Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Liturgical Year A

  • Overcoming Temptations

    Overcoming Temptations

    February 26, 2023 – First Sunday of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022623.cfm)

    “What would you do if your boss offers you big amount of money and promises you a high-paying and much better job position, if you only betray your innocent supervisor and bear false witness against him in court for money-laundering?”, a priest once asked his three friends.

    The first friend answered, “No, I will not take the money and the tempting offer.” The priest said, “You are foolish stupid man.” The second friend retorted, “Well, Yes, I will take the offer. I will not waste such remarkable opportunity.” The priest said, “You are devious crook”. The third friend replied, “Well, I really don’t know what to do? Will I overcome my evil inclinations? OR, Will my evil inclinations overcome me to claim for myself what is not mine and to do what should not be done? I really don’t know. But if God will bless me and strengthen me to go against all my evil inclinations, I will not accept the money and offer of my corrupted boss.   The priest then said, “You are right, and you are a good wise man.”

    Everytime we pray the Lord ’s Prayer “Our Father”, we specifically ask the Lord to lead us not into temptation. This is because in our experience, temptations are very real in life. Dealing with temptations that comes our way – always challenging and testing our faith, values, and principles in life, is part and parcel of our daily struggles. Nobody among us here can claim that we are never been tempted or burdened by temptations in life. Each one of us in one way or another, had dealt, has been dealing and still dealing with a few temptations in our day lives.

    Perhaps we may somehow have three options in dealing with life-temptations: We may Get-rid, Get-into, or Get-through temptations in life.

    First, we may Get rid of life-temptations. Whenever confronted with temptations, here we may resist, fight with, and fly from these temptations. In overcoming our evil inclinations and life-temptations, here we do it on our own. The priest called the first friend as stupid and foolish man because he chooses to deal with (get rid of) temptation on his own. He doesn’t know himself – believing that he is strong enough to resist and deal with temptation on his own. No one, maybe except Jesus, has ever overpowered temptations in life. Usually, temptations overcome us not because we are weak but because we are too proud to think that we are strong enough to overcome temptations. Getting rid of temptations is a stupid and foolish option.

    Second, we may Get into the temptations. Whenever confronted, we just get into and allow ourselves to submit and be overcome by temptations itself. We do nothing ourselves but be corrupted by temptations – hurting not only others but also ourselves along the way. The priest called the second friend an opportunistic criminal because he opts to get into temptations – willingly claim what he is not due him, and do wrongdoing, without any qualms whatsoever. For such kind of men, temptations are opportunities for them to take advantage of others for their own benefits and glory. Getting into temptation is a crooked criminal approach to temptation.

    Third, we may Get through of temptations in life. Here whenever we are confronted with temptations in life, we willingly face and struggle along with these temptations – aware that on our own we are weak and limited, but also we steadfastly believe in God’s power with us to overcome such temptations. The priest praised the third as good and wise man because he knows that like all of us, we are basically weak people. He hopes that amid temptations, he will be strong enough to do what is right and his part. But he also knows that he can only do this with God’s help and strength, and he is most willing to ask and pray for it. He knows that in dealing with life-temptations, there is always a struggle within as well as reliance in God’s help. Getting through temptations is a good and wise option.  

    Easy for us indeed to fall into temptations. The biggest problem in dealing with temptations is our lack of self-knowledge, our lack of recognizing and overcoming the evil within ourselves. We struggle with the evils of others and in our society but the toughest struggle is to acknowledge and overcome the evil within our own selves, the evil in our own hearts. We were born with conflicting goodness and evil within. That is why we can be good and can do good. But not easily, since there are always tensions and struggles within ourselves. Moreover, we can only withstand these difficulties, if we are wise enough to rely not only in our strength but in God’s help and power.

    If we think we can overcome these life-temptations and evils only by and through own strength and power, we are surely wrong and are doomed to failure for we don’t have the power and capacity to resist temptations. But like Jesus, if we are wise enough to be God-centered to acknowledge and ask for, and rely on God’s help and strength, we surely can overcome evils and temptations in others as well as within ourselves.

    Notice Satan mainly tempts us in life in order to prove to God that we don’t care about God and others but only care about ourselves. Temptations usually happen then whenever we only selfishly care about ourselves, not about God and others. But through our faith and reliance in God’s help and power over temptations, we prove Satan wrong and proclaim our Love and Care for God and others.

    In praying then to God not to lead us into temptations, we pray to God to guide us through not in getting rid or getting into but in getting through life-temptations because we care not about ourselves, but we care more about God and others in life.

    Father, lead us then not into temptation.

  • SEEK LOVE, SEEK PEACE

    SEEK LOVE, SEEK PEACE

    February 19, 2023 – Seventh Sunday Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021923.cfm)

    As my niece was growing up, it was also the time that we directly and indirectly taught her ways of behaving and of different attitudes, which may be good or bad. Unconsciously, there were many things and ways that we taught to the child that were not really good. For instance, when she would misstep and fall, she would cry because of pain. Our immediate response is to comfort the child and tell her, “hapaka ang salug aron makabalos ka” (hit the floor so that you may have your revenge).Then, this would somehow bring comfort to her as if hitting back would take away the pain.

    A situation like this can easily be taken for granted since this looks and sounds normal to us. However, what we are not aware of is that we are actually introducing a very unhealthy attitude to the child. In fact, this kind of situation would only teach children the “culture of revenge” and the “culture of hate.” It is a form of teaching a child not to be comfortable with pain but to take comfort with vengeance. Hence, this is an unconscious way of teaching hatred to a young heart. Yet, is this the attitude and way of life that Jesus is teaching us as his disciples now?

    Well, we have heard from the Book of Leviticus what the Lord said to the Israelites, “You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart… Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The Lord God commanded this because this is how the Lord shows his heart and compassion to the people despite their unfaithfulness and sins. Moreover, the Psalm today also expressed God’s nature, “The Lord is kind and merciful.”

    This nature and attitude of God is the call for all of us Christian believers. Jesus also tells us, “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This perfection, which is much better translated as completeness or wholeness, that Jesus said, is meant to love all, not just loving those who are close to us but also those whom we do not like, those who caused us pain and shame, those who betrayed us and those whom we hate and those who have hatred against us.

    Indeed, it is also true that this sounds impossible to do especially if we would follow what Jesus said, “when someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well.” This really sounds ridiculous and outrageous not just to us now but also to people who listened to Jesus at that time. We can possibly ask, “How can I love someone who betrayed me? How can I love the person who abused us, physically, materially, emotionally o sexually?”

    Let us remember that it is certainly true that there may be people who caused pain to us and even unrepairable damage to us, but then, let us also be honest that we too, may have caused pain and damage to others in one way or another, or in many ways which we may not be totally aware of.

    So, what is this message of Jesus really all about? Love and peace, not hatred, not vengeance, not violence. This is what Jesus revealed to us. This is the very experience of Jesus with his Father in heaven as well. Indeed, the Lord God is not a violent Father. The Lord God cares for all sinners and righteous alike. And that God’s power rests in unconditional love and not in bringing us to damnation and eternal death because the Lord is slow to anger and does not hate.

    From this realization of God’s nature and attitude towards us, we are called to grow and become more like Jesus – in the sense, that we become “a complete person or a whole person” as Psychology says. Being a complete and whole person means a person who is healed through forgiveness, love and peace, who does not nurture grudges and not being controlled by anger or hatred.

    Indeed, we are called to get rid of that culture of hate, revenge and violence because healing, reconciliation and peace are not possible when we linger on these attitudes.

    This challenges us now that in our relationships, as we may face the possibilities of being hurt, let us also do our best not to keep feeding our hearts with hate and the thirst for revenge and violence. Let us also consciously teach our children of the culture of forgiveness and not the culture of hatred. Kabay pa.

  • What brings you to life?

    What brings you to life?

    February 12, 2023 – 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021223.cfm)

    What motivates and inspires you? What fulfills your day? What brings you to life? Depending of our status, situations and circumstances in life, our answers may vary from God, family, children, wife or husband, community, our career or business, our passion and advocacies, our dreams and aspirations.

    There is always a reason why we get up in the morning and continue to live on. We get inspirations from people around us, and that keep us going. For many of us, it is very important that at the end of the day we feel fulfilled in life. However, when we find ourselves unfulfilled and unsatisfied, we feel disappointed or depressed or even feel angry at ourselves or towards others.

    Consequently, it is also important that we are aware of those that motivate and inspire us. By being able to know the reasons why we do things, why we do sacrifices and make decisions, why we commit and give ourselves, then, these help us to become grounded and mature in our relationships.

    On this Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, allow me to journey with you through the readings that have been proclaimed to us and together let us discover how the Lord invites to find what really motivates and inspires us and what brings us to life.

    The readings we have this Sunday are all talking about God’s commandments and the call to become obedient to God’s commands. Our childhood catechesis would remind us that for us to go to heaven then we have to follow the commandments of God or else we shall be damned in hell. Fear of being terribly punished is usually instilled into our minds.  Well, let us rather look at these fundamentals of our faith at the level of a mature relationship with God.

    Let us start with what the Book of Sirach tells us. Sirach reminds us that God’s commandments are not meant to restrict and enslave us. These are also not detrimental to our human freedom and knowledge. The commandments of God are rather to bring us to the fullness of life, to God’s Divine Self. Sirach says, “if you trust in God, you too shall live.” Trusting the Lord, then, means being able to uphold and follow God’s commandments.

    Moreover, though “God’s wisdom in immense, he is mighty in power, and all-seeing,” yet, the Lord never imposes that power on us or threatening us just to obey the commandments to love. God rather gives us freedom to choose to love freely, to choose God freely and to choose life freely.

    Though Sirach reminds us again to “fear the Lord,” however, “fear” here is not about the “fear of being punished” so that we obey just as a child obeys a parent because of fear of corporal punishment – of being hit or scolded. If our “fear of the Lord” remains at this level, then, it means that our faith and relationship with God has not grown to maturity.

    Fear of the Lord is an attitude of deep respect and reverence to God. Thus, fear must come from the knowledge and belief of the possibility of being away from the grace of God, away from the fullness of life. This will only happen when we choose freely what is evil, choose not to love, thus, not choosing God.

    Yet, God does not want us to be away from him, away from his love and from the fullness of life. God desires that we freely, knowingly and consciously choose the Lord, choose to love and choose life. These should rather motivate and inspire us as individuals and as a community of believers because as the Psalm proclaims today, “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord.”

    Likewise, Paul also tells us that God’s wisdom is mysterious and hidden, yet, the wisdom of God has been “revealed to us through the Spirit.” The person of Jesus, his whole life – is God’s wisdom revealed to us. Again, Paul tells us that having the Lord in our life and in every decision we make in life should be the reason behind and the power that inspires us. This is what the Gospel of Matthew wants to tell us as well. Jesus who is God’s manifestation of wisdom, is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets that basically nurtures our relationship with God and with one another.

    In the Gospel, we have heard an argument between the Jewish leaders and Jesus. They thought that Jesus abolished the Law and Prophets, which composed the whole tradition of their people. For them, the Law and the Prophets, and all those teachings were the fundamentals of their faith. The commandments written in the scriptures motivated them to live as faithful Jews.

    However, Jesus himself denied that he abolished the law and the teachings of the prophets and the whole tradition of the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus is actually the fulfillment of the promises in the whole Hebrew Scriptures. The person of Jesus is the very inspiration of the Sacred Scriptures.

    But then, the Jewish leaders missed the whole point. They were not able to recognize Jesus, as the true inspiration. They focused more on themselves, on what they can gain, on their privileges and influences over the people.

    This happens also to us when we think that our achievements, influence and power over others, and our titles are our main inspiration and that having them is our motivation; when we believe that pleasing people around us will make us fulfilled or satisfying our every selfish desires will make us truly happy and contented. Nevertheless, these will only make us anxious, fearful and more unsatisfied.

    We are rather called to ground ourselves to the most important part of life, and that is, our relationships. These include our relationship with God and with one another, with our family and friends, organizations and communities. God’s commandments are given to us to essentially nurture, cherish and develop our relationships with each other and with God. Thus, to freely choose to love, life and God are the very areas where we are called to find inspiration and motivation. Choosing away from these would lead us rather to be separated from grace which will ultimately make us to hurt and cause pain to others because of our selfish intentions.

    Thus, for all of us, we are called to mature and be grounded with our relationships, and most  essentially with the Lord. Allow ourselves to be taught, to be molded and to be inspired through our experiences in our relationships may it be in our families, friends, or special someone. Allow those relationships also to be the space of God to reveal the Divine presence in us. With that, we shall surely find true fulfilment in life as we follow God’s commandments. Hopefully, we will be animated by Jesus who gives us life and fulfills our life. Kabay pa.

  • SPIRIT-Behind

    SPIRIT-Behind

    February 12, 2022 – 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021223.cfm)

    “Do you believe in chain letters? Or nowadays we may call it as Copy-Paste & Post OR-ELSE…. Facebook, Messenger, or Twitter posts?”

    At times, I have been asked about this, & I find myself giving the same answer. I say: “In general, I don’t trust anything that offers promises or threats, IF (meaning, with conditions) you do or don’t this or that, with the usual addendum “Or Else…”. In my book, deserved gifts are called prizes or salary, but underserved gifts are called Grace and blessings. God’s grace is not something we do to God, but what God does to us. Just try to be the better Christian, as you choose and can be, not as what others (in chain letters, posts, or messages) want you to be.”

    For the past Sundays, we have been hearing about the public ministry of Jesus where he proclaims to us the Good News of God’s salvation. In his preaching, Jesus basically calls us to change our ways for God is with us (Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand). He then in Beatitudes makes known to us how blessed we who are meek, humble, merciful, righteous, and sensitive enough to welcome God’s blessings into our lives (Blessed are you…). He also reminds us that much as we are blessed, we are also a blessing to others (You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world). Wow, what GOOD NEWS indeed to us!

    In a nutshell, we need to change our life since we are already and always blessed and a blessing to others because God is with us and his Kingdom is at hand. This is the very core message of Jesus ever since and until now as being always proclaimed to us and by us, His Church.

    After always hearing, reflecting, and knowing Jesus’ good news of God’s salvation, what now then for us?

    Somehow, we wonder as to how to gratefully respond to and live out such great blessings into our lives. We ponder on how can we remain, endure, and persevere in living with Jesus’ gospel in our day to day living? Like, now what are we to do to respond and be converted and practice His gospel into our lives?

    Surely for Jesus, it is more than just keeping the Ten Commandments or observing the Torah, the Law of Moses. In our gospel today, we hear the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus wherein he directs us how to live in the good news of God’s salvation. By reviewing and commenting on the Torah, which is the Jewish standard of righteousness, Jesus reorients people that there is far better in His message of God’s salvation than just observing the Law of Moses. He reiterates that God’s kingdom is more than just the practice of not killing, not committing adultery, and not making false promises. God’s kingdom is more so and above all about respecting life, reverence for people’s union – making marriage sacred, and living life with integrity.

    For Jesus then, to live in His blessing of God’s salvation is not a matter of just practicing and observing but more so fulfilling the Law of Moses. Here Jesus is upgrading the Jewish Law of Moses into His message and mission of teaching, preaching, sharing, and witnessing the values of God’s kingdom in our lives. An Upgrade from Torah to the Spirit of Jesus.

    Important here is the consistency between our being and our doing – our person & action now as Christian. In a way, Jesus is teaching us that our actions must now reflect our being as blessed and blessing people. In other words, Be and become consistent with who you are now with what you do, as Christian. 

    Meaning, far beyond the practice (living out) the values of God’s Kingdom, there must be spirituality. For Spirituality is the “because I am” of the “why”s in life, i.e. “Why I do this or do that?” “Because I am…”. Spirituality is thus the spirit behind the action, the meaning behind the practice. What matters is not just about the practice but also the spirit behind the practice and action – not only about what we do but why we do it, knowing that ours is a grateful response in thanksgiving to what God does and doing to us, and not like chain-letters, what we may do as bribe or payment for His graces.

    Perhaps you may reflect about your spirituality nowadays. Ask yourself: “Why you do what you do?” Be in touch with the meaning and spirit behind your behaviors & actions. Pray that you be a better blessed and blessing Christian you choose and can be, not as others may want you to be. Pray also that our actions be a response in thanksgiving to what God does and is doing to us, rather than as what we do to Him to gain His favor. 

    So May It Be. Kabay Pa. Amen.

  • BE A SALT, BE A LIGHT

    BE A SALT, BE A LIGHT

    February 5, 2023 – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020523.cfm)

    I once encountered an old leper in Mandaue City when I was a first year Seminarian in the college. His name was Tatay Mike. He was abandoned by his own family in the leprosarium in the 60s when leprosy began to appear in his body during his 30s. He was a teacher yet, he was forced to leave his teaching profession and his home but was also abandoned by his family because of fear of contamination.

    What is terrifying with leprosy are not just the wounds, but of not being able to feel the pain. Leprosy produces anesthetic-effect in the body. It actually damages the sensory nerves of the person, thus, the inability to feel pain.

    Tatay Mike also began to question his own existence. He was filled with suffering both in his body and in his heart. He was wounded, physically, emotionally and spiritually. The abandonment from his family created unspeakable wound in his person. He was always angry at everything and everyone. He would blame God for making him suffer that much. In fact, he asked people to just kill him, to end his life. He too tried to kill himself. He committed suicide not just one, not twice, but many times.

    That encounter with him led me and my co-seminarian to become a friend of Tatay Mike. We spent time with him even though he would curse us for being with him. We would visit him every afternoon on Saturday even when he seemed to be always angry at us. Yet, our constant visits to him, changed him slowly. He became more tolerant with us until such a time that he began to open up his story to us.

    One Saturday afternoon Tatay Mike blurted out to us, “Gusto nako mamatay! Wala may naghigugma nako! Pait kaayo akong kinabuhi.” (I really want to die. No one has loved me. My life is bitter!) – Upon hearing this painful words of Tatay Mike, it was my co-seminarian who responded and gave hope to him. He said, “Tay, nia man mi nagahigugma nimu. Mao nang kanunay mi mobisita nimu!” (Tay, we are here loving you. That is the reason why we would visit you.)

    Tatay Mike shed some tears at this. He told us that it was his very first time being told that he was loved. It was such an emotional encounter but that gave hope to Tatay Mike. And that simple encounter, changed Tatay Mike’s perspective in life. Sadly, Tatay Mike died the following year due to other complications. But at least he died knowing that he too was being loved.

    This encounter with this old man seemed to be just an ordinary encounter for me at that time. We went to the leprosarium to visit the patients, not entirely by our own will and desire. As young Seminarians, we went there because we were told to and that was just a part of our seminary formation. If we were given a choice at that time, we would surely not go to the leprosarium to visit and talk to the lepers. We would rather go to an internet café and play computer games.

    It was only later that I realized that the seemingly ordinary encounter with Tatay Mike created actually a slow but powerful impact on me as a Seminarian. Tatay Mike must have realized that our presence brought something new and some meaning into his life. Yet, Tatay Mike’s life and our Saturday visits have actually changed me a lot.

    Tatay Mike and those Saturday visits taught me that despite the senseless suffering one will have, life is still wort living; that another person’s presence in our life is a testament of God’s faithfulness in us; that our expressions of care and concern could be the last life-line of people who have lost the desire to live.

    This reminds me very much of what St. Paul told us in his first letter to the Corinthians that the message he brought to the people was through a “demonstration of Spirit and power.” What does he mean by this? Paul preached the person of Jesus not merely on persuasion and human words but through his very actions. The sincerity of his heart, his kindness and concern shown to the many people were reasons that the people recognized the person of Jesus in the life of Paul.

    Similarly, Prophet Isaiah in the first reading reminds us how the Lord has called us into concrete actions of care and concern. The Lord declares, “Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own… remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech.”

    When we have the courage, the intention and the desire to express these concrete actions of care and concern, we shall be a light and joy to those who find life dark and bitter. In effect, our commitment to defend the weak and the oppressed will be our source of confidence when we too are in the midst of trials and challenges.

    Moreover, Jesus encapsulates what we both heard in the previous readings. Jesus tells us, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of world.” The salt because it gives flavor to our food and serves as preservative as well, has become a symbol of bringing joy to our community. The salt which was also a form of compensation to Roman Soldiers in ancient Rome, thus the word salary emerged, has also become a symbol of giving life to those whose lives were deprived of basic needs.

    The light that Jesus told us is also not about claiming that we become the source of light. No! As we boldly express our faith in the Lord and of our commitment to defend, nurture and develop life, we will truly give light. How shall we be a light then? By being courageous enough to stand for what is right and just, by defending the weak, by showing our respect to people no matter who they are, by being honest and trustworthy in our work or business, by being committed in our relationships, by giving ourselves and gifts for the sake of others. In these concrete ways of showing care and concern, we will surely become a light for others who find life dark.

    Yet, remember, we are neither the source of joy nor the light itself. We are reflections of joy and light. Hence, like St. Paul, we may become like him who brought others to the Lord, to the true source of life, joy and light. Kabay pa.