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Category: Homilies

  • GOD’S SACRED PLACE

    GOD’S SACRED PLACE

    March 7, 2021 – Third Sunday of Lent

    Fr. Manoling Thomas, CSsR

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030721-YearB.cfm)

    Commenting on today’s Gospel, Gerard Deighan writes: “The Lord needs a place, and the Lord needs a day; or rather we do, because we need the Lord.”

    SCRIPTURE IN CHURCH (Jan-Mar 2009 p.65)

    Today’s Gospel is about Jesus cleansing the Temple of vendors, an incident mentioned by all the four Gospel writers: Matthew [21:12-13], Mark [11:15-19], Luke [19:45-48], and John [2:13-25]. John however situates it right at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

    The 1st Reading gives us the “Decalogue” or popularly called “The Ten Commandments”. The 3rd Commandment reads: “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy.” [Ex. 20:8]. Are the 1st Reading and the Gospel related?

    The “Sabbath” is the “Lord’s Day” and we are commanded “to keep it holy”! To keep it holy means to set it apart and to consecrate that day and time exclusively for God! Ideally, we are to spend the Lord’s Day, differently from the way we spend the other six days of the week! Keeping the Lord’s Day, doesn’t only mean abstaining from hard work but also actively participating in the worship of the Lord! Keeping the Lord’s Day also entails sacrificing part of our time for the Lord, by doing nothing, but resting! When the members of the family or the community observe this day of rest for the Lord, the family, and the community usually benefit physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially! The family by spending time together can strengthen their relationships and their bonding with each other! So too with the community! Keeping the Lord’s Day, gives us the time to re-energize, and to refresh our body, mind, and spirit; after working for the past six days! When we take a rest on the Lord’s Day, we follow God’s example, Who rested on the 7th day after His work of creation! “And on the seventh day, God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done.”[Genesis 2:2]

    How is this commandment related to Jesus’ violent behaviour in today’s Gospel? When Jesus went up to Jerusalem, he discovered that people were “selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables… ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house, a market-place!’”[Jn. 2:14-16]. Why that strong reaction?

    Jesus wanted to reclaim the Temple as a sacred place for God. Jesus insisted on observing a boundary between the sacred and the secular! Jesus is not against business trading or with people trying to have a decent livelihood! Those animals being sold there were needed for the prescribed temple sacrifice. The money-changers were needed to change Roman denarii and Attic drachmas into acceptable coins for the offerings. Jesus drove the sellers out because they not only crossed, but also encroached on the “sacred space of God” because of greed for money, profit, and selfish convenience! Jesus was angered by their turning his Father’s house into a market-place, into a commercial center! The boundary between the sacred and the secular was violated!

    As God’s people, we need a place for worship, a quiet place where we can have a quiet conversation with our Father in heaven; or take refuge even for a little while, to escape the noise and the rush in a world busy with endless activities and commerce!

    Just as we set aside a day exclusively for the Lord, so too must we set aside a special, decent, quiet, clean, and beautiful enough place worthy of God! Out of respect for that sacred place of God, we must observe proper decorum especially in the way we behave and dress! Remember, that when we are in church, to participate in the Eucharist, we are not attending a wild a party; or going for an excursion on a beach!

    Seeing Jesus’ reaction, his disciples “remembered that it was written: ‘zeal for your house will consume me.’” [Jn. 2: 17]. Jesus burned with zeal to keep and to reclaim his Father’s house as God’s sacred place!

    The Lord needs a respectable place, where God can interact and bond with God’s daughters and sons especially on the Lord’s Sabbath! How about you? Do you also have that need? Do you have the same burning zeal as Jesus had? How conscientiously are you in looking after God’s sacred place, in remembering, and in keeping holy the Lord’s Day? Do you really believe that: “The Lord needs a place, and the Lord needs a day; or rather we do, because we need the Lord”?

  • Great Leaders

    Great Leaders

    March 3, 2021 – Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030321.cfm)

    Months from now, we will find ourselves preparing for national and local election. Campaign fever will then be on the hype. Candidates will have their own way and gimmicks of selling and advertising themselves. Meaning, they broadcast their own greatness, i.e. how great they are that they should deserve our votes.

    But what is greatness? What does the world consider great nowadays? Who do we regard as great people today? Where does greatness rest? How do we measure greatness? Is it in popularity, good looks, eloquence, wealth, family heritage, influence, prestige or power? Do we still fall for the allurement that greatness of leaders lay in guns, gold and goons? Are people great because of their successes, achievements, awards and credentials?

    Jesus has indeed a different view and perception of what greatness is. Here, Jesus was warning his disciples of his coming suffering, persecution and resurrection, but his disciples were more pre-occupied and concerned about who is the greatest among them. He then rebuke and warned them: “whoever wishes to be great among you, you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you, you shall be your slave.” In other words, if you want to be great, be servant of all.  If you want to be first, be a slave to all. For him, there is greatness in humble service and true greatness resides in humble service. He wants us to be servant-leaders, leaders who lead not by power or greatness but through humble service to others.

    Many candidates for government office and leadership today declare that they decide to run because they claim they want to serve the Filipino people. They also advocate that only through their greatness and power they can serve us, Filipino. They promise that if we vote for them, they will serve us more and better than before and others.

    If they are really serious with their promise of service, the test is after the election. If they win, would they serve us or serve themselves? If they lose, would they still serve us?

    Jesus is telling our would-be leaders today: “If you want to be great, if you want to lead, if you want to be first, be a servant and slave of all. Practice what you preached. Walk the talk.”

    For us now who have another chance to practice our right to vote our leaders, may we be wise enough to choose our leaders by their humble service to the nation rather than by their popularity, power and authority-based greatness.

    As we pray to have good conscientious leaders, may we also be conscientious and wise enough to elect & vote rightful servant leaders for the future of our country & society. So Help Us God. So May it be. Amen.

  • CONVERSION IN THE SILENCE OF OUR ACTION

    CONVERSION IN THE SILENCE OF OUR ACTION

    March 2, 2021 – Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

    Fr. Gibo Dandoy, CSsR

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030221.cfm)

    There is always hope for sinners. The holy bible testifies as to how God, in the course of time, has been calling and inviting us, his people, to return to him, turn from our wickedness and change our lives. He has been faithfully engaging us in the dialogue of conversion and constantly intervening in our human affairs.

    Remember what he said in Ezekiel 18: 23: “Do I want the death of the sinner? Do I not rather want him to turn from his ways and live?” Which means, our well-being, our welfare and  our salvation is always at the top of God’s consideration.

    In relation to this, Prophet Isaiah has something to tell us which we can get from his words. What is this?

    First is that, to come to terms or to be reconciled with God is always God’s initiative. When there’s a desire to change ourselves, it is actually God’s voice speaking to our hearts and urging us to do so. Conversion, then, is ultimately God’s grace at work;

    The other one is that, our conversion, which I consider an interior work-in-progress, must be visible in the way we live our lives. Not that we are only good in words, but not in action. But this, as I recognized, is humanly challenging.

    Dom John Main, OSB, a meditation guru, said: “The external conversion is of no use unless it is inspired and springs from an inner conversion of the heart.” Conversion, therefore, is best expressed in the silence of action.

    Today, we are enjoined to heed to God’s invitation calling us to conversion. And to make use of our time while we are still afforded with enough time and chances to correct ourselves and straighten our ways.

    There’s never too late for a repentant sinner. There’s still hope for all of us. Only if we respond and obey.

  • GOD REMAINS AND ALWAYS merciFUL

    GOD REMAINS AND ALWAYS merciFUL

    March 1, 2021 – Monday in the Second Week of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030121.cfm)

    Prophet Daniel as revealed in our first reading today, expressed his intercession on behalf of the people who had been exiled in a foreign land. The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem also brought people to be dispersed and many of them became slaves. When the Temple was destroyed, people felt that God abandoned them since the Temple was an assurance of God’s presence.

    However, instead of blaming God for abandoning them and letting that terrible event in their life to happen, Daniel, being shamefaced, realized their unfaithfulness towards their covenant with God. Daniel who prayed on behalf of the people recognized how they have turned their eyes blind and ears deaf towards the prophets whom God sent to their leaders. The leaders and the people continued to break their covenant with God by oppressing the weak among them and worshipping other gods. It was them who actually distanced from God.

    With this recognition of their failures, unfaithfulness and sins, Daniel also saw how God remained faithful to them despite everything. God remains merciful.

    This is the invitation that Jesus also spoke to his disciples in today’s Gospel, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Mercy, as Pope Francis said, is the name of God. God is mercy and it is God’s identity card.

    In this Season of Lent, may we always realize God’s mercy upon us that despite our own unfaithfulness and sins, God remains for us, because God is Mercy. This invites us now to become merciful, to express that mercy in the way we relate with one another and in the way we live our very life.

    Mercy shall give us freedom from shame, and life from the death caused by our sins. Let mercy be the very measure to be returned to us. Hinaut pa.

  • TO JOURNEY WITH GOD IS TO LISTEN TO GOD

    TO JOURNEY WITH GOD IS TO LISTEN TO GOD

    February 28, 2021 – Second Sunday of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022821.cfm)

    We are so familiar with the story of Abraham. God called him to go to a foreign land he did not know. Despite his insecurities, he took the risk and trusted God because God promised him that he will have children, land of his own and shall be a blessing to all the people on earth. However, our first reading tells us the opposite. God indeed gave Abraham and Sarah a son, Isaac, but God asked Abraham to sacrifice sin only son for God. Abraham was surely confused; he was deeply distressed at this request from God. Yet, Abraham took the risk and completely trusted in God.

    God just tested Abraham. And God saw how Abraham remained dedicated and faithful despite the pain that Abraham endured. What was very interesting in him was his ability to listen to God who called him. It was by listening to God that Abraham was able to go beyond and conquer his fears, doubts and confusions in life. Because of that, God blessed him throughout his life. By this attitude of Abraham, he was TRANSFORMED by God making him a blessing to all.

    But what is more interesting in our readings today is the TRANSFIGURATION of Jesus as witnessed by the three disciples – Peter, James and John. They have seen in advance the wonderful face of Jesus in the glorious resurrection. However, we would wonder, why would Jesus allow the three to see in advance or have a foretaste of the glorious resurrection? The voice that came from the clouds would tell us something. That mysterious voice says, “This is my beloved son. Listen to him.”

    The voice from the cloud tells the three that Jesus is indeed the chosen one, the Messiah that they have been waiting for – the BELOVED ONE to whom they should LISTEN! The disciples are told to LISTEN to Jesus and to follow him in this life. They are told to listen to the life that Jesus will show them. Yet, this life with Jesus entails struggles, suffering and even death but there will be also joy and peace in the glorious resurrection.

    Indeed, as they listened and followed Jesus, these fishermen turned into fishers of men. From being fearful and doubtful followers of Jesus they have become dedicated apostles and preachers of the Gospel. By listening to the Lord, they were transformed and converted into new persons.

    This is now the message, the call that is being offered to us on this Second Sunday of Lent – that each of us and as a community we are called to JOURNEY WITH GOD. By journeying with God, it is essential that WE LISTEN TO GOD, to His Word. God is telling us now, “Be my herald of the good news, be my gossiper of the Gospel! Be my blessing to others”

    As we respond to the call of Jesus, expect that we would feel what Abraham felt at the beginning. We can be fearful and doubtful like the disciples of Jesus. However, let us be confident that we will be transformed into new persons as we continually listen to what the Lord is saying to us. Let us remember, in following the Lord, it entails taking risks and trusting God to transform us and to change our old and destructive ways, habits and mindsets.

    These old habits, they could be our passivity – which means that we go to church, sitting on that same area where you are seated now, saying the same prayers, responding your ‘amen’ and then go home. And that’s it! We can be very comfortable with that without confronting what is wrong with us or without recognizing our mistakes and ways of being indifferent towards other. Yes, we can we comfortable with our passivity.

    Or this could be our overwhelming self-centered heart – that desires to dominate or manipulate others, to have everything and to be in control of everything and everyone. We can be very comfortable with that! – of having an overwhelming self-centered heart.

    Orthiscould be our paralyzing fear, self-doubt and shame – that reject and do  not recognize our own giftedness and talents. We may tend to put ourselves down and discredit the possibilities that we are capable of. We can be very comfortable with that! – With our paralyzing fear, self-doubt and shame.

    Indeed, we can be very comfortable with those old and destructive ways, habits and mindsets  that we have been practicing and doing because we tend to stay to what is only familiar to us. Nevertheless, this is not what God is asking us now and not what God wants us to be.

    God tells us, “Listen to me!” God speaks in our hearts through the words in the bible, through this celebration that we are not to remain passive, self-centered, fearful and doubtful of ourselves but to become pro-active, self-sacrificing, life-giving and confident in God’s words like Abraham and the disciples of Jesus.

    Thus, for this Second Week of Lent, I would like to ask each of you to find time for the whole week to open your bible, read the Gospel of the day and stay in silence at least for 5 minutes. Let that passage speak to you, let God speak to you through the bible, listen to Him! Hopefully, through this simple exercise, we may be moved to gradually be transformed into the way God wants us to be. Hinaut pa.