Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: LiturgIcal Year B

  • NOT ALONE BUT PARTNERS FOR LIFE

    NOT ALONE BUT PARTNERS FOR LIFE

    October 6, 2024 – 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100624.cfm)

    What would make marriages last long? What would keep a wife and a husband to stay together? Love? Faithfulness? Commitment? Sacrifice? Faith in God? What would also destroy marriages? What would make a wife and a husband separate from one another after committing to love each other? Unfaithfulness? Hatred? Abuse? Vices? Anger?

    Certainly, there are many angles and aspects in the life of married people that we have to recognize and understand in order to better accompany, guide, nurture and develop such relationship that is very important both in our Church and in the society at large.

    According to an author, he identified top 10 reasons of marriage breakups[1]. But here, I will just mention the first 5 reasons. According to him, these first five reasons are namely, first, immaturity of one or both spouses. Second is clashes of personalities. Third is money issues. Fourth is interference by in-laws and commonly by mothers-in-law. And fifth is domestic abuse and violence against spouses which may be physical, emotional or psychological.

    These tell us why the Absolute Divorce Bill in our country is being pushed in congress because the recent law that we have make marriage difficult to annul. Though this push is not theological in nature but on availability, accessibility and as easy way out of those whose marriages were problematic, yet, it also fundamentally attacks the sanctity of marriage as our Catholic teachings remind us.

    Moreover, aside from these causes of breakups in marriages, there is also another aspect and reason and slowly weakens the importance of marriage. According to a survey conducted by Radio Veritas[2] there are about 45 percent of Filipino Catholics who believed that marriage is not necessary before people could live together. This means that there is a common belief now that living together outside marriage is normal and getting married in the Church is not that important.

    However, despite these reasons and scenarios in marriage, these do not diminish the beauty and wonder of marriage life. I am sure many couples who in spite of the many struggles and countless arguments and hurts they encountered, have chosen to stay together and committed once again to love each other until death will set them apart.

    This is what our readings have revealed today on this 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. And so, let us revisit the sacred scripture proclaimed to us today and see how God unfolds the call for us to protect, nurture and develop the Sacrament of Marriage.

    The Book of Genesis portrays to us how God realized the complementarity of man and woman. This is expressed as the Lord God said, “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” Man and woman, in marriage, are called to be partners, to complement each other.

    The connection of both has also been made more significant as the Book of Genesis told us how the completeness of both is discovered in each one. This means that the rib taken out from the man completes the woman, and the husband who is called to cling to his wife finds his fullness. This is how the two become one flesh, united in love.

    This partnership of man and woman is further elaborated in the Psalm where husband and wife finds delight in their relationship at home whose marriage is centered not on their personal pleasure, but in the glory of God revealed in their marriage. This is how we can sing joyfully, “May the Lord bless us all the days of our life.”

    In this way, we also understand better that marriage is not merely a human initiative but God’s divine plan for the world to bring glory. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us, “for whom (Christ) and through whom (Christ) all things exist in bringing many children to glory.” This means again that marriage is also not a mundane human relationship but it is destined to bring and reveal the glory of God in our homes, communities and the world.

    This is what Jesus brought out in today’s Gospel. He was asked by the Pharisees on the lawfulness of divorce in which at that time divorce was allowed in that culture and time. However, that time only men were allowed to divorce their wives. This was something that was already problematic and unfair.

    Hence, Jesus in response to that  question went to the heart of the matter and identified the very reason why divorce was only allowed. It was through the “hardness of your hearts.” Again, divorce was only allowed as an easy way out for people yet, it does not solve the main problem or the root cause on why marriage was breaking down.

    The hardness of the heart is seasoned by indifference and selfishness in marriage, by manipulation, abuse and violence, by our immaturity and unpreparedness, by our desire to be above and to dominate, by our greed for self-pleasure and of a heart that nurtures hatred.

    However, this is not what God intended marriage to be. The Lord God designed and planned that woman and man will be partners all their life not competitors. Husband and wife are called to complement each one, to help and nurture each one, to develop and support one another.

    That is the reason why marriage is not just a mere human union or human agreement of being together, but a sacrament, a sacred relationship centered on God who called a husband and wife to live together for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death will set you apart. Amen. Hinaut pa.

    [1] https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/opinion/2021/08/30/2123595/top-10-causes-marriage-break-ups

    [2] https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1556351/pinoy-faith-in-marriage-slips

  • One-winged Angels

    One-winged Angels

    October 6, 2024 – 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100624.cfm)

    A wise man once said, “Each one of us are angels… But, with one wing. We can only fly by embracing each other.” Reflecting on these words, such wisdom somehow reflects our daily experience and journey of being human and Christian in this life. Human as we are, these words of wisdom affirm our being HOLY – our promise and desire to be holy and sacred in life, as somewhat angel-like. But Holy may we be, these words also reveal our being HUMAN – our limitations and constraints to become holy in life, as one-winged angel.

    “Angels with one wing” somehow describes our aspirations and our frustrations of being and becoming Human and Holy in this life, and highlights our experience of loneliness – of being alone in life, and our need for one another as well. However, as these words of wisdom suggest we can only fulfill our longing for sacredness in our human nature, by way of flying via embracing each other.

    This calls for us then not to be weighed down by our human limits, but to fly – that is to resolve and commit ourselves to rise up and respond to the occasion and chance to become angels in life. And also this calls us to do the flying together in relationship along and with one another. In other words, we are inter-related. (Magkaugnay). Only by flying-journeying with others – not by walking alone, each and all of us can reach the destination we are promised and we longed for in life, as “angels with one wing.”

    Surely our readings today can teach us a lot of things about our life-experiences of being Holy & Human. But aside from the themes of creation, marriage, divorce, adultery, parents and children, our readings today are all about our human need to have a committed relationship in life, i.e. to be in covenant relationship with God and with One another.

    We are told in our first reading today that as God created us, He also sees our human need to have a partner in life for “It is not good for man to be alone” and even animals and pets are not enough for us. He ensures a suitable human partner for us in life, so that we can leave our parents and be with our God-given partner in life.

    God thus has created us not to be alone and/or be with our parents, but to be with our own God-Given suitable partners, for us to live the life God has created us to be. Jesus in our gospel today reminds us not to block and be a hindrance in letting ourselves and others to come to God and live the life God has called us to be, and challenge us to remain faithful and steadfast in our relationship with one another as we live our life-mission God has called us to be as well.

    Both readings give importance to our human need to have and be in a committed relationship as God sees & wills it. More than just having a friendly, convenient, and secure relationship in life, God appreciates that we, human as we are, should be committed to the life God has chosen us to be, and to live such-committed life in relationship with our own suitable partner God has destined us to be with.

    In other words, though with one wing, we should be angels – flying, coming to God’s glory, rising up and committing to the occasion to live the life God has called us to be, and by means of interdependence, embracingly flying/journeying in relationship with our God-given suitable partners in life.

    Perhaps beyond our concerns for our civil status or even FB Profile status, whether we are Single-Married, in relationship, in love or complicated, we should moreso ask ourselves, “Am I committed to the life God has called me now to be? Am I also in a covenant-relationship with my God-given suitable partner in the journey?” Simply asked, “Am I committed and committing to where I am going and with-whom I am going with toward the life God has chosen me and us to be?”

    Nowadays we hear loud noises proclaiming “Walang Forever”, i.e. there is no promise of forever, eternity, constancy and always in life. True it may be for those who cannot commit, who refuse to rise to the occasion but be remain burdened by their limits and choose to be on their own and alone in their own life-struggles, still dependent on their own parents and others.

    But “There is forever, always, and eternal life”… for commit-able people, people who can commit, still committed and committing to live the life God has chosen them to be and to the partner they are to be with. We could say also that committed relationships are measured by faithfulness & not by success, for our journey in life is not about gaining heights but moreso about remaining steadfast/faithful in our efforts to fly & journey along with others.

    Though not of this world but in this world, Christian and human as we are, we are Holy and Sacred for we are also God’s children and Jesus’ brothers and sisters. And difficult it may be, we can always be holy and sacred in this life, if and whenever we commit to the life God has called us to be and to the suitable partner God has given us to be with.

    Again as the saying goes: “Each one of us are angels… But, with one wing. We can only fly by embracing each other.” With these words, may we learn and grow with holiness despite our human limits, in our Christian lives today. Amen.

  • Inclusive Grace

    Inclusive Grace

    September 29, 2024 – 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092924.cfm)

    This Sunday we celebrate the National Seafarers & Migrant Sunday. This is not only to recognize the contribution of the OFW & Migrant families to the betterment of our quality of life here at home but also their struggles of living life afar from their loved ones in long-distance relationship, and their steadfast Christian faith to live & share Jesus to others at home & abroad.

    My father & elder brother are Seafarers. I have also lived as Migrant student & missionary abroad. I know & have experienced how to live life in distance & away from my families, friends & loved ones.

    For us who have live & work abroad & also who have been raised in a long-distance relationship family, living & giving witness to our Christian faith is particularly challenging. Much that we have to adjust & manage with the unusual circumstances & culture we are in – afar from our comfort zones & support groups in a totally in a different foreign culture & lifestyles, OFW families have also to contend with faith & church life.

    Here at home, we have to do with going to Sunday Eucharist with less & absence of loved ones. And more challenging, when we find ourselves alone abroad in a non-Christian countries. And even much more challenging, when we are in a mostly Christian nation, but we cannot fully relate because they tend to think that they are the only Christians around & their version of Christianity is & should be only observed by all. In other words, we may find ourselves with exclusive, non-welcoming & critical Catholic church abroad.

    Sometimes it is good to examine and ask ourselves: “What are the things that we claim as being rightly ours and yet are not truly ours?” This may not only be material possessions but could also be our status in society we use to lord over others,.. titles we use for personal advantages, … our prejudices and biases we harbored towards others,… or our self-righteous behaviors & beliefs that makes us feel morally better, privilege or important than others. We sometimes claim these privileges – which do not really belong to us, though we come to think and believe that they are only ours to have. Worse, we sometimes claim that we are the rightful owners of Christian life & faith that we impose on others should practice & observed.

    Here in our first reading, we heard Joshua complaining to Moses for letting two elders who were absent during the meeting, receive the spirit of prophecy. Joshua was thinking that only those elders who attended the meeting are the rightful recipients of the spirit of prophecy.

    A similar story here is depicted in our gospel today. John reported to Jesus: “Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting our devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.” Meaning, John and other disciples tried to exclude a non-member from exercising the ministry of healing and exorcism in the name of Jesus. Just like Joshua, the apostles believed that they are exclusively the privilege persons to invoke the name of the Lord.

    But as we all know; Jesus did not stop the estranged but effective exorcist. Like Moses, Jesus was not concerned about how the exorcist got the spirit of exorcism but was simply glad he had it. Clearly, Jesus perceived the situation differently. He said, “If anyone who is not against us is for us”. In other words, the Kingdom of God is beyond and wider than our human standards. Salvation is non-exclusive.

    It is God’s gift for all, not only for privileged few. Consequently, God’s blessings for us are Sharewares – meant to be shared, and not to be kept selfishly & owned exclusively. He challenged us instead to be open-minded to others, to “Let God’s spirit blows where it will” since God rewards those who show even the smallest courtesies to those who teach and share in Jesus’ name.

    On the contrary, he warned the disciples then & us now against our tendency to be selective, downgrading, arrogant, jealous, and intolerant of one another – as if we have the monopoly of the gift of God’s graces & spirit, and the exclusive rightful owner of what we have, or exclusive person to invoke Jesus name. Instead of selfishly thinking for ourselves & of ourselves, he challenged us to be what we claim to be: Christians. That is, If we claim to be Christians – a follower of Christ let us also be Christians in our attitude and behavior in our discipleship and relationship with one another & others.

