Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Ordinary Time

  • BY Our Faith & Trust in Him

    BY Our Faith & Trust in Him

    February 16, 2025 – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021625.cfm)

    Who do we consider nowadays the fortunate lucky people who seems to be more blessed by God? And who do we consider nowadays the unfortunate, unlucky people who seems to be cursed by God?

    For us nowadays, people who are rich, affluent, and wealthy, who got and has everything they need and want in plenty are the fortunate. Fortunate also are those who are popular, powerful, and influential – who can control and trick people for their own advantage at their beck and call. We also consider fortunate those people who are smart and knowledgeable who knows too much and can outwit and outsmart others by getting the best and extra from the situation like rewards, prizes, money, “pogi” points, power, or media coverage. In other words, maabilidad ug marunong o maru (shrewd) are seemed to be blessed by God.

    And for us today, people who are poor, deprived, and marginalized are unfortunate. Unlucky are those who have less or nothing at all, in terms of food, education, power and influence. Those who are ignorant, innocent, mayukmok (the lesser ones) – easily fooled and deceived by others are seemed to be cursed by God.

    In other words, in the eyes of the world, the rich – the “haves” and “well-to-do” seems to be blessed by God, while the poor – the “have-nots” and “nothing-to-do” seems to be cursed by God. However, the fortunate, lucky, and blessed as well as the unfortunate, unlucky, and cursed people of our world today are the exact opposite of the blessed and cursed people of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Contrary to our popular notion today, the fortunate, lucky, and blessed people, for Jesus is not the rich, affluent, wealthy, popular, powerful, influential, smart, and knowledgeable people of today – but those who are poor, hungry, weeping, hated, rejected, insulted, deprived, deceived, marginalized or ignorant people of today. And for Jesus, those who are rich, full, happy, and praised by others whom we considered today as fortunate, lucky, and blessed are the unfortunate, unlucky, and cursed.

    Well, what does it mean? Does it mean Jesus uphold poverty, starvation, deception, oppression, discrimination and suffering of today? Does it mean that for us to be fortunate and blessed before God we have to be poor, hungry, weeping, suffering – in silence, hated, deprived and discriminated by others? NO. This is not about being fortunate or cursed but about our Faith and trust in God. At the heart of today’s reading is not about being fortunate and cursed but the theme of Faith & Trust in God.

    Our first reading today gave us a contrast of the fate of those who trust in human beings with fate of those who trust in God. Those who trust in human beings are like a barren desert shrub; whereas those who trust in God are like a fruitful tree planted beside a flowing river. Jesus in our gospel today is telling and teaching us that those who trust in God are righteous and finds favor in God, but those who trust only in human beings and in themselves are wicked and unfortunate.

    What makes then a person blessed or cursed, lucky or unlucky, fortunate, or unfortunate is not on the condition where he is in, but in His faith and trust in God. What counts and matters most, then, is our faith and trust in God. And to trust in God is to rely on God as to be the one source of life. This would mean that in life and whatever happens in our life, we must trust and rely not on our way, our will, and our accomplishments but on God’s Way, God’s will, and God’s mercy.

    For Jesus, then, blessed are those who trust in God and cursed are those who trust only in others and in themselves. Blessed are the poor, hungry, weeping, hated, insulted because they trust in God. They have faith in God, they have nothing else but God. Cursed are the rich, full, happy, and praised by others because they have everything else but God. In other words, by our trust in Him we are blessed & by relying only on others & oneself we are cursed. As St. Theresa of Calcuta would remind us, “God does not call us to be successful but to be Faithful in Life”.

    Here, we must also see that God’s blessings are not only “yet to come” but are “here and now”. It is not only a promise but a reality. It is His gift to us now who trust in Him – not as the reward that we expect and need from him, for what we are receiving from Him is more abundant than just what we need and expect from Him. And usually God’s blessings come as a surprised Gift which is beyond our expectation.

    As a text message I once received say, which could be our today’s prayer: “God’s blessings may come as a surprise and how much we receive depends on how much our heart can believe. May we be blessed beyond what we expect, as we believe and trust in Him. God bless.”

    So May It Be. Amen.

  • Blaming Others vs Acknowledgement of Faults

    Blaming Others vs Acknowledgement of Faults

    February 15, 2025 – Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021525.cfm)

    Is it easy to own our failures and mistakes and take the responsibility for the consequences? The general behavior in us, as human beings because of social and cultural influences around us, is to appear clean and infallible. Mistakes and failures are mostly viewed negatively. In our upbringing, our experiences tell us that committing to a mistake or failure would bring us painful and sometimes shameful consequences.

    As a result, when we commit a mistake or failure, instead of acknowledging it immediately, we would try to deviate and make a lot of reasons to explain that it is not our fault but caused by something outside of us. We would make reasonable explanation that it was out of our control. But worst, we could also dare to blame others for the failure that happened.

    This is the very situation that happened in today’s story in the Book of Genesis. Hence, the man must have pointed his judging finger to the woman who gave him the fruit. “No, not me! It was her! She gave me the fruit!”

    Yet, the woman also responded to deny the accusation of her husband, “Not me either. It was the serpent!” See, both of them denied the responsibility of eating the fruit and realizing that they were naked. Both succumbed to the blame-game to deny full responsibility of their disobedience and disrespect to God’s commandment.

    Nevertheless, what was really the issue in this story? Was it because of eating a desirable fruit? Was it because of the presence of the serpent that tempted them? Or the presence of evil around them?

    Both of them, the woman and the man, were tempted not just because the fruit was desirable to eat. The fruit was only a symbol of a greater temptation. The cunning serpent, engaged the woman in a conversation by asking, “Did God really say that you will die?”

    The question was an opening of the serpent’s temptation for both man and woman to believe that they can become like gods. This means that the temptation was in believing that they will be in complete control of everything. They must have believed too that they did not have everything in paradise, that God deprived them of many things. The unquenchable desire to have everything must have consumed them. They can only have everything when they too will become like gods.

    However, the moment they tasted the fruit and came to know what is good and what is evil, they too realized their smallness and nothingness before God. This was the reason why they hid from the Lord God. They knew that they have sinned and that sin led them to fear. Fear is filled with guilt and shame.

    This is the reason why Adam and Eve were hiding. Their nakedness tells us of their guilt and shame. Yet, their guilt never made them to take the responsibility that they have sinned. As a result, they became trapped in the cycle of blaming. Adam blamed Eve. And Eve blamed the Serpent. And perhaps, we today, might also blame God for putting the serpent among them.

    Because of this, the intimacy between man, woman, and God was shattered. In the same way, man and woman lost their closeness with God. It was them who distanced from God. Thus, sin, without acknowledgment makes us hide yet, it leads to destruction and to death.

    But remember, this is also how God intervenes. God calls us. In the garden, God’s words, “Where are you?” were not of condemnation but of invitation to come closer. God continues to search us not to destroy us but to renew us, to recreate us, to give us the fullness of God’s grace and presence.

    This is how the Gospel of Mark tells us now of the heart of Jesus. Jesus felt the hunger of the people. Jesus felt their need to be filled and be satisfied. The heart of Jesus was surely, so close to the people. The Gospel said, the “heart of Jesus is moved with pity.” This is love that redeems and saves.

    For that reason, Jesus wants his disciples to learn from that kind of love. It was love that gives even when there is nothing left for us. It was a complete dependence on God’s generosity. That was how the miracle happened, as Jesus was moved with pity and so the disciples too and all those people around them.

    Therefore, let us allow the Lord to find us today as we humbly acknowledge our failures rather than blame others. Let us also learn from the heart of Jesus, that we may too be moved with pity so that God’s grace will truly fill and satisfy our every longing and desire. Hinaut pa.

  • Ephphatha-Be Opened!

    Ephphatha-Be Opened!

    February 14, 2024 – Memorial of Sts. Cyril and Methodius

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021425.cfm)

    There are two different contexts and situations in today’s readings that tell us of the spiritual significance of being opened. This is something that I want to share and discern with you today, as we also celebrate the Valentine’s Day!

    In the Book of Genesis, we are led now to the story of the temptation and falling from grace of humanity, portrayed in the actions of the woman and man. As they listened the words of the serpent that brought the temptation to them, the two can’t resist the idea of “becoming like gods.” The fruit that was forbidden to them, because it “looked good, pleasing to the eyes and desirable for gaining wisdom” was shared by the two. They were convinced that they can become equal to the Lord God, the creator and giver of life.

    Yet, they were wrong! As soon, as they ate the fruit, their “eyes were opened.” This brought realization to the man and woman of the great sin they have committed against the Lord God. The fruit did not open a door for them to become gods, but, it opened to shame, guilt and misery.

    This was the reason why they covered themselves with leaves and hid from the presence of God. They were filled with shame. Their nakedness did not only mean that they did not wear anything at all, but of the realization of having nothing at all because of their separation from the grace of God. They made themselves open to sin and misery, and open to evil and death.

    Yet, despite what happened, the Book of Genesis reminds us that the Lord God moved about in the garden looking for them. As the sinful man and woman hid in shame, God opened a new beginning for restoration and healing.

    This brings us now into the message of the Responsorial Psalm. The author acknowledges the shame and guilt brought by sin. In God’s mercy, sin is forgiven for those who humbled and embraced their weakness. God renews us as we declared, “Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.”

    Moreover, Jesus, in today’s Gospel, fulfills the longing for healing and restoration in the miracle story of a deaf and mute man. As Jesus showed his compassion for this man who must have been subjected to ridicule and mistreatment from others, he too was touched by those friends of the man. Unlike the common treatment and belief at that time, sick people were badly mistreated and rejected because of the fear of contamination.

    This became an opportunity for Jesus to work wonders and bring healing to the man. Jesus touching the man and using his saliva uttered the Aramaic word, “Ephphatha!” that is, be opened!

    At that, the ears and mouth of the man opened up and began to speak. This opening from the man removed his disability to hear and speak. The gift of healing received by the man made him be restored.

    Now, we see the differences between the two openings. The first was not of God and so it brought the man and woman to shame and guilt. The second was of God and brought the man to healing and restoration.

    This tells us now how the Lord, indeed, desires our completeness and freedom. The Lord desires that we experience and live life to the fullest.

    We are called and invited today to be open! Let the voice and word of Jesus, “Ephphatha” makes us open to God’s presence and wonders, to God’s mysteries being unfolded each day, to God’s unconditional love and forgiveness.

    Since it’s Valentine’s Day, let us also be open in our relationships in order to build trust, better communication. honesty and intimacy.

    Let us also be open to become loving and forgiving even with those whom we may consider as unlovable and unlikeable. Let us also open our ears and eyes to realize and respond to the needs around us. Let us open our mouth to speak about the injustices in our society as well as to share the Gospel of mercy and peace. Hinaut pa.

  • IN GIVING AND HEALING LIFE

    IN GIVING AND HEALING LIFE

    February 13, 2024 – Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021325.cfm)

    Ikaw ba’y nag-iisa at nalulungkot? (Alone and lonely?) Naghahanap ng makakasama at may kayakap? (Looking for a companion and someone to embrace?) When loneliness kicks in, no matter how we surround ourselves with many things or distract our heart and mind with other things, it penetrates the soul and make us anxious and disturbed.

    God saw this and realized how the heart of the man grew lonely despite the many creatures that surround him. The longing for companionship and friendship, for community, is indeed, innate to us humanity. Thus, the creation of another human being, of another human life was designed by God in order to bring companionship and to grow in that community.

    Hence, as the Lord God gives new life, it also heals the loneliness of man. This second creation story in the Book of Genesis not only refers to the Sacrament of Marriage between man and woman. The creation of another human being is not a matter as to who is superior of the two or which gender is better but of our capacity to share and heal life, to bring comfort and healing.

    This is the beauty and wonder that God designed which grows in human friendship and companionship. It heals loneliness. It eases our anxiety. It comforts our broken and troubled heart. It heals division.

    This very relationship is what we have also heard in today’s Gospel healing story. The Syrophoenician woman, a non-Jew, therefore, a pagan, begged the Lord for the gift of healing. This woman, a mother, was longing for healing not for herself but for her daughter who was sick because a demonic possession. The seemingly cold response of Jesus was melted at the humility and daring faith of this mother. That relationship between the mother and her daughter made Jesus to look at her from the perspective of compassion and mercy. From that relationship, the mother’s love and care for her daughter became a channel of the Lord’s gift of healing. Indeed, her daughter recovered, was healed and freed as she went home.

    The faith showed by the mother to believe in Jesus in spite of all odds and rejections became an opportunity for Jesus to teach his disciples that God’s creative and healing power transcends human differences.

    What binds us together is the reality that we are all made by God, brothers and sisters, friends and as a community. This very relationship we have should heal any division and hatred among ourselves. This was very important for Jesus to make his disciples realize this. This was the reason too why Jesus entertained this Greek woman, a Syrophoenician by birth.

    The invitation for us now is to realize how our relationship with one another whether as friends, as a couple or lovers, or as a community can be a space of giving and healing life. Let us be more nurturing and inspiring in our relationships that we may not be the cause of pain, division and violence.

    It is a call for us also to allow Jesus to take a big space in our relationships because we realize  that in Him and through Him, we shall find healing and freedom. Hinaut pa.

  • Deep Within Our Heart

    Deep Within Our Heart

    February 12, 2025 – Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021225.cfm)

    The human heart, though in medical science, is made up of muscle and tissue responsible for pumping blood to flow in our entire body. Yet, the human heart since the ancient times is understood spiritually as the person’s inner core. The Holy Scriptures teach us that our human heart symbolizes our inner self, the totality of our person that includes our mind, spirit and emotions. It is in our heart that we too find our hopes and dreams, our desires and passions. And it is in our heart that we encounter God, who gives us the breath of life.

    Moreover, as Jesus reminds us today in the Gospel of Mark, from our heart we also shall find our selfish desires and wicked intentions from which our actions and words can bring harm, evil, and corruption to what surrounds us. This is something that the Lord wants us to realize today so that we may be able to see and discern better on what values, beliefs and spirit should we foster in our hearts.

    The Book of Genesis presents to us the second account of the creation story. In this account we are reminded how the Lord created the world and us humans, particularly. The Lord God being portrayed like a potter, formed us out of the clay and blew into us the “breath of life.” That breath indeed, gives us life and it comes from the Lord. That breath still remains with us, a reminder that God’s spirit is within us.

    In God’s divine wisdom, the trees of life and of the knowledge of good and evil were planted. The man was expected to exercise discernment, self-control and respect to what God has commanded. In that garden, the man was settled in order “to cultivate and care for it.” This expresses the creative power given to man, that certainly, we have the capacity to nurture and care what has been entrusted to us.

    Yet, when we also choose to separate from the grace of God and forget that we are indeed given the breath of life, evil begins to consume us. We shall become dissatisfied with what we have even when we have enough. We become entitled, ungrateful and self-centered as if we are the creator and the giver of life. As the heart distances from the grace of God, the more we become indifferent from others.

    This is what Jesus affirmed in today’s Gospel. Jesus said, “From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.”

    What makes us unclean, therefore, are not those from the outside but those from within our heart. Jesus particularly refutes the belief of the Pharisees and scribes who developed restrictions on what to eat and what not to eat. Every creature that has been made by God is good.

    It is rather that comes out from our heart is what would defile us and would bring corruption and evil around us. It is a call, then, for us to watch out on what we nurture and foster deep within our hearts.

    What kind of intentions and motivations do we have then? What desires and passions that fuel our heart? What thoughts and aspirations that have become important for us?

    As we bring ourselves to reflect on these matters, let us also remind ourselves that at the very beginning, God gave us the breath of life. Deep within us, God resides; with us, God recreates; and through us, God manifests the divine.

    Let us retrieve and reclaim that creative power of the Lord so that our hearts will rather be more attuned and at home with God’s presence. This may hopefully constantly transform our actions and words to become more like Jesus so that we too will be able to bring goodness and kindness into our homes and communities. Hinaut pa.