Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Weekday Homilies

  • LET NO ONE BE DEPRIVED OF THE GRACE OF GOD

    LET NO ONE BE DEPRIVED OF THE GRACE OF GOD

    February 3, 2021 – Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020321.cfm)

    God would always give life, bless life and renew our life. God never stops that. This is the reason why grace overflows so that no one will be deprived of the grace of God. The Letter to the Hebrew reminds us of this. The Letter calls us to strive for peace with everyone because without peace what we shall have are 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 means that our participation has an effect in making God’s grace to truly overflow and be experienced by all. Certainly, one can 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? Yes, 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.

    Let us take for example today’s Gospel story. Jesus who went home was welcomed with bitterness and hatred by his own neighbors. Jesus who did many miracles in other places was questioned and judged by the people. 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 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 affect our relationship with others. All Jesus could do was to heal few sick people. It was not that Jesus did not want to do any miracle for them because of their bitter attitude towards him. Jesus just couldn’t because the people did not cooperate with the grace of God.

    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 His 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. This made Jesus to be amazed. It was just amazing for the Lord because the people have seen 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.

    And 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.

    Instead of making our hearts nurture bitterness, hatred, jealousy and false judgment on others, 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.

  • To Hold and To Encounter the Lord

    To Hold and To Encounter the Lord

    February 2, 2021 – Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020221.cfm)

    The Holy Mass today on this Feast of the Presentation of Lord is popularly known as “Candlemas.” We have the blessing and procession of candles. The candle today is so significant in today’s celebration because of what it signifies. The light in our candle leads us to the “light that revealed salvation to the Gentiles.”

    This light was encountered by two significant personalities in today’s Gospel, Simeon and Anna. The two had been waiting for the Lord’s revelation and his arrival. It was not just the fulfillment of their personal desire but also the fulfillment of God’s promise in the Old Testament.

    This has been fulfilled as it was witnessed by the two in their encounter with the Holy Family that also completely transformed their lives and drew ever more their hearts towards the Lord.

    There are two invitations for us that we discover in the encounter of Simeon and Anna with Jesus in the temple.

    First, like Simeon who was able to hold the young Jesus in his arms, let us allow God to encounter us that we may be able to hold him in our arms. Holding God in our arms is more than feeling his presence but being convinced of his presence in our life. To hold God in our arms also means to be in touched with God, with ourselves and with what surrounds us that include our brothers and sisters and the rest of God’s creation. To hold God is to be welcoming to all.

    Second, like Anna who desired and longed to meet the Lord, let us also have that desire in our heart to meet God whenever and wherever we are at this very moment. Let us remember, if we desire to encounter God, God desires it all the more to encounter us. And may our encounter with Jesus cast out our anxiety, boredom and doubts for his presence brings us joy, freshness and life.

    Like them, we may become convinced in what we believe by translating our faith not just into words but also into concrete actions of love and kindness. Hinaut pa.

  • Look at Jesus

    Look at Jesus

    February 1, 2021 – Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020121.cfm)

    “If you look at the world, you will be distressed. If you look within, you will be depressed. If you look at God, you will be at rest.”

    These are the words of wisdom and advice coming from Corrie (Cornelia) Ten Boom, a Christian Dutch Nazi-concentration camp survivor who experienced & surpassed not only the cruelty & inhumanity of Nazis people during the war the indifference of her fellow prisoners but also her own unfreedom/ helplessness in the concentration camps.

    We may not have the same experience with Corrie in life, but we do have a sense & we could easily relate with her words of wisdom & advice. It is distressing indeed to look at world today. With the limitations & difficulties we are going through not only now during but even before pandemic, life has been quite stressful & distressful nowadays. No wonder cases & concerns for mental health nowadays are also on the rise, because if & when we look within ourselves, life has also been depressing. The disappointments, frustrations, worries, anger, & helplessness we are going through now, caused by our distressing, inconvenient & limiting world, could be so depressing, bounding & possessing. (mahigtan ug matuok ta, sa ato pa makapabuang nato).

    Not unlike with our demoniac or the possessed man in our gospel today. Dramatic may our gospel be, we cannot deny that the man is already possessed & overburdened by his demons and crushed by people’s stigma on him. Like him, with our distressing world & depressing selves, we may also have felt possessed, burdened, & shackled by a lot of things going on & happening in our lives nowadays.

    But most significant in our gospel today is when the demoniac “catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him”. In other words, he looked & gazed on Jesus, went near, & bowed down not only in fear but more so in respect & honor to pray to Jesus. In the same way, if & whenever we also recognize, welcome & allow God thru His Son Jesus into our lives, we will be at peace & at rest, even in midst of our today’s distressing world & depressing self. Not only that, we will be also free from our life- shackles (kadena/higot) & receive a new direction & mission in life. So, For hope & direction, never stop looking at & looking for Jesus in life. 

    Corrie Ten Boom indeed is correct to advise us on life: “If you look at the world, you will be distressed. If you look within, you will be depressed. If you look at God, you will be at rest.”

    Another way of saying this: “If you cannot sleep, stop counting the sheep. Talk to the Shepherd.”

  • When God is pushed away, God makes a way

    When God is pushed away, God makes a way

    February 1, 2021 – Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020121.cfm)

    Today’s Gospel story presents us two kinds of response towards the presence of Jesus. The first was with the man who had an unclean spirit and second was with the people who approached Jesus after the healing of the man.

    Let us see a quick look into each kind of response and discover God’s presence today.

    First was with the man who had an unclean spirit. This man had been dwelling among the tombs, was very strong and self-destructive. Jesus did not look for him but it was the man with unclean spirit who initiated to met Jesus. But why? The unclean spirit in him knew very much that it could not hide from God. However, what was interesting here was the conversation between the two.

    The man with unclean spirit revealed to Jesus that there were many evil spirits dwelling in the man, thus, called Legion. Legion is not actually a name but only refers to the number of evil spirits dwelling in the man. This is why the man seemed to be very strong that no chain could restrain him. He must have been pushed away by the people in his community because of his sickness and because of his destructive behavior. There among the tombs, the evil spirits could only do harm to him.

    Moreover, such encounter with Jesus revealed how helpless the evil spirits against Jesus. They were terrified in his presence. They knew Jesus very well and even named him to take control over Jesus. In their fear, they tried to intimidate Jesus by revealing that there were many evil spirits in the man. However, Jesus seemed not to be disturbed by this intimidation by the evil spirits. Jesus knew the nature and the agenda of these evil spirits. They desired to bring destruction, suffering, pain and death.

    Nevertheless, though they were many but they could not kill the man because of the image of God in every man and woman. This was the reason why they “begged” Jesus to allow them to transfer to a herd of swine. Indeed, the evil spirits brought destruction and death to the herd by drowning at sea.

    And the man? He was healed and freed from the slavery of sin and evil. The man returned in his right mind, regained his dignity and claimed himself, loved and forgiven by God. Such change and transformation in him drew him more towards the Lord. The man realized the great presence of God and so he expressed to follow Jesus. However, there was another turning point here. Jesus did not allow him to follow him but instead, the man was commanded to go home to his family and to announce to the people his story of God finding him and him reclaiming himself. Certainly, the man went off and proclaimed how God manifested the grace of forgiveness and life in the Decapolis, meaning, ten cities.

    This is a story that tells us of God’s way of bringing transformation and change in our life and making such grace into a fountain of encounter with God by making us His witnesses, preachers and apostles to others.

    The second response towards the presence of Jesus was with the people in the territory of Gerasenes.  When the people saw and witnessed themselves that the man they knew who was possessed with an unclean spirit regained himself and was in his right mind, “they were seized with fear.” This is how the Gospel of Mark described their reaction.

    What kind of fear was that then? Were they not supposed to be happy, instead of being afraid? They were really seized with fear because they realized how the power of Jesus could bring significant changes in their life. That change in their life was that something which made them terrified. The people were already comfortable at how they lived their life. It was acceptable to them that a self-destructive man was there living among the tombs. It was comfortable to them to make everything as usual. It was beneficial to them to remain in that state of life.

    The people did not want change and transformation in their life. They did not want to confront the evils in their community and in their lives because they have become so used to them and because it will cost them so much. Changing one’s life according to God’s desire will require them to let go of what was old, what was usual, what was comfortable and what was only beneficial for them. Thus, they cannot accept change. They cannot accept forgiveness and new life with Jesus.

    This was the reason why they begged Jesus to leave their district. Jesus did leave because the Lord does not impose his power to us. Though God is almighty but God does not threaten us.  

    Yet, though the people pushed Jesus away from their life, God would not also surrender. God remains hopeful and always sees opportunities and ways to bring us back to Him. That is why, Jesus sent the healed and forgiven man back to his family to preach and to tell his story. That changed and transformed man was to bring people back to God. This tells us that when God is pushed away, God makes a way. Hinaut pa.

  • Showing what we’ve got

    Showing what we’ve got

    January 28, 2021 – Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time; Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012821.cfm)

    To show to others what we have in us is not entirely an expression of “showing off” or arrogance. To show off oneself comes from an attitude that only seek attention and affirmation from others. Showing arrogance does not necessarily also show to others the quality of what we have in us. Thus, “to show to others what we have” is a call to be generous towards others. This does not seek affirmation or attention or recognition or even seeking to be above others because of what we have.

    Such attitude is something that the Gospel today is calling us to develop. Jesus said to his disciples “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?” Jesus challenged the disciples to learn from him and that is to be generous enough to share what they’ve got. The lamp that carries the light is the gift that we have in us. We are the lamp and Jesus is the light.

    This generous attitude of oneself is the very way of life that Jesus showed to us and revealed in our Scriptures. Jesus showed the light of God to the people. That light in Jesus made people to recognise God and brought them towards healing, freedom and life. Despite the resistance of the arrogant and the self-righteous as well as of those who were powerful, Jesus did not hide himself but continued to show the light to the people. His life, indeed, is meant to be shared even in death.

    This was what Jesus was calling his disciples to do. Many will try to put off the light. The disciples may experience fear and will try to hide the light. However, the light shall never be put off for it will continue to shine in the darkness.

    The great St. Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican philosopher and theologian is another example of an person who had been so generous in terms of sharing his wisdom and knowledge to the Church. His scholarly works in philosophy and theology had become foundations in scholarship that helped the Church deepen her knowledge of the faith.

    For us today who have heard these words from Jesus through our Scriptures, we too are called to share generously the gifts that we have in us. As Christians, we have Jesus in us, thus, share the Lord generously to our brothers and sisters through our charity and availability of our presence. Our gifts and talents, resources and capacities are also called to be shared generously because they can also serve as light for those who need our help and assistance.

    By showing what we’ve got, we may add more light into our community darkened by indifference, by loneliness and by death. Hinaut pa.