Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Fr. Mario Masangcay, CSsR

  • CHOICE NOW

    CHOICE NOW

    November 30, 2025 – First Sunday of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/113025.cfm)

    A mother once knocks at his son’s door and have this following Convo or exchange of words.

    Mother: “Son, wake up.” But the son said: “Mom, I don’t want to get up.” Mom continued: “Son, Get up now. You have to go to the church today.” Son said, “I don’t want to go to church today”. Mom asked: “Why not?” Son replied, “I will give you three reasons: “I’m too young to go church, it’s dull and boring in the church, and people there don’t like me.” Mom persisted, “Now, I will also give you only three reasons you should go to the church. Today you have to be there, you are already 30 years old and it’s your wedding day. So, Wake up and get up now. You are already grown up – enough to just go back to sleep again.

    Which is more difficult nowadays: to lay down and go asleep in the evening …or to get up and stay awake in the morning? Waking up and getting up in the morning, and staying awake the whole day have always been our daily struggle. We always want to go back to sleep. All day long there is a longing in us to go back to bed and sleep again. Even when we are up and awake, we still have bouts of daydreams and musings the whole day through. That is why we have a Filipino saying: (Mahirap gisingin ang taong gising). “It is not easy to wake up someone who is already awake”. In other words, how can you wake up someone who is already arise & awake?

    We may not only be dealing here about our getting up physically in the morning and the whole day through, but this may also be true about getting up and staying awake in our whole life. This may also be about how awake and aware are we in living our lives.

    As we go through our lives, there are many moments that we are more asleep than awake. Habitually we may have found ourselves already physically awake but still actually unaware, out of sync, lukewarm, numb, and out of touch of reality.

    In life, we find usually ourselves in situations where we are already yet still – already awake yet still asleep. It is like, you already realize your mistake, but still doing the same mistake all over again. Same way as that son, who is already awake but still find reasons and excuses not to get up but to go back to sleep on his wedding day. Or worse, number of people have already died not only cause by natural disasters but also political & government corruption yet still making excuses, blaming & politicking.

    Remember waking up and staying awake in life may be a struggle but it is also a choice. In other words, “to get up and stay awake OR to go back and remain asleep” in life is perhaps the first decision we have to struggle with and make daily in life. What is significant here is not only the action and decision taken but moreso on the awareness, realization, and choice of the present NOW in facing life. Since now you know your mistake, now you have the choice to continue the same mistake, or do something about it. Since you know NOW you are old enough to go to church today because it’s your wedding day as your special Day with your spouse before the Lord, you may get up OR to go back at bed to sleep again. Since now we are aware that corruption causes people’s lives, we rise up & voice our dissent & disgust against crooked ways of our government & leadership; OR remains asleep & silently tolerant about these social realities.

    This is why on the first Sunday of Advent in preparation for the coming Christmas day, the Lord has very simple message to us: STAY AWAKE, and BE prepared.

    Human as we are, the Lord knows that we rather stay asleep than awake in life. He recognizes that we are already awake yet at times mostly asleep in life. He also knows however that we do have the CHOICE NOW whether to stay awake or asleep. That is why He is particularly calling us to stay awake, be prepared, get up and go forward for He promises that there are more and better in life yet to come & happen in life. His words in our gospel today are not His warning but a wake-up call to us to brace ourselves to the New Normal Life Ahead.

    To remain awake and stay aware in life, is indeed a struggle yet a choice in life. But if we continue to heed and do our part in the Lord’s invitation of staying awake and being aware now in our life, we will see more and eventually become witnesses to fullness of the New Normal life God can offer us now & the near future ahead. Same way with smartphones, new system upgrade is to happen soon. It is up to you to remain with the old slow system OR prepare for an upgraded system that make the best of your smartphones.

    By the way, today on the first Sunday of Advent at the occasion of Bonifacio Day (our Philippines national hero day), the Archdiocese of Cebu calls for SUPAK, in English “Against” but a rough acronym of (Sugbuanong Pakigbisog Kontra Kurapsyon) in that would mean – People of Cebu’s struggle against Corruption. This is wake up call & constant reminder among people & faithful of Cebu Province that we choose not to remain asleep but be vigilant & ready for life-upgrade (not downgrade) soon.

    Because as the Lord reminds us today and always: “Therefore, Stay awake and be prepared… for the Son of Man will come.” In other words, Hoy Gising… Wake up for I am on-the-way coming NOW & sooner than you expect.

    So May It Be. Amen.

  • VOX FIDELIUM VOX DEI

    VOX FIDELIUM VOX DEI

    November 23, 2025 – Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112325.cfm)

    A story once told about a town which was badly devastated by severe flooding. In the process of rebuilding their lives, they also worked together in building again their damaged church. But what worried them most in rebuilding their church was their old and antique statue of their Crucified Christ that damaged its hands and feet.

    A public consultation was made as to what should be done about their beloved but damaged Crucifix. Different ideas has been expressed and debated. For sentimental value, some are for restoring the statue; though others are against it, for fear that the restoration might completely destroy the original statue. For practical reason, some are in favor of buying a new one, though most would prefer their original Crucifix.

    Then, a respected old man made a suggestion to the plenum. After hearing and reflecting on the old man’s suggestion, everyone agreed that they will honor and implement what has been suggested. Hence, they never buy a new one nor restore the old one. But they just reinstall their old and original Crucifix, with damaged hands and feet. However now underneath the Crucifix, they put a sign: “This is Jesus Christ, who died so that we may live. He is now a PWD – Person with Disability, with damaged hands and feet. Will you now be His hands and feet for others?”

    Church tradition has it that during His crucifixion and death, the last words of Jesus was: “Natapos na. It is done. It is finished”. But, what has been done?…What has ended?…Yes, in the cross, His mission, suffering and life has ended and finished. He has already done the Father’s will. He has already done His work and part in bringing out life and mercy to all. His mission is now done and finished. He has already fulfilled the salvation that God has offered all. He has already revealed to us God’s great love for us.

    But what is not done yet is the God’s kingdom here on earth. What is not finished yet is the reign of God’s presence, love, justice, mercy and peace in our lives.

    While there are still people who are suffering from poverty and injustice due to our sins, insensitivity & corruption, the mission of Christ is already done… but our mission as Christian still lives and moves on. While there are still people who are poor, deprived and most abandoned, while there are still people who are imprisoned by greed for power, wealth and prestige, like our corrupt and manipulative politicians, contractors & capitalists, our Mission or Task as Christian followers & believers is not yet done.

    Remember on the cross, Jesus did not say: “I am finished” but said:  “It is finished”. Meaning, he is not finished yet. There is yet more to come, more yet to happen for our salvation. And this time, His salvation lives on with us & through us, as His hands & feet to do what we are to do, and to be what we should be as Christians.

    So for him to continue to shower us with God’s grace of salvation, Jesus still needs us. He still needs us to be His hands and feet for others.

    He has already saved us. God & Jesus have already done their part. Now it is in us & with us to transform our lives in our world today. It is now in our person – in our hands, feet, mouth, voice and faith to be sharers of God’s graces to others. Like Simon of Cyrene who helped carry the cross of Jesus, as Christians, it is now our tasks to carry, share, and partake the victory of Christ’s Cross to others. Time for us now, not to remain followers at the distance, but to take part in the mission of Jesus towards God’s salvation.

    Today, in the Solemnity of the Christ the King, we honor & celebrate the kingship of Jesus our Lord Christ in our lives today. However, we hear from our gospel today that Jesus, our King is not only a crucified king but also a king who is rejected, insulted, dishonored, and humiliated by the people. We cannot deny in our gospel today that Jesus Christ is a harassed, rejected, disgraced, maltreated, and persecuted King. Indeed, they mockingly proclaimed Jesus as King, but a Redeemer king who cannot even redeem and save himself – a needy king without a throne, and worse crucified on a cross.

    We do need to seriously reflect our gospel today, for it challenges us to deeply understand our faith not only on His kingship but most of all our faith in Jesus Himself. We might ask ourselves: “Do we really acknowledge and believe Jesus as Christ the king?” or “Are we like, Pontius Pilate who admits or not, because the crowd says so?” “Before me, who is Jesus? Who do I say Jesus is?”. Or perhaps ask ourselves: “who and what do I believe and worship? Is it God whom we believe and worship? Or we rather believe and worship our life, work, honor, wealth, and others than God himself?”

    This is a concrete call for us Christians to look deeply into our FAITH – our own personal commitment to what and who we really believe in.

    We honor Jesus today, our Christ and our King whom people have persecuted, humiliated, maltreated and rejected – somehow a needy PWD without hands & feet. “Would you still consider him as your King? Would you recognize and bear witness to Him as Your king? Or would you reject, dishonor, and persecute him again like what the crowds did and are doing today?”

    For come to think of it, God’s kingdom  does not rest only on the title of Christ the King but on our authentic witnessing and commitment of our faith in Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of God is not in the voice of the crowd & leaders shouting at Jesus on the cross “Save yourself & save us”, but in the testimony of the good & faithful thief saying “remember me when you into your Kingdom” & in the words of Jesus “Amen, You will be with me in Paradise.”  It is Vox fidelium, Vox Dei then rather than Vox Populi, Vox Dei. Meaning, the voice of God is not in the voice of the people but rather in the voice of God’s people – in the voice of all faithful believers of Jesus Christ.

    Thus, we witness now Jesus as our King, not only because of what he has done for us but most of all on His own Faith towards the Father and for the salvation of all. God’s kingdom and the kingship of Christ do not only mean name, power, and prestige of Jesus but more so our heartfelt and wholehearted profession, proclamation, witnessing and commitment to God’s salvation through our faith in Jesus Christ. The kingdom of God then requires our total and authentic faith-commitment to Christ, same way as Christ commits Himself to us & our Father.

    Again, here in our celebration today, we Christians are called to proclaim and witness our faith in Jesus Christ. As Jesus bears witness to His great love to the Father, we are also invited to the same total and wholehearted dedication and faith in Jesus. As Christians then, we should never be ashamed to express and proclaim our faith to ourselves, to each others and to others, even amidst the noisy crowd & popular opinions.

    Today, we honor Jesus and all Christians faithful who participate in sharing and spreading God’s salvation to the world. Because of them, the Cross of Christ continues now to be triumphant, and God’s grace, presence & kingdom reign in our lives.

    However, How about us, you & I now : Will we now be His hands, His Feet & His voice for others? Will we  now be Vox fidelium, Vox Dei? Will our voice of faith be God’s voice for all?

    Hinaut pa unta. So May It Be. Amen

  • PRE-DEPARTURE

    PRE-DEPARTURE

    November 16, 2025 – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111625.cfm)

    Whenever death & disasters happen in our lives, we cannot help but raise the question about the end-time or the end of the world. Ever-present war, pandemic, famine, pestilence, super typhoons, tsunami, hunger, earthquakes, flooding, landslides, and countless death-crimes in life render us anxious and helpless towards our coming future.

    Our worries about the coming end-times are not only felt around us but also within us. We are not ignorant as to how it feels when our world seems have broken and ended whenever we experience heartache as to the death and loss of our loved ones, or failed in our studies, business endeavors, plans and dreams, or diagnose with serious illness and others. Even worse, Scripture and Jesus himself warn us of these coming end-times as inevitable and surely to happen to our human life.

    Related with our uncertainty about end-time are the questions: “What’s the point? What’s the meaning of all these life-endeavors? Is there hope in life?” And above all, at its very heart, raises the question: “What now… and then? Is there Life AFTER Death?”

    A wise man once said: “The question should not be: ‘Is there life after death’ but rather ‘Is there life BEFORE death’?

    True enough, while life-disasters and death surely to happen in life, we should concern ourselves less about what happen to us after life, but rather more so concern about how we live our life before our inevitable death.

    Regardless whether there is life after death or not, we should never forget the fact that there is life before death that we are still now in. If we come to think of it, we are still now here alive for a reason and purpose to be in this world. It is for us now, as we live this life, to discover and fulfill in life our real reason to live and purpose to be. Our task and concern in life are to live our life now before death to the fullness of our very life-purpose.

    Life Before Death would also mean that the greatest loss in life is not death, but what dies inside us while we live. Sadly there are people nowadays who have reasons to die than to live, and people who are still alive but dying and already died inside, and long gone. Though painful, confusing and disheartening, our experiences of disasters and loss should move us still alive to deeply discover and enable the very reason and meaning of our life-existence.

    For Jesus, life-death and disasters are not only about end-times or world’s end, but more so about the opportunity for us to testify, that is, to rise to the occasion…. Stand up and witness in life our faith in God through Him, and…. To live-up to our very life-purpose and reason in life.

    In other words, Jesus is saying to us, that these things will surely happen to us, but with a reason and for a purpose. So, we should consider more our life now before death, rather than our life after death, and as He promised, “By your perseverance in life, you will secure your lives.”

    Practical advice then to ponder:… Whenever disaster strikes and happens in life, ASK NOT, “Why is this happening TO me?” but rather, “why is this happening FOR me?” Because…. asking, “why is this happening TO me?” leads to unhealthy self-doubt, blame, excuses, guilt, anger, and inner death. Asking, however, “why is this happening FOR me?” leads to meaning, purpose, challenge, responsibility, and resolution.

    As we grapple then with the concern about our experience of death & disasters in life, as per advised, ask NOT: “Why is this happening to me?”, “Is there life after death?” but rather ask, …“Why is this happening FOR me?”, “Is there life before death?”, “Do I have or am I having a life now before my death?”.

    With this, we may be more hopefully grounded to live our lives by its very reason, meaning and purpose, as well as to be a living testimony and witness of our Christian faith, and God’s grace to our present world.

    By our Christian faith witness, may the Lord lead us to His fullness of life.

    So May it be. Amen.

  • God’s Temple

    God’s Temple

    November 9, 2025 – Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110925.cfm)

    A story once told about a journalism student went to interview workers in a construction site. This is in line with her project regarding job motivations of common laborers. She asked the workers during their break time a simple question: “What are you doing?” The first worker replied, “I am carrying those heavy stones, hoping by the end of the day that I could earn some money to buy some food to eat”. The second one answered, “I am also carrying those heavy stones, so that I could have some savings for the education of my children and future of my family”. And the third worker, after wiping out some perspiration, happily replied: ‘Can you not see? I am building God’s church.”

    Three workers doing the same work but have different views and perspectives of their work. The first worked in order to earn a living; the second worked to save for the near future, while the third worked to build a church. These varied work-perspectives may also reflect on how we and others view life differently.

    We do have brothers and sisters today who are like the first laborer – trap in the rat race and vicious circle of earning a living. These people work in order to earn money in order to eat in order to work in order to earn in order to eat in order to work and so on and so forth. We might call this a futile and useless way of life, but we also know that some people today fell victim to this consumerist worldly life.

    Others may be like the second worker, who work hard for better days and for the benefit of others. We might call this a human and noble life, concern for the better tomorrow of oneself and others. Hopefully, most of us would view our life and work this noble way.

    However, we can also view our life and work like that of the third laborer, not just earning a living nor saving for the better days for others, but view his life and work both as participation in God’s work of salvation and as mission to build God’s church. This would simply mean that whatever work and endeavor we do in life and that whatever state of life we are in now, we can also regard our life-experiences now as our participation and mission with God’s work of salvation.

    This is what Jesus has in mind, when he said in our gospel today: “Destroy this temple and in three day I will raised it up”. For Him, raising the temple is not about destroy and build- scheme but it is all about fulfilling God’s salvation by establishing the Church of Jesus Christ with the collaboration of all of us, Christians His disciples.

    Meaning, we, the Church, the Christian community of Christ is a living temple of God. St. Paul reminds us we are God’s building….that you and I are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you and us. With Jesus, it is then our mission and participation to build, animate and make present God’s presence and salvation in the world today.

    Today, November 9, the whole universal church celebrates the Dedication of Lateran Basilica. This celebration is not just about the dedication of the Basilica of San John Lateran in Rome, which is the cathedral church of the pope. This celebration is all about us, Christians of the world today, united and continuing to participate in the mission of Christ of building God’s church here on earth by our Christian witness in words and deeds.

    We, Christian are indeed people of this world. We are in this world and live in this world. Everything that happens in this world affects us. But as Christians, we are not only concern with worldly affairs but we also are involved in building God’s temple here on earth today.

    Today is more than just about the cathedral – the structure, the building of the church because today is about our role & contribution in the project of building God’s people – the universal church.

    Like the Redemptorists humble beginnings in the church, may we not forget that the glory of the Church today comes from the humble beginnings & low-key efforts of us Christian faithful involve & participating in building our Mother Catholic since then, until now & will always be.

    Amen.

  • Till Death

    Till Death

    November 2, 2025 – The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110225.cfm)

    On  a burial ceremony, someone once  asked me : “Father, what happens to us when we die?”  After some thoughts, I answered, “I don’t know, I really have no idea. But all I know is that when I die, families, friends & acquaintances would come, gather & pray for me. Just like now, they would remember & talk about memories & encounters with me.

    Surely they would joke about our journeys together & say their goodbyes, but also they cherish how we love each other. Somehow in death, I will not be with them anymore, but still I am one of them in their faith-life journey. For us faithful, in death Life is  not ended, but has changed. Gone yet not forgotten.”

    When someone we love dies, we go through a whole range of emotions and conditions. However strong our faith might be, in our mourning & grief, we still wonder & ask questions, like: “How & where are they who have gone before us now? Without them, how are we going to cope & what else life got left to offer us now? How come others could not understand what we are going through?”

    Along with such questions we cannot escape but be thrown into the mystery of what life and death are all about, wondering: “Is there a life after death?” And even, asked: “Is there life before death?” We can even wonder about the existence of God, let alone a loving merciful God. Everything is hanging up in the air.

    All Souls Day or the commemoration of all departed souls today is celebrated to pray for all those who have gone before us to commend them all to God and to proclaim the nature of the Church. Like the communion of saints and the church here on earth, they are part of the church. We are separated now from them but not disconnected with them.

    So while today’s solemnity does not take away all our pains and solve all our questions and problems, it is a strong reminder of the truth of our connectedness, as followers of Christ on journey of faith & life.

    This connectedness happens, precisely and above all, through prayer. We pray for our faithful departed every day at Mass and in public and personal prayer. In charity today we pray especially for those who have no one to pray for them.

    We pray for those who have died, that their sins, faults & failures may be forgiven and that they might be on the way to the Lord. Our loved ones are not lost with us, and we can and do help them here on earth in & by our prayers.

    Today we are not burying our beloved dead but remembering them in this mass. Remembering them in prayers is our letting go of them – without losing them but  remembering them so that they become part of our lives in & thru the Spirit of Jesus Christ, whom we always believe as the Resurrection & the Life who lives and reigns forever & ever.

    So May It Be. Amen