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Tag: Christianity

  • How much do we value our relationships?

    How much do we value our relationships?

    April 16, 2025 – Wednesday of the Holy Week

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041625.cfm)

    How much do you value your loved ones? How much do you value your friends? How much do we value our relationships? When we value so much these people in our lives, their importance are shown in the way we spend much of our quality time and presence. When we also truly value people who are close to us, the more we become less and less self-centered. What becomes natural to us then is the way we give ourselves for those whom we value so much. These can be expressed in concrete ways like sharing our material resources, making ourselves available for them, giving an effort to understand and listen to them.

    This is how we grow and mature as persons capable of loving and giving life especially when what we experience is a mutual sharing of life and love.

    However, the value that we give to each other can also be spoiled. When we ourselves turned to be “life-sucking” or persons who suck and consume the life of others – then, we surely spoil and degrade the value of our relationships. This makes us attention-seekers, guilt-trippers and energy-consuming creatures to our family members and friends. This also means that we do not actually give value to people but we are only concerned on what we can personally gain and benefit from others.

    This is how Judas turned to be one, as he betrayed his friend and master. Judas sold Jesus. He even dared to ask the chief priests of the temple, “What are you willing to give ME if I hand him over to you?” And for 30 pieces of silver, Judas was most willing to hand over and betray Jesus. The value was not that much but Judas valued Jesus so little. He was willing as long as he could benefit something immediately.

    Well, why would Judas do that to the person who only showed kindness and generosity to him and to the people? Judas though, was chosen to be one of the close friends of Jesus and disciples had these two attitudes that motivated him to betray the Lord and to sell him for thirty pieces of silver.

    First, Judas never believed that Jesus is the Lord and the Messiah. He never believed in the Son of God who was sent into the world to redeem the world and save the people from their sins and evil ways. Judas never believed in Jesus but only thought that Jesus was a mere teacher. Thus, Judas never called Jesus as Lord but only Rabbi, which means teacher.

    Second, Judas did not have a close, personal and intimate relationship with Jesus. Because Judas never believed in Jesus as Lord, it also followed that Judas had never developed that close relationship with the Lord. Judas actually failed to build true friendship and closeness with Jesus. Hence, he could not recognize God in Jesus.

    These attitudes of Judas may also be present in us. When we do not believe or refuse to believe in Jesus as our Savior and Lord, who has come to love and forgive us, then, we too shall have the difficulty of not being able to build a personal relationship with God. Failure to recognize God in our life leads us to a distanced relationship with God.

    This is also true with our human relationships. Failure to believe in the person, to a friend, to your beloved, to your husband, or wife or child will lead us to a distanced relationship. This failure in knowing the person and building personal and intimate relationship with the person will lead us to easily discard the person. It will be easy for us to hurt them, to cause them pain, to cheat on them, to betray them, to leave and abandon them – because after all, we are never committed in that relationship. And because we don’t value that relationship.

    Thus, we are called rather now to know better the person that we are in relationship with, our friends, our beloved and all those people around us. It is in knowing them that we come to recognize their importance and believe in them. And again, this shall also move us to truly value our relationships by committing ourselves in those relationships by developing a close and intimate relationship with others and with God. This is manifested in the way we give life for the sake of others. Kabay pa.

  • Beware of MICE

    Beware of MICE

    April 15, 2025 – Tuesday of the Holy Week

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041525.cfm)

    Holy Tuesday marks the beginning of the treachery & betrayal of Judas Iscariot that has led to the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    We have heard in our gospel today the circumstances that lead to the passion of Jesus Christ. Here Jesus exposed of Judas’ betrayal as trusted finance officer of the disciples of Jesus who corrupted their funds & conspired with the “bashers,” detractors & enemies of Jesus that led to His arrest & execution.

    We may have known how painful it is & would be, if & when we are betrayed by our own trusted people. Betrayal of trust is surely a difficult & traumatic experience for us that breaks people’s hearts & lives. But we may wonder, what moves people to betray others?

    It has been said that in the espionage world or the world of spies, there are four factors that moves spies to defect & betray their loyalties & people. Its acronym is MICE (Money, Ideology, Compromise & Ego). Somehow we might say that these are the four reasons that we & other may cause to betray ourselves, others & even God – Betrayals then always involved with Money, Ideology, Compromise & Ego (MICE).

    These are very true in the case of Judas Iscariot. Definitely, he was in  to betray Jesus for the M-money (30 pieces of silver). He was in for business-influences & market-consumerism I – ideology, willing to C- compromise his faith, beliefs & values, & to conspire with the enemy. And above all, His selfish E – ego, self-centeredness cause Judas to betray his Lord. This simply explain why we always associate people who betrayed us as Judas & we consider Judas as betrayer.

    However, let us be aware of MICE (Money, Ideology, Compromise & Ego) that cause people & even ourselves to be like Judas Iscariot in betraying ourselves, others & our Lord that is making life difficult, harmful & traumatic for all & everyone. These are the pitfalls & warning signs that may fall & lead us to the temptations of betraying & betrayals. Same reasons MICE (Money, Ideology, Compromise & Ego) make us betray our suffrage – our right to vote & betrayal of public trust that lead us to vote-buying & vote selling.

    So, beware of MICE (Money, Ideology, Compromise & Ego) for it could lead us to betray our faith in Jesus Christ, & ourselves as Christians.

    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.

  • Let God BE GOD now

    Let God BE GOD now

    April 13, 2025 – Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041325.cfm)

    For us Filipinos, there are three occasions in the year that we come home, get together, and spend quality time with our family: Christmas, All Souls’ Day, and Holy Week. These are the moments when and where us Filipinos BE with each other – that is where and when we experience, encounter, and meet each other again as family and community which usually lead to renewal, deepening and strengthening of bonding and relationships among family. While during Christmas, we are with our family and friends, and during All Souls’ day, with our family and relatives remembering our beloved dead members of the family, Holy Week is particularly our time and space with God.

    Today, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of our Holy Week this year of Faith & Hope. These days in this week of this year of faith is our time and space to BE with our God. This week is our God-time and God-space. Particularly this week is more than just our chance to be with God but more so God’s chance to be with us. Meaning, this week is not only our time and space with God but more so GOD’s time and space with us. It is more like God must be first and foremost Be with us rather than We must be with God. The center or focus of this week then is not ourselves but God. This week is not about us and ourselves but about HIM and His being with Us now. This is our chance then to experience, encounter and meet God in His own terms and not on our own terms. The best attitude then is to let Him set the agenda, activities, schedules, and venue of this week. Meaning, to let Him takes the steering wheel – let Him drive your life this week. Let God BE God, not be a god as we want or need Him to be, but as HE chooses to be with us now at this very juncture of our faith & life.

    To do this and make the best of this week, allow me to suggest some appropriate approaches & attitudes.

    First, REMEMBER. As I have said, this is not about us but about Him. So, once again be reminded, that is to put into mind – God’s story with Us which is the Jesus story. We are to remember (to make it member or part of ourselves) what God did, does and is doing to us through the life and mission of Jesus Christ. So, time and space to Recall, Remind, Remember God’s story with us through Jesus, rather our story with God.

    Then, REFLECT. This is an invitation to mirror back or reflect back God’s story with & along our faith-story with God now. In other words, Manalamin. To look and see our faith-life experiences from the point of view of God’s story and less from our own perspective. Meaning, Be moved. Be Disturbed. Be influenced. Be shaken. Be Challenged. Be transformed by God’s story, presence, words, movements, plans, agenda and will for us, you and I now.

    And above all, eventually RESPOND to what, when, how, when and where God is calling, inviting, and leading us now in whatever faith-life commitment we choose to be. Meaning, whether you are ordained, married, professed, or baptized Christian, be a BETTER version of Christian as you choose and committed to be.

    Today we begin Holy Week. Remember, Reflect, and Respond to what God did, does and is doing in You and Us now by being with God, not in our own terms but in His own terms.

    For us to let God be God to us now & anew, perhaps concretely, in view of coming elections, during this week we also remember, reflect & respond on what we have gone thru & is going on in our faith-life pilgrimage now as a nation of Filipino Catholics & so be guided by His will & be in tuned with God’s ways for us in choosing wisely & voting conscientiously our national leaders.

    May we, you and I have a blessed meaningful and inspired week ahead.

    So Be it. Amen.

  • RESPONDING TO REJECTION

    RESPONDING TO REJECTION

    April 4, 2025 – Friday Fourth Week of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040425.cfm)

    Rejection from people can be painful and even traumatic for us. Its emotional impact could trigger sadness, anger, hurts, low self-esteem and anxiety. This could also affect our relationships to the point that we might develop unhealthy ones. We could form trust issues and doubt our self-worth.

    This very kind of human experience was not far from what Jesus received from people around him. The Gospel tells us how Jesus was rejected by his own people. Jesus had to go to Jerusalem in secret in order to protect himself from those who were trying to kill him. What he received was a rejection with malice. Those who rejected him desired to cause harm to Jesus. 

    Yet, even though he knew that he was in danger if seen in public, Jesus still took the risk to be there among his people. Jesus took the risk to speak the truth and make the truth known to all even though it may cause him his life. Indeed, this is God’s way of making himself revealed to us.

    Jesus did not deter from rejection, but he responded with grace. Jesus responded not with hatred towards those who rejected him but with the truth. This tells us that Jesus knew his identity well. His identity was anchored in his intimacy and oneness with the Father in heaven.

    This rejection of the presence of Jesus was a reaction of some powerful figures at that time. They felt threatened to the way of life of Jesus and to the message that he preached and lived. This was how Jesus caused turmoil among the powerful leaders in that Jewish society. Jesus was unconventional who ate and drank with sinners, forgiven them and freed them. He healed the sick and touched the unclean. He preached about a loving and forgiving God the Father.

    And as Jesus gained popularity among the ordinary people, the leaders were threatened at his knowledge and wisdom. Jesus was not a well-known intellectual and did not come from a rich and powerful family. And they felt offended.

    Jesus himself and all that he did threatened the status quo of the powerful people who were contented with their comfort. These “Jews” who in the Gospel of John were referred as the powerful religious leaders of the Jewish society, preferred a strict and vengeful God. By this belief then they could advance their self-interest. They too can use their position to enrich themselves at the expense of the poor.

    Thus, they were against Jesus because he was changing their ways. Their hearts were filled with bitterness, hate, anger and the desire to have more. These were the reasons why they could not accept Jesus or even recognize the presence of God in Jesus.  Their blindness and the hardness of their hearts made them incapable to understand the ways of God. Thus, they wanted to kill him, to silence Jesus.

    As we continue our journey in this season of Lent, may this Gospel reminds us of our tendency to reject others and to only believe our own ideas and perspectives. Let us also make the last week of lent as days of opportunities to humble ourselves. We are called to recognize areas of our lives where we have become complacent, too comfortable and arrogant so that our hearts may become more welcoming. Hinaut pa.

  • A Loving and Caring Parent

    A Loving and Caring Parent

    April 2, 2025 – Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040225.cfm)

    As human beings, each of us is biologically a by-product, born out of a male and female. Hence, we have a father and a mother. As we were born and grew up individually, we too have different experiences with our parents and with our fathers particularly. It is such a blessing of having a good, responsible and loving father.

    Yet, it cannot be argued that not all of us have experienced a very good father. Not all of us have a father who spends enough time to be with us and who supports us constantly as a child.

    Some of us, may even have painful memories particularly when we talk about our fathers. Others might have been abandoned by their fathers. This caused us so much pain. Others might have absentee fathers, always away because of work. This could create a deep longing of our father’s presence. Others might have a father who was abusive and irresponsible. This could give us deep and sometimes lasting emotional wounds.

    Those who have lost or not having their biological fathers around them were sometimes rescued by those who stood as their father. Indeed, in the absence of our fathers, there would be persons who have become our father from whom we still experience having one.

    Well, with our experiences with our own fathers, somehow would affect the way we relate with God whom we believe as a Father to us. Having a very good experience with our biological father, then, it might be easy for us to believe in a loving and merciful Father in heaven. Yet, if we have painful and traumatic experiences with our biological father, it can create doubts. We may hesitate to believe in God the Father who is loving and forgiving.

    Our readings today remind us of these experiences. They too also call us to recognize God’s true character as a parent to us.

    The Book of Isaiah tells us of a God so passionate to us. God is like a parent who brings comfort to us. God is there to flatten the mountains so that life won’t be too difficult for us. In fact, Isaiah uses the image of a mother who carries her baby in the womb. A mother is always connected with her baby. Nevertheless, a mother may forget her baby but God will never forget us. God remembers us because God always carries us.

    This confidence in a loving and passionate God is expressed in today’s Gospel. Jesus tells us about how he loves his Father so much. Jesus shows his affection to the Father who will never leave him alone. This expression of Jesus is an affirmation of that passion of God the Father to Jesus.

    This is where we find the invitation for us today. We might have painful experiences with our own fathers or mothers. Some of us may have similar experiences with those who became our guardians in the absence of our biological parents. However, the readings call us to be confident and assured in God as a loving and caring parent to us.

    Like Jesus, let us take confidence in God who is both a Loving and Caring Father and Mother to us. God assures us to be with us. God shall never leave us and will always be there for us. This is how God is so passionate to you and to me.

    When you become parents yourselves, let your parenting be an image of God’s unconditional love. If you stand as a foster parent to a child, make sure your parenting reflects divine love. Hinaut pa.