Category: Homilies

July 5, 2019 – Friday 13^th Week in Ordinary Time

From the Gospel of Matthew (9:9-13)

As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

The Pharisees would have been so shocked and scandalized with what Jesus did. Our Gospel story today tells us of the call of Matthew, a Jewish tax-collector of the Romans. Matthew and Jews like him who worked for the Romans were despised by their fellow Jews. They were considered traitors because they were associated with the Roman Empire who dominated the Jews. Besides, there were tax-collectors too who would treat their fellow Jews badly and would collect high taxes. Their land was occupied by these foreigners and were forced to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor.

The Jewish population and their religious leaders also considered these tax-collectors as public sinners. And since they were public sinners, they were barred from entering the temple and other religious activities of Judaism. They were considered non-religious, therefore, excommunicated by their fellow Jews.

They were part of the cycle of oppression perpetrated by the Romans. Anyone who will befriend them or be associated with them was in danger of being contaminated by their sins. Once a person was thought to be contaminated by these tax-collector, then, the person will also be disowned by his/her fellow Jews. With this situation of the tax-collectors, they lived a life separate from their Jewish brothers and sisters.

Yet, what was so shocking for the people and particularly to the Pharisees was on how Jesus crossed all the barriers of interaction with these public sinners. Jesus called Matthew to follow him and even dined with other tax-collectors and sinners. Jesus made them his friends.

The Pharisees expected Jesus to condemn them. However, Jesus went the other way. He did not follow the conventional way of relating with these people. Consequently, Jesus surprised them by making a personal interaction with them and building a personal relationship with these sinners.

But, was Jesus being contaminated by their sins? This was the fear of the Pharisees. That is why, they won’t dare relating and making these people their friends. The question of the Pharisees, “Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?” was not out of concern, but out of condemnation and hate. They wanted Jesus to hate them and condemn them and to further separate them from the community.

Jesus was not contaminated by their sins, but rather, Jesus contaminated these people with his kindness, friendship and mercy. Jesus welcomed them and accepted them despite their sins. This was God’s way to bring healing and to invite these sinners into a better life. Jesus declares, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Showing mercy and concrete actions of love towards others is greater than a big amount of money to the temple.

Jesus’ action was an invitation for these people to change and to be transformed in the way God desires it. It was God’s way of telling both the righteous and the sinners that God does not condemn but desires healing, reconciliation and fullness of life for all.

Today, Jesus invites us that we learn, not from the Pharisees, but from him. Each of us is a sinner, and yet, Jesus chose to be with us and to make us his friends to give us fullness of life. Jesus set the example that a true Christian builds friendship and contaminates others with kindness and mercy.

Just like the Pharisees, we might still have that idea of condemning our brothers and sisters who considered terrible sinners. Like them, we too might have that attitude of separating those people whom we consider as unclean for fear of being contaminated and be associated with them.

Kindness, friendship and mercy are more contaminating than any sin and imperfection. Thus, like Jesus, contaminate people around you with your friendship, kindness and mercy. And we shall certainly see and experience that there is more life, healing and reconciliation in our families and communities when we build friendship, and show kindness and mercy rather than condemnation and hate with one another. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR

July 4, 2019 – Thursday 13^th Week in OT     

Homily

What if that something which you are so attached to is needed to be let go in order for you to grow? I remember when I was still a young boy, I was so attached with my baby bottle. I used that bottle until I was about 6 years old. However, I was asked to let it go and stop using it since I was already six and was about to start schooling. I wanted to start school with my friends but I found it very difficult to let go of my baby bottle. I was told that I could not bring it with me and the only way of going to school with my friends was to let go of that baby bottle.

When we develop some forms of attachments, whatever that may be, we could become rigid, in the way that our attachments will only be the focus of our world. We would tend to limit ourselves from discovering more about ourselves and about others because we are already fixated to one or two. Thus, there is also a need for us to look at our attachments and fixations and to see if they are helpful or not in deepening our friendship with God and others.

The Book of Genesis tells us that God tested Abraham’s faith. Abraham seemed to enjoy very much the company of his son, Isaac. He was a proud dad. He really loved his only son, Isaac. Isaac was the most precious gift he received from God. And we could imagine that Abraham was really so fond of Isaac. His world could have been so bright when Isaac came.

Yet, God tested Abraham, but not to test him to commit murder or slaughter an innocent boy. God’s test to Abraham was God’s way of making Abraham to trust God fully and completely. This is the reason why God asked Abraham to sacrifice his most precious gift. Abraham’s affection for his son was his attachment.

God wants Abraham to advance his faith and attachment to the will of God. And indeed, Abraham proved that his only attachment was God. By trusting fully the Lord, Abraham was even blessed by God. This was how Abraham also discovered the importance of his relationship with the Lord. This relationship brought him life and blessing.

The Gospel also tells us of a story that portrays how attachment can make a person rigid and close-minded. The scribes in the Gospel story show how their attachment to human rituals, traditions and old beliefs can become a hindrance to healing and freedom. They have accused Jesus of blasphemy because he forgave the sins of the paralytic and healed him.

The attachment of the scribes to the status quo that only the elite such as them, the Pharisees and Jewish authorities have the right to teach and be close to God, prevented them to recognize that Jesus is Lord. Indeed, their attachment to their privileges and titles in the society averted them to be surprised on how God works wonders.

Today, God invites us to let go of our attachments and fixations that only prevent us from growing in our relationships with God and with others and from knowing better ourselves.

Our attachments to material things might prevent us from becoming more intimate with people who are dear to us. Our fixations with our achievements and successes may also stop us from being considerate with those who failed in life. Our attachments to some addictive behaviors may also prevent us in realizing our gifts and potentials. Remember, an unhealthy attachment is suffocating and restraining. It will not make us free and alive but rather constrained and dead.

As Abraham found attachment in God’s friendship, he also found life and blessing. As Jesus found attachment in his Father’s will, he was able to bring freedom from sin and healing to the broken. We may also grow in our attachment to God who shall give us healing, freedom and true life. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR

July 2, 2019 – Tuesday 13^th Week in OT       

Gospel     –      MT 8:23-27                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us!  We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

“Why are you so afraid, you of little faith?” Jesus asked his disciples when they woke him up because they were terrified by the storm sweeping their boat.

The Gospel story today tells us about this fear of the disciples. They were afraid that their boat might be destroyed and they would be drowned and die. However, there was a very interesting part of this Gospel story.

While the storm was sweeping the boat and the disciples were terrified by it, Jesus was fast asleep. Jesus was there in the boat with his disciples but sleeping. It seemed that Jesus was not so concerned with the storm. He was confident that they would arrive at their destination safe and sound.

The Gospel today tells us of these two important lessons.

First, the forgetfulness of the disciples that Jesus was with them brought them tremendous fear and anxiety. They forgot that Jesus was in the boat and that their Lord was with them on that journey. Consequently, they have actually taken for granted the very presence of Jesus in their life. This is an invitation for the disciples to always recognize the presence of Jesus.

And to us as well today, this is an invitation to recognize Jesus in our journey. The Lord is not distant. He is to be found and He is journeying with us. Thus, unawareness of His presence in us will only bring us fear, anxiety and uncertainty. When we become fearful, anxious and uncertain, then, we will be paralyzed mentally and spiritually. It will be very difficult for us to move on and to find opportunities of growth because we will tend to focus on the storm rather on Jesus who is with us.

Second, because of this terrifying situation of the disciples, it became an opportunity for Jesus to reveal Himself as Lord and Savior. At this revelation Jesus assured his disciples that his presence brings comfort and peace, calmness and confidence. At the same time, the Lord’s presence also is confronting. Jesus confronts the doubts and the little faith of his disciples. This is the reason why it was not only the wind and the sea that calmed down but also the terrified and anxious hearts of the disciples.

This tells us now that the presence of Jesus brings assurance and confidence in us. The disciples calmed down and found peace because at last, they have recognized the presence of Jesus who was there in that boat.

This invites us again to recognize the comforting and peaceful presence of Jesus in our life. Let us also allow Jesus to confront us especially our doubts and fears, and even our selfish, unkind and ungenerous actions and words. By being able to recognize Jesus and confront ourselves then we shall certainly find peace and calmness, confidence and assurance in Jesus. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR