Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Homilies

  • Only IF & WHEN

    Only IF & WHEN

    March 20, 2022 – Third Sunday of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032022-YearC.cfm)

    How do we make sense of a lot of things going on with our lives nowadays? Still adjusting with the life-threating Covid pandemic, we are also now amidst violence, terrorism, disasters, and killings along with the imminent threat of world war, oil price hike, dwindling geo & national politics. Is there and can we still hope in life?

    As some people reported to Jesus about disasters and killings happened in Galileans in our gospel today, the central issue raised is also about Hope in life. “Can we still hope for God’s salvation?  Is there still a hope and meaning in life?” Sometimes with a lot of miseries happening in our world today, like calamities, wars, poverty, disasters, exploitations, corruptions, and injustices, we do find life hopeless and meaningless.

    This reminds me of a story about a beggar who had a rice bowl to beg. Every time he asks for some food or money from others, he would just stick out his rice bowl and beg for something. At times, he is too ashamed to beg; he cannot even look at them. But many at times, he becomes too rude to force others to give some scraps of food or some coins. Like other beggars, he dreams that someday he will become a millionaire. But he knows that such dream is impossible and just a wishful thinking because he got nothing but a mere dirty battered rice bowl he inherited from his family of beggars. Sometimes he would blame God for his life’s misery. He considers himself a hopeless and useless case.

    One day, while begging, a merchant noticed his rice bowl and asked if he could have a look at it. The merchant then examined his rice bowl and concluded, “You must be stupid begging for some craps. You should not be asking for others help because you are one of the most fortunate persons in the city. This rice bowl of yours is a priceless antique made of pure GOLD. Just wash it clean and it will cost you a fortune. Why don’t you sell it to me? I could give you five million dollars for it.” But the beggar just laughed off what he heard from the merchant. He simply could not believe that his useless rice bowl is worth a fortune. He dismissed everything the merchant said and continued to beg for some food or money using his dirty battered but priceless golden antique rice bowl. What a waste, what a shame.

    Sometimes, we are like that beggar. God has already given us a lot of His graces. He almost gave up everything for us – His life, His love, His salvation, His only Son. God has already endowed each and everyone of us enough of His blessings. He has given us not only a chance but a lot of chances to live life, and a golden rice bowl of faith in Him. But like that beggar, we rarely recognize God’s precious gifts to us. We rarely recognize our Faith. Sometimes we are not contented with our simple faith. Instead, we look for signs. We look for other substitutes. We beg for other scraps of beliefs. We dream for miracles but in vain. Then, we find life useless, and get hopeless with life.

    Like in our gospel however, as the gardener assured his master that there is always a hope for a dry fig tree to bear fruits again – only if and when given a chance, Jesus also reassured us that there is always hope in life, if & when we change our ways. Jesus in our Gospel today reminds us that God has given each and everyone of us a chance to live life to its fullness. He calls us to see all life miseries are not signs of a vengeful God, but a constant wake up call to repent, to conversion and Christian Living. For Him, there is still hope for those who repent and believe in the Gospel. 

    We began the Lenten season last Ash Wednesday, with the words: “Repent and Believe in the Gospel.” It simply means that the season of Lent is the time for us not only to prepare ourselves for the Easter but also to examine and purify our rice bowl of faith, and then to recognize and accept the preciousness, fortune, and chance it brings. In other words, there is hope only if and when we repent, we change our ways and believe in the Gospel, in the good news, in the golden chance to live God has already given us. Otherwise, there is no hope and meaning at all.

    As we struggle with our life-journey nowadays during these trying times, help us O Lord to acknowledge & responsibly accept your Gift of faith in us, for us to discover meaning, hope, strength, & direction through the challenges ahead.

    So be it. Amen.

  • LEARN TO WAIT. LEARN TO DISCERN.

    LEARN TO WAIT. LEARN TO DISCERN.

    March 19, 2022 – Solemnity of St. Joseph, the Husband of Mary

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031922.cfm)

    As it happens in small villages, Mary must have been subjected to gossips and fake news. Mary was judged without further investigation. The eyes and fingers of the people around her must have pointed and branded her to be a shame. In their eyes, the promise of the engagement was broken.

    Joseph also must have been confused and must have been very hurt. However, Joseph’s response was not out of anger or bitterness. In the heart of Joseph, he wanted to save Mary by divorcing her quietly. Joseph must have thought that Mary was in another relationship. To divorce her quietly will allow Mary to be engaged with the man who fathered the baby in her womb.

    This difficult situation in Joseph became the way for God to reveal the divine plan to this gentle and thoughtful man. God must have been “waiting” for the proper time when to reveal to Joseph the divine plan. Thus, when everything was in its place and when Joseph was ready enough, an angel revealed to Joseph the mind of God.

     How did this happen? It was when Joseph was asleep. As Joseph was asleep, God also worked wonders through him. Being asleep in the presence of God is putting all our trust and confidence in the power of God to change and to transform us. To fall asleep in God’s presence is a way of exercising patience. If it was not an act of patience, Joseph would have been eaten by his anxiety. He will not be able to sleep just like us when we are overwhelmed by our concerns and problems.

    Thus, as soon as Joseph awoke from his deep dream, he realized the fulfillment of what he was hoping for and the hope of all humanity, the joy of all. Joseph began to see the scandalous situation of Mary’s pregnancy through the eyes of faith and God’s love rather than on suspicion and disappointment.

    Joseph understood that Mary’s pregnancy was a statement of God’s faithfulness and commitment to us. This is God’s assurance to us now that he is present and he lives in the midst of our lives, in the midst of our pain, of our failures, hurts and fears in order to bring to us His mercy, love and friendship.

    This became the foundation of Joseph’s “patience” as he also faced more trials in his life as the husband of Mary and father to the young Jesus. Joseph proved that to be patient is to be able to listen, wait and discern God’s invitations for him.

    From here, St. Joseph tells us of two invitations.

    First. Learn to wait. This calls us to accept the reality that not everything is under our control. We have to wait then and trust the process that we are going through. May it be the process of towards our healing, towards the realization of our dreams, towards our growth as a person or towards understanding. This calls us also to grow in our confidence in God who promised to be with us and to journey with us in the most trying and even terrifying moments of our life.

    Second. Learn to discern. This is to be able to see life us God sees it; to be able to understand our reality as what God wants it to be understood. Therefore, this is not about “what I think” (or our personal opinion and personal understanding of things which can be very subjective and colored by our biases) but to be able to believe in God’s presence, thus, guiding us to know God’s desire for us. Hinaut pa.

  • ENVY DEVOURS US

    ENVY DEVOURS US

    March 18, 2022 – Friday of the Second Week of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031822.cfm)

    We must be familiar with rivalry among siblings. To us children, there would be some occasions where we felt that we are more loved by our parents than the rest of our siblings. Or it could be the other way around, we could also feel that we are receiving lesser love and attention from our parents. This happens when we are being compared from our sibling who excels in his/her studies, who is more talented and more responsible than us. This can really be a pain. A deep wound could sometimes be created deep within our heart because of constant comparison that we receive at home. This is also how relationships among our siblings are being stretched until a gap of indifference and mutual bitterness arise. Hatred, even, begins to boil within us.

    In the Book of Genesis, we were told that “Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his old age.” These are the first words from the first reading today. Yet, that love of Israel towards his youngest son, became the reason for deep envy of his other sons.

    That envy deep within the hearts of Joseph’s brothers must have come from their belief that their brother did not deserve such love. In that culture before, the youngest was considered to be the least and the less important. The brothers must have claimed that they deserved more than him. This was how their envy consumed them to the point that their thoughts and actions became violent and vicious against their youngest brother.

    Though Reuben and Judah tried to save the life of their brother, yet, not one of them stoop up and confronted the evil that they were planning. They could not because they were into it already.

    This tells us that when we become envious of others, we will tend to get aggressively what we wanted. Our selfish ambition and intentions will lead us to corrupt and evil practices, such as in deceiving and manipulating others. 

    Such attitude only portrays a self-image that is dominating, powerful and that must be considered a master who is above everybody else. However, this attitude would consider others as lesser and not important. It is in fact a boastful self, arrogant and vain, but deep within, insecure and filled with bitterness.

    This is what we have heard also from the Gospel. The parable was not actually about labor issues but about the bitterness and aggression showed by the tenants in the parable against the servants and to the son of the landowner. The tenants, who were actually the chief priests and Pharisees, have become self-entitled and believed that they were the only deserving people of God’s salvation. Their hearts that have become envious, bitter and ambitious also became unwelcoming, greedy and vicious.

    Like the brothers of Joseph, they too began to plan evil things against Jesus. They wanted to arrest him and kill him. And indeed, this happened to Jesus. But then, their evil thoughts and evil plans cannot and will not defeat God’s power to bring salvation and freedom to all.

    As Joseph also became the savior of his own brothers during the great drought and famine, Jesus also through his resurrection proved that evil has no match with the wonder of what love can do.

    Thus, as we continue to journey in this Season of Lent, let our hearts be overwhelmed, not by our envy towards others, but by our love and affection towards one another. May we be able to repair any gap of indifference and heal any mutual bitterness with our siblings and with our friends. Hinaut pa.

  • TO HOPE AND FIND SECURITY IN THE LORD

    TO HOPE AND FIND SECURITY IN THE LORD

    March 17, 2022 – Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031722.cfm)

    In the first reading, Jeremiah highlights the choices put before each of us – either, to trust only in the goods of this created world OR to hope in the Lord, who is Creator and Provider of all good. A reminder for us in our Psalm.

    Where do we turn now for our inner security, peace, and forgiveness? Remember, the human heart can be devious. Despite our best intentions, self-interest would always immediately come first! Only God can give us a “new heart and new spirit”, cleanse our inner most intentions and being; changing our hardened and stony hearts with hearts of flesh. [Ez. 34:5].[1]

    This is something being elaborated to us in today’s Gospel. The rich man in the Gospel story enjoyed his life and trusted only the goods of this world while the poor Lazarus suffered very much outside his gate. However, there was a turn of events when both of them died. The rich man, who pretended not to see the poor situation of Lazarus ended in hell while Lazarus was carried by the angels.

    The Gospel reminds us that indeed, success and security in life is not about being what we have accumulated or about the material possession that we have amassed. We are only truly successful and secured when we have built lasting and true relationships with people around us and with God.

    Yet, the sin of the rich man was not by being materially rich but by becoming indifferent and blind to the suffering of people around him. He was blinded by his possessions and was not able to see and recognize that Lazarus was suffering. He did not even offer any help to the poor man. The rich man had no relationship whatsoever with Lazarus. He was only being possessed by his possessions. He hoped and trusted only his wealth and himself.

    This was how the rich man had grown ungrateful to God for the gifts he received in his lifetime. He was ungrateful because he felt entitled that only him should enjoy the richness in his life. He did not open his eyes and hands to give others a chance to live a better life through his help.

    Thus, when we become ungrateful we also take for granted the giver of gifts, and thus, the presence of God in our life. Jeremiah puts this in this way, “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD.”

    This happens to us as well when we remain ungrateful and refuse to recognize that everything we have is a gift. Be cursed to us, indeed, when we become ungrateful for we also become self-entitled, demanding in our relationships. Yet, 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 true hope and security in our life.

    Thus, as Jeremiah reminds us, let us find security and assurance in God’s goodness and faithfulness. This is what it means to hope in the Lord that makes our heart grow and be filled with gratitude. Hinaut pa.

    [1] From the homily of Fr. Manoling Thomas, CSsR

  • TO BE A DISCIPLE IS TO BE A SERVANT

    TO BE A DISCIPLE IS TO BE A SERVANT

    March 16, 2022 – Wednesday Second Week of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031622.cfm)

    There was a friend of mine who applied to a government agency for a job. Though, he had the best qualifications being a graduate with honors in college, being competent in his field and being creative, he could not secure the position that he was applying. There was something lacking in him. He had no “connection” inside that office. There was no one who could recommend him or somebody from the higher office who could be his “backer.”

    This is known as the “Padrino System” or patronage in our Filipino culture and politics. It is a value system where a person gains favor, or promotion, or political appointment through family affiliation (called as nepotism) or through friendship (called as cronyism), as opposed to one’s merit.[1]

    This kind of culture tells us that we use our relationships to advance or to secure a particular job or position in an office. Thus, people have to secure a good connection with those who are above so that they too shall be accepted or promoted. Such culture also can be very problematic since the basic qualification of the hiring or promotion is not according to the one’s merit, quality of work, capacity and potential of the person. With this kind of culture, the quality of work may be compromised and corruption and dishonesty would most likely happen.

    Well, such attitude was also heard in our Gospel reading today. we were told that the mother of James and John, who was believed to be Salome, was a sister of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. She expressed her desire for her two sons. She asked Jesus to make James and John sit at the side of Jesus when he becomes king. Being a close relative to Jesus, she used that relationship to secure what she wanted for her sons.

    As a mother, she was thinking of the future of her two sons and concerned of the honor that she will enjoy as mother to them. The brothers were surely not ignorant to this request from their mother. They must have liked this idea very much. However, this request had a selfish intention.

    This was of total self-centeredness. They wanted security for their future and wanted to be placed first among the rest of their group. They thought on what they can gain from Jesus and on what Jesus can give to them. They were only concerned about their personal promotion. This was the reason why the other 10 disciples were angry because of their unjust intention.

    However, this attitude of the two and their mother was criticized by Jesus because of its selfish and self-entitled mentality. Discipleship is not about to be served or to enjoy a privileged status or to be above others. It is neither about being able to enjoy riches, influence and power. Being a disciple of Jesus is not about self-promotion and self-entitlement. Therefore, by being a disciple we cannot demand “to have this and to have that” attitude as if we become the boss. But rather, to be a disciple is to be a servant of others, closely following the Lord in words and in deeds.

    Today, we are called to examine our motivations and intentions.

    We may ask ourselves, “Am I only concerned about myself, on what I can gain from others and from God? Do I demand from others that I must be served first, be always addressed with honorifics? Am I more concerned of the titles and achievements I have? In doing my responsibilities, do I give more tasks to other and pass them the burden, rather than spearheading it? When I pray, do I only utter what I need and want rather than listening to what God wants for me? Do I also publicize to others how important I am so that I will be served rather than to serve?”

    [1] Definition from Wikipedia.org