Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Weekday Homilies

  • Bitterness Deprives Us of God’s Grace

    Bitterness Deprives Us of God’s Grace

    February 5, 2025 – Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020525.cfm)

    When the brain is deprived of oxygen, medical science tells us that it can lead us to loss of consciousness. And longer deprivation of oxygen as in the case of drowning can lead to more damage to the brain and even death. When we too are being deprived of essentials in our relationships like love and acceptance, it also leads us to confusion, depression and even in losing ourselves.

    In matters of faith, depriving oneself of the grace of God will lead us to hopelessness and misery in this life. Yet the Holy Scriptures teach us that God always gives life, blesses life and renews our life. God never stops that.

    In fact, this is the reason why grace overflows so that no one will be deprived of the grace of God. The first reading from Letter to the Hebrews reminds us of this. We were reminded to strive for peace with everyone because without it, we shall have troubles and bitterness in our hearts. As the grace of God overflows, the Letter also invites all Christian believers to “see to it that no one is deprived of the grace of God.”

    This tells us that our participation has an effect in making God’s grace to truly overflow and be experienced by all. However, one can actually deprive oneself or others of the grace of God when the heart refuses God’s grace.

    Yet, why would a person refuse to welcome and accept something that is so wonderful like the grace of God? Is this even possible? Indeed, this is very possible that a person will refuse to accept God’s grace because of a heart hardened by jealousy, false judgment, bitterness and hatred. This is a heart seeks no peace.

    This is what we have heard in today’s Gospel. As Jesus went home, he was welcomed with bitterness and hatred by his own neighbors. Jesus did many miracles in other places but was questioned and judged by the people who knew him. Their thoughts were merely based on the familiar background of Jesus of being a carpenter, being a son of Mary, being a brother to his cousins.  Outside of these, they failed to see that there was more in the life of Jesus. The people failed to see the overflowing grace in the life of Jesus. As a result, the people took offence at him.

    They felt offended because they could not accept the opportunity of being graced by the life of Jesus who was only ordinary for them. This is how a bitter and hateful heart affects our relationship with others. All Jesus could do was to heal few sick people. And it was not that Jesus did not want to do any miracle because of their bitterness towards him. Jesus just couldn’t because the people did not cooperate with the grace of God. The bitterness in their hearts made them refuse and be deprived of God’s grace.

    Indeed, God can only work when we allow God to work miracles. The lack of faith of the people is a way of refusal of God’s grace. This tells us that God, though all-powerful, does not impose the Divine power on us. God would rather invite us to allow Him to work miracles for us.

    Besides, the people expressed their non-cooperation with the grace of God through their lack of faith. And Mark tells us that Jesus was amazed of their lack of faith. It was just amazing for the Lord because the people have witnessed how the grace of Jesus’ life could do for them yet they still refused. The lack of faith in them was even reinforced because their hearts were filled with jealousy, false judgment, bitterness and hatred.

    Yet, as the Letter to the Hebrews calls us, “see to it that no one is deprived of the grace of God.” This is the call for us today. Let us not deprive ourselves of the grace of God or deprive others. Let God’s grace overflow then, through us and through the gift of persons of one another, like St. Agatha whose feast we celebrate today.

    St. Agatha though was subjected to suffering because of a sexual desire of a Roman governor, grew more in her faith in God. In the midst of torture, even when her breast was torn off and later was burned alive, the grace of God flowed through her. Her commitment to Christ and through her martyrdom, she became a channel of miracles of healing.

    And so, with St. Agatha’s intercession, let not our hearts nurture bitterness, hatred, jealousy and false judgment on others in order not to deprive ourselves or others of the grace of God. Let us rather nurture an attitude that welcomes the grace of God through the gift of our persons. And we can do this by striving for peace. Hinaut pa.

  • Embracing Faith Amidst Life’s Storms

    Embracing Faith Amidst Life’s Storms

    February 1, 2025 – Saturday Third Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020125.cfm)

    “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” This is what the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us as it recalled the faith of Abraham. Despite the many trials and seemingly impossible things to happen in the life of Abraham and his wife, Sarah, they remained steadfast in their faith in God. Abraham took the risk to trust in God and so his faith grew and matured.

    Indeed, it was through his faith that what he hoped for, was being realized. Even though, he did not know where would God lead him, yet, he continued to believe. And so, the Lord blessed him and made him the father of many nations.

    However, in today’s Gospel, we too are reminded of our human tendency to doubt and be paralyzed by fear. “Why are you so afraid, you of little faith?” This was the questions of Jesus to his disciples when they woke him up. They were terrified by the storm that was sweeping their boat.

    Certainly, they were afraid that their boat might be destroyed and they would be drowned and die. However, there was a very interesting part of this Gospel story.

    While the storm was sweeping the boat and the disciples were terrified by it, Jesus was fast asleep on a cushion. Jesus was there in the boat with his disciples but sleeping. It seemed that Jesus was not so concerned with the storm. He was confident that they would arrive at their destination safe and sound.

    The Gospel today tells us of these two important lessons on faith.

    First, the forgetfulness of the disciples that Jesus was with them brought them tremendous fear and anxiety.  They forgot that Jesus was in the boat and that their Lord was with them on that journey. And so, they seemed to lost their faith that Jesus was with them.

    Consequently, they have actually taken for granted the very presence of Jesus in their life. This is an invitation for the disciples to always recognize the presence of Jesus.

    And so for us today, this is an invitation to recognize Jesus in our journey. The Lord is not distant. He is to be found and He is journeying with us. Have faith in this.

    Thus, when we are not aware of God’s presence in us, it brings us fear, anxiety and uncertainty. When we become fearful, anxious and uncertain, then, we will be paralyzed mentally and spiritually. It will be very difficult for us to move on and to find opportunities of growth because we will tend to focus on the storm rather on Jesus who is with us.

    Second, because of this terrifying situation of the disciples, it became an opportunity for Jesus to reveal Himself as Lord and Savior. At this revelation Jesus assured his disciples that his presence brings comfort and peace, calmness and confidence. At the same time, the Lord’s presence also is confronting. Jesus confronts the doubts and the little faith of his disciples. This is the reason why it was not only the wind and the sea that calmed down but also the terrified and anxious hearts of the disciples.

    This tells us now that the presence of Jesus brings assurance and confidence in us. The disciples calmed down and found peace because at last, they have recognized the presence of Jesus who was there in that boat.

    Therefore, have faith and recognize the comforting and peaceful presence of Jesus in our life. Let us also allow Jesus to confront us especially our doubts and fears, and even our selfish, unkind and ungenerous actions and words. By being able to recognize Jesus and confront ourselves then we shall certainly find peace and calmness, confidence and assurance in Jesus. Hinaut pa.

  • Filled with Grace and Power

    Filled with Grace and Power

    December 26, 2024 – Thursday, Feast of St Stephen, First Martyr

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122624.cfm)

    Christmas is a joyful season. The music, decorations, the variety of food and the many gatherings during this season give the festive and joyous atmosphere. Yet, the liturgy today, just a day after the birth of Jesus reminds us how faith and commitment to the Word-made-flesh will make us a contradiction to many.

    Indeed, yesterday we celebrated the joyful birthday of a child and today we celebrate the cruel death of an innocent man. In some ways, the birth of Jesus led to the death of Stephen, one of the first deacons of the church and the first Martyr. Stephen was put to death because of his faith in Jesus, declaring him to be the glorious Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.

    St. Luke describes Stephen dying with two prayers on his lips. First, a prayer of surrender, “Lord, Jesus, receive my spirit.” Second, a prayer of petition for his executioners, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

    When Jesus was dying on the cross, he had two similar prayers on his lips as well, a prayer of surrender, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” and a prayer of petition for his executioners, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” We can see that Jesus prays to the Father while Stephen prays to the risen Lord.

    Mary’s child is now the risen Lord and can be prayed to as we would pray to God. In the church, we often pray to the Father through Jesus, but we are also invited to pray directly to Jesus. Stephen died as Jesus died because he was “filled with the Holy Spirit.”

    We have been given the gift of the same Holy Spirit, and it is the Spirit who empowers us both to live like Jesus and to die like Jesus. On this feast of Saint Stephen, we pray for a fresh outpouring of that Spirit into our lives in this Season of Christmas that we may also be filled with grace and power like him. Hinaut pa.

  • THE LORD COMFORTS US

    THE LORD COMFORTS US

    December 10, 2024  – Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121024.cfm)

    How do we live our life as Christians today? How Christian are we, really? These are questions that invite us to re-examine the attitudes of our hearts in the way we live our baptism and prepare ourselves for the coming Christmas. Let us explore, then, the challenges and invitations that our readings bring to us today.

    In the first reading, Prophet Isaiah told us about the promised Messiah. His prophecy was situated when the Hebrew people were exiled in Babylon, hoping for God’s mercy. They believed that their exile was a punishment to their unfaithfulness to God. However, they longed for a wrong Messiah.

    Their misconception about the Messiah was influenced by what their eyes can only see. They only saw the powerful kings from other nations. Those kings were powerful because they had thousands of armies enough to kill and defeat all enemies. Thus, the people had thought that their Messiah should be like them who power and might come from military power to wage war and violence. Indeed, one should fear this God because this is an angry God.

    However, this very image of God of the people is somehow opposite to what Isaiah told us. “Comfort, give comfort to my people…” These were the first words in the first reading. This tells us that God comes to comfort us because the Lord God hears our cries and that the Lord God is not a stranger to our difficulties and suffering.

    This comfort did not mean, “revenge” or a “bloody war” towards our enemies and people we hate. This comfort from God means that God comes to us, that God is with us and God comes with power of love and compassion like a shepherd who feeds his flock and seeks out the lost sheep and rejoices when the lost is found.

    This is what Jesus pictured out for his disciples to understand the love and compassion of God. Certainly, the Lord is like a shepherd searching for his sheep. This shepherd gives importance to every sheep under his care.

    This tells us, that our baptism is also patterned in the identity of the Messiah. We are called to give comfort to each other especially in times of pain and sorrow. We too are called to take care of each other, showing concern especially to those who are in difficult situations and those who are feeling lost.

    Isaiah tells us as well to prepare the way of the Lord because it is in welcoming God into our lives and hearts that we are transformed by God’s loving embrace and presence. This may lead us to comfort each one, to care for each other, and to practice concretely our Christian faith through our concern and generosity. Hinaut pa.

  • HAVING AUTHORITY IS A LOVING-SERVICE

    HAVING AUTHORITY IS A LOVING-SERVICE

    December 7, 2024 – Saturday First Week of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120724.cfm)

    To exercise authority gives us the opportunity and capacity to serve others. This is how we understand “authority” in Christian perspective. This means that when we have authority over other people, this does not give us the right to belittle or put people down just because we have power over them. Having authority is not even about overpowering others where it is easy for us to manipulate and control others for our own benefit.

    In any community, organization or even in our workplaces, when we are given authority, it is rather meant to give us the ability to empower others and to facilitate the community for productivity, growth and maturity.

    Jesus in today’s Gospel also “gave authority” to his twelve disciples. And the authority he has given to them has two functions.

    First, to drive out unclean spirits that terrifies and imprisons people. Second, to cure every disease and every illness of the people to whom they were sent. Through the authority given by Jesus to the Twelve disciples, the Lord gave them the opportunity and capacity to serve others by setting people free and bringing healing to the sick.

    The Gospel tells us now that authority is a gift. It is given to us as an opportunity and giving us the capacity to serve others and not to serve ourselves or to serve those who are only close to us.

    Thus, exercising authority is a form of loving-service. And we will know that it is a loving-service when in exercising authority it sets people free, inspires freedom, brings healing and creates a space for growth and maturity to people around us.

    Yet, let us also remember, when authority is used as a means to serve oneself by manipulating, controlling and overpowering others, then, authority discourages and oppresses people just like unclean spirits or demons would do.

    Moreover, in this case, authority becomes cause of divisions, wounds and toxicity in our community or organization just like a disease or illness would bring suffering to a person.

    Thus, Jesus calls us today that as we exercise authority in our own context and life-situations whether at home, at work or in our communities and organizations, we may always be able to inspire freedom, to allow others to be free and become agents of healing and growth. Hinaut pa.