Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Liturgical Year C

  • Our CHOICE to be Christian

    Our CHOICE to be Christian

    June 29, 2025 – Solemnity of Saint Peter and Paul

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062925-Mass.cfm)

    Perhaps we may raise the questions: “How come only few people nowadays wanting to join priesthood and religious life? How come a number of people nowadays are not getting married & just opt for cohabitation (if not, getting married in the church)? How come being stay-home single for life is on the rise?” Or in other words, “how come wanting to be true disciples of Christ are dwindling in numbers?”

    Regardless of specific circumstances, perhaps this is caused by the requirements-entail of being a disciple. Yes, Jesus once said: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross & follow me”. With this, easy for us to think & excuse ourselves readily as to how difficult self-denial, sacrifice & obedience that Christian discipleship demands of us.

    However, before we think of the requirements & demands of discipleship, we must consider that to be disciple of Jesus is first and foremost, a CHOICE. Jesus said: “Whoever wishes to come after me….” Meaning, Christian discipleship – to follow Jesus is a Choice. Demanding & difficult it may be, being disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ is never implied and enforced to us. It is our Choice & Option to be Christian & what kind of Christian we are to be.

    When he asked the disciples in our gospel today: “Who do you say I am?”, Jesus is asking them then & us now not to recite a formula or creed, or to laud the formal title or doing lip-services to Him, but Jesus is asking us to make a choice, to choose & claim Jesus as our personal Christ, and to what kind of Christian we choose to be. And for Peter to claim Jesus as Christ, he has to experience Jesus first as person as well as to decide eventually for himself that Jesus is his Christ as well as to choose himself to be a disciple of Jesus, & what kind of disciple of Jesus he choose to be.

    Meaning, by choosing Jesus as his CHRIST, Peter becomes a Christian disciple & commissioned to be the rock-based of our church & the key-holder to God’s kingdom of heaven. So also, Paul kept his faith & through him the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. In other words, with & by their choice to be  follows their mission to be Christian.

    Yes, we may at times use the excuse that Jesus even said, “Many are called, but few are chosen”. But “few are chosen” because even when we are all called,  few must HAVE Chosen to be and remains to be His worthy disciple. Meaning, wanting to be true disciples of Christ are dwindling in numbers because few have chosen to be, while being called & invited. Again to know Christ & be a Christian is Our Choice. Without our choice to be, there is no clear mission & direction to be & do in faith & life.

    Nevertheless, the Lord will always continue to call us again & anew to be His disciple, however we choose & respond to Him. And it is up to us then what kind of Christian or not we choose to be.

    Today we honor Peter & Paul. Two great men of our faith who personally chose Jesus to be their Christ. By their choice, they become Christians. And we come to know & choose Jesus as our Christ & be His disciples through Peter & Paul.

    In whatever life we live now, like Peter & Paul may we be worthy & true disciples to the kind of Christian life we choose to be, for we know that to choose Jesus we will be in grace. And not making any choice for Jesus & not growing as His disciples, we will be disgraced towards oblivion.

    So, by our choice we pray that may be blessed worthy to be disciples of Christ in faith & life now & always.

    So Be It. Amen

  • Eucharist-Gifted

    Eucharist-Gifted

    June 22, 2025 – Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062225.cfm)

    There was once a man who desired to know the difference between heaven and hell. He went through a lot of painstaking investigation as to the distinction between heaven and hell. But in vain, because all he got were some descriptions, pictures and stories depicting about heaven and hell.

    One night in his sleep, he dreamed that he found himself in front of the Lord. The Lord asked him, “What is it that you desire?” He replied, “Lord, I like to experience the difference between heaven and hell.” So, the Lord said, “Go into that room.” So, he went into a room filled with sad, hungry, sick, weak and malnourished people. While observing around, he noticed that at the center of the room, there is a big pot of steaming delicious rice soup (arrozcaldo).

    However, he realized people could not enjoy the food because they are using spoons with long handle. He thought, “to eat your food using spoon with long handle must surely be hell.” Outside he told the Lord, “Now I know what hell is. How about heaven?” The Lord directed him to another room. Upon entering, he met happy, healthy and alive people, and he said to himself : “This must be heaven”. He also observed that at the center of the room lies a big pot of steaming hot delicious arrozcaldo, and also people were using spoons with long handle.

    Coming out from the room more confused, he then asked the Lord: “Now what’s the difference? Both are in the room with delicious food in their midst while using spoons with long handles to feed. How come people in hell are s and people in heaven are healthy?” The Lord replied, “Sadly people in hell never learned to use their spoons properly. Their long-handle spoons are meant to feed others than themselves. In heaven, people enjoys instead the food together by feeding each other and one another in kindness and communion.

    Our gospel today reminded us of the miracle of the multiplication of loaves. Although caused by Jesus, the miracle-happened is not only the multiplication of food and the feeding of multitudes but more so on the agape or communion: food-blessings shared and enjoyed by all.

    Same as today, people then must had bought their own meal for themselves to attend the big meeting and gathering. But as the people witnessed what Jesus did with the little bread kindly offered, blessed, distributed and shared with others, they were also inspired and move to offer, pray, and share in kindness the small food-baon they have with others.

    The real miracle then is the Agape-Communion, i.e. food-shared and the sharing in kindness of the food. Thus heaven be-like and miracles do happen whenever people share whatever little blessings that we have with one another & others in loving kindness.

    For the past three Sundays, we put value to the treasures the risen Lord has gifted us to sustain in our Christian daily lives. Jesus once said: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”.

    Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we come to believe and proclaim the TRUTH that our Lord Jesus is the Son of God, who makes us know and call our God as our Father, and thus we are God’s children. With the gift of the Holy Trinity, we learn the WAY to aspire for God’s love and life by glorifying our Father through the witness of the Son, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

    As shown to us by our Lord, the gift of His Body and Blood offers us the LIFE to nourish, sustain and direct our faith-life journey toward our heaven – God’s life and glory.

    Today the whole Church celebrates the Solemnity of Corpus Christi: the Body and Blood of Christ. This is to remind us that we are Eucharist-gifted, i.e. the Lord has given and left us the gift of Eucharist as life to live and follow as Christian.

    Our readings today reminded us that God has continually nourished us in Life. Through the Body and Blood of Christ, God offers us Jesus as our food to nourish and sustain us in daily faith-life journey. However, for miracles to happen and a taste of heaven be enjoyed in life, the Eucharist as food for our journey are meant to be shared in kindness with others and one another.

    In other words, food and graces given to us are not only meant for ourselves but must be blessed and shared in communion and kindness with others & one another in life as community of faith. The food and life God offers us through the Most Holy Eucharist then are meant to be in agape and communion with others and one another, and not to be keep only for oneself.

    We might say nowadays: “You are what you eat, and who you eat with” or “The food you eat reflects your identity and your company to keep.” Like, a vegetarian eats vegetables with vegetarians. Meat-eater parties with meat-eaters. Drinkers hangs-out with drunkards.

    In the same way, Catholics who attend and receive Eucharist regularly are spiritually healthy, happy, more kind and generous to share with others. Catholics however who rarely attend and receive Communion (as some would even prefer just to attend via live-streaming mass nowadays) tends to be spiritually weak, usually sad, stingy and selfish to share with others.

    Again for miracles to happen and for us to have a glimpse and taste of heaven in life, we must learn to properly receive our blessings by attending, taking and sharing Holy Eucharist with others and one another in community.

    As we are continually nourished by God through the Eucharist, the Life of the Body and Blood of Christ, may we be more inspired, nourished, and moved to share our faith and blessings in kindness and communion with others & one another.

    Hinaut pa unta. So May It Be. Amen.

  • Holy Trinity-Gifted

    Holy Trinity-Gifted

    June 15, 2025 – Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061525.cfm)

    Being gifted by someone special person in life is usually for us a joyous & meaningful experience. Because as we all know, the gift-received is not only about the importance of the gift-given, but also the giver of the gift, and the thought & ways of giving us itself the gift. And so, not only the gift, but also the giving & the giver matter most in our being gifted.

    As we have considered how it is to be gifted by the Holy Spirit last Sunday, this Sunday we reflect on our being gifted by the Holy Trinity.

    Today is the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. We proclaim our faith in God as the Holy Trinity. In our faith in Christ, we believe in God who is the persons & dynamics of Father, Son & Holy Spirit. We fully trust in the God made known to us by our Lord Jesus as community of persons at work together for recreation & renewal of our lives for the better.

    And today, as always once again, we joyfully celebrate our being gifted by the Holy Trinity in our Christian faith & life.

    To appreciate our being gifted by the Holy Trinity, we must understand that the communal presence & actions of the Holy Trinity are considerably implied in the Holy Scriptures. And somehow this is articulated at its best in the word: “Behold” in the gospels.

    We remember here that “Behold” is said during the Annunciation (Mt 1:23) when it was foretold of Mary’s conceiving God’s child, during Jesus’ public ministry (Jn 1:29) when he is recognized as the Lamb of God, also on the cross (Jn 19:26-27) when Jesus endorsed Mary & the disciples to one another, and above all at the ascension when Jesus assured them of His presence forever as He commissioned His disciples to continue in with His mission (Mt 28:20).

    In all these instances in the Jesus story, especially when the word: “Behold” is said, we come to recognize the presence & dynamics of the Holy Trinity are at work on-mission (on-the-go), in tandem with one another, & in collaboration with us, believers & followers of Christ for the grace of our salvation & blessings.

    And so as our response for such a great gift, what are we to do as being gifted by Holy Trinity? Again, we consider the word “Behold” challenging us to respond to the presence & dynamics of the community of the Holy Trinity in us.

    In the gospel when he was saying on the cross: “Woman, behold your son”…”Son, behold your mother” (Jn 19:25-27)*** Jesus is more than just presenting & endorsing  Mary, his mother & the beloved disciple to one another, but rather call each other’s attention to give care to each other’s presence, and give importance to what is happening & about to happen in their lives.

    Here, we are reminded that in the scriptures, to behold signifies drawing attention to something significant, often revelations, event or divine message, to happen.

    Meaning, “Behold” in the scriptures is a “call to attention”, “a call to order” for us to recognize the significance of the present moment.  To behold then is more than just an expression of being present but more so to acknowledge the significance of the moment happening before us. The challenge for us to “Behold” is thus somehow calling us out that “There is something greater going on and better happening here. So, be aware & conscious of the great importance of the moment.”

    For us to behold then is to  be aware & be awed of the presence & dynamics of the Holy Trinity in our very lives. In other words, beholding for us Christians is to look significantly to our trinitarian God in our lives so that we may see, observe, discern & comprehend His presence & actions in our ordinary daily faith-life journey. Behold, then, for God’s salvation is upon us.

    As we continue on with our pilgrimage of faith, we pray that we may grow in great appreciation & significance of our being gifted by the Holy Trinity in our faith, as we behold God’s ever-present & dynamic blessings at work happening now in our present moment.

    With Mary, our Mother of perpetual Help, through Jesus Christ our Lord, now and always.

    Amen.

    *** We distinctively used this Gospel today since here in our parish church we are also celebrating the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, as our parish patroness here in Cebu, Philippines – which happen to come also on the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity this year.

  • CHRIST’S Offer of PEACE

    CHRIST’S Offer of PEACE

    May 25, 2025 – Sixth Sunday of Easter

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052525.cfm)

    Come to think of it, the very first words the risen Christ said to His disciples in the upper room is: “Peace, I give to you”. PEACE is first message of the risen Lord. The very first offer of salvation the risen Lord for us then is PEACE.

    But we might wonder: “why peace?”Why not joy, forgiveness, or mercy? Why not love and life? Why Peace first among others?

    Corrie Ten Boom, an inspirational writer & a watchmaker Christian Dutch Nazi-concentration camp woman survivor once adviced, “If you look at the world, you will be distressed. If you look into oneself, you will be depressed. But if you look at God, you will be at rest.”

    True enough, although her experience of life was different (Hitler, Nazi, concentration camps, gas chambers, etc.) and happened few decades ago, but still we can also say, based on our experience & what is going on in our life today…. Distressing it is to look at our world… (with natural disasters of typhoons, earthquakes, flooding, El Niño, global warming, etc; human disasters of pandemic, politicking, wars, injustice, discrimination, killings, etc.).

    And worse, depressing it is to look into ourselves living distressful life in our helplessness & hopelessness…. But promising, assuring & hopeful it is to focus our gaze & look to God for peace, meaning & sense in our faith-life journey.

    When Peace was first offered by our risen Lord to His disciples, we recall that in our gospel today Jesus before His death said:  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”

    We come to know Jesus here as someone who can relate & sympathizes with our life-experiences of distress & depression. He knows how our hearts can be troubled & afraid, as well how our life can be distressing & depressing our life as Christians could be.

    And so, our Lord offers us Peace first amidst our challenging lives to appease & assure our lives that He is with us along the way. At the same time, as He offers us His peace, our peace is ultimately not found in our life & world, but lies in Him, whom we believe.

    His peace is offered us first because, our Lord wants us to focus our lives on Him. In order for us to fully believe & trust in Him, we must be first be at peace with Him.

    Thus, to be in His Peace first, by focusing and orienting  ourselves to Him rather than on our world & life. And above all, Christ’s offer of peace is based on the longing of God & Jesus to be at home & in love with us for as Jesus said “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.”

    Consider also that as Christian, it is our custom to greet & bless each other as we gather as community with the exchange of words: “The grace & peace of our Lord of Christ, the love of God, & the unity of the Holy Spirit, BE with you”…”And also with You (your spirit)”.

    Here highlights our love of God with the unity of Holy Spirit CENTERS on the Christ’s grace of peace for us. Our faith in God’s salvation is thus oriented & focused on Jesus, not in the world & on ourselves, because meaning & direction in life lies in our faith & love of Him, whom God sends for us.

    Simply put, Jesus is calling & directing us to focus & center our life on Him… to prioritize Him, Our Lord & Savior, the Son of God in our daily lives than our world & selves. Because as Corrie Ten Boom also reminds us, Christians:

    “If you look at the world, you will be distressed. If you look within, you will be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you will be at peace.”

    So May it be. Amen.

  • Known by our love

    Known by our love

    May 18, 2025 – Fifth Sunday of Easter

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051825.cfm)

    Having married to his childhood sweetheart for only a year & a half, in fear & anxiety, a man told his father: “Dad, marriage is not FOR me.” After few minutes of silence, the father gave this advice: “Son, I make this really simple. You marry not to make yourself happy, but to make someone else happy. Marriage is not for you because you are married for a family & your future children. Marriage is not about you, but about the person you married & the life you have chosen.” So, marriage is more than just for your sake, but for the sake of your beloved ones.

    Easy for us to think that ordained priests and consecrated religious people are married to God & church. Rightly so, for they dedicate their lives to & for God & the church. It does not mean however that lay Christian couples & family are not married to & for God & the church. Christian marriage & family life is a

    discipleship – a way of following Jesus & loving God through & in His people. Like ordination & religious professions, marriage is not about & for oneself but for your beloved whom you love in life, and above all for God.

    Christian couples do have their marriage in the church because they consider their love & marriage to each other as sacred & holy, and they wish to make their life now & always as their sacred offering to God & His church. Their marriage then is not about themselves but about each other living their love life for God & His Church through their own family & Christian community. Same way with ordained priest & consecrated religious people, Christian married couples are also thus married to God & His Church. And above all, being Christian is being married to God, and being in marriage to our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Jesus in our gospel today said: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

    Here Jesus reminds us that it is not enough just to know the commandment to love, but most of all we must live & practice Love. And Love then is for one another than oneself. Meaning, love is basically not for and about oneself (not for and about you), but Love is all about & for one’s beloved & others. In other words, love is our marriage of one another to God.

    Ultimately then, marriage is not for the sake of Me and about Me, but for the sake of and about An-other than Me. Love lived in Christian discipleship then is not self-centered, self-serving & self-oriented but more so other-centered, other-serving & other-oriented. If & when we love this way, as Jesus says: “We are not far from God’s kingdom.”

    And above all in & our loving one another, by our marriage to God, as we love same way as Jesus loves us, we are known to be His disciples and known to be Christian, …because as it was said, “marriage is not for me, but for one another than me”. By our love & loving, then we are known to be Christians.

    In this mass, we pray that our love for our beloved & others in life be our way of following our risen Lord, and be our marriage to God & His Church as our fitting sacrifice & worship to God’s goodness for us now & always.

    So be it. Amen.