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Category: AUTHORS

  • How do I pray? What do I pray?  

    How do I pray? What do I pray?  

    June 19, 2025 – Thursday 11th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061925.cfm)

    (Homily on the Fourth Day of Novena for the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help at St. Clement’s Church, Iloilo City)

    How do I pray? What do I pray? What are those that I usually ask from the Lord?

    Others pray spontaneously asking what they want and desire for themselves and for their loved ones. Others are more comfortable using the memorized prayers as forms of meditation and deeper reflection on the mystery of God.

    We too ask many things from the Lord. Others would even have a litany of requests and petitions. And as a form of asking God’s favor we even observe number of days of prayers. This is what we do in observing our Novenas, or the 9 days Misa de Gallo during December, believing that God would grant ones desires and prayers.

    In fact, this is what we do now as we prepare for the Feast of Mary, Our Mother of Perpetual Help, on this Fourth Day.

    Thus, it would be good to take a look in the way we do our prayers, to look at the intentions we make in our prayers. Let us also include the kind consciousness that we have in our prayers. This is something important because this will help us to evaluate our personal relationship with God and with others.

    Now, in today’s Gospel Jesus reminds his disciples of the importance of prayer and also of the importance of the kind of consciousness in their prayers.

    Jesus mentioned about the way the pagans prayed. These pagans loved to use many words in their prayers. They believed that it was in that way that they would be able to get the attention of their gods and goddesses. At the same time, pagans believed it would appease them. They believed that these gods and goddesses were unforgiving, impulsive and frightening. These pagans babbled in their prayers in order to get the favor from these difficult and terrifying deities.

    However, Jesus reminds his disciples that our God is not like that. God is not vengeful. God is not inconsistent. Our God is not terrifying. The Lord God is rather loving and forgiving. Hence, to use many words would not be necessary because God knows the desires of our heart.

    Moreover, as Jesus reminds his disciples, he also tells us now that our prayers are not meant to appease an angry and hateful god or to gain favor from a terrifying god. This also means that the content of our prayers should not be self-centered. To pray is not just to ask something for ourselves but also for others. That is why Jesus taught us his own prayer. His prayer expressed intimacy and closeness with the Father in heaven.

    This prayer starts with these two words, OUR FATHER. It did not say “My Father” and not even “Their Father.” This tells us that when we pray, we always remember others. We are always together as people, as brothers and sisters. Our relationship with God though can be personal but it is also founded in our community. That is why it starts with “OUR” because this includes you and me and everyone else.

    This prayer (Our Father/Lord’s Prayer) tells us that God is a Father. God relates to us personally. God is not somewhere out there who is so far away from us but God is here with us. God as our Father is, indeed, loving and faithful to us. This is evident at how the Lord God continually revealed the divine presence to us throughout our human history. This means also that we are invited to seek God’s will and God’s desire not just our desire. Most of the time, when we pray we only think of what we want and desire but we forget to ask, what is it that you desire for me Lord?

    It invites us also to become dependent on Him because He is generous and faithful to us. To pray, “give us this day our daily bread,” means to be more focused of today, this day not tomorrow because tomorrow has not yet come. Certainly, we can be too anxious of what will happen tomorrow that it will prevent us to see what is more important today. Thus, Jesus invites us to be more contented of today and to ask sustenance enough for today.

    Notice also that in this prayer, it recognizes our sinfulness and need to be forgiven. It is necessary that we become humble and ask God’s mercy because this is the way that we make ourselves open to God’s grace. When we remain arrogant and unrepentant of our sins, then we prevent God to transform us and prevent others to come into our life.

    And finally, we make ourselves aware that there is also the presence of the evil one around us. The evil one constantly tempts us to move away from God. The evil one wants us to cut our relationship from the Lord, thus from the grace of God.

    The evil will always try allure us to think that it is better not to pray and that we do not need God. The evil will seduce us to think that we can do everything in our power without the help of God and that we do no need to think of others but ourselves alone. Be careful then of these temptations.

    With all of these, we find Mary, Our Mother of Perpetual Help as our guide and best example. Mary showed us how such intimacy with the Lord makes us open and welcoming to the will of God. Mary showed us that to completely trust in the Lord is to make our heart full of love. Mary also showed us that by choosing the Lord, evil has no power over us.

    Being made aware of the consciousness behind the Lord’s Prayer and of Mary’s presence in our life and faith, we too shall grow in our relationship with God and with one another. We may become less self-centered and self-serving and rather become self-giving and life-giving as God desires us to be in our homes and communities. Kabay pa.

  • Holy Trinity-Gifted

    Holy Trinity-Gifted

    June 15, 2025 – Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061525.cfm)

    Being gifted by someone special person in life is usually for us a joyous & meaningful experience. Because as we all know, the gift-received is not only about the importance of the gift-given, but also the giver of the gift, and the thought & ways of giving us itself the gift. And so, not only the gift, but also the giving & the giver matter most in our being gifted.

    As we have considered how it is to be gifted by the Holy Spirit last Sunday, this Sunday we reflect on our being gifted by the Holy Trinity.

    Today is the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. We proclaim our faith in God as the Holy Trinity. In our faith in Christ, we believe in God who is the persons & dynamics of Father, Son & Holy Spirit. We fully trust in the God made known to us by our Lord Jesus as community of persons at work together for recreation & renewal of our lives for the better.

    And today, as always once again, we joyfully celebrate our being gifted by the Holy Trinity in our Christian faith & life.

    To appreciate our being gifted by the Holy Trinity, we must understand that the communal presence & actions of the Holy Trinity are considerably implied in the Holy Scriptures. And somehow this is articulated at its best in the word: “Behold” in the gospels.

    We remember here that “Behold” is said during the Annunciation (Mt 1:23) when it was foretold of Mary’s conceiving God’s child, during Jesus’ public ministry (Jn 1:29) when he is recognized as the Lamb of God, also on the cross (Jn 19:26-27) when Jesus endorsed Mary & the disciples to one another, and above all at the ascension when Jesus assured them of His presence forever as He commissioned His disciples to continue in with His mission (Mt 28:20).

    In all these instances in the Jesus story, especially when the word: “Behold” is said, we come to recognize the presence & dynamics of the Holy Trinity are at work on-mission (on-the-go), in tandem with one another, & in collaboration with us, believers & followers of Christ for the grace of our salvation & blessings.

    And so as our response for such a great gift, what are we to do as being gifted by Holy Trinity? Again, we consider the word “Behold” challenging us to respond to the presence & dynamics of the community of the Holy Trinity in us.

    In the gospel when he was saying on the cross: “Woman, behold your son”…”Son, behold your mother” (Jn 19:25-27)*** Jesus is more than just presenting & endorsing  Mary, his mother & the beloved disciple to one another, but rather call each other’s attention to give care to each other’s presence, and give importance to what is happening & about to happen in their lives.

    Here, we are reminded that in the scriptures, to behold signifies drawing attention to something significant, often revelations, event or divine message, to happen.

    Meaning, “Behold” in the scriptures is a “call to attention”, “a call to order” for us to recognize the significance of the present moment.  To behold then is more than just an expression of being present but more so to acknowledge the significance of the moment happening before us. The challenge for us to “Behold” is thus somehow calling us out that “There is something greater going on and better happening here. So, be aware & conscious of the great importance of the moment.”

    For us to behold then is to  be aware & be awed of the presence & dynamics of the Holy Trinity in our very lives. In other words, beholding for us Christians is to look significantly to our trinitarian God in our lives so that we may see, observe, discern & comprehend His presence & actions in our ordinary daily faith-life journey. Behold, then, for God’s salvation is upon us.

    As we continue on with our pilgrimage of faith, we pray that we may grow in great appreciation & significance of our being gifted by the Holy Trinity in our faith, as we behold God’s ever-present & dynamic blessings at work happening now in our present moment.

    With Mary, our Mother of perpetual Help, through Jesus Christ our Lord, now and always.

    Amen.

    *** We distinctively used this Gospel today since here in our parish church we are also celebrating the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, as our parish patroness here in Cebu, Philippines – which happen to come also on the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity this year.

  • Holy Spirit-GIFTED

    Holy Spirit-GIFTED

    June 8, 2025 – Pentecost Sunday

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060825-Day.cfm)

    We do know how it feels to receive gifts from someone special. Receiving a simple token of gift and/or few words of call or posts from someone special could really make our day and even help us get through the day. Because we know that behind each gift-received is not only the given-gift but also the giver of the gift, and the act of giving itself. Meaning, significant in receiving gifts is more than just what we received but also the one who gave it and how it was given  (Gift-Giver-Giving). We really appreciate then even just the simple thought and action of gift-giving from someone special in our life. Such gift-receiving given by someone special could surely promises us inspiration, love and faith in our day to day life.

    During these coming three Sundays we will come to appreciate and value the Gifts of the Risen Lord to us His disciples. Today, the gift of the Holy Spirit, next Sunday is the gift of the Most Holy Trinity, and the Sunday after next is the gift of the His Body and Blood. These are His special gifts to us to live through and inheritances for us to persevere with our faith-life journey in our day to day lives as we are being sent to be His witnesses to the world.

    In the gospels, we hear our risen Lord Jesus saying: “Receive the Holy Spirit”. Church tradition has it that fifty days after His resurrection (ten day after His ascension), on the day of Pentecost, His disciples received the promised gift of Holy Spirit to the church, and inspired them to speak in different languages to proclaim the Good News of God’s salvation. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, faithful people from different cultures then and until now are able to speak, hear and understand each other’s faith through our very own native tongues. Because of such experience, today marks the birthday of the Church – the day of birth, the day when the church becomes alive.

    The gift of the Holy Spirit is thus very essential in the life of the Church. Like a soul to a body, the church is dead without the movements of the spirit, as well as the spirit cannot inspire our faith-life without the church. We, the church needs the Holy Spirit to live & prosper as well as the Holy Spirit needs our Church to offer the world salvation, meaning and direction in life, through us.

    As we celebrate today Pentecost Sunday, the day when Lord has given us His gift of Holy Spirit & the birthday of our Church, we are invited as well to ponder on the meaning of the Lord’s offer and gift of Holy Spirit into our lives now. In other words, what does it mean for us in this day & age to receive & live with His Holy Spirit?

    Receiving the Holy Spirit, first of all, is to be IN the Spirit of Jesus, for through the Holy Spirit we acquire the Lord’s inspiration and we are now In the God’s mind. In the Holy Spirit, we are also motivated by the Lord – mindful and inspired (i.e. In-spirit) to believe and follow Him in our lives today. Blessed are we then for through the Holy Spirit, we are one in His Spirit, and His Spirit is one in us. Sa DIWA, tayo ay nasa kanya at Siya ay nasa atin. Diha sa diwa, kita Iya, ug ato Siya.

    Receiving the Holy Spirit is also to be WITH the Spirit of Jesus for through the Holy Spirit we enjoy the Lord’s love and we are now in the God’s heart. With Holy Spirit, we come to know love and to be in love, for He loves us in our lives. Beloved are we then for through the Holy Spirit, we are one in His Heart. Sa PUSO, tayo ay Kanyang kasama at siya ay kasama atin. Sa kasingkasing, kita Iyang Kauban, ug ato Siyang kauban.

    Receiving the Holy Spirit is to be FOR the Spirit of Jesus too, for through the Holy Spirit we partake in the Lord’s mission, and we are now in the God’s will and way. For the Holy Spirit, we come to be steadfast and faithful in our missions in life, for He appointed and sent us to be His witnesses in the world. Encouraged are we then for through the Holy Spirit, we are one in His Will. Sa KALOOBAN, tayo ay para kanya at siya ay para atin. Sa Kinaiya, kita alang Niya ug Siya alang nato.

    Like receiving a gift from special someone, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit offers us then inspiration, love and faith in our daily lives. Blessed, Beloved and Encouraged are we then to receive the Holy Spirit – as our Advocate whom Jesus of told us in the gospel “the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you”, for through the Holy Spirit, we are in one Spirit, Heart and Will of the Lord. Kaisa sa Diwa, Puso at Kalooban ng Panginoon. Usa sa diwa, kasingkasing ug kinaiya sa atong Ginoo.

    Our liturgy today reminds us that we are Holy Spirit-gifted, i.e. the Lord has already given and offered, as well as, will continually give and offer us His gift of Holy Spirit. The challenge for us now is to invite & receive the Holy Spirit into our daily lives these days. Same as way as Easter season calls us to invite the risen Lord to “Come and Stay with us” (Road to Emmaus), Pentecost challenges us to Invite and Be a Host to the Holy Spirit in our daily ordinary lives, and allow the Holy Spirit to bless, love and encourage us and in effect, Recreate, Renew and Recharge our lives always.

    As people of Lord’s resurrection and of the Holy Spirit, we now invoke and invite the Holy Spirit into our lives as we pray:

    Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth your spirit and we shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. Amen.

  • I pray for you   

    I pray for you   

    June 3, 2025 – Tuesday of the 7th Week of Easter

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060325.cfm)

    “Please pray for me. Please include my loved one in your prayers.” Most likely, we often hear such request from our friends or people we know. Praying for others is also our life as Christians. It is such a comfort that we are being remembered in the thoughts and prayers of others.

    This is true in occasions when we celebrate special moments of our life. When we are sick, leave home for studies or work, take challenging endeavors (such as taking board exams), we ask for prayers. When we too struggle with our problems and concerns, or starting a new chapter of our life, we ask the people we know to pray for us. We ask for the grace of strength and wisdom, courage and faith.

    In today’s Gospel, we have been reminded of the intimacy Jesus shared with his Father. This is shown on how Jesus prayed to the Father in heaven. Jesus expressed his confidence and at the same time the unity he has with the Father. What Jesus has is also of the Father’s. The glory of Jesus is also the glory of the Father. The suffering and pain of Jesus at his passion and even death is also shared by the Father.

    All of these have been revealed to Jesus’ friends who were also so dear to the Father. Jesus treasures this friendship. “I pray for them,” were the words of Jesus as his assurance to his friends of his abiding presence.

    As a friend, Jesus manifests his concern by expressing his desire to pray for them. Jesus is about to leave physically in the world. Yet, it does not mean that Jesus will abandon this friends.

    Jesus prays for his friends. Jesus prays for us. This means that Jesus remembers us, his friends in his thoughts. Being in the thought of Jesus also means that Jesus makes his person ever present in the life of his friends. It is a promise of faithfulness and of constant presence of God.

    Today, Jesus reminds us too, that he prays for us and with us. We can say this confidently, “Jesus prays with me because he remembers me and he is with me.”

    Being remembered by Jesus in his prayers, let us make an effort too, to pray for others today. Pray for your friends. Pray for your family members. Pray for those who really need our prayers.

    Prayer makes us more conscious of others as we become one with them in their hopes, joys and suffering. In prayer, we also become more present with God as we grow in our confidence and faith in Him who has called us and loved us. Hinaut pa.

  • Grace and Freedom in Letting Go

    Grace and Freedom in Letting Go

    May 29, 2025 – Thursday of the 6th Week of Easter

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052925-thursday.cfm)

    When a thing or a person becomes important, essential and vital in our life, we also find it hard to let go of it when time calls us to. Moreover, there are also cases when a thing or a person, or an experience, though not so important and vital in our daily existence, that it becomes inseparable from us. Thus, when it becomes so attached to us emotionally, we find it so difficult to let go.

    When I was already about 6 years old, I still carried my baby bottle with me with milk, coffee, water or soda in it. Once, I brought it with me at school during my Kindergarten and my older sister found it out. The next day as I searched for my it in its usual place, I couldn’t find it. The baby bottle was gone. My sister threw it away. That was so cruel!

    I was so mad and cried hard for throwing that away. Perhaps, I thought the world was about to end at that time for losing my “dear baby bottle.” The day after that was just okay without it. The next day was fine too. The next days also seemed to be okay.

    Now, I realized, I must have been so attached to it that letting go of was surely difficult. In one way or another, others may find it challenging also those that have become so attached to them. These include not just material things. They also encompass our dreams and aspirations in life. Additionally, they include relationships and even our memories.

    Letting go is difficult. This is especially true with those we love deeply. We find it challenging due to emotional attachment. Our tendency is to keep those closer to us because we do not like them to leave from us. As a result, when we are confronted with the reality of loss, then, we experience pain. It breaks our heart. We become anxious and fearful.

    We may refuse to let go as a response. In the process, we become controlling and suffocating. We might manipulate those people we do not want to let go. We could become paranoid and obsessed. This happens because we linger and attach ourselves to a painful memory. We might also cling to a material thing, a desire, or a person.

    How are we invited now with this reality in life?

    Going into the process of letting go and the letting go itself is what makes life wonderful. It is in letting go that we actually find more life and express life, to find love and express love. This manifests grace and freedom in us.

    This is what Jesus asked from his disciples. The disciples who thought that they have lost Jesus when he was crucified rejoiced at his resurrection. When Jesus told them that soon, he will no longer be with them, they became anxious. He would go back to his father, and the disciples felt fearful. They wanted to keep Jesus closer to them. They believed that they were more confident if Jesus was nearby. They were not willing to let him go.

    However, this is not what God wants. Jesus had to leave to join his Father in heaven. He needed to become fully one with his Father. It will only be in this way that Jesus will be able to bring us closer to the Father. With the Father, Jesus opens a way for us to the heart of the Father. By this also, Jesus becomes ever closer to each one of us. Jesus becomes closer than what we can imagine because Jesus will be in our hearts and minds.

    Hence, the words of Jesus to his disciples, “A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me,” mean that Jesus becomes ever present in each of us.

    In this process of letting go of the Lord, then, the disciples also allowed God to work in them. This was how the early Church found grace and freedom in letting go.

    Today, we are also asked to let go whatever hinders us to encounter the Lord. We may ask ourselves, “What is it that I continue to linger? What is that attachment that I find difficult to let go for me to grow?”

    As we learn to let go, may we be filled with grace and freedom. Hinaut pa.