Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Liturgical Year C

  • SELFLESS

    SELFLESS

    September 7, 2025 – 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090725.cfm)

    A recent Facebook post catches my attention. It is about a young man named Seth Adam Smith who realized, after being married for a year and a half, and said that: “Marriage is not for me”…. Why? Because after all these months of marriage with his teenage sweetheart, he comes to understand now what his father’s advice to him before his wedding day, is becoming true and right before his very eyes.

    His dad once said to him then: “Seth, remember marriage is not for you. You don’t marry to make yourself happy. You marry to make someone else happy. More than that, marriage is not for yourself. You are marrying FOR a family and for your future children. Marriage is not for you. It is not about you. Marriage is about the persons & people you marry to.”

    Surely married couples here could relate to this realization or advice. For marriage is indeed not really for the sake of oneself but for the sake of your lifetime partner and family.

    And so eventually married couples have to learn along the way that marriage is not all about me or about I but about US. And surely such realization is a hard-lesson to learn where learning happens only through trial and error experience. To be SELFLESS, i.e. to be not selfish and self-centered then is the very challenge of committed love we called marriage.

    For love is more than just a feeling or emotion but a commitment and decision to go beyond and give up oneself for the sake of the other. In other words, in marriage – in committed love, couples are to love their own spouse as much as, and as more than they love themselves and they love one another.

    This is the very kind of love Jesus asked of us in His commandment of love when he said: “Love one another as I have loved you”. A love much and more than our kind of love, but a selfless love for the sake of the other, and a love that leads us to a life and a world that is not the same as it is, but for the better of us. A married life committed in love not for your own but for the sake of your loved ones and of loving them, and above all for our Lord Jesus Christ.

    It is indeed easy nowadays for people to say: “Not for me”. Priesthood? Not for me. Religious life? Not for me. Marriage? Not for me. And even perhaps, Christianity? Not for me. But come to think of it, priesthood, religious life, marriage – following Jesus is indeed not for Me nor for You, but for Him; not about Me or You, but about Him whom we love & follow in life as Christian. And Christians who opted for Christ is saying that their discipleship is SELFLESS – not for them but for Him whom they choose to follow in life.

    For what it is to be a Christian? What does it cost to be a disciple of Christ? To be a Christian, as Jesus taught us today is like marriage, more than just a preference but a commitment.

    To follow Christ is not just we prefer Christ in our dealings with life – that we want and like Christ to be part of our lives, but it is to commit ourselves to the Christian way of life. To commit to Christ then is to be selfless, i.e. letting go of ourselves and letting God be God in our lives.

    On one hand, selflessness involves letting go, i.e. as Jesus said: to renounce – to give up everything. And this us not easy, because usually we prefer to have, possess, acquire, and own everything.

    But Jesus reminds us that the Kingdom of God is more than what we prefer and desire (want and like) in life, but it is what God’s wants and wills what is best for our life. Like Seth who realized that “Christian Marriage is not for me…not for my sake but for the best and sake of my partner, and my own family”.

    Being His disciples then is not about being self-oriented, self-centered & inward-looking, but rather being other-oriented, other-centered & outward-looking. And the Kingdom of God is then not about You and I, not even about yours & mine. But God’s kingdom is all about We and Ours, and above all about HIM, as our Lord and we, as His disciples.

    On the other hand, selflessness requires to letting God be God, that is to submit to God’s will. Human as we are we like to be in control, to lead and to be the master. In a way we prefer to take the driver’s seat and take the steering wheels, and go where we want to go.

    But following Christ means to commit and submit to God’s will for us, and let God control, lead, guide, and form the direction of our lives. This means that we become passengers, and let Jesus takes the wheels and brings us to place and time in our life beyond our imaginings.

    Again, be reminded what Jesus is saying to us in our gospel today: to BE HIS disciple is to hate our life, carry our crosses & follow Him, and renounce all our possessions… all for the sake of and because of HIM.

    Jesus himself, by his words and examples, has shown us how to be selfless by letting go and letting God be God. In the same way, for us to fully fulfill God’s kingdom in our lives, as Christians, pray we must that we selflessly commit our lives to Christ (as Christian husband, wife, mother, father, priest, religious nuns or brothers, sons and daughters, family) by letting go and letting God be God with total commitment for Him (and, not for the sake of me, you, & ours alone) in faith & life. AMEN.

  • Better Christian

    Better Christian

    August 31, 2025 – Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/083125.cfm)

    We may argue that having religion does not always make us good person. Because as experienced, we hear & know of people having no religion leading very good moral lives, as well as of people having religion leading questionable & not exemplary lives.

    However, just because having religion does not always make us good person, it does not mean that we don’t need religion. Religion make us connected with God. Even though we can be good or bad person in this life regardless of religion, religion – having relationship with God makes us not only better than just good persons in this life, but makes our life meaningful & worthwhile in this life now & beyond.

    Yes, we can be good or bad atheist, and we can be good or bad faithful in this life, but having religion & faith in this life makes us strive to be better and to rise above the occasion in this life & to the life to come before God. For we know that people of faith are more resilient, hopeful, directed, forward-looking, persevering & joyful amid daily challenges & adversities of life, and people of no faith are prone to vanity & despair in life.

    Regardless of religion & morals, what Jesus particularly requires of us Christian, His followers & believer is to have our righteousness (our right relation with God) exceed from that of others. He said “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes & Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.”

    Meaning as believers of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is not enough to do good & have religion in life, (like the scribes, Pharisees & ethical well-behaved people) but we should rise above the occasion & live a better version of our Christian faith & life before God and all. It is not enough then just to do good & right, we must also be witnesses of Christ to others in loving one another as God commanded of us to be in life.

    And here particularly in our gospel, Jesus reminds us that having religion is more that just about social norms & public etiquette. Having faith & religion is all about our loving concern & humble service with others. It all about  celebrating God’s banquet of life for all with everyone… regardless of having status, position, titles & prestige in the church faith & life. 

    And as we do our part in the celebration, Jesus even advises us here not to exalt, but rather humble ourselves & be more concerned of the last, the least & the lost amongst us “for you will repaid at the resurrection of the righteous”. Yes, HAVING religion does not assure & make us good persons, but DOING religion & practicing our faith then could make us Better Christians in life.

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

  • IDKU

    IDKU

    August 24, 2025 – 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082425.cfm)

    In her dreams, a lady once found herself at the heaven’s door. She confidently knocks at the door and demands admittance. And she heard God’s loud voice asking, “who are you?” She then replied, “My Gosh, You don’t know me. I am the most influential person in our town. I am the mother of our town’s mayor. I have been known for my generosity, an elder of the church’s lay organization and have sponsored the education of your seminarians and ordination of your priests. I even spearheaded the construction of your church in our town”. God replied, “Sorry, IDKU – I don’t know you”. Angry and disgusted with God, she just stayed outside, grumbling at the doorsteps, while seeing others being admitted inside.

    Coming to her senses, she once again knocks at the door and requests for admittance. She said, “Lord, actually, my life has been a failure. I am separated from my husband. My children have been involved with a lot of questionable activities. I have been an oppressive landlord, abusive lady and known gambler. I am a sinner and have caused other’s to sin. I am sorry, Lord”. God replied, “But still, IDKU, who are you?”

    Confused and ashamed of herself, she again stayed outside and pondered who she really is before God. Then something dawned in her that made her stand, knocks at the door and humbly admits “Now I know who I am, Lord. Despite what happened to me in life, I am still your CHILD.” The door then opened widely and God’s voice joyfully proclaimed “Welcome Home, my daughter. Come in.”

    Along our desire to explore our world & to experience life, there is always a deep longing for us to be at home, and be reunited with God. Even for those who have already settled in foreign lands, there is always the strong desire to come back Home. Same way with those who have settled here in Cebu, there is always a desire to go back homeland – Bohol, Siquijor, Luzon, Mindanao or Europe. Because, for us, home is more than place where you live.

    Home is the place where it feels right to walk around without shoes – where people understand you, who gets you as you are. Home is where when you go there, people have to take you in… regardless. Home is where you are accepted, understood, welcomed, belonged and loved.

    Jesus has always preached to us the Kingdom of God is our heavenly home and the Reign of God’s Kingdom is like homecoming and reunion. Like a fiesta, salvation is the moment where everyone is joyfully welcome and celebrating in God’s kingdom – an occasion where we are at Home and re-united with God.

    Particularly in our gospel today, when asked about who are saved, Jesus emphasizes that salvation is not only for the few but for everyone – everyone then is welcome in God’s kingdom.

    However, in our journey back to our heavenly home, Jesus directs us to strive and be strong enough to enter through the narrow gate. What Jesus meant here is that in life, we must do our best to be more at ease and at Home with our identity as God’s children. For Him, welcomed, saved and redeemed are those who are at Home with their identity as a Child of God. Meaning, it is not what we have done and achieved in life, or even what happened to us in life, but who we are before God, as His children that matters most.

    Welcome and Worthy then are we of eternal life in God’s kingdom when we are strong and discipline enough to accept and be at Home with our identity as God’s Children.

    Remember what Jesus said: “the last will be first, first will be last”. Meaning,  somehow those we consider to be first in life maybe the last one to realize and accept their identity; and those we consider to be last, lost, least in life maybe the first one to realize and accept their identity as Children of God.

    Question is: “who are you now before God?” Does God happens to know you? And do you know yourself before God? Are you hearing Him saying to you, IDKU (I Don’t Know You) or Welcome Home my, child?

    Henri Nouwen, a modern-day spiritual writer said it well, when he reminded us: “We are not what we do… we are not what we have… we are not what others think of us. Coming Home is claiming the Truth (that) You & I (We) are the BELOVED CHILD of God, our Creator.”

  • EMMANUEL

    EMMANUEL

    August 17, 2025 – 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081725.cfm)

    “The Lord be with you” and we normally nowadays reply: “And with your spirit”, – where decades ago we used to reply: “And also with you.” As Christians, we usually use these words of greetings as our recognition & faith of God’s presence in our midst & in one another. But what does it mean?

    A priest once celebrated Eucharist in his own parish church. As he was about to greet these words to the people, he was not able to broadcast, because there is something wrong with the microphone’s connections. While tapping its cord, he eventually regains contact. But unfortunately, instead of the usual “the Lord Be with you”, he loudly broadcasts to the people: “There is something wrong with the microphone”. And the people reply: “And with your spirit”.

    Funny story it might be, but it is also telling us something – that sometimes we need to hear the words differently for us to fully appreciate and understand its meaning.

    This is what Jesus is also doing when he said the disturbing message in our gospel today, “I have come to set the earth on fire and I wish it were already blazing; I have come not to establish peace but division.” For the apostles and for us to fully understand the value and consequences of discipleship – of following Him, Jesus has to present us the Good News differently – somewhat off and disturbing so that we may fathom the height, width and depth of its meaning.

    For instance, “The Lord be with … And also with you” usual greeting. Surely we are familiar with those words. But come to think of it, though mistakenly said, but somehow it is not totally false that we may also say that there is something wrong with us & with our spirit. Yes, in almost all liturgies and prayers we celebrate, we hear and speak those words. But what does it really mean?

    First, It’s a great Honor and Privilege. We should feel then happy and great that the Lord is here with you and I – with us. Remember the first and primary good news of peace, love and hope ever preached are those words: “the Lord is with You”.

    But do we really feel great joy and be honored hearing and speaking those words? Are we excited to hear and proclaim it? Or upon hearing and saying those words, we only say: “OK lang”, like “Ya, sounds familiar – We have heard it before, so what’s the fuss?” Like youngsters nowadays might say: “the Lord be with you? OK, fine, whatever”.

    Second, It’s personal and intimate. The Lord is WITH YOU. He is with you near (up close and personal).

    But do you really want Him to be nearby and near with you – OR would rather have Him far distant and away from you (who comes in handy only when needed)? Would you rather have Him as your buddy companion KASAMA, OR your usual “suking” gasoline station, (handy only when empty & needed)?

    Third, It’s communal. He is not only with You but with all of Us. He dwells among us, and lives and stays with Us. He is with and in each and everyone of us (good and bad alike).

    But do we want Him to be with others & respect His presence with other than ourselves – OR do we prefer that he is exclusively with you and your family or group but not with the outcasts and rejected or your competitors and enemies?

    Fouth, It’s a Great Task and Responsibility. To welcome Him into our lives demands responsibility and total dedication. Meaning to accept, recognize and believe in the Good News that “the Lord is with you” is Metanoia – to be converted (to completely change your own ways and style of life and be patterned into His own faith and life).

    This is the cost of welcoming and following Jesus into our lives. Christian Discipleship would cost us a lot, for life with Him will be different & never be the same again. Once you recognize & welcome Him to be with You, you cannot but change your ways & lifestyle. Perhaps that’s the reason why sometimes we don’t take those words: “the Lord be with you” seriously for we know that if we do so, there will division, tensions, disharmony and conflict within ourselves and with others, due to all the changes it entails following Jesus demands of us.

    For those who have seen the movie Spiderman 1, its simple message is “Great power comes with great responsibility”. In the same way, to believe in & follow Jesus Christ – the Lord with us is a Great personal and communal Power, Honor and Privilege but also comes with Great Responsibility.

    Somehow this is what Jesus is trying to say to us when he said: “I have come to set fire on earth, and how I wish it where already blazing.” Indeed, there might be at times something wrong with us in life & spirit; both as the announcer/proclaimer (priest broadcasting: there is something wrong…) & listeners/receivers (people responding: and with your spirit) of the message.

    But the good news and message remain always the same: EMMANUEL – the God with us… was with us, is with us and will always be with us – Whatever, however, whoever & whenever we might be.

    We pray then that we Christians may remain be shaken & disturbed by the deeper meaning of Lord’s gospel, so that we may be more Jesus-like in being passionately responsible for the Good News of Emmanuel – God being with us.

    So May It Be. Amen.

  • HOME with God

    HOME with God

    August 10, 2025 – 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081025.cfm)

    Once in a dream, a rich man found himself at the heaven’s door and welcomed with VIP treatment by two nice angels. As he was about to be brought to his house in heaven, he was fetched by a long white limousine with all the amenities, and was driven through a high-class subdivision. Along the way, he saw that his once-poor squatter neighbors are now living in big nice houses in heaven.

    Like, his laundry woman resides in a nice cozy house, his gardener has a big lawn, his former driver lives on a bungalow, and his maid now lives on a condominium. Thinking these poor neighbors have made well in heaven, he also thought that his home in heaven would be a big mansion, since he has been their master and much better off than them.

    As they arrived, they stopped in front of a very big nice mansion. The rich man, however was led thru the mansion’s side gate, and eventually into cardboard box shack at the back of the big mansion. The angels then said: “Welcome to your home in heaven”. He was so disappointed and disgusted to a point that he yelled at them, “What? A cardboard box shanty? I don’t deserve this.” The angels replied, “Sorry, Sir, this shack is only what we can prepare for you, from the materials and contributions you have sent here”.

    Deep inside, yes, we do long to be reunited with God. We hope, and it is our heart’s desire that one day we will be one and at home with our Heavenly Father sharing with Him eternal life in our heavenly home.

    But while we are still here in this earthly life, like that rich man and that foolish maidservant in our gospel, it is easy for us to enjoy and be contented – or be more anxious and occupied with life here and now that we tend to forget what we really hope and long for in life.

    Because of our life-concerns in the here and now, it is easy for us to be more confident only with ourselves, forgetting God – even acting like-God, does not anymore care of others except oneself, and fully enjoying the pleasures of earthly life. Meaning, we become more concern and greedy in amassing earthly treasures that we don’t anymore recognize and value heavenly treasures.

    Here in our gospel today, Jesus reminds us of what really matters to God and of what really the true treasures in life, and that is our life to be with Him – our everlasting life with Him at Home in God’s Kingdom.

    He challenges us to “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven”, that is, to seek and strive for the true treasures in heaven…”for where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” This would mean that, rather than amassing earthly treasures in life, we must value and be concerned in preparation about our heavenly treasures in the here and now.

    For Jesus, our life now and our life to-be is not about building up our status and wealth in life, but it is about building up our faith relationship with God. Like the faith of Abraham and Sarah, our faith in God – our faith-relationship with God is our true treasures, our true heart’s desire – our Home with God. Such faith in Him will surely bring us into our salvation & into our heavenly home, for God loves to share His graces to all, especially those who have faith in Him.

    Since we are still living on this life while hoping for eternal life, our nearest experiences of heaven here on earth are moments when we love and serve those who are in need, and when we trustingly fulfill what God entrusted and required of us in this life. For he said, “much will be required of the person entrusted with much and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more”.

    Yes, God has given each of us a required-task to fulfill, an entrusted-mission to accomplish in this life. And doing our part in fulfilling our life-tasks and life missions here and now, with love and service of others is our contribution in building up our home and treasures in heaven.

    We are called Christians because of our faith in Jesus Christ. We are Christians with faith in Jesus Christ, not only because we recognize and believe in Him, but also because we long and hope for the fulfillment of His message and promise of God’s Salvation into our lives.

    And as we long for the true treasures in life – our heavenly home, let us be vigilant and prepare for the fulfillment of His promise and learn how to build up, nurture and share our faith and blessings with others in this life.

    Our recent experience of pandemic surely has compelled us nowadays to reflect & think anew about the meaning & value of life. We pray then that, may we never be separated from what is most important and valuable in life – our faith in God, and may we never be wearied in accomplishing our missions in life – building up for our HOME with God.

    So May It Be. Amen.