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Category: Saints

  • Where are you?: God Finding Us

    Where are you?: God Finding Us

    December 8, 2020 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

    Click here for the Liturgy in PDF File (https://adoseofgodtoday.com/sunday-liturgy/)

    Homily

    “Where are you?” God’s voice must have been echoing in the garden looking for humanity. God’s voice also echoes today in every heart of man and woman, waiting to be heard. Though God knows where we are, but God waits until we show ourselves to Him in humility. This is the very scene that the Book of Genesis is depicting to us on this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the woman consecrated to God.

    Now, let us see a bit how sin destroys our relationship with God and with one another, and on how grace also restores that relationship and brings new life through the person of Mary.

    Sin leads us to fear. Fear is filled with guilt and shame. This is the reason why Adam and Eve were hiding. Their nakedness tells us of their guilt. Yet, their guilt never assumed the responsibility that they have sinned. As a result, what happened was the chain of blaming. Adam blamed Eve. And Eve blamed the Serpent.

    Because of sin, the intimacy between man and woman was shattered. In the same way, they lost their closeness with God. It was them who distanced from God. Thus, sin makes us to hide yet, it leads to destruction and to death.

    Moreover, in this occasion of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, we are reminded of the original grace in each of us, of that grace given by God to us. In Mary, that grace was preserved. The Gospel of Luke that recounts the annunciation to Mary sheds the light of this mystery.

    What we see in the life of Mary is this –  that grace leads to confidence and faith. Such confidence and faith made Mary to conceive God in her womb. She became pregnant with God. Mary’s willingness and availability for God and for others allowed God to work wonderfully and beautifully in the life of Mary. This reminds us now that grace indeed, overflows and it creates and inspires life.

    After all, God continues to find us not to condemn us and to destroy us but to renew us, to recreate us, to give us the fullness of God’s grace and presence.

    Through the fullness of grace in Mary, God initiates to restore our relationship with Him. This has been fulfilled through the participation of Mary by expressing her freedom that she chose God, she chose grace not sin, and that she chose life and not death.

    How is God calling us now through the Immaculate Conception of Mary?

    First, as the Book of Genesis tells us, God calls and finds us when we try to hide because of shame and guilt. God does that, not to condemn us to death and to eternal misery but to restore and renew us. Allow God to find us.

    Second, when we ty to separate and distance from God, God initiates to come to us to invite us to come closer to Him in humility. Thus, let not our fear, guilt and shame prevent us from seeking God’s mercy. Our sacraments are God’s initiative too to make us ever closer to Him. Allow God to forgive us.

    Third, God desires that we too shall be filled with grace so that like Mary, God’s grace will also overflow in our life. The pregnancy of Mary and becoming the Mother of Jesus, was that overflowing grace of God to Mary. When we choose the Lord today and every day, God blesses us and fills us with grace. Grace makes us discerning and understanding, joyful and generous. Moreover, grace does not only renew us but also grace inspires and creates life through us. Thus, allow God today to fill us with grace. Hinaut pa.

  • Bridging the Gap

    Bridging the Gap

    November 30, 2020 – Feast of St Andrew, Apostle

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/113020.cfm)

    Homily

    We celebrate today the Feast of St. Andrew, one of the original 12 apostles. We know very little of him. According to our tradition, Andrew became the first bishop in the community of Constantinople until he was martyred through crucifixion on an X-shape cross. The gospels tell us also that he was the brother of Peter. They were from Bethsaida, a town near the Sea of Galilee. In John’s Gospel, we were told that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist at first. In the same gospel, we found that Andrew had actually brought Peter to Jesus, telling his brother, “We have found the Messiah!” (Jn 1:35-42). It was also Andrew who called the attention of Jesus about the boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish (Jn 6:8-9). Again, it was Andrew with Philip who told Jesus that there were some Greeks who wanted to see Jesus (Jn 12:20-22).

    From here, we can sense that Andrew was actually an apostle with a typical role. Unlike Peter, he was not able to witness the transfiguration of Jesus at Mt. Tabor. Andrew was not part of Jesus’ inner circle composed of Peter and the 2 brothers, James and John. He was in fact an ordinary guy, an ordinary apostle of Jesus. However, Andrew had a remarkable faith in Jesus. Remember, his brother Peter doubted and even denied Jesus three times. But for Andrew, he was the first one to realize that Jesus was truly the Messiah. In his conviction, he joyfully shared what he found to his brother. He himself became an evangelist, a preacher of the good news to his own brother. Also, he brought others to Jesus like the boy and those Greeks. He became a bridge between Jesus and other people. He actually bridged the gap between those people and Jesus.

    This is what St. Paul has told us in the first reading. There is a need and beauty in sharing one’s faith in Jesus to others. Paul writes, “Their voice has gone forth to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” His letter to the Romans helps us ponder our own call to be a kind of apostle or bearer of the good news to others like St. Andrew.

    Moreover, the Gospel tells us how we are being called individually. To each of us, Jesus says, “COME, FOLLOW ME, AND I WILL MAKE YOU FISH FOR PEOPLE! I WILL MAKE YOU MY OWN APOSTLE!” This can surely be materialized when we preach with joy by our own example.

    So, as students, when we believe in what we are studying; as workers, when we are happy with what we are doing and honest in our business and with our co-workers; and when we are sensitive to others and volunteer to help whenever someone needs a helping hand; when we become joyful givers to those who have less;  when we are more understanding and compassionate with those who are experiencing more difficulty in their life; and when people feel that we believe what we pray in the church, in our homes or with others…THEN PEOPLE WILL SEE ALL THESE THINGS AND WILL RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE CHRISTIANS.

    Like St. Andrew, we will be able to bridge the gap by bringing others closer to Jesus.  Hinaut pa.

  • Life and Living Life is to Give Life

    November 21, 2020 – Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112120.cfm)

    Homily

    This celebration of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary has no historical basis. This cannot be found even in the Gospel or in any letters of the New Testament. However, the Church has celebrated for more than a thousand years. There must be something so important and significant in this feast of Mary that moves us to celebrate it year after year.

    This tradition can actually be found in the unofficial scripture called as the Protoevangelium of James. Though this feast is not a historical event, but this is spiritually and theologically important for us. According to that scripture of James, the parents of Mary, Joachim and Anne offered their daughter to God in the Temple at the age of 3 years old. The action of Joachim and Anne was an expression of their gratitude to the Lord. This old couple who was given a daughter in their old age, offered back to God the very gift that they have received from God. The shame of having no child, as it was believed at that time, turned into joy at the birth of Mary.

    Certainly, this joy moved them to give. This was out of deep gratitude to the generosity and faithfulness of God in their life as husband and wife. This sacrifice and offering became the way in the consecration of the life of Mary to God. At a very young age, Mary became aware of God’s presence in her life which she first realized in the life of her parents. This tells us now how God transforms a sacrifice into something wonderful and beautiful. The life of Mary, became the beauty and the wonder that the world longed to see. Indeed, through Mary, a child was born for us, the Emmanuel. Through the life of Mary given to God, life was also given to us, through Jesus.

    This, feast then, actually prepares us to celebrate wonderfully the Solemnity of Her Immaculate Conception and the Birth of her Son, Jesus. That is why, this feast is so significant to us. What we honor after all, is God who consecrated the life of Mary and from whom we too are being blessed.

    Through this feast, we are reminded today that life is not about accumulating things or securing something for oneself. Life and living life is to be able to give life which Joachim and Anne did and which Mary did and ultimately which Jesus did to us.

    This is contrary to what the Pharisees and teachers of the law wanted to happen. They were so concerned on what they could get from others in this life. That is why, they asked a malicious question to Jesus, to trick him and embarrass him. Yet, Jesus knew their hearts. They were filled with malice and selfish desires. This attitude reflected in the very situation they presented to Jesus, of a woman marrying the seven brothers when one after another died without having any child.

    Today on this feast of Mary, as we live life day by day, be more life-giving.

    Thus, as husband and wife, give back to God your marriage life and make God the very center of your marriage so that you will be able to give life to your children and to the community around you. As a family, give to God your joys even your sacrifices and pains so that God can transform you into blessing to others.  As a professional, give to God your work, your passion and even your and failures so that God will bless you to be an inspiration to your co-workers.  As a young person and as a student, give to God your struggles, your dreams, hopes and even your fears and anxieties of the future so that you become an influencer of confidence and trust in God. As a senior citizen, offer to God your good old days, including your good and bad memories, offer your routine and even your illness and uncertainties in life so that you become a witness of God’s faithfulness and generosity. Hinaut pa.

  • Growing in Friendship with God everyday

    Growing in Friendship with God everyday

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    November 1, 2020 – Solemnity of All Saints

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110120.cfm)

    Homily

    There is something I want to ask you now. I want you to close your eyes for few moments and in silence, remember the face of your best-friend, that great friend or friends of yours whom you are most comfortable with, that great friend who is always ready to listen and comfort you, that great friend who knew your deepest secrets and pain in life, who has been with you through thick and think, in joy and sorrow.

    Our friends are indeed, gifts to us. Through them and with them, life becomes more colorful, entertaining as well as comforting. As we discover the person of our friends, we too, through them discover more ourselves. That intimacy and affection shared with our friends become the source of our strength especially when life seemed to be not favorable to us. Though, we may not see every day those close friends of ours, yet, our friendship with them stays.

    With this experience of friendship, this reminds me of the saints, whom we remember today. Saints who are also called as friends of God have this special bond with the Lord. Surely, each saint had their own friends too and through their human experience of friendship, they developed their friendship with God.

    “This friendship with God made each saint to be more familiar with God’s voice, more aware of the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and responsive to the invitations of the Lord.”

    Thus, the presence of the Saints in the Church brings us into an awareness on how God works every day in our life. The life of a saint and all those who have lived a holy and joyful life is a manifestation on how God transforms human life creatively and wonderfully through friendship.

    This means that living a holy life is a constant calling of friendship with God. We may struggle to identify God’s voice in the midst of so many voices. What makes a person holy then, is his/her daily commitment in choosing God and allowing God to transform him/her every day. This tells us that saints also experienced mistakes, failures and sins. They too are haunted by their own insecurities and guilt, unfaithfulness and inconsistencies, selfish desires and demons. Yet, every time they fell down, they rose up and chose God again. Indeed, this makes the saints to become closer to God because they grew in friendship with God by knowing themselves and recognizing God every day.

    This tells us of that desire of the human heart to long for God. Indeed, our very life finds its purpose and meaning with God. This is what our Psalm proclaims to us, “Lord, these are the people who longs to see your face.” Our longing for God also explains our deepest hunger and thirst for intimacy and love. God satisfies our deepest longing which sometimes human connection cannot satisfy. Yet, our human experiences of friendship point and bring us to God.

    This is the invitation for us today, that each of us, like all the saints whom we remember today, will grow in friendship with God by knowing ourselves through our weaknesses and strengths and recognizing God who touches every moment of our life.

    Moreover, the Gospel of Matthew which reminds us of the Beatitudes, are the very attitudes of those who are growing in the friendship of God. We become blessed and discover more graces when we begin to realize that we are not the center of everything, but God. The attitudes of dependence and confidence in God, of gentleness and mercy and the desire to be a person for others are fruits of that friendship with God.

    “Thus, difficult situations are turned into graces. Failures are turned into opportunities and windows for mercy. Friendship is turned into door of conversion and blessing.”

    Again, in the first letter of John, we are reminded that we are God’s children, and this is who we are. We are God’s beloved sons and daughters. It is God who claims that we are His. Hence, we too can confidently say now, “I am God’s beloved and God is my dearest friend!”

    Allow this powerful words and our powerful God to transform us today and the rest of our life just as saints were transformed!

    Whatever difficulty we are experiencing at this moment, never lose hope with yourself or with God because God never loses his hope in us. Believe in your friendship with God.

    Hopefully, by being more aware of our identify as God’s children, we too shall grow every day in our friendship with God and with one another. Remember this too, “a true friend of God recognizes the face of God with others,” with our brothers and sisters and with the rest of God’s creation. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Of Pride and Humility

    Of Pride and Humility

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    November 1, 2020 – Solemnity of All Saints

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110120.cfm)

    Homily

    What makes angels & saints blessed? What makes devils & sinners cursed?

    St. Augustine once said: “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” It is a matter of pride & humility then that makes people saints or sinner, angels or saints.

    You see, pride is concerned with WHO is right; humility is concerned with WHAT is right. Though both are concerned about right, pride is more on the authority & power, against humility, which is more on the moral principles of right & good. Pride encourages us to scream, “That’s just the way I am” in the hope that we will not hear the soft whisper of humility, asking us, “Yes, but is that the way you should be?”. “Well, this is Me… but should Me be it?” Ganito kasi ako… pero dapat ba akong ganito? Ani naman gud ko… pero angayan ba nga ani lang ko? Pride is being influenced by Shallow Loud Noisy voice of the evil that makes us artificial/fake/plastic, while humility is being inspired by Gentle yet Deep Soft Sound of the Spirit that makes us real & true, warts & all, broken yet blessed before God and others.

    In the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus in our gospel proclaims us through the Beatitudes how Blessed we are (for the Kingdom of God, comfort, inheritance, satisfaction, mercy, being God’s children & Kingdom of Heaven). We are blessed not because of our actions – of what we have done & doing in our lives but moreso because of God’s graces – of what God gives us & God is doing in our lives. We are more so blessed then because of God grace & action, regardless of our doings. However, God’s gift of blessings for us is fully enjoyed & fulfilled in life if and when we are humble enough to acknowledge, value and share these with others. Our humility makes us more well-disposed and appreciative of the fruits of God’s blessings in our lives, and willing to partake it with others, though our pride could render us insensitive and hinders us to fully benefit from God’s grace, and thus making ours and other people’s lives miserable and cursed.

    Today is All Saint’s Day. We honor ALL saints – both the recognized & unrecognized officially by Church. You see, saints or saintly people are in essence like us Christians who humbly witnesses in their faith and lives God’s blessings to all. They are Christians like us – “the people that longs to see your face, O Lord”, who not only by their words & deeds but also by their faith and life, have struggled and still struggling (along with suffering, mistakes, & success) to be humbly real and true to their chosen vocation in life & to fulfill their special mission in God’s grace and kingdom, and in effect have greatly influenced other people’s faith & life.

    Simply put, saints are fellow-Christians who have greatly infected and influenced now our very person and faith as Christian. Somehow and in someway, because of them & through them, we become Christians now. So, think of all saintly people whom you have crossed paths in life and have made you know, love & follow Christ in your life. Perhaps parents, grandparents, relatives, teachers, neighbors, catechists, friends, priests, sisters – both living and dead. Yes, both living and dead, as long as they have influenced and are still greatly influencing your life then-now and always as Christian, because they are & have been SAINTS to you and others. Remember and include them in your prayers these days. Eternal rest to those who have already gone before us. More blessings & witnessing for those who are still with us now, like you and I are still humbly leading our Christian lives saintly – struggling to be true to our calling, fulfilling our mission to be witnesses of God’s blessings and hoping also to influence other’s faith and life – blessed yet broken we maybe.

    Again, being blessed or being cursed, being saint or sinner is a matter of humility and pride.  Our life nowadays amidst quarantine during pandemic times can be a Curse if and when in pride we are ungrateful, ungracious, and greedy of God’s blessings before us… but can be a Blessing if and when we humbly recognize, value, and share God’s blessing with one another, especially those who are in need at this time. We all do need God’s blessings at this time in history. So Let us be a Blessing than a Curse to one another. Rather than remain to be a proud sinner (a pain in the… neck 😉), try to be a humble saint (a helping hand, a gentle presence, a lending ear) to others. With the examples & witness of the saints, may we joyfully admit How Blessed we are by humbly saying: “This is not mine only but Ours to Share” & not by proudly insisting: “This is Mine alone and not yours”. So may it be. Hinaut pa unta. Amen.

    By  Fr. Aphelie Mario Masangcay, CSsR