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Category: Weekday Homilies

  • Jesus speaks to give life and freedom

    Jesus speaks to give life and freedom

    September 3, 2019 – Tuesday of the 22ndWeek in OT

    Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

    A reading from the Gospel of Luke (4:31-37)

    Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee.
    He taught them on the sabbath,
    and they were astonished at his teaching
    because he spoke with authority.
    In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, 
    and he cried out in a loud voice,
    “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
    Have you come to destroy us?
    I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”
    Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!”
    Then the demon threw the man down in front of them
    and came out of him without doing him any harm.
    They were all amazed and said to one another,
    “What is there about his word?
    For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits,
    and they come out.”
    And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

    Homily

    How often in a day do we speak of blessing for others? Or how often does our speech bring life to others? Or perhaps there are more cursing and hatred, complains and bitterness in our words.

    You know, the people in Capernaum were quite amazed at Jesus when we 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.

    Well, what does it really mean? When I was younger, those people whom I considered as authorities would always have a weight when they would speak. Yet, I was always afraid of these authorities because they were the same people who would give punishments. It means that I associated authorities before as mere givers of punishments. And it was not a good association of them because I was always terrified by them.

    However, such concept of mine is totally different from what the people experienced with Jesus. Jesus spoke and taught them not like the Scribes and Pharisees who would always bragged about how good and righteous they were but burdening the people with many laws to observe and punishments of not following the law. He spoke to them not like the Roman authorities and soldiers who would demand that they should pay their taxes. 

    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 and freedom, peace and reconciliation.

    This has been portrayed concretely when Jesus encountered an evil spirit. The evil spirit that burdened the man, made him suffer and subjected him to bitterness and hate, 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. 

    These powerful words of Jesus came from his very person. Because Jesus’ intention was honest, his words were of kindness, and his actions generous, that encounter became life-giving and freeing.

    Today, Jesus also calls us to find life and freedom in his words and presence in the scriptures and in this Eucharist. And hopefully, what we have found here will also be transmitted into our life that we ourselves will become life-giving and instruments of freedom.

    It would be good then to examine our words and our encounters with people today. Let it be the object of our discernment today. Are my words and presence life-giving or condemning? Am I giving freedom or condemnations? Are my words filled with hatred and anger or peace and kindness? 

    Then, if we find that our words and presence express more of condemnation, and judgments, of hate and bitterness, allow Jesus to transform us. Allow Jesus to cast the evil spirit in us so that we too will become free and at peace. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR 

  • To be honest even if others are not, to speak even if others are silent, to see even if others are blind

    To be honest even if others are not, to speak even if others are silent, to see even if others are blind

    August 29, 2019 – The Passion of John the Baptist

    A reading from the Gospel according to Mark (6:17-29)

    Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison
    on account of Herodias, 
    the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
    John had said to Herod,
    “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
    Herodias harbored a grudge against him
    and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
    Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
    and kept him in custody.
    When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
    yet he liked to listen to him.
    She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
    gave a banquet for his courtiers,
    his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee.
    Herodias’ own daughter came in
    and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests.
    The king said to the girl,
    “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.”
    He even swore many things to her,
    “I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
    even to half of my kingdom.”
    She went out and said to her mother,
    “What shall I ask for?”
    She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”
    The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request,
    “I want you to give me at once
    on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
    The king was deeply distressed,
    but because of his oaths and the guests
    he did not wish to break his word to her.
    So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders
    to bring back his head.
    He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
    He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl.
    The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
    When his disciples heard about it,
    they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

    Homily

    The Gospel told us about this story on how John was beheaded. Thus, today, the Church remembers the passion of St. John the Baptist.

    It was through the daughter of Herodias who danced before King Herod that the head of the prophet was requested. King Herod and Herodias, the wife of his brother, had an adulterous relationship. Even though everybody knew about this but no one would like to speak about it. The scandal and immorality of Herod and Herodias was as bright as the sun, but every one was afraid to look at it or even speak about it. 

    It was only John the Baptist who spoke about it and reminded King Herod for breaking God’s law. John spoke against it even though the rest chose to remain silent. He chose to look at it and confront it even though many pretended not to see it. John being a chosen prophet of God, had been really true to his identity. John was a real troublemaker and a “disturbance to Israel” because he disturbed the conscience of Herod and the conscience of the people.

    Consequently, being a prophet, by speaking out the truth and disturbing the conscience of the people, he was silenced by those who hated him. In the end, he was beheaded.

    Like most of the people at that time of John the Baptist, many times we find ourselves choosing to remain silent and not to speak out about the truth. We too find ourselves to pretend not to see the scandal and feel indifferent about it.

    There are reasons of course why we do this. To be an honest person is difficult. A friend once shared to me.  His conscience has been disturbed because of the corrupt practices in their office. Yet, he found it difficult to confront the people doing such corruption because almost everyone does it and their senior officers seemed to tolerate such practice. In speaking out, he thought, he might lose his job. So he remained silent about it and choose to be indifferent.

    Hence, we chose not to stand or to speak up because we are afraid that we might lose our job, our career, our position and influence, our name or our life. We are afraid because we might lose the comforts and the peace that we seemed to be enjoying. Moreover, we also choose to remain silent because we ourselves are guilty. It is indeed a risky thing to do and we dare not to take the risk.

    However, having such attitude is not what God wants us to be. God calls us to be honest even if others are not, to speak even if others would remain silent, to see even if others would tend not to see.

    Thus, through the inspiration of John the Baptist, we may find courage when it becomes difficult for us to live faithfully our Christian life. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • What are my hypocrite-attitudes?

    What are my hypocrite-attitudes?

    August 28, 2019 – Memorial of St. Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church

    A reading from the Gospel of Matthew (23:27-32)

    Jesus said,
    “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
    You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,
    but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.
    Even so, on the outside you appear righteous,
    but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.

    “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
    You build the tombs of the prophets
    and adorn the memorials of the righteous, 
    and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,
    we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’
    Thus you bear witness against yourselves
    that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets;
    now fill up what your ancestors measured out!”

    Homily

    In today’s Gospel and as it was in the past few days, Jesus pointed out the danger of self-righteousness that leads to bitterness, discontentment and insecurity. There is a need to recognize our faults and sinfulness rather than undermining them by finding the fault of others in order to cover our own.

    Jesus addressed the teachers of the law and the Pharisees who seemed to be so righteous, yet, sickly and sinful inside. Jesus compared them to “whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of dirt.” Jesus called them hypocrites. 

    Jesus demands consistency in our words and actions, in the way we relate with others and with God. Consequently, there is a need for us to recognize our own “tombs,” which also means recognizing our own sinfulness and failures. When we choose to blind ourselves from own sinfulness and failures, then, there is a danger of making ourselves distant from God, from others and from our own reality.

    It would be good then, to be reminded of the forms of denials. 

    First, we will tend to overemphasize the faults of others yet; there will be no acknowledgement of our personal defects and sinfulness. This overemphasis of the faults of others is a mere cover up of one’s skeletons hidden in the closet. 

    Second, there will be an air of self-righteousness and arrogance in our hearts; claiming that we are always right and good and the rest are stupid. When we ourselves are being criticized then we become violent to our critics and would even seek to destroy them. This kind of attitude boasts oneself of his or her good image but hungry of recognition and praise from people around him or her. 

    Jesus does not want us to become bitter, hateful and pretentious persons but rather disciples of him who are humble enough to recognize our wrongdoings, and courageous enough to speak our own unjust and oppressive attitudes. Jesus desires that each of us becomes free by being able to recognize our sins so that transformation of hearts will be possible. It is in this way that we become of help to one another, so that as parents, leaders, mentors and authority figures, we will be leading others with honesty and sincerity. Moreover, that we may become persons who are not after recognition and praise from others, but persons who express deep gratitude to God.

    And in a special way, we remember a great saint today, St. Augustine, who became a pillar in our Church doctrines. He himself struggled with his own pretentions. However, when he had the courage to face his sinful self, then, he also found God most merciful to him. His generosity, his wisdom and his commitment to be of service of others and of the whole Church sprung forth from that conversion of Augustine.

    And so for today I would like to invite you to see ourselves closer and ask, what are my inconsistencies, my bitter and hypocrite-attitudes? We will only be able to answer this when we also stop pretending and will humble ourselves before God to accept our imperfections. Hopefully, when we are able to identify our attitudes that are inconsistent with our faith then that will move us to be converted back to Christ, to be closer to him. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Have you been judged because of some particular opinions about you?

    Have you been judged because of some particular opinions about you?

    August 24, 2019 – Saturday: Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle   

    A reading from the Gospel according to John (1:45-51)

    Philip found Nathanael and told him,
    “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,
    and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
    But Nathanael said to him,
    “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
    Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
    Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
    “Here is a true child of Israel.
    There is no duplicity in him.”
    Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” 
    Jesus answered and said to him,
    “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
    Nathanael answered him,
    “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
    Jesus answered and said to him,
    “Do you believe
    because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
    You will see greater things than this.”
    And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
    you will see heaven opened and the angels of God
    ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

    Homily

    Have you been judged because of some particular opinions about you and your background? Jesus was also a subject of such prejudice by some people. Because of his background as coming from a remote town called Nazareth and from a family who was unheard of in the whole of Jerusalem, this made others to belittle Jesus.

    The gospel story that we have today tells us about Nathanael, who is also traditionally identified as Bartholomew,  who seemed to demean the background of Jesus. His friend Phillip testified about the presence of the Messiah whom Moses wrote about in the law and prophesied by the prophets. However, the skeptical Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” For Nathanael, it was too much to believe that the Messiah would come from this insignificant town. This was not his expectation. Thus, for Philip to tell him about it, was simply ridiculous by Nathanael.

    However, despite the discriminatory behavior of Nathanael, he was persuaded by his friend Philip to come and see for himself Jesus. To come and see meant that Nathanael whose name means, the gift of God, opened up himself for Jesus. It was a welcoming attitude of allowing the Lord to touch him.

    And certainly, Jesus was able to touch Nathanael because the man allowed Jesus. Jesus knew Nathanael even before they met. The Jewish metaphor used by Jesus to Nathanael, “I saw you under the fig tree,” refers to studying the Torah or the Law. This means that Jesus, the God made flesh, have met Nathanael already. For Nathanael to study the Law of Moses, it was an encounter with the Lord. But at this moment, what was revealed to him was not anymore letters but flesh and physical presence of the Lord.

    And this surprised Nathanael and made him to drop his discriminations and doubts about Jesus. However, Jesus promised him that he “will see greater things than that.”

    Indeed, when we are able to encounter the Lord without any fears or anxieties, we too will surely be surprised of the greater things that we shall witness. God has so much more prepared for us. If only we are able to let go and drop our fears and let God reveal Himself in our life, we shall see and discover so many things, many wonderful things.

    Therefore, the invitation for us today is to allow ourselves to have an encounter with the Lord. This very encounter will not take place in a heavenly ambiance but in its most ordinary way. As Nathanael encountered the Lord in his studies of the Law and through his friend Phillip, allow also the Lord to touch you in your studies, in your work, in the things that you love most, among the people you meet every day, among and through your loved ones and friends.

    May this opportunity of encounter with Jesus make us more resolved in our faith in him and in our commitment to God’s call for us today. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • TO BELIEVE

    TO BELIEVE

    Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary – August 22

    A Reading from the Gospel of Luke (1:26-38)

    The angel Gabriel was sent from God
    to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
    to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
    of the house of David,
    and the virgin’s name was Mary.
    And coming to her, he said,
    “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
    But she was greatly troubled at what was said
    and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
    Then the angel said to her,
    “Do not be afraid, Mary,
    for you have found favor with God.
    Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
    and you shall name him Jesus.
    He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
    and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
    and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
    and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
    But Mary said to the angel,
    “How can this be,
    since I have no relations with a man?”
    And the angel said to her in reply,
    “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
    and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
    Therefore the child to be born
    will be called holy, the Son of God.
    And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
    has also conceived a son in her old age,
    and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
    for nothing will be impossible for God.”
    Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
    May it be done to me according to your word.”
    Then the angel departed from her.

    Reflection

    Today we celebrate the Queenship of Mary, 8 days after we celebrate the Solemnity of her Assumption to heaven. This feast was formally placed in the calendar in 1954 although the title Queen of Heaven has been used since the fourth century.

    Just like the image of queens and royalties in Europe, many of us might also imagine and think that Mary as a queen is adorned with gold and precious jewels. Many of us might be imagining her seating on a golden throne, dressed in a golden dress with a golden crown on her head surrounded by a royal army inside a golden palace. 

    Well, I believe that Mary is none of those golden imaginations. Mary rather would prefer a simple one and an ordinary one as she was used to. Thus, her queenship is not about gold and jewels, throne and army, but rather, of attitudes of generosity, love and faith. 

    Our Gospel today reveals something to us as we celebrate her as our queen. Thus, in her simplicity and being an ordinary woman, she accepted God’s invitation extra-ordinarily because ‘she believed’. In her simplicity, Mary felt the trouble of being honored as favored by God. I am sure that Mary with her human emotions felt confused and afraid when the angel appeared before her. The revelation of the angel was difficult to understand, thus, she pondered in her heart the meaning of those.

    These troubles, confusion and fear led her to ask in all honesty, “how can it be?” It was neither a question of defiance nor of doubts but of concern on how she would go about it. The answer she got was God’s promise, that God is with her. 

    This promise from God inspired Mary and motivated her to give her consent, her big YES to God. Mary was called by God to be the Mother of Jesus, and Mary responded with joy and confidence. Her response is out of gratitude to God for being good to her and out of love and kindness for that was her experience with God. Everything became possible with God because Mary believed. Remember, God cannot and will not work wonders with us unless we give our consent and believe.

    This is the invitation today for us, TO BELIEVE, because God reveals His presence in the events of our ordinary life. That day for Mary seemed to be just an ordinary day, but the revelation from the Angel just made the day anew.

    TO BELIEVE, then, is to be constantly aware of God’s many revelations every single moment of our life. TO BELIEVE is to trust in the Lord’s Words despite our troubles and questions, worries and anxieties. Mary pondered in her heart what had been revealed to her.

    TO BELIEVE in the Lord also means to be aware of the needs of others. Mary responded to God because her participation is vital for our salvation.TO BELIEVE is to listen to God’s invitation that through our life, God can make wonders, that through Mary’s simplicity, God brings forth creation.

    TO BELIEVE also means being pregnant with God’s presence. Yes, God invites us today that our life, our words and actions, and our relationships with one another will become pregnant with His loving and compassionate presence.

    Jom Baring, CSsR