Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Ordinary Time

  • One-winged Angels

    One-winged Angels

    October 6, 2024 – 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100624.cfm)

    A wise man once said, “Each one of us are angels… But, with one wing. We can only fly by embracing each other.” Reflecting on these words, such wisdom somehow reflects our daily experience and journey of being human and Christian in this life. Human as we are, these words of wisdom affirm our being HOLY – our promise and desire to be holy and sacred in life, as somewhat angel-like. But Holy may we be, these words also reveal our being HUMAN – our limitations and constraints to become holy in life, as one-winged angel.

    “Angels with one wing” somehow describes our aspirations and our frustrations of being and becoming Human and Holy in this life, and highlights our experience of loneliness – of being alone in life, and our need for one another as well. However, as these words of wisdom suggest we can only fulfill our longing for sacredness in our human nature, by way of flying via embracing each other.

    This calls for us then not to be weighed down by our human limits, but to fly – that is to resolve and commit ourselves to rise up and respond to the occasion and chance to become angels in life. And also this calls us to do the flying together in relationship along and with one another. In other words, we are inter-related. (Magkaugnay). Only by flying-journeying with others – not by walking alone, each and all of us can reach the destination we are promised and we longed for in life, as “angels with one wing.”

    Surely our readings today can teach us a lot of things about our life-experiences of being Holy & Human. But aside from the themes of creation, marriage, divorce, adultery, parents and children, our readings today are all about our human need to have a committed relationship in life, i.e. to be in covenant relationship with God and with One another.

    We are told in our first reading today that as God created us, He also sees our human need to have a partner in life for “It is not good for man to be alone” and even animals and pets are not enough for us. He ensures a suitable human partner for us in life, so that we can leave our parents and be with our God-given partner in life.

    God thus has created us not to be alone and/or be with our parents, but to be with our own God-Given suitable partners, for us to live the life God has created us to be. Jesus in our gospel today reminds us not to block and be a hindrance in letting ourselves and others to come to God and live the life God has called us to be, and challenge us to remain faithful and steadfast in our relationship with one another as we live our life-mission God has called us to be as well.

    Both readings give importance to our human need to have and be in a committed relationship as God sees & wills it. More than just having a friendly, convenient, and secure relationship in life, God appreciates that we, human as we are, should be committed to the life God has chosen us to be, and to live such-committed life in relationship with our own suitable partner God has destined us to be with.

    In other words, though with one wing, we should be angels – flying, coming to God’s glory, rising up and committing to the occasion to live the life God has called us to be, and by means of interdependence, embracingly flying/journeying in relationship with our God-given suitable partners in life.

    Perhaps beyond our concerns for our civil status or even FB Profile status, whether we are Single-Married, in relationship, in love or complicated, we should moreso ask ourselves, “Am I committed to the life God has called me now to be? Am I also in a covenant-relationship with my God-given suitable partner in the journey?” Simply asked, “Am I committed and committing to where I am going and with-whom I am going with toward the life God has chosen me and us to be?”

    Nowadays we hear loud noises proclaiming “Walang Forever”, i.e. there is no promise of forever, eternity, constancy and always in life. True it may be for those who cannot commit, who refuse to rise to the occasion but be remain burdened by their limits and choose to be on their own and alone in their own life-struggles, still dependent on their own parents and others.

    But “There is forever, always, and eternal life”… for commit-able people, people who can commit, still committed and committing to live the life God has chosen them to be and to the partner they are to be with. We could say also that committed relationships are measured by faithfulness & not by success, for our journey in life is not about gaining heights but moreso about remaining steadfast/faithful in our efforts to fly & journey along with others.

    Though not of this world but in this world, Christian and human as we are, we are Holy and Sacred for we are also God’s children and Jesus’ brothers and sisters. And difficult it may be, we can always be holy and sacred in this life, if and whenever we commit to the life God has called us to be and to the suitable partner God has given us to be with.

    Again as the saying goes: “Each one of us are angels… But, with one wing. We can only fly by embracing each other.” With these words, may we learn and grow with holiness despite our human limits, in our Christian lives today. Amen.

  • Inclusive Grace

    Inclusive Grace

    September 29, 2024 – 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092924.cfm)

    This Sunday we celebrate the National Seafarers & Migrant Sunday. This is not only to recognize the contribution of the OFW & Migrant families to the betterment of our quality of life here at home but also their struggles of living life afar from their loved ones in long-distance relationship, and their steadfast Christian faith to live & share Jesus to others at home & abroad.

    My father & elder brother are Seafarers. I have also lived as Migrant student & missionary abroad. I know & have experienced how to live life in distance & away from my families, friends & loved ones.

    For us who have live & work abroad & also who have been raised in a long-distance relationship family, living & giving witness to our Christian faith is particularly challenging. Much that we have to adjust & manage with the unusual circumstances & culture we are in – afar from our comfort zones & support groups in a totally in a different foreign culture & lifestyles, OFW families have also to contend with faith & church life.

    Here at home, we have to do with going to Sunday Eucharist with less & absence of loved ones. And more challenging, when we find ourselves alone abroad in a non-Christian countries. And even much more challenging, when we are in a mostly Christian nation, but we cannot fully relate because they tend to think that they are the only Christians around & their version of Christianity is & should be only observed by all. In other words, we may find ourselves with exclusive, non-welcoming & critical Catholic church abroad.

    Sometimes it is good to examine and ask ourselves: “What are the things that we claim as being rightly ours and yet are not truly ours?” This may not only be material possessions but could also be our status in society we use to lord over others,.. titles we use for personal advantages, … our prejudices and biases we harbored towards others,… or our self-righteous behaviors & beliefs that makes us feel morally better, privilege or important than others. We sometimes claim these privileges – which do not really belong to us, though we come to think and believe that they are only ours to have. Worse, we sometimes claim that we are the rightful owners of Christian life & faith that we impose on others should practice & observed.

    Here in our first reading, we heard Joshua complaining to Moses for letting two elders who were absent during the meeting, receive the spirit of prophecy. Joshua was thinking that only those elders who attended the meeting are the rightful recipients of the spirit of prophecy.

    A similar story here is depicted in our gospel today. John reported to Jesus: “Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting our devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.” Meaning, John and other disciples tried to exclude a non-member from exercising the ministry of healing and exorcism in the name of Jesus. Just like Joshua, the apostles believed that they are exclusively the privilege persons to invoke the name of the Lord.

    But as we all know; Jesus did not stop the estranged but effective exorcist. Like Moses, Jesus was not concerned about how the exorcist got the spirit of exorcism but was simply glad he had it. Clearly, Jesus perceived the situation differently. He said, “If anyone who is not against us is for us”. In other words, the Kingdom of God is beyond and wider than our human standards. Salvation is non-exclusive.

    It is God’s gift for all, not only for privileged few. Consequently, God’s blessings for us are Sharewares – meant to be shared, and not to be kept selfishly & owned exclusively. He challenged us instead to be open-minded to others, to “Let God’s spirit blows where it will” since God rewards those who show even the smallest courtesies to those who teach and share in Jesus’ name.

    On the contrary, he warned the disciples then & us now against our tendency to be selective, downgrading, arrogant, jealous, and intolerant of one another – as if we have the monopoly of the gift of God’s graces & spirit, and the exclusive rightful owner of what we have, or exclusive person to invoke Jesus name. Instead of selfishly thinking for ourselves & of ourselves, he challenged us to be what we claim to be: Christians. That is, If we claim to be Christians – a follower of Christ let us also be Christians in our attitude and behavior in our discipleship and relationship with one another & others.

    Since we call ourselves as Christians, we must also be Christ-like: tolerant open-minded, creative, non-exclusive at the same time determined and non-compromising in our faith in God’s salvation for all humanity through Jesus’ name. In other words, it is not for us to forbid and impose limitations on God’s capacity & ways. It is not for us to program God’s own Plans & Ways for all which are far way better than our human standards and ways. Jesus offers us then inclusive grace than exclusive privileges.

    Somehow our readings today are wake-up calls for us to realize not only our self-centered ways and attitudes in life demand our conversion & transformation.  Somehow we are challenge to do away our exclusive global-thinking that we don’t mind the locals, and to resist our mere mainstream mentality that we suspect alternatives.  

    Most of all, that even we are alone on our own abroad, and incomplete family here at home, w e challenge to cooperate and share with one another God’s non-exclusive all-embracing intervention, protection, salvation, healing, and blessings that we do pray & really need at these challenging life, especially in a long-distance relationships.

    May Our Father & His Will be always upon Us, Lord. Whatever & however our gifts, talents, limits & blessings we have now may be, allow us to contribute & cooperate with Your plans of saving us now and always. Amen.

  • FRIENDS THAN FANS

    FRIENDS THAN FANS

    September 15, 2024 – 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091524.cfm)

    What does it mean when we say: “putting someone into pedestal”?

    It is our common idiom used to idolize, deify, canonize, exalt & glorify someone far greater, better & above the normal. It  is also called hero-worship or idolatry wherein we idealize or idolize a person into a romantic relationship, and in effect creates a relationship gap of inferior & superior between us. It somehow builds on a hierarchical vertical functional & distant relationship rather than on equal horizontal personal & close relationship between us.

    When asked who Jesus is for them personally, Peter’s testimony of Jesus as the Christ is the precise description of who Jesus is for all of us. Yes, Jesus is indeed our Christ, God’s anointed messiah & savior. Yet like Peter, our testimony & witness of Jesus as our Christ, inspired it maybe, has to be purified of our interpretation of who & what Christ is.

    We consider that Peter was affirmed for his inspired testimony of Jesus as Christ, but he was also reputed for rebuking Jesus coming suffering. Peter thus praised for thinking as & of God, but scolded for thinking as & of man. Why? Because Peter puts Jesus on pedestal. He resorted to hero-worship that created a gap between Jesus & himself that led Jesus to say to Peter “Get behind me, Satan”.

    Whenever Jesus then ask us who He is to us personally, it is not just enough for us to profess that He is the Christ, but also we are to accept Him personally, not functionally. Jesus does not need our hero-worship, & doesn’t need us to put Him on pedestal. Jesus wants us to believe Him intimately as a person, not to idealize & idolize Him as our distant hero devoid from our struggles in life. He wants us to be His relatives & friends, not His fans. Jesus wants to have a covenant, not business contract with us. Considering Jesus then on a pedestal afar & apart from us is not of God, but of Satan – hindering us to recognize & trusting who Jesus really is as Christ than how & what we want Jesus to be.

    Perhaps we may ask ourselves now as followers of Jesus Christ: Who is the Jesus Christ we believe in our life now? Be conscious that nowadays Jesus Christ has been presented or packaged to us in other many distorted ways. Several so-called Christians today in a corrupted way may have preached and believed in Jesus Christ as “Jesus without the cross” and/or “Cross without Jesus”.

    “Jesus without the Cross” belief is the Jesus of the prosperity gospel church, who preached not of a suffering and wounded Christ, but that of a healthy, smiling, laughing, good-looking idol Jesus who enjoys and offers us the good things and luxuries in life now, if and when we only follow and believe in Him. While “Cross without Jesus” belief is the Jesus of spiritual charismatic gospel church who preached a Jesus who suffered on the cross, but is now not here but in otherworld or pedestal heaven, who offers His followers salvation and life… later and in heaven. We must be aware of these two distorted ways of Jesus being presented and preached to us today, for it undermines the struggle, suffering and sacrifice Jesus has undergone, and we must undergo in life for our salvation.

    As true follower of Christ, we believe not in “Jesus without a cross” or “Cross without Jesus” but rather we believe in Jesus Christ WITH and ON a cross. The Jesus Christ we believe in then is the Jesus Christ whom He Himself described in our gospel today, who suffered and was crucified on the cross, as well as the risen/resurrected but still wounded, cross-bearing Jesus Christ. Not only that we believe that Jesus is the Messiah, our Christ and Savior; but also we believe that the way to our life and salvation with God as shown to us by Jesus, is through the path or the way of the CROSS. By following the example of Christ in humble submission to the Father’s will and our acceptance of our own crosses in life – thus losing ourselves For Christ and for the sake of others, we come to benefit and share from God’s grace of life and salvation.

    The paradox of our Christian life is thus the Way of the cross in faith of Jesus with & on the cross.

    And so, is your & our faith of Jesus as Christ, of God or of men & Satan? Are our perspectives, attitudes & behaviors pave the way to be closely personal with Jesus with & on a cross as our Christ? Or, it rather place Jesus on a pedestal distant from us, without cross?

    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.

  • Conscience over reputations

    Conscience over reputations

    September 1, 2024 – 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090124.cfm)

    What is more important: Conscience OR Reputations?

    The famous comic actor Charlie Chaplin once said: “Worry more about your conscience than your reputation, because your conscience is what you are, your reputation is what others think of you. And what others think of you is their problem.”

    These words of wisdom are lesson Charlie Chaplin must have learned in life, and not out of joke or humor. Somehow this is his way of telling and teaching us that whatever happens in life, we must take care of our own conscience rather than our reputation. Thus, we must give importance to what and who we are, rather than what others think and say about us.

    If you really come to think of us, in our world today we may say much is given value to our reputations than our conscience. Nowadays somehow much has been promoted in life about building our reputation rather than forming our own consciences. Many, if not most of us, define ourselves by what others think and say about us, rather than what and who we really are; and we do tend to judge others by what others think and say about them than what and who they really are.

    People have been and can fall victims of thinking more about what will people say about them, rather than what they think is right and just for themselves. In other words, people do tend to be more pre-occupied with building and protecting their reputations, rather than forming and honoring their consciences. And rightly so, as Charlie Chaplin suggests, this mentality should not be the right thinking and approach in life. It should rather be conscience first, instead of reputation over conscience.

    Our gospel today is also all about reputation and conscience. As Jesus warms his disciples then about hypocrisy and hypocrites, Jesus teaches also us now that the tendency to over-emphasize reputations over our conscience is Hypocrisy. For Jesus, hypocrites are people who do things for the sake of image & show – that is for what others will say and think of them.

    They are more concern in cleaning their hands and cups but not their hearts; more sensitive with what comes from the outside but not what come out from within. (Icing than the cake, make-up than the face, clothing than the body, packaging than the content, wrappings than the gift). Not honoring then your conscience and what and who you are, but being more concern with your reputation and what will people say and think of you is Hypocrisy. And Jesus is warning us never to fall into hypocrisy and not to be hypocrites.

    Here Jesus is also teaching us to detect hypocrisy and hypocrites in us and in others by our over-concern for reputation over and above our conscience. Whenever we give importance and become conscious more of what will people think and say about us, we fall into hypocrisy and becoming hypocrites.

    Whenever we find ourselves more concern about building and protecting our reputation, we fall into hypocrisy and becoming hypocrites ourselves. And whenever we find ourselves compromising our conscience for the sake of public approval and recognition, we fall into hypocrisy and becoming hypocrites ourselves.

    Although we might be easily fall into this mentality, we do have the capacity to detect and discern hypocrisy in us. At times we do come up to conclusions about ourselves and others like: Magpakatoo ka Brother, (Be True, My brother). Maganda nga pero pangit ang ugali (Pretty but bad personality). Mabuti ang kalagayan pero masama naman ang kalooban. (Well-off but bad person). Mayaman pero walang hiya at modo (Intelligent but disrespectful and shameless).

    Yes, we do have the instinct to read people who are hypocrites, and hypocrisy in us. So, beware of hypocrisy and of hypocrites in us and in others.

    To avoid hypocrisy in us, we must learn how to grow in righteousness. Righteousness is having right relations with God, others & oneself. It is all about forming, following, and honoring our conscience – what and who we really are. We should thus be more concern about cleaning our hearts and what is coming within us, and be true to who and what we really are. For what is conscience?

    As Thomas Merton says: “Conscience is the light by which we interpret God’s will for us in life.” Meaning, our conscience is the very working OS (operation system) for us to access, know, and communicate with God’s will for us – thus our access or signal to God. Our concern then should be strengthening and growing our consciences.

    Again as Charlie Chaplin would say: “Worry more about your conscience than your reputation, because your conscience is what you are, your reputation is what others think of you. And what others think of you is their problem.” In other words, Make your conscience as your primary concern in life… The rest is other’s problem. Remember then that God loves us not by our reputations but by our conscience.

    Help us O Lord to pay much attention to God’s still and small voice speaking within our hearts, and thus we can righteously live life in a way that will keep our consciences free and clear before God, now and always.

    So May It Be. Amen.

  • Decision to Believe

    Decision to Believe

    August 25, 2024 – 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082524.cfm)

    During the revolution in Nicaragua, it was once said that a group of Catholics seeks refuge inside a big cathedral. While praying inside as the war between rebels and army escalates,  gun-toting rebels came inside and barked at them, “Those who believed in Jesus Christ, stay and stand up for your faith. Those who don’t believe in Jesus Christ, you may now go free.” Hearing this, more than two-third of the refugees went out in a hurry and left the church, while the rest stayed behind trembling. The rebels then, closed the cathedral’s door and said, “Brothers and sisters, please continue to pray. We all need your prayers. But we rather pray with true believers than with hypocrites.”

    In his book Conversations with God, Neale Donald Walsch said: “Your decision today is a statement of who you are & a testimony of who you choose to be.” True indeed, whatever decisions we make in life reflect our very own identity as well as life-choices. Whatever circumstances we are in – whether free or limited, we do have a choice in life. What makes it difficult for us nowadays is not the lack, but rather because of the many choices & options we have. And even not to choose may also been a good choice. However, not making a choice in life now & in our life-hereafter makes our life miserable & meaningless. Thus, whatever your choice & what you decide mirrors your own identity & attitude towards life.

    In today’s reading, we hear Joshua, the successor of Moses challenging the Israelites once and for all, to make a choice. Although the Israelites were the chosen people and had experienced the mighty works of Yahweh, still some of them had worshipped idols and other gods.

    They were very influenced by the religious practices of their ancestors and of the natives who worshipped idols. Before the people, Joshua proclaimed his faith in Yahweh that he and his house decide that they would serve only the Lord. Seeing this, the people also accepted Yahweh as their Lord and God.

    In the gospel, we also hear Jesus challenging his disciples to make a choice. Many followed Jesus, some out of curiosity, some for healing and for other favors, and some out of conviction that he was the Messiah. But when Jesus began to teach them about participating in his very life and mission, by accepting his word and partaking in his body and blood as food and drink, many could not accept it.

    Many disciples withdrew and no longer followed him. They deserted him and stopped following him. That is the time Jesus asked his twelve apostles, “Will you also go away?” He asked them whether they too would leave him. He did not want to force anyone to accept him.

    He has already shown the way. Now they had to make a decision, a choice. And Peter proclaimed his and their choice: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life. We now believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

    Joshua, Peter & the apostles made their choice. Dear friends in Christ: “what about us?” “How about us?”

    In today’s readings, we are also challenged to make a decision. We are asked to make a choice, whether do you believe in Jesus, as the words of eternal life or not. “Are you for Jesus or against Jesus?” We know that although most of Filipinos are Catholics, some have left the Church. Some become cold or lukewarm with their faith in God and His Church. We know some of our relatives or friends have stopped going to mass, leave the church and/or joined this group or that sect.

    If Jesus now asks you: “How about you? Do you want to go away too?” What will your answer be? Will it be a definite, convincing “Yes or No”.  Or will it be a hesitant “Yes or No”?

    During Eucharist, as we recite the Apostle’s creed, we say: “I believe. I believe in God the Father Almighty. I believe in Jesus Christ, the only son of our Lord.” But do we really believe in God? Do we really believe and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior or do we desert Him like others do? Simple put, do we say what we mean & mean what we say? Are we believers in faith, or just in name?

    Our faith then is not a matter of saying words or formula out of convention, convenience, or obligation, but a matter of professing, proclaiming our own free and voluntary decision or choice to follow Christ. Remember: Your decision today is a statement of who you are and a testament of who you choose to be. Ours then is our decision to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Like the Apostles, Lord, we do say: “Asa pa man diay: to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” May we never be separated from you. Amen.

    Please stand, let us now proclaim our choice, our decision…