Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Year 2

  • Places of Honor and Self-Entitlement

    Places of Honor and Self-Entitlement

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    October 31, 2020 – Saturday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/103120.cfm)

    Homily

    Jesus must have been a very observant person. He noticed the attitudes of the people who were invited in an event. He saw how each one sought to secure for themselves places of honor at the table. If we would imagine, the guests must have been fighting to sit near the host since that would tell everybody that he is higher in status or more important than others. To occupy a place of honor is to insist that the person is entitled to it because of that status, or relation, or influence he has.

    We must have heard or met people who demanded others to give them special treatment. Or we might be the very person also who seek to be given privileges and special recognition because of our status, successes and achievements, profession or degree, influence and wealth or because of our relation to someone who is important in the community, in our workplace, or organization or even in the Church. We fall into the temptation to be self-entitled just like the people Jesus was talking about, when we are filled with arrogance and self-importance.

    Self-entitled persons are very demanding and think too highly of themselves. Thus, when we turn to be self-entitled we demand respect from others rather than earn respect. This is how we will become demanding in our relationships. Yet, we become critical of people around us and tend to only see the wrong in the other person. We will become stingy of our time and energy and ungenerous of our resources and presence to those who ask for our help. Most of all, we become indifferent to people around us and indifferent to God.

    Thus, what Jesus also criticized and called for conversion is the “indifference” among self-entitled persons. Because of their self-importance and demand to be respected, a self-entitled person becomes indifferent to what others feel and to what others need. What is more important for a self-entitled, is self-satisfaction and recognition from others.

    However, this attitude does not worship God. Such attitude would even demand God to be gracious because of his righteousness.

    Jesus warns us, anyone who exalts himself will be shamed because God does not favor a self-entitled. A self-entitled person is hated in the community. We may be praised because we demand it, but we are despised because we are truly not deserving. God, rather, takes delight with the humble because the humble connects and relates with others, with sincerity and honesty.

    Thus, God exalts the humble because of the awareness of the person of his needs and shortcomings. May we grow, then, in humility and get rid of any form of self-entitlement in our hearts. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Our Loving Response

    Our Loving Response

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    October 30, 2020 – Friday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/103020.cfm)

    Homily

    Paul’s letter today reveals how warm his heart to people who were significant in his life. The Philippians who were Paul’s converts had a special place in his heart. This is how Paul also expressed his affection and longing of friendship with them. Moreover, Paul was even more grateful for the friendship he had with the Philippians, something that gave so much confidence and strength to Paul.

    This tells us how friendship supports and gives assurance to people especially in difficult times. Paul was in prison, probably in Rome or in Ephesus, when he wrote his letter to them. While in prison, Paul must have a hard time. However, his friendship with these people was a source of comfort to him. Remembering them gave him joyful memories that must have eased the pain and loneliness while being persecuted.

    Paul, indeed, gave life to this community through his ministry of preaching of the good news. In return, the community also gave him the Spirit of friendship and love.

    This is a true loving response between people bounded in their friendship with the Lord. Paul’s deep friendship with the Lord compelled him to preach Jesus and bring the Risen Lord to the communities he encountered. Those communities like that of the Philippians developed such friendship too with one another and with Paul that mutually guides, supports and gives life to them.

    Such loving response is the prayer of Paul also to the Philippians, he said, “and this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more.”

    This kind of loving response is what we also witnessed in today’s Gospel. Jesus seeing a man suffering from dropsy was moved to heal and free the person. Jesus had so much affection for this man that he could not stand anymore seeing him suffering. The Lord’s desire was for every man and woman to have the fullness of life.

    Despite the very situation of Jesus, he took the risk of healing the sick man in front of the those powerful people, the Pharisees. Though the Pharisees were silent when Jesus asked them, “Is it lawful to cure on a Sabbath or not?,” but their silence was filled with malice and hostility against Jesus.

    Jesus took the risk because what he had was a loving response to a person in need. What matters most was his action to love and to assure the person that God has not left him.

    This is what Jesus is also reminding and calling us today. We are called to respond in love and show our affection to people. Like Paul, let us also show with confidence our love and affection to those who are special in our life. Like Jesus too, let us not forget to assure, even the strangers, that as Christians, we are here to love and show concern to those who are in need. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Drawing Strength from the Lord

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    October 29, 2020 – Thursday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102920.cfm)

    Homily

    When life gets rough, where do you get your strength? When life seems unfair, where do you get your courage?

    Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, reminds us today to draw strength from the Lord and to pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. Paul acknowledges how life as a Christian can be so demanding and challenging. Aside from the personal issues and problems, there will be rejections and oppositions coming from those with evil intentions.

    With this, Paul tells us today to always find strength from God and not from our arrogance and self-confidence. The Lord is our rock, source of our strength, as our Psalm proclaims today.

    Paul enumerates the values where we can draw that strength from God. When we are truthful and honest, standing to what is right, embracing peace, holding to our faith and meditating upon the word of God, then, we shall always draw God’s strength in life. We are being promised that in whatever circumstances we are in, we shall always have the strength of God.

    This is something that Jesus showed us also today in the Gospel. Despite the opposition and the resistance of the people in Jerusalem, Jesus remained steadfast and confident in the Father. Jesus never surrendered in us, to gather us together and bring us closer to God. Jesus desires that we will all be reconciled to him.

    In his ministry, Jesus drew strength from the Father and the love that they share for all. Thus, God yearns for the freedom of all.

    Today, Jesus also calls us that when life gets rough and when life seems unfair, draw strength from him. Paul suggests that we pray to the Spirit at all times, at every opportunity. Praying to the Spirit makes our heart and mind more attuned and familiar to God’s way. This will allow us to become more responsive to God’s invitation for us. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Small Things with great impact

    Small Things with great impact

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    October 27, 2020 – Tuesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102720.cfm)

    Homily

    Never underestimate a small act of kindness or a simple gesture of love and affection. This can create a great impact to another. Just imagine the comfort you can bring by just listening to a person, or by just assuring your presence to a grieving person or by sharing your small resources to a person in need.

    Thus, even in these simple and ordinary acts and gestures, the kingdom of God becomes more present and alive in us. In fact, Jesus reminds us in today’s Gospel that the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed or like a yeast mixed to some flour. A small mustard seed becomes a large bush where birds dwell and take shelter. A yeast also reacts chemically to the flour and makes a very good dough for bread.

    These are images on how small things create great and significant impact. Indeed, the Kingdom of God begins with small things. Jesus is even telling us that the kingdom is not of grandiosity and majesty,  not characterized by flamboyance and extravagance. The Kingdom of God is rather characterized by sincerity and love, by simplicity and gentleness.

    This is how we are also reminded today that the Kingdom of God is not too far from us. God’s kingdom is among us and easily be made present in us only if we are conscious about it. Today, Jesus calls us to make the kingdom more alive and present in us, among our families and friends, communities and workplaces.

    To be able to practice it concretely, then, make the effort in showing kindness and generosity to people around you, both in words and actions. Express gentle words of comfort and assurance to a friend who is struggling at this moment. Express a generous action by being available to a person in need. Share your resources according to your ability who ask for help. Be more considerate and understanding to a struggling or sick family member. Gather them together to pray. Pray also for those who asks for prayers. And do it with gentleness, with sincerity and kindness in your heart.

    Certainly, the Kingdom of God will also silently grow in us and among us and will be more alive and present in our life. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • A Life-Giving Rest Day

    A Life-Giving Rest Day

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    October 26, 2020 – Monday 30th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102620.cfm)

    Homily

    Jesus could not stand seeing a person suffering. The Lord’s heart is so close to a person that he too feels what the person is suffering from. This kind of attitude in Jesus is conveyed to us in the Gospel. Though it was on a Sabbath and Jews prohibited people from working and doing anything that was considered work, this did not prevent Jesus to touch and heal the woman. Jesus understood very well that the purpose of the Sabbath was not do to any work, but to give life as God the Creator, gave life to all things.  

    However, because of this actions from Jesus, he seemed to be a person that continually scandalized people. He particularly scandalized those who were in the leadership, those who were higher in status in the society.

    Thus, a leader of the synagogue confronted Jesus for healing a woman crippled by a spirit for eighteen years, on a Sabbath day. As Sabbath  was considered to be holy by the Jews, its holiness shall be observed by not doing any work as God rested on the Sabbath after the creation. This man felt scandalized because he believed that it was not appropriate for Jesus to heal someone on a Sabbath day. His strict observance of the law, made him indifferent to the suffering of the woman.

    Yet, such tradition prevented people from doing anything and even from doing what would be life-giving. A healer was forbidden to heal a sick person as a hungry man was not also allowed do to anything to ease his hunger. However, people were more considerate to their hungry animals than to their neighbors in need.

    But then, Jesus knew and felt the many years of suffering of this woman. She suffered long enough. This compassion of Jesus lifted the burden and suffering caused by a spirit to her.

    We might also find ourselves in this situation when we also become a person who complains a lot and tends to only see what is wrong and ugly in everything and everyone. We surely are just filled with malice, bitterness and insecurity.

    Jesus confronted this leader of the synagogue and  wanted him to realize that God would not condemn us for doing God’s desire. God desires to give life to us, to heal us and bring us into freedom.

    Thus, the encounter of Jesus with this woman suffering for many years touched him very much. Jesus tells us that Sabbath will only be more meaningful when one is able to bring healing and life to another. After all, God’s rest day is indeed holy because God gave life.

    This is something that Jesus wanted to communicate to his disciples and to us today – that as we take time to rest, relax and take a break, we may also discover that we are to give life, healing and freedom whenever we are called to.

    Let us remember, Jesus laid his hands on the woman to heal and free her from the spirit that crippled her. We may also dare and be courageous enough to touch others to bring healing and life. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR