Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Liturgical Year A

  • Alternative ROUTE

    Alternative ROUTE

    January 4, 2025 – Epiphany of the Lord

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010426.cfm)

    “I firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance & amend my life. Amen.”

    We say those words as an act of contrition during confession. In saying these words, we do not only regret our mistakes but we are also making a resolution to change & improve our ways. Meaning, it is not enough just to be sorry of our mistakes, but we have to do something about our mistakes by doing our best because we know that we are and God’s mercy is much better than our sins, faults & shortcomings.

    Making an act of contrition then reminds us that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is not only about being sorry for our sins, but above all giving oneself & God a chance to do things right & do the right things for the better than we usually do. It is useless then to do monthly individual confession if & when we don’t change our ways & resolve to improve, but rather go back to our sinful & corrupt ways. Salvation is all about God’s grace in us rather than about our sins.

    Reconciliation then is allowing God’s mercy & forgiveness work in us, rather than finding & counting our woes, sins, faults, mistakes, shortcoming & of others. It is all about receiving God’s grace than accounting our faults. It is all about changing our ways rather than just being sorry for our sins.

    Today, we celebrate the feast of Epiphany. This is our celebration of our remembrance of God’s loving act of reaching out to us (God making Himself known to us) and our acceptance of Jesus, as God’s self-revelation. We, Christians believe that God has given us His only Son, Jesus Christ, as His first gift to us for our salvation.

    By sharing us His Son, we become related to Him and become also His children, and sharers of His divine life. Jesus, indeed, is God’s greatest gift to us. God’s offer of salvation & our reception of Jesus into our lives give another alternative meaning, directions & ways in our life. Because of Jesus, we are blessed & graced by God.

    Here in our gospel today, we are reminded us of what happened when the three kings found the Child Jesus lying in the manger in Bethlehem. Guided by the star, in great joy, they saw the Child Jesus and they did him homage.

    Their encounter of Jesus and the Holy Family in Bethlehem brought the three kings great joy for they have finally found what they are searching for. The birth of Jesus brought new promise & purpose, not only to the local Jews, but also to the migrant magi & to the whole world. With this, like us now, they are grateful, and offered their gifts in homage and thanksgiving to God’s greatest gift to all.

    But let us not forget that after they have witnessed & accepted the Son of God into our lives, they returned by an another alternative route to journey life.

    This is not because they were afraid of Herod, but because of their encounter with Jesus has also changed their lives. After they have recognized God in the child Jesus, the lives of the three kings were never the same again. They did not follow the usual path, but they amend their lives & now tread an alternative way, perspective, and attitude to life. The child Jesus brought them great joy as well as great changes in their way of life.

    The same with our experience of God’s mercy & forgiveness during confession. After celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation, we know deep inside that life now & ahead could & should not be the same again. We have to change our ways & amend our paths. Like the three kings, we have to take an-other, an alternative path of life-journey, much better than our usual lifestyle. The usual King Herod-road to Jesus, our sinful corrupt ways are not anymore safe to tread through again.

    We cannot help but amend our normal ways, or else we find ourselves again with our usual unhealthy drama, blame & excuses – away from God’s grace. Because as we all know & believe, Jesus, God’s salvation for us is more than just about our sins & failures in life, but more about & into God’s love & mercy for us His children.

    As we are beginning a new year, we make an act of contrition. We give ourselves another chance to grow & do better than our life last year. As we receive anew Jesus, God’s greatest gift for us, let us diminish our tendency to account & highlight our mistakes & faults, but be more conscious of God’s grace at work in us.

    And above all, let us amend & improve our lives for the better than our usual normal ways, and seek a new alternative path, roads, & ways for God’s blessing to be always with us today & our near future.

    In other words: “We firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to confess our sins, to do penance, & amend our life.”

    Amen.

  • Called to Stay, Called to Love

    Called to Stay, Called to Love

    December 28, 2025 – Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122825.cfm)

    In this Christmas Season, we always long to be with our family. We try our very best to spend a quality time that includes good food shared together and family vacations. Indeed, in our culture, family matters. When we gather we tease, we argue, we make each other wait, but at the end of the day, we show up. And Christmas, above all, is a season when our presence matters most.

    Today’s celebration of the Feast of the Holy Family invites us to reflect on that same truth that God wants to dwell with us, and family is where love stays alive. But before we dig into the readings, let us be honest and see the challenges our families face today.

    First, according to the recent survey of SWS as of September of 2025, it shows that half of Filipino families describe themselves as poor.[1] This is a reality that affects how homes function and how dreams are lived out. Many feel the pressure of financial insecurity in providing not just food on the table, but education, health, and a future for their children. Families worry about making ends meet, and that daily strain can create stress, misunderstandings, and fatigue that hurt family relationships.

    Second, many Filipino families experience conflicts that remain unresolved, sometimes staying silent because of pride, fear, or the belief that they should handle everything on their own. Because of this, the inability to seek healthy closure when relationships become harmful can trap families in cycles of pain and even violence.[2] These realities challenge the very heart of what a home should be.

    Into this context of our families that we also find God speaking to us through the Word.

    In the first reading from the Book of Sirach, we are reminded that honoring our parents, being steadfast in family relationships, and caring for one another brings healing and blessing. “Those who honor their father atone for sins,” the text says. Indeed, family life with its joys, tensions, wounds, and reconciliations, is not something accidental. It is central to how God chooses to teach us about love. When we value one another, we not only strengthen each other’s lives; we participate in God’s work of healing.

    The Psalm echoes this blessing for those who walk in love and obedience. The image of a fruitful vine, a household thriving and secure, is not simply about comfort. It is God’s promise that when a family commits to love through respect, patience, and perseverance, they reflect God’s own faithful care.

    In the Letter to the Colossians, Paul speaks directly into the life of the Christian household. He speaks not only about virtues like compassion, kindness, and forgiveness, but about allowing Christ to rule in our hearts. Families are called to welcome one another, not just in physical presence during Christmas gatherings, but in the everyday choices that shape a home manifested in our listening, understanding, affirming, and forgiving. Paul’s words remind us that family becomes a school of love when Christ is at the center.

    Finally, the Gospel presents the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt. This may sound far from our Christmas parties and bright lights, but it is deeply human. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were strangers in a foreign land, living with uncertainty and loss. Yet, they stayed faithful to God’s call. They did not abandon one another. In the midst of fear and displacement, they lived out trust and care. This shows us that family is not defined by comfort or security, but by commitment and love in difficult times.

    Today, we celebrate the Holy Family because their journey resembles ours not in perfection but in our struggles. Joseph, Mary and Jesus knew fear, uncertainty, and sacrifice. They knew the heaviness of responsibility and the challenge of staying together. And yet, they trusted God fully because God is indeed with them.

    Thus, this Feast of the Holy Family invites us to take a hard, honest look at our own families. In a country where economic hardship often burdens homes, where communication sometimes breaks down, and where love is tested by struggles we did not choose, God calls us to grow in deeper fidelity, presence, and care. The Holy Family teaches us that love is not a feeling that waits for perfect conditions. Rather, it is a choice that stands firm amid difficulties.

    We are reminded today that family is a gift and a mission. It is where God calls us to stay, to love, and to build life together with courage.

    And so, how do we live this out this Christmas season, not just as a fleeting celebration, but as real transformation? With this question, I also leave you now two simple, concrete invitations:

    First. Choose intentional presence. Go beyond being physically at the table. Turn off the phone to be able to listen deeply. Share not only food, but concerns, dreams, and fears. Let your home become a place where hearts are heard and valued.

    Second. Rebuild trust and communication. When there is hurt, take the first step and say, “I am sorry.” Ask, “How are you really?” and mean it. Commit to one regular family ritual even just a weekly conversation time where everyone can speak and be heard without judgment.

    Remember, our families are the first school of love in our society. If love thrives in our homes, it will shape our communities, our nation, and our future.

    May the Holy Family intercede for us, especially in this Christmas season, that our homes may become places of peace, endurance, personal growth and love, where we are truly present to one another, and where God continues to dwell. Hinaut pa.

    [1] https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/964345/50-of-filipino-families-consider-themselves-poor-sws-survey/story/

    [2] https://igg-geo.org/en/2023/06/27/divorce-prohibition-in-the-philippines-a-system-serving-the-patriarchy/

  • Making Room for God

    Making Room for God

    December 21, 2025 – Fourth Sunday of Advent, Sixth Day of Misa de Aguinaldo

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122125.cfm)

    A few days before Christmas, a family started to rearrange their house. Old things were taken out and furniture were moved. Some members of the family complained, some get tired, but everyone knew why those things had to be done. A visitor was coming. A loved one will arrive soon from abroad. And because that person mattered, the house must make space. Well, it was not perfect, but it was prepared with love. And this simple act of making room helps us understand what this Misa de Aguinaldo on this Fourth Sunday of Advent, is really asking of us.

    All the readings we have today lead us to one clear invitation and that is… God chooses to come close to us, and we are called to make room for Him. So let us explore our readings and realize how the Lord invites us today.

    In the first reading from Isaiah, the people were anxious and uncertain about their future. They were surrounded by fear and threats from their neighboring nations. In that situation, God spoke of a child who will be born, one who will be called Emmanuel, the “God-with-us.” This is not just a promise for later. It is a reminder that God does not wait for calm days before coming. The Lord enters our history when people are afraid, confused, and unsure. Indeed, God chooses closeness and chooses to be present.

    This speaks deeply to us as Filipinos. Many of us live with daily worries. We worry about work, about money, and about sickness. Parents worry about the future of their children and children worry about their aging and sick parents. Our communities also worry about peace. From our worries, our prayers are being formed. And so, sometimes our prayer is not long or beautiful. It is simply as saying, “Lord, be with us.” And today, God answers that prayer. The Lord comes, not from a distance, but into our very situation.

    The Responsorial psalm which is the same as yesterday, continues this message but adds a gentle challenge. It asks us again, “Who can stand in the presence of the Lord?” It is those with clean hands and pure hearts. Thus, to make room for God is not only about words or rituals. It is about the way we live. It is about honesty in our work, faithfulness in our relationships, humility in our success, and compassion for those who are struggling. Advent reminds us that welcoming God also means allowing Him to change us, to transform our hearts into his likeness.

    Saint Paul, in his letter to the Romans, brings us deeper into this mystery. He speaks of Jesus as truly human, born into our history, and at the same time the Son of God who brings grace and peace. Grace always comes first. Before we do anything for God, He already comes to us. But Paul also speaks of the obedience of faith. Faith is not only believing certain truths. It is trusting God enough to follow Him, even when the path is not clear.

    This obedience of faith becomes very concrete in the Gospel through Saint Joseph. Joseph was an ordinary man with ordinary plans. Yet, when he discovered that Mary was pregnant, his world was shaken. He felt pain, confusion, and fear. Like many of us, he tried to solve the problem quietly. But when God spoke to him, Joseph listened. He took Mary into his home. He accepted the child and allowed his plans to change. And so his life was also transformed.

    Joseph taught us something very important today that making room for God often means allowing God to disturb our comfort. Joseph did not understand everything, but he trusted and he acted. His obedience created space for the Savior to enter the world.

    This is where the Gospel touches our own lives. We may attend all the Misa de Aguinaldo completing the 9 days, sing the carols, and prepare the food for our Noche Buena as well as Christmas Parties, but the deeper question remains: Is there room for God in our hearts? Is there space for Him in our decisions, our habits, our priorities?

    For some, making room for God may mean letting go of a long-held anger and hatred. For others, it may mean choosing honesty when no one is watching. For families, it may mean listening to one another again, sitting together, healing what has been broken. For the young, it may mean choosing what is right over what is easy. For leaders and workers, it may mean serving with integrity and compassion.

    As Christmas draws near, God does not ask for a perfect home or a perfect heart. The Lord asks for an open one. Like Joseph, we are invited to trust. Like the psalm reminds us, we are invited to live with sincerity. Like Paul teaches, we are invited to obey in faith. And like Isaiah promises, we are reminded that God truly desires to be with us.

    And so, as we continue this Misa de Aguinaldo and move closer to Christmas, let us remember two simple invitations for today.

    First, each day, make one small space for God by choosing honesty, forgiveness, or kindness where it is most difficult.

    Second, like Joseph, learn to trust God enough to let Him change your plans, believing that His way will always lead to life. Hinaut pa.

  • Parenting by Choice

    Parenting by Choice

    December 21, 2025 – Fourth Sunday of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122125.cfm)

    Two brothers went for enrollment. When asked about their age & birthday, both are eight years old – one borne on August 8 & the other on August 21. When asked to explain, both smiled & said they have asked their parents about it. And their parents just reply; “we don’t remember anymore who is natural or adopted. All we know that regardless, you are both chosen & loved.

    We call God, our father. And rightly so, we call him “Father” because God did not only become our father but He also chooses to be our father. To parent us to be His children is God’s choice, not only by obligation. In the same way to parent our children is not only an obligation but more so our choice. One may disown their children, but someone has to choose to be responsible to the child as parent. 

    Take for example, St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. God is the Father of Jesus. And Joseph, as Mary’s husband, becomes the foster-father of Jesus. Joseph did not need to be the father of Jesus, but he chose to become the earthly father of Jesus. He chose to be a father to Jesus who is not of his own. Not out of obligation but out of choice that Joseph became the foster-father of Jesus. 

    In the same way, unlike mothers who needs to be a mother by nature to her child, fathers don’t have to or need to be a father to his child. Some fathers do escape such responsibility. But come to think of it, our very own father are the very first person, aside from our mother, who chooses us to be his own child. As a child, we are chosen by our fathers. Fathers choose their children. You are chosen by your fathers. Our fathers own us by choice, not only by obligation.

    In our gospel today, we hear the story of the birth of Jesus as experienced by Joseph. If we really come to think of it, Joseph’s experience of the birth of Jesus is a story of being  held accountable for something not-yours. Joseph’s experience of Jesus’ birth is a story of “Nagmahal, Nasaktan, Pinapanagut”.

    Obviously, Joseph Nagmahal, – has loved. He loved his wife to-be Mary very much. He is willing to grow old and have a family with Mary. He is a just and righteous man who will do everything for his marriage and family to-be. But Joseph is also Nasaktan (of being hurt). Joseph was also hurt by what happened. Who would not be hurt and pained when you just learned that your beloved is already pregnant before you lived together and the baby is not-yours? Ang sakittttttt. Can we blame Joseph for planning to quietly divorce Mary? We can easily relate with the broken-hearted Joseph. And worse, Joseph is Pinapanagut – of being held responsible and accountable for all of these things.

    If it is hurtful and hurting to learn that your wife to-be is already pregnant of a baby who is not-yours, how much more if you are pinapanagut – being held accountable and responsible for the baby? If you are Joseph, are you willing to take responsibility? Are you ready and willing to take responsibility for the so-called “unwanted” child? Would you still love your “unfaithful” wife to-be who is now pregnant with a child not-yours?

    This is the story of Joseph as he experienced the birth of the Messiah. A story of being held accountable for something and someone not-yours. Nagmahal, nasaktan, pinapanagut sa hindi kanya. Loved, hurt, and being held responsible for something or someone not-yours.

     

    The story of Joseph is also the story of our salvation. As the Lord offers us His beloved Son into our lives, we are asked to be like Joseph, i.e. to be held responsible for God and others – someone and something not-ours. Pinapanagut rin tayo. Like Joseph, we are being held accountable for His Son Jesus, for the sake of God and others, and not for our own sake. Pinapaangkin sa atin ang Kanyang Anak – to accept His Son as our very own.

    And in doing so, in taking responsibility for God, like Joseph, we will love and be hurt along the way, and will be held accountable for something or someone not-ours. Because, only by taking responsibility and be held accountable for Jesus like Joseph, God’s grace and salvation continues to prosper and fulfill into our lives today. Thus, God’s incarnation requires our responsibility – our ability to response for God’s sake than ourselves.

    Here  we have much to learn from Joseph himself. As he went through the difficult experience of being accountable for God’s Son, he always honors and only listens to God’s message to him. Despite his confusions, frustrations, and broken-heartedness, Joseph simply listens to God’s message, honors God’s will, and hopes on God’s promise of Emmanuel “God is with us”, being responsible and accountable for Him. By always honoring and listening to God’s will and message to us, we become more responsible for Emmanuel, God with us. 

    Here we also come to realize that the history of our salvation is a story of parenting by choice. God our father chooses to be our parent by entrusting us His own beloved Son Jesus Christ, and as well as we choose to parent God’s child into our lives, God’s blessings & graces of salvation thrive always into our lives.

    Just like Joseph, by adopting & taking responsibility for Jesus into our lives, not of obligation but by choice, the holiness & sacredness of God’s become flesh & dwell amongst us… regardless since we are chosen & loved.

    Christmas is already near upon us. Actually the Lord has already came and arrived into our lives. But do we welcome Him into our lives? Do we follow Him and let Him change and influence our lives? Are we willing to be held responsible and accountable for Him, our God with us?

    The season of Advent requires  of us to  “Be awake & Be Prepared”,  “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand” , “Go and Tell others what we have seen & heard” &  “Not be Afraid to take home” . Meaning awareness, repentance, witness & parenting the Holy Family into our lives now are enough preparations for us to receive & celebrate once again & anew God’s blessings upon us now & forever.

    We pray then that like Joseph and Mary, we may be willing responsible people and accountable parent for the Lord into our lives by always listening and responding to God’s message and will for us, now & always. So May It Be. Amen.

  • Rejoice, God is near and working even in our waiting    

    Rejoice, God is near and working even in our waiting    

    December 14, 2025 – Gaudete Sunday

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121425.cfm)

    We, Filipinos, know what it means to wait. We wait in long lines for government services. We wait for traffic to move. We wait for our salary and benefits to come in. We wait for relief goods after a disaster. We wait for healing when sickness enters our home. We wait for loved ones who work abroad, praying that they come home safe.

    Even in our personal lives, we also wait for many things. We wait for our parcel to arrive. We wait for our relationships to be repaired. We wait for our friend to speak to us again. We wait for our anger to cool down, for peace to return to our hearts. We wait for our debts to be paid. We wait for our dreams to come true. We wait to be loved, accepted, and embraced again.

    However, we also realize that some people wait longer than others. And the longer we wait, the more discouraged we become. And so we lose patience. We lose peace, become anxious, irritated, tired. Some even begin to stop moving forward, to stop dreaming, to stop hoping because it has been already exhausting to wait.

    These are our very real experiences. Many are exhausted emotionally. Some feel lifeless, controlled by bitterness or guilt within the heart. Others feel stuck, as if nothing will ever change.

    This is why today’s readings are so beautiful because God speaks directly to people who are tired and exhausted of waiting.

    The prophet Isaiah, in the first reading, spoke to a people who had suffered for decades. The Israelites were exiled to Babylon. It was about 1,700 miles away. They were forced to walk for months in misery. They believed it was because of their failures and the failures of their leaders and forefathers.

    They waited for God to rescue them. But years have passed and nothing changed. They felt abandoned and miserable. Yet, deep within the heart, there was that voice of hope that continued to pray, “Lord, come and save us!”  This is what our Psalm proclaims today.

    Indeed, many of us could have felt that way too. And so Isaiah stood  up and proclaimed with a loud voice, “Be strong, fear not! Your God will come and save you!”

    And then Isaiah painted images of hope, “the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, the lame leaping, deserts blooming, sorrow and mourning fleeing away.” These images are God’s promise of healing, reconciliation, restoration, and freedom. This is why Gaudete Sunday is all about JOY because God has not forgotten His people. In fact, this is symbolized by the third candle in pink which reminds us to rejoice!

    St. James, in the second reading, taught us something important, “Be patient.” He used an image we understand well referring to the life of a farmer. A farmer cannot harvest tomorrow what he planted today because everything takes a process.

    And certainly, healing is a process. Forgiveness is also a process. Reconciliation is also a process. And so growth takes time. Healthy relationships take patience.

    James taught us now to trust God’s process and to trust God’s grace working slowly but surely in our lives. Powerfully, James also added, “Do not complain about one another.” Why? Because complaining, bitterness, and negativity in the heart blind us. They make us forget that God is actually moving and working.

    Moreover, John the Baptist in the Gospel was also tired and discouraged. John was already in prison this time. John was surely suffering. And he asked Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come? Or should we look for another?”

    This is the cry of hope from a man who is barely holding on, at the brink of giving up. Have you also ever prayed like this? “Lord, are You really there? Are You really coming to help me?”

    Jesus replied in the most tender and powerful way; “Go and tell John what you see: the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, lepers are healed, the poor receive good news.” In other words, Jesus was saying: “John, do not lose hope. I am already working. Salvation is already happening.”

    We realize now that Gaudete Sunday is not a denial of suffering. It is not pretending that everything is fine. Gaudete Sunday is courage. It is choosing to rejoice even when life is difficult not because our problems are solved, but because God is already here, moving quietly, faithfully, and lovingly.

    Realize this too because there is an even greater truth that Jesus becomes present today when we become more like Him. Meaning, when we choose to heal instead of hurt, when we choose to reconcile instead to remain angry, when we choose honesty over corruption, when we help the poor and encourage the discouraged, then we become signs of the Messiah in our communities. We become Christmas for others. And that is a real reason to rejoice.

    I leave you now three concrete invitations as your takeaways on this Gaudete Sunday.

    First, encourage one person who is tired of waiting. Send a message or make a short visit and remind the person, “God has not forgotten you.”

    Second, do one small act of healing. Forgive someone, greet someone you avoid, or pray intentionally for someone you struggle with.

     Third, spend 5 minutes in silence and say: “Lord, You are near. Teach me to trust Your timing.” Let this prayer soften your heart and make room for joy.

    And so, rejoice, not because life is perfect, but because God is near. God is faithful and God is already at work in our waiting. Hinaut pa.