Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Weekday Homilies

  • MOTHER’S YES

    MOTHER’S YES

    December 20, 2023 – Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122023.cfm)

    Whenever we reflect on our childhood memories, our dear mother is always there present. Be she young or old, dark or fair, how else would we be here now, if our mother did not make our well-being her life and vocation. The relationship we share with our mother is special and sacred, and is based on a bond of mutual love. It was our mother, who is the first person loved us, took care of us, committed herself for us, assured us that she will always be there whatever happens, and would willing die for us so that we may live. It is our Mother, who first said, “Yes” for you. She is “the Mother of all “Yes”es in favor of you, who first opted and chosen YOU. Through our mother we also heard first God’s Promise, “I will be there for you always”.

    No wonder then that Mary is at the center of today’s gospel, which gives us a simple but moving account of the greatest message ever delivered to us – “the Lord is with us”. In it we are told simply and plainly that there was a young maiden, who knelt down at the angel Gabriel’s mysterious message and, in freedom of her heart, gave the total gift of herself to God, saying: “Yes, let it Be done unto me according to thy Word.”

    The Annunciation was the moment when God first revealed a mystery that he kept secret for endless ages. It is true that his love for us is so great that he wants to become one of us. And in doing so, Mary was needed by God. Mary was asked to co-operate with God, and be the mother of Christ. And the moment she said, “Yes” to the angel, salvation dawned on us all. However, Mary did not say “Yes” to God on only one occasion. She had to confirm that “Yes” many times during her life. The moment she said, “yes” to God’s invitation life was never the same again for her. She became a refugee in Egypt and some thirty years later, a witness her son die the death of a common criminal. And through all these events in her life, she did not abandoned her son, stood by Him, always present and supporting Him whatever it takes.

    Christmas is almost upon us and, our thoughts turn to our mothers who said “yes” for us so that we may live, and to our mother Mary who listened and responded in cooperation with God’s will. Mary’s life shows us that to be a Christian is to be a person who keeps our ears open to what God is calling us to do today, so that we can answer Yes to His call and to cooperate with His will.

    Perhaps we ask ourselves: To what extent are we available to God? Do we see what he wants us to do in and through us? If God asks you for favor now, how would you respond?

    Today we are shown the marvelous example of Mary. Even if she did not see clearly all it implied, she accepted her mission to become the mother of the Savior. Mary’s yes offers us salvation. Our own mother’s yes brings us life. May our Yes, our own response and cooperation with God brings life and salvation to others. We pray then that like Mary, we may have her listening and responding heart to God’s call so that we can be as ready and as willing to cooperate in bringing Christ into others. So May it be done to us according to God’s word. Amen

  • CONSCIENCE

    CONSCIENCE

    December 18, 2023 – Monday of the Third Week of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121823.cfm)

    Surely most of us are familiar now with the statue of Sleeping Joseph. Nowadays we hear & see of an unusual statue of St. Joseph sleeping & resting. Not the usual Joseph holding the child Jesus, he is depicted here as a simple ordinary man resting in his sleep. Many meanings we can attribute to this image – like Joseph as a tired worker & family man resting from life-challenges. But such image of sleeping Joseph may gives a glimpse of the spirituality & prayer life of St. Joseph. Scripture tells us how

    significant rest, sleep & dreams in the life of Joseph as to his contribution to God’s work salvation for us. Not only in dreams he was warned about the slaughter of children after the birth Jesus that forced them to exile to Egypt, we also hear in our gospel today how in slumber & dreams Joseph is able to experience God’s plan & will for Him & us for the better. We remember in our gospel today after weighing & discernment for the right thing to do in challenging situations (being betrothed to virgin Mary who is now found with a child not His & initially resolve to divorce her quietly), Joseph went to sleep for rest & in dream, encounters the angel of the Lord saying to him, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.”

    With Joseph, here we come to know how God may work in us & accompany us through in our faith & life. Yes, in many ways & means, God makes himself known & reveals himself to us. God intervenes into our life now in so many ways, be it through His words, via Jesus story, our Church witnessing, our faith & life experiences, through our sacraments, prayers, devotions, images & statues. Moreover, God guides us personally in our Christian faith & life through our consciences, discernment, decision-making, & even in our dreams & sleeping, like St. Joseph.

    Somehow the sleeping Joseph is teaching us now to listen & honor our conscience in life, because through our conscience we come to get to know consciously & unconsciously God’s better plans & will for us. We are also to trust our conscience, because with our conscience that disturbs & directs us, we become aware of the Emmanuel “God is with us” & hear God’s assurances for us, not to be afraid to take responsibility for Jesus & Mary into our own home.

    As we are nearing Christmas, the birth of Christ, like Joseph, may we have a discerning heart & mind to know deeply God’s plans & will for us this coming years – open to once again & anew take on the responsibility of parenting Jesus & adopting the Holy Family into our lives now & always. So May It Be. Amen.

  • TO FIND OUR GREATEST JOY IN LIFE

    TO FIND OUR GREATEST JOY IN LIFE

    August 2, 2023 – Wednesday 17th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080223.cfm)

    Why do people work so hard? Is it not because of the dream to be contented and happy? Why do men and women search for true love? Is not also because of the hope of being happy in life? Why do we search for what makes us happy? Is it not because that we are destined to be happy?

    Definitely, we are all in search of something that will make our life happy, joyful and contented. Each of us dreams that kind of life. However, in the process of searching, we also encounter failures and disappointments, discouragements and frustrations. Yet, we always wake up to achieve what we desire for our life and for our loved ones. Our instinct is to search and gain a life of happiness peace and joy not just for ourselves but also for the people we love.

    This brings me to the message of the Gospel today. Our Gospel presents to us two parables that tell us about this desire of finding and possessing something of great value in life. This is something that a person would do everything just to attain this something of great value.

    The first parable tells us of the grace of God that surprises us. The person was actually not conscious in searching for a treasure. Yet, that person just found it out of accident and later on did everything just to possess it because he was convinced that it was of great importance. He was willing to sell everything he had just to gain that treasure. Certainly, God also loves to surprise us. Joy is truly a gift given to us.

    The second parable tells us of a person consciously searching for a pearl of great price. This search comes from that desire to have a blessed life of peace and joy. Indeed, along the way of our search, great difficulty may be experienced. However, God also leads us to discover His gift for us when we persistently ask for that. God would truly bless a heart that desires Him.

    And when a person finally finds his or her joy in life, this transforms the person not just internally but also physically especially in the way the person relates with others and the way the person presents himself or herself before others. This is what we have heard from our first reading in the Book of Exodus.

    Moses who found his greatest comfort and joy in the Lord was transformed. The Book of Exodus described him that the “skin of his face became radiant.” Moses’ intimate friendship with God made him a different person from before. He was God’s close friend. Consequently, this made Moses also ever closer to the people. Moses became more sensitive to the struggles, questions, fears and anxieties of the people.

    This tells us too that when we truly find our greatest joy in life, we become contented and grateful persons. We would begin to look at things and look at life from the perspective of God rather than from our negative and bitter perspective. In a way, this makes our heart radiate, our actions generous and our words kind.

    Certainly, a married person who truly finds contentment, security and joy in his or her married life extends such grace towards the people around him or her. A person who finally finds his or her vocation in life also becomes more generous and life-giving towards others.

    We pray that in our search of that great value, then, we would hopefully also arrive at the realization that God’s desire for us is more than anything that we could imagine for ourselves. And once we find it, may the joy and peace that it brings will transform us to become a person God wants us to be. Hinaut pa.

  • Judging others

    Judging others

    June 26, 2023 – Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062623.cfm)

    Moral life is all about our practice of christian faith in life. It begs the question as to how we live out our lives as we believe in Jesus.

    We do live nowadays in a world in which it is very common to judge, criticize, & condemn other. Easy for us to see the failures & mistakes of others, dwell on their sins, points out their weaknesses, & speak of their faults to others. Yes, we do have the tendency & the habit to judge, criticize, & condemn others, that greatly influence our thinking, attitude & actions towards others.

    In this regard, Jesus teaches & advices us to “stop judging… stop measuring others”. Meaning, to stop the habit of judging, criticizing & condemning others.” Why? Because the habit corrupts our very person. Such habit not only unhealthy & harmful to the judged other, but above all to the judging person. Judging, criticizing & condemning others makes us not only sinful, but above all corrupt persons.

    Pope Francis, once said: “We are all sinners, but we are not all corrupt. Sinners are accepted but not the corrupt.” Meaning, sinners are forgiven, but corrupt are not tolerated & accepted in the church. So, stop the corrupting habit of judging, criticizing & condemning others.

    How? Jesus asserts: “Remove out your beam first, & then you can remove out your brother’s speck.” In other words: “Bago mo linisin ang dungis ng iyong kapwa, hugasan mo ang putik sa mukha.” In Cebuano: “Manalamin sa, bag-o mamintana.” Have a good look then at yourself first. If you have something to judge, criticize & condemn on others, do it to yourself first& perhaps you will be more slow & careful to do so.

    Lord, teach us to do & live your ways in our daily witness of our faith in life. So, May it be. Amen

  • The Lord Confronts our Unbelief and Hardness of Heart

    The Lord Confronts our Unbelief and Hardness of Heart

    April 15, 2023 – Saturday in the Octave of Easter

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041523.cfm)

    They could not believe it. They could not accept what has been reported by Mary Magdalene. They would not even accept the testimony of the two disciples who went to Emmaus and reported that the Lord appeared to them. The eleven disciples, who were the closest circle of Jesus, did not believe because their hearts were hardened.

    We could just imagine the very dispositions and attitudes of the eleven disciples. They must have been filled with guilt and shame for fleeing away and hiding when Jesus, their Lord and Teacher, was arrested, tortured and killed. Peter denied Jesus who previously said he won’t. The very experience and those days were just disheartening. They too must have felt that there was no more hope for them. Their courage was gone. Their spirits dampened.

    The terrible death of Jesus, killed in the most shameful and painful way, was beyond their expectation. Yet, it happened. The Lord told them that he would suffer and die and be raised on the third day, yet, they were all unprepared for that. They clearly did not understand what Jesus was teaching them at that time. And when Jesus was raised and appeared to other disciples, their minds and hearts were closed because they were too afraid. And they stayed in their grief and sorrow, nursing their fear and shame.

    However, the Lord appeared to them all and confronted them. As the Gospel of Mark told us, “Jesus appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart.” Yes, the Lord confronted and challenged them by rebuking them. It was the Lord’s way of making them wake up and move forward. They have been staying in that disposition and attitude that was already unhealthy and unhelpful for them and for others.

    We too could find ourselves having such kind of disposition and attitude. When we are staying too much in our grief and sorrow, when we are already nurturing our own emotional wounds, and feeding our fears with our anxiety, then, such disposition of the heart and mind will only make us more submerged into fear and anxiety or into sin and darkness.

    Indeed, it is okay to grieve. It is okay to be afraid after a painful experience. It is okay to feel down and discouraged after a failure. It is okay to feel lonely and alone. It is okay to be sad and not feeling okay. However, when we are already staying too much in these human emotions and even reinforcing these emotions with our unhealthy coping and nursing them. Then, that is not okay. It is not alright because such attitudes would only lead us farther from others or even farther from our true selves and farther from the grace of God.

    We are rather called to confront ourselves, confront our friends and allow the Lord to confront us when we are going in that state just as Jesus rebuked the disciples whose hearts were hardened. This is the invitation for us today and that is to allow the grace of the resurrection to give us hope, courage and new way of looking at things and looking at our life. We move forward and move on, knowing that the grace of God is with us, and that the presence of Jesus assures us that there is life, that there is hope.

    As we allow the Lord to confront us, may our hearts be filled with confidence and gratitude to proclaim and share to our friends, families and communities the goodness that the Lord has done to us. Hinaut pa.