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Tag: bible

  • GOD SORROUNDS US

    GOD SORROUNDS US

    December 5, 2024 – Thursday of the First Week of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120524.cfm)

    What kind of storms do you have now? Big storms? Small storms? Few or many storms? Well, these storms in our life may struck us in the forms of crises in our family or marriage life, friendship, with our health, job, business or studies. These can also be in the form of our personal struggles that we carry alone like the guilt that we hide in our hearts, the fears that paralyze us, the trauma that haunt us day and night or the anxiety that we could not escape of.

    This Season of Advent, we are reminded that as we wait for the Lord to come and bring us peace, we might also find ourselves troubled and our hearts filled with fear.

    Hence, Isaiah proclaims, “Trust in the Lord forever.” As Isaiah brought a joyful hope to the people of his time who were oppressed and exploited by the rich and powerful, and so he does again to us today. Indeed, it is very evident in the Book of Isaiah that God favors the poor, the weak and the powerless. As the prophet pictures out how the Lord shall bring the arrogant, the corrupt and shameless into their own destruction and misery, the Lord shall also bring freedom, life and  salvation to the oppressed.

    The Prophet, whose words echo until today point us how the very presence of God becomes our strength. Though we await for God’s arrival but God’s presence can already be felt in the here and now. And it is because God sustains us and God strengthens us.

    Consequently, Isaiah powerfully described God as our strong city because God surrounds us. God is beneath us. God is above us. God is beside us. God is before us. God is after us. And God is within us. This requires now, faith in us to fully trust the Lord who is always with us and who is always for us. In trusting the Lord, we shall have peace because God will keep us in peace.

    As Isaiah calls us now to faith by trusting God. Jesus also calls us to action. This is what Jesus invites in the Gospel of Matthew. And this means that to believe and to trust in the Lord is not a mere ideology, an idea or a thought and not even a lip-service. Our faith that trusts in the Lord needs action. Thus, Jesus reminds us today, “everyone who listens to my words and acts of them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” This is an invitation to listen and to act on it, making the Word of God as our way of life.

    Indeed, by cherishing the Word of God and translating the word into our life, thoughts and actions, then, we become a wise person, whose foundation is God, our eternal Rock. By loving the Sacred Scripture and receiving the Sacraments, we make ourselves more familiar to God’s presence. As we make ourselves available for God, this will mold us to become persons for others and with others.

    Hence, God invites us today to be with others, to allow others to be part of our life. This is how we shall discover the strength, love and support from our friends, families and communities. To trust in the Lord leads us to become confident that the Lord is with us through the people who surround us.

    And so, as we will be tossed by the storms these days that we encounter in life, whatever that may be, we now take comfort by trusting the Lord who is with us, through our friends, our family member the very people who love and cherish us and the Church. Hinaut pa.

  • HASTEN THAT DAY    

    HASTEN THAT DAY    

    December 4, 2024 – Wednesday First Week of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120424.cfm)

    Fr. Bonn Barretto, CSsR sang a song entitled Hasten that day[1] in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic. And the lyrics of the song remains relevant until today. Personally, I am touched as the lyrics of the song tell us, “So hasten that day, a day without fear. When the world will rejoice, salvation is near, gone are the tears, the hurt and the pain.”

    This is a day that we continue to hope. Individually, we may be going through some kinds of struggles within. We may be carrying emotional baggage that affect so much our relationships, work, or study. Our physical illness and limitations may have bothered so much that make us desperate to long for healing and recovery. Others, because of poverty, have to endure the hardships just to survive for a day.

    And so we long for that day of comfort and consolation, joy and fullness of life. Indeed, our longing now was also prophesied by Isaiah in the first reading. The prophet tells us of a day of feast and celebration. Everyone, regardless of our status and differences, is invited to dine together with the Lord. This celebration is an image of the fullness of life to be shared with God.

    This is meant to comfort us all and to give us hope that indeed the Lord will come and bring contentment, joy and fullness of life for us. What Isaiah prophesied also became a reality in the ministry of Jesus. In Matthew’s Gospel, this fulfillment presents to us two important points.

    First was the arrival of many people who have come to be near the presence of Jesus. The people had realized that the presence of Jesus brings healing and recovery to the sick. The physical illness and limitations of many were healed. This is a testament that the Lord indeed heals our body.

    Second was Jesus compassion for the crowd. Upon seeing the great number of people who had been following him for three days, Jesus also realized the hunger of the people. Jesus mas moved with compassion for them. This is where we can find the invitation of Jesus for his disciples to participate in the mission to bring the fullness of life.

    The seven loaves and few fish reserved for the group were shared for the many. The miracle happened here and it started when the disciples learned to share the little things they had for the benefit of many. Despite the insecurity of not having enough and the thought of “what will be for us?” – the disciples trusted more the Lord.

    Indeed, everyone ate and was satisfied. And so, people from all walks of life dined together with the Lord, the very image of the Kingdom of God.

    For today, as we pray and long to hasten that day of comfort and peace, joy and fullness of life, we too are called to participate in realizing the ministry of Jesus to bring healing, comfort, peace and fullness of life. There are three take aways that I want you to bring today.

    First, like Jesus, be moved with compassion. This is the antidote when we become numbed and indifferent to what is happening around us. Ask the Lord to make our hearts be moved as we encounter the realities we face. Being moved with compassion is making hope more alive in us that indeed, the day of salvation and freedom shall be realized.

    Second, like Jesus, be an instrument of healing and comfort. Remember, our very presence can bring healing and comfort to others. Hence, never be stingy to give even words of encouragement and affirmation to people, to give appreciation and gratitude to others, to give an understanding heart free of judgments and biases, to offer a listening ear to a friend who felt afraid and anxious. Though small, but these are ways of being able to bring healing and comfort.

    Third is to give in the spirit of joy and gratitude. Like the disciples who despite the insecurity of not having enough, the very presence of Jesus gave them the assurance of being satisfied. Hence, as we give our material resources or talents and self to others, make sure that we do it out of joy and gratitude to God and not as a way of making ourselves be praised. Hinaut pa.

    [1] Composed by Nathaniel Cabanero and lyrics by Buddy Sutton.

  • THE MIRACLE OF HOPE

    THE MIRACLE OF HOPE

    December 2, 2024 – Monday First Week of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120224.cfm)

    We make prayer requests every now and then for our personal and communal intentions. We believe in the power of prayer because we also believe that the Lord is merciful and good to us. Such ways are already expressions of faith filled with hope which this Season of Advent is all about.

    In fact our readings express such faith filled with hope. This is what I would like emphasize today. The first reading from the Book of Isaiah envisions a future where there will be peace and harmony. Wars and violence shall end, hatred and anger in the hearts of many shall vanish. This is captured by Isaiah in his words where swords and spears that were meant to kill one another will be transformed into agricultural tools. People will begin to come together despite the differences to support and help each other, to nurture and cherish one another. This is how peace and harmony will dwell in our hearts, homes and communities.

    In those times of war and violence, this was proclaimed that expressed faith filled with hope and this is because we all belong to God. This calls us now this Season of Advent to examine our hearts, are we also ready to put down our biases and prejudices against each other?

    This is what the disciples of Jesus were invited to do the same. The Roman centurion (meaning a commander of a hundred soldiers) approached and beg Jesus to heal his servant. This Roman soldier represented the foreign power which dominated Israel at that time. He was an image of an oppressor, an enemy who brought pain and suffering to the people.

    Yet, this very encounter challenged the disciples to recognize the faith of another person different from them. Hence, the humility and faith of this Roman soldier was praised by Jesus because of the concern he showed not for himself but for his sick servant, for another person.

    This is where we find the familiar words of the Roman soldier which we also pronounce almost word for word as we receive the Body of Christ, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you under my roof, but only say the word and my servant will be healed.”

    This is where the miracle of hope was unfolded, the sick servant was healed, biases and prejudices as well as hatred and anger towards one another vanished. This means that when our faith is filled with hope, it heals not just our physically illness but as well as our fearful hearts, bruised hearts, traumatized hearts, hearts filled with anger and hatred. This is how the miracle of hope transforms us into a people invited to live in peace and harmony. Hinaut pa.

  • Faith-Bearing Witness

    Faith-Bearing Witness

    December 1, 2024 – First Sunday of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120124.cfm)

    Once a friend of mine shared with me his family problem. Particularly, it was about his sister who decided to change her religion. My friend and the whole family were very sad and hurt about his sister’s decision to change her religion from Catholic to Born-Again Christian. He still cannot understand why her sister, raised in a Catholic family, was educated in a Catholic school and an active youth leader of their parish, could bear herself to change her religion, totally different from their family’s Catholic faith.

    What really happens to my friend’s life only reflects the present crisis in our Christian faith. Though most of us, Filipinos are Catholic, we cannot deny that in our community and our church today, quite a number of our brothers and sisters have been influenced by other religious sects, already changed their beliefs, and even lost their faith in the Church. It is true, not only our nation is going through a political and economic crisis, but it is also alarming that our Catholic Church today is also facing a crisis in faith.

    However, if we reflect on our Gospel today, we realize that this crisis in faith we faced is a direct challenge for us to bear witness to our own Christian Catholic faith. We see that in the midst of this crisis in faith, our Lord Jesus Christ here in our gospel today calls us to make and strengthen our own faith-commitment, accepting Him as the coming Messiah and our Redeemer.

    Yes, it is true that like the apostles, our faith in Jesus was influenced by how our parents witness and our family practices our faith in Christ. But, as the faith of our family influenced and guides our own faith, eventually, one has to deepen and strengthen his own personal faith relationship with Christ, based on one’s recognition and acceptance of the person of Jesus, as our Lord Savior, Christ today, and of his Church.

    Just as Jesus in our Gospel challenged His disciples’ faith, “Stand erect for your liberation is near at hand,” he calls all of us today to a much deeper personal faith in His person and his salvation, and to hold on & remain steadfast in our Christian  faith, with his Church today. Though we sustain our faith with our own family, each and everyone of us need to make our own personal faith-commitment, as one’s own response to the challenge of faith and hope to God’s salvation, in the midst of this crisis of faith. In other words, “Pagmatinud-anon ug barugi ang imong gituohan, ayaw’g pagpalingpaling kay ang Gingharian sa Dios haduol na.”

    Our gospel then is Jesus’ announcement, not of the coming disaster and crisis but of God’s promise of salvation with our faith. Challenging realities of faith crises in our midst is also our very chance to give testimony to what believe & to God whom we believe, thus, our very own faith-bearing witness.  

    Remember, as the saying goes,  “Darkness gives the light of faith a chance to glow brightly.” True enough, in our darkness and life-crises, we start to rely in our faith in the Lord, to begin to believe, to have faith not in what we can see, but in what our hearts see, trying to see things in our eyes of faith. Life seems to be dark, hopeless and discouraging, but our persevering faith in the Lord, in the midst of these darkness can lead us to our complete healing and salvation.

    As we stand erect & raise our heads by our commitment and witnessing of our common & personal faith in Jesus as Christ of our lives, we are worthy to receive the dignity in being called as sons and daughters of God, in his Kingdom. Through God’s grace and our faith-response, we become worthy to receive and nurture our Christian dignity and God’s grace of salvation in our own lives at hand.

    As we celebrate today, the first Sunday of Advent, in the midst of crisis in Catholic faith we faced, the Lord Jesus Christ challenges us today, then to deepen our acceptance and recognition of his person and mission in the Church; and to strengthen our commitment and witnessing of our faith, trust and hope in His saving power in our lives.

    And so… Lord, take away everything that distance us from You. Grant us everything that bring us closer to you. Detach us from ourselves to give our all to you.Amen.

  • As PROMISED

    As PROMISED

    November 17, 2024 – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111724.cfm)

    Corrie Ten Boom, a Nazi concentration camp Christian survivor, now a well-known inspirational writer, once said: “If you look at the world, you will be distressed. If you look within yourself, you will be depressed. If you look at God, you will be at rest.” These words of wisdom are learned from her life-experience of the cruelty of war and racism, not only before her captivity in Amsterdam while her family were helping in hiding escaping Jews, and during her captivity in the concentration camp of Germany, and after her release and liberation, but also based from her experience of life struggles and faith journey in general, as Christian.

    If and whenever we reflect on these words, we somehow can relate with her on how we also experience our life-struggles and faith-journey as Christian in general. Though we may not share the same experience of life with her, but her words offer us a realistic but still hopeful view of our Christian life:

    “If you look at the world, you will be distressed. If you look within yourself, you will be depressed. If you look at God, you will be at rest.”

    True indeed, distressing it is to look at world today. With a lot of things going on – war, racism, discrimination, alienation, poverty, moral decadence, corruption, crisis, natural and human disaster, migration, pandemic and other, we cannot help but be distressed, upset, worried and be bothered with life nowadays and in near future. And while looking at our world today with distress, we cannot also help but be depressed, helpless, and hopeless within ourselves as we try to adjust, adopt, and respond to our troubling world. Addiction, crimes, sex, violence, drugs, suicide, abortions, marital breakdowns are just mere manifestations of how depressed & depressing we are and we can be within ourselves, due to the reality of our world outside and our life within. These are the common pains we are experiencing life as it is.

    Worse, Jesus in our gospel today even warns us of these on-going and coming distressing and depressing realities of life in the world to happen. We cannot help but be bothered of Jesus’ cosmic depiction of the end-time, “Sun will be darkened, moon will give not its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” We may not have yet experienced end-time as Jesus described it, but with our experience of our life’s common pains nowadays of increasing fatality & sickness, easy for us to see that at most we are already on our way towards destruction and end-game of life (even to a point we say, nahugno na ang kalibutan)

    We might have been experiencing life at its worse these times, however, Jesus promises us a life, not as how we look and experience it, but Eternal Life with God. Jesus proclaims and promises us: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Lilipas man ang Langit at Lupa, ngunit ang aking mga salita ay hindi lilipas: Mahanaw man and langit ug yuta, apan akong pulong dili gayud mahanaw).

    Here Jesus is teaching us that eternal life is not about life without end, or endless life, or our life/world now not passing away. For Jesus, eternal life with God is not the extension and expansion of our life as we look and experience it. Surely, we desire not the extension and expansion of our common pains & struggles in life. But what Jesus promises us is eternal life with God that gives us meaning and purpose as we experience life’s common pains & sufferings.

    In & with our experience of life’s common pains, Jesus is thus offering us eternal life of common purpose. He is offering us Himself as our Way, Truth and Life that would give us meaning, direction and purpose as we struggle with life and journey in faith amidst our common pains of life. Jesus wants us to live our Life In & With Christ. In other words, Jesus offers us common purpose and meaning amidst common pains of life.  Pains & sufferings thus take place and will happen in our life here on earth, but rest assured, Jesus -God’s word and love for us remains for us and with us forever, as promised. Ika nga: (Matupok man lahat ang buong daigdig, hindi magmamaliw ang aking pag-ibig. And so, Jesus is calling & directing us to focus & center our life on Him, to prioritize Him, Our Lord & Savior, the Son of God in our daily lives than our world & selves.

    True enough, though Corrie’s experience happened few decades ago, but still we can also say, based on our experience & what is going on in our life today…. Distressing it is to look at our world… Depressing is our helplessness to look into ourselves…. But promising, assuring & hopeful it is to focus our gaze & look to God for meaning & sense in life.

    So, whenever we find our life distressing and depressing, and as we long for rest and peace in life, just be reminded of and learn from the wisdom-shared to us by Corrie ten Boom: “If you look at the world, you will be distressed. If you look within yourself, you will be depressed. If you look at God, you will be at rest.”

    Siya Nawa. Hinaut pa unta. Amen.