Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Fr. Mario Masangcay, CSsR

  • INTO THE DEEP

    INTO THE DEEP

    February 9, 2025 – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020925.cfm)

    Although he was despised by his own people in his own hometown, Jesus continues on to proclaim God’s presence in us. Rejection did not deter and discourage him to move on with His mission of making God known and share Good News of God’s kingdom to all. Instead we hear him now going to other villages and inviting people, calling them to follow and join him in his mission.

    Particularly we hear today how he called Peter. He challenged Peter: “Put out into the deep, and lower your nets for a catch”. Now here is Jesus, an ordinary man – a carpenter himself, who knows God but nothing about fishing, telling Peter – a seasoned fisherman who is having a bad day, to go fishing again.

    Peter may have normally reply: “Naunsa ka? Ano ka, hilo? Been there, done that. Time to pack up and leave.” But still Jesus challenged him, “Go out into the deep”. Surely there is more to Jesus’ words than merely about fishing. It also means: “don’t give up/ sail on/ try anew/ please, give oneself, others and me anew chance/ go deeper”. These words also tell and teach Peter and us now about our life and faith as His followers & believers

    For why “go into the deep”? What is special about the deep? We don’t like deep waters because it is mysterious, dangerous, and risky. We rather go to shallow waters because we are safe, manageable and in our comfort zone. Shallow waters however are usually dirty and unclear, noisy, and loud, and above all, less possible catch, if none at all. Deep waters instead are usually clear and clean, calm, and soft, and above all, more possible catch. In other words, there is more life and faith in our deep than in our shallow fishing journey-expedition of life.

    Somehow Jesus challenges us here to explore three depths in our experience of life.

    First, we are invited to explore the depth of our poverty, hopelessness, and helplessness. Peter was in a crisis situation, “no catch”, and about to give up. But with Jesus’ challenge, he goes beyond his misery and dare to do the unusual and unknown: “go again and deeper”, because of this, he never missed but instead have witnessed another life-opportunity ahead and anew. In the same way, in our hopelessness, helplessness, misery and crisis-situation, we are called to go beyond our comfort zones, and dare to try the unusual and unknown, and see better opportunities and possibilities than before. Again the invitation is, “if and when given another chance, would you do it again or anew, as before or better than before?”

    Second, we are invited to go beyond the depth of our self-centeredness and explore the depth of our feeling and concern for others. Despite the possible threat of failure again and ridicule, Peter became self-less and still gave in to the somehow nonsense request and crazy challenge of Jesus. Along with that, he also selflessly shared his great catch with others as he called his partners to help him and Jesus. In the same way, whenever we consider ourselves less, we become aware of others.

    And third, we are called to go beyond our unworthiness, and discover the depth of our faith in God. After the miracle of great catch, Peter fell down at his knees and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man”.

    Although we know how blessed we are, at times we cannot help but feel unworthy and undeserving of God. Even St. Paul and prophets felt the same way – that with God’s grace, we feel that we are weak, wrong, bad, unworthy, not fit or qualified and worthless. We may have felt this way, but we should also realize that all these blessings are not about us, you and me, but all about Him with us and us with Him. It is all about having faith in Him – being in relationship with Him for direction, resource and meaning.

    Yes, we may say: “I am not fit, unworthy, undeserving, and unqualified, BUT STILL I am called, invited, blessed and sent to be His fishing and life partner – “By God’s grace With Us, We are blessed and graced, undeserving we may be,” as St. Paul would say.

    Thus, there is more to our helplessness, self-centeredness, and unworthiness, but better opportunities, more concern for others and deeper faith in God. So now, whenever we hear Jesus’ word “Put out into the deep and lower your nets”, His message, call and challenge to you and us, is to TRY ANEW: go deeper and give faith and life another new chance, for a great catch and better life ahead for you and to all.

    Consider moreso that Jesus meets us half-way. He takes & choose us as we are now in our limits & potentials (not what we were & should be). But he also sees the better & best in us for there is more to us than what it seems. He recognizes Ours Gems deep within us – hidden, sinister, mysterious & obvious it maybe. All He wants from us is to follow Him into our depths within as our mission & contribution for God’s abundance catch of graces to happen before all.

    As we are beginning another New Year: a new chance again to make Life Better for You, for others and Him, may we be trusting and daring enough to heed Jesus’ challenge for us to: “Put out into the deep and lower our nets” to the great catch of blessing offered ahead of us.

    So May It Be. Amen.

  • Our Defining Moment

    Our Defining Moment

    February 2, 2025 – Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020225.cfm)

    Usually every Sunday some families gather together in the church not only to celebrate Eucharist but also to attend and witness the baptism of children to become new members of their respective family, parish and of the church. Yes, during Sundays, countless children are also being baptized in the church while being witnessed by their parents and family with relatives and friends. For us priest, Sunday children’s baptism is just part of our duty and extra job besides the hectic Sunday masses schedules. For others, it might be a usual Sunday occurrence, but for the child’s respective parents, godparent and families, the baptism of their child can be, is and should be the defining moments of their own lives as well as of the child.

    Yes, defining moments for all involved with the child. Because during baptism, the child does not only take on the identity and dignity of being Christian, the young parents of the child have suddenly grown up as well from just being two people in love to being parent to the child with a lot of responsibility for the future of the child. Along the parents, the child’s godparents, maninoy and maninay, extended families, relatives and friends also take on the responsibility and mission to help and support in the growth in the Christian faith and life of the child.

    It is indeed, defining moments for everybody, for as the child is being consecrated, the parents, godparents, families and the Christian community and the Church are commissioned to be responsible caretakers and formators-parent of the Christian life and faith-growth of the child.

    Mary and Joseph as well as Simeon and Anna must have experienced and felt the same during the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, same as young parents and families during child baptism. Here they are, presenting and consecrating the child Jesus in the temple as required by their Jewish religious tradition, conscious of the tasks, responsibility as well as the still-unknown and yet-to-be-revealed promise the child Jesus may offer to our lives.

    Joseph and Mary not only became the parent of the child Jesus, but through their testimony, Simeon and Anna also became the caretaker, formator & godparents of God’s light and glory for all. Same way as Joseph and Mary consecrated the child Jesus, Simeon and Anna became not anymore passive-expectators but now active-witnesses of God’s light and glory being revealed before them.

    The Presentation of the Lord in the temple is indeed defining moments for Mary and Joseph as well as Simeon and Anna for they take on the responsibility before God for the child Jesus. In the same manner, the baptism of a child is the defining moments for the young parents, godparents, families and the whole church for we all take responsibility for the formation and growth of the faith and life of the child.

    Simply put, as the saying goes: “When a child is born…. The mother is born” as also the parent, the family & church are also born. In other words, no mother, parent, family, or church, if there is no child.

    Our celebration today of the Presentation of the Lord is more than just about having our candles blessed. It is actually more so about ourselves as Christian especially during our celebration of Sacrament of Baptism. When we were baptized as a child, like the child Jesus, we were presented and consecrated (made holy) to God by our Christian family and the church to be God’s children. And whenever we attend and witness child baptism, we make holy ourselves to be responsible parents and formators-witnesses for the faith-growth of the child.

    Today’s celebration and our celebration of children’s baptism are all a reminder that each and every one of us, baptized Christians are lighted candles, taking on the light of Christ, the Christian dignity and responsibility for the fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation in our lives forever in our children now and for the future Christian generation.

    Taking on the dignity and mission to be parents and witnesses of God’s salvation as revealed to us always through Jesus and our today’s Christian children, are and remain to be our defining moments as Christians. God is already doing his part for our salvation by revealing us his glory through his Son.

    Now we have to do our part by making and remaining true to our defining moments of becoming blessed lighted candles – taking part to be active parents and witnesses for the growth of the Christian life and faith of our baptized children.

    Now consider, when was the last time you become a witness to a Child’s baptism? When was the last time you light a candle publicly and privately? Be reminded Jesus said: “You are the light of the world”. May we, as today God’s lighted and blessed candle, be always responsible parents and witnesses of God’s light to our world now and forever. Amen.

  • Parenting Jesus

    Parenting Jesus

    January 19, 2024 – Sunday, Feast of the Sto. Niño de Cebu

    Two brothers went for school enrollment. The school registrar found out that both of them are eight years old. However, one of them was born April 8 & the other was born April 21. When asked to explained about this, the boys just smiled & said: “We also asked our parents about it. And they just replied to us, “We don’t mind anymore who is natural & who is adopted among you. But rest assured, that we love & choose both of you.”

    This story reminds us that parenthood is a choice, and the very first people who acknowledge  us by choice as their own are our parents. Yes, to parent children is a Choice. Parenthood happens when parents choose our children &  they have chosen us as their children. We cannot be children of everybody or anybody, but we are particularly chosen by our parents to be their own. Whether by birth or adoption, our parents choose & have chosen, & is always choosing us to be their very own & not somebody else’s. Because our parents choose us as their own, we are their children because of them. And they cannot be our parents, if they would not choose us to be their own children.

    This is also the story of our salvation. God chooses us to be His own. By sending us His son Jesus into our lives, God chooses to adopt & parent us to be His own, for us to be part of His sacred & eternal family. And so also God’s blessings continues to be with us, because We also adopted Jesus to be our own & choose to parent Jesus into our lives as started by Mary, our mother. Much as salvation is God’s choice to adopt & parent us to be His own, Our salvation then is also our choice to parent & accept responsibility for Jesus as our own.

    Mary choosing to be mother & parent of our Lord Jesus in our lives paved the way for God’s holiness be upon us. And we accepting Jesus as part of our family faith-life perpetuates God’s graces to be with us always into our lives. Because of God’s choice, we are His children. Because of Mary & Joseph choice for Jesus, we are Christian. Because of our Christian faith, Jesus is our Lord & Brother.

    We also know that parenthood & parenting a child is all about persevering faithfulness. From womb to tomb, challenging & demanding it may have been – as our gospel today reminds us, Mary endures the birth, life, mission, suffering & death of our Lord Jesus Christ. From the manger to the cross & tomb, Mary did not abandoned her choice & responsibility for her son Jesus.

    In the same way, by choosing to parent Jesus to be our own, like Mary we are called & challenged to always persevere in our Christian faith for God’s salvation to continue on to happen & flourish into our lives, as we choose to parent our Lord Jesus in our day to day faith & life with our own growing chosen children.

    We take account now that we are now on the 504 years of Filipino Christianity this year. And our Filipino Christianity started when we adopted & took care of the Sto. Nino into our Filipino culture. Even without knowing much about Jesus, we Filipinos accepted to adopt & parent the Sto. Nino into our life as family & community. Because of our choice to parent Sto. Nino to be own very own, we since then, until now, & will always be God’s beloved children & Filipino Catholic Christians here & abroad.

    Daghang Salamat Maria. Thank you Mary, because by your parenting Jesus, God’s blessings thrives in our lives. And through your example & help, we also choose to parent our Sto. Nino into our Filipino life & culture that in effect, we become persevering faithfuls & believers of Jesus Christ now & forever.

    May God continue to bless us to be a blessing of Jesus to ourselves & to others.

    And above all, we invite Jesus again & anew into our lives this year as we ….SangPit Señor. HaPit Señor. Pit Senor.

    So may it be. Amen.

  • BELOVED

    BELOVED

    January 12, 2025 – Baptism of the Lord

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011225.cfm)

    Not so long ago, I received an inquiry about Parish guidelines on child baptism in our parish office. They are particularly asking for a so-called “Special” Baptism. Doubtless the child must be very special to the family to request for a so-called “special” baptism. But later, I found out that what they wanted is an exclusive and private celebration of the Sacrament of Child Baptism since the child is born out of wedlock. I cannot help but question their motivation for a so-called special baptism. Is it because the child is very special to them despite the circumstances OR is it because they are ashamed of themselves to admit the child as unwanted by the parents and/or the whole family themselves?

    I think we need to clarify and direct some of these distorted and questionable but trending views about Baptism in the Church nowadays. First, there is no such thing as special, exclusive, or private celebration of sacrament of child baptism. The ordained and proper celebration of baptism is and should be in public church before the congregation of Catholic faithful. Except for emergency baptism where the child is at the risk or in danger of death, baptisms should be done in the church with a lot of children to be baptized and before many baptized Catholic faithful as witnesses.  Consider then, church liturgies and sacraments are communal public church prayer-worship, and never should be an exclusive, private family, organization, or office party-program or entertainment. Second, as the child is as well as we are all baptized, we become God’s children in Christ. In baptism, we are consecrated, identified, accepted, dignified and affirmed to be beloved Children of God, like Jesus. In baptism then, more than we become the child of the family, we become God’s child before God & His church.

    When he was baptized in the river Jordan by John the Baptist, Jesus needs to hear the words and confirmation from the Father Himself saying, “You are my beloved Son; with whom I am well pleased”. Such words emphasize his very spiritual identity before God and the vision of God’s kingdom. Here, he is reminded in a deep, deep way of who He is, of his very being before God and people – that among anything else, He is God’s beloved Son. This is the very affirmation and confirmation of his being before God, as He is baptized in the river Jordan publicly – not privately, as witnessed before God’s people.

    In the same way, when he carried out his mission and public ministry, Jesus wants us also to hear the same message from the Father that not only Him, but also “You (& I & us)  are my Beloved Children, with  whom I am well pleased”. Jesus wants us to be aware and hear of the very reality & message that before God and His people, it is not only Jesus but we, you and I who believe in Jesus are also essentially God’s beloved sons and daughters. In God’s heart and eyes, we are His beloved children. And by virtue of our baptism, we are consecrated to be God’s children. We are His beloved, not because we did anything, not because we proved ourselves because of what we did and have achieved or not in life. God still and always loves us whatever we do or whatever happens in our life, whether born out of wedlock, adopted, unwanted, raised by irresponsible parents. And in our baptism or in the day of our baptism, regardless of the circumstances of our birth, we first hear God’s words saying to us all throughout our lives: “You are loved, you are beloved”. He even loves us more when while still in this world we also respond and proclaim to Him and all that, “Yes, Lord, I love you, too”, and love Him and others in return.

    Today we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ. Today officially ends the Christmas season and we continue with the Ordinary Time of the Liturgical Year C. As we are now in this transition in liturgical moment, we are reminded of the Baptism of the Lord wherein Jesus publicly proclaims His identity and commitment with God’s affirmations of Him to be the Beloved Son of God. As baptized believers of Christ, we Christians today are also reminded of our identity and dignity as publicly proclaimed and acclaimed to be like Jesus, also sons and daughters – beloved Children of God ever since our baptism & always.

    As we continue on with our New Life-Year with the Lord this year, let us hear again and again, and never forget but instead be at rest always on God’s words to all of us baptized: “You are my Beloved Child with whom I am well pleased” as we claim for ourselves: “I am God’s Beloved, with whom He is well pleased.”

    So May It Be. Amen.

  • In HUMILITY

    In HUMILITY

    January 5, 2025 – Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010525.cfm)

    A man once asked a wise priest: “Father, how come unlike before God seems to be not talking or speaking to us anymore?” The priest replied: “It is not that God is not anymore talking or speaking to us. But rather it is that nowadays nobody are humble enough to stoop down to listen to Him. Nowadays…nobody… are humble enough… to stoop down … to listen to Him. Bihira nalang ngayong panahon ang mga tao na lumalapit sa Kanya na may pagpakumbaba upang marinig Siya at makinig sa Kanya. Niining panahon pipila nalang ang mapaubsanon nga nangaliyupo sa pagpaminaw Kaniya

    True enough that there are times in our lives that God seems to be silent and absent to us. But during those moments of our frustrations and hopelessness with God, perhaps it is better to consider not His seeming absence or silence, but rather perhaps that we have reach already too far and high in life that we don’t anymore get near and low enough to listen to Him. Siguro napakataas at napalayo na ng ating narating na hindi na tayo lumalapit at may pakumbabang makinig sa Kanya at marinig Siya.

    For the past Sundays, during Advent and these Christmas Seasons, we come to know a number of people who became involved in the birth story of Jesus and happened to encounter God and begun to know God’s will for them in life. Mary met God through angel Gabriel and became the mother of Jesus. Through a dream, Joseph became responsible foster-father of Jesus. Zecharias became the father of John, after meeting an angel in his old age. Elizabeth became pregnant with John also in her old age after his husband encounter with the angel. Shepherds saw and learned from an angel that God’s gift to all has been borne in Bethlehem and they became witnesses (godfathers’ or ninong) of baby Jesus. And now in our gospel, the three kings come to know where baby Jesus, God-promised they have been searching, through an omen of  bright-guiding star. All these people and their experiences are telling us that God had made Himself and His will know to them, and God will always continue to make manifest Himself and His will to us until now.

    Same way as before, we might experience once again God and His will for us now, if and when we honor our dreams, listen to God’s word and witness His works actions in us shown to us by his angels or messengers. God still continues to manifest or reveal to us in many ways through the faith and actions of our community and church as we share each other God’s word, good advice, kind and loving service with others, and responsible guidance and parenthood of our elders and leaders. Even in a special way for us Filipino Catholic, we sense God through our kalooban and pangdama. Kilala ko siya dahil dama ko Siya. Malapit ang loob ko sa kanyang salita at gawa.

    Today, in the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, marks the end of Christmas Season. Today is to remind us that more than about the three Kings, God is still making Himself and His will know to us. He is still reaching out and communicating to us in many many ways. He is still talking and speaking to us, like before. All we need to do is to be humble enough to stoop down to listen and be sensitive to Him and His ways of revealing Himself to us.

    Moreover, Epiphany also reminds us that once we become humble enough to sense, hear, and honor God and His will to us now, we must change our ways. After meeting the baby Jesus, the magi went back in their journey following different path. This would mean that once we listen and honor God’s will for us, life will never be the same again, for it has to change for the better. Simply, God’s revelations requires our humility to follow & obey His better plans for us.

    As we say goodbye to Christmas season, may we be more sensitive to God’s continuing revelations to us (His ways of making Himself and His will know to us) and be more humble & open enough to be changed and be responsible for the gift of life God is offering us now and always.

    So be it. Amen.