Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Ordinary Time

  • If we have Jesus in our life as our foundation, we will surely be fine

    If we have Jesus in our life as our foundation, we will surely be fine

    June 27, 2019 – Thursday 12th Week in OT    

    GN 16:1-12, 15-16

    Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children.
    She had, however, an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
    Sarai said to Abram:  “The LORD has kept me from bearing children.
    Have intercourse, then, with my maid; perhaps I shall have sons through her.”
    Abram heeded Sarai’s request.
    Thus, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, his wife Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his concubine.
    He had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant.
    When she became aware of her pregnancy, she looked on her mistress with disdain.
    So Sarai said to Abram: “You are responsible for this outrage against me.
    I myself gave my maid to your embrace; but ever since she became aware of her pregnancy, she has been looking on me with disdain.
    May the LORD decide between you and me!” Abram told Sarai:  “Your maid is in your power. Do to her whatever you please.”
    Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.The LORD’s messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
    the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked, “Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”
    She answered, “I am running away from my mistress, Sarai.”
    But the LORD’s messenger told her: “Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment. I will make your descendants so numerous,” added the LORD’s messenger,
    “that they will be too many to count. Besides,” the LORD’s messenger said to her:

    “You are now pregnant and shall bear a son; you shall name him Ishmael,
    For the LORD has heard you, God has answered you.

    This one shall be a wild ass of a man, his hand against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; In opposition to all his kin shall he encamp.”

    Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
    Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

    The Word of the Lord.

    MT 7:21-29

    Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
    will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
    Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
    Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
    “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
    will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
    The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
    But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
    And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
    When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
    for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
    The Gospel of the Lord.

    Have you been treated badly by others because of your failures? Or have you been unkind to others because of your frustrations? There would be times that we become resentful and unkind to people around us especially when we experience frustrations and failures in life. As a way of expressing our frustrations, we extend such negative feelings towards people under us. We will tend to be cranky and strict, unkind and ungenerous with others because we are basically angry with ourselves.

    This was what happened to Hagar and her son, Ishmael, who became the object of frustrations of Sarai and complacency and irresponsibility of Abram. Hagar was in big trouble, not of her own doing but of her masters. It was because of Sarai’s insecurity that Hagar and Ishmael suffered such unkind treatment. Sarai grew old and childless. She was supposed to produce children for Abram yet, it seemed that she could not.

    Abram was promised by God to have children as many as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the shore. Yet, not one child was given. Thus, Sarai felt pressured by their local custom to allow a maid-servant to become the bearer of Abram’s children.

    Indeed, it was out of her insecurity and frustration that she offered Hagar to Abram. However, later on, when Hagar became pregnant, Sarai became more resentful and despised Hagar. Sarai treated Hagar badly as an expression of Sarai’s frustration of herself and of her failures.

    IMG_0353

    This will surely happen to us when we are not founded solidly. Jesus speaks of having a good foundation like building a house on rock rather than on sand. What does it mean? Building a house on rock means making myself founded on Jesus. Jesus is the rock, the very foundation of our person and of our faith. Jesus will also be our foundation once we are also ready to accept him and allow him to transform our life.

    How do we do it? It is by listening to his words and holding on to his promises that we become solid. By listening to God’s words and wisdom then, the more we also become aware of God’s desire for us. This will always assure us because God’s desire for us is always good and will always give life to us.

    However, if we decide to build our life on mere human understanding, mere human desires and wants, then, we are like building our house on sand. To settle on these weak foundations, means putting trust on our human inclinations to sin. We know that we are weak and we can easily be driven by our selfish desires and wants.

    This was what led Sarai and even Abram to be so selfish. They trusted their impulses to decide things, which had long-term consequences. They never even made God as part of that decision. Sarai made the decision out of frustration and insecurity while Abram also went with that decision in mere complacency and even without taking responsibility over Hagar and Ishmael.

    The Lord invites us today to claim Him as the foundation of our whole life. This means that Jesus wants us to make him part of our every decision and action. And surely, we are assured that as the storms of failures, losses, death, illness, pain, injury, worries and doubts in life will come, then, we have Jesus to hold on and to lean on. If we have Jesus in our life, we will surely be fine. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Beware of the empty promises of the False Prophets; seek rather the voice of Jesus

    Beware of the empty promises of the False Prophets; seek rather the voice of Jesus

    June 26, 2019 – Wednesday of the 12th Week in OT

    Mt. 7:15-20

    Jesus said to his disciples:
    “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
    but underneath are ravenous wolves.
    By their fruits you will know them.
    Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
    Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
    and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
    A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
    nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
    Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down
    and thrown into the fire.
    So by their fruits you will know them.”

    The Gospel of the Lord.

    Jesus warned his disciples of the presence of the false prophet who will bring confusion among them. This person is pretentious and lives a life filled with lies and shadows. Yet, a false prophet can be so entertaining, fascinating, persuasive and convincing. The false prophet’s words sound wonderful and filled with big promises. However, the fruits of the actions and words of the false prophet only bring destruction and death.

    This is the reason why Jesus wanted his disciples to be more discerning in listening to different voices around them. When a disciple is not attentive and discerning to the many inputs, he or she may be led easily to believe to fake news.

    IMG_0346

    In today’s context, a false prophet may appear to us as a real or virtual person who may persuade us to believe in their false hopes, false alarms and fake news especially with what is happening in our community today. The intention of persuading us to believe has certainly contained hidden selfish agenda. But beware of these and be discerning because such actions will only bring us to division.

    Moreover, such false prophets can also take the form of the empty promises of our various addictions. Gambling, alcohol, drugs, sex, shopping, excessive Internet usage may promise to fill our empty and hallow hearts that long for attention and care, recognition and acceptance, affection and love. These forms of false prophets may also seduce us to believe that these addictions and unhealthy coping mechanisms may provide relief from the pain that we feel, pain of losing a loved one, of heartbreak, of rejection, or of failure and guilt.

    Jesus wants us to only listen to Him because all these various forms of false prophets will surely not bring us to life and freedom but rather to slavery and death. The Lord desires that we become free and alive.

    Thus, Jesus invites us today to be discerning, as we are bombarded everyday with many inputs from the outside. Listen also to the voice within us that will point us to come closer to God. Seek and listen to those people and other forms of media-communication that will bring you closer to Jesus and will help you to know yourself and him better.

    If you realize that this kind of person, media site, or attitude of yours does not bring you closer to God but away from Him, away from yourself and from other people, then, beware because that will only bring you to destruction.

    As we make the effort of listening and following the voice of Jesus, we will certainly also find the way to freedom and way to fullness of life. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Do to others what you like them to do to you

    Do to others what you like them to do to you

    June 25, 2019 – Tuesday 12th Week in OT

    Mt. 7:6, 12-14

    Jesus said to his disciples:
    “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,
    lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.

    “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
    This is the Law and the Prophets.

    “Enter through the narrow gate;
    for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,
    and those who enter through it are many.
    How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.
    And those who find it are few.”

    The Gospel of the Lord.

    What Jesus is saying to us today sounds very simple.

    Do you want others to be kind to you? Then, be kind to others. Do you want others to be generous to you? Then, be generous to others.

    This really sounds simple. Yet, as we have experienced, this is not always the case. Think of those people who were very ungrateful to you despite the many things that you have done for them. Think of those of talked behind your back, even though you have been good to them but these people remained vicious once they are at your back. Think of those people who only stay at your side as long as you can provide them their wants and needs, but once you fail to give what they want, then, they turn against you. Think also of those who always ignore you, criticize you and insult you before others.

    Now, this teaching of Jesus really sounds absurd, right? The Golden Rule will really sound ridiculous when we ourselves also are not convinced of its power. Indeed, the Golden Rule of Jesus has its power to transform individuals and communities. The Golden Rule inspires change of attitude and of the heart not just to the one doing it but also to the person who is the recipient of the good deed.

    IMG_0335

    Jesus gave this Golden Rule to his disciples in a positive way, “Do to others what you want others to do you.” Jesus avoided the negative approach of, “Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you,” which sounds passive.

    This positive approach of Jesus invites us to take a proactive stance. This means that we initiate kindness, goodness and giving respect to others even though they may not deserve it. That is why; Jesus calls this the “narrow gate” because only few people will take the risk of expressing kindness and giving utmost respect to undeserving people.

    Yet, once we take the risk of going into this “narrow gate,” we shall also find life and freedom. Remember, God loves us even though we are unworthy and through that love, we find life.

    Thus, I would like to invite you to take the risk and actively do good things to people around, no matter who they are. At least, let them feel of your presence, a presence that neither judge nor condemn, but a presence that shows kindness and respect to the person. We don’t know that could be the most comforting day for that person, and that could also be your most awesome day. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • To proclaim that God is gracious is our calling as modern day John the Baptist

    To proclaim that God is gracious is our calling as modern day John the Baptist

    Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist – June 24, 2019

    Isa. 49:1-6; Acts 13:22-26; Lk 1:57-66,80

    Today we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist. He is a very important figure in the New Testament and that is why our Church celebrates with great dignity his birth.

    How significant was he then? The Lord promised to send a Messiah who will come to us in order to save us. But before the Messiah will come, a person shall be sent first to serve as a herald who will prepare God’s people for the coming of the Messiah. This herald will not only announce the coming of the Messiah but he too will lead the people to recognize who the Messiah is.

    In the prophecy of the Book of Isaiah, this person shall be a light of the nations because he will teach, lead and gather the people to see God. The birth of this person is not by accident but planned well by God.

    We have heard in the first reading how Isaiah described God calling his herald even before his birth. This herald has been named and appointed by God to lead his people. This is God’s promise to be first fulfilled through the participation of humanity, through us.

    The Gospel reveals further to us how God planned everything so that we will be able to recognize Him. The birth of John was announced to an old couple, Zachariah and Elizabeth. For the Jews, if a couple has no child, it means that they are not favored by God and worst they too believed that the couple are cursed.

    However, to the surprise of this old couple an angel announced that they will have a son. Elizabeth welcomed the message from God, but her husband, because it was too much to believe could not accept God’s gift. That is why, Zechariah was silenced by God. He only recovered his voice when his son was born. It was when he gave the name John to his son that the Lord opened his mouth again because the Lord is gracious. Yes, the name John or Johannes means the Lord is gracious.

    IMG_0333

    The birth of John is God’s manifestation that He is indeed gracious and faithful despite our unbelief and doubts. God continues to reveal himself to us even though we refuse to believe.

    This was the role of John and that was to bring people again to believe that God has never abandoned us. God remembers and is here with us. This made John a great and important prophet because he reminded the people about God, made people recognize God and brought them close to God. Yet, because of this role of John, it caused John’s life. He was martyred, beheaded actually, because of this cause to make people recognize God.

    For all of us now, we may ask ourselves, “What is God’s plan for me now? What does God want me to be now? Is there also a divine purpose of my life?”

    We are called today to be the modern John the Baptist of God. Yes, you and me who have been baptized in the name of God have been called to proclaim God’s graciousness. We are called to lead people back and close to God and to discover a life filled with peace and love with God and with each other.

    How do we do it then? You as parents, you are in the best position to lead your children to God. You are there to prepare the way of the Lord in the hearts of your children. Teachers, educators and persons who are in authority, you too are in the position to influence your students, mentees and subjects to discover God in your authority. As friends, co-workers, and classmates we too are in the position to let those people around us to realize that God is in us. Through us, people around us may discover and be led close to God.

    This is how we celebrate this feast of the Birth of John, by making John alive in each of us. It also means that we make ever present God’s graciousness in us because we will become a witness to God’s grace. Hopefully, through this vocation of bringing people close to God, we as a community, will also journey closer to God as we struggle to recognize God daily in our life despite our unbelief and refusal to believe in his graciousness to us. Kabay pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Be the Jesus Today: Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

    Be the Jesus Today: Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

    June 23, 2019 – Sunday of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

    GN 14:18-20

    In those days, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine,
    and being a priest of God Most High,
    he blessed Abram with these words:
    “Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
    the creator of heaven and earth;
    and blessed be God Most High,
    who delivered your foes into your hand.”
    Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

    PS 110:1, 2, 3, 4

    R.(4b) You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.
    The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand
    till I make your enemies your footstool.”
    The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
    “Rule in the midst of your enemies.”
    “Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
    before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”
    The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
    “You are a priest forever, according to the order of  Melchizedek.”

    1 COR 11:23-26

    Brothers and sisters:
    I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
    that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
    took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
    broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you.
    Do this in remembrance of me.”
    In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
    “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
    Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
    For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
    you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

    LK 9:11B-17

    Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,
    and he healed those who needed to be cured.
    As the day was drawing to a close,
    the Twelve approached him and said,
    “Dismiss the crowd
    so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms
    and find lodging and provisions;
    for we are in a deserted place here.”
    He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.”
    They replied, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have,
    unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.”
    Now the men there numbered about five thousand.
    Then he said to his disciples,
    “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty.”
    They did so and made them all sit down.
    Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,
    and looking up to heaven,
    he said the blessing over them, broke them,
    and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
    They all ate and were satisfied.
    And when the leftover fragments were picked up,
    they filled twelve wicker baskets.
    The Gospel of the Lord.

    During reunions of families and friends, we usually recall old stories and past events where we have been together. We cherish those moments as we remember important events. Usually, remembering of the past is done over a shared meal.

    Mostly, it is around the table that we gather to remember our story. During those moments of remembering, we become more alive and present with one another. Thus, during reunions, friendships and family relationships become stronger and more treasured.

    But what is the reason for these gatherings? What compel us to gather and celebrate family relationships and friendships? Is it not because that we are so grateful to God and grateful of the presence of one another that we gather together? Yes, reunions and other family events are organized because we are thankful. These occasions derive from being grateful.

    What we are doing now in this Eucharistic Celebration is a kind of a reunion, but a sacred reunion. And most of all, what we do is an act of thanksgiving. In fact, the word Eucharist means Thanksgiving. As individuals and as community, we recognize how grateful we are to God because of the many blessings that we have received, from our life to the offer of salvation and freedom.

    It is also a remembering of the past but making it alive today with us. What we do in this mass, happened in the past, but we do it again because Jesus told us to, “Do this in memory of me!” That is why, our readings today brought us back into that beautiful memory of God’s action within human history.

    IMG_0318

    In the first reading, the Book of Genesis recalls of the victory of Abram against the enemies who kidnapped his nephew Lot. Abram recovered the possessions and his nephew against his enemies. At his return, Melchizedek, the king of Salem, which also means the king of peace and whose name also means the king of justice, brought bread and wine for Abram and his soldiers. Melchizedek who represents God blessed Abram and nourished Abram and his soldiers with the bread and wine that Melchizedek offered to them. Because of this, Abram was so grateful that he gave a tenth of all his possessions. Abram shared them not because he was merely obliged but because he was thankful to God.

    Paul has shared such gratefulness also as recalled in the second reading. Paul reminds the people at Corinth of the command of Jesus, “Do this in memory of me!” This meal is meant to be shared to all and should come from a heart that is grateful. Once this is done out of the context of the community and without gratefulness, then, it ceases to be a memory of Jesus.

    Paul wrote this letter to remind them of the errors they did. The people became neglectful of the true meaning of the Lord’s Supper. It became to be merely an occasion of eating and drinking. The Lord’s Supper is more that than but doing it in the memory of Jesus, making the bread and wine into true body and blood of Christ.

    Moreover, the people lacked an essential aspect of the Supper. Because they were neglectful of its significance, it was not done in the spirit of gratitude. It was not an act of thanksgiving. Thus, there was a tendency of mistreating the needy in the community. The poor, the hungry and the thirsty were not welcomed because the supper had only become an occasion of mere eating and drinking where one gets full and drunk and others go hungry and neglected.

    We also see this in the Gospel. The disciples of Jesus suggested sending the people away because food was not enough if they were to remain. The disciples were anxious of their little food left. Yet, Jesus told them to give the people something to eat from that food that they had. And so the disciples complained that they did not have enough.

    The wonder of this story lies here. Jesus took that little food of the disciples and offered them to all the people. As that little food of five loaves and two fish were shared, people were given enough food. The food was multiplied because there was a change of heart from the people. Most probably also, each of them took out their own food and shared the little that they had to those who were in need. Indeed, it was a miracle!

    The miracle happened because the people became open and generous to others. This has become possible because they had become grateful of their gifts. That gratefulness that was showed first by Jesus infected others and the sharing of food that Jesus did, inspired them too to share.

    Today’s solemnity reminds us of this wonder of being grateful and of sharing. This tells us that when we become grateful of the gifts that we have no matter how small that could be, we also become generous. Thus, the bread and wine turning into true body and blood of Jesus was not out of “magic.” This happened in real because of the act of thanksgiving of Jesus and his willingness to share his very self to us. Jesus is grateful of the love of the Father and so he gives himself to us as his concrete action of loving us. And the Lord does it every time we celebrate the Mass.

    Now, to be able to share the body and blood of Jesus means that we become one with him or that we actually become him, becoming the Jesus of today!

    That’s why he says to you and to me now, “Do this in memory of me!” “To remember me and become part of me.” To know that Jesus is with us and within each of us is to be able to find peace and serenity, satisfaction and contentment despite the troubles, problems, concerns and hungers, wants and other desires that we have. When we become more conscious of the meaning of being one with Jesus and having Jesus in us, we also become, hopefully, Jesus for others.

    This is the implication when we participate in the memory of the Eucharist because the Eucharist is not supposed to stay only inside this building. When we go out from this Church it also means that we carry in us the Eucharist, we carry in us Jesus. The Eucharist continues when we step out from this Church and go back to our homes or to your workplaces and meet people. Thus, we become grateful and generous people, and people who are joyful and life giving.

    This is the challenge for us this Sunday, “be the Jesus today! Consciously, with gratefulness in our hearts and with generosity bring Jesus with us because he is truly in us!” express the Jesus in you, through your words and deeds as you meet people today and tomorrow, as you talk and dine with your friends and family, and as you encounter strangers and the needy on the street and in the places where you go. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR