Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Christmas Season

  • God making himself known to us

    God making himself known to us

    January 5, 2020 – The Epiphany of the Lord

    Click here for the readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010520.cfm

    Homily shared by Fr. Mar Masangcay, CSsR – a Redemptorist Missionary based in South Korea.

    Once a woman asked me to bless her Rosary beads. After blessing it, I said, “Surely, this rosary must be very precious & now would be a good companion to your prayers.” She replied, “Yes, father, this is very dear to me. My daughter gave me this from her recent pilgrimage in Rome. But, I will not to bring it with me, for it might be misplaced or lost. So, I will put this Rosary on my altar at home, like my other valuable rosaries. It would be much safer if I keep it there. Anyway I rarely use and pray the rosary.”

    As we are starting a New Year, this would be the time for us to review the gifts we received during the Christmas season, and to sort out those gifts we happily received, from the gifts that are of no great value to us. Usually in doing this, we give importance to the gifts that are pleasing and less demanding. Then, we put aside gifts, which are important but not-so-urgently needed, time consuming and demanding. It is like receiving a rosary. We know that praying the rosary is important to our Christian faith and life. But because having a rosary beads demand us to set a time to pray the Holy Rosary, sometimes it would be easy to use the beads, as decoration on our altar rather than as a means for prayer – an aid to encounter the Lord. Yes, using the beads as altar decoration is a valid expression of faith but surely, it would diminish the very value and purpose of Rosary beads, which is to lead us into prayer.

    Today, we celebrate the feast of Epiphany. This is our celebration to honor God’s loving act of reaching out to us (God making himself known to us) and our acceptance of Jesus, as God’s self-revelation. We, Christians believe that God has given us His only Son, Jesus Christ, as His first and best gift to us for our salvation. By sharing us His Sons, we become related to God and become His adopted sons and daughters, and sharers of His divine life. Indeed, Jesus is God’s greatest gift to us. 

    However, like the rosary beads, as God’s gift, Jesus is given to us with a purpose, that is to bring us closer to God. Accepting Jesus in not only accepting him as a valuable gift which we can put aside and decorate, but letting us also be influenced by the grace Jesus can offer and become His responsible witnesses. To accept Jesus, as God’s gift to us, is also to accept with total commitment the responsibility of continuing His mission, which is to present and bring all closer to the Father. Like the three kings in our Gospel, we are called to wholeheartedly accept Jesus, and become responsible witnesses of God’s love. This would mean to let our lives be changed and renewed by the presence of Jesus, and to share and make Jesus and His mission known to the whole humanity.

    Here in our gospel today, we are reminded us of what happened when the three kings found the child Jesus lying in the manger in Bethlehem. Guided by the star, in great joy, they saw the child Jesus and they did him homage. Their encounter of Jesus and the Holy Family in Bethlehem brought the three kings great joy for they have finally found what they are searching for. With this, they offered their gifts in homage and thanksgiving to God’s greatest gift to all.

    But let us not forget that after they have experienced and witnessed Jesus, the Son of God, they returned by a different way. This is not because they were afraid of Herod, but their encounter with Jesus has also changed their lives. Because of their experience with the baby Jesus, their lives were never the same again. They did not follow the usual path, but they now tread a different way, perspective, and attitude to life. Like our experience with a newly born baby, after they have recognized God in the child Jesus, the lives of the three kings were never the same again. The child Jesus brought them great joy as well as great changes in their way of life. 

    In the same way, the moment we recognize and accept the Lord, life will never be the same again. As we receive and welcome Jesus into our lives now, may we be responsible beneficiaries of God’s gift of revelation as well as sharers and witnesses of God’s offer of salvation to the whole world. Amen.

  • Following ones dream

    Following ones dream

    January 5, 2020 – Epiphany of the Lord

    Click here for the readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010520.cfm

    Homily

    What is it that drives you most?

    Or are you looking for someone who will make you happy, or looking for something that we will give contentment in your life?  

    Are you in search for someone who will fill your emptiness and sadness or of something that will give you the success that you have been dreaming of?

    Somehow, each of us is looking or searching for something that will truly make us joyful, peaceful and fulfilling. We aspire for that and hope for it. Thus, we take risks to achieve our dreams and hopes. These risks include venturing in other places, investing our time and energy, developing and forming new relationships. And we know that in every venture, trials and difficulties are also present.

    With this in mind, this brought me to what we celebrate today which is the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord or the manifestation of the Lord Jesus. This solemnity tells us also of the story of the three magi or wise men who have been in search of the shining star. These three men who were probably, astrologers, had the same goal. They have been following and searching for this mysterious star that had appeared in heaven. The star that they had seen could have been their dream too. 

    Indeed, that star filled them with dreams and hopes. They followed it from where they came from. They took the risk of journeying into unknown territories to find that something that will truly satisfy their thirst of knowledge or hunger for wisdom. True enough, the three men found the best gift in their life and found the fulfilment and joy that they have been looking for. In their search, they have found and encountered the Lord who manifested Himself to them. 

    Little did they know, it was the Lord who invited them. It was through that star that the three were invited by the Lord. And because they were open to God’s revelation, the three were led to the family of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Behold, through the baby Jesus, they have seen the face of God.

    On this feast of the Epiphany the focus is not really the three kings, the main character here, is the baby boy Jesus. God reveals himself as a vulnerable baby, a powerless little boy in the arms of Mary and Joseph. It is very interesting to remember this. The three magi did not find the little King in the home of the royalties or powerful politicians; not even with the rich merchants and businessmen or with an influential family. The little king was with an insignificant mother and father from the almost unknown town of Nazareth.

    This image of the baby made the powerful and corrupt king Herod to be troubled. Thus, king Herod got afraid upon hearing the birth of a new king. He was threatened not by a powerful army or civil insurgency or a possible assassination but by a small and vulnerable baby.

    This tells us that God manifests Himself in a humble way, in the most vulnerable way of being a baby, born in a family. This tells us too that strength is not with the powerful and rich, it is with those who are weak. Greatness is not with the popular, influential and corrupt but with the humble and poor.

    This is God’s invitation for us this Sunday – to seek the Lord always who shall give us the true joy and contentment in life, who shall fill and satisfy our hunger and thirst for love, for healing, for peace.

    Let us be discerning then. Discernment made the three men, wise. They discerned well and became committed to follow the star, to follow the Lord. Discern to follow the Lord by being open to his invitations and revelations. But let us remember, God reveals Himself in places where we do not expect Him to be. God makes himself more known with the weak and the powerless, with the insignificant and the poor.

    Like the three wise men, let us also offer the Lord our gifts as symbols of our love and devotion to Him. The three men offered him gold because He is King, frankincense because He is a Priest, and myrrh because He is a prophet. Let us offer the Lord our willingness to serve others that does not ask anything for a return, with our sacrifice that does not seek any payment or make complaints, and with our commitment to live an honest and compassionate Christian life that does not discriminate the weak and the poor, that does not condemn the sinners but to be merciful, upholds what is true and just and is not afraid to stand up against the bully, the corrupt and unjust powerful figures like Herod.

    Hopefully, by seeking the Lord who is everything in our life, we too shall grow in our faith and commitment as Christians today, humble and honest, wise and discerning of God’s marvellous manifestations in us. Hinuat pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Allowing the Lord to look at us intimately

    Allowing the Lord to look at us intimately

    January 4, 2020 – Saturday before Epiphany

    Click here for the readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010420.cfm

    Homily

    Jesus began to call his first disciples. The first two of them were John (the beloved) and Andrew who later introduced his brother Simon to Jesus. Simon has been called by Jesus as Cephas or Peter, which means the rock.

    John and Andrew were disciples of John the Baptist. Hence, because of John, the two have been hearing about John’s prophecy of the Messiah who is to come. They have actually been waiting for him to arrive.  Perhaps, when they finally met Jesus, they too were astonished at the appearance of Jesus. They were surprised not because of the grandiosity of Jesus but because of his simplicity. Jesus was just an ordinary Jew, dressed in an ordinary way as common people did at that time. His physical feature was not that astounding, like a “model or artista,” no! However, there was something in Jesus that they have deeply felt.

    Jesus was a man who when he looks at you, you will be captivated by him. Yes, when Jesus looked at them, he did not just look at them in the eyes but through their heart too. When Jesus looks, it is nothing casual because he looks at us with love and concern.

    This experience of the two led them to see and recognize the Messiah! And this prompted them to follow Jesus. 

    Each of us also is invited to look at Jesus, look at his eyes, and also allow the Lord to look at us so that we may see how he loves us so much. The look of Jesus is neither condemning nor terrifying because of the sins we have committed. Jesus’ look will always be loving and merciful, inviting us to come closer to him. Thus, let Jesus look at us intimately today.

    When we are able to do that, surely Jesus will also say to us, “Come!” –that is to follow the Lord in the way we live our lives and perform our duties as parents, as children, as students, as professionals, as workers and as person. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Bringing others to Jesus through us

    Bringing others to Jesus through us

    January 3, 2020 – Friday before Epiphany – Memorial of the Most Holy name of Jesus

    Click here for the readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010320.cfm

    Homily

    At first, John the Baptist was not actually aware that it was his cousin Jesus who was the Messiah. Before the appearance of Jesus to the public, John has become popular among the people. He already had followers with him. People gathered wherever he went. People were amazed at what he proclaimed and were captured by his own charisma as a prophet. And so people flocked to be baptized by John.

    John had all the fame if we would look at it in modern times. He had followers or likers. Yet, the fame that he was gaining from the people did not distract John. He remained humble and continued to seek the one greater than him, who was ahead of him for he was before him . The humility of John, his self-awareness and confidence in God actually led him to recognize God in Jesus, and recognized him as the Lamb of God.  

    If John had been self-absorbed, insecure and self-assuming, he could have claimed that he was the Messiah that the people had been waiting for. But no, John was faithful to his mission and was ready to disappear from the picture once the Messiah would reveal himself to the public.

    Indeed, this was how John brought the people around him to also recognize God. As we have celebrated the birth of our Lord, hopefully, our Christmas has become an encounter with God. And in that encounter, we are called to bring God to others, to let others recognize God too through us.

    This is the invitation for us today, that through us, our brothers and sisters, will recognize God’s presence in our life. That through us, people will feel God’s presence; through our actions and words people will be drawn not to us but to God.

    And so like John, let us always be aware of ourselves. Let us be conscious when we turn to be selfish and self-absorbed because that will only reveal how insecure we are with ourselves. Let us be confident in God instead and recognize that what we have and that what we enjoy in this life are all coming from God.

    Our mission as Christians, like John the Baptist, is to be the herald or the messenger of God to others – to bring others to Christ. So it means that we too first should be close to God by being sincere, humble, compassionate and loving to others even to those we do not like and people we hate. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Knowing who we truly are

    Knowing who we truly are

    January 2, 2020 – Thursday before Epiphany – Memorial of Sts Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzen

    Click here for the readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010220.cfm

    Homily

    What is easier? To pretend who we are not or to be who we are truly? 

    With the phenomenon of social media sites, it has become easier to pretend who we are not and to portray to others a self filled with icing. A person can just create multiple accounts on Facebook or Instagram and portray a different image of himself or herself. Others also can just display an image of himself or herself on social media sites different from what is real. 

    Why is that? This comes from a deep longing of fulfilling a person’s desire to be recognized or praised by others. The space provided by the social media allowed such persons to be recognized and praised, that is, in gaining likes or shares and followers. Others would portray happy occasions through their pictures and videos to hide a painful and traumatic background of their life. Others would show how affluent and comfortable they are in life to hide their insecurity due to poverty. However, such attitude can also become problematic. Portraying to others whom we are not, distances us from our real self and thus, from recognizing who we are before God.

    In today’s Gospel, John reminded us of the importance of recognizing our true self before God and before others. People were asking John if he was the Messiah or Elijah or some great prophets from the Old Testament. John could just easily pretend that he was someone else of great importance. However, John was honest enough to say that he is not God nor a great prophet. He was just a simple and humble friend of God, whose voice cries out in the dessert to bring people closer to God.

    Thus, we are called today to be more accepting of ourselves with all our weaknesses and problems as well as our strengths and potentials. Being honest with ourselves is also being honest with God and with others. In that way, we become an authentic person who is not bothered of any pretension and insecurity. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR