Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Sunday Homlies

  • What brings you to life?

    What brings you to life?

    February 12, 2023 – 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021223.cfm)

    What motivates and inspires you? What fulfills your day? What brings you to life? Depending of our status, situations and circumstances in life, our answers may vary from God, family, children, wife or husband, community, our career or business, our passion and advocacies, our dreams and aspirations.

    There is always a reason why we get up in the morning and continue to live on. We get inspirations from people around us, and that keep us going. For many of us, it is very important that at the end of the day we feel fulfilled in life. However, when we find ourselves unfulfilled and unsatisfied, we feel disappointed or depressed or even feel angry at ourselves or towards others.

    Consequently, it is also important that we are aware of those that motivate and inspire us. By being able to know the reasons why we do things, why we do sacrifices and make decisions, why we commit and give ourselves, then, these help us to become grounded and mature in our relationships.

    On this Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, allow me to journey with you through the readings that have been proclaimed to us and together let us discover how the Lord invites to find what really motivates and inspires us and what brings us to life.

    The readings we have this Sunday are all talking about God’s commandments and the call to become obedient to God’s commands. Our childhood catechesis would remind us that for us to go to heaven then we have to follow the commandments of God or else we shall be damned in hell. Fear of being terribly punished is usually instilled into our minds.  Well, let us rather look at these fundamentals of our faith at the level of a mature relationship with God.

    Let us start with what the Book of Sirach tells us. Sirach reminds us that God’s commandments are not meant to restrict and enslave us. These are also not detrimental to our human freedom and knowledge. The commandments of God are rather to bring us to the fullness of life, to God’s Divine Self. Sirach says, “if you trust in God, you too shall live.” Trusting the Lord, then, means being able to uphold and follow God’s commandments.

    Moreover, though “God’s wisdom in immense, he is mighty in power, and all-seeing,” yet, the Lord never imposes that power on us or threatening us just to obey the commandments to love. God rather gives us freedom to choose to love freely, to choose God freely and to choose life freely.

    Though Sirach reminds us again to “fear the Lord,” however, “fear” here is not about the “fear of being punished” so that we obey just as a child obeys a parent because of fear of corporal punishment – of being hit or scolded. If our “fear of the Lord” remains at this level, then, it means that our faith and relationship with God has not grown to maturity.

    Fear of the Lord is an attitude of deep respect and reverence to God. Thus, fear must come from the knowledge and belief of the possibility of being away from the grace of God, away from the fullness of life. This will only happen when we choose freely what is evil, choose not to love, thus, not choosing God.

    Yet, God does not want us to be away from him, away from his love and from the fullness of life. God desires that we freely, knowingly and consciously choose the Lord, choose to love and choose life. These should rather motivate and inspire us as individuals and as a community of believers because as the Psalm proclaims today, “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord.”

    Likewise, Paul also tells us that God’s wisdom is mysterious and hidden, yet, the wisdom of God has been “revealed to us through the Spirit.” The person of Jesus, his whole life – is God’s wisdom revealed to us. Again, Paul tells us that having the Lord in our life and in every decision we make in life should be the reason behind and the power that inspires us. This is what the Gospel of Matthew wants to tell us as well. Jesus who is God’s manifestation of wisdom, is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets that basically nurtures our relationship with God and with one another.

    In the Gospel, we have heard an argument between the Jewish leaders and Jesus. They thought that Jesus abolished the Law and Prophets, which composed the whole tradition of their people. For them, the Law and the Prophets, and all those teachings were the fundamentals of their faith. The commandments written in the scriptures motivated them to live as faithful Jews.

    However, Jesus himself denied that he abolished the law and the teachings of the prophets and the whole tradition of the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus is actually the fulfillment of the promises in the whole Hebrew Scriptures. The person of Jesus is the very inspiration of the Sacred Scriptures.

    But then, the Jewish leaders missed the whole point. They were not able to recognize Jesus, as the true inspiration. They focused more on themselves, on what they can gain, on their privileges and influences over the people.

    This happens also to us when we think that our achievements, influence and power over others, and our titles are our main inspiration and that having them is our motivation; when we believe that pleasing people around us will make us fulfilled or satisfying our every selfish desires will make us truly happy and contented. Nevertheless, these will only make us anxious, fearful and more unsatisfied.

    We are rather called to ground ourselves to the most important part of life, and that is, our relationships. These include our relationship with God and with one another, with our family and friends, organizations and communities. God’s commandments are given to us to essentially nurture, cherish and develop our relationships with each other and with God. Thus, to freely choose to love, life and God are the very areas where we are called to find inspiration and motivation. Choosing away from these would lead us rather to be separated from grace which will ultimately make us to hurt and cause pain to others because of our selfish intentions.

    Thus, for all of us, we are called to mature and be grounded with our relationships, and most  essentially with the Lord. Allow ourselves to be taught, to be molded and to be inspired through our experiences in our relationships may it be in our families, friends, or special someone. Allow those relationships also to be the space of God to reveal the Divine presence in us. With that, we shall surely find true fulfilment in life as we follow God’s commandments. Hopefully, we will be animated by Jesus who gives us life and fulfills our life. Kabay pa.

  • SPIRIT-Behind

    SPIRIT-Behind

    February 12, 2022 – 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021223.cfm)

    “Do you believe in chain letters? Or nowadays we may call it as Copy-Paste & Post OR-ELSE…. Facebook, Messenger, or Twitter posts?”

    At times, I have been asked about this, & I find myself giving the same answer. I say: “In general, I don’t trust anything that offers promises or threats, IF (meaning, with conditions) you do or don’t this or that, with the usual addendum “Or Else…”. In my book, deserved gifts are called prizes or salary, but underserved gifts are called Grace and blessings. God’s grace is not something we do to God, but what God does to us. Just try to be the better Christian, as you choose and can be, not as what others (in chain letters, posts, or messages) want you to be.”

    For the past Sundays, we have been hearing about the public ministry of Jesus where he proclaims to us the Good News of God’s salvation. In his preaching, Jesus basically calls us to change our ways for God is with us (Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand). He then in Beatitudes makes known to us how blessed we who are meek, humble, merciful, righteous, and sensitive enough to welcome God’s blessings into our lives (Blessed are you…). He also reminds us that much as we are blessed, we are also a blessing to others (You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world). Wow, what GOOD NEWS indeed to us!

    In a nutshell, we need to change our life since we are already and always blessed and a blessing to others because God is with us and his Kingdom is at hand. This is the very core message of Jesus ever since and until now as being always proclaimed to us and by us, His Church.

    After always hearing, reflecting, and knowing Jesus’ good news of God’s salvation, what now then for us?

    Somehow, we wonder as to how to gratefully respond to and live out such great blessings into our lives. We ponder on how can we remain, endure, and persevere in living with Jesus’ gospel in our day to day living? Like, now what are we to do to respond and be converted and practice His gospel into our lives?

    Surely for Jesus, it is more than just keeping the Ten Commandments or observing the Torah, the Law of Moses. In our gospel today, we hear the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus wherein he directs us how to live in the good news of God’s salvation. By reviewing and commenting on the Torah, which is the Jewish standard of righteousness, Jesus reorients people that there is far better in His message of God’s salvation than just observing the Law of Moses. He reiterates that God’s kingdom is more than just the practice of not killing, not committing adultery, and not making false promises. God’s kingdom is more so and above all about respecting life, reverence for people’s union – making marriage sacred, and living life with integrity.

    For Jesus then, to live in His blessing of God’s salvation is not a matter of just practicing and observing but more so fulfilling the Law of Moses. Here Jesus is upgrading the Jewish Law of Moses into His message and mission of teaching, preaching, sharing, and witnessing the values of God’s kingdom in our lives. An Upgrade from Torah to the Spirit of Jesus.

    Important here is the consistency between our being and our doing – our person & action now as Christian. In a way, Jesus is teaching us that our actions must now reflect our being as blessed and blessing people. In other words, Be and become consistent with who you are now with what you do, as Christian. 

    Meaning, far beyond the practice (living out) the values of God’s Kingdom, there must be spirituality. For Spirituality is the “because I am” of the “why”s in life, i.e. “Why I do this or do that?” “Because I am…”. Spirituality is thus the spirit behind the action, the meaning behind the practice. What matters is not just about the practice but also the spirit behind the practice and action – not only about what we do but why we do it, knowing that ours is a grateful response in thanksgiving to what God does and doing to us, and not like chain-letters, what we may do as bribe or payment for His graces.

    Perhaps you may reflect about your spirituality nowadays. Ask yourself: “Why you do what you do?” Be in touch with the meaning and spirit behind your behaviors & actions. Pray that you be a better blessed and blessing Christian you choose and can be, not as others may want you to be. Pray also that our actions be a response in thanksgiving to what God does and is doing to us, rather than as what we do to Him to gain His favor. 

    So May It Be. Kabay Pa. Amen.

  • BE A SALT, BE A LIGHT

    BE A SALT, BE A LIGHT

    February 5, 2023 – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020523.cfm)

    I once encountered an old leper in Mandaue City when I was a first year Seminarian in the college. His name was Tatay Mike. He was abandoned by his own family in the leprosarium in the 60s when leprosy began to appear in his body during his 30s. He was a teacher yet, he was forced to leave his teaching profession and his home but was also abandoned by his family because of fear of contamination.

    What is terrifying with leprosy are not just the wounds, but of not being able to feel the pain. Leprosy produces anesthetic-effect in the body. It actually damages the sensory nerves of the person, thus, the inability to feel pain.

    Tatay Mike also began to question his own existence. He was filled with suffering both in his body and in his heart. He was wounded, physically, emotionally and spiritually. The abandonment from his family created unspeakable wound in his person. He was always angry at everything and everyone. He would blame God for making him suffer that much. In fact, he asked people to just kill him, to end his life. He too tried to kill himself. He committed suicide not just one, not twice, but many times.

    That encounter with him led me and my co-seminarian to become a friend of Tatay Mike. We spent time with him even though he would curse us for being with him. We would visit him every afternoon on Saturday even when he seemed to be always angry at us. Yet, our constant visits to him, changed him slowly. He became more tolerant with us until such a time that he began to open up his story to us.

    One Saturday afternoon Tatay Mike blurted out to us, “Gusto nako mamatay! Wala may naghigugma nako! Pait kaayo akong kinabuhi.” (I really want to die. No one has loved me. My life is bitter!) – Upon hearing this painful words of Tatay Mike, it was my co-seminarian who responded and gave hope to him. He said, “Tay, nia man mi nagahigugma nimu. Mao nang kanunay mi mobisita nimu!” (Tay, we are here loving you. That is the reason why we would visit you.)

    Tatay Mike shed some tears at this. He told us that it was his very first time being told that he was loved. It was such an emotional encounter but that gave hope to Tatay Mike. And that simple encounter, changed Tatay Mike’s perspective in life. Sadly, Tatay Mike died the following year due to other complications. But at least he died knowing that he too was being loved.

    This encounter with this old man seemed to be just an ordinary encounter for me at that time. We went to the leprosarium to visit the patients, not entirely by our own will and desire. As young Seminarians, we went there because we were told to and that was just a part of our seminary formation. If we were given a choice at that time, we would surely not go to the leprosarium to visit and talk to the lepers. We would rather go to an internet café and play computer games.

    It was only later that I realized that the seemingly ordinary encounter with Tatay Mike created actually a slow but powerful impact on me as a Seminarian. Tatay Mike must have realized that our presence brought something new and some meaning into his life. Yet, Tatay Mike’s life and our Saturday visits have actually changed me a lot.

    Tatay Mike and those Saturday visits taught me that despite the senseless suffering one will have, life is still wort living; that another person’s presence in our life is a testament of God’s faithfulness in us; that our expressions of care and concern could be the last life-line of people who have lost the desire to live.

    This reminds me very much of what St. Paul told us in his first letter to the Corinthians that the message he brought to the people was through a “demonstration of Spirit and power.” What does he mean by this? Paul preached the person of Jesus not merely on persuasion and human words but through his very actions. The sincerity of his heart, his kindness and concern shown to the many people were reasons that the people recognized the person of Jesus in the life of Paul.

    Similarly, Prophet Isaiah in the first reading reminds us how the Lord has called us into concrete actions of care and concern. The Lord declares, “Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own… remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech.”

    When we have the courage, the intention and the desire to express these concrete actions of care and concern, we shall be a light and joy to those who find life dark and bitter. In effect, our commitment to defend the weak and the oppressed will be our source of confidence when we too are in the midst of trials and challenges.

    Moreover, Jesus encapsulates what we both heard in the previous readings. Jesus tells us, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of world.” The salt because it gives flavor to our food and serves as preservative as well, has become a symbol of bringing joy to our community. The salt which was also a form of compensation to Roman Soldiers in ancient Rome, thus the word salary emerged, has also become a symbol of giving life to those whose lives were deprived of basic needs.

    The light that Jesus told us is also not about claiming that we become the source of light. No! As we boldly express our faith in the Lord and of our commitment to defend, nurture and develop life, we will truly give light. How shall we be a light then? By being courageous enough to stand for what is right and just, by defending the weak, by showing our respect to people no matter who they are, by being honest and trustworthy in our work or business, by being committed in our relationships, by giving ourselves and gifts for the sake of others. In these concrete ways of showing care and concern, we will surely become a light for others who find life dark.

    Yet, remember, we are neither the source of joy nor the light itself. We are reflections of joy and light. Hence, like St. Paul, we may become like him who brought others to the Lord, to the true source of life, joy and light. Kabay pa.

  • Influencing Influencers

    Influencing Influencers

    February 5, 2023 – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020523.cfm)

    It was once told that weeks after ordination, four newly-ordained priests were summoned by the bishop for a meeting in his house. As they have settled down in his office, the bishop addressed them: “Young fathers, I have here some pieces of stone, cotton, clay, and sugar. I want you to choose one of these items and place them on a glass of water before you.” And so they did as asked by the bishop. Then the bishop said: “Before I will announce to you your new assignment, I want you to learn something from this little exercise we did. Consider the glass of water as your new assignment and consider the kind of priest will you be in your new assigned parish community… You can be a stone who does nothing except to be a new added member in the community. You don’t influence the community and the community does not influence you… You can be a cotton who easily adjust in the community but eventually reduced the members because you centralized everything to you. Everything in parish life is now about you, and not them… You can also be a clay who slowly adjust to the community, but eventually create disorder, problems, tensions, and a lot of stress in the community, thus becoming a negative influence to them… But you can also be a sugar who slowly adjust and selflessly dissolve into the community – without noticing, sharing positive influence and energy to make the community sweet, and change it for the better.

    In life, we do encounter different kinds of leaders. Like the bishop, we may have categorized our leaders as the Stony heartless leaders who does not care at all, or as the Selfish “Me first” leaders who depletes our energy, or as the Evil tormentor leaders who sow chaos in life, or as the Selfless Influencing leaders who encourage and inspire us in life.

    We prefer and expect our leaders to be selfless influencer leaders who have been a blessing to us for they motivate and empower us to be responsible members and change our lives for the better. We also dislike and avoid the stony-heartless, the selfish “me-first” and the evil tormentor leaders for they make our life heavy and miserable.

    We hear Jesus in our gospel today saying: “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.” From these words, surely Jesus like us, would also want and expect our leaders to be selfless influencers, who leads us by their words and example. However, His words are not only addressed to our leaders but also to ourselves, His followers. When Jesus declares to us today that “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world”, He proclaims to us that with Him, we are not only already blessed but we are also God’s blessings to others. This means that as Christian, we are and we should be a blessing and a selfless influencing leader to others – to be light of the world, salt of the earth, and sugar within the community. 

    Inasmuch as we have been blessed by the inspiration and witness of our selfless influencing leaders, we should also be selfless influencing influencers to others. As we have been blessed by God and others, You and I, We as His followers are also and should be then God’s gift and blessings to others.

    Perhaps consider then this week, the Christians who have been light and salt in your life, who greatly and selflessly influence your growth and formation as a better person. Consider how they have been a blessing to you. Thank God for these Christian leaders for through them you are blessed.

    Consider also the people for whom you are trying to be light and salt – people under your care, direction, and leadership. Consider how you, as Christian have been and trying to be a blessing to them. Pray to God for guidance and courage to be selfless influencing mentors & influencers to these people.

    As a famous theologian, Hans Urs von Balthazar, once said: “What you are is God’s gift to you. What you become is your gift to God”.

    So, Be God’s blessing to others, as much as you have been blessed by God and others.

    So May It Be. Amen.   

  • Being Blessed from God’s Perspective     

    Being Blessed from God’s Perspective     

    January 29, 2023 – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012923.cfm)

    How do we understand being Blessed? We usually think of a life that is blessed on the level of having material wealth, success, prosperity – like having a good family, a prosperous business, a successful career or a good paying job, or having a good health. We also believe that being blessed has something to do with having power and influence that a person possesses, with privileges and perks that we enjoy.

    Thus, as it was in the ancient times and until today, poverty is never a blessing, being in sorrow and in grief is never a blessing. Being powerless and oppressed, being sick, being rejected and persecuted is never a blessing. If we are experiencing such life, we consider ourselves to be cursed, weak and insignificant.

    However, the readings this Sunday are quite opposite from the standard of being blessed that we usually believe. Our human understanding of being blessed is different from God. Indeed, there is a need for us to understand being blessed and our life as Christians from Jesus’ perspective.

    The Gospel of Matthew gave us that perspective of Jesus that the Lord wants us to recognize and to learn. Matthew tells us that Jesus saw the crowds. Not just a crowd but crowds of people composed of groups of poor and rich, Pharisees, Sadducees and common Jews, sick and old, men, women, children, beggars, merchants, pickpockets and spectators, his own disciples and others who followed him faithfully.

    And Jesus saw the many realities of the people of his time. What he saw was not just limited with what can be seen from the outside. Jesus saw and realized the anguish of the people and the cause of their miseries perpetrated by those who took advantage of the weak and powerless. Jesus saw and realized how the social evils of greed, hatred, and indifference contributed to the senseless sufferings of the people. Jesus saw and realized how the people felt abandoned, in need of mercy and love, in search of justice and salvation, longing for a blessed life.

    This prompted Jesus to express what he saw and what was in the heart of God for His people. Jesus began to teach while sitting on a mountain which gave him the perspective of the Father. This Sermon on the Mount, as this is commonly called, is indeed quite symbolic. From this symbolism of Jesus teaching from the mount, the Lord evokes a different perspective of being blessed. Not anymore from our human perspective and standard, but from God’s eyes.

    In God’s perspective, the blessed ones are those who are poor, who are mourning and sick, the humble and unassuming, the powerless and merciful, those who are contented in life and those who are persecuted. But why? It is because in their poverty and difficulty, in their powerlessness and nothingness that they also realize their dependence and need of God. Indeed, such insecurities in life bring us to understand that we are so small in this world and we are in need of God’s grace. That is why, Jesus addressed these Beatitudes to the people, assuring them of his presence and assuring them of a blessed life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Though the Kingdom is to be fully manifested later, yet, being blessed is already experienced in the here and now.

    Thus, the very presence of God in our life is what makes us “blessed.” Since God favors those who are weak, poor, suffering, the sick and struggling in life, they are the ones who are blessed because they understand their dependence and need of God. God comes to us when we are ready to accept God in our life and to let God be our God there in our poverty and weaknesses.

    This is what Prophet Zephaniah reminds us in the first reading to seek the Lord which can only be possible through a humble heart that recognizes God’s presence and power. An arrogant and self-satisfied heart will never acknowledge God and thus, can be very vicious to people around.

    “God comes to us when we are ready to accept God in our life and to let God be our God there in our poverty and weaknesses.”

    Moreover, Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians expressed powerfully the wisdom and favor of God. He says to us, “God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something.”

    This indeed is a warning to those who in the standard of the world are blessed such as the self-satisfied and self-absorbed, the corruption-driven-rich, the powerful, the popular and the influential. Why? It is because the danger lies in the attitude of the heart that becomes independent from God, a heart that rejects God’s mercy and love. In fact, the Lord warns us when we tend to accumulate more wealth for ourselves at the expense of the poor, or when we gather fame and influence at the expense of others.

    Such attitude of the heart is filled with arrogance and self-centeredness that has no need of God. True enough, when we are so filled with ourselves and too satisfied of what we have gained and achieved, we don’t need God anymore. Our successes and we, ourselves, have become ‘gods.’ This leads us to worship our achievements, wealth, our power and ourselves. But then, all of these will corrupt us because we will never be satisfied. We will thirst and hunger for more wealth, recognition and fame which will also lead to our own destruction and those who are around us and those blocking our way to gain for more.

    Thus, through these Beatitudes, God invites us to claim that we are blessed and can bless others even when we are poor and insecure, in grief and in search for justice, in need of mercy and in showing mercy.

    This also calls us that as we understand being blessed in God’s perspective, then, the material wealth that we have gained, the influence and fame that we have received and the successes that we have achieved are signs of God’s grace and generosity. When we have these, may it lead us to humble ourselves and to recognize that these are gifts and we ought to share them to others. Thus, if you have received much, share the blessing to those who are in need. If you are enjoying success in life, share the experience with those who failed. If you have power and influence over others, then, use them to liberate the oppressed and to work for justice. If you have been shown mercy despite your sins, then, let that mercy flow in your relationships by becoming merciful to others. It is in this way that the Kingdom of Heaven will truly be present among us, and that we ourselves will not just be blessed but will also be a blessing to our community. Kabay pa.