Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Weekday Homilies

  • A CLENCHED HAND OR AN OPEN HAND

    February 15, 2021 – Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

    Fr. Gibo Dandoy, CSsR

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021521.cfm)

    When it comes to giving and offering to God, do you take a clenched hand or an open hand?

    We all have different attitude or take on the call of generosity. Some are loose and generous; others are tight and stingy. Some give from their surplus; others from the meager they have. Some give gladly, while others grudgingly.

    Allow me to reflect on our first reading from the Book of Genesis, particularly because it has provided us two (2) models of giving to ponder on ourselves:

    The first model is that of Abel. Abel is a shepherd, and he brings the best firstlings of his livestock and some fat as well and offer them to Lord;

    The other model is that of Cain. Cain is a farmer, who brings the fruits of the soil as an offering to Lord.

    Now let us pay close attention to the Lord’s response to their individual offerings? “Now Yahweh was well pleased – ‘looked with favor’ – on Abel and his offering, but towards Cain and his offering he showed no pleasure.”

    What’s wrong? What’s the difference?

    Yes, both have offered to the Lord. However the Lord was so pleased or delighted with Abel and his sacrificial offering because Abel did the right thing by giving or offering what the Lord so deserved. He gave the best and choiced portions of his produced. Not the surplus nor the least.

    But with Cain, the Lord was displeased because Cain was very reluctant in offering what was due to the Lord.

    Today, God has given us one of the secrets of living a blessed and full life, that is by way of giving God generously: from the best and the choiced portion of our produce. For He is able to multiply our blessings beyond human estimation.

    And so, when it’s time to give, “Let not your hand be open to receive and clenched when it is time to give. (Sir. 4:31.)”

  • The Cycle of Blaming

    The Cycle of Blaming

    February 13, 2020 – Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021321.cfm)

    “No, not me! It was her!” The Man must have pointed his judging finger to the woman who gave him the fruit. Yet, the woman too responded, “Not me either. It was the serpent!” Both of them denied responsibility of eating the fruit and realized that they were naked. Both succumbed to the blame-game to deny full responsibility to their disobedience.

    However, what was really the issue in this story? Was it because of eating a desirable fruit? Was it because of the presence of the serpent that tempted them? Or the presence of evil around?

    Both of them, the woman and the man, were tempted not just by the desirable fruit to eat. The fruit was only a symbol of a greater temptation. The serpent that was very cunning, engaged the woman in a conversation by asking, “Did God really say that you will die?” It was only an opening of the serpent’s temptation for both man and woman to believe that they can become like God. This means that the temptation was in believing that they will be in complete control of everything. They must have believed too that they did not have everything in paradise. And so the unquenchable desire to have everything must have consumed them. They can only have everything if they too will become like God.

    Yet, the moment they tasted the fruit and came to know what is good and what is evil, they too realized their smallness before God. This was how they hid from the Lord God. They knew that they have sinned and that sin led them to fear. Fear is filled with guilt and shame. This is the reason why Adam and Eve were hiding. Their nakedness tells us of their guilt. Yet, their guilt never assumed the responsibility that they have sinned. As a result, they became trapped in the cycle of blaming. Adam blamed Eve. And Eve blamed the Serpent. And perhaps, we as readers, might also blame God for putting the serpent among them.

    Because of this, the intimacy between man, woman, and God was shattered. In the same way, man and woman lost their closeness with God. It was them who distanced from God. Thus, sin, without acknowledgment makes us hide yet, it leads to destruction and to death.

    However, this is also how God intervenes. God calls us and God continues to find us not to condemn us or to destroy us but to renew us, to recreate us, to give us the fullness of God’s grace and presence. This is how the Gospel tells us also of the heart of Jesus. Jesus felt the hunger of the people. Jesus felt their need to be filled and be satisfied.

    That is why, God calls and finds us when we try to hide because of shame and guilt. God does that because as the Gospel said, the “heart of Jesus is moved with pity.”

    Let us also remember, when we ty to separate and distance from God, God initiates to come to us to invite us to come closer to Him in humility and to end the cycle of blaming. Thus, let not our fear, guilt and shame prevent us from seeking God’s mercy. God offers the abundance of grace through the sacraments, let us come and be renewed, be recreated and be given the fullness of God’s grace. Hinaut pa.

  • WHEN GOD OPENS US UP

    WHEN GOD OPENS US UP

    February 12, 2021 – Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021221.cfm)

    Jesus went to a gentile district, a place of disgust for the Jews because they were considered unclean and undesirable people. Yet, the presence of Jesus in that undesirable place tells us now how God will work wonders to those who are troubled, to those who are struggling in life, who are rejected and abandoned, those who are taken for granted, the lonely and the oppressed.  The story was more meaningful at the presence of the deaf man. At that time, when a person is sick, it was believed that he/she is a sinner and has been punished by God. Sickness is equivalent to God’s punishment because of sin. Thus, the person is undesirable and not to be touched for fear of contamination.

    But let us also pay attention at how this man was brought to Jesus. The deaf man did not go to Jesus all by himself. He could not speak for himself. The deaf man was actually brought by his friends who interceded in behalf of him.

    Thus, the response of Jesus was surprising for the Jews. Jesus took away the man by himself and put his finger into the man’s ears with his spittle and touching also his tongue. The action of Jesus seemed to de disgusting but for the deaf man, it was a personal encounter with the Lord.

    What draws us deeper into the Gospel is the invitation of Jesus to the deaf man, Jesus said, “Ephphatha! – which means, be opened!” It was at that moment that the man was transformed. The deaf man began to hear and speak clearly.

    We are reminded that God would never leave us alone and would not allow that we journey on our own. The rejections and struggles that we experience are windows for us to discover and recognize God’s promise that He is truly with us.

    Jesus pays attention especially to us who are troubled and lonely, rejected, sick and undesirable for others. Jesus desires us and wants us. We too are reminded to allow ourselves to be helped by our friends just like the deaf man who was brought to Jesus. Or, we can also be the friend who will bring a person closer to Jesus.

    The deaf man too, is symbolically, each one of us. We are the deaf man in the story. We are the undesirable, the sick, the lonely and the brokenhearted. We are the man who pretended to be deaf, who does not want to hear God’s message of love and mercy. Yet, the church brings us closer to God, to be healed and to be opened.

    We may ask ourselves now, what is preventing my ears and heart in listening to the word of God, to Jesus’ invitation today? What has stiffened my tongue so that I may respond with honesty, in faith and in love?

     

    Jesus wants us to be opened – to be opened to the many wonders of God, to his mysteries, to his forgiveness and unconditional love. In return, Jesus also wants us to become open in loving others even those who are unlovable. Jesus also wants us to open our eyes and ears so that we may be able to recognize the needs around us and that we may be able to respond. Jesus wants us to open our mouth to sing our praises to Him, to speak of the injustices today, and to share his message of mercy. Hinaut pa.

  • Faith Status

    Faith Status

    February 11, 2021 – Thursday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021121.cfm)

    In social media, one may publicly publish one’s relationship status. This is more than just about our civil status or legal relationship status as single, married, engaged, widow or separated person, but more so about a short description of the state of one’s relationship with significant others in the society. And there are many ways people would describe in their profile their own relationship status in social media. Not only the usual “in-love, committed, happily married,” others would even post some double meaning descriptions like, “complicated, looking & searching, available, negotiable, available but non-negotiable, negotiable but non-available” among others.

    All of these are just but reflections that fundamentally as human persons, we are in relationship with others. By nature we are not solitary alone being, but social beings – social animals who are in relationship with others & one another. Our creation story in our first reading today is a reminder that God has created us as related & inter-related with our world & with one another. Lahat tayo ay magkaugnay. And God knows that it is not good for us to be alone, & thus, he looks for our suitable partners in life. Human social being as we are, somehow, we should have our own relationship status in life that would describe the state of our relationship with an-other & others.

    Social being as we are, we should also however, be reminded that we are spiritual being. As much as we are in relationship with others, we are also in relationship with God. If we have a relationship status, we should also have our own faith status that would describe the state of our relationship with God in life.

    We may realize the need for faith status beyond relationship status in our gospel today. Surely Jesus & the Greek woman shares distinct social & relationship status. Di sila magkaugnay. Dili sila mag-abot. By culture, birth, civil status, race, and gender, there are both unsuitable to one another. However, both share the same quality of faith. By their relationship with God, they can relate with one another. They share the same deep faith in God regardless of their relationship & social status, and in effect, healing & miracle happened.

    While we concern ourselves with our social life & relationship status, perhaps we should also consider our faith status? What is the state of our relationship with God? How would we describe the state of our relationship with God? How is our spiritual life?

    Today, we honor our Lady of Lourdes. The apparition of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception at Lourdes, France is a constant reminder of our Mama Mary to us that we do have our spiritual life, that we are in relationship with God, that we have & should grow in our faith status in life & only through then miracles & healing do happen in our world & life.

    May we grow in Faith.

    So Help us God. So May it be. Amen.

  • TO GIVE, CREATE AND HEAL LIFE WITH GOD

    TO GIVE, CREATE AND HEAL LIFE WITH GOD

    February 11, 2021 – Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

    Memorial of the Our Lady of Lourdes; World Day of the Sick

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021121.cfm)

    Even God realized that it is not good for a human being to be alone. Though God is portrayed in an anthropomorphic way (in a human character) but the story itself behind this second account of the creation story tells us of our human nature. Our soul and our heart longs for companionship and for friendship with another person. This proves and tells us that we find not just our identity but also our meaning and our being within our community.

    What has been revealed to us today in the first reading from the Book of Genesis is not only referring to the Sacrament of Marriage between a man and a woman, but also of the human community. It is not merely about who is superior and who is inferior in the order of creation, but in our capacity to give life, create life and heal life with God.

    If we would become more conscious of that power to give, create and heal life with God, the world and our local communities will always be celebrating life and having the abundance of life. To give and create life is not just even limited in physical birthing of another human being but also in nurturing another life. This is the wonder that each of us can do within the limits of our influence and capacities and in the abundance of our generosity.

    The many areas of pain and fear around us can become life-threatening and life-paralyzing to others especially those who are afraid and do not know how to respond in difficult situations. This pandemic reveals to us that there are many helpless individuals who struggled to live. The many forms of injustice and oppression that also happen in our society are evidences that many have been deprived of life and to live life fully. Yet, when one becomes convinced and confident of the gift of his or her person, this can be a blessing to another.

    This is what Jesus showed us in today’s another healing story. A Syrophoenician woman whose daughter was possessed and controlled by a demon, had been deprived to live life fully. The mother knowing that it was beyond her capacity, begged Jesus to be that very gift to her daughter. She knew that Jesus has the power to give and renew the life of her daughter.

    Moreover, as Jesus granted the request, Jesus redirected such power to bring life into the person of the mother. The daughter was actually healed through the faith and love of her mother. The seemingly cold response of Jesus was received in humility by the mother. She was willing to bow down not for her sake but for the sake of her child. This was how Jesus worked miracle with the mother and brought new life to the daughter.

    This is also the invitation in today’s memorial of the Our Lady of Lourdes. The Church even celebrate today as the World Day of the Sick to remind us to pray for all the sick and to be life-giving and to be healing channels of God’s grace to each other. The very person of Mary is gift and a blessing to the Church. She has been an instrument of giving life, creating life and healing life because of her generous response to God and to the world.

    May our words and actions then, our concern and love, our commitment and dedication and our very person become the very channel of God in order to give, create and heal life. Hinaut pa.