Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Year 2

  • ANGELS WITH ONE WING

    ANGELS WITH ONE WING

    October 3, 2021 – 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100321.cfm)

    A wise man once said, “Each one of us are angels… But, with one wing. We can only fly by embracing each other.”

    Reflecting on these words, such wisdom somehow reflects our daily experience and journey of being human and Christian in this life. Human as we are, these words of wisdom affirm our being HOLY – our promise and desire to be holy and sacred in life. But Holy may we be, these words also reveal our being HUMAN – our limitations and constraints to become holy in life. “Angels with one wing” somehow describes our aspirations and our frustrations of being and becoming Human and Holy in this life, and highlights our experience of loneliness – of being alone in life, and our need for one another as well.

    However, as these words of wisdom suggest we can only fulfill our longing for sacredness in our human nature, by way of flying via embracing each other. This calls for us then not to be weighed down by our human limits, but to fly – that is to resolve and commit ourselves to rise up and respond to the occasion and chance to become angels in life. And also this calls us to do the flying together in relationship along and with one another. In other words, we are inter-related. Only by flying-journeying with others – not by walking alone, each and all of us can reach the destination we are promised and we longed for in life, as “angels with one wing.”

    Surely our readings today can teach us a lot of things about our life-experiences of being Holy & Human. But aside from the themes of creation, marriage, divorce, adultery, parents and children, our readings today are all about our human need to have a committed relationship in life, i.e. to be in covenant relationship with God and with one another.

    We are told in our first reading today that as God created us, He also sees our human need to have a partner in life for “It is not good for man to be alone” and even animals and pets are not enough for us. He ensures a suitable human partner for us in life, so that we can leave our parents and be with our God-given partner in life. God thus has created us not to be alone and/or be with our parents, but to be with our own God-given suitable partners, for us to live the life God has created us to be. Jesus in our gospel today reminds us not to block and be a hindrance in letting ourselves and others to come to God and live the life God has called us to be, and challenge us to remain faithful and steadfast in our relationship with one another as we live our life-mission God has called us to be as well.

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/zencat/43327230/

    Both readings give importance to our human need to have and be in a committed relationship as God sees & wills it. More than just having a friendly, convenient, and secure relationship in life, God appreciates that we, human as we are, should be committed to the life God has chosen us to be, and to live such-committed life in relationship with our own suitable partner God has destined us to be with. In other words, though with one wing, we should be angels – flying, coming to God’s glory, rising up and committing to the occasion to live the life God has called us to be, and by means of interdependence, embracingly flying/journeying in relationship with our God-given suitable partners in life.

    Perhaps beyond our concern for our civil status or even FB Profile status, whether we are Single-Married, In relationship, in love or Complicated, we should moreso ask ourselves, “Am I committed to the life God has called me now to be? Am I also in a covenant-relationship with my God-given suitable partner in the journey?” Simply asked, “Am I committed and committing to where I am going and with-whom I am going with toward the life God has chosen me and us to be?”

    Nowadays we hear loud noises proclaiming “Walang Forever”, i.e. there is no promise of forever, eternity, constancy and always in life. True it may be for those who cannot commit, who refuse to rise to the occasion but be remain burdened by their limits and choose to be on their own and alone in their own life-struggles, still dependent on their own parents and others. But “There is forever, always, and eternal life”… for commit-able people, people who can commit, still committed and committing to live the life God has chosen them to be and to the partner they are to be with. We could say also that committed relationships are measured by faithfulness & not by success, for our journey in life is not about gaining heights but moreso about remaining steadfast/faithful in our efforts to fly & journey along with others.  

    Though not of this world but in this world, Christian and human as we are, we are Holy and Sacred for we are also God’s children and Jesus’ brothers and sisters. And difficult it may be, we can always be holy and sacred in this life, if and whenever we commit to the life God has called us to be and to the suitable partner God has given us to be with.

    Again as the saying goes:

    “Each one of us are angels… But, with one wing. We can only fly by embracing each other.” With these words, most especially during these trying pandemic times, may we learn and grow with holiness despite our human limits, in our Christian lives today. Amen.

  • INCLUSIVE GRACE

    INCLUSIVE GRACE

    September 26, 2021 – 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092621.cfm)

    Once there was a madre who bought a box of munchkins from Dunkin Doughnut for pasalubong. While waiting for her flight at the pre-departure area, a family sat beside her. Giving in to her cravings, she took a munchkin from the box, and enjoyed eating one munchkin. Suddenly, the little boy also took and ate one from the same box. She did not mind at first, thinking that the boy must also be hungry. But then, the Ate (elder sister) also took and ate one. This had upset the madre but she just ignored it, and took one for herself instead. But so did the nanay and tatay. This really irritated her that she glared at the family who was consuming the rest of the munchkins. But what really infuriated her was when the nanay took the last munchkin and offered it to her. Now indignant and so enraged, the sister stood up and changed her seat. But later on, when she opened her bag to get her ticket, she saw, much to her embarrassment and shame that inside her bag was her box of munchkins unopened. “Opps, dili diay to iya.”

    Sometimes it is good to examine and ask ourselves: “What are the things that we claim as being rightly ours and yet are not truly ours?” This may not only be material possessions but could also be our status in society we use to lord over others,.. titles we use for personal advantages,… our prejudices and biases we harbored towards others,… or our self-righteous behaviors what makes us feel morally better, privilege or important than others. Sometimes, we are not different from that madre. We sometimes claim these privileges – which do not really belong to us, though we come to think and believe that they are only ours to have. Worse, we sometimes claim that we are the rightful owners of the munchkins and it is exclusively for us to have and eat.

    Here in our first reading, we heard Joshua complaining to Moses for letting two elders who were absent during the meeting, receive the spirit of prophecy. Joshua was thinking that only those elders who attended the meeting are the rightful recipients of the spirit of prophecy.

    A similar story here is depicted in our gospel today. John reported to Jesus: “Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting our devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.” Meaning, John and other disciples tried to exclude a non-member from exercising the ministry of healing and exorcism in the name of Jesus. Just like Joshua, the apostles believed that they are exclusively the privilege persons to invoke the name of the Lord.

    But as we all know; Jesus did not stop the estranged but effective exorcist. Like Moses, Jesus was not concerned about how the exorcist got the spirit of exorcism but was simply glad he had it. Clearly, Jesus perceived the situation differently. He said, “If anyone who is not against us is with us”. In other words, the Kingdom of God is beyond and wider than our human standards.

    Salvation is non-exclusive. It is God’s gift for all. Consequently, God’s blessings for us are Shareware – meant to be shared, and not to be kept selfishly & owned exclusively. He challenged us instead to be open-minded to others, to “Let God’s spirit blows where it will” since God rewards those who show even the smallest courtesies to those who teach and share in Jesus’ name.

    On the contrary, he warned the disciples then & us now against our tendency to be selective, downgrading, arrogant, jealous, and intolerant of one another – as if we have the monopoly of the gift of God’s graces & spirit, and the exclusive rightful owner of the munchkins, or person to invoke Jesus name. Instead of selfishly thinking for ourselves & of ourselves, he challenged us to be what we claim to be:  Christians.

    That is, if we claim to be Christians – a follower of Christ let us also be Christians in our attitude and behavior in our discipleship and relationship with one another & others. Since we call ourselves as Christians, we must also be Christ-like: tolerant open-minded, creative, non-exclusive at the same time determined and non-compromising in our faith in God’s salvation for all humanity through Jesus’ name.

    In other words, it is not for us to forbid and impose limitations on God’s capacity & ways. It is not for us to program God’s own Plans & Ways for all which are far way better than our human standards and ways.

    Somehow our Pandemic realities nowadays are wake-up calls for us to realize not only our self-centered ways and attitudes in life demand our conversion & transformation, but most of all, these challenging times are our moments & opportunities for us to cooperate and share with one another God’s non-exclusive all-embracing intervention, protection, salvation, healing, and blessings that we do pray & really need at these times.

    During these trying times, may Our Father & Your Will be always upon Us, Lord. Whatever & however our gifts, talents, limits & blessings we have now may be, allow us to contribute & cooperate with Your plans of saving us now and always. Amen.

  • TO BE HELPED AND TO BE OF HELP

    TO BE HELPED AND TO BE OF HELP

    July 8, 2021 – Thursday 14th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070821.cfm)

    Days before the departure for our Parish Mission in Balabagan, Lanao del Sur, I made sure that all I need were in my ‘bags’. I doubled checked my things to be sure that I have not forgotten anything. My bags were full and heavy as I loaded them into our mission vehicle. When I arrived in the area, I realized that I brought a lot of useless things.

    At home and at school, I was trained to be prepared and self-sufficient. Hence, it became natural to me to make myself ready, prepared for anything to happen, and independent.

    Yet, Jesus reminded his Apostles to bring what was only most essential as they were sent to cure the illnesses of the people, to bring life and forgiveness, to bring blessing and peace to many homes.

    I find this quite harsh and truly difficult. However, there is wisdom behind the words of Jesus. Our desire to be prepared, to be independent and self-sufficient would sometimes come from our deep anxiety of what would come next.

    But what if a circumstance would not allow us to have any preparation? What if an event would surprisingly come and we have nothing to bring but go ahead with nothing? Surely, this will make us insecure and helpless.

    This reminds me of Joseph who was stripped of anything he had. He was sold as a slave to the Egyptians by his own brothers. He was seduced by the wife of his master and then, imprisoned unjustly. He was forgotten in the prison for 13 years.

    Nonetheless, Joseph remained faithful and trustful to God despite those terrible and horrible events in the life. Joseph remained calm and discerning as a person. As Joseph had nothing with him in his journey to Egypt as a slave, Joseph also did not hold any grudges and bitterness in his heart. He did not let his anger, resentment and hatred to burden and overpower him and prevent him from discovering and doing what God prepared for him. This is how Joseph found himself to be the savior of his own family and of many peoples when famine hit the world. God prepared him for this so that in Joseph, forgiveness shall be granted and life shall be given.

    Jesus invites us today also, as he urged also his disciples in the Gospel, to take what is most essential in life by having a childlike trust in the providence of God. We are called to get rid of our unnecessary baggage behind whether physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual so that we will be able to welcome the goodness of God through other people.

    This is the reason why Jesus told the Apostles not bring anything so that they too will be able to welcome the generosity of God through the generosity of the people. Joseph was also grateful for those people who helped him and especially to the Pharaoh who gave him freedom and responsibility to bring life to many peoples.

    Let us allow ourselves then, to be helped by others. In return, let us also allow ourselves to be of help to those who are in need so that through us, God’s generosity will overflow. In this way, we shall be able to bring healing, life, forgiveness and peace into our homes and communities. Hinaut pa.

  • LOOK AND FIND

    LOOK AND FIND

    July 7, 2021 – Wednesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070721.cfm)

    Egypt as a wealthy nation at that time, responded to the needs of the known world. Many nations and peoples came to Egypt for they have prepared themselves to face the great famine in that age. Joseph played an important role for the world at that time and for Egypt in particular.

    Despite the bitter and painful experiences of Joseph of being sold by his brothers as a slave, being maltreated and imprisoned in Egypt, Joseph remained free. His heart was free of bitterness and revenge. If Joseph had remained his heart imprisoned in bitterness and anger, he would not be able to gracefully and generously help Egypt and all other people. Because of such grace in his heart, Joseph became a dispenser of grace.

    Through him, God worked miracles and wonders so that people will be saved from the suffering of famine. And Joseph proved this as he met his brothers who committed a grave sin against him. Though he appeared unmoved by the situation of his brothers, but deep inside Joseph missed them.

    The tears in Joseph’s eyes as he wept could have been from the pain in his heart of being hurt by his brothers, but he must have understood also that that painful memory in his past, became God’s way to work wonders through him. Indeed, this happened. Joseph became the savior to his brothers, to the entire family.

    As Joseph was able to share their abundant resources to the refugees at that time, Jesus also sent his apostles to go and gather to lost sheep of the house of Israel. The apostles whom he called were given authority to drive out demons, to cure every disease and illness. This means that they were about to give freedom and healing to those burdened by sin and sickness and oppressed by the power of evil.

    Through Joseph, the people found sustenance in the midst of food and economic crisis and through the apostles those who are lost, sick and oppressed shall find healing and freedom.

    God’s invitation for us today is to look and find that will give us true sustenance in the middle of our crisis and difficulties. The celebration of the Holy Eucharist may become our source of spiritual nourishment then. Look and discover too that will bring us back closer to the Lord, that will give us healing and true freedom. Let the celebration of the Word of God become our help to bring healing and freedom in our hearts.

    In return, we may also become like Joseph, to become graceful and generous in sharing what we have to the needy for everything that we have are not ours but gifts from God. May we also become daring as the apostles to take the risk in going as the Lord invites us – that our person and presence will become God’s sign of grace to bring freedom and healing in our homes and communities. Hinaut pa.

  • WHEN WE WRESTLE WITH GOD, WE FIND BLESSING

    WHEN WE WRESTLE WITH GOD, WE FIND BLESSING

    July 6, 2021 – Tuesday 14th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070621.cfm)

    When we are in the middle of a crisis in our relationships, or in terms of our health, financial and economic etc., this brings us to fall into our knees and call for God’s help and blessing. Such need would make double our prayers. Some would visit churches and offer candles to the saints so that their petitions will be heard. Others would call their friends and ask for prayers too. However, our anxieties and fears could crush us to the point of losing our peace of mind.

    This is not totally strange. A person who feels uncertain what lies ahead would certainly be disturbed. This situation is told to us in that story of Jacob, who wrestled with God.

    Jacob was troubled and was in great distress. He was with his two wives and children but chose to be left alone to spend time with himself. He was about to meet his twin-brother Esau who had 400 men waiting for him. Jacob felt that his brother must be desperate to kill him to avenge the deception he did with his mother, Rebekah, by stealing the blessing from their father, Isaac. Aside from this, he must have been disturbed by his guilt for that crime he committed.

    Because of this, Jacob must be looking for comfort from God. However, instead of comfort from the Lord, a man came and wrestled with him. This was not what Jacob expected. Yet, Jacob also wrestled with all his strength to seek the blessing from that man. Jacob did not surrender though his hip was dislocated.

    This showed the determination of Jacob that despite the difficulty of the situation and the pain that he endured on his hip, he did not let go. This amazed God!

    Jacob realized that it was God who wrestled with him. In seeking God’s blessing, Jacob was persistent until God blessed him. This is the reason why he was renamed from Jacob (which means deceiver) to Israel (which means who wrestles with God).

    Now, Israel realized that he had a face to face with God, and with that he had been transformed by the Lord. This tells us that our struggles and every wrestle with God is an opportunity for us to have a face to face with God. Remember, God makes himself more present when we are vulnerable and weak. This is signified by the dislocation of the hip of Jacob.

    God uses our weaknesses, illnesses, fears and anxieties as windows for the Lord to reveal his power in us and his blessings for us. This is what we find as well in the Gospel today. A man was brought to Jesus. He was made dumb, he could not speak because the demon in him prevented him. But when this man had a face to face with Jesus, he was transformed. The demon was driven out, and the man found freedom and began to speak. This is another story of blessing and transformation.

    The encounter with Jesus was the blessing and that blessing transformed the man to be free and his sickness was that window to let God’s power be manifested.

    This is the invitation for us today. We might be wrestling with a particular issue, problem, challenge, or sickness or concern at this very moment. This could have caused us with sleepless nights, feelings of fear, desperation and weakness, loneliness and anxieties. However, God comes in a surprising way, as he did it with Jacob.

    God invites us to wrestle with him in those moments of difficulties. Not to be afraid but to find our strength in the trying moments of our life.  As we would wrestle with God in our prayers, let us be open also to God’s surprises because his blessing may not be in the way we expect it to be or would imagine it. But, like Jacob, at the end we shall blessing and transformation in the way God desires it to be. Like the possessed man who was healed and freed, our face to face with Jesus in our moments of desperation and trials, will also bring us healing and freedom. Hinaut pa.