Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Homilies

  • Why God is essential in life

    Why God is essential in life

    October 15, 2019 – Tuesday 28th Week in Ordinary Time

    Memorial of St. Teresa of Avila, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

    A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans (1:16-25)

    Brothers and sisters:
    I am not ashamed of the Gospel.
    It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:
    for Jew first, and then Greek.
    For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith;
    as it is written, “The one who is righteous by faith will live.”

    The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven
    against every impiety and wickedness
    of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
    For what can be known about God is evident to them,
    because God made it evident to them.
    Ever since the creation of the world,
    his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity
    have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made.
    As a result, they have no excuse;
    for although they knew God
    they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks.
    Instead, they became vain in their reasoning,
    and their senseless minds were darkened.
    While claiming to be wise, they became fools
    and exchanged the glory of the immortal God
    for the likeness of an image of mortal man
    or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.

    Therefore, God handed them over to impurity
    through the lusts of their hearts
    for the mutual degradation of their bodies.
    They exchanged the truth of God for a lie
    and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator,
    who is blessed forever. Amen.

    A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (11:37-41)

    After Jesus had spoken,
    a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.
    He entered and reclined at table to eat.
    The Pharisee was amazed to see
    that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.
    The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!
    Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
    inside you are filled with plunder and evil.
    You fools!
    Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?
    But as to what is within, give alms,
    and behold, everything will be clean for you.”

    Homily

    St Paul tells us of the danger of a conscious denial of God. God’s presence can indeed be felt everywhere and by everyone. However, the people of his time denied God’s presence and power through their wicked practices. They knew God but did not adhere God and did not recognize God’s tremendous love.

    These people continued to worship what were only beneficial to them. They worshipped material things that would only feed them with comfort, riches, power and influence.

    As a result, they favored lies rather than the truth. They preferred corruption rather than honesty. They loved to possess rather than to give. However, such life only led them to darkness and to a life that can never be satisfied. They remained hungry and dull. This truly happened as the people put God aside in their life.

    This resonates with the reaction of Jesus towards the Pharisee who tended to put more emphasis on human regulations rather than on what God intended originally. This Pharisee represented those people who elaborated the law of Moses with hundreds of laws. They believed that it was the best way to obey God’s command. 

    Nevertheless, this was not the case. Jesus confronted the Pharisees of their mistake. They, in fact, worshipped more the law rather than the Lord. By putting more emphasis on the law, they also forgot to be compassionate to the poor and to be grateful to the Lord.

    Consequently, the Pharisees became vicious in their treatment with the common people. Since they thought of themselves highly, they looked down at the poor and the sick. Because of their self-righteousness they have become indifferent to the lowly.

    This was evident in the way they presented themselves. They have become people who were merely concerned of the outside, of their physical appearance rather than of their hearts. They looked flawless outside but with a corrupt heart inside. This again was a form of putting God aside.

    With these, Jesus invites us today to rather make God as the most essential in our life because a life that continually denies God will only lead to emptiness and unsatisfied life. Making others things more important in our life other than God will bring us to a deep spiritual hunger and corruption. These things could be our own material possessions, successes and achievements, influence and fame or simply ourselves, our vices and addictions, our selfish actions and intentions. 

    Indeed, St. Teresa of Avila whose feast we celebrate today reminds us of a person who truly found satisfaction, true comfort and riches with God. Through her closeness with Jesus, Teresa would always discern and choose God’s desire for her rather than her personal desires even if that led to personal conflict and difficulty.

    She made God as the most essential in her life which made her offer also herself.  Accordingly, she had become an ‘influencer’ during her lifetime. She radiated and shared God’s presence in her life and through her actions, her works and speech. She, indeed, found what filled her and satisfied her. Teresa is known to have said,

    “God alone is sufficient.”

    Thus, hopefully, we may also discover that indeed God alone is sufficient for us, that nothing can truly satisfy us or fill us but God alone. Like Teresa, we may also grow in our confidence with Jesus despite our feelings of insecurities and anxieties in life. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Are you looking for a sign from God?

    Are you looking for a sign from God?

    October 14, 2019 – Monday 28th Week in Ordinary Time

    A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (11:29-32)

    While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
    “This generation is an evil generation;
    it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
    except the sign of Jonah.
    Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
    so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
    At the judgment
    the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
    and she will condemn them,
    because she came from the ends of the earth
    to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
    and there is something greater than Solomon here.
    At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
    and condemn it,
    because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
    and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

    Homily

    Are you looking for a sign from God?

    We usually ask God to give us signs when we are making decisions. We also ask signs from God especially when we become doubtful of His presence in times problems and trials in life. We believe that if God would give us a sign, then, that will make us confident in God.

    However, it has been our experience too, that when we do not receive any sign from God, we begin to doubt more or become angry with God for not listening to us. We may think that life is so unfair because even a single sign of assurance is not given to us.

    Yet, we are reminded today of our tendency to expect spectacular signs that will be unfolded before us. This is actually the problem that we have heard in the Gospel today.

    The people asked Jesus for a sign so that they will believe in him. The people expected Jesus to do a big and great sign before their eyes before they will recognize God. This was the mistake of the people at that time because they asked sign from Jesus, when, in fact, Jesus was actually the greatest sign and miracle that ever happened.

    That is why, Jesus, as if scolding them of their ignorance and indifference, reminded them on how the Ninevites believed in Jonah’s sign and on how the Queen of Sheba believed also in the signs present with King Solomon. However, these people though Jesus was greater than Jonah and Solomon, did not recognize God in the person of Jesus.

    This happens also to us when we tend to be indifferent to what is ordinary. The Jews at that time were not able to recognize God’s tremendous presence in the ordinary life of Jesus. Because Jesus was too ordinary for them, and a mere son of a carpenter from a far barrio of Nazareth, the people refused to believe in Jesus and thus, refused to recognize God in Jesus.

    The Lord reveals himself to us in ordinary ways. This is what Jesus tells us today. We are reminded to be more discerning and to listen better on how Jesus reveals himself in the most ordinary way.

    Let us be discerning and be sensitive to God’s many revelations even in the most ordinary ways because God reveals himself and his love to us every day and every moment of our life. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Expressing our gratitude makes us more alive

    Expressing our gratitude makes us more alive

    October 13, 2019 – 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

    Indigenous People’s and Extreme Poverty Sunday***

    ***Today’s celebration invites us that the Lord is ever present with our brothers and sisters who may appear different from the majority. The connectedness and intimate relationship of the indigenous peoples with the creation reminds of our basic relationship with the Creator to whom we should be grateful. The poorest of the poor that despite their poverty are the most generous people. They too express their deep gratitude to God, the giver of everything.

    A reading from the Second Book of Kings (5:14-17)

    Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times
    at the word of Elisha, the man of God. 
    His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child,
    and he was clean of his leprosy.

    Naaman returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. 
    On his arrival he stood before Elisha and said,
    “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth,
    except in Israel.
    Please accept a gift from your servant.”

    Elisha replied, “As the LORD lives whom I serve, I will not take it;”
    and despite Naaman’s urging, he still refused. 
    Naaman said: “If you will not accept,
    please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth,
    for I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice
    to any other god except to the LORD.

    A reading from the Second Letter of Paul to Timothy (2:8-13)

    Beloved:
    Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David:
    such is my gospel, for which I am suffering,
    even to the point of chains, like a criminal.
    But the word of God is not chained.
    Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen,
    so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, 
    together with eternal glory.
    This saying is trustworthy:
    If we have died with him
    we shall also live with him;
    if we persevere
    we shall also reign with him.
    But if we deny him
    he will deny us.
    If we are unfaithful
    he remains faithful,
    for he cannot deny himself.

    A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (17:11-19)

    As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
    he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
    As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
    They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying,
    “Jesus, Master!  Have pity on us!”
    And when he saw them, he said,
    “Go show yourselves to the priests.”
    As they were going they were cleansed. 
    And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
    returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
    and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. 
    He was a Samaritan.
    Jesus said in reply,
    “Ten were cleansed, were they not?
    Where are the other nine? 
    Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 
    Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
    your faith has saved you.”

    Homily

    In the course of our life, we have been asking many things from God. We make sacrifices so that God may grant our prayers for healing, for success or for material graces that we need. We take time to light a candle, to make a mass intention, say our novenas and rosaries, even visit churches and shrines, and touch every statue of a saint so that God will grant our prayers and desires. 

    We are not far from the experience of the ten lepers who begged Jesus to heal them. They took the time to cry out loud to Jesus and expressed their desire to be healed. Indeed, Jesus heard them. When they were on their way to present themselves to their priests, they were healed, but only one came back, a Samaritan, to praise God and give thanks to Jesus. Jesus wondered on what happened to the nine.

    In today’s Gospel Jesus reminds us to show explicitly our gratitude to God. God’s generosity is endless yet our memory can sometimes become very short. We always remember to ask, but we tend to forget to give thanks. This is what happened to the nine lepers. They were healed and have been a recipient of God’s healing. However, the nine of them were not able to remember the God who brought healing to them. They became too focused on themselves and on the gift of healing that they have received. And so, they forgot about the Giver. They have become ungrateful.

    Nonetheless, one leper who was a foreigner remembered the Giver. When he realized that he was healed, he rejoiced and remembered the Lord. That is why, he came back to praise God and thank Jesus. He might have not realized yet that Jesus was God but he was sure that God was at work in Jesus.

    This healed leper’s act showed how grateful his faith was. He was not just healed physically but also spiritually. This healed leper teaches us today to show our gratitude to God. And the challenge lies here in giving thanks to God.

    This is what we find also in the story of a Syrian leper in the Second Book of Kings, named Naaman. This foreigner, a stranger was also healed from his leprosy through the prophet Elisha. Naaman, despite being a stranger, recognized the power of God. His healing experience moved him to be grateful to Elisha and to God. In fact, Naaman wanted to offer a gift not out of obligation but out of gratitude. Hence, the gratitude felt by Naaman and by expressing it changed his life by becoming a believer of God.

    Himself and the Samaritan leper became more alive as they have encountered God.

    Moreover, to thank and praise God is time and energy-consuming. Remember, the Samaritan leper came back to Jesus as Naaman also returned to Elisha. Thus, when we thank God, sometimes it requires us to go out of our way, to stop from what we are doing at the moment or to delay our important appointments with others in order to say thank you to the Lord. 

    A life filled with gratitude to God is indeed a life of prayer. Just like the healed leper, it will lead us to bow in humility to God, to pray to Him. Hence, before we go out from our room and start our day filled with activities, 

    pray first and thank God;

    before we do the things for our family, pray first;

    before we go to work, pray first;

    before you leave home, pray first;

    before you enjoy a good meal, pray first;

    before you end the day and go to bed, pray first and say a big thank you to the Lord who has been so good and generous to us.

    Please take the time today to express your gratitude to God and to all the people who are there for you to be able to express also the joy within us. In this way, we may become more conscious of the Giver of gifts who remain faithful to us even despite our ungratefulness and unfaithfulness. Hinuat pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Not just in words but also in actions and in our whole person

    Not just in words but also in actions and in our whole person

    October 12, 2019 – Saturday 27th Week in Ordinary Time

    A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (11:27-28)

    While Jesus was speaking,
    a woman from the crowd called out and said to him,
    “Blessed is the womb that carried you
    and the breasts at which you nursed.”
    He replied, “Rather, blessed are those
    who hear the word of God and observe it.”

    Homily

    The woman in the gospel praised Mary, the mother of Jesus for having a great son like him. However, Jesus even praised Mary not just on this basis but rather for being able to listen to the Word of God, pondering upon it and observing it.

    St. Anselm even affirmed that because of the great devotion of Mary to the Word of God in listening and pondering everything in her heart, the Word was made flesh within her. This means that Mary’s devotion towards the Word of God did not only stop in mere hearing but the word spoken by God transformed Mary herself. Consequently, Mary has become our best example of a person who took the risk of listening, accepting and embracing God’s word. It was in that way that Mary found her joy, her peace and her freedom as a person, as woman, a wife and a mother.

    Each of us today also is being invited that our devotion to the Word of God will not just remain a mere obligation to God and not just part of our speech but also of our actions.

    Thus, Jesus invites us that as we listen to him, who is speaking to us now, we too will be able to accept and embrace His words. His words may become difficult and challenging, risky and time-consuming but also comforting and inspiring, life-changing and liberating. We will surely then find that as we listen and ponder the Word of God in our heart, our actions, thoughts and speech and our person will also be transformed into what God desires us to be.

    Today, let us be conscious about it, the Word of God revealed in this Eucharist and in the Holy Scriptures so that its inspiration, its warmth and power will give light and life in our relationships with our families and friends, and in the many efforts that we make in our studies and in our work. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Arrogance blinds but Humility sees

    Arrogance blinds but Humility sees

    October 11, 2019 – Friday 27th Week in Ordinary Time

    OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF ST. JOHN XXIII, pope

    A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (11:15-26)

    When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said:
    “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
    he drives out demons.”
    Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
    But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
    “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
    and house will fall against house.
    And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
    For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
    If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
    by whom do your own people drive them out?
    Therefore they will be your judges.
    But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
    then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
    When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
    his possessions are safe.
    But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
    he takes away the armor on which he relied
    and distributes the spoils.
    Whoever is not with me is against me,
    and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

    “When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
    it roams through arid regions searching for rest
    but, finding none, it says,
    ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’
    But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
    Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits
    more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there,
    and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”

    Homily

    What is the difference between those who said that Jesus drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul and those who were possessed by the evil spirits?

    Those who said that Jesus worked with Beelzebul were the ones who did not recognize God in the person of Jesus. Their arrogance blinded them from acknowledging that God liberates those who were distressed and suffering. The arrogance in them came from the

    “self that was filled of themselves.” 

    This means that these Pharisees and teachers of the law had no room for God. They seemed to believe in God because of their elaborate prayers and meticulous observance of the law, but then what mattered most was for the people to recognize them and praise them of their self-righteousness. Hence, they also looked at those who were suffering and possessed by evil spirits as completely hopeless. 

    Consequently, Jesus cannot work in them. No matter how Jesus would desire conversion from them but their denial of God’s presence and power prevented them. Thus, arrogance truly blinds and also paralyzes ones awareness of God’s presence. 

    However, those who were suffering and in pain were restored by Jesus, and in this particular Gospel story, those who were possessed were liberated and healed. These kind of people recognized their need of healing, of freedom, thus, of their need of God. Through their suffering, they humbled themselves which also helped them to recognize God in the person of Jesus. Jesus, therefore, was allowed to work in them, to heal them and to free them from whatever burden and suffering they were in. 

    This tells us that Jesus is indeed more powerful than any evil spirit, yet, he can only work also if we would allow Jesus to heal us. Our arrogance and denial of our issues and problems would do us no good.

    The Gospel reminds us too that we do not need to seek “signs from heaven” or any extra-ordinary events to happen, before we believe. Jesus works in us and brings healing in us even through ordinary means.

    So, be mindful too of the goodness and kindness of the people around you, or the ordinary expressions of love and affection from your loved ones and friends, and of the power of silent prayers of those who support you because Jesus is truly present in those. Never miss, then, the encouraging and healing presence of the Lord in those familiar and ordinary expressions from our relationships. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR