Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: LiturgIcal Year B

  • VIA CON DIOS

    VIA CON DIOS

    June 23, 2024 – 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062324.cfm)

    As we all know, to journey around the Philippines islands would entail a lot of  travel by land, sea or air. This would mean taking the car, bus, tricycle, boat, walk, bike, horse, fast ferry or plane and/or combination of all.

    Once at the pre-departure area of Cebu SuperCat fastcraft ferry terminal, it was announced that our trip to Dumaguete on that day was cancelled due to incoming typhoon. A number of us were grumbling as we lined up ourselves to get our ticket refunded. It happened that one of the passengers recognized me and chatted with me. Expressing her disgust, she suggested to me, “Father, why don’t you pray like Jesus did, for the storm to pass us by.” I replied to her, “It never and will never cross my mind that I am Christ, or I am the Christ. I am a Christian – a mere follower & disciple of Christ.”

    Our gospel today about calming of the storm teaches us about our life as Christians. It tells us what it means to be a Christian. The word Christian comes from the proper noun “Christ”, which means Messiah or Savior and the suffix      “-ian” which mean a follower of, a fan of. Meaning, to be a Christian is not to be Christ savior, but to be a disciple or follower of Christ.

    It is like if one is a follower of Vilma, they are called Vilmanian, and Noranians for Nora. Even the suffix “ian” could have an acronym. If we attached IAN to Christ, IAN could mean (I Am Now) with Christ. But if we detach or separate “ian” from Christ, IAN could mean (I Am Nothing) without Christ. Meaning, if we only remain in Him, we are assured of our salvation and eternal life. Apart from Him, we are nobody. With Him, we are blessed.

    In our world today, we could recognize that there are people who claim that they are christ, (like, Quiboloy & Señor Agila) who promise that they will save us, thinks that only them who can save us, and through their own efforts, on their own, they can save themselves and others – in other words, people with messianic complex.

    There are also people nowadays who expect others to be their Christ who will do and save the day for them. Just like people, who want and expect others, like their priests, politicians & government officials to heal them from sickness, forgive their sins and faults, solve their problems, fix their mess, help them financially and even perform miracles like calming the storm, exorcised their demons, and others.

    Our gospel is a clear reminder that Jesus is THE Christ, and we are Christians – His mere follower. As Christians then, we need Christ. We need to be and live life with Him for without Him we can do nothing. We thus need to travel & journey with Him in our day to day lives.

    Jesus also is teaching us today about PEACE, COURAGE, and FAITH. First of all, Peace is not the absence of war, conflict, storms or turmoil in life, but Peace is the sense of calmness in the midst of life-storms, and the sense of serenity despite wars, conflict, and difficulties in life. We cannot avoid storms in life, but what is required of us is the calmness and serenity of Jesus who says: “Quiet” amid these storms, and difficulties.

    He also teaches us that Courage is more than just moving on – moving fighting forward, but more on holding our ground, facing the odds, still holding on standing, and asking for help. Jesus who says: “Be Still” shows us courage in the midst of the storm not by fighting or controlling it, but by facing the storm without being overwhelmed by it.

    In the same way, courage in the midst of life-storms and difficulties would mean the Christ-like attitude of not only “no retreat, no surrender”, but also “don’t fight nor flee but face it and ask for help”. Facing life-adversities then is not about getting rid and getting out, but more so getting through life-challenges. And lastly, Jesus who asks: “Do you not yet have faith?” is also teaching us that Faith is not more than just the absence of fear and doubt, but to remain steadfast and trusting in the Lord’s will and ways, even when in fear and doubt.

    In life, then, as Christ’s followers, we travel with the Lord in peace, courage & faith. Via con Dios. Go with God, Walk with Jesus.

    As Christians, followers of Christ we pray that we may always recognize His presence and help in our life journey and so bless us with peace, courage, and faith in the midst of storms in life now & always. Amen.

  • GOD GROWING IN US

    GOD GROWING IN US

    June 16, 2024 – 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061624.cfm)

    Just this week, I joined and participated in a youth leadership training for 5 days. Attended by close to a 100 youth ministers coming from DOPIM (Dipolog, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Iligan and Marawi). Aside from the wonderful topics and speakers who graced the seminar, what amazed me more was how I witnessed the changes and the growth of many youth ministers present in that event. On the first night of our arrival, many were shy and hesitant to relate and mingle with each other. In fact, there were those young leaders who seemed to be confused, alone and isolated.

    Then, we began introducing and knowing each other. The interactions became more frequent as the activities, discussions and animations were done. What I also find more interesting and wonderful were those moments when many began to let their guards down and showed how vulnerable and wounded each one of us. Each day, more and more individuals shared their own stories of pain, hurts, woundedness, triumph, success, and grace.

    On my part, as the only priest present in the whole event, I was able to accompany some of those young leaders who went through some difficulties and overwhelming emotions in their life. Yet, each day also, I saw how many of us gradually transformed. There were many realizations and discoveries, learnings and unlearning, and most importantly, friendships being developed.

    Youth leadership in the youth ministry then, essentially involves our capacity to be who we are truly, of our capacity to be welcoming, vulnerable and accepting, and of our capacity to build friendships.

    I am especially moved as it helped me as a youth minister to discover more, learn more and grow more in this ministry of accompaniment to the young.

    This is how I find the readings speaking to me today telling and inviting us towards growth and maturity, finding that God grows in us.

    The first reading from the Prophet Ezekiel tells us that God desires our growth. Indeed, God shall tear off a tender shoot, describing our simplicity and vulnerability. Yet, in God’s hand we shall become big and fruitful. God assures our growth so that we may become as God wants us to be.

    Moreover, involved in this process of growth are the changes, adaptations shedding off of the old, toxic and unhealthy and transforming into something new. Meaning, growing is a transformation.

    This is what we find in the Gospel of Mark. In the parable of the mustard seed, that small seed as it grew, changed and was transformed. As it also grew, the process also took times, yet, silent and calm. This is the very image also of the first parable in the Gospel in which a man scattered the seeds on the land, and silently, those seeds sprouted from the soil and became plants.

    These images certainly speak of growing that reminds us that growth empowers us and gives us life. In growing, it ushers us towards maturity and fruitfulness

    Indeed, God’s desire is that we develop into our full potential as what God desires us to be. We are called to continue growing no matter how our hair have turned into white or our wrinkles have become more visible. Growing as a person has no age limit. Allowing God to grow in us knows no age and stage in life.

    Hence, as we allow God to grow in us and allow the kingdom of God to grow in our communities, here are some takeaways for today.

    First, never be afraid when we are called to change and shed off. A point in our life, as we are invited to grow, may call us towards transformation and maturity. These basically involve being open to changes and letting go what have become unhealthy for us and of those attitudes, thoughts, beliefs and perspectives in life that may prevent us from learning new things, therefore, from growing.

    Second, embrace gentleness and silence. The process of growing is never aggressive but non-aggressive. It is destruction that is noisy and aggressive. Thus, being gentle and silent allow our heart to be more attuned to the workings of the spirit within us. These attitudes will also help us to listen well to what is happening in us and around us. This will help us further to be discerning to God’s invitation for our continual growth and fruitfulness. Hinaut pa.

  • SEEDS for the Kingdom

    SEEDS for the Kingdom

    June 16, 2024 – 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061624.cfm)

    A newly-graduated but non-working young GenZ, while hanging-out at home and playing with his X-Box video games, was once asked by his mom to buy some fruits for desserts. Though he prefers to go to a mall for convenient–sake, hesitantly he went to a nearby market. He tried to find his way looking for the fruit-stand since he was never been to this market before. Eventually he found the fruits he needed to buy at a particular fruit-stand. While paying, he jokingly said to the vendor: “Sir, I cannot help but notice you do look like Jesus Christ.” The fruit-vendor reply: “Others would say the same. But assuming I am who you seem I look alike. Do you have any questions for me?” Up for the challenge, he asked: “If you are said-to be the Christ, the savior of the world, how come the world is still a mess? Have you and God done and is doing something about these mess?”

