Category: Weekday Homilies

June 4, 2019 – Tuesday of the 7^th Week of Easter

Jn 17: 1-11a

“I pray for them.” – Jn 17:9

We always ask our family members, friends and people we know to remember us in their prayers too. It is such a comfort that we are being remembered in the thoughts and prayers of others. When we celebrate special moments of our life, when we are sick, leaving home for studies or work, when we take challenging endeavours (such as taking board exams), struggling with our problems and concerns, or starting a new chapter of our life, we ask people we know to pray for us that will be given strength and wisdom, courage and faith.

In today’s Gospel, we have been reminded of the intimacy Jesus shared with his Father. This is shown on how Jesus prayed to the Father in heaven. Jesus expressed his confidence and at the same time the unity he has with the Father. What Jesus has is also of the Father’s. The glory of Jesus is also the glory of the Father. Hence, the suffering and pain of Jesus at his passion and even death is also shared by the Father.

All of these have been revealed to Jesus’ friends who were also so dear to the Father. Jesus treasures this friendship. And as a friend, Jesus manifests his concern by expressing his desire to pray for them. Jesus is about to leave physically in the world. But it does not mean that Jesus will abandon them.

Jesus prays for his friends. This means that Jesus remembers his friends in his thoughts. Being in the thought of Jesus also means that Jesus makes his person present in the life of his friends. It is a promise of faithfulness and of constant presence of God.

Today, Jesus reminds us too, that he prays for us and with us. We can say this confidently, Jesus prays with me because he remembers me and he is with me.

Being remembered by Jesus in his prayers, let us make an effort too, to pray for others today. Pray for your friends, for your family members and those who really need our prayers. Prayer will make us more conscious of others as we become one with them in their hopes, joy and suffering. In prayer, we also become more present with God as we grow in our confidence and faith in Him who has called us and loved us. Hinaut pa unta.

Jom Baring, CSsR

June 3, 2019 – Monday 7^th Week of Easter

Jn 16:29-33

“But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.” – Jn 16: 32b-33a

Do you feel alone? People who are severely ill, those who are haunted by their traumatic experiences, and those who suffer chronic depression would mostly agonize the feeling of being alone and loneliness.

To feel alone is a terrible feeling. It makes a day no matter how bright it would be, to be so dark. Even though many people will surround us physically, this feeling detaches us from their presence.

This causes people to be so sad and depressed. How much more if physically people will leave us alone? If someone you love and so dear to you would just go away and leave you? Then, this would be a horrible feeling.

People who work away from their family would also feel being alone. They cannot help it but work a far to give more opportunities for their family and for the children especially. Yet, as a consequence, they have to endure such loneliness for their sake.

In the Gospel today, Jesus reminded us of his conviction of the presence of his Father. Jesus knew that his disciples would abandon him when he will undergo his passion. The disciples will retreat and hide because of fear even though that would mean that Jesus will be left alone to suffer and die.

Yet, Jesus was filled with confidence that his Father will never abandon him. Hence, the Father was there with Jesus even at the cross where Jesus felt being abandoned.

Today, Jesus wants us to have the same conviction. Indeed, we are never alone. The Lord is with us, always with us. This is the promise of Jesus to us today.

Thus, when we feel alone, let it be known that we are never alone. When a terrible sickness hits us, when a traumatic experience haunts us, when depression bothers us, remember, God is with us.

Those of us who are away from home and away from our families, Jesus comforts us that he is always with us.

Today, we can say confidently, “I am not alone.”

Jesus promises us too that with him we shall have our peace. When we allow Jesus to come into our life, surely, we will be at peace. We will be at peace because we will be assured, and we will be satisfied with him.

Today also, be more sensitive of people who feel alone who could just be your friend, sibling, or child, or parent or co-worker. Let them feel that Jesus is with them and you too are with them. Hinaut pa unta.

Jom Baring, CSsR

June 1, 2019 – Saturday of the 6^th Week of Easter

Jn 16: 23-28

“Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” – Jn 16:24

What is it that we usually ask and pray? Good health and wealth? Fulfillment of our hopes and dreams? Love life and relationships? For work and business? For achievements and successes? For our personal concerns and problems?

Jesus told his disciples to “ask anything in my name and you will receive.” What does it really mean? Does Jesus mean that we can just ask anything we want? Does it mean that I can also ask Jesus to give me a lifetime premium subscription on Netflix and unlimited supply of popcorn? Or can I also ask a top managerial position in the company even though I do not have the qualification and expect that it will surely be given to me?

Some of my friends have told me that there were times in their life that they felt hurt because God did not grant their wishes. They had been praying and attended faithfully masses and novenas so that their prayers will be granted. Yet, at the end, prayers were unanswered. They were hurt and thought that God seemed to be so unfair.

However, we might not be aware that what we are praying could be filled with selfish reasons. Our prayers might be more on ourselves. Our prayers might be more focused on what “I shall have and on what I can gain.” Then, our prayer remains self-centered.

Jesus asks us to ask “in his name.” It means that in our prayer we will not forget Jesus, we will not forget his desire for us and his will for us. Yes, our prayer might be more on “our wants,” rather than on God’s desire for us.

Jesus did not say to just ask anything because Jesus, then, would merely be a magician or a genie in a bottle, but to ask anything in his name. Our prayer, then, includes a discernment of God’s will for us and of God’s desire for us.

The disciples had actually already prayed. They had surely asked God many things already. However, their prayers were also filled with their own desires and personal wants. That is why Jesus said, “until now you have not asked anything in my name…” Their selfish prayers and requests to God did not make them joyful and contented. They have remained insecure and lacking in faith because they did not ask in Jesus’ name.

Instead of praying – “this is what I want and wish Lord,” ask and pray rather first in this way, “what is your desire for me Lord?” Only then that we will be able to get away from our selfish tendencies and intentions because we shift our focus from ourselves to God – from praying that comes only from personal wants to praying in his name.

Surely, God will never say no to a sincere heart that seeks His desire. Jesus will surely answer our prayers when our hearts and minds too are one with him. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR

May 30 – Thursday of the 6^th Week of Easter

 Jn. 16:16-20

Jesus said to his disciples, “A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me.”

It is very difficult to let go of people especially of those whom you love so much. Our basic tendency is to keep those people close to us because we do not like them to leave us. That is why, when we are confronted with the reality of a person who is about to leave us, then, we experience pain of loss and separation.

This is what I have recently experienced when my father passed away. There is so much pain in me. A part of me cannot accept that Papa is no longer with us physically. A deep pain of loss and absence troubles my mind and heart until now.

Indeed, it is very difficult to think and accept that Papa is dead and now is buried. When my sister called me up on that Saturday evening of May 11 that Papa was being revived by the doctor, I could not accept it that it was happening. I could not cry because I did not know how to react. I prayed but it was as if my prayer was empty. I was afraid to pray and ask the Lord to heal Papa because the Lord might not hear me. I was even more afraid to ask Him to take away the suffering of Papa because of fear of losing him.

But when I called my sister again, Papa left us around 10pm. I did not cry because I could not. After that, I went down and said the mass for Papa. That evening I could not sleep and I could not cry either.

By Sunday morning, I have to get up and say the first and second Sunday masses. On my first mass at 6am, I broke down in the middle of my homily. At the Prayers of the Faithful, when I asked the people to pray for the passing of my Father, tears began to fall down from my eyes. I was crying because I was in pain. Yet, I offer honestly everything to God who has been so good and faithful to us. I thought I could not finish that mass.

As I have pronounced every word in the prayer of consecration and prayed for the eternal rest and joy of Papa, slowly I have also accepted that Papa has died and has joined the Lord. That was my only consolation. Papa is with God where there will be no more suffering, no more pain and sadness but joy and peace.

I have to let him go even though it was painful for me. I have to offer him back to God in that sacrifice of the mass and become confident that Papa is in good hands of the Lord.

With all of this, it reminds me of Jesus’ invitation of letting go. His disciples wanted to keep him close to them. The disciples believed that they were more confident if Jesus was nearby. They were not willing to let him go again. Jesus died and thought that he had abandoned them already. At his resurrection, they wanted Jesus to stay with them.

However, this is not God wanted. Jesus had to go so that he will be able to join and be one with his Father in heaven. It will only be in this way that Jesus will be able to bring us closer to the Father. By returning to the Father, Jesus will open a way for us to the heart of the Father. By this also, Jesus will become ever close to each one of us, closer than we can imagine because Jesus will be in our hearts and minds.

I am invited to let go of my Papa and accept that he is no longer with us physically. However, we in our family are being consoled also that Papa is ever more present in our hearts and minds today.

Thus, each of us too, today, is invited to let go of whatever that may hinder us from encountering the Lord and accepting Him in our hearts and minds. In letting go, we may let God come closer and ever present in us. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR