Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: AUTHORS

  • Being WITH our LORD

    Being WITH our LORD

    August 14, 2022 – 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081422.cfm)

    “The Lord be with you” and we normally nowadays reply: “And also with your spirit”, – where decades ago we used to reply: “And also with you.” As Christians, we usually use these words of greetings as our recognition & faith of God’s presence in our midst & in one another.

    A priest once celebrated Eucharist in his own parish church. As he was about to greet these words to the people, he was not able to broadcast, because there is something wrong with the microphone’s connections. While tapping its cord, he eventually regains contact. But unfortunately, instead of the usual “the Lord be with you”, he loudly broadcasts to the people: “There is something wrong with the microphone”. And the people reply: “And also with your spirit”.

    Funny story it might be, but it is also telling us something – that sometimes we need to hear the words differently for us to fully appreciate and understand its meanings. This is what Jesus is also doing when he said the disturbing message in our gospel today, “I have come to set the earth on fire and I wish it were already blazing; I have come not to establish peace but division.” For the apostles and to us to fully understand  the value and consequences of discipleship – of following Him, Jesus has to present us the Good News differently  – somewhat off and disturbing so that we may fathom the height, width and depth of its meaning.

    Like “The Lord be with you. And also with you” greeting.  Surely we are familiar with those words. But come to think of it, though mistakenly said, but somehow it is not totally false that we may also say that there is something wrong with us & with our spirit. Yes, in almost all liturgies and prayers we celebrate, we hear and speak those words. But what does it really mean?

    First, It’s a great Honor and Privilege. We should feel then happy and great that the Lord is here with you and I, with us. Remember the first and primary good news of peace, love and hope ever preached are those words: “the Lord is with You”. But do we really feel great and honored hearing and speaking those words? Are we excited to hear and proclaim it? Or upon hearing and saying those words, we only say: “OK lang”, like “Ya, sounds familiar – We have heard it before, so what’s the fuss?” Like youngsters nowadays might say: “the Lord be with you? OK, fine, whatever”.

    Second, It’s personal and intimate. The Lord is WITH YOU. He is with you near – up close and personal. But do you really want Him to be nearby and near with you — OR would rather have Him far and away from you, who comes in handy when needed only? Would you rather Him as your buddy companion KASAMA, OR your usual “suking” gasoline station, handy only when empty & needed?

    Third, It’s communal. He is not only with You but with all of Us. He dwells amongst us, and lives and stays with Us. He is with and in each and everyone of us, good and bad alike. But do we want Him to be with others & respect His presence with other than ourselves -OR do we prefer that he is exclusively  with you and your family or group but not with the outcasts and rejected or your competitors or enemies?

    Fourth, It’s a Great Task and Responsibility. To welcome Him into our lives demands responsibility and total dedication. Meaning to accept, recognize and believe in the Good News that “the Lord is with you” is to be converted – to completely change your own ways and style of life and be patterned into His own faith and life. This is the cost of welcoming and following Jesus into our lives. Christian Discipleship would cost us a lot, for life will be different & never be the same again. Once you recognize & welcome Him to be with You, you cannot but change your ways & lifestyle. Perhaps that’s the reason why sometimes we don’t take those words: “the Lord be with you” seriously for we know that if we do so, there will division, tensions, disharmony and conflict within ourselves and with others, for all the changes it entails following Jesus demands of us.

    For those who have seen the movie Spiderman 1, its simple message is “Great power comes with great responsibility”. In the same way, to believe in Jesus Christ – The Lord with Us, to follow Him is a Great personal and communal Power, Honor and Privilege but also comes with Great Responsibility. Somehow this is what Jesus is trying to say to us when he said: “I have come to set fire on earth, and how I wish it where already blazing.”

    Indeed, there might be at times something wrong with us in life & spirit; both as the announcer/proclaimer (priest broadcasting: there is something wrong…) & listeners/receivers (people responding: and with your spirit)  of the message. But the good news and message remain always the same: EMMANUEL – the Lord with us… was with us, is with us and will always be with us – whatever, however, whoever & whenever we might be.

    We pray then that we Christians may remain be shaken & disturbed by the deeper meaning of Lord’s gospel, so that we may be more Jesus-like in being passionately responsible for the Good News of Emmanuel- God being with us. Amen.

  • Attentive To God’s Presence

    Attentive To God’s Presence

    August 7, 2020 – 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080722.cfm)

    Who among you here have dogs at home? Are you also aware on how your dogs would react whenever you come home? Once the dogs are left at home they can be anxious without the presence of their humans. Yet, dogs display patience and attention to wait for their humans to return home. Their attentiveness allows them to be more conscious of their surroundings. And when our dogs would sense our coming and smell our presence even at a distance, they begin to get excited. Dogs would wiggle their tails as a sign of excitement. And when they finally see us, they would make terrible sounds as their expression of joy, or lick us, jump on us and run around us. This shows us how our dogs can be intimately connected with us. Moreover, the attentiveness of our dogs to our presence has something to teach us on this 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

    The first reading from the Book of Wisdom tells us how the people patiently waited and hoped for the coming of the Lord. They had been suffering for many years from the Egyptians. Their children were massacred, properties confiscated, and they were made slaves until their death.

    We could imagine their fears and anxieties, as well as the feeling of being abandoned by God. But through the presence of Moses, the people realized God’s presence among them. God’s promise was to be fulfilled after all. As a result, we were told how the people prepared themselves for the Lord’s coming who shall free them from that suffering. As a community, they became more attentive to God’s presence.

    In the same way, the second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews allows us to recall the attitude of our grandfathers in the faith particularly of Abraham. Abraham was indeed a man who put his trust and faith completely to God. Abraham left the comfort of his family and friends, to journey to a land that God promised to him.

    Certainly, Abraham also felt anxiety and insecurity as he journeyed with God especially when God gave him Isaac and later demanded that Abraham should sacrifice his son. That was Abraham’s most vulnerable moment in his life. Yet, he realized too that everything he had were all from God. With that, he was grateful to God. That gratitude made his faith even stronger, despite the pain of sacrificing his son. Indeed, he allowed God to surprise him and to unfold God’s plan by completely trusting the wisdom of God.

    The surprise was to receive Isaac back and to become our father in faith today. His close relationship with God allowed him to go beyond his fears and anxieties by making him more attentive to God’s presence and invitations.

    This is what Jesus taught to his disciples in today’s Gospel of Luke. Jesus reminds us to grow in our attentiveness of his presence. The parable in the Gospel is an affirmation to a person who consciously makes himself/herself familiar to God’s presence. It is when we are attuned to God’s presence that we also become aware of the presence of other people around us. As a result, this makes our faith active and alive by being able to give life.

    However, the parable is also a warning to those who have become mediocre, complacent and procrastinator. These are attitudes of a person who is not attentive to God’s presence and has taken advantage the gifts given by the Lord. Therefore, the person is only concerned of himself/herself. This person would become the most insecure, most anxious and at the same time can also be the most vicious and abusive to others.

    Hence, a mediocre or complacent person is only contented in doing things below his/her potentials. It means that we do not really give the best in us but we settle to what is only lesser and comfortable for us.

    Thus, when we become so caught up with our comforts but then we refuse to go beyond by giving ourselves for others, when we refuse to let go of our grudges and hatred, and when we refuse to actively oppose the evils and unjust systems in the community, then, we have surely grown to become mediocre and complacent. We do not want to be challenged because we do not what to make a stand. We do not want to go beyond from ourselves and to give our full potentials for God and for others. We only give what is small and minimal. However, this is a life that refuses to recognize God’s presence and invitations.

    Moreover, a person who procrastinates loves to delay things like in making decisions and actions. This person does not see the need to respond because he/she is caught up with his/her own mood. Consequently, when we procrastinate in our faith, we feel bored, we feel empty, and we feel lifeless and so we see no reason at all to become life-giving.

    What is common with these attitudes is the fear to take risks. Remember, trusting God and believing in Him requires risks. Faith is to take risks as what the Hebrew people showed in waiting for God to free them and for Abraham to journey outside his comforts and in sacrificing Isaac. Yet, it is in taking risks that God makes wonders through us and in us. It is in taking risks that we grow in our consciousness of God’ presence in our life. And it is also in taking risks that we grow deeper in our relationships.

    Our dogs who patiently await for our coming every time we leave home, put their trust on us and so have taken the risk to trust us in providing them an emotional assurance. Hopefully, we too in our journey with God will grow in our attentiveness to God’s presence by taking the risk in believing in him and trusting God’s wisdom by avoiding from our tendency to become mediocre, complacent and procrastinator in our Christian faith. Kabay pa.

  • OUR LIFE TO-BE

    OUR LIFE TO-BE

    August 7, 2022 – 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080722.cfm)

    Once in a dream, a rich man found himself at the heaven’s door and welcomed with VIP treatment by two nice angels. As he was about to be brought to his house in heaven, he was fetched by a long white limousine with all the amenities, and was driven through a high-class subdivision. Along the way, he saw that his once-poor squatter neighbors are now living in big nice houses in heaven. Like, his laundry woman resides in a nice cozy house, his gardener has a big lawn, his former driver lives on a bungalow, and his maid now lives on a condominium. Thinking these poor neighbors have made well in heaven, he also thought that his home in heaven would be a big mansion, since he has been their master and better off than them.

    As they arrived, they stopped in front of a very big nice mansion.  The rich man, however was led thru the mansion’s side gate, and eventually into cardboard box shanty at the back of the big mansion. The angels then said: “Welcome to your home in heaven”. He was so disappointed and disgusted to a point that he yelled at them, “What? A cardboard box shanty? I don’t deserve this.” The angels replied, “Sorry, Sir, this shanty is only what we can prepare for you from the materials and contributions you have sent here”.

    Deep inside, yes, we do long to be reunited with God. We hope, and it is our heart’s desire that one day we will be one and at home with our Heavenly Father sharing with Him eternal life in our heavenly home. But while we are still here in this earthly life, like that rich man and that foolish maidservant in our gospel, it is easy for us to enjoy and be contented – or be more anxious and occupied with life here and now that we tend to forget what we really hope and long for in life.

    Because of our life-concerns in the here and now, it is easy for us to be more confident only with ourselves, forgetting God, even acting like-God, doesn’t anymore care of others except oneself, and fully enjoying the pleasures of earthly life. Meaning, we become more concern and greedy in amassing earthly treasures that we don’t anymore recognize and value heavenly treasures. 

    Here in our gospel today, Jesus reminds us of what really matters to God and the true treasures in life, and that is our life to be with Him – our everlasting life with Him in God’s Kingdom. He challenges us to “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven”, that is, to seek and strive for the true treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” This would mean that, rather than amassing earthly treasures in life, we must value and be concerned in preparation about our heavenly treasures in the here and now.

    For Jesus, our life now and our life to-be is not about building up our status and wealth in life, but it is about building up our faith relationship with God. Like the faith of Abraham and Sarah, our faith in God, our faith-relationship with God is our true treasures – our true heart’s desire. Such faith in Him will surely bring us into our salvation, into our heavenly home, for God loves to share His graces to all, especially those who have faith in Him.

    As we are still living on this life while hoping for eternal life, our nearest experiences of heaven here on earth are moments when we love and serve those who are in need, and when we trustingly fulfill what God entrusted and required of us in life. For he said, “much will be required of the person entrusted with much and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more”. Yes, God gives each of us a required-task to fulfill, an entrusted-mission to accomplish in life. And doing our part in fulfilling our life-tasks and life missions here and now, with love and service of others is our contribution in building up our home and treasures in heaven.

    We are called Christians because of our faith in Jesus Christ. We are Christians with faith in Jesus Christ, not only because we recognize and believe in Him, but also because we long and hope for the fulfillment of His message and promise of God’s Salvation into our lives. And as we long for the true treasures in life – our heavenly home, let us be vigilant and prepare for the fulfillment of His promise and learn how to build up, nurture and share our faith and blessings with others.

    As pandemic times compel us nowadays to think about the meaning & value of life, may we never separated from what is most important and valuable in life – our faith in God, and may we never be wearied in accomplishing our missions in life – building up our home with God. Amen.

  • TO GUARD AGAINST ALL GREED

    TO GUARD AGAINST ALL GREED

    July 31, 2022 – 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time  

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/073122.cfm)

    According to the recent study of OXFAM International, an independent non-governmental organizations, a new billionaire is created during this pandemic in a span of 30 hours only.[1]  There are at least new 573 people who have just become billionaires because of this pandemic. Wow! This sounds so promising and encouraging, isn’t it? However, behind these a few hundred billionaires, OXFAM also said that because of this, there is an expected 263 million people who will crash into extreme poverty, at a rate of 1 million people in every 33 hours[2] because of Covid-19, of rising global inequality and the shock of food prices supercharges by the war in Ukraine.[3] As a result, it is projected that the number of undernourished people in the world could reach to 827 million this year, 2022.[4]

    The world, indeed, has so much wealth and resources even during this pandemic for all of us but then, it seems that only few are possessing and benefitting them in an extravagant and outrageous way. This shows how inequality in our society greatly bring suffering to many and of the vanity that the few elite group enjoy.

    To possess material wealth is, in fact, not in itself evil. Material wealth is God’s gift to us. However, material wealth becomes a problem if we would allow this to possess us. We might believe that to possess so much wealth will give us security and joy. Nevertheless, this is not the case because the more we possess things, the more we also become insecure and anxious. Just observe ourselves. The more a person possesses wealth, the more the person also becomes defensive. High walls are built to protect a rich house, sometimes with electric current running 24/7 on barb wires and with a 24-hour security personnel and CCTV all around the property. And when the person becomes unaware of his/her unquenchable desire to possess more, then the heart turns greedy and insecure, and even corrupt and oppressive.

    Our readings this Sunday have something to tell us about this. The Lord invites us to examine our attitudes towards our material wealth, the resources that we have gained and received, the riches that we possessed vis-à-vis the relationship we have with one another.

    Thus, even though we may not be part of the group of billionaires in the world, but then, the possessions that we have may could also possess us. These may prevent us from being grateful to the source of blessings and generous to those who are in need. Let us explore then, our readings and see how God unfolds his invitations for us today.

    The author of the Book of Ecclesiastes tells us that what we possess now and our worldly achievements could not really guarantee satisfaction to our inner desires. Qohelet says, “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” Indeed, everything will be in vain when we become too focused on material possessions and when our heart becomes materialistic. With this attitude, we will lose the essential things in life and that include our relationships.

    This is the reason why Jesus warns us of our tendency to be greedy. Greed comes from a heart that believes in self-satisfaction and that desires total independence from God. But then, material things could never quench our greatest desire to be satisfied and fulfilled. Thus, a person will tend to accumulate more and possess more even at the expense of others.

    Hence, the very situation of the man in the Gospel would remind us of a common dispute among siblings even today. Families are being divided and wounds of hatred and resentment would overwhelm them because of wealth or properties left behind by their parents. Sometimes this hatred and resentment would even reach the courts, in legal disputes over inheritance claims and even up to violence and killings among family members.

    This is how the cycle of corruption and oppression happens. When our desire becomes unsatisfiable, we become greedy of many things, who will tend to collect as many material things and wealth us much as possible.

    Well, such attitude will not just appear in our heart out of nowhere. Sometimes, this has something also to do with our childhood memories. A child who has been deprived from many things particularly of essential things in the child’s development such us food, shelter, toys and clothing and even affection and love from parents may become a form of emptiness in the heart of a child. When the child becomes adult, that kind of experience could give the person the anxiety to be deprived again. Hence, in order to gratify such anxiety the person could become a hoarder who accumulate things and possessions.

    When this happens too, a hoarder or a greedy person is blinded to see the needs of others. It will be difficult for the person to open up and be generous to those who are in need around him or her because the person feels insecure every time he or she gives.  The person would only look at his/herself and never to others. This is an attitude of the heart that is truly being possessed by possessions.

    Thus, Jesus said, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Jesus tells us that our life is more than our possessions. Consequently, St. Paul in the second reading calls us “to put to death parts of us that are earthly.” These are attitudes that are driven by greed.

    Be mindful, then, of our possessive attitudes because these may affect and endanger our relationships with our families, friends and colleagues.

    We may ask, what is it that possessed me? What are those that kept me from being free? We do not have to think of millions of pesos because even a single smartphone may possess us. Remember, when we put so much focus and attention to a material thing, it could make us indifferent, ungenerous and unkind towards others. Our attachment to a single smartphone may indeed, prevent us from giving more time, attention and focus towards our studies (for the students), or may prevent us from giving our affection and presence to our loved ones. Or, our obsession and anxiety to succeed in our careers or business may also prevent us from spending quality time and presence with our loved ones, with your children or spouse to the point that you have no more time for them.

