Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Year 2

  • DO NOTHING OUT OF SELFISHNESS

    DO NOTHING OUT OF SELFISHNESS

    October 31, 2022 – Monday of the 31st Week in the Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/103122.cfm)

    Not all generous people are truly grateful. Yet, grateful people are always generous.  What does it mean? One’s generosity can be colored by our selfish intentions or motivated by our self-interest. Like for example, we can be generous to people in our workplace especially to the higher ups because we want them to like us, a way, of perhaps, securing a good position or promotion. Politicians can be publicly generous of their resources, time and presence particularly when election is coming up, well, because that is self-promotion. We can pamper a person we like so much, giving gifts and treats because we want the person to like us in return.

    These forms of generosity or kindness are acts of selfishness that only seek to advance self-interest. In fact, Paul in his letter to the Philippians, exhorts the community and warns them of this tendency. He said, “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory… regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interest.”

    This kind of spirit is very essential in a Christian community that exists in a worldly and self-centered society. Paul also realized that selfishness is not the way of Christians because this tendency leads to corruption of life and of faith. It is only by being a person for others, being a community for others that believers of Christ will truly grow in the faith and in their relationship with one another.

    Moreover, Jesus in today’s Gospel taught a leading Pharisee on how he should express his kindness and generosity. This Pharisee must be influential and rich in that community and Jesus saw how the guests were filled with the same influential and wealthy people. Thus, Jesus challenged him to express his kindness and generosity to people who need most. This was Jesus’ call to the Pharisee to move out of selfishness and to be truly generous and not for the sake of advancing self-interest.

    Hence, the Lord also invites us today to grow in our gratitude to God and to others. Only in this attitude of the heart that we shall also be able to go beyond from the tendency to look only for ourselves and own benefit. Gratitude in our heart will make us kind and generous to people who around us who need most our help and presence. This is our true expression of faith. Kabay pa.

  • For whom am I living?

    For whom am I living?

    October 29, 2022 – Saturday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the reading (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102922.cfm)

    A coffee product advertisement asks, “Para kanino ka bumabangon?” For whom do we wake up? Perhaps we could find ourselves waking up early in the morning to prepare for our work. Parents would make sure to wake up early to prepare breakfast for their growing children. Students would wake up to prepare for school. A young person would wake up continue reaching out and realizing his/her dream in life. But deeper than this, we would find ourselves waking up and embracing what life could offer us because of our loved ones, of people who are dear to us.

    Pope Francis has a deeper invitation and challenge in his Apostolic Exhortation, Christus Vivit (286), he asked us, “For whom am I living?” Pope Francis leads us to recognize what is really important in life and what matters most in our life. This is an invitation that would hopefully lead us to God’s embrace, in God’s presence and to live in God through our human relationships and with the whole creation.

    Paul in his letter to the Philippians, has realized something deeper in himself. He said, “For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.” Paul was persecuted for preaching Christ and living for Christ. He was subjected to physical suffering and humiliation yet, all these trials did not discourage and dampen his spirit to live and to continue living. Paul lived for Christ. He would wake up for Christ and to preach Christ in whatever situations and circumstances. Paul found his greatest contentment and joy in life, and that is living in Christ.

    He may have expressed his concern and confusion whether to continue living or embrace his eminent death by martyrdom but to be with Christ. However, whether he will continue living or departing from this life, Paul saw all these as opportunities to live for Christ. This was evident at how Paul continued to make a difference in the life of the early Christians. Even at prison, Paul remained to be an inspiration for the Christian communities. His example of living for Christ showed that joy and contentment in life cannot be limited by trials or persecution. Paul arrived at the level of complete confidence and trust in the presence and love of God who abides in him even in the midst of pain and horrifying tragedies in his life.

    The Gospel of Luke further invites us to be more aware of our tendency to live away and not for Christ, and to live away from others but only for ourselves. This is what Jesus taught us today through a parable. The Lord confronted the people of their desire to seek places of honor and who demand respect from others. Such tendency of the heart neither lives for others nor lives for God. This heart only worships the self and seeks what is only beneficial for the self. This is a person whose world only revolves around himself/herself believing that everything and everyone should bow to him/her. However, this makes the heart of the person indifferent and disconnected from the lives of others and from God.

    And so, the Lord calls us today and asks us, “For whom am I living?” Like Paul, may we come to that level of complete confidence and trust in the faithfulness and love of God and make our relationships, our work, studies and dreams in life be all founded in that confidence and trust in God. Kabay pa.

  • Spending the night in Prayer to God

    Spending the night in Prayer to God

    October 28, 2022 – Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude Thaddeus, Apostles

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102822.cfm)

    Simon and Jude are two interesting characters among the chosen twelve apostles of Jesus. These two, Simon and Jude proved that their encounter with Jesus changed their entire life. Their ordinary life became extra-ordinarily wonderful though challenging.

    Simon who was called “Zealot,” believed strongly in the importance of following the Jewish law. In his search and endeavor to become righteous and to stand for what is right and just, he encountered Jesus and realized that the Lord is the very fulfillment of what he was trying to follow and hoping for. Jude or Judas the son of James, also known as Thaddeus, is patron saint of desperate people, of those who feel that there is no one else to turn to. Jude earned this because of his witness to Jesus that despite his fears and inconsistencies, he allowed the Lord to transform him.

    These two apostles must have been part of the many people who followed Jesus and wanting to learn from him, and be touched by the life of Jesus. These two, like many of those people longed for the presence of God to fulfill the desires of their hearts. This desire reveals to us of the human longing to be connected, be supported and be healed by God.

    This longing is what Paul also trying to tell us in his letter to the Ephesians, he said, “you are no longer strangers or sojourners but fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God.” Paul expressed here the intimacy and closeness shared by people like Simon and Jude with God.

    This intimacy and closeness with God is what Jesus also showed to us in today’s Gospel. Luke recounts that as Jesus called his disciples and from them chose Twelve Apostles, Jesus spent a night in prayer to God. Jesus commune with his Father in heaven.

    Prayer, indeed, is a foundation of our relationship with God. Having a capacity and time to spend in prayer to God would allow us to see and recognize God’s heart and mind in the things that we want to pursue and to do. Jesus expressed this for he chose the twelve not just out of random, but Jesus must have built relationship with them, knew them by heart, and made them his very close friends. Thus, as Jesus spend a night in prayer to God, he also wants us to learn from him.

    In prayer, let us allow the Lord to touch us and to encounter him just as Simon and Jude encountered the Lord. In prayer, let us allow ourselves to consciously spend a time with God to express to the Lord our thoughts and also to listen to Him. In prayer, let us also allow the Lord to shape and purify our decisions and actions. And in prayer, we may grow more intimate with Jesus, day by day. Kabay pa.

  • Pray at every opportunity

    Pray at every opportunity

    October 27, 2022 – Thursday 30th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102722.cfm)

    Are you carrying some burdens now which affect your family life? Struggling on how to move forward after an emotional breakdown? Overwhelmed by stress and your negative emotions because of the demands and pressures on you? Confused and troubled on how to remain a good and honest Christian in the midst of corruption and dishonest transactions at work?

    These can be only some situations where we are in at the moment and finding ourselves entangled by one or more struggles. And experiencing challenges in our life, where do we draw strength? Where do we get wisdom and understanding? Where do we get inspiration and guidance so that we remain steadfast in our faith, attain a healthy way of life and maintain our healthy relationships with people?

    St. Paul calls and reminds us today, “to pray at every opportunity in the Spirit” because in this way then, we will be able to “draw strength from the Lord and from His mighty power.” When Paul wrote his letter to the Christians in the city of Ephesus who were also in the middle of struggles in their faith, he was himself in the prison. Paul was already persecuted at this time and was chained by his captors. And so Paul was writing from his own experience of drawing strength from the Lord. Despite being chained, Paul’s mind, heart and spirit drew strength from the Lord through prayer.

    Hence, Paul reminds us to draw strength from the Lord because of the many ordeals that we may face. Paul mentioned of the “tactics of the Devil” which may offer us the “easy way out or shortcuts of doing things”. There will be “struggles from the evil spirits” that will bring us into darkness and deeper into hopelessness.

    In order to face such challenges, Paul offers us ways on how we could draw strength from the Lord. Paul mentioned at least five ways.

    First, to stand fast in truth. This means that we are called to be careful with lies and deception that may sound true to us. That is why, always seek the truth, always seek Jesus.

    Second, on righteousness. This calls us to be morally upright in our relationships, in our work and ordinary dealings with others. This calls us further to uphold honesty, fairness, and respect for the rights of others.

    Third, readiness for the Gospel of peace. We are to promote understanding and harmony in our homes and communities, workplaces and organizations, hence, by being able to accept and welcome others. This calls us to preach, live and create a community that nurtures the Gospel of peace and not indifference and division, not violence and hatred.

    Fourth, to hold our faith in God. There could be other alternatives in facing one’s trial that we may have. Others may succumbed to addictive behaviors, to depression or to guilt or to something or someone else that one could thought to be a source of comfort and strength. However, these will only bring us deeper into darkness and hopelessness. Thus, faith in God, and holding on to it, as Paul tells us, will bring us always into the light and true source of strength. We may not always understand God’s way and God’s wisdom especially when we are in the midst of pain and trauma, yet, faith in God is already our assurance.

    Fifth, the Word of God. The Holy Bible is a gift given to us. The Lord reveals his Divine presence and the Divine plan of salvation written in the Holy Scriptures to remind us of God’s faithfulness. Thus, we are called to meditate on the word of God that we may discover further God’s desire for us and God’s invitation for us to grow.

    Therefore, make the Lord as our rock, as the very foundation of our person, of our family, relationships, work and every endeavor in our life, as our Responsorial Psalm invites us today. In fact, even Jesus himself showed this to us as Luke described it to us in the Gospel.

    Jesus indeed, faced a great ordeal in his ministry. There were influential and powerful people who were against him, who rejected him and wanted to kill him. This was the warning he received from some of the Pharisees who asked him to leave their area. They must have showed some concern to Jesus for telling him about the insecurities and evil plan of Herod to kill him.

    However, nothing can disturb, neither can stop nor discourage Jesus. His very person and identity, his ministry and mission are all founded in the constant love and faithfulness of his Father in Heaven. Such confidence in Jesus grew and developed more through his devotion to prayer as Jesus would always find time to commune with his Father in heaven.

    And so, we too are all called and invited today to take the example of Paul’s commitment “to pray at every opportunity” and to grow more like Jesus who is secured in the love and faithfulness of the Father. Kabay pa.

  • Is the gate to heaven really narrow?

    Is the gate to heaven really narrow?

    October 26, 2022 – Wednesday 30th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102622.cfm)

    Paul in his letter to the Ephesians gave his instructions on how our relationship with the Lord can mold our human relationships and lead us to share Christ’s presence in heaven. Hence, it is in a family relationship that respect, care and concern, responsibility and love must grow as an expression of our Christian faith. Paul also mentioned in master-slave relationship the values of service, devotion, respect and sincerity. However, such relationship must be understood within the context of Paul’s time and culture. Later, we know and realize that no human being must be a slave to another human being. This is a call to give our utmost respect and love to the human person and human dignity, who is created in God’s image and likeness.

    Indeed, these instructions of Paul tell us that faith in the Risen Christ, therefore being a believer, should also mold our relationships with one another. It is very important to remember then, that giving and showing respect, no matter what our status is, to each one, is an expression of our true concern and love. Paul wrote earlier, reminding us to live in love, because living in love is living in Christ.

    Thus, faith in Jesus is not merely expressed in our religious practices. Faith is not even enough to declare that we have faith, or observance of the minimum days in praying or worshipping. Being a believer entails our total commitment to Jesus that requires a constant change of heart and mind according to the way of life of Jesus.

    This is the reason why a man asked Jesus, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Jesus’ teaching and way of life seemed to be too difficult to accept and follow. Thus, it is unpopular and out of trend.

    The people believed in a distant, angry and vengeful God. Yet, Jesus introduced to us a God who dwells among us, whom we can intimately call Abba-Father, who offers us friendship, a God who forgives and gives hope to the sinners and the hopeless, who touches the sick and the embraces the despised,  and a God who finds delight with the humble and unassuming.

    Such teaching must be very difficult to accept because people were used to believe in a distant and vengeful God that would also justify their way of life, culture and traditions – that favor the arrogant and powerful, the corrupt and the bullies.

    The gate of heaven seemed to be “narrow” then, because it demands a change of lifestyle, culture, tradition and belief, hence, a change of heart and mind. It seemed to be narrow because Jesus’s way of life disturbs our complacency and arrogance, and his way of loving destroys indifference and anger in our heart.

    That is why, the Lord never tires to call us and never stops to desire that we join with Him. And as God calls us, we too are invited to let our faith-relationship with God mold our person and human relationships with one another that will lead us to God’s presence. Kabay pa.