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Tag: Fear

  • Not out of Fear but from Gratitude & Generosity

    Not out of Fear but from Gratitude & Generosity

    August 30, 2025 – Saturday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/083025.cfm)

    People who struggle with low self-esteem may find it so difficult to share their talents and express themselves. The fear of being judged and being rejected by others could hamper a person to share and express himself or herself. Many times, one could not avoid such fear because people tend to easily notice the negatives, failures and the ugly.

    More so, we may also tend to compare ourselves with others. To realize how others enjoy many things than us or how others possess more than us, could make our heart envious. Among siblings and friends, it can be painful when others stress who is better, brighter, and more talented among us. This can make the “lesser self” become bitter towards others and towards himself or herself.

    Such outlook in life would hold us back from developing healthy and life-giving relationships because of our poor self-image and low self-esteem. We too may tend to hide in fear and bury our potentials. Thus, we endanger ourselves to become stagnant and unproductive.

    The parable in today’s Gospel reminds us of this through the third servant. Yet, it also challenges us to see beyond our limitations and embrace our potentials. This becomes more possible in us as we grow in gratitude and generosity and not out of fear.

    Indeed, the servants were given “talents” (a particular amount of material wealth) by their master. Each was given different amount of talents, “each according to his ability.” The master realized the ability of each of his servant and so they were entrusted as the master saw it fitting for them.

    When we are the ones in this situation and having a low self-esteem, we too might compare ourselves especially when we have received less. We could become bitter and reactive towards the master who entrusted little in our care. We could feel envious of others who received more.

    The third servant represented this kind of heart. He was rather filled with fear and bitterness towards the master, towards others and himself. And so, he decided to bury his talents. That made him unproductive and having a bitter perspective of the generosity of the master. He might have despised the master and his companions too. Yet, he too could have pitied himself for having less.

    However, the two other servants no matter how much they have received understood what the master wanted them to do. With the talents given to them, they began to take risks and invested what they have possessed.

    The two servants have given us the model of becoming grateful and generous. This made them productive and even discovered the wonders behind their abilities and potentials. This was manifested at how the master entrusted them with more.

    This is how we are invited today. There is no reason for constantly comparing ourselves with others. When this becomes an unhealthy behavior in us, it will remove us from being free, grateful and generous. We will be prevented to become more productive in our own way.

    We are challenged, then, to confront and outgrow our fears, our low self-esteem, and begin to affirm ourselves and the gifts we have no matter how small or limited we may think of them.

    Like the two other servants, the Lord wants us to take risks, to be creative, to be productive in our own ways. The Lord gives the grace in each of us, each according to our ability. This is not because God discriminates us but in God’s wisdom, God sees our capabilities.

    And so we pray, “Lord, make my heart more grateful and generous. Teach me to affirm the gifts I have and my very self. Challenge me when I begin to doubt your wisdom and generosity in me. May my heart be more courageous in sharing myself and find joy in it.” Hinaut pa.

  • How do I respond to God?

    How do I respond to God?

    November 16, 2022 – Wednesday of the 33rd Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111622.cfm)

    There are three kinds of people in today’s parable of Jesus. In each, the Lord calls us to identify ourselves and draws us to be converted to him if we would find ourselves with those who were far from the Lord and did not respond to God’s invitations.

    The first are those who rejected the king. These people despised the nobleman that they even sent a delegation to declare their rejection of the king. However, these were same people who wanted to claim the throne. They wanted to rule, gain control and power for themselves. Yet, at the end, when the king finally returