choose to do, but also trials & tests imposed upon us by others & by circumstances that we find ourselves into.

    Jesus do understand & know our experiences of temptations, tests & betrayals in life. Our gospel today even describes to us the tests of MICE tactics Jesus has to face as he is about to proclaim the good news of God’s salvation. Same way, as we try to live our Christian values, like Jesus, we will also be tested & betrayed by others as to our stance in faith & life. Easy for us to fall from such temptations, to fail from such tests & compromise our values & principles, whenever we don’t take account for what we are responsible for & with in life. Amid then these evil probes & tests put upon us by others,  and  the expectations & stresses we bring to ourselves, yes, we do need our Father’s protection & guidance.

    Thus, Jesus taught us  to specifically pray that we may not be brought to the tests or be led not into temptation, but be deliver us from evil. We pray these words then not to free us from tests but to grant us the faith & strength to overcome whatever adversities that comes our way in life. For as it is said: “In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge”, without God we can do nothing, as well.

    And thus, Lord take away everything that distance us from you. Grant us everything that bring us closer to you. Detach us from ourselves to give our All to you.

    So may it be. Amen.