Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Year 1

  • 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.

  • GOD’S BREATH WITHIN US

    GOD’S BREATH WITHIN US

    February 10, 2021 – Wednesday  Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

    Memorial of St. Scholastica

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021021.cfm)

    There are people who are fond of paying more attention to trivial things and minutest details. When artists show this to their work of art, the result would really be stunning. However, when a friend or a colleague does this to us, he or she can be irritating. When we also become a person who is obsessed of paying more attention to small things and minutest details, things and people can be stressful to us as we would always find mistakes and failures.

    This can also be true in the way we practice our faith and move to the tendency to give more emphasis on structures, physical elements and regulations. This is not surprising as others would always find themselves feel guilty when their prayers or devotional practices were not done properly. Thus, a person would already feel a terrible guilt because he/she fall asleep while praying the rosary. Another, would feel sinful because he/she was not able to go to a Sunday mass while being sick. Some may even judge others for not observing the proper ways of praying, in receiving communion and observing religious practices.

    While it is also important to pay attention to what is physical and to structures, there is also a need to find balance. Today, Jesus reminds us to be not so over conscious and obsessed of what is merely external. Jesus invites us rather to draw our attention deeper into our hearts and minds where our intentions and motivations are to be found.

    The Gospel of Mark was actually addressed to a community of Jews and non-Jews who became Christians. As these two groups of people lived together as a community, the Jews became imposing to non-Jewish Christians by controlling them to follow their ways, and I mean, external ways of doing things. To follow strictly the external practices became a controversy then. This was how Mark reminded them of the teaching of Jesus.

    Jesus reminds us that what comes out from within us, matters most. Jesus pointed this out on how our evil intentions and motivations can be kept hidden within our hearts.

    We might be too focused on trivial and external things in the practice our faith but then our attitude towards others is filled with insults and malice, envy and lust, or anger and hatred. Jesus wants us to examine our own motivations and intentions in the way we relate with others, in the way we perform our duties as parents, workers, leaders, professionals or as students. Jesus wants us to bring us closer to ourselves and that is to our hearts and minds so that we will also discover God within us.

    Let us remember that though evil intentions and motivations can be kept hidden within our hearts, however, our hearts are also capable of nurturing goodness and kindness. Our first reading from the Book of Genesis reminds us of this today. The second account of the creation tells us that as God created us, God blew into our nostrils the breath of life. That breath of life was God’s breath of the Spirit. What gives us life and what makes us alive is God’s Spirit within us.

    God is truly alive in each of us. Every time we breath in, may we remember how God breath his Spirit into us. Every time we breath out, we may also realize that we can give life to others through our sincere devotions and practice of the faith founded in God’s goodness and kindness. Hinaut pa.

  • BREATH GOD

    BREATH GOD

    February 9, 2021 – Tuesday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020921.cfm)

    O, Kamusta na? Nakakahinga pa? Ginhawa pa? Still breathing?

    With a lot of things happening & going on, to say the least, life nowadays is and can be suffocating. We do find ourselves at times breathless & drowning with a lot of restrictions & limitations that even it takes a lot of effort for us to do simple things as natural as breathing. Wearing face masks & shields outdoor limits us to breath naturally & renders us at times gasping for our breath. So, Jal Jineazoyo? How are you? Are you well, okay? Still breathing?

    After putting order into chaos, through his breath, God in our first reading creates life. Yes, by means of his “pneuma” – His breath, God has created, creates, & will continue to create life. All the blessings, graces, & good we have always in life are created by God through His breath. When God breathes, life is created, nourished, protected & sustained.  And through the Pneuma – the Spirit of His resurrected Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, God continues to create & renew our Life now & always.

    As God continues to do so, however, His creative & creating actions are also hindered by our human ways & traditions.

    From our gospel today, we get a sense of how limited & limiting it is for Jesus to continue to God’s work of creation in our lives. While Jesus proclaims & partakes God’s blessing of creation and redemption for all, people then were only concerned about limits, boundaries & restriction as to the proper norms & practices based on traditions. Here we get a glimpse of the tension between God’s offer of fullness of Life and the restrictions of our human ways & standards. Somehow God is giving us His breath – air to breath & live, but we are still struggling on how to breath naturally. We concern ourselves as to how to control our breathing that we are missing & wasting the air, breath, life being given us. That is why Jesus cannot help but to complain: “You nullify God’s word (ways & means) in favor of your tradition you have handed on.” Instead of cooperating in God’s creation, we try to program, limit, control, & restrict His offer of life by our handed-on traditions & practices. Thus, when God breathes, life is created & given us.  But when we program & control our breathing, we limit & restrict life and creation.

    Be conscious then of our handed-on traditions & standards we expect from life itself for it might not be of God’s life-giving Breath but of our own self-imposed impaling restrictions & limitations. And then, when things are suffocating & breathless, don’t forget to breath. Breath in God’s offer of life to us. Let His Pneuma, breath, Spirit flow into our whole being. Allow it to transform & renew us, rather than be restricted, drowned & strangled by our human traditions & standards.

    So Help us God. So may it be.