    After giving much thought, the vendor answered, “For sure God has and is doing something about these mess – He created YOU.” In defense, the young man countered: “Me, who am I to fix these mess? I am not rich, not successful, still no-job. I am nobody, no hero. I am limited”.

    So the vendor further challenged him, “So what do YOU need then now to fix these mess?” He dreamingly replied, “Well if only I have more power, resources and opportunities, perhaps like in a computer game, I can be who I am and wish to be”. “That’s all you need?” the vendor disturbed him and then handed him something, “Take this. It got all what you need.”

    As he received it, he confusingly asked, “A SEED? What am I do to with this seed?” The vendor replied, “Well, God has already done and doing something in creating You, and you have the seed now to do your part. It is up to you then whether to plant your seed and work out with God doing your part and growing your seed,…. OR do nothing with your seed, but complain, and let your world and our world still a mess.

    After Christmas, Lenten, Easter seasons where we celebrate our faith – what we believe, we are now in the Ordinary times of our liturgical year where we celebrate our life in faith, i.e. how we live, practice and witness what we believe. Jesus have much to teach us not only what we believe (Dogma) but how to live & practice what we believe (Moral). We have celebrated our Faith, but now we are celebrating our Faith-Life – our Faith & Life.

    To offer us meaning, inspiration and directions in our faith-life journey, Jesus made use of parables and our common life-experiences as life-lessons to live by. Like in our gospel today, by sharing us the parable of the growing seed and mustard seed, Jesus taught us not only about the Kingdom of God but also HOW to live our present lives along with our faith & mission in God’s Kingdom.

    Here Jesus reminds us that nature and our usual human labor or work teach us that “Big things comes from small beginnings”. Yes, the sower & planter might have planted the seed and harvested the fruit but he does not know how the plant grows. And definitely he is not responsible for the seed to grow into full grain & for the smallest mustard seed to be the largest plant with large branches.

    It thus takes a lot of work on our part, AND working in partnership with God, for us to fully enjoy the fruits of our labor with God. Yes, we can be the sower & planter, but God ultimately is the grower.

    With our advanced technology nowadays, we also tend to prefer to have things easy, instant, fast, disposable and convenient. In effect, we become impatient and intolerant with details and processes. We tend to value more the goals, and fruits that we undervalue & even become heartless to the growth-process, labor, and journey it takes. Like the young GenZ, we tend to look at and concern more on the end-product and destination, without considering the process to make it and the travel-journey to get there.

    Never satisfied of what we have accomplished now, we rather tend to criticize & complain about our present mess without doing something about it except criticizing and complaining about it. While we should enjoy & be satisfied to the advantages of what we have today, let us not forget the whole process-journey it takes to reach at this stage of advancement.

    Same as saying: “While you and others enjoys and be satisfied with the fruits of your labor, let us not disregard and undervalue the efforts, work and sacrifices you & others have done as well as God’s work of creating you and through you for life to be better than before, better than our usual ways”.

    In other words, to do away with the messes in life and to fully enjoy what God has given and can offer us in life now, we have to be RESPONSIBLE participants for God’s grace and work of creating and redeeming our life anew. As a wise man once penned, “Who & What you are is God’s gift to you & the world, Who & what you BECOME is your gift to God & the world”.

    With Mary Our Mother of Perpetual Help, teach & lead us Lord to cooperate with Your will & plans for us all the days of our lives so that we may humbly recognize & fully enjoy the fruits of your works for our betterment & the glory of Our Father’s Kingdom.

    So May it Be. Hinaut pa unta. Siya Nawa. Amen.

  • BEWARE of Bad Thoughts : (Stinking-Thinking)

    BEWARE of Bad Thoughts : (Stinking-Thinking)

    June 9, 2024 – 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060924.cfm)

    As observed, there is a tendency among penitents in confession to highlight their faults & sins that somehow could undervalue God’s forgiveness thru absolution. For instance, penitents confessing again their past sins that has been absolved already & have seized to commit such sin again. This is not healthy & counter-productive behavior because even though they are already forgiven & blessed but they still judged themselves as unclean & condemned themselves as unforgiven. What a sad & wasteful situation, already blessed yet still behave as condemned unclean sinner. This is simply called stinking-thinking.

    In our gospel, Jesus made reference about forgiveable & unforgivable sins. To counter the bad thoughts of the scribes & in judging him as of unclean spirits, Jesus highlights that God forgives & can forgive all our sins. He said: “Truly, I tell you people will be forgiven for their sins & whatever blasphemies they will utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness but is guilty of eternal sin.”

    Meaning, God always forgives, but those who rejects God’s forgiveness is already condemned. Those who have already judged themselves unclean & does not allow God’s grace of mercy &  forgiveness to happen to them is unforgivable. Those who does not recognize, believe & trust in God’s blessings in Jesus is guilty of eternal sin & eternal damnation

    In other words, being unforgivable, condemned, & on eternal sin are of our own doing – not of God. Constant looking only on our sins & others’ faults – not trusting on God’s grace & mercy through the Holy Spirit, makes us a hopeless case & leads us to our demise & cursed life – not eternal life.

    Actually behind this stinking-thinking of being unworthy and unclean sinner is the sin of pride – the pride that their own sins are much greater than God’s grace. Or simply put, it is about the pride that their own is much greater than God’s. Jesus is also a victim of this pride, because they have judged him as of unclean spirits – of Beelzebul or Satan, that blinds them to see that Jesus is of God.

    And so, whenever we find ourselves stinking-thinking, beware of our Pride lurking in us that make us distrust & reject God’s grace. Pride makes ourselves unforgivable, unclean & condemned.

    Related to this is stinking-thinking that God’s salvation is only for the few deserving faithful & the rest are all condemned. We remember here that we are also to pray for Christian Unity. But why so we pray for the unity of all Christians in the world?

    Although we are united in faith with our Lord Jesus Christ, but in reality as Christians we are divided & diverse in terms of culture, traditions, practices & doctrines. This is not only then about Protestants, Evangelical, Catholics & other Christians, but more so about our unity as fellow believers & followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. It begs then the question what makes us one united with Christ. In Christ, we come to know & believe that we are God’s children.

    By our faith in Jesus, we become part of God’s family. But faith in Christ has diverse manifestations & expressions that might be in contrast & can cause discourses & conflict with one another. What we pray then for is unity not in uniformity but unity in conformity. It is not about sameness or exclusiveness of Christian faith but more on our openness to match our beliefs, actions, attitudes & perceptions with what is common in & in sync with our faith in Jesus Christ.

    In our gospel today, Jesus is conscious of the diversity of people wanting to follow Him & vying for His attention. Even his own family & bloodlines are insisting their own agenda & importance on Jesus. However, for Jesus what makes us one & common in Him is not by bloodline, adoption, influences, history and seniority, but by our obedience to the father’s will. He said: “For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother”.

    For Jesus then, our unity & commonality with Him is our obedience to God’s will. What makes us one with Jesus, makes us God’s children & common with one another in faith,  is our obedience to our Father,… same way as Jesus himself has always been obedient to the father’s will, regardless of how people believed in Him. Simply put, we cannot be God’s children,  of Jesus’ family (brother, sister, mother, relatives, church) if & when we do not recognize, believe & obey God our father & his will for us.

    Beyond our bad thoughts and stinking-thinking of condemning ourselves to sin with pride & of exclusively limiting God’s blessing to the few deserving, we pray that trusting more in God’s grace & plans for us, like Jesus & Mary Our Mother of Perpetual Help we may be one in common & in sync with our obedience to the Father’s will for us now & always.

    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.

  • MOVEMENTS LOVING AND SHARING LIFE

    MOVEMENTS LOVING AND SHARING LIFE

    June 2, 2024 – Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060224.cfm)

    The Barrio Fiesta we had last May 15 was truly moving and meaningful for me. The participation of every GKS (Gagmay’ng Kristohanong Simbahan) and Barrio Chapels and the presence of each one made so much impact for me. The spirit of sharing in that celebration no matter how simple the food we have shared, reminds us that we are a community.

    This is what we also find in many banquets that have happened in our friends and family celebrations. The gathering together of people and the sharing of gifts to one another brings us closer together.

    Yet, more than the Barrio Fiesta, the Eucharist that we now celebrate and partake is the very image of God’s invitation for us to share in his life where we are also invited the embrace and learn the movement of loving and sharing life.

    And so, on this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, let us explore and discern the readings today and see how the Lord calls us to respond.

    The first reading from the Book of Exodus brought us back to people’s action of renewing the covenant they have with God. They recognized that they have transgressed against God. This acknowledgement of human sin, led them to ask pardon. The blood of the sacrificial animals symbolized the cleansing and renewal of the people’s heart.

    At the end of the reading, we were also reminded that it was God who made such covenant, meaning, it’s God’s initiative to be reconciled and be closer to the people. The response of the people who were being renewed must be understood then as an act of thanksgiving because the Lord remains merciful and faithful.

    This is reechoed in today’s Psalm, “To you O Lord, I will offer sacrifice of thanksgiving and I will call upon the name of the Lord.” This is certainly a song of praise and thanksgiving because of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Indeed, the “cup of salvation” is the assurance and promise of a blessed life.

    The Letter to the Hebrews gives more light to this. Christ as our High Priest offered the ultimate sacrifice. The sacrifice was not anymore of the blood of animals but his own blood shed on the cross. The oblation of the life of Christ paid off every transgression that we have done so that we will be able to share that blessed life with God, our eternal inheritance.

    This very act is again, God’s initiative. This is how God’s faithfulness and goodness are concretely shown to us as God’s beloved people. This tells us now that God never stops and never tires to bring us closer to God’s holy and loving presence. The Lord even initiated to offer his life for our sake. No matter how difficult it is to understand and illogical it may sound, but this is how love can move the heart of God.

    That is why, in the Gospel of Mark, he recounted how Jesus did that Last Supper. Jesus must have done it many times before this. Yet, this time it was made extra especial because of what he was about to offer for us.

    Jesus with his powerful words says to us, “This is my body; This is my blood of the new covenant.” The Lord shares to us now his very life. His body and his blood means his very life, the very life of God.

    And this is how we find it more interesting and meaningful. What Jesus offered to us was first being blessed, then, given thanks, then, broken and then shared. These are movements of loving and movements of sharing life to the fullest.

    This is what we also do now in this Eucharist, this Holy Mass. What we do is not merely rituals of the past. What we do is not just some sort of ancient actions. What we do is a celebration of life and continual sharing of love and life to us who are all invited by the Lord.

    And since it is common in our culture to brings something after the banquet, there are three things that I would like you to bring. These are your bring-house or take-aways.

    First, be nourished by this celebration. This nourishment is not just limited physically but in all aspects of our life. Remember, what is being shared to us is the very life of Jesus. Let this nourishment make us more aware of God’s presence in our life and in the lives of others. Let Jesus nourish us as well that our actions and words may become more like him.

    Second, move to love. God’s initiative to be closer to us is God’s movement of loving. Let us be always conscious that our actions and decisions in life be our ways of loving and not ways of destroying or hurting others.

    Third, move to share. Do not be afraid or have doubts to be truly generous of your time, presence, talents or resources. The Lord has given his life and blessings to us, may our actions and words be truly generous. Thus, share without “strings attached,” without expectations and without payment. May we always have the courage and the desire to share our life to our communities. Hinaut pa.