    We believe that what gives us true satisfaction, freedom, joy and contentment is a life with God. Jesus calls today to have a life with Him and to slowly let go of whatever that possessed us because this is the way of making ourselves free for Jesus and free for others. Then, by being free for Jesus, we shall be able to let ourselves be satisfied truly by the Lord himself. In response, our self-satisfaction from the Lord will lead us to recognize that everything we have is God’s blessing that must be joyfully and generously shared to others. Kabay pa.

    [1] https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/pandemic-creates-new-billionaire-every-30-hours-now-million-people-could-fall

    [2] Ibid.

    [3] https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/terrifying-prospect-over-quarter-billion-more-people-crashing-extreme-levels-poverty

    [4] https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/terrifying-prospect-over-quarter-billion-more-people-crashing-extreme-levels-poverty

  • Shareware

    Shareware

    July 31, 2022 – 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/073122.cfm)

    Somehow, we may discern about two types of leaders and leaderships nowadays: the go-getting and go-giving leadership, or the go-getters and the go-giving leaders. Both share the same passion, but differ in motivations.

    Go-getters are leaders who aspire, work, and strive on things in order to GET – that is, to acquire, accumulate, possess, own, and have things only for themselves; while go-givers are leaders who aspire, work and strive on things in order to GIVE and to share things with others. The big differences here are the motivation, objective, and beneficiaries of leadership. Go-getting leadership is motivated by GREED while Go-giving leadership is motivated by SERVICE. Go-getters are more concerned of themselves, and aiming for hoarding power and wealth, while go-givers are more concerned with others, aiming for sharing power and wealth.  Go-getting promote individualism, selfishness, self-centeredness, consumerism, materialism, and greed, while go-giving promote community, other-centeredness, selflessness, inter-relationship and service. In other words. Go-getters do everything to get what they want, while go-givers do everything to share what they have.

    Our modern high-tech western world today has obviously promoted go-getter leaders. In our schools, government, workplace, business, media world and even in our church, go-getters have been recognized and praised. People nowadays prefer go-getter leaders, who have a lot of everything – money, influence, power, connections, latest gadgets, and cars. We can sense go-getters mentality in the air. Slogans like: “obey your thirst”, “why settle for less”, “satisfy your cravings”, “be an addict”, “go for the best”, “be a millionaire” are just few of its catchwords.  Go-getters are clearly personified by “Gollum”, a character in the Lord of the Rings. He does everything for His precious, even to the point of murder, betrayal, and deception. All his life was directed toward getting back the ring, his precious. 

    Although the go-getter mentality is the promoted in-thing craze nowadays, we cannot deny that we, Filipino by our culture are go-givers. It is our nature to do anything in order to share what we have. Everything that we have is not only for own selves, but for others to share.

    It is only here in the Philippines that have the concept of bring house. We do not only attend parties but we also extend it to others who are not able to attend by bringing them some food – to make them part of the party. It is only here in the Philippines that have the concept of PasaLoad, or Share a Load. Imagine, sharing your telephone bills with others. Same way with Balikbayan box. Until now, foreigners have a hard time understanding Filipinos saving and sending goods to Philippines where you could now get anywhere. For we know that those goodies are not for themselves but for others to share – for lolo, lola, igsoon, utod, barkada, neighbors and others. Best example for this is the “eat-all-you-can” spree in restaurants. Although tempting and reasonable, it did not work well because of its “no sharing, no left-overs, no bring house” policy. Yes, Filipinos like to eat, but we like to eat with others. It’s not the food but the fellowship, agape, salusalo, punsyon in eating, whatever the food there is, that matters most.

    Jesus in our gospel today openly criticized go-getter leadership and mentality in the world.  He reminds us that life and God’s grace are meant to be shared with others and not to be hoarded for oneself. Go-getter, amassing power, and wealth for oneself are all meaningless – vanity of vanities, does not bring lasting happiness in life.

    For Jesus, what God has given us is not only for ourselves but for us to share with others. God’s graces are Shareware, not private property, intended not for your own reign but God’s reign.

    While our world today advocates Go-getting leadership, as Filipino Christians, we must be Go-giving & Go-givers in life and in God’s kingdom. Remember as the Lord once said: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. And store up for yourself treasures in heaven.”

    Let us then seek what is essential and righteous before God, and go-give & share with others for that gives us life, happiness and meaning. Amen