Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Fr. Mario Masangcay, CSsR

  • Neighbors Among Us

    Neighbors Among Us

    July 10, 2022 – 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071022.cfm)

    Once a man happened to fell on a rather deep manhole. He really had a hard time to escape from his difficult situation. So he called for help. It happened that a lawyer passed by, so the man shouted out: ‘Help’. The lawyer replied: ‘Sorry I cannot help you now. I’m on a hurry for a court hearing. Here is my calling card. Call me later and we will sue the company who dug this pit – Pro bono/ for free.’ And so the lawyer took off. Then a doctor came by, but said, ‘Hey, I cannot help you now since I have a scheduled operation. Here are some prescriptions for your bruises. I will call for help. Surely I will help you at the hospital.’ And then the doctor left. A priest also came and said, ‘Sorry, so, I cannot help you right now. My mass is about to start. Here is a rosary, pray till the rescue arrived. We will pray for you also.’ And the priest rushed off.

    Now, the man got a lawyer’s calling card, a doctor’s prescription and a priest’s rosary, but still trapped in a manhole. Eventually his poor neighbor came, and right then and then, jumped into the pit. The man said to his neighbor, ‘How stupid you are. Now both of us are trapped in this pit’. Then replied the poor neighbor, ‘Yes, but I know a way out.’

    Once again we hear the Lord’s commandment to Love the Lord our God and our neighbor as we love ourselves. However, based on our experience, this commandment to Love… are nice words to hear but hard to follow, especially on loving our neighbor as ourselves.

    That is why, not satisfied knowing the commandment the teacher of the law raised the question: ‘And who is my neighbor?’ Like him, we know the commandment to love but we also like to know who is our neighbor worthy of our love.

    In response to this question, Jesus told us the parable of the Good Samaritan. For Jesus, the neighbor who is worthy of our love is our immediate neighbor. The very person  we are with – in the here and now, is the very neighbors in your midst who we should love. We don’t need for someone absent and far to be our neighbor to love. But the very persons before and with us now, who need our help and love is our very neighbor we ought to love.

    To help and love our neighbor, then, we don’t need to look for them somewhere. Just be aware and conscientious of the people around with you in the here and now, and respond lovingly as you can.

    Once in our Redemptorist parish in Dumaguete,  we had a program where we give Christmas gifts to poor parishioners. What makes this program unique is that we arranged the gift-giving wherein the donors themselves go and visit the home of the poor beneficiaries nearby, and give their gifts. A donor once told me: ‘Many Thanks, Father! It is only now I become fully aware of the poverty of our neighbors nearby, especially of Nong Berto’s family who used to drive me to school when I was a little girl.’ Our neighbors worthy of our love are the very people amongst us nearby we immediately see, smell, feel and hear.

    Through the parable, Jesus also teaches us the proper way to help our neighbor: Before we try to help others, we should immerse and be in solidarity with their difficult situation. In helping others, dole-outs, give-aways, and reaching-outs are not enough. We need to dive in, get wet or dirty along the way, and journey with them, to free one another from the situation.

    The Samaritan is good because he fully involved himself in helping the needy. He knew the best way to respond because perhaps he was also once needy and in such worse situation himself. Like, the poor neighbor of our story can help the man because he may have been in the same situation before, but he knows a way out. Others (lawyer, doctor, priest or levites) cannot and was not able to help because they don’t want to be involved and they cannot sympathize because they were not in that situation before, and don’t know a way out. In other words, only swimmers can rescue a drowning person. So, love your immediate neighbor in your midst as lovingly as you can.

    The Lord in our first reading however reminds us that: This command is not too mysterious and remote for you, not up in the sky nor across the sea. It is something near to you,  already in your mouths, and in your  hearts : you have only to carry it out.’ Meaning, we CAN love the Lord and our neighbor as ourselves because we are also loved by the Lord and our neighbor as ourselves.  We can love because we are loved by God and others. We can help and take care of our neighbor because we are also helped and taken care of by God and neighbor. We can rescue and save others because we are rescued and saved by God and others.

    For us to inherit eternal life, God directs us to do what needs to be done: “Love your God and your neighbor as you love yourself.” So, let us do our part in Loving Him and our Neighbor, as He and our neighbor loved us since before, until now & may always be as ourselves. So Be it. Siya Nawa. Kabay pa. Amen.

  • Start locally and then, globally.

    Start locally and then, globally.

    June 6, 2022 – Wednesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070622.cfm)

    Here in our gospel today, Jesus summoned his disciples, gave them authority to heal every disease and sickness. He made his disciples share his authority and mission to preach the good news of salvation to all. He commissioned them and gave them the tasks to be preachers and evangelizers of God’s kingdom. Jesus added however that they should start, not elsewhere, but at home.

    Since then and until now, as followers of Christ, we share the same authority and commission with the disciples to preach and witness the reign of God’s kingdom to all in our world today. And in the same way, we are to begin in our own homes, families, and communities.

    In doing our tasks and mission as evangelizers and preachers of God’s kingdom, there is always a tendency or even a temptation for us to blame the evil in the world on others, and to reach out for our poor brothers and sisters in need who are far-away from us. But as Jesus would insist, we start to live our faith and practice what we preach in our own homes, in our own neighbors and communities. In other word. Charity begins at home.

    For who are our neighbors? Our neighbor is the immediate person we live with, who needs our immediate attention and care. We don’t have to go out to help others; we start with our kasambahay, kapamilya. We start to correct and clean the evils and sinfulness in our homes before we deal with our world outside. Remember it was only later, during Jesus’ ascension that the disciples where sent to all the nations of the world. Start locally and then globally. Begin in your own homes nearby and then, into the world.

    Being called & sent to be His missionaries today, with Our Mother of Perpetual Help, let this be our prayer : “Lord, grant me the grace to be what You want me to be, and to do what You want me to do, not there & later, but here & now at this very moment.” Amen.

  • Authority to Set Free and to Bring Healing

    Authority to Set Free and to Bring Healing

    July 6, 2022 – Wednesday 14th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070622.cfm)

    Exercising authority in our community gives us the opportunity and capacity to serve others. This is how we understand it in a Christian perspective. This means that when we have authority over other people, this does not give us the right to belittle or put people down just because we have power over them.

    Thus, in any community, organization or even in our workplaces, when we are given authority, it is rather meant to give us the ability in empowering others and facilitating others to be more productive, growing and maturing.

    The giving of authority is what we have also heard in today’s Gospel. Jesus gave authority to his Twelve disciples. This authority has two functions. First, to drive out unclean spirits that terrifies and imprisons people. Second, to cure every disease and every illness of the people to whom they were sent. Through the authority given by Jesus to the Twelve disciples, the Lord gave them the opportunity and capacity to serve others by setting people free and bringing healing to the sick.

    The Gospel tells us now that authority is a gift. It is given to us as an opportunity and giving us the capacity to serve others and not to serve ourselves or to serve those who are only close to us. Thus, exercising authority is a form of a loving-service. And we will know that it is a loving-service when in exercising authority it sets people free, inspires freedom, brings healing and creates a space for growth.

    However, when authority is also used as a means to serve oneself by manipulating and overpowering others, then, authority discourages and oppresses people just like unclean spirits or demons would do. Moreover, in this case, authority will also be the cause of divisions, wounds and toxicity in our community or organization just like a disease or illness would bring suffering to a person.

    Hence, Jesus calls us today that as we exercise authority in our own context and life-situations whether at home, at work or in our communities and organizations, we may always be able to inspire freedom, to allow others to be free and be agents of healing and growth. Kabay pa.

  • SHARERS than mere takers

    SHARERS than mere takers

    July 3, 2022 – 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070322.cfm)

    “The harvest is great but the laborers are few. Pray that the Lord of the Harvest to send out more laborers to gather in his harvest.”

    Easy for us to think that this particular scriptural passage in our gospel today is a call for us to pray to God to grant us more laborers for His vineyard, so that we may enjoy the fruits of His harvest. In a sense, we acknowledge and enjoy the abundant bounty of God’s salvation in our lives. But, we also need to ask God to send us somebody to hand such blessings over for us. For us then to fully enjoy the harvest of God’s salvation in our lives, we must have to pray that God will send us more laborers at our service, and that we just wait for these laborers to come and share us the fruits of the harvest. In other words, we are mere the passive recipients and benefactors of God’s grace – begging God to call and send somebody, other than ourselves, to share us the fruits of His redemption.

    But this passage is more than just an appeal to pray to God that He will send us others to save us the day and have a share of such blessings. But this is Jesus’ invitation for us to become the Laborer, ourselves. He calls us to be sharers rather than mere takers.

    As the Lord of the harvest Himself, Jesus did not only ask his disciples to pray, but also invited and sent them as laborers in His vineyard. After saying, “Pray that the Lord of the Harvest to send out more workers to gather in His harvest”, he said, “Go, I am sending you…” This would mean that recipient-benefactors we may be, we are also active participants and sharers of God’s salvation. Not only that, in prayer we recognize God’s grace but also we declare that we are sent to be sharers, promoters of such grace to others. As we are called to follow Jesus and to pray for more disciples, we are also challenged to become His laborers & missionaries ourselves – sent to extend His invitation to be laborers to others so that all may have a share and can fully enjoy in the blessings of God’s kingdom.

    This is an extension of Jesus’ invitation: “Follow me.” Yes, he calls us to be his disciples but he also wants us to be a missionary disciple, to be his follower who is also called and sent to bring & share the good news to everyone. All of us are called to be His disciples. But to be His disciple, it is not enough just to believe and passively follow Him. It would also mean that to be his disciple is to participate in His missionary work of salvation. We must also contribute and take part in sharing and preaching the Good news to others by our words and action, and in building His church. 

    We might ask ourselves, “What can I do or contribute for God’s Kingdom?” You may not be convinced that you can do much, but each of us can effect some change in one way or another in our lives for God’s reign. Just like the attitude of this little child.

    Years ago, a gentleman stood outside admiring a newly-build magnificent cathedral. Standing beside him was a little girl of ten years old, who suddenly asked him: “Mister, do you like that church?”  “Yes, my dear, I think it is quite lovely.” “Well, Mister, I’m glad you like it because I helped in building it.” “You? You helped to build it?” The child proudly nodded. And the man continued: “But you are only a little girl. How did you help to build it?” “Well, my daddy is a construction worker,” came the reply, “and he worked on this church ever since it began, ….and every single day I brought him lunch.” A simple contribution of loving kindness made a difference. It helped build a church for everyone.

    Remember Jesus first calls us to “Follow Him” and as we follow, only then we are invited to “Do this”. As last Sunday gospel suggests, Following the Lord calls for our availability first and then our capacity. If we prove our dependability and faithfulness, only then He will increase our capability. Like that girl, Be part of the building and sharing of God’s grace in life rather than like that gentleman, just benefiting from it.

    We pray that our faith in Jesus Christ moves us to remain available and actively participate in the harvest of God’s graces and blessings for us all as now & always. Amen.

  • By CHOICE

    By CHOICE

    June 26, 2022 – 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062622.cfm)

    “How could I now tell my parents that I choose to settle down my life in marriage?” Quite a pressing concern might be for young mature couple nowadays. Somehow these words express the dilemma of young mature people are in – not only in making decision, but also of facing the implications of such decision. These words are not just about choosing one’s life-path & identity, but also of being responsible for & committed to one’s choice, either to be married, ordained, consecrated or singleton in life.

    A wise man once said: “Life is about choices. Some we regret. Some we are proud of. Some will haunt us forever… And the message is: We are what we choose to be.” True indeed, we are product not of our circumstances & conditions but rather of the choices & decisions we make with those situations. We are what & who we are, not by circumstances but by CHOICE. One wise man would even say: “Your decision today is a statement of who you are & a declaration of who you choose to be.” Your identity & responsibility then is Your choice. And your choice is your identity & responsibility. Whatever, whoever, & however you are in life is by CHOICE… -with all its consequences.

    The same can be & should be said about being Christian. To follow Jesus in life is BY Choice & not by circumstances. As he has pointed out in our gospel today, following Jesus demands our very own choice to be His disciples & to be responsible for our chosen life of discipleship for Him – however it might now be.

    Consider that as we grow in our Christian life, God calls each one of us to a more radical discipleship – a more radical following of Christ. Eventually as we go through life, each one of us, as Christian has to make a life-commitment before the Lord. We have to make a free and voluntary life decision of what kind of Christian will you be, – whether as married, ordained, professed or single-blessed person. Such decision or option is our radical way of responding to His call to follow Him. Such as in marriage, a man leaves his mother, a woman leaves her home, they will travel on the road and the two became as one. All of us have to follow in Lord’s journey back to the Father in the way of life that he has called you to be – not by force or fear, nor by mere reactions to life-challenges, but by our free choice & commitment. 

    Like Elisha in our reading today, eventually we have to make a decision to leave everything behind and make a commitment to follow the Lord’s journey-pilgrimage to our Jerusalem.  In a sense, Jesus calls us consequently to give up all our securities, to be faithful & loyal to the way of life God has called us to be, and to be free for God and His people.

    Come to think of it. In the icon of OMPH, we see Mary, Our Mother tenderly holding her frightened Child Jesus close in her heart. This is an image of Mary as Theotokos (the God-bearer) who by her Choice, Fiat, Yes – has taken the choice & responsibility of taking care God’s presence in life. Through her Choice with all its consequences, Mary becomes the first tabernacle of God’s presence in our faith-life journey.

    Same way with Mary, the Christian life we live is our (yours & mine) chosen & committed life, regardless of   whatever & however the present state or outcome maybe. Regrettable, haunting, challenging, gratifying or glorifying may your life be, remember this is the life you choose & promise to be before God & others. This is the life you choose to be before God & others. And as per advice of St. Teresa of Calcuta who said: “God called us to be faithful, not to be successful,” the Christian life we chose & are choosing in following the Lord thus demands our faithfulness rather than our successes.  

    So, Remember then, that there was once a time in your life that you choose to be the kind of Christian you are now. Indeed, your decision is a statement of who you are and a declaration of who you choose to be. Move on and don’t look back. Howsoever the journey may have been so far, trust that He is leading and guiding you in your path. In whatever & however situation you might be, pray more for faithfulness & fidelity than success – that you remain steadfast in your commitment to Him, who journey with us always on the road of life now & forever. Amen.