    Since we call ourselves as Christians, we must also be Christ-like: tolerant open-minded, creative, non-exclusive at the same time determined and non-compromising in our faith in God’s salvation for all humanity through Jesus’ name. In other words, it is not for us to forbid and impose limitations on God’s capacity & ways. It is not for us to program God’s own Plans & Ways for all which are far way better than our human standards and ways. Jesus offers us then inclusive grace than exclusive privileges.

    Somehow our readings today are wake-up calls for us to realize not only our self-centered ways and attitudes in life demand our conversion & transformation.  Somehow we are challenge to do away our exclusive global-thinking that we don’t mind the locals, and to resist our mere mainstream mentality that we suspect alternatives.  

    Most of all, that even we are alone on our own abroad, and incomplete family here at home, w e challenge to cooperate and share with one another God’s non-exclusive all-embracing intervention, protection, salvation, healing, and blessings that we do pray & really need at these challenging life, especially in a long-distance relationships.

    May Our Father & His Will be always upon Us, Lord. Whatever & however our gifts, talents, limits & blessings we have now may be, allow us to contribute & cooperate with Your plans of saving us now and always. Amen.

  • With open & welcoming heart

    With open & welcoming heart

    September 22, 2024 – 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092224.cfm)

    In a village badly hit by drought, a woman decided to fetch water from the well. But before doing this, she had to find clean & available container to use. Unfortunately, almost every container she has, were already filled, and used for other things – like oil, vinegar, gas, soy sauce and others. Until eventually, she found an Empty container, which she readily cleaned and brought with her to the well. There, using her now clean container, she was able to quench her thirst, wash herself and bring some water for her family to use and drink.

    A simple story but with a strong message, and that is: Thirst quenched, body refreshed and water is enjoyed because an empty and open container is available.

    This is also true in our life and faith. Common sense tells us that only an open and welcoming hand can receive and share gifts. If hands are close, filled or occupied, one cannot receive or accept more. If hands are open, empty, and available, one can accept, receive, or share gifts because there are still lots of space or room available to welcome & receive.

    While they were on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus in our gospel today warned his disciples of his coming passion and death. However, they were not listening. They were so immersed with their quarrel as to who is the greatest among them. Instead of being concern of Jesus, they were more concerned and pre-occupied with their power, influence, and wealth. In a sense, their hearts and minds are already full & occupied of themselves that made them unavailable, unwelcoming and close to others. That is why when Jesus asked them about their discussion, they were embarrassed and remained silent. Jesus then uses this occasion to reprimand them and correct them as to what constitutes true greatness in God’s eyes.

    True greatness, he says, does not come from having power and influence over people but consists in humble service. He tells his ambitious disciples that everyone is important, and that true greatness comes from being open, welcoming and available to all people even down to the little children. Jesus here also instructs us of what kind of followers He wants us to be. He wants us to be his great disciples by our humble service to our brothers and sisters – open, welcoming & available sharers of God’s graces to all.

    But, is it not true that we are rather like the ambitious disci arguing on the road about which of them was the greatest? At times, we are full of selfish ambition; always putting ourselves first, wanting the best of everything. Like some of our local & church leaders, ut is easy for us to think of what we have as completely ours, no thanks to anyone else. We fail to remember that we are just mere stewards of many gifts which God entrusts us with, and mere containers which He intends to be used in His service.

    To be a disciple, then, means being open, welcoming, available, and responsive to what God may ask of us at any given moment for the needs of other & all. Remember, only an open, available, welcoming hand, container and heart is capable of receiving, giving and sharing God’s blessings.

    We can, thus only receive, give, & share if & when we are open, available, welcome & empty enough to receive the little ones, Jesus, and the One who sent Him into our very lives now and always. Be reminded, Jesus said: “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

    Lord, decrease my selfishness & my me-first attitude & as well as, increase my concern & compassion for others. Most especially during trying times, open my eyes, move my heart, and prepare my hands to serve those around me who are in need for us to share Your healing graces for us now & forever. Amen.

  • FRIENDS THAN FANS

    FRIENDS THAN FANS

    September 15, 2024 – 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091524.cfm)

    What does it mean when we say: “putting someone into pedestal”?

    It is our common idiom used to idolize, deify, canonize, exalt & glorify someone far greater, better & above the normal. It  is also called hero-worship or idolatry wherein we idealize or idolize a person into a romantic relationship, and in effect creates a relationship gap of inferior & superior between us. It somehow builds on a hierarchical vertical functional & distant relationship rather than on equal horizontal personal & close relationship between us.

    When asked who Jesus is for them personally, Peter’s testimony of Jesus as the Christ is the precise description of who Jesus is for all of us. Yes, Jesus is indeed our Christ, God’s anointed messiah & savior. Yet like Peter, our testimony & witness of Jesus as our Christ, inspired it maybe, has to be purified of our interpretation of who & what Christ is.

    We consider that Peter was affirmed for his inspired testimony of Jesus as Christ, but he was also reputed for rebuking Jesus coming suffering. Peter thus praised for thinking as & of God, but scolded for thinking as & of man. Why? Because Peter puts Jesus on pedestal. He resorted to hero-worship that created a gap between Jesus & himself that led Jesus to say to Peter “Get behind me, Satan”.

    Whenever Jesus then ask us who He is to us personally, it is not just enough for us to profess that He is the Christ, but also we are to accept Him personally, not functionally. Jesus does not need our hero-worship, & doesn’t need us to put Him on pedestal. Jesus wants us to believe Him intimately as a person, not to idealize & idolize Him as our distant hero devoid from our struggles in life. He wants us to be His relatives & friends, not His fans. Jesus wants to have a covenant, not business contract with us. Considering Jesus then on a pedestal afar & apart from us is not of God, but of Satan – hindering us to recognize & trusting who Jesus really is as Christ than how & what we want Jesus to be.

    Perhaps we may ask ourselves now as followers of Jesus Christ: Who is the Jesus Christ we believe in our life now? Be conscious that nowadays Jesus Christ has been presented or packaged to us in other many distorted ways. Several so-called Christians today in a corrupted way may have preached and believed in Jesus Christ as “Jesus without the cross” and/or “Cross without Jesus”.

    “Jesus without the Cross” belief is the Jesus of the prosperity gospel church, who preached not of a suffering and wounded Christ, but that of a healthy, smiling, laughing, good-looking idol Jesus who enjoys and offers us the good things and luxuries in life now, if and when we only follow and believe in Him. While “Cross without Jesus” belief is the Jesus of spiritual charismatic gospel church who preached a Jesus who suffered on the cross, but is now not here but in otherworld or pedestal heaven, who offers His followers salvation and life… later and in heaven. We must be aware of these two distorted ways of Jesus being presented and preached to us today, for it undermines the struggle, suffering and sacrifice Jesus has undergone, and we must undergo in life for our salvation.

    As true follower of Christ, we believe not in “Jesus without a cross” or “Cross without Jesus” but rather we believe in Jesus Christ WITH and ON a cross. The Jesus Christ we believe in then is the Jesus Christ whom He Himself described in our gospel today, who suffered and was crucified on the cross, as well as the risen/resurrected but still wounded, cross-bearing Jesus Christ. Not only that we believe that Jesus is the Messiah, our Christ and Savior; but also we believe that the way to our life and salvation with God as shown to us by Jesus, is through the path or the way of the CROSS. By following the example of Christ in humble submission to the Father’s will and our acceptance of our own crosses in life – thus losing ourselves For Christ and for the sake of others, we come to benefit and share from God’s grace of life and salvation.

    The paradox of our Christian life is thus the Way of the cross in faith of Jesus with & on the cross.

    And so, is your & our faith of Jesus as Christ, of God or of men & Satan? Are our perspectives, attitudes & behaviors pave the way to be closely personal with Jesus with & on a cross as our Christ? Or, it rather place Jesus on a pedestal distant from us, without cross?

    Lord, take away everything that distance us from you. Grant us everything that bring us closer to you. Detach us from ourselves to give our All to you.

    So may it be. Amen.