Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Liturgical Year C

  • FOR Love than benefits

    FOR Love than benefits

    October 2, 2022 – 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100222.cfm)

    Once a boy approached his mother and demanded: “Mom, may I ask now for your payment. Give me now my rewards and prizes”. The mom asked, “Payment, rewards, prizes? For what?”  The boy replied, “for cleaning my room, for preparing the table, for washing the dishes, for passing all my grades, and for tending my brothers and sisters”. “Ahh, see”, the mother continued, “Son, for nine months I bore you in my wombs, for many sleepless nights worrying and taking care of you in your sickness, for washing all your clothes, for cooking your food, for making both ends meet for your food, clothing, and education – all of these things are done for free. I don’t expect payments, rewards, or bonus prizes, from you; not out of obligation but out of my special love for you.

    Perhaps some of us may be like that boy, thinking and considering God – not as our Father or parent, but as our master or boss, whom we work for & who should repay and compensate us of all the good things we have done for Him in life.

    We sometimes do find ourselves – consciously or unconsciously, demand from God payment or rewards for every good deed we have done, and punishment for every wrong or bad deeds we have done. We sometimes think that God should grant us bonus, payments, and rewards for every service we rendered, at the same time should judge and punish those who fail and done disservice. We cannot deny that we do have this kind of mentality – that salvation is due to rewards and punishment based on our deeds and services.

    Jesus in our Gospel today wants to correct this kind of mentality and perceptions. In Jesus times, this mentality of reward and punishment for human deeds and action has been a dominant theology of the Jews. When his disciples asked Him to increase their faith, here, Jesus clarifies to them that their requests must come and base from their deep faith and trust in God, and not in their expectation and aspiration to be rewarded and compensated for their good endeavors.

    For Jesus, it is not right for us to put God in a situation that He is indebted to us, that He has the obligation and responsibility to repay us for our good deeds and to punish us for our wrongdoings. We cannot force or coerce God to grant us His gift of salvation. We have no right to demand payment, bonus prizes, or rewards for our deeds, because the salvation He grants us is not payment or even our wages for our performances & deeds, but His grace, His free voluntarily given gift to us. Meaning, our salvation does not depend on our deeds, but on God’s generosity – not on our performances but on His great love for us.

    Consider then, Brothers and sisters, that God is our Father, our Parent – not our boss, our employer. We are His children, not His employees or workers. We know that children obey their parents because of their deep love and trust in them. We obey and love our parents not because of rewards and punishment but we choose to reciprocate the special love for us. Meaning, we don’t have to earn God’s love, because, like parental love, God has already loved us even in our sinfulness or even if we fail Him with our wrongdoings, and in whatever our performances in life maybe. We obey God’s commandments, we serve Him, not to earn His love, but because He already loves us, and because we love Him back in person and not out of benefits, payments, or rewards.  

    Brothers and sisters, our loving and generous God, as Parent always longs and hopes that we love and serve Him out of our love and faith, not out of obligation, fear and rewards or punishment. Our task now is to reciprocate God’s love with and by our deep love and faith for Him in person than just by services & functions.

    Lord, grant us the grace to be contented with our Father’s Great Love for us His children, and of our child-like faith and love for Him. Keep our hearts & mind free to love & serve Him as we should & as we choose to be now and always…

    Amen.

  • Bridging the Gap

    Bridging the Gap

    September 25, 2022 – 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092522.cfm)

    How serious do you think is the economic inequality in the world today? According to Oxfam International’s findings, the economic inequality has cut the income of 99% of the global population and this pushed for over 160 million people in the world into poverty.[1] In fact, according also to World Inequality Report 2022, the poorest half population in the world only owns 2% of the world’s wealth. However, the richest people who comprised 10% in the population possess the 76% of the world’s wealth.[2] This inequality has deepened in the midst of this pandemic in which those who are in the poverty line have suffered the most. As a result, it contributed to the 21,000 people dying everyday or equivalent to one person dying in every four seconds who suffered because of severe hunger or lack of access to life-saving healthcare.[3]

    There is so much wealth in the world, yet, the suffering of many seemed to be endless as well. The economic and wealth inequality in the world has indeed widened the gap between the rich and the poor to the point that a culture of indifference and lack of concern has crept in the hearts of many. This is something that Pope Francis has already pointed out and wants us to be more aware.

    Being reminded of this global situation, our readings on this 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time shed light and challenge to us Christians today. So, allow me to journey with you together with our youth sharer and let us discover how God reminds us and calls us.

    Thus, in the first reading, Prophet Amos denounced such culture of indifference and the gap made by those in power and the rich. The Prophet’s voice echoed, “Woe to the COMPLACENT in Zion!”

    The complacency of the rich and the privilege in their society turned them to become INDIFFERENT AND BLIND to the suffering of the people. They were unaware of the suffering of many. Yet, if they have seen the pain of the people but they refused to reach out, refused to help though they can, refused to be in solidarity with the suffering for fear of discomfort.

    Complacency is an attitude that settles to what is only comfortable for the self. Hence, a complacent person is a self-satisfied person who does not what to be disturbed or to go out of the comfort zone. That is why, a curse was given to the complacent and indifferent. They will be the first to go into exile when Assyria will strike Israel and destroy their Temple, which indeed happened.

    Meanwhile, our Psalm this Sunday sings to us God’s very character. The Lord secures justice for the oppressed, food to the hungry, sets captives free, gives sight to the blind and raises up those who were bowed down. This image of God tells us that God is not blind and not indifferent to the suffering of the people and the pain inflicted to the weak and powerless.

    God, indeed, does not delight when people are oppressed, when women, men and children go hungry, when people suffer and die because of greed and abuses of others. In God’s time and justice, those who abused, manipulated, maltreated and burdened the weak, the poor and the powerless will be punished.

    Certainly, Prophet Amos’ words and the Psalm’s message echo in the Gospel today which we find in the story of Mr. Rich Man and the suffering Lazarus.

    While Mr. Rich Man enjoyed his daily lavish meal and luxurious way of life, there at his door was a poor man covered with sores and was surviving through the scraps that fell from the Mr. Rich Man’s table.

    However, there was a turn of events when both of them died. Mr. Rich Man, who pretended not to see the poor situation of Lazarus ended in hell while Lazarus was carried by the angels.

    With this, the Gospel reminds us that success and security in life are not about what we have accumulated or about the material possession that we have amassed. We are only truly successful and secured when we have built lasting and true relationships with people around us and with God, when we have learned to bridge the gap between one another and begin to see each other as brothers and sisters. Only then, that we shall break our sin of indifference, of our lack of concern for others, of our complacency.

    Thus, let us remember that the sin of Mr. Rich Man was not actually of being rich, but of being complacent and indifferent to the suffering  of people around him and especially of his neighbor, Lazarus. He could have done something for Lazarus, but chose not to. He was blinded by his own possessions and the luxury he enjoyed. He did not care to offer any help to the poor man. The rich man had no relationship whatsoever with Lazarus. He was only concerned of himself, of his comfort, of his benefits, a sign that he was truly being possessed by his possessions. He hoped and trusted only his wealth and himself.

    This was how Mr. Rich Man had grown ungrateful to God for the gifts he received in his lifetime. He was ungrateful because he felt entitled that only him should enjoy the richness in his life. He did not open his eyes and hands to give others a chance to live a better life through his help. Thus, Mr. Rich Man had certainly grown to become an entitled-privileged that even though he was already in the netherworld but then he had still the nerve to make Lazarus serve him. What a self-serving man, indeed!

    With all of these, there are three invitations for us in order to break that culture of indifference and bridge the gap between each of us which Pope Francis also calls us to do.[4]

    First, to be in the service of others rather than to dominate others. The Lord calls us to show our concern and kindness especially to people who are most in need. Our material resources or even our talents and strengths can be best expressed at the service of others.

    Second, to look at others rather than looking out only for one’s own interest. The Lord reminds us not to become indifferent and unconcerned with the realities of suffering around us and not to think only for ourselves and our own good alone. As a community, we are called to take care of each other.

    Third, to have a renewed awareness of the dignity of every human being. We are created in the image of God. We may also see and recognize always that each one is God’s image. Only then, that we are also able to acknowledge that we are all sisters and brothers and not treat each other with contempt and hostility because of our differences but in compassion and respect that allow life to nourish as God desires it. Kabay pa.

    [1] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/01/inequality-in-2022-oxfam-report/

    [2] https://wir2022.wid.world/chapter-1/

    [3] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/01/inequality-in-2022-oxfam-report/

    [4] https://www.licas.news/2020/08/13/pope-francis-urges-christians-to-combat-culture-of-indifference/

  • Looking Glasses

    Looking Glasses

    September 25, 2022 – 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092522.cfm)

    Once a very rich man approached their parish priest for an advice. He said to the priest, “Father, I have a problem that is bothering me a lot. You know how rich I am. I have everything I need. I get everything I want. But how come I feel I’m not fully satisfied? There is always that emptiness & missing in me that do not satisfy. I maybe rich outside, but I am actually poor inside. What do you think of my problem, Father?” The priest invited the rich man in his living room and brought him near the glass window. And the priest instructed him, “Look out into the window and tell me what you see.” He said, “I see people walking around the plaza.” Then, the priest brought him in front of a large mirror and said, “Look into the mirror and tell me what you see.” “I see myself,” he replied. Then the priest explains, “You know what, both the window and the mirror are made of glass. But their difference lies in the silver paint. As you may notice, the mirror is glass coated with silver paint & the window is just a plain see-through glass. So, whenever you look through a plain glass window, you see people – you see others. But whenever you looked at silver-coated plain glass mirror, you will only see yourself – not others. You cannot see other & you even stop seeing others, but only yourself. So, whenever we start to only concern ourselves with wealth and riches, i.e. coating our plain glasses with silver-money, we start to become blind to see others but only see ourselves.”

    Reflecting on this story and our parable today, we can say that it somehow echoes our day-to-day life experiences. Conscious of the hard times we are going through these days – not only in our country & in our world but with ourselves, sometimes we wonder what causes the great gap between rich and poor. What makes poor poorer or desolate? What makes rich richer? What makes life difficult nowadays? What makes me poor or rich? What makes my life difficult or easy these days?

    This is what Jesus is trying to teach and convey us today. 

    First, Jesus describes us that our self-centeredness makes us blind, insensitive, & unconcerned to the needs of others. Just like the rich man in our parable today, he was too full of himself that he was unconcerned about the poor Lazarus at his doorsteps. He was too full of himself that even before God, he was more concerned with himself – his own thirst and salvation that he only perceived Lazarus as his errand to quench his thirst and to warn his own family about his fate in heaven. “Send him..” the rich man said, to command even God for Lazarus to do his wishes. So full of himself… conceited, & self-centered. Here Jesus warns us of the consequence of our self-centeredness. It makes us only see our own selves, making us blind to the needs of others, most especially the poor.

    Second, Jesus maintains also that our silver-coatings taints our plain glasses. Meaning, our material possessions, wealth, and riches make us self-centered and greedy. Like the rich men in our story and in our parable, money, and earthly possessions taint and distort our perceptions of others. Our materialism makes us selfish and blind to the needs of other people, making us only view life from our selfish mirrors.

    At the same time, Jesus is telling us today that all of these, our greed, self-centeredness, and earthly possessions do not give us meaning in life and promise us our salvation. For Jesus, God has endowed us with a lot of blessings not only for own sake but also for others. It would mean that we are not the sole owners but just stewards or managers of God’s graces. The blessings & graces we have now are meant not only for ourselves but to be shared with & to others. We are called therefore to be partakers & sharers of God’s blessings to others. In God’s Kingdom, sharing not hoarding is the name of the game, & the way forward.

    In a sense, God has already given us looking glasses to see. It is up to us then how we use our glasses – either as mirrors for our selfish interest or as windows for further growth in our relationship with God and concerns for others.  In other words, our mirrors – our self-centeredness makes life poor, difficult & empty, as well as our windows – our other-centeredness makes our life rich, easy, & meaningful.

    May the Lord continue to grant us the wisdom and audacity to make use of our God-given blessings be shared with others for the sake, not of ours alone, but mostly for God’s glory & other’s good. Amen.

  • SMART for the Lord

    SMART for the Lord

    September 18, 2022 – 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    (Click here for the readings https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091822.cfm)

    Once a promising young entrepreneur was asked about his secret of success in his business. His reply was like this: “I could have profit up to 30 percent from every transaction I make. But usually, I offer my costumers up to 25 percent discount, thus me only gaining at least five percent. Yes, money-wise, it is bad business. However, I may have less profit from each transaction, but I have gained more business costumers, contacts, and friends, which thus offers me more business transactions and opportunities.” Clever, is’nt it?

    Amazing it is how clever, smart or sometimes even shrewd we can be when making business deals.  Whether it’s buying a used car or selling a house, all of us learn how to get the most for our money and investments.  This is not something new.  It’s part of human nature to get the best deal possible.  Jesus was aware of this. 

    The parable he told us about the steward who had to think quick to get himself out of a financial jam, recognized our human resourcefulness, and inventiveness in terms of our dealings with others in this life.

    The Lord’s point is that we often demonstrate our intelligence, but we don’t apply this intelligence and shrewdness to the one thing that really matter: our Christian way of life now.   

    Consider the number of times we have sat down and worked out how we can use our talents, time, and treasure to be better Christians.  Consider the number of times we have thought out how we can put ourselves in situations which would avoid moral problems we have had in the past.  Consider the number of times we have plotted out how we can implant and improve the practice of our faith in our families. If we were to add up the minutes spent a month doing this for God and our Christian life; and then compare them to the minutes a month spent working out our financial deals and investments, would there be any comparison at all? 

    Some people, like those in the first reading from the prophet Amos may have perfected how they can outsmart others.  They cheat with their scales.  They inflate & launder money – or however, you call it nowadays. BUT, That is not why God gave us intelligence.  He gave us intelligence to make his PRESENCE & ACTIONS real in the world.  We must make use of the same cleverness, skill, and plain nerve that the manager used to save his skin, and the strategy and tactics that businessman used to secure more business contacts and clients, and all other ways and means to make God’s ways real in our world. 

    Jesus tells us today in our gospel, “Make friends for yourselves through your use of this world’s goods, so that when they fail you, a lasting reception will be yours.” In other words, Jesus is telling us “You have the intelligence, resources and opportunities use it. Use all these to fulfill the mission you assumed and accepted when I called you to be my disciples. Be SMART for Me.” We thus must make use of our talents, money, and time not as an end but a means in attaining life worthy of God, and in sharing from God’s benefits given us through Christ.  We must be as resourceful, and dedicated in the ways of God as we are in the ways of commerce, politics, and social relations. 

    In other words, Jesus’ parable challenges us to be SMART for His sake, that is – to be as eager, clever, and ingenious for the sake of God’s kingdom; to be as ready and willing to use our talents, time, and resources to accomplish great things for the Gospels as we are to witness & prosper in our Christian faith & lifestyle.

    In whatever & however circumstances we find ourselves now & in the near future, for His sakes’ (beyond our own), may the Lord ever help us develop more our ingenuity, intelligence, and creativity to promote his Kingdom here on earth and in our world to come. Amen.

  • Our True Hope and Freedom

    Our True Hope and Freedom

    September 11, 2022 – 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time     

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091122.cfm)

    Where do we go in times of despair and hopelessness? Where do we find ourselves when we are confused, broken-hearted and afraid?

    The Hebrew people were looking for a “god” to worship, to lean on from their desperation. They were in the desert for many years since their liberation from the Egyptians. They felt hopeless and directionless.

    When Moses was nowhere to be found, they made themselves the “golden calf” and worshiped it instead of the TRUE GOD who brought them out of Egypt. The people had very short memory that in times of great difficulty, they turned to a false god believing to find security in it. Indeed, the people forgot God’s promise to them and God’s faithfulness in them.

    We are not also far from these people in the bible. We might have our own false gods too that offer false hopes. We may ask, who and what is our golden calf that we worship? Is it  ourselves or some others other than the Lord God? When we become desperate our minds and hearts may become crowded that we tend not to recognize the Lord who is at work in us.

    Thus, in times of difficulties in life we may develop some forms of attachments to compensate and appease our anxieties and the emptiness that feel from within. And so, a person who felt unloved by a mother may seek affection from many women. Or a woman who is rejected by a loved one, may retreat to loneliness and depression. A child who lacks the security of love and affection at home from parents may succumbed to drugs or alcohol addiction. A child who has been deprived of material things in the past may become a hoarder of things or worst a thief.

    These are forms of unhealthy attachments that only bring us to greater and deeper despair and misery. Consequently, there is a need for us to reconnect ourselves to God who gives us true hope and freedom.

    This was how Moses pleaded with God to show mercy to the people who turned to worship a false god. The people were lost because they were desperate. They attached themselves to a false security because of their overwhelming misery. However, as Moses pleaded with God, the Lord relented and embraced again the people to be his own. Such story of desperation, hopelessness and of being lost but, then, of being showed mercy, of being loved and of being found again by God, is the very invitation for us on this 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

    In fact, St. Paul also recalls the story of his life in his First Letter to Timothy. His past life of being a blasphemer, persecutor and arrogant made him so lost. It was a denial of God. Yet, God continued to search for Paul until they had an encounter. Paul’s encounter with Jesus turned Paul’s life completely because when Jesus found him, the Lord was so merciful to him. That experience of mercy led Paul to gratitude. And that gratitude inspired him to give glory to God by becoming a minister and servant of the Gospel.

    Moreover, in the parable, Jesus tells us of a shepherd who sought his lost sheep until he found it and a woman who lost her coin and searched for it until she found it.

    This image of God tells us of a God who searches for the lost. We are the sheep in the story who is driven by our selfish desires. We are the lost coin that has been longed by the owner.

    Nevertheless, God never tires to search for us and embrace us again. God invites us to be with Him, to join with Him and enjoy His abiding presence in our sacraments, in our liturgy and in our daily prayers, and in our community.

    Indeed, Jesus teaches us of a God who invites us and searches for us not just once but in every opportunity of our life.  And this is the truth; God searches for us and desires to embrace us so that we may find true hope and freedom. Kabay pa.