Category: Weekday Homilies

July 9, 2019 – Tuesday 14^th Week in Ordinary Time       

From the Book of Genesis (32:23-33)

In the course of the night, Jacob arose, took his two wives,
with the two maidservants and his eleven children,
and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
After he had taken them across the stream
and had brought over all his possessions,
Jacob was left there alone.
Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.
When the man saw that he could not prevail over him,
he struck Jacob’s hip at its socket,
so that the hip socket was wrenched as they wrestled.
The man then said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob said, “I will not let you go until you bless me.”
The man asked, “What is your name?”
He answered, “Jacob.”
Then the man said,
“You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel,
because you have contended with divine and human beings
and have prevailed.”
Jacob then asked him, “Do tell me your name, please.”
He answered, “Why should you want to know my name?”
With that, he bade him farewell.
Jacob named the place Peniel,
“Because I have seen God face to face,” he said,
“yet my life has been spared.”

At sunrise, as he left Penuel,
Jacob limped along because of his hip.
That is why, to this day, the children of Israel do not eat
the sciatic muscle that is on the hip socket,
inasmuch as Jacob’s hip socket was struck at the sciatic muscle.

 

From the Gospel of Matthew (9:32-38)

A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus,
and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke.
The crowds were amazed and said,
“Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
But the Pharisees said,
“He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Homily

Have you been so deep in your prayers now because you are asking a blessing from God? How badly do you need that blessing?

Somehow, such need would move us to advance our prayers. Some would visit Churches and offer candles so that their petitions will be heard. Others would call their friends and ask for their prayers too. Moreover, because we seriously need that blessing that we are hoping for, we somehow may become anxious. We might become also worried and will seem to lose our peace of mind.

This is not something strange, but natural for a person who feels uncertain of what lies ahead. This kind of situation has been retold to us in that story of Jacob, who wrestled with God, in the Book of Genesis.

Jacob was troubled and was in great distress. He was with his two wives and children but he chose to be left alone to spend time with himself. He was about to meet his twin-brother Esau who had 400 men waiting for him. Jacob knew that his brother was also desperate to kill him for the deception that he did with his mother, Rebekah, by stealing the blessing from their father, Isaac.

Thus, Jacob must have been looking for comfort from God. However, instead of comfort and sweet words from the Lord, a man came and wrestled with him. This was not what Jacob expected. Yet, Jacob also wrestled with all his strength to seek the blessing from that man. Jacob did not surrender even though his hip had already been dislocated.

This showed us the determination of Jacob that despite the difficulty of the situation and the pain that he endured on his hip, he did not let go. And this amazed God!

Jacob realized that it was God who wrestled with him. In seeking God’s blessing, Jacob was so persistent until God blessed him. Consequently, Jacob was given the blessing. This is the reason why he was renamed from Jacob (which means deceiver) to Israel (which means who wrestles with God).

Now, Israel realized that he had a face to face with God, and with that he had been transformed by the Lord. This tells us that our struggles and every wrestle with God is an opportunity for us to have a face to face with God. Remember this, God makes himself more present when we are vulnerable and weak. This is symbolized by the dislocation of the hip of Jacob.

God uses our weaknesses, illnesses, fears and anxieties as windows for him to reveal his power in us and his blessings for us. This is what we find as well in the Gospel today. A man was brought to Jesus. He was made dumb, he could not speak because the demon in him prevented him. But when this man had a face to face with Jesus, his dumbness was transformed. The demon was driven out, and the man found freedom and began to speak. This is another story of blessing and transformation.

The encounter with Jesus was the blessing and that blessing transformed the man to be free and his sickness was that window to let God’s power be manifested.

This is the invitation for us today. We might be wrestling with a particular issue, problem, challenge, or sickness or concern at this very moment. This could have caused us with sleepless nights, with feelings of fear, desperation and weakness, with loneliness and anxieties, but remember, God comes to us in a surprising way, as he did it with Jacob.

God invites to wrestle with him in those moments of difficulties. Not to be afraid but to find our strength in the trying moments of our life. As we would wrestle with God in our prayers, let us be open also to God’s surprises for us because his blessing may not be in the way we expect it or would imagine it. But surely, like Jacob, at the end we shall be blessed and be transformed in the way God desires it to be. And like the possessed man who was healed and freed, our face to face with Jesus in our moments of desperation and trials, will also bring us healing and freedom, which is God blessing to us. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR

July 8, 2019 – Monday 14^th Week in Ordinary Time

From the Book of Genesis  (28:10-22)

Jacob departed from Beer-sheba and proceeded toward Haran.
When he came upon a certain shrine, as the sun had already set,
he stopped there for the night.
Taking one of the stones at the shrine, he put it under his head
and lay down to sleep at that spot.
Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground,
with its top reaching to the heavens;
and God’s messengers were going up and down on it.
And there was the LORD standing beside him and saying:
“I, the LORD, am the God of your forefather Abraham
and the God of Isaac;
the land on which you are lying
I will give to you and your descendants.
These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth,
and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south.
In you and your descendants
all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.
Know that I am with you;
I will protect you wherever you go,
and bring you back to this land.
I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you.”

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed,
“Truly, the LORD is in this spot, although I did not know it!”
In solemn wonder he cried out: “How awesome is this shrine!
This is nothing else but an abode of God,
and that is the gateway to heaven!”
Early the next morning Jacob took the stone
that he had put under his head,
set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on top of it.
He called the site Bethel,
whereas the former name of the town had been Luz.

Jacob then made this vow: “If God remains with me,
to protect me on this journey I am making
and to give me enough bread to eat and clothing to wear,
and I come back safe to my father’s house, the LORD shall be my God.
This stone that I have set up as a memorial stone shall be God’s abode.”

 

The Gospel of Matthew  (9:18-26)

While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward,
knelt down before him, and said,
“My daughter has just died.
But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.”
Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.
A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him
and touched the tassel on his cloak.
She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.”
Jesus turned around and saw her, and said,
“Courage, daughter!  Your faith has saved you.”
And from that hour the woman was cured.

When Jesus arrived at the official’s house
and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion,
he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.”
And they ridiculed him.
When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand,
and the little girl arose.
And news of this spread throughout all that land.

Homily

How do you approach people around you? Each of us has our own way of approaching and relating with people around us. We could be warm and welcoming to our dear friends. We could be pleasing to people whom we ask for help. We could be bitter to people to whom we get jealous at their success. We can be flattering to people who also seek recognition and praise. And we could also display an indifferent and unkind attitude to people who may be different from us in terms of what we believe, or culture, or principles or even of status.

The readings we have heard today tell us about the kind of approach or relating that God showed to us. So, let us briefly explore them and see how God also invites us to learn in relating with one another.

In the Book of Genesis, we have Jacob who ran away from home because of fear. The lie and deception that he made with his mother Rebekah towards his Father, earned him an angry and bitter treatment from his twin-brother, Esau. Though by right, Jacob was the rightful heir of the birthright but Isaac favored his other son, Esau. Isaac, in a way went against what God planned by giving the blessing to Esau. Yet, Rebekah wanted to preserved that, by also deceiving her husband and another son in favor of her favorite, Jacob. Indeed, Jacob received the blessing from his father, Isaac, but it left the family in great trouble.

The family relationship had been ruined by their own fault, of Isaac from going against the plan of God and of Rebekah by insinuating deception. And now Esau was after the life of his brother Jacob. Yet, God’s plan cannot be prevented by any human sin and weakness. Instead, God turned this tragedy into a blessing . And we have heard, how God revealed himself and his plan to Jacob in a dream.

God initiated such movement towards Jacob. God fulfills His promise. That is why, God assured Jacob. God promises him, “I will be with you and will keep you wherever you will go.” Consequently, this made Jacob to realize that, “The Lord is in this place and I did not know it.” Jacob realized God’s presence and now it animated and empowered him to go where God would lead him.

This tells us how God makes himself ever present in our life. Trials and struggles could be reasons for our doubts, disappointments and struggles, yet, even in those situations, God makes himself present. And God is there even when we are not aware of it. God has promised, “I will be with you and will keep wherever you are.”

Such attitude of relating from God is what we could also find in the Gospel. The grief and sorrow of that Synagogue official and the pain and sadness of that woman with hemorrhages, 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. Jesus got up and followed the man. And it was in that experience that surely the Synagogue official felt closer to God.

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

Through Jesus’ way of relating and approaching with these people, he brought life and healing, joy and assurance. This tells us now of the welcoming and generous attitude of Jesus towards those who ask for help, who seek for healing and peace, and of those of friendship.

This is the invitation for us today. First, God reminds us that He is ever present. God is faithful to His promise. God is absolutely with us. And so, like Jacob, like the synagogue official and the woman with hemorrhages, let us allow God to surprise us with His presence. But let us not forget, in this surprise of God’s presence, faith is fundamental as the very ground of our encounter with God.

And so as we deepen our faith that finds strength in our community, we may find healing and peace, life and joy in God’s presence revealed in our own human experiences of pain, trials and struggles.

Second, God never condemned Jacob for what he did. Jesus also was so generous to accommodate this seemingly hopeless father of a dead daughter and be disturbed on the way by this sick woman. We may also learn to become more accommodating, welcoming and warm, less judgmental and less condemning of people around us, no matter who they are. When we learn this, we shall find that our presence and the gift of our friendship will bring healing and peace, life and joy to others. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR

July 6, 2019 – Saturday 13^th Week in Ordinary Time

From the Gospel Matthew (9:14-17)

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
“Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast.
No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth,
for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.
People do not put new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined.
Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

 

Homily

Who would not want security and certainty? We want these. In our effort to attain security and assurance for today and of what lies ahead, we make things in a routine that we become familiar and comfortable with. This is the reason why we also settle and become comfortable with traditions. We do familiar things, meet familiar people and create familiar events because we have been doing them in the past. In the same way, we also form habitual activities and attitudes.

However, when we become so absorbed and concerned in doing, thinking, seeing and feeling with what is only familiar, then, there is a danger that we might also resist any changes and to be surprised with what is new. And because we are comfortable of the things of the past, we might believe that invitations of change are threats to our security and to certainty.

With this kind of attitude towards change and new things, we also become rigid, close-minded and unwelcoming to what is new and unfamiliar to us. But then, God’s invitation to us is always new and is geared towards change and transformation of our heart and mind, our total person.

Jesus tells the people that “no one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse and neither people put new wine into old wineskins, otherwise the skins will burst, the wine spills out and the skins are ruined. But rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Jesus is actually inviting us to welcome what is new and unfamiliar to us and also to be surprised by God. This is what he means to the disciples of John the Baptist who wondered why they were not following the old practices of the Jews. Jesus was not making an excuse for not doing the old tradition. Jesus wants them to realize that there is greater than the old tradition and that was Him.

The Spirit of God brings freshness in us and His invitations may become uncomfortable for us because God inspires change and renewal. Indeed, Jesus calls us to be willing and welcoming to his surprises and invitations of change because he wants us to be renewed and be restored from our old, broken and sinful ways.

Thus, we may reflect and discern also for ourselves, what are the old ways, beliefs and habits that I have formed which do not really help me but rather worsen my relationships with others and with God?

Remember, when we also become welcoming of Jesus and his call for us, then, we also let God to surprise us. God’s surprise is surely always wonderful and brings life is us. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR

July 5, 2019 – Friday 13^th Week in Ordinary Time

From the Gospel of Matthew (9:9-13)

As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

The Pharisees would have been so shocked and scandalized with what Jesus did. Our Gospel story today tells us of the call of Matthew, a Jewish tax-collector of the Romans. Matthew and Jews like him who worked for the Romans were despised by their fellow Jews. They were considered traitors because they were associated with the Roman Empire who dominated the Jews. Besides, there were tax-collectors too who would treat their fellow Jews badly and would collect high taxes. Their land was occupied by these foreigners and were forced to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor.

The Jewish population and their religious leaders also considered these tax-collectors as public sinners. And since they were public sinners, they were barred from entering the temple and other religious activities of Judaism. They were considered non-religious, therefore, excommunicated by their fellow Jews.

They were part of the cycle of oppression perpetrated by the Romans. Anyone who will befriend them or be associated with them was in danger of being contaminated by their sins. Once a person was thought to be contaminated by these tax-collector, then, the person will also be disowned by his/her fellow Jews. With this situation of the tax-collectors, they lived a life separate from their Jewish brothers and sisters.

Yet, what was so shocking for the people and particularly to the Pharisees was on how Jesus crossed all the barriers of interaction with these public sinners. Jesus called Matthew to follow him and even dined with other tax-collectors and sinners. Jesus made them his friends.

The Pharisees expected Jesus to condemn them. However, Jesus went the other way. He did not follow the conventional way of relating with these people. Consequently, Jesus surprised them by making a personal interaction with them and building a personal relationship with these sinners.

But, was Jesus being contaminated by their sins? This was the fear of the Pharisees. That is why, they won’t dare relating and making these people their friends. The question of the Pharisees, “Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?” was not out of concern, but out of condemnation and hate. They wanted Jesus to hate them and condemn them and to further separate them from the community.

Jesus was not contaminated by their sins, but rather, Jesus contaminated these people with his kindness, friendship and mercy. Jesus welcomed them and accepted them despite their sins. This was God’s way to bring healing and to invite these sinners into a better life. Jesus declares, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Showing mercy and concrete actions of love towards others is greater than a big amount of money to the temple.

Jesus’ action was an invitation for these people to change and to be transformed in the way God desires it. It was God’s way of telling both the righteous and the sinners that God does not condemn but desires healing, reconciliation and fullness of life for all.

Today, Jesus invites us that we learn, not from the Pharisees, but from him. Each of us is a sinner, and yet, Jesus chose to be with us and to make us his friends to give us fullness of life. Jesus set the example that a true Christian builds friendship and contaminates others with kindness and mercy.

Just like the Pharisees, we might still have that idea of condemning our brothers and sisters who considered terrible sinners. Like them, we too might have that attitude of separating those people whom we consider as unclean for fear of being contaminated and be associated with them.

Kindness, friendship and mercy are more contaminating than any sin and imperfection. Thus, like Jesus, contaminate people around you with your friendship, kindness and mercy. And we shall certainly see and experience that there is more life, healing and reconciliation in our families and communities when we build friendship, and show kindness and mercy rather than condemnation and hate with one another. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR

July 4, 2019 – Thursday 13^th Week in OT     

Homily

What if that something which you are so attached to is needed to be let go in order for you to grow? I remember when I was still a young boy, I was so attached with my baby bottle. I used that bottle until I was about 6 years old. However, I was asked to let it go and stop using it since I was already six and was about to start schooling. I wanted to start school with my friends but I found it very difficult to let go of my baby bottle. I was told that I could not bring it with me and the only way of going to school with my friends was to let go of that baby bottle.

When we develop some forms of attachments, whatever that may be, we could become rigid, in the way that our attachments will only be the focus of our world. We would tend to limit ourselves from discovering more about ourselves and about others because we are already fixated to one or two. Thus, there is also a need for us to look at our attachments and fixations and to see if they are helpful or not in deepening our friendship with God and others.

The Book of Genesis tells us that God tested Abraham’s faith. Abraham seemed to enjoy very much the company of his son, Isaac. He was a proud dad. He really loved his only son, Isaac. Isaac was the most precious gift he received from God. And we could imagine that Abraham was really so fond of Isaac. His world could have been so bright when Isaac came.

Yet, God tested Abraham, but not to test him to commit murder or slaughter an innocent boy. God’s test to Abraham was God’s way of making Abraham to trust God fully and completely. This is the reason why God asked Abraham to sacrifice his most precious gift. Abraham’s affection for his son was his attachment.

God wants Abraham to advance his faith and attachment to the will of God. And indeed, Abraham proved that his only attachment was God. By trusting fully the Lord, Abraham was even blessed by God. This was how Abraham also discovered the importance of his relationship with the Lord. This relationship brought him life and blessing.

The Gospel also tells us of a story that portrays how attachment can make a person rigid and close-minded. The scribes in the Gospel story show how their attachment to human rituals, traditions and old beliefs can become a hindrance to healing and freedom. They have accused Jesus of blasphemy because he forgave the sins of the paralytic and healed him.

The attachment of the scribes to the status quo that only the elite such as them, the Pharisees and Jewish authorities have the right to teach and be close to God, prevented them to recognize that Jesus is Lord. Indeed, their attachment to their privileges and titles in the society averted them to be surprised on how God works wonders.

Today, God invites us to let go of our attachments and fixations that only prevent us from growing in our relationships with God and with others and from knowing better ourselves.

Our attachments to material things might prevent us from becoming more intimate with people who are dear to us. Our fixations with our achievements and successes may also stop us from being considerate with those who failed in life. Our attachments to some addictive behaviors may also prevent us in realizing our gifts and potentials. Remember, an unhealthy attachment is suffocating and restraining. It will not make us free and alive but rather constrained and dead.

As Abraham found attachment in God’s friendship, he also found life and blessing. As Jesus found attachment in his Father’s will, he was able to bring freedom from sin and healing to the broken. We may also grow in our attachment to God who shall give us healing, freedom and true life. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR