Category: Sunday Homlies

January 12, 2020 – Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (End of Christmas Season)

Click here for the readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011220.cfm

Homily by Fr. Mar Masangcay, CSsR (A Redemptorist Missionary based in South Korea)

I once received an inquiry about parish guidelines on child baptism. Particularly, they are asking for a so-called “Special” Baptism. Without a doubt the child must be very special to the family to request for a so-called “special” baptism. Only to found out later that what they really wanted is an exclusive and private celebration of the Sacrament of Child Baptism since the child is born out of wedlock.

I cannot help but question their motivation for a so-called special baptism. Is it because the child is very special to them despite the circumstances of its birth or is it because they are ashamed of themselves to admit the child as unwanted by the parents and/or the whole family themselves? 

I think we need to clarify and direct some of these distorted and questionable but trending views about Baptism in the Church nowadays.  

First, there is no such thing as special, exclusive, or private celebration of sacrament of child baptism. The regular and proper celebration of baptism is and should be in public parish church before the congregation of Catholic faithful of where the child will grow in faith, and become a member. Except for emergency baptism where the child is at the risk or danger of death, baptisms should be done in the church with other children to be baptized and before many baptized Catholic faithful, again where the child will grow in faith, and becomes a member parishioner. Church liturgies and sacraments are communal public church prayer-worship, and never should be an exclusive, private family, organization, or office party-program, event or entertainment. In other words, Baptism is the moment when we become members of our parish church as well as of the Universal Church. 

Second, as the child as well as we were baptized, we become God’s children in Christ. In baptism, we are consecrated, identified, accepted, dignified and affirmed to be beloved Children of God, like Jesus. When he was baptized in the river Jordan by John the Baptist, Jesus needs to hear the words and confirmation from the Father, himself saying, “You are my beloved on whom my favor rests”. Such words emphasize his very spiritual identity before God and the vision of God’s kingdom.  Here, he is reminded in a deep, deep way of who he is, of his very being before God and people – that among anything else, He is God’s beloved Son. This is the very affirmation and confirmation of his identity before God.  

In the same way, when he carried out his mission and public ministry, Jesus wants us also to hear the same message from the Father that “You are my Beloved on whom my favor rests”. Jesus wants us to be aware and hear of the very reality that before God, it is not only Jesus but we, you and I who believe in Jesus are also essentially God’s beloved sons and daughters.

In God’s heart and eyes, we are His beloved children. And by virtue of our baptism, we are consecrated to be God’s children. We are His beloved, not because we did anything, not because we proved ourselves or not because of what we did and have achieved in life. God still and always loves us whatever we do or whatever happens in our life, whether born out of wedlock, adopted, unwanted, or raised by irresponsible parents.

And in our baptism or in the day of our baptism, we  first hear God’s words saying to all of us throughout our lives: You are loved, you are beloved. He even love us more, whenever we also proclaim in our life to Him and all that, “Yes, Lord, I love you, too”, and love Him and others in return. Baptism is the moment that we become Beloved Children of God.

And baptism is all about our taking responsibility for God in our lives now. Same way as God commits Himself to us by loving us, in response to God, we commit ourselves to Him in loving God. In other words, same way as Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan marks the beginning of his Mission, our Baptism is the beginning of our Mission in life for God’s sake, since we are His masterpiece for the world.  

Being baptized Christian then, means that we become members of God’s church as God’s beloved children doing our part and mission in life for God’s glory, and Kingdom.  

Today we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ. Today officially ends the Christmas season and we continue with the Ordinary Time of the Liturgical Year. As we are now in this transition in liturgical moment, we are reminded of the Baptism of the Lord wherein Jesus publicly proclaims His identity and commitment with God’s affirmations of Him to be the Beloved Son of God. As baptized believers of Christ, we Christians today are also reminded of our identity and dignity as publicly proclaimed and acclaimed to be like Jesus, also sons and daughters – beloved Children of God during our baptism, fulfilling our life-mission of proclaiming God’s glory and building up God’s kingdom in our lives always. 

As we continue on with our New Life-Year with the Lord, may we always hear again and again, and be at rest always on God’s words to all of us baptized followers of Christ and members of Christ’s church: “You are my Beloved Child on whom I am well pleased.” Amen. 

January 5, 2020 – The Epiphany of the Lord

Click here for the readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010520.cfm

Homily shared by Fr. Mar Masangcay, CSsR – a Redemptorist Missionary based in South Korea.

Once a woman asked me to bless her Rosary beads. After blessing it, I said, “Surely, this rosary must be very precious & now would be a good companion to your prayers.” She replied, “Yes, father, this is very dear to me. My daughter gave me this from her recent pilgrimage in Rome. But, I will not to bring it with me, for it might be misplaced or lost. So, I will put this Rosary on my altar at home, like my other valuable rosaries. It would be much safer if I keep it there. Anyway I rarely use and pray the rosary.”

As we are starting a New Year, this would be the time for us to review the gifts we received during the Christmas season, and to sort out those gifts we happily received, from the gifts that are of no great value to us. Usually in doing this, we give importance to the gifts that are pleasing and less demanding. Then, we put aside gifts, which are important but not-so-urgently needed, time consuming and demanding. It is like receiving a rosary. We know that praying the rosary is important to our Christian faith and life. But because having a rosary beads demand us to set a time to pray the Holy Rosary, sometimes it would be easy to use the beads, as decoration on our altar rather than as a means for prayer – an aid to encounter the Lord. Yes, using the beads as altar decoration is a valid expression of faith but surely, it would diminish the very value and purpose of Rosary beads, which is to lead us into prayer.

Today, we celebrate the feast of Epiphany. This is our celebration to honor God’s loving act of reaching out to us (God making himself known to us) and our acceptance of Jesus, as God’s self-revelation. We, Christians believe that God has given us His only Son, Jesus Christ, as His first and best gift to us for our salvation. By sharing us His Sons, we become related to God and become His adopted sons and daughters, and sharers of His divine life. Indeed, Jesus is God’s greatest gift to us. 

However, like the rosary beads, as God’s gift, Jesus is given to us with a purpose, that is to bring us closer to God. Accepting Jesus in not only accepting him as a valuable gift which we can put aside and decorate, but letting us also be influenced by the grace Jesus can offer and become His responsible witnesses. To accept Jesus, as God’s gift to us, is also to accept with total commitment the responsibility of continuing His mission, which is to present and bring all closer to the Father. Like the three kings in our Gospel, we are called to wholeheartedly accept Jesus, and become responsible witnesses of God’s love. This would mean to let our lives be changed and renewed by the presence of Jesus, and to share and make Jesus and His mission known to the whole humanity.

Here in our gospel today, we are reminded us of what happened when the three kings found the child Jesus lying in the manger in Bethlehem. Guided by the star, in great joy, they saw the child Jesus and they did him homage. Their encounter of Jesus and the Holy Family in Bethlehem brought the three kings great joy for they have finally found what they are searching for. With this, they offered their gifts in homage and thanksgiving to God’s greatest gift to all.

But let us not forget that after they have experienced and witnessed Jesus, the Son of God, they returned by a different way. This is not because they were afraid of Herod, but their encounter with Jesus has also changed their lives. Because of their experience with the baby Jesus, their lives were never the same again. They did not follow the usual path, but they now tread a different way, perspective, and attitude to life. Like our experience with a newly born baby, after they have recognized God in the child Jesus, the lives of the three kings were never the same again. The child Jesus brought them great joy as well as great changes in their way of life. 

In the same way, the moment we recognize and accept the Lord, life will never be the same again. As we receive and welcome Jesus into our lives now, may we be responsible beneficiaries of God’s gift of revelation as well as sharers and witnesses of God’s offer of salvation to the whole world. Amen.

January 5, 2020 – Epiphany of the Lord

Click here for the readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010520.cfm

Homily

What is it that drives you most?

Or are you looking for someone who will make you happy, or looking for something that we will give contentment in your life?  

Are you in search for someone who will fill your emptiness and sadness or of something that will give you the success that you have been dreaming of?

Somehow, each of us is looking or searching for something that will truly make us joyful, peaceful and fulfilling. We aspire for that and hope for it. Thus, we take risks to achieve our dreams and hopes. These risks include venturing in other places, investing our time and energy, developing and forming new relationships. And we know that in every venture, trials and difficulties are also present.

With this in mind, this brought me to what we celebrate today which is the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord or the manifestation of the Lord Jesus. This solemnity tells us also of the story of the three magi or wise men who have been in search of the shining star. These three men who were probably, astrologers, had the same goal. They have been following and searching for this mysterious star that had appeared in heaven. The star that they had seen could have been their dream too. 

Indeed, that star filled them with dreams and hopes. They followed it from where they came from. They took the risk of journeying into unknown territories to find that something that will truly satisfy their thirst of knowledge or hunger for wisdom. True enough, the three men found the best gift in their life and found the fulfilment and joy that they have been looking for. In their search, they have found and encountered the Lord who manifested Himself to them. 

Little did they know, it was the Lord who invited them. It was through that star that the three were invited by the Lord. And because they were open to God’s revelation, the three were led to the family of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Behold, through the baby Jesus, they have seen the face of God.

On this feast of the Epiphany the focus is not really the three kings, the main character here, is the baby boy Jesus. God reveals himself as a vulnerable baby, a powerless little boy in the arms of Mary and Joseph. It is very interesting to remember this. The three magi did not find the little King in the home of the royalties or powerful politicians; not even with the rich merchants and businessmen or with an influential family. The little king was with an insignificant mother and father from the almost unknown town of Nazareth.

This image of the baby made the powerful and corrupt king Herod to be troubled. Thus, king Herod got afraid upon hearing the birth of a new king. He was threatened not by a powerful army or civil insurgency or a possible assassination but by a small and vulnerable baby.

This tells us that God manifests Himself in a humble way, in the most vulnerable way of being a baby, born in a family. This tells us too that strength is not with the powerful and rich, it is with those who are weak. Greatness is not with the popular, influential and corrupt but with the humble and poor.

This is God’s invitation for us this Sunday – to seek the Lord always who shall give us the true joy and contentment in life, who shall fill and satisfy our hunger and thirst for love, for healing, for peace.

Let us be discerning then. Discernment made the three men, wise. They discerned well and became committed to follow the star, to follow the Lord. Discern to follow the Lord by being open to his invitations and revelations. But let us remember, God reveals Himself in places where we do not expect Him to be. God makes himself more known with the weak and the powerless, with the insignificant and the poor.

Like the three wise men, let us also offer the Lord our gifts as symbols of our love and devotion to Him. The three men offered him gold because He is King, frankincense because He is a Priest, and myrrh because He is a prophet. Let us offer the Lord our willingness to serve others that does not ask anything for a return, with our sacrifice that does not seek any payment or make complaints, and with our commitment to live an honest and compassionate Christian life that does not discriminate the weak and the poor, that does not condemn the sinners but to be merciful, upholds what is true and just and is not afraid to stand up against the bully, the corrupt and unjust powerful figures like Herod.

Hopefully, by seeking the Lord who is everything in our life, we too shall grow in our faith and commitment as Christians today, humble and honest, wise and discerning of God’s marvellous manifestations in us. Hinuat pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR

December 29, 2019 – Feast of the Holy Family 

Click here for the readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/122919.cfm

Homily

We, Filipinos are known to have a culture that values very much our family. Indeed, we have a family-centered culture. Family is always the top priority. This is manifested how a simple celebration becomes crowded and loud. 

Yet, through the years, as time has changed, our families also face different challenges. It would be good for us, then, to look at the challenges of Filipino families as we also celebrate today the Feast of the Holy Family.

There are 3 challenges that I want to highlight today. The first two came out when I gave a retreat to grade 6 pupils and divided them into 5 groups. I asked them to portray and dramatize the joys and blessings as well as issues and problems present in their families. Surprisingly, all the 5 groups in that retreat revealed the first two issues that I am going to point out.

First, the Filipino families are “forced” to separate due to migration. This is because of the current trend of OFW families. Parents would choose to work abroad in order to provide better opportunities for their children. As a result, children are left behind to relatives or to their grandparents. Absentee parents could sometimes create deep longing to their children. This longing sometimes generate emotional distance or indifference between parents and children.

Second, “Irregular” relationships or extra-marital relationships have left families broken and deeply wounded. Unfaithfulness between spouses brings traumatic experiences to children because it also leads to neglect and abuses. The family especially the young children are exposed to depression, confusion, insecurity and loneliness. Because of this, physical, mental or even sexual abuse happen in this domestic environment

Third, poverty affects families the most. The third quarter of SWS survey last September found that 42% or an estimated 10.3 million of families considered themselves as Poor. This has already gone down from 45% last June. The survey also found a 35% or about 8.5 million of families rated their FOOD or access to food as POOR. This is as of June 2019. There are also thousands of families who have been affected by the earthquakes here in Mindanao and recently by the typhoon Ursula that left them at the mercy of relief goods from different organizations.

These are just three of the many challenges that millions of Filipino families are facing today. Our own families might also have particular struggles and difficulties. These concerns are most of the time what consume us.

Being made aware of our family struggles, we may also ask, what is the Lord inviting us to reflect? It is good then for us to look closely at the life of the Holy Family, of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. 

This family is not exempted of struggles and problems. The holy family had been a refugee. Joseph has to bring Mary and Jesus out of Israel and went to Egypt to seek for a safer environment for their baby.

There seemed to be constant threat in the life of the young Jesus, yet, that did not discourage Joseph and Mary to abandon the child. Joseph particularly was always conscious of God’s presence. This was the reason also why Joseph would always receive instructions from God on what to do. The awareness of Joseph that God is with them made him more familiar with God’s voice.

Joseph has pointed out to us the priority of being with God and of being constantly conscious of God’s presence in our family. Indeed, through Jesus, he made God’s presence ever present in that family of Joseph and Mary. And yes, God dwells in every family too, in our families.

This is the invitation for us – to make God our priority in the family. Just like the Holy Family, make our families closer to God by praying together, like by going to the Church. 

But of course, as the Holy Family also faced difficulties, our own families too have experience trials and challenges like financial crisis or poverty, sickness, death, separations and conflicts. But God assures as now, that as long as we remain in Him, and trust Him, God shall always be with us to keep us together, to strengthen us in the midst of trials.

It means that if we will only allow God to dwell in our family and allow him to be part of our family, God’s favor shall be with us, His blessings shall be with our families.  And so I would like to invite you then with these two simple actions.

First, spend enough quality time together… what I mean is… let us not be distracted with our latest gadgets. Our smartphones, tablets and ipads are meant to bring us closer together but they can be means also to bring us farther from each other. Remember this, real conversation is what the family keeps together. Do not let our gadgets keep us apart. Do not just allow your children and yourself to be so absorbed with gadgets. Talk with one another and play!

Second, pray together! Bring what you have received during the mass to your home. Extend your religious expression, your faith in God at your family table by encouraging your children lead the prayer before meals. But at first, they need to have an example, and it is through you, parents. 

In these ways, we make a room for God to enter and dwell in our families. We are assured that God is with us, that we are not alone in facing the challenges that are to come. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR