Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Weekday Homilies

  • ABOVE ALL, PUT ON LOVE  

    ABOVE ALL, PUT ON LOVE  

    September 11, 2025 – Thursday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091125.cfm)

    Our interactions with one another, whether with friends, family members and other people around us create potential friction and conflicts in our relationships. Relationships are strained and broken apart when we also lose the patience to listen and understand one another. When we too are trapped in the temptation to take revenge and generate violence in whatever form, the more we are buried into pain.

    Yet, when selfishness and hatred slowly fade, then, we also begin to repair and reconcile damaged relationships.

    Paul in his Letter to the Colossians expressed thoughtfully and wonderfully how our relationships must be taken cared.  He said, “put on… heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another.”

    As a father and brother to the Christian Community in Colossae, Paul was very concerned how relationships among the Christians must be formed. Thus, Paul continued to remind them, “over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts.”

    The spirit of the relationship in our homes and communities, indeed, must be centered on love, of the love of Christ. This brings peace and healing into our heart troubled by hurts and pains, disappointments and frustrations.

    Jesus, in the Gospel, radically calls us as well, “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

    The call to love, to truly love, is first a transformation of our own hearts. This means that our heart, when centered on Christ and his peace, releases hatred and aggression. This heart embraces the courage to forgive and expresses kindness to those who have hurt us.

    This is truly difficult especially to a person bruised many times by others. Yet, true freedom lies in the heart that rests on Christ, for he is peace.

    And so we pray, “that in whatever we do, in word or in deed, we do everything in the name of Jesus our Lord, giving thanks to the Father through him.” Hinaut pa.

  • PUT ON THE NEW SELF         

    PUT ON THE NEW SELF         

    September 10, 2025 – Wednesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091025.cfm)

    Are we really convinced and feel truly blessed when we are poor and powerless? Are we truly happy when we are indeed hungry, weeping and hurting? Do we rejoice for being hated and rejected by others because we live honestly and justly?

    It would truly be difficult to reconcile these contrasting life situations. A student once shared to me a conversation she had with her grandmother. In her innocence and directness expressed her anguish, “Lola, why are we so poor? It is so tiring to be poor. Will we ever be rich?” The Lola responded to her, “It’s okay. God loves and favors the poor.”

    To a child who does not have the perks and privileges of being born in an affluent family would surely begin to question the difficult life of being poor and underprivileged. Such response is surely difficult to understand.

    Yet, the response of her Lola is certainly the message of the Gospel. God loves and favors the poor. This is the reason why the Beatitude of Jesus begins with “Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours.” This first line of the Beatitude already set the favor of God upon those who are less fortunate such as the hungry, those who are weeping and hurting, and those who are rejected and insulted because of living the faith truly.

    From the perspective of wealth, comfort and power, God seemed to be unfair because the Lord favors the other. Yet, it is not that way. The Lord favors the poor and the weak because of what lies in the heart. Only when we are weak, poor, and powerless that the heart recognizes the need for God. The heart truly longs for God’s presence.

    However, when the heart becomes rich, powerful and comfortable, it also becomes self-contained, arrogant and indifferent. Hence, the heart does not need God and even rejects God. No wonder why Jesus’ words bring warning to those who have become rich, powerful and comfortable, “woe to you.”

    In a country plagued by plunder and corruption, dishonesty in public works and blatant abuse of power and public office, Jesus’ warning echoes to every generation. Woe to you for you will go hungry! Woe to you for you will grieve and weep!

    Yet, Paul calls us in his Letter to the Colossians, “Put to death the parts that are earthly; immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed…as well as anger, fury, malice, slander,
    and obscene language.    ” All of these make us separate from God and from others. What Paul calls us is to “put on a new self” in Christ and leave the old self that corrupts.

    Putting this new self in Christ, as St. Paul tells us, requires us to “seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” To seek what is above is to seek the Kingdom of God. And now we realize that the Kingdom of God rests in those hearts that embraces humility and vulnerability, in recognizing our poverty and powerlessness.

    This is how God favors the poor and the week, those weeping and hurting because the Lord is already in their hearts. This calls us to indeed “rejoice and leap for joy.” Hinaut pa.

  • Will you give a space for God?

    Will you give a space for God?

    September 3, 2025 – Wednesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the reading (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090325.cfm)

    Entering and investing in a relationship whether in friendship or a romantic relationship requires us to a mutual self-giving. This giving of the self is manifested in our capacity to make a space for a person or people to occupy in our life. Allowing a person to occupy a space in our life, also means that we make ourselves open to the person. The person may know our deepest secrets, as well as our deepest pains in life.

    We shall find, then, our relationships fulfilling and essential in our personal development. In hope, we assume that the person or those people whom we have given the space in our life have the good intention in giving care and expressing love to us.

    Yet, we also realize that if the person whom we have given a space in our heart and in our life, betrays us, gives us more pain and stress, then, our relationship becomes hurtful. This could even develop into a toxic relationship, sucking the life out of us. This kind of relationship does not help us and would only bring us into pain and bitterness.

    However, what if it would be God, this time, who asks for a space in our life and in our heart? Will you allow God to occupy a space? Are you willing to give up something for God to be in your life?

    God, certainly, shall not bring us to harm and evil. God desires goodness and happiness for us, but, giving a space for God also requires something from us. We cannot accommodate the Lord when the heart is full. We cannot give a space for God when our life is occupied with many things. What God needs is a small space to bring healing and transformation in us.

    We have heard this in the Letter of Paul to the Colossians. Paul affirmed the Colossians because of the capacity to welcome and receive the Gospel in their hearts. Faith grew, love deepened and hope strengthened because they allowed God to have a space in their hearts. Having a space for God transformed them as a Christian Community.

    Moreover, the Gospel also tells us how Jesus brought healing and transformation into the house of Simon. As it was in any typical Jewish house at that time, the house of Simon, must had been full of people too. His house was not just occupied by his wife and children but also his in-laws, nephews and nieces. And perhaps, cousins and other relatives who sought refuge in the house of Simon.

    However, despite this situation, Simon offered Jesus a space in his house. When Jesus was given a space, Jesus was able to heal his mother-in-law who was afflicted with a severe fever. The miracle of healing happened here. She was healed. Strength was renewed for her.

    The more interesting transformation was the effect of the healing. Her actions were transformed. When she was healed, she got up and waited on them. This means that when she experienced the healing, she served the Lord in her own capacity. This is faith in action and gratitude being transformed into generosity and kindness.

    The Lord also invites us today. We may have experienced hurts and pains in our human relationships. Those whom we welcomed in our life may have caused us troubles and traumas.  Yet, we are assured that God only brings healing and transformation in us. God desires that we will be healed in whatever illness and pain we are experiencing today.

    Thus, give a space for God by also getting rid of those that are not actually helpful and not necessary. This applies in our personal life. Alos in our relationships, in our homes and communities particularly. Allow the Lord today to occupy that space and allow him too to heal and transform in us.

    As we experience the gift of healing, this may it move us to put in action our faith and to make concrete our gratitude to God. This shown by becoming generous and kind towards others. Hinaut pa.

  • TO SPEAK WITH AUTHORITY

    TO SPEAK WITH AUTHORITY

    September 2, 2025 – Tuesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090225.cfm)

    How is your language? How do you speak to others? I do not mean of a particular “language of a group of people” like English, German, Italian or Filipino. What I mean rather is the quality of our conversation with others. Does our language then, speak of gentleness and compassion? Or does our language use hate speech, express anger and malice? Do you converse to gossip, create confusion and lies?

    Indeed, there is power in language not just as a medium of communication, but also, as a medium of healing and bringing freedom. Jesus, in today’s Gospel, spoke with authority and his language brought healing and freedom to the person.

    The people in Capernaum were amazed at Jesus when he spoke and taught them. They were not amazed at his eloquence and fluency in the language but more astonished at his words that were spoken with authority.

    Jesus spoke and taught them not like the Scribes and Pharisees. They spoke to brag about how good and righteous they were, yet, demanding to be praised and recognized at public places. Those very people burdened the ordinary folk with many laws to observe and punishments in not following the law. Jesus also spoke not like the Roman authorities and soldiers who would demand that people should pay their taxes and be subjected to their authority.

    The words that Jesus spoke to them made them alive and free and not fearful and resentful. It means that the words of Jesus generates life, freedom, peace and reconciliation.

    This was clearly manifested when Jesus encountered an evil spirit. The evil spirit that burdened the man, made him suffer. The evil spirit subjected the man to bitterness and hatred. Yet, it was powerless before Jesus. The words and the presence of Jesus brought light into the life of that man. Jesus healed the man and broke the oppressive influence of the evil spirit through his life-giving words, “Be quiet! Come out of him!”

    These powerful words of Jesus came from his very person. Because Jesus’ intention was honest, his words were of kindness, and his actions generous. As a result, that encounter became life-giving and freeing for the man possessed and oppressed by the evil spirit.

    The Lord Jesus also calls us today that we too may find life and freedom in his words and presence. The holy scriptures and this Eucharist are concrete ways of the Lord to speak to us. In hope, may we also learn to speak with authority like Jesus so that we become life-giving and instruments of freedom in our community.

    Let us examine our words and our encounters with people today. Are my words and presence life-giving or condemning? Am I giving freedom or condemnations? Are my words and speech filled with hatred and anger or peace and kindness? Do I speak to only bring gossip and lies or speak the truth and goodness of others?

    If we find that our words and presence express more of condemnation, judgments, hate and bitterness, gossips and lies – allow Jesus to transform us. Allow Jesus to cast the evil spirit in us so that we too will be healed and become free. Hinaut pa.

  • Not out of Fear but from Gratitude & Generosity

    Not out of Fear but from Gratitude & Generosity

    August 30, 2025 – Saturday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/083025.cfm)

    People who struggle with low self-esteem may find it so difficult to share their talents and express themselves. The fear of being judged and being rejected by others could hamper a person to share and express himself or herself. Many times, one could not avoid such fear because people tend to easily notice the negatives, failures and the ugly.

    More so, we may also tend to compare ourselves with others. To realize how others enjoy many things than us or how others possess more than us, could make our heart envious. Among siblings and friends, it can be painful when others stress who is better, brighter, and more talented among us. This can make the “lesser self” become bitter towards others and towards himself or herself.

    Such outlook in life would hold us back from developing healthy and life-giving relationships because of our poor self-image and low self-esteem. We too may tend to hide in fear and bury our potentials. Thus, we endanger ourselves to become stagnant and unproductive.

    The parable in today’s Gospel reminds us of this through the third servant. Yet, it also challenges us to see beyond our limitations and embrace our potentials. This becomes more possible in us as we grow in gratitude and generosity and not out of fear.

    Indeed, the servants were given “talents” (a particular amount of material wealth) by their master. Each was given different amount of talents, “each according to his ability.” The master realized the ability of each of his servant and so they were entrusted as the master saw it fitting for them.

    When we are the ones in this situation and having a low self-esteem, we too might compare ourselves especially when we have received less. We could become bitter and reactive towards the master who entrusted little in our care. We could feel envious of others who received more.

    The third servant represented this kind of heart. He was rather filled with fear and bitterness towards the master, towards others and himself. And so, he decided to bury his talents. That made him unproductive and having a bitter perspective of the generosity of the master. He might have despised the master and his companions too. Yet, he too could have pitied himself for having less.

    However, the two other servants no matter how much they have received understood what the master wanted them to do. With the talents given to them, they began to take risks and invested what they have possessed.

    The two servants have given us the model of becoming grateful and generous. This made them productive and even discovered the wonders behind their abilities and potentials. This was manifested at how the master entrusted them with more.

    This is how we are invited today. There is no reason for constantly comparing ourselves with others. When this becomes an unhealthy behavior in us, it will remove us from being free, grateful and generous. We will be prevented to become more productive in our own way.

    We are challenged, then, to confront and outgrow our fears, our low self-esteem, and begin to affirm ourselves and the gifts we have no matter how small or limited we may think of them.

    Like the two other servants, the Lord wants us to take risks, to be creative, to be productive in our own ways. The Lord gives the grace in each of us, each according to our ability. This is not because God discriminates us but in God’s wisdom, God sees our capabilities.

    And so we pray, “Lord, make my heart more grateful and generous. Teach me to affirm the gifts I have and my very self. Challenge me when I begin to doubt your wisdom and generosity in me. May my heart be more courageous in sharing myself and find joy in it.” Hinaut pa.