Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Fr. Mario Masangcay, CSsR

  • SPIRITED

    SPIRITED

    February 15, 2026 – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021526.cfm)

    “Do you believe in chain letters? or nowadays we may call it as Copy-Paste & Post OR-ELSE…. Facebook, Messenger, or Twitter posts?”

    At times, I have been asked about this, & I find myself giving the same answer. I say: “In general, I don’t trust anything that offers promises or threats, IF (meaning, with conditions) you do or don’t this or that, with the usual addendum “Or Else…”. In my book, deserved gifts are called prizes or salary, but underserved gifts are called Grace and Blessings. God’s grace is not something we do to God, but what God does to us. Just try to be the better Christian, as you choose and can be, not as what others (in chain letters, posts, or messages) want you to be.”

    For the past Sundays, we have been hearing about the public ministry of Jesus where he proclaims to us the Good News of God’s salvation. In his preaching, Jesus basically calls us to change our ways for God is with us (Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand). He then in Beatitudes makes known to us how blessed are the meek, humble, merciful, and righteous, because they are faithful enough to welcome God’s blessings into our lives (Blessed are you…). He also reminds us that much as we are blessed, we are also a blessing to others (You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world). Wow, what a gospel – a GOOD NEWS indeed to us!

    In a nutshell, we need to change our life since we are already and always blessed and a blessing to others because we believe that God is with us and his Kingdom is at hand. This is the very core message of Jesus ever since and until now as being always proclaimed to us and by us, His Church.

    After always hearing, reflecting, and knowing Jesus’ good news of God’s salvation, what then for us now?

    Somehow, we wonder as to HOW to gratefully respond to and live out such great blessings into our lives. We ponder on HOW can we remain, endure, and persevere in living with Jesus’ gospel in our day to day living. Like, what are we to do now to respond and be converted and practice His gospel into our lives? And surely for Jesus, it is not enough just to keep the Torah or observing the Ten Commandments or the law of Moses.

    In our gospel today, we hear the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus wherein he directs us how to live in the good news of God’s salvation. By reviewing and commenting on the Torah, which is the Jewish standard of righteousness, Jesus reorients people that there is far more better in His message of God’s salvation than just observing the Law of Moses. He reiterates that God’s kingdom is more than just the practice of not killing, not committing adultery, and not making false promises. God’s kingdom is more so and above all about respecting life, reverence for people’s union – making marriage sacred, and living life with integrity before God & others.

    For Jesus then, to live in His blessing of God’s salvation is not a matter of just practicing and observing but more so fulfilling the Law of Moses. Here Jesus is upgrading the Jewish Law of Moses into His message and mission of teaching, preaching, sharing, and witnessing the values of God’s Kingdom in our lives – An Upgrade from Torah to the Spirit of Jesus.

    Important here is the consistency between our being and our doing – our person & action now as Christian. In a way, Jesus is teaching us that our actions must now reflect our being as blessed and blessing people.

    In other words, be and become consistent with who you are now with what you do, as well as, do what you are supposed to be as Christian. Meaning, far beyond the practice (living out) the values of God’s Kingdom, there must be a Spirituality. For Spirituality is the “because I am” of the “why’s in life, i.e. “Why I do this or do that?” “Because I am…”. Spirituality is thus the spirit of the person behind the action – the meaning behind the practice.

    What matters is not just about the practice but also the spirit behind the practice and action – not only about what we do but why we do it, knowing that ours is a grateful response in thanksgiving to what God does and doing to us, and not like chain-letters, what we may do as bribe or payment for His graces.

    Perhaps you may reflect these days about your Spirituality. Ask yourself: “Why you do what you do?” Be in touch with the meaning and spirit behind your behaviors & actions. Pray that you be a better blessed and blessing Christian you choose and can be, not as others may want you to be. Pray also that our actions be a response in thanksgiving to what God does and is doing to us, rather than as what we do to Him to gain His favor.

    May we live in the spirit of the commandment with our Lord Jesus now & always.

    So May It Be. Hinaut pa unta. Amen.

  • Influencers

    Influencers

    February 8, 2026 – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020826.cfm)

    Weeks after ordination, four newly-ordained priests were summoned by the bishop for a meeting in his house. As they have settled down in his office, the bishop addressed them: “Young fathers, humor me with some experiment. I have here some piece of stone, cotton, clay and sugar. I want you to choose one of these things and place them on a glass of water before you.” And so they did as instructed by the bishop. Then the bishop said: “Before I will announce to you your new assignment, I want you to learn something from this little experiment we did. Consider the glass of water as your new assignment and consider the kind of priest will you be in your new assigned parish community.

    You can be a stone who does nothing except to be a  new added member in the parish. You don’t influence the parish and the parish does not influence you. You can also be a cotton who easily adjust in the parish but eventually reduced and diminished the parishioners because you centralized everything to yourself. Everything in parish life is now about you, and not about them. You can also be a clay who slowly adjust to the parish, but eventually create disorder, problems, tensions and a lot of stress within, thus becoming a negative influence to the parishioners.

    However, you can also be a sugar who slowly adjust and selflessly dissolve at the background into parish life – sharing positive influence and energy to make the parish sweet, and change it for the better. 

    In life, we do encounter different kinds of leaders in our community. Like the little experiment, we may have categorized our leaders as the stony heartless leaders who does not care at all, or as the Selfish cotton “Me first” leaders who depletes our energy, or as the evil clay tormentor leaders who sow chaos in life, or as the selfless sugar influencing leaders who encourage and inspire us in life.

    And definitely we prefer and expect our leaders to be selfless sugar influencers who have been a blessing to us for they motivate and empower us to be responsible members and change our lives for the better. We also dislike and avoid the stony-heartless, the selfish cotton “me-first” and the evil clay tormentor leaders for they make our family & community life heavy and miserable. 

    We hear Jesus in our gospel today saying: “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.” From these words, surely Jesus like us, would also want and expect our leaders to be selfless influencers, who leads us by their words and example. However His words are not only addressed to our leaders but also to ourselves, His followers, as light of the world & salt of the earth.

    When Jesus declares to us today that “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world”, He proclaims to our very selves that with Him, we are not only already blessed but we are also God’s blessings to others. This means that as Christian, we are and we should be a blessing and a selfless influencing leader to others – to be light of the world, salt of the earth, and sugar within the family & community.

    Inasmuch as we have been blessed by the inspiration and witness of our selfless influencing leaders, we should also be selfless influencing Christian witness to others within our community. As we have been blessed by God and others, You and I, We as His followers are also and should be then God’s gift and blessings to others within our Christian community – as salt of the earth & the light of the world.

    Consider then that one thing salt & light in common is that they both make a difference wherever they are – and so we should be as followers of Christ. Christians are not only called to blend into the world, but rather make a difference in the world with our Christian values, good works & examples. We must strive to make a positive & life-giving influence & difference in our world by our witness of our Christian faith-life.

    Perhaps then this month, remember the Christians who have been light and salt in your life – who greatly and selflessly influence your growth and formation as  better Christian person. Consider how they have been a blessing to you. Thank God for these Christian witnesses for through them you are blessed. 

    Be reminded also of the people for whom you are trying to be light and salt in life – people under your care, direction and leadership. Consider  how you have been trying to influence & be a blessing  to them as followers of Christ. Pray to God for guidance and courage to be selfless influencing mentors to these people. 

    As a famous theologian, Hans Urs von Balthazar, once said: “What you are is God’s gift to you. What you become in life is your gift to God”. So, BE God’s gift and blessing to others, as much as you have been blessed by God and others.

    Amidst a life that can be dark, broken and tasteless, BE a responsible Christian influencer – a worthy witness to be today’s salt of the earth & light of the world : a sugar in our church now & always.

    So may it be. Siya Nawa. Hinaut pa unta. Amen.

  • FAITHFUL

    FAITHFUL

    February 1, 2026 – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020126.cfm)

    Every first of November we commemorate & honor All Saints of our Christian lives, regardless of their status within the church – whether they are canonized, blessed, recognized or not. But we now beg the question: “What makes a saint a saint?”

    St. Teresa of Calcutta a.k.a Mother Teresa, a modern-day saint known for her charitable works, once said: “God does not demand that I be successful. God demands  rather that I be faithful in life. When facing God, results are not important. Faithfulness then is what is important.”

    Same could also be said of us Christians & our saints. God did not choose us to be successful but rather to be faithful in life. Our Christian calling then is for us to be faithful in this life, rather than to be successful. Regardless how successful or failure our life has been, what is important is our fidelity rather than our accomplishments. Our faith  rather than success is thus expected of us, as faithful Christians. And so, because of their faithfulness with Christ, our saints are blessed, and faithfuls are sainted because they are blessed by God

    This is greatly expressed by Jesus in our gospel today. In the Beatitudes, Jesus lauded those who have been faithful to God rather successful in life. Saintly, righteous, holy and worthy are then those who are blessed by God to be faithful of Him in life.

    As implied in our readings today, our saints are the survivors of the great distress & persecutions, the seekers who longs to see God’s face, God’s children who knows God personally & above all, the faithful people who are chosen & blessed by God, – not wise, noble, powerful & strong in the worldly standard they may be.

    Remember that in response to the crisis-situations the disciples were in, (whether on a stormy sea or failed-healing attempts), Jesus rather challenged them instead: “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” – “Let not your heart’s be trouble. Have faith in God. Have faith in Me”. Thus, in whatever situations we are in – whether in normal or crisis situations, Jesus only requires of us our faith in God and in Him.

    However, God’s grace is wasted without us trusting & abiding with it – without our faith. Better things may also happen in life, though… as long as with God’s grace & our  faith. Again, Christian life is all about our deep faith and trust in Him rather than our triumphs in life.

    We are called & chosen to faithfulness rather than be successful in the worldly standard of  life, for as Jesus said “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

    Here in this mass, we honor & thank the Lord of the witness of saintly simple Christian faithfuls who have also greatly influenced our Christian faith here, now & always. As with Mary, our Mother of Perpetual Help, may their faithfulness to God & in Christ Jesus remain a living example for us to live by now & always.

    So May It be. Amen.

  • System Upgrade

    System Upgrade

    January 25, 2026 – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012526.cfm)

    “I firmly resolve with the help of thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance & amend my life. Amen.”

    Words we say as we do our act of contrition during confession as we commit ourselves in faith with God’s help & grace, first to be sorry of our sins, to fulfill our penance as remedy and above all to change our way of living our lives for the better. These words we say in contrition emphasize that the sacrament of reconciliation is more than just about confessing our sins, faults & failures, but moreso our commitment to repentance & faith in our Christian life for the better.

    Consider then that in our gospel today, when he started proclaiming the Good News of God’s Kingdom upon us, Jesus challenges people to “Repent & Believe that the Kingdom of God is at hand”. Yes, we normally hear this challenge of the Lord for us during  Ash Wednesday as we receive the ashes on our forehead. However, these words remind us that God’s grace requires us above all our repentance & faith, and  make clear to us that the first & proper response for us to fully benefit from God’s offer of salvation of God-being with us is for us “to repent & believe the gospel”.

    We should know that repentance  is more than just being sorry for our sins & failure, and asking for forgiveness, for we all know that God’s offer of salvation is more than just about ourselves & our sinfulness. To repent is moreso about our  resolve to do better in life & to change our usual ways towards believing more in God & trusting more in His plans, wills & ways for us. Meaning, our repentance are meant for us to believe God than just to be sorry for our sins.

    Repentance & Faith are rightly described by the Greek word “Metanoia” that denotes a change of mind, a reorientation, a fundamental transformation of outlook, of man’s vision of the world and of himself, and a new way of loving others and God. And somehow like system upgrade of computers & smartphones nowadays, “Metanoia” is required of us by Jesus for us to fully benefit from the offer of God’s salvation since then, until now & always.

    And clearly “Metanoia” – repentance & faith is what Jesus again emphasized in our gospel today. Through the parables of losing & finding (rf. Lost coin, sheep, & son),  Jesus values the importance of repentance & faith in God’s offer of the salvation for us. Because for Jesus, the Kingdom of God is more than just about our being righteous or sinner, about reward & punishment, about importance & unworthiness, but above moreso about God’s offer of grace & salvation for us of Him-being with us through His son Jesus. And so, what is only required of us as always is Metanoia – repentance & faith, i.e. “Repent & Believe the Gospel” & how we orient and amend our whole lives more towards God & less towards ourselves.

    As we are beginning a new year & a new liturgical season, perhaps we ask ourselves where are we in terms of Metanoia – repentance & faith. With all our experiences of life-journey with our Lord this past recent year so far, where are we in view of changing our minds & ways towards more repentance  & faith in the Lord? If you are to rate our response of Metanoia from 1-10, how much would you rate yourself? What are the signs of hope & growth? (…more trusting, more closer relationship, more inspirations). What needs improvement? (…Quality time in prayer, works of mercy, acts of kindness,).

    With such assessment, we pray that we may become more open to receive & benefit from God’s offer of grace now & up ahead always.

    So May it Be. Amen.

  • Great is the CHILD

    Great is the CHILD

    January 18, 2026 – Feast of the Sto. Niño

    In our Wednesday novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, we always ask our Mother to help us learn to adapt to our growing children. Praying this, we acknowledge before the Lord that as Christians and in particular as parents, we are imperfect. We recognize that we encounter problems and difficulties in parenting our growing children and that, at times we fail to love and respect our children as persons and as God’s children. And for this, we implore Our Mother’s guidance and assistance as we parent our children.

    We, Filipinos love the Sto. Nino, the child Jesus, and today – every third Sunday of January, here in the Philippines, we celebrate the Feast of Sto. Nino. Like the Sto. Nino, we honor our children as also God’s gifts and instrument of salvation for humanity. We acknowledge our children as God’s blessing and signs of hope for our Christian families and communities.

    As God’s gifts, children then must be accepted, love and provided with the love and care they need for their growth and well-being. As God’s expression & instrument of His grace, they must also be respected for what they are and will be, with talents and limitations, for in their own unique way children can contribute to the building up of Christian families, and communities, and of God’s kingdom as well.

    In our gospel today, we hear how Jesus emphasizes greatly the value of us being God’s children, and of being children in God’s kingdom. For Jesus, “great is the child”. Our being beloved children of God is thus our very dignity and rights as a persons in this life.

    As God’s beloved children, we enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus and the Kingdom of God. We have the right and duty to grow in faith, to grow in our own personal relationship with God. It is also our calling to be His disciple – to come and follow Jesus Christ and express our response, by our love and respect for others.

    Today, Jesus invites us to especially love and respect our children, as much as we demand respect from them. We are reminded that like us now adults Christians, our today’s children are also God’s beloved children, where the greatness of God’s kingdom is founded.

    Now if we wish to learn how to adapt to our growing children – to respect God’s beloved children, take a good look at the picture of Our Mother Perpetual Help, a portrait of Mary carrying her child Jesus. By merely looking at the picture of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, we readily notice the mother & child relationship between Jesus and Mary – Mary as the mother, the parent of child Jesus the Redeemer.

    As parent, Mary presents to us the child Jesus – a child who like any other child needs nourishment, love, guidance, protection and care of a parent. We see Mary as the model of Christian Parenthood for she teaches us how to love, care, protect and adapt to our growing children. The picture also shows us Jesus growing and gradually learning that in fulfilling his vocation in life, there will be coming great changes and suffering (as shown by angels at the side bearing cross & hyssop on spears).

    And Mary has to adapt gradually to the changes going in her growing son’s life. As Jesus grew up in life, so did Mary grow to respect and share the sacredness & giftedness of the growing Jesus, as God’s beloved child to others.

    As we honor today the Sto. Nino, Jesus want us to remember that our devotion to the Sto. Nino must reflect not only our deep joy and thanksgiving to God for sharing us the gift of His only Son, but also expresses our love and concern for our growing children – God’s ninos and ninas amongst us.

    And the most relevant and meaningful way of honoring the Sto. Nino is not by merrymaking, parades or street dancing, but by concretely expressing our Christian respect, love and concern to our growing children, especially the poor and abandoned little ones.

    Perhaps better for us to BE with & spend quality time with our growing God’s children these days. Listen to their stories, their concerns, and their hopes in life.

    Respect and learn from them for they are also God’s children and messengers, for as Jesus warns us in our gospel today, “unless you turn and become like children (of God), you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” In our children & our being children of God, we could find then answer & access to God’s love for us.

    As a popular Filipino folk song would advise: “Ikaw ba’y nalilito, Pag-iisip mo’y nagugulo. Sa buhay ng tao, Sa takbo ng buhay mo?…. Itanong mo sa mga bata, Ang buhay ay hawak nila. Masdan mo ang mga bata, Ang sagot ay ‘yong makikita. (Are you confused, are your minds troubled, Of man’s life, of the direction of one’s life. Ask the children, life is in their hand. Look closely at children, You will find the Answer)

    Like Mary, may we honor the greatness of God’s kingdom in our growing children, and by adapting with them, may we discern and respect God’s ways and plans for a better life now & ahead of us.

    So May it Be. Amen.