Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Homilies

  • God is a God of many chances

    God is a God of many chances

    October 26, 2019 – Saturday 29th Week in Ordinary Time

    A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans (8:1-11)

    Brothers and sisters:
    Now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
    For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus
    has freed you from the law of sin and death. 
    For what the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do,
    this God has done:
    by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh
    and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
    so that the righteous decree of the law might be fulfilled in us,
    who live not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.
    For those who live according to the flesh
    are concerned with the things of the flesh,
    but those who live according to the spirit
    with the things of the spirit. 
    The concern of the flesh is death,
    but the concern of the spirit is life and peace.
    For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God;
    it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it;
    and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
    But you are not in the flesh;
    on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
    if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
    Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
    But if Christ is in you,
    although the body is dead because of sin,
    the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
    If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
    the one who raised Christ from the dead
    will give life to your mortal bodies also,
    through his Spirit that dwells in you.

    A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (13:1-9)

    Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
    whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
    He said to them in reply, 
    “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way 
    they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
    By no means!
    But I tell you, if you do not repent,
    you will all perish as they did!
    Or those eighteen people who were killed 
    when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
    do you think they were more guilty 
    than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
    By no means!
    But I tell you, if you do not repent,
    you will all perish as they did!”
    And he told them this parable: 
    “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, 
    and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
    he said to the gardener,
    ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree     
    but have found none.
    So cut it down.
    Why should it exhaust the soil?’
    He said to him in reply,
    ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, 
    and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; 
    it may bear fruit in the future.
    If not you can cut it down.’”

    Homily

    St Paul in his letter to the Romans talks about the contradiction between the tendencies of the flesh and gifts of the spirit dwelling within us. 

    This means that in each of us, we have this selfish tendencies to satisfy our human cravings. These desires are only concerned about the self. In the words of St Paul, these desires of the flesh tends towards death. It is towards death because these tendencies of ours do not give life and do not hold on hope. Thus, our desires of the flesh would always tend to be corrupt and selfish, abusive and uncontended. 

    This is evident when we have developed vices and bad habits. Like for example, when we hunger for praise and recognition from others we would tend to seek affirmation from people no matter what. As a result, we become aggressive and unhealthily competitive and threatened when someone is better than us. When we also become addicted in any substance, may it be in alcohol or illegal drugs, or addicted to any habits like that of eating, shopping, or into gadgets, or gambling or sex, we tend to become selfish because we crave to satisfy our deep emptiness. And because it cannot be satisfied then we seek for more. And when we seek for more, we do anything just to do it no matter what. Hence, when the cycle of abuse and addiction begins we also walk towards hopelessness and death.

    However, St Paul also reminds us that each of us too has been gifted by the Spirit of God, dwelling within us. The spirit can only work when we allow also the Lord to work in us. When we begin to recognize the spirit, then, the spirit will surely help us rise again and walk towards hope and towards life that is free and at peace. 

    Recognizing the spirit dwelling in each of us is a call to a personal encounter with God. In our encounter with God, it invites us to remove or to let go of those unnecessary things, attitudes, vices, behaviors, beliefs and lifestyle that offend God and others and prevent us from truly encountering and knowing the Lord intimately. 

    Thus, our encounter with God calls also us to go beyond ourselves even beyond our comforts, beyond our fears and beyond our sins and weaknesses. God calls us to step forward and to come out our own hiding places of insecurities, of anger and hate, of pretensions and compulsive behaviors.

    This is basically the invitation of Jesus from the Gospel today. Jesus gave us the parable of the fig tree. In this parable, Jesus tells us that the Father is a 

    God of many chances. 

    God gives us many chances to change our ways and to come nearer to him so that we may find fullness of life with God. This is described to us as Jesus expressed in the parable how the owner would visit the tree. And also, in the person of the gardener, Jesus tells us that indeed, 

    God gives us another chance when we fail and commit mistakes. 

    The gardener expressed hope to the owner as he asked him to give the fig tree another year. The gardener promised to cultivate it so that it may bear fruit. The gardener really saw hope in that tree. That gardener is also the Spirit dwelling within us, God himself who never loses hope for us. 

    Indeed, God always sees hope in each of us. Even though that others may treat us as beyond hope and beyond repair because of our failures and big mistakes in life, but then, God sees hope beyond our hopelessness. That is why, God’s spirit would always entice us to recognize him and encounter him.

    And God makes the move through the people around us, through our friends and loved ones and even strangers who will remind and teach us that God is within us, waiting to be recognized, and waiting to be welcomed. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Symptoms of Sins and Signs of Graces

    Symptoms of Sins and Signs of Graces

    October 25, 2019 – Friday 29th Week in Ordinary Time

    A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans (7:18-25a)

    Brothers and sisters:
    I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh.
    The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not.
    For I do not do the good I want,
    but I do the evil I do not want.
    Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it,
    but sin that dwells in me.
    So, then, I discover the principle
    that when I want to do right, evil is at hand.
    For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self,
    but I see in my members another principle
    at war with the law of my mind,
    taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
    Miserable one that I am!
    Who will deliver me from this mortal body?
    Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

    A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (12:54-59)

    Jesus said to the crowds,
    “When you see a cloud rising in the west
    you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;
    and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south
    you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.
    You hypocrites!
    You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;
    why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

    “Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
    If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
    make an effort to settle the matter on the way;
    otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge,
    and the judge hand you over to the constable,
    and the constable throw you into prison.
    I say to you, you will not be released
    until you have paid the last penny.”

    Homily

    A friend came to me because he was so troubled and felt guilty about himself. He kept repeating the same sin again and again. Even though he knew already that it was a sin, but, he felt helpless and fell into the same sin.

    Thus, when it becomes regular, then, certainly, we have developed it into a habit. Once it becomes a habit, it also becomes a cycle. And when this happens, it also becomes part of our unconscious actions.

    St Paul in his letter to the Romans admitted his own weakness. He recognized his human tendency to sin, to go against what God desires and to rather succumb to what he only desired for selfish reasons. His tendency to be selfish was quite strong as he too admitted his struggle on this. However, he realized that this selfish tendencies in him was not the totality of his being. In himself, he recognized the spirit of God in Him.

    This spirit of God delivers him and guides him to let go of his selfish desires and to welcome and consciously aspire God’s desires for him. This spirit of God is not guilt that will only haunt us for the wrong that he have done. No, guilt is not of God. Guilt or guilt feeling is merely a symptom of sin. Guilt does not desire change neither conversion nor recognition of God. Guilt will only haunt us of the evil we have done to condemn us and separate us from God’s mercy.

    Thus, never confused guilt with true sorrow for sin. Lingering into guilt will only make us hopeless and without any resolve into conversion. For that reason, never wonder why in mere feeling guilty, we still fall into sin or into the same sin again and again. 

    In this way, Jesus calls us into true sorrow. Jesus in our Gospel today points this out to us. For us to arrive into true sorrow for sins, we need to be able to understand our present times, our present context, our present struggles. This is the sign of grace that Jesus wants us to realize. 

    Remember, in the same letter of Paul, he also told us that where sin increases, grace abounds all the more. Hence, beginning from our honest and humble recognition of our present reality, we also recognize the moments of grace where God invites us to trust him.

    When sin becomes a habit or a repetitious action, do not dwell so much on guilt but rather recognize also its root. This is an invitation to look deeper into that emptiness that we are trying to fill in through that sin.

    Take for example, “lying.”

    We lie to people even to those who are close to us because we hide something. We lie because of fear or shame. In that way, we become pretentious and become someone we are not. This happens when lying becomes a habit or a lifestyle. The sign of grace is when we become conscious of what we have been doing unconsciously.

    Certainly, there will be people or even events in our life that will help or lead us in making ourselves aware what is wrong with us. This is also a sign of grace because this is an opportunity for us to allow the Lord to forgive us and transform us. St Paul recognized this, that is why he too expressed his gratitude to Jesus for disturbing him.

     Consequently, allow the spirit to make us aware of our own realities and to be able to understand ourselves and the movement of sin and evil within us. Allow also the spirit of God to disturb us, not to merely feel guilty, but to feel sorry and to commit in aspiring God’s desires for us that will make us free and truthful persons. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • To sense everyday of God’s scent

    To sense everyday of God’s scent

    October 22, 2019 – Tuesday 29th Week in Ordinary Time

    A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans (5:12,15b,17-19,20b,21)

    Brothers and sisters:
    Through one man sin entered the world,
    and through sin, death,
    and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned.

    If by that one person’s transgression the many died,
    how much more did the grace of God
    and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ
    overflow for the many.
    For if, by the transgression of the one,
    death came to reign through that one,
    how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace
    and the gift of justification
    come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.
    In conclusion, just as through one transgression
    condemnation came upon all,
    so, through one righteous act
    acquittal and life came to all.
    For just as through the disobedience of one man
    the many were made sinners,
    so, through the obedience of the one
    the many will be made righteous.
    Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more,
    so that, as sin reigned in death,
    grace also might reign through justification
    for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

    A reading from the Gospel according to Luke (12:35-38)

    Jesus said to his disciples: 
    “Gird your loins and light your lamps
    and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
    ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
    Blessed are those servants
    whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
    Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
    have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
    And should he come in the second or third watch
    and find them prepared in this way,
    blessed are those servants.”

    Homily

    Do you have any dogs at home? And have you ever noticed your dog when you are about to come home? Dogs wait patiently for their humans to come return. When they sense that you are coming and can smell your scent even from a distance, they begin to wiggle their tails. They would patiently wait for you and when they see you they make terrible sounds but for them it’s their expression of joy. In their joy and excitement, they would jump at you, lick you and go around your feet, running back and forth.

    This is evident on how the dogs become intimately connected with us. They excitedly greet us because we are able to provide an emotional satisfaction to our dogs (according to petsci.co.uk).

    This behavior among the canines reminds me of our Gospel reading today. Jesus emphasized the importance to be vigilant and to stay awake at all times to welcome him when he comes. The attitude of staying awake and be vigilant is also characterized by a joyful manner. Thus, to stay awake for Jesus’ coming does not only require us to sit straight, but also to expect him with joy. And to joyfully expect and wait the Lord’s coming, our dogs have something to teach us. To joyfully wait involves patience and attentiveness. Dogs are indeed patient in waiting for us yet, very attentive by sensing our coming and smelling our scent.

    Remember, God’s unfolding and revelations are done even in silence. That is why, when God reveals himself, it is always simple, humble and even ordinary. 

    That is why, Jesus reminds us in the Gospel “happy are those servant whom the master finds wide-awake when he comes.” Jesus wants us to be always attentive to his many surprises for us and attentive to his simple revelations in us, in our daily life – at home, at work or at school. To be awake and attentive to God is an invitation to have a heightened awareness of God’s presence in our life and in the lives of others.

    However, we cannot deny also the fact that we grow tired at times, or feel bored and discouraged by the events happening in our life. We may fall asleep in the middle of the night because we have become so tired from waiting and expecting for the Lord to come and rescue us. This happens when our prayers remain unanswered, because you have failed several times in your exams despite your reviews and daily devotions, or your partner or family member is still problematic despite the prayer intentions you have offered, or until now you are not yet healed from your illness which gives you suffering despite the many “pamisa” you’ve made, or your loved one was taken away from you because of a sudden death even though you have been a good catholic, etc. 

    These experiences are truly disappointing. They discourage us and so we feel that our faith is weakened. This happens when we lose our desire for God and tend to focus more on our personal wants, personal assurance of comfort and security. That is how we also fall into sin because we make ourselves distant and indifferent from God’s presence. 

    However, let us remind ourselves from what St. Paul told us in his letter to the Romans, “where sin increased, so grace abounded all the more.” This means that God knows when we feel discouraged and disappointed. He knows when we begin to be aloof with Him and yielding into sin. But it is in those low moments of our life also that God makes himself all the more present. This tells us of God’s desire also to be with us.

    It is not just us desiring to be with God. God desires all the more our presence. That is why when we yield into sin, God makes himself known to us. Our sacraments, the people around and all the things that surround us will direct us of God’s desire to forgive us and welcome us.

    Indeed, the emotional connection between dogs and humans, reminds us of our intimate connection with God. We are a people who longs to see the face of God, who longs to feel His loving and comforting presence in our life. Yet, let us also realize that though we long for God, God longs for us all the more. God is more excited to meet us. Jesus would surely come and meet us where we are at this very moment.

    This is the invitation for us today, that is,

    “to sense everyday God’s scent,”

    meaning, to desire Him even in the midst of trials, of discouragements, of boring and dry moments, and even in the most ordinary days of our life. God reveals his abiding and loving presence to us in any moment of our life. Let us keep our hearts then to always desire God through our constant and intimate communication with God through our personal prayer and through this Eucharist. 

    Let us hope that as we are able to meet the Lord in our ordinary life may it become a moment of joy for us and a life-changing experience for us and for our community. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Praying persistently with friends and loved ones

    Praying persistently with friends and loved ones

    October 20, 2019 – 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    A reading from the Book of Exodus (17:8-13)

    In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel.
    Moses, therefore, said to Joshua,
    “Pick out certain men,
    and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle.
    I will be standing on top of the hill
    with the staff of God in my hand.”
    So Joshua did as Moses told him:
    he engaged Amalek in battle
    after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur.
    As long as Moses kept his hands raised up,
    Israel had the better of the fight,
    but when he let his hands rest,
    Amalek had the better of the fight.
    Moses’hands, however, grew tired;
    so they put a rock in place for him to sit on.
    Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands,
    one on one side and one on the other,
    so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
    And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people
    with the edge of the sword.

    Responsorial Psalm 121

    R.(cf. 2)  Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
    I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
    whence shall help come to me?
    My help is from the LORD,
    who made heaven and earth.
    R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
    May he not suffer your foot to slip;
    may he slumber not who guards you:
    indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
    the guardian of Israel.
    R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
    The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade;
    he is beside you at your right hand.
    The sun shall not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.
    R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
    The LORD will guard you from all evil;
    he will guard your life.
    The LORD will guard your coming and your going,
    both now and forever.
    R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

    A reading from the Second letter of Paul to Timothy (3:14-4:2)

    Beloved:
    Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed,
    because you know from whom you learned it,
    and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,
    which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation
    through faith in Christ Jesus.
    All Scripture is inspired by God
    and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction,
    and for training in righteousness,
    so that one who belongs to God may be competent,
    equipped for every good work.

    I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
    who will judge the living and the dead,
    and by his appearing and his kingly power:
    proclaim the word;
    be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
    convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.

    A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (18:1-8)

    Jesus told his disciples a parable
    about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
    He said, “There was a judge in a certain town
    who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
    And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,
    ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’
    For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,
    ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,
    because this widow keeps bothering me
    I shall deliver a just decision for her
    lest she finally come and strike me.’”
    The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
    Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
    who call out to him day and night?
    Will he be slow to answer them?
    I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
    But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

    Homily

    Talking with my generation or with my co-millennials and even those who are younger than me, they commonly express their difficulty in being consistent in praying. Despite the busy environment of the city and of the many distractions that we may have like our gadgets, the internet and the need to socialize and be with others, young people also desire to have deeper grounding. This means that there is really a deep desire among the young to connect with God and to be one with him. However, the circumstances that they were in would sometimes prevent them to be consistent in relating with God through prayer. Other circumstances could be the personal struggles young people are facing in their studies or work, or problems in their relationships with their family and friends.

    Hence, prayer is believed to be time-consuming and demanding as well as tiring. Well, yes, prayer can be tiring and it can even be lonely especially when we feel alone and feel that nobody understand us. 

    Being the Youth Director in this Parish, I took the opportunity to be with the youth. Since October is a Rosary Month I had this chance to join with them. Every night since the 1st of October, our youth are visiting the homes of their co-youth in our parish. We have visited one house after another and prayed together. But what touched me deeply is the very presence of the youth. During the processions going towards another home to visit, I have noticed that whenever we pass by men who were drinking on the streets, they too join us even by just making the sign of the cross and observing silence while we were passing.

    I find this a moving experience. This tells me that prayer changes people not just those who are praying but also those who are affected by the prayer in one way or another. What I find more interesting also is by witnessing how powerful prayer can be when we are with others.

    This reminds me of the readings we have heard today. Remember, in the first reading Moses raised up his hand in prayer to God. Moses prayed for Israel because an enemy waged war against them. The Book of Exodus recalls how Moses in the long run grew tired. Whenever he let his hands rest, the enemy, Amalek had the better of the fight.

    Yet, what is more interesting was the presence of Aaron and Hur. Seeing Moses growing tired in praying, the two helped him by supporting both hands of Moses. Through their support, Moses’ hands remained steady till sunset.

    This tells us that we find more strength in praying with others. When we too are with others even though we feel tired and lonely, the very presence of our dear friends and loved ones could uplift us and inspire us.

    The presence of Aaron and Hur reminded Moses that he was not alone in asking favor from God. Moses became persistent and consistent in praying because Aaron and Hur also joined with him.

    Jesus, in the Gospel, reminds us also of the need to pray always and never to give up. The parable of the persistent widow captures that message of Jesus. Moreover, Jesus also emphasized that character of God who pays attention to us and to our prayers. The dishonest judge who gave in to that persistent widow just highlighted the compassionate Father that we have. Indeed, God is most willing to listen to our prayers and grant the deepest desires of our hearts. 

    Thus, the message for us today is summed up into two points. 

    First, be persistent in praying. Even though the Lord knows already our desires before we open our mouth, but he wants us to communicate with Him consciously. He wants us to name our desires because it is in that way that we also become more aware of ourselves, of our need and of God’s desire for us. Thus, by constantly communicating with God, this also becomes an opportunity for us to seek God’s for us. This tells us too not to be discouraged when what we have been asking is not yet granted or not granted at all. This is invitation for us to grow in our confidence with God and to trust him better because God would always have something better for us.

    Second, pray with others by seeking the company of your friends and loved ones in praying. Never be shy by asking the help of your friends and loved ones to pray with you. Friendship or family relationship grows and deepens when we pray together. Praying with those who are close and special to us creates more bonding and relationship-building than any other form of recreation.

    In this way of praying, we may also realize that as we ask others to pray with us, we may also learn how to pray for others, to be generous in praying and interceding to those who need most our concern, affection and prayers. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • When Jesus confronts our sins

    October 17, 2019 – Thursday 28th Week in Ordinary Time

    A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans (3:21-30)

    Brothers and sisters:
    Now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law,
    though testified to by the law and the prophets,
    the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ
    for all who believe.
    For there is no distinction;
    all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.
    They are justified freely by his grace
    through the redemption in Christ Jesus,
    whom God set forth as an expiation,
    through faith, by his Blood, to prove his righteousness
    because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed,
    through the forbearance of God–
    to prove his righteousness in the present time,
    that he might be righteous
    and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

    What occasion is there then for boasting?  It is ruled out.
    On what principle, that of works?
    No, rather on the principle of faith.
    For we consider that a person is justified by faith
    apart from works of the law.
    Does God belong to Jews alone?
    Does he not belong to Gentiles, too?
    Yes, also to Gentiles, for God is one
    and will justify the circumcised on the basis of faith
    and the uncircumcised through faith.

    Psalm 130

    R. (7) With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
    Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
    LORD, hear my voice!
    Let your ears be attentive
    to my voice in supplication.
    R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
    If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
    Lord, who can stand?
    But with you is forgiveness,
    that you may be revered.
    R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
    I trust in the LORD;
    my soul trusts in his word.
    My soul waits for the LORD
    more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
    R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

    A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (11:47-54)

    The Lord said:
    “Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets
    whom your fathers killed.
    Consequently, you bear witness and give consent
    to the deeds of your ancestors,
    for they killed them and you do the building.
    Therefore, the wisdom of God said,
    ‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles;
    some of them they will kill and persecute’
    in order that this generation might be charged
    with the blood of all the prophets
    shed since the foundation of the world,
    from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah
    who died between the altar and the temple building.
    Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!
    Woe to you, scholars of the law!
    You have taken away the key of knowledge.
    You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”
    When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees
    began to act with hostility toward him
    and to interrogate him about many things,
    for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.

    Homily

    It is not easy to be confronted by others because of our failures and sins. People who tend to display a strong image with a sense of self-righteousness will mostly be resistant towards his or her critics. This happens to us when we think highly of ourselves that we forget how to be humble and accepting of negative comments and confrontations.

    Moreover, when we have grown to be arrogant, we display an air of contempt towards those whom we believed are threatening our good image. Thus, we become hostile and aggressive towards those who confront us and friendly only to those who flatter us.

    These are the attitudes that we also find in the Gospel today. As Jesus confronted the failures and sins of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, they were so unfriendly towards Jesus. Jesus even pointed out how their ancestors resulted to killings of the prophets in the Old Testament in order to hide their sins from the people. Those Jews in the Old and the Pharisees and teachers of the law wanted to keep the people away from the truth and from God. That is why, in order to advance their own interest, to preserve their status quo, and their privileges and influence in the community, they have developed ways of slaving the people. These include the many laws they have created, the taxes they imposed upon the people, and the gap they developed among their people.

    And because Jesus confronted them about these, they could not accept it. Hence, as a retaliation they planned to also silence Jesus by killing him.

    They indeed were cursed as Jesus said because God has already come to them but then they still failed to recognize him in Jesus. The Lord has revealed himself to them but still they refused God’s offer of salvation. These people were without faith. They did not worship God but themselves alone.

    Jesus confronts us of our sins and failures not to demean us or to humiliate us but to make us realize of God’s mercy.

    The Psalm proclaims joyfully to us today, “With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.”

    The Lord desires our reconciliation with him and our freedom.

    Peace and freedom are not achieved by being hostile and vicious towards those who confront us of our mistakes and sins. A fulfilled life is not attained by our denial and arrogance but through humility and honesty.

    This is what Jesus wants us to be that we become persons who are not trapped by our mere personal desires. The Lord desires that we become free and truthful to ourselves because it is in this way the we shall also find life meaningful and become life-giving in our relationships may it be in within our family and friends or with our colleagues at work.

    Thus, let us allow Jesus to confront us. His confrontations with us may appear in different forms. This could be through a lingering guilt and shame of the past sins that we have done, or through a friend and colleague who has the nerve to confront us, or through a family member who took the risk of making us aware of our sins and mistakes.

    Expect also that it will not be easy. To be criticized and be confronted by our sins will bring discomfort in us, but do not resist, be accepting rather and humble enough to look ourselves closer so that we too shall find how merciful our God is. We shall discover also how God desires our transformation to become a better and life-giving person. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR