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Category: Homilies

  • God relates in Love and Mercy not in Fear and Violence

    God relates in Love and Mercy not in Fear and Violence

    Solemnity of the Most Holy Redeemer (Third Sunday of July)

    July 21, 2019

    How did you experience God in your childhood?

    I am sure that each of us has our own experiences of God. Our God experiences and even image of God during our childhood would somehow paint the picture of God’s image as we grow old. Indeed, our early thoughts about God would somehow color also on how we relate with Him.

    To share with you a story, when I was growing up I was introduced to a God who was rather strict. God was someone that everybody should fear. I was told that this God punishes a naughty boy and rewards a good boy. As a young boy, I tried to be good to avoid God getting angry at me and punish me later on.  Unconsciously, I became fearful to God.

    What motivated me then, to do good was out of fear from being punished rather than out of love.  I imagined God like an old man holding a stick who is ready to strike a boy who has been naughty. This image of God definitely haunted me. This was my very experience also at home from my parents who were ready to strike me with a stick whenever I become naughty and disobedient.

    However, later on when I became conscious of my faith-relationhsip with God that I realized that God’s true character is not the one that I first thought of. Experiences would actually tell me that God is kind and generous, loving and forgiving.

    This is the kind of God that our first reading and Psalm proclaim respectively. Our first reading told us how Yahweh made an everlasting covenant with His chosen people. God makes the initiative to relate to us in love. Our Psalm even reminds us about the faithfulness of God that we should rather not fear God but trust Him because God is our strength.

    This kind of revelation tells us that God “relates” to us in the most personal and intimate way. This is what we affirm today as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Redeemer.

    The scriptures tell us that the God who created the world is a God who hears the cry of the poor and the entire creation. This God is neither apart nor alien to us but a God who is near and close to us. This God is not “somewhere out there” but rather “here with us” who tirelessly journeys and lives with us from the beginning.

    Thus, despite our sinfulness, stupidity, and unfaithfulness to God and to each other, God never surrenders on us. As St. Paul says, “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”

    As I deeply experienced God with my family and friends, I came to know and became confident that God loves, and in His kindness, God reveals his gift of presence to us in the most intimate way where we could feel Him. When we allow God to reveal himself to us, then God brings healing and reconciliation. This is what our Lord Jesus did.

    Our Gospel reminds us that God “so loved” the world that he gave his only Son. In our pains and struggles in life, God stays with us. With Jesus, God walks and speaks to us. God even laughs with us and cries with us and to the point of suffering and dying for us.

    Though God is almighty and all-powerful but God never threatened us with His power of control and dominance. But rather, God builds intimate friendship with us, showing care and compassion, offering healing and salvation. This is basically what this feast of the Holy Redeemer is all about. It is about relationship with a God who desires to be with us and to share life with Him.

    That is why, we who believe and experience God’s loving and redeeming concern in our life, are also called to express that in our life – that we too will also live in friendship with others, by showing concern and love, offering healing and peace.

    We have to be watchful when we gain power over the others and tend to exercise control and dominance over them. Because most of the time, we will tend to abuse the weak and that instead of building bridges, we build walls, instead of developing friendship, we promote fear. As a result, we will be inclined to be indifferent to the struggles of others and intolerant to the mistakes of those who are around us. This is not what God wants us to be.

    God wants us to make friends, to show our affection and concern in the way Jesus makes us his friends, shows his affection and concern to us so that we may have meaning, purpose and joy in this life.

    Now, as God’s own people, we may become God’s instrument of healing and reconciliation in our community amidst suffering from war and killings, hate and indifference, hunger and poverty caused by conflicts, selfishness and greed for power. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • God visits us today and He comes to bless us

    God visits us today and He comes to bless us

    July 21, 2019 – 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    From the Book of Genesis (18:1-10a)

    The LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre,
    as he sat in the entrance of his tent,
    while the day was growing hot. 
    Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby. 
    When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them;
    and bowing to the ground, he said:
    “Sir, if I may ask you this favor,
    please do not go on past your servant. 
    Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet,
    and then rest yourselves under the tree. 
    Now that you have come this close to your servant,
    let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves;
    and afterward you may go on your way.” 
    The men replied, “Very well, do as you have said.”

    Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah,
    “Quick, three measures of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls.” 
    He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer,
    and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it. 
    Then Abraham got some curds and milk,
    as well as the steer that had been prepared,
    and set these before the three men;
    and he waited on them under the tree while they ate.

    They asked Abraham, “Where is your wife Sarah?”
    He replied, “There in the tent.” 
    One of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year,
    and Sarah will then have a son.”

    From the Second Letter of Paul to the Colossians (1:24-28)

    Brothers and sisters:
    Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,
    and in my flesh I am filling up
    what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ
    on behalf of his body, which is the church,
    of which I am a minister
    in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me
    to bring to completion for you the word of God,
    the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.
    But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,
    to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory
    of this mystery among the Gentiles;
    it is Christ in you, the hope for glory. 
    It is he whom we proclaim,
    admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
    that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

    From the Gospel of Luke (10:38-42)

    Jesus entered a village 
    where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
    She had a sister named Mary
    who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. 
    Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
    “Lord, do you not care
    that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? 
    Tell her to help me.” 
    The Lord said to her in reply,
    “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. 
    There is need of only one thing. 
    Mary has chosen the better part
    and it will not be taken from her.”

    HOMILY

    When a close relative or a close friend would pay us a surprise visit, this makes us feel uneasy. Our things might still be scattered around the house. We do not want a visitor to see how disorderly our place that is why, if a surprise visit happen we would also feel embarrass. However, despite the embarrassment that we would feel, we still welcome the visitor with grace and warm hospitality.

    However, what if strangers will come and visit us? Are we still going to be hospitable and kind?

    In today’s readings we have also heard about such surprise visits which brought blessing to those who were visited. In the Book of Genesis, Abraham was visited by three men. They were strangers to Abraham yet he welcomed them with kindness and openness. Abraham must have felt how tired and hungry those men were. He was sensitive to their needs.

    However, Abraham did not know that these men were angels of the Lord. Through Abraham’s welcoming and kind attitude towards these strangers, the Lord blessed him and his wife. This blessing was the promise of a son.

    This story tells us that even God would visit us also in a surprising way. And God’s visit will bring us blessing. Thus, it is also important that we remain welcoming and accepting of God’s surprises for us.

    But then, God may also may visit us not just through strangers but also though ordinary people or even those to whom we are already familiar with. This is the story that we have heard in the Gospel today.

    Martha and Mary who were sisters of Lazarus were good friends of Jesus. The Lord showed his affection towards them by visiting these women. And it is very interesting on how each of them responded to Jesus’ presence.

    Martha was certainly a very good woman. She related with kindness to people around her. This was shown on how she would make herself busy in providing and making sure that everything was alright. She was indeed, sensitive to the needs of others. With this attitude, she surely welcomed Jesus with great kindness and warmth.

    Nevertheless, there was something that troubled Martha. She was also a woman who easily get anxious and worried. She was caught with so many things that when Jesus visited them, she was overwhelmed with her anxieties on how to make Jesus feel provided and comfortable. Sad to say, her anxieties prevented her to have a deeper encounter with Jesus and making herself closer in the presence of the Lord.

    As a result, she became complaining. She complained to Jesus on why her sister Mary was not helping her in the kitchen. She might have expressed bitterness towards her sister for not being sensitive to her. However, Jesus confronted her of her own anxieties and worries.

    We would surely find ourselves too in this situation. We might find ourselves worrying and becoming anxious of personal struggles such as your failures and unfulfilled dreams and desires, or the overwhelming loads of our work and business, or the issues that our relationships are facing today, or the great demands that your family life is requiring you to do, or the illness of a loved one that pains you.

    When we let these one or more issues to overwhelm us, then, we will certainly become disturbed. We will be out of focus. Like Martha, we might also become complaining. Consequently, our relationship with others and even with God will be affected. We could become negligent of our self-care and inattentive to our other relationships because our worries and anxieties have grabbed us to what are more essential and important.

    Jesus is teaching us today through the person of Mary. Mary though she appeared passive and insensitive to her sister Martha, was praised by Jesus. Mary realized the greatness of the presence of the Lord. Mary realized also that Jesus wanted their presence that is why she chose to be closer to Jesus and sat at his feet. Mary found peace and true confidence with Jesus

    This tells us that the Lord does not want us to keep ourselves busy and filled with worries and anxieties. As Jesus visits us, he desires that we become sensitive to his presence, attentive to his invitations and welcoming to his words.

    This is also the same with our other relationships. We might need more awareness for ourselves, and a quality time to spend with our loved ones. With these, then, we will also see and realize what is more important and essential in our life.

    Jesus invites us today not to allow our worries and anxieties to take us over but rather to allow the Spirit to make our hearts ever welcoming and warm to God’s visits.

    Hopefully, by being able to learn these attitudes of Mary and Abraham, we too shall have a true and deep encounter with the Lord who comes to bless us today. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Jesus desires that our actions and words are life-giving

    Jesus desires that our actions and words are life-giving

    July 19, 2019 – Friday 15th Week in Ordinary Time

     

    From the Gospel of Matthew (12:1-8) 

    Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath.
    His disciples were hungry
    and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.
    When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him,
    “See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath.”
    He said to them, “Have you not read what David did
    when he and his companions were hungry,
    how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering,
    which neither he nor his companions
    but only the priests could lawfully eat?
    Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath
    the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath
    and are innocent?
    I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.
    If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
    you would not have condemned these innocent men.
    For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.”

    HOMILY

    Jesus seemed to be a person that continually scandalized people. He particularly scandalized those who were in the leadership, those who were higher in status in the society. These were the likes of the Pharisees who claimed expertise of the Law of Moses and righteousness for observing every single law.

    This time our Gospel tells on how the Pharisees confronted Jesus for allowing his disciples to pick on the heads of the grain and eat them on a Sabbath day. The Sabbath was considered to be holy by the Jews. Its holiness shall be overserved by not doing any work as God also rested on the Sabbath after the creation.

    Yet, such tradition prevent people from doing anything and even from doing what would be life-giving. A healer was forbidden to heal a sick person as a hungry man was not also allowed do to anything to ease his hunger. The Pharisees complained with this very small thing just to discredit Jesus. Their complain was not out of concern but out of bitterness and malice. They were observing and criticizing Jesus even with trivial things.

    We might also find ourselves in this situation when we also become a person who complains a lot and tends to only see what is wrong and ugly in everything and everyone. We surely are just filled with malice, bitterness and insecurity like the Pharisees.

    Jesus confronted the Pharisees and wanted them to realize that God would not condemn us for doing what is not contrary to God’s desire. God desires to give life to us. That is why, Jesus declared, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”

    Thus, if our sacrifice does not give life to others but rather prevent what is life-giving, then, this is not a true sacrifice. God would rather love us to show mercy to others because that will surely give life to those who are in need.

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    This will also be clear to us once we become aware on what kind of “temple” we worship. The Pharisees merely worship the “letter of the law,” which become their temple. They even worship their own status in the Jewish society which became the reason of their self-righteousness. This too became their own temple which made them condemning.

    Jesus confronted and once again scandalized the Pharisees by telling them that “there is something greater than the temple here.” Jesus is certainly greater that the Temple of Jerusalem and even greater than the temples that the Pharisees worship. Jesus is the new focus of God’s presence.

    This reveals to us that God walks with us and is among us. God is not limited within the walls of a temple or of a church, but God is a person. This is what Jesus means. Our relationship with God is therefore not limited with a structure or a system but founded on a person.

    Jesus invites us today to make our relationship with God, and thus, our faith in Him grounded on the person of Jesus. And Jesus reminds us to discern and see always if our actions and words are life-giving or not. If it gives life, then, it is a true expression of our faith. However, if it prevents life and even suppresses what is life-giving to others, then, our actions and words do not come from the Lord.

    Hopefully, by making ourselves more aware of this and our faith deeply grounded in Jesus, we may become persons who gives and brings life to others. Hinuat pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Re-Learning the welcoming quality of children and un-learning our close-minded adult attitude

    Re-Learning the welcoming quality of children and un-learning our close-minded adult attitude

    July 17, 2019 – Wednesday, 15th Week in Ordinary Time

    From the Gospel of Matthew (11:25-27)

    At that time Jesus exclaimed:
    “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
    for although you have hidden these things
    from the wise and the learned
    you have revealed them to the childlike.
    Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
    All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
    No one knows the Son except the Father,
    and no one knows the Father except the Son
    and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

    HOMILY

    Do you know the average questions a child would ask? According to a survey, approximately, a child of about 3 to 5 years old would ask 300 questions a day with an average of 1 question every 2 minutes.

    These questions come from a child’s curiosity. Children would easily marvel at anything and are amazed with everything and everyone. This makes a child welcoming to the many surprises that come.

    The innocence of children, their simplicity and humility make them receptive to the many wonders that surround them. Thus, children easily recognize what is beautiful, good, amazing and surprising even with simple things. They easily get excited in a simple toy. They are delighted in a simple gift. They respond with pleasure to a simple smile.

    In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us how the Father reveals the mystery of salvation, of His gift of healing and peace to the children and the childlike. Of course, God reveals His mystery to all but only the children and the childlike are blessed to receive God’s blessing, simply because of the qualities of being welcoming and humble.

    Jesus warns us adults of our tendency to claim that we already know everything. This is true because when we become adults we also tend to claim our independence. We cease to be curious because we become over confident to what we have achieved.

    IMG_0423

    Jesus criticized the attitude of those people during His time who claimed to be the “masters of the world,” the wise and the learned. The knowledge that they have gained in many years of experiences prevented them to learn new things. They have become arrogant and unwelcoming. These attitudes prevented them to receive God’s revelations and invitations.

    We have to be careful then, when we begin to be arrogant with our own success, when we feel superior of what we have become and over-confident of what we have accumulated. These attitudes might prevent us from recognizing the many wonders that God reveals and to His invitation for us.

    Jesus reminds us today to re-learn our previous qualities when we were children, and to re-learn those qualities through the children around us. However, this also includes un-learning our arrogance and un-learning our tendency to make things under our control and the desire to make ourselves certain of all things. Once we are able to re-learn and un-learn, then, we will also become childlike who are open and welcoming to the many wonders around us and receptive to the many gifts that are being offered to us.

    Take time then to ask questions, to be surprised even with ordinary things, to be delighted even with simple greetings of smiles around you. Take time to stop and say hello to a friend. You may also take time to witness a sunrise or sunset or even while sipping your coffee and eating your meal. You may also take time in giving more attention and presence to a loved one speaking to you and expressing his or her concern and love for you.

    Hopefully, by re-learning the qualities of a child and un-learning our close-minded adult attitudes, we may also discover more and more how God unfolds His presence in us and His blessings for us. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Miracles in life leads us to become the person God wants us to be                                  

    Miracles in life leads us to become the person God wants us to be                                  

    July 16, 2019 – Tuesday 15th Week in Ordinary Time

    Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

    From the Book of Exodus (2:1-15a)

    A certain man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,
    who conceived and bore a son.
    Seeing that he was a goodly child, she hid him for three months.
    When she could hide him no longer, she took a papyrus basket,
    daubed it with bitumen and pitch,
    and putting the child in it,
    placed it among the reeds on the river bank.
    His sister stationed herself at a distance
    to find out what would happen to him.

    Pharaoh’s daughter came down to the river to bathe,
    while her maids walked along the river bank.
    Noticing the basket among the reeds, she sent her handmaid to fetch it.
    On opening it, she looked, and lo, there was a baby boy, crying!
    She was moved with pity for him and said,
    “It is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
    Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter,
    “Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women
    to nurse the child for you?”
    “Yes, do so,” she answered.
    So the maiden went and called the child’s own mother.
    Pharaoh’s daughter said to her,
    “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will repay you.”
    The woman therefore took the child and nursed it.
    When the child grew, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter,
    who adopted him as her son and called him Moses;
    for she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

    On one occasion, after Moses had grown up,
    when he visited his kinsmen and witnessed their forced labor,
    he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his own kinsmen.
    Looking about and seeing no one,
    he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
    The next day he went out again, and now two Hebrews were fighting!
    So he asked the culprit,
    “Why are you striking your fellow Hebrew?”
    But the culprit replied,
    “Who has appointed you ruler and judge over us?
    Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?”
    Then Moses became afraid and thought,
    “The affair must certainly be known.”

    Pharaoh, too, heard of the affair and sought to put Moses to death.
    But Moses fled from him and stayed in the land of Midian.

     

    From the Gospel of Matthew (11:20-24)

    Jesus began to reproach the towns
    where most of his mighty deeds had been done,
    since they had not repented.
    “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
    For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
    had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
    they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
    But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
    for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
    And as for you, Capernaum:

    Will you be exalted to heaven?
    You will go down to the netherworld.

    For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,
    it would have remained until this day.
    But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
    for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

    HOMILY

    Jesus was very disappointed at the response of the people. Three places were mentioned such as Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum to have been the places where Jesus did many wonderful things. Miracles were performed as God’s sign of blessing and presence. Yet, Jesus found the heart of the people hardened. The people refused God’s offer of friendship.

    They did not want to be disturbed from what they were usually doing. They were just satisfied with the kind of life that they were leading. Thus, God’s invitation for them to change became a threat to what was comfortable, advantageous and beneficial for them.

    This is the reason why Jesus gave the uncompromising warning to these people because of their refusal of God’s offer of salvation, and that is, damnation.

    Many times also we will find ourselves in this kind of situation. We easily take for granted the everyday miracles that happen in our life. As a result, we become ungrateful in the way we live our life, in the way we relate with others and even in the way we relate with God. And from these, there are three reasons that I see on why we would hold back and refuse God.

    First, is the refusal to admit and recognize that there is something wrong in us, in the way we live our life, and in the way we relate with people around us. Unacceptance of our faults means distancing ourselves from the responsibility. This attitude will make us self-righteous, thus, making us blind of our own sins.

    Second, is the confidence of being self-satisfied. When we are filled with ourselves, filled with our selfish desires and wants, we also become self-satisfied. When this happens, we will not realize that we are also in need of God. This attitude comes from the tendency that tries to accumulate more for the self. The forms of accumulation is not just limited with our desire to enrich ourselves with material things but also, praises and recognitions from others, or even forms of compulsive behaviors and addictions. These forms of accumulation make ourselves busy and filled with many things, consequently, preventing God to occupy a space in our life.

    Third, is being ungrateful. A self that refuses to admit sins and self-satisfied also becomes ungrateful. When we become ungrateful, we easily take for granted the giver of gifts and the worker of miracles, and thus, the presence of God in our life. With this attitude, we also become self-entitled. We become demanding in our relationships. We become critical of those people around us and we tend to only see what is wrong in the other person. We will become stingy of our time and energy and ungenerous of our resources and presence to those who are asking for our help. And most of all, we become indifferent to people around us and indifferent to God, the source of all blessings and miracles.

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    Yet, we learned also today that there was this man who was more attuned to God’s desire rather than his own selfish wants. The story that we have heard in the first reading tells us of this man called Moses.

    Moses, even though he had a tragic history in his childhood, he was a man of generosity and justice. He was a grateful person who delighted at the wonders around him. Despite his comfortable upbringing as he was adopted by the daughter of the Pharaoh and was living as a prince, Moses had a deep sense of justice. This made Moses to be sensitive to the cruelty happening around him. He could neither stand the sight an Egyptian oppressing a Hebrew slave nor a slave beating to death another slave. This prepares Moses to become God’s instrument in liberating the people from slavery and oppression.

    This is what Jesus desires us to be. The Lord has blessed us and shown us many wonders to invite us to become the person he wants us to be. Thus, the invitation for us today is to be more aware of the many blessings and miracles God is doing for us today.

    Hopefully, by recognizing God’s blessings and miracles in our life, it will lead us the three movements. First, to humble ourselves by recognizing our failures and need for mercy and forgiveness. Second, by recognizing our emptiness and so of our need of God to fill our empty hearts. And third, by becoming grateful to the many good things that God has given us making ourselves more aware of his presence and sensitive to the needs around us.

    May Mary, the Lady of Mount Carmel be our guide and example in this desire to come closer to her Son, Jesus through our daily and continual conversion. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR