Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Ordinary Time

  • LISTEN TO HIM

    LISTEN TO HIM

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    July 12, 2020 – 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (

    Homily

    As we struggle with the day to day challenges CoVID 19 virus has posted us, perhaps we also wonder what would be the best guidance and advice God is giving us at this time. Life amidst CoVID 19 virus has been constricted and stressful. We find ourselves mostly reactive to the reality that we think about whether our actions are in sync with God’s will and plan. So, what would be the best  way for us to be always online with God?

    Our Scripture and Christian faith tradition have a very simple instruction: LISTEN TO HIM.

    We remember many instances in Jesus life that the challenge of us listening to Him has been clearly given importance. At the beginning of His public ministry to proclaim the good news of salvation, Jesus said: “Today these words come true as you listen.” Also during the Lord’s transfiguration, the disciples heard God instructing them: “This is my beloved Son, whom my favor rests. Listen to Him”. And in our gospel today, in telling and explaining to us the parable of the sower, Jesus challenges us “Whoever has ears ought to hear”.

    Our listening is indeed crucial to our faith-life. By listening to Jesus – God’s word for us, as our first reading suggest, we are part of and in line with God’s work of salvation and can benefit from the fruits of His labor. Paul reminds us that being connected with Christ assures us that “the suffering now are nothing compared with the glory to be revealed.” Jesus in our gospel made known to us how blessed and privilege we are for our faith makes us see and hear what “many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” Same way as any loving relationship, good listening and communication are very important to our faith relationship with God.

    Simple as it maybe, but we do have some problems with listening. Experience teaches us that in life it is not always easy to listen. We may have heard what has been said but we may have not listened to it. Or, it could happen that the other have not yet fully said what he wants to say or we may not yet have fully listen to him, we are already thinking of what and how are we going to respond to the other. It could also happen that while we are listening to the other, there are a lot of noisy things and concerns that we are also listening to and hearing with. It is very true that we do have limited listening span and selective hearing. Meaning, we listen only in our limited ways, and listen to what we want to hear from what was being said. That is why selective and limited listening or not enough listening would resort to conflict, tensions and misunderstandings. We heard what has been said but do we listen to it? We may have heard it but are we listening to what has been said?

    For instance, our gospel today is not anymore new to us. We are already familiar and have known about the Parable of the Sower. Surely many times we have already heard this parable. In fact, of all the parables that Jesus have already told us, the parable of the sower is among the few parables which he gave an explanation. True we may already heard this parable before and may have already understood its meaning. But did we listen to it? Are we listening to it? If we don’t see and hear it calling us to listen, then we are not listening and don’t get it.

    Long before it was written and read, God’s words are primarily spoken and proclaimed to us and are meant to be heard and listen by us. The mission of Jesus is to speak, preach and proclaim the God’s Word, the Good News of Salvation. Meaning, our rightful response to God’s Word being preached to us is first to listen to it. Only through our listening that we could understand, and in effect benefit and enjoy the fruits of God’s salvation. Like David, if we want to taste and see God’s glory and salvation, we should learn how to listen intently to God’s Message and Plans through Jesus, His word. For those who listen well, they bear much fruits.

    Jesus has thus already done and doing His part in Proclaiming God’s words. Ours now is to do our part in listening and obeying God’s Word. Let anyone of us then who have ears: Listen, and heed what we hear.

    Amidst our now noisy worrisome and depressing pandemic world, may we be more sensitive to listen God’s message & plans, thus be guided and inspired to rightly respond to its challenges for our trying times. Amen.

    (By: Fr. Aphelie Mario Masangcay CSsR, a Filipino Redemptorist  Missionary stationed in Gwangju South Korea, though now still stranded in Cebu until further notice for available flights.)

  • Our God is moved with compassion

    Our God is moved with compassion

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    July 9, 2020 – Thursday 14th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070920.cfm)

    Homily

    If someone hit and hurt you, is it not that we also desire revenge and desire that they too will experience pain? Our human tendency is to inflict pain to others when we are being hurt. This is what animals usually do. When we accidentally and even deliberately hurt a dog, the dog may automatically bites us in return as a defense mechanism. Or when we hurt a cat, the cat may scratch us too. They do that without any discernment and they respond because of the danger to protect themselves.

    However, though we belong to the Animal Kingdom but we have the capacity to discern and to go beyond from our animalistic attitudes and selfish human tendencies.

    The Book of Hosea, in our first reading reminds us today about this. Moreover, the way Hosea reminds us is very much interesting. Hosea pictures God like a parent who loves so much His children. As a parent, God felt being betrayed and rejected because His child did not recognize His love. God’s child was ungrateful and childish. God indeed, like a parent was in pain upon realizing how ungrateful and unfaithful his beloved child to their covenant.

    However, it is in this love too that God proves His faithfulness and compassion to his lost and sinful child. God does not respond to human sinfulness out of impulse because of anger. This is not God’s way.

    The Book of Hosea describes to us God’s character in these words, “My heart is troubled within me and I am moved with compassion. I will not give vent to my great anger; I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not human. I am the Holy One in your midst; and I do not want to come to you in anger.”

    Such beautiful words and also powerful and comforting. This reminds us again that God sees beyond our sins and beyond our ugly selfish human tendencies. As we are made by God, made through God’s love, God cannot turn against Himself. God sees Himself in us. God’s compassion for us springs from that identity in us.

    We can also do this when we become more discerning. To discern allows us to see as God sees and to love as God loves.

    Thus, do not believe when others express how hopeless a person can be because of his or her sinful way of life. Do not be tempted to believe that the your painful and traumatic experience has made you hopeless. Do not be driven to believe also that this worst situation we have today will be the end. No. This belief and expression of hopelessness is not from God.

    Let us discern more because God sees us and God is moved with compassion. What we are suffering now is not God’s desire. Our suffering is not God’s anger upon us. God will not destroy us. God will rather save us and make us free.

    This is the concrete message of Jesus to his disciples, “heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons.” God’s desire for us is to be liberated, to be free, to have life in its fullness. As God is moved with compassion, God is also moved to respond and be with us.

    This is God’s invitation for us today. As Jesus commanded his friends, each of us too is being sent to go and to proclaim what God reveals to us. Thus, do not allow our fear and anxiety to prevent us in bringing God’s comfort to those who are in need. Do not allow also our anger, hatred and desperation to take control of our life that would lead us to respond out of impulse. Be more discerning then, on how we could express in concrete ways our faith and our love for God and for our neighbor.

    Though it may be difficult to move around and visit the homes of our friends and in our community due to the restrictions of our movements, but then, this should not stop us from being more kind and generous to others. Evangelize others through your good works and attitudes that express God’s characters of being compassionate, patient and merciful. Encourage others in your own capacity, to listen and live God’s word even through our live stream masses via Facebook or radio. Be more active then, in participating in God’s call to tell others of God’s goodness and hope in us. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • An encounter with the Lord leads to discipleship, mission

    An encounter with the Lord leads to discipleship, mission

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    July 8, 2020 – Wednesday 14th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070820.cfm)

    Homily

    An encounter with the Lord leads to discipleship and to be on mission. This is the message for us today. But for us to grasp better the message, let us make a step by step discovery.

    First, the call or the invitation is God’s initiative. It means that it is God who calls us and God chooses us to be His servant, to be his disciple. God’s way of choosing is not through the wealth we gathered, or how much power and influence we possessed. God calls us when we are open to him regardless of our profession, status and state in life. This is how Jesus summoned the ordinary 12 disciples and then sent them to proclaim the kingdom.

    Second, we need the help of our family, friends, and community to lead us to God. An encounter with God, though that can be very personal but it is essentially always in the context of the community. Thus, seek the help of others. It will be easier for us to recognize God when we have a friend who will help us to see God. This is beautifully captured in our Psalm today, “Seek always the face of God.”

    Third, our God-experience or personal encounter with God is the most wonderful experience we will ever have. Because it is so wonderful that we cannot just keep it by ourselves. Our encounter with God leads us to action – it leads us to follow the Lord and leads us to tell others about what we have seen, heard, felt, and experienced with God. The 12 disciples’ personal encounter with Jesus led them to this point where that encounter moved them to action to become healers, witnesses and preachers.

    Each of us today, whoever we are and wherever we are, even in the midst of this pandemic, as Christians we are called to preach Christ, to preach the Gospel by our life that we may become agents of healing and reconciliation, and bring other people closer to God.

    This identity makes us different from the rest of other Christian denominations because the call to follow Jesus and to preach the gospel is not only limited in our Eucharistic celebrations. My faith and your faith, is not only confined within the walls of our Church. Our Christian belief, our confidence in the risen Christ has called us to actively participate and to enthusiastically involve ourselves in all aspects of human life and the whole community not just in the spiritual aspect but also in cultural, social, economic and political aspect of life.

    May we always remember this and become true Christians in the way we live our life, in the way we perform our work and in the way we relate with others and with one another so that we who have experienced God’s goodness will also become instruments in bringing other people closer to the Lord. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • When movement to love gives life

    When movement to love gives life

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    July 7, 2020 – Tuesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070720.cfm)

    Homily

    The Book Hosea speaks to us of Israel’s continuing guilt and of God’s boundless love and mercy. What Israel had done reflected through Gomer, the wife of Hosea, who broke the covenant with God. Israel deliberately became unfaithful to God because Israel believed that there will be more power and wealth with other gods. She was seduced by the promises of others. Yet, she was being blinded by her desire to have more and did not realize the fullness of life with God.

    Israel was led to believe that with those other gods, Israel will have life at its abundance and security. However, this was not the case, Israel in fact experienced her downfall and destruction. What Israel always wanted was immediate satisfaction of desires as to the hunger for power, for wealth and security.

    Thus, as Gomer fell again and again and lost her way every time, Hosea would always come to bring her back to his side. Gomer might have been blinded by the glamour of others and fell into sin against her husband, yet, Hosea never failed to be faithful to her. Hosea never gave up on Gomer. Hosea would always assure her of his love and faithfulness. This is love indeed that brought freedom and assurance to the troubled Gomer.

    Moreover, our Gospel today speaks of a  man possessed by a demon and could not speak but when Jesus freed the man, he began to speak. The man was prevented to speak by the demon in order to hide what was wrong with him. Thus, the demon’s work here is also in silencing us, keeping us quiet so that the demon will continue to torment us and others around us.

    Yet, as the demon was driven out, the man also spoke because he found again his freedom. The man found himself again as Jesus found him.

    This was how the heart of Jesus was also moved as he saw the multitude of people who were suffering. Jesus’ encounter with those people made him more connected to them and to the struggle they had to endure.

    This tells us of a God who is being moved upon seeing us just as Jesus’ heart was moved with pity because he felt their pain and troubles in life.

    In a way, this is the very picture we have in the first readings. Hosea, most of all, understood his wife Gomer. Hosea was always moved with pity and so would come to her rescue. Hosea’s action was not just limited with his pity but it was ultimately a movement from his heart, a movement of love.

    Jesus too upon seeing the man possessed by the demon and the many people who were troubled and abandoned was moved with pity because of his love for the people. Jesus’ action to respond was a movement of love, a movement from the heart.

    This movement of love is truly liberating and saving. Gomer who represented the people of Israel and the man possessed by the demon and those many people had experienced that liberating and saving movement of God’s love.

    This is the invitation for us today. We may be moved also with pity that comes from our love and not just of pity itself. Indeed, the Lord invites us that like him we too our heart will be moved to respond to the needs of our brothers and sisters around us. Hopefully, this will also move us to respond with love to the different needs in our own capacity and gifts. Thus, be moved with pity and love today so that we may also give life, comfort and assurance and Jesus has shown us. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Let God speak in your heart today

    Let God speak in your heart today

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    July 6, 2020 – Monday 14th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070620.cfm)

    Homily

    “I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart.” Prophet Hosea reminds us today of this.

    Indeed, the Lord leads us into emptiness, into situations of our life where we become vulnerable, unpretentious, without our facades and masks. It is in those situations where we can hear God the most because of our emptiness like the desert. God then speaks to us in our heart as Yahweh spoke to Israel in her downfall.

    There are two concrete situations where God speaks in the experience of emptiness of a person as told to us in the Gospel of Matthew.

    First, a synagogue official who was most probably had many doubts in Jesus but was able to hear God speaking through his desperate experience. His love for his daughter and his desperate plea to heal her led him to Jesus. In that experience, God spoke to his heart and believed.

    How? The grief and sorrow of that Synagogue official were situations where God made himself present in a very surprising way. God’s presence was revealed in Jesus as he willingly journeyed with the official towards the place of his sorrow and grief, towards her dead daughter. This was his desert, his place of emptiness where he was most helpless. And Jesus got up and followed the man. It was in that experience that the Synagogue official felt closer to God.

    Second, a woman who was suffering for many years ended her bitterness as she encountered Jesus. That very suffering in her life led her not into a hopeless scenario by committing suicide, and ending her life to end her suffering. However, the very encounter with Jesus gave her hope that there was something beyond her suffering, beyond her bitterness, beyond her sickness. This was hope for healing, hope for a better life. In this way, God also spoke to her, there in the desert of her suffering that there was indeed hope for healing and life for her.

    Moreover, the woman with hemorrhages was surprised at the power of God. Certainly, Jesus had somehow allowed this woman to touch him. And when Jesus saw her, Jesus also treated her warmly and affirmed her faith.

    From here, there are two invitations for us today.

    First. Seek help. God also intervenes through our participation. Remember, the woman touched the cloak of Jesus. This means that God also does not want us to be just a passive receiver of graces and blessings. On our part, we do something. So take the initiative and realize what we need. Reach out to people who can help us. Certainly, this does not mean that if we are greatly suffering then we can do nothing for ourselves. With our participation and willingness, God gives us the grace.

    Second. Allow the Lord to touch us by allowing Jesus also to walk with us in our own desert, in our own emptiness. Jesus took the hand of the dead girl because the official allowed Jesus to journey with him into his own desert. This means that God also touches us through the help of other people. God walks with us when we allow him to by allowing others to be with us. By allowing God to be with us, then, we shall surely find assurance and confidence. Thus, through the love, support and care of our family, friends and community we too will experience healing and a fulfilling life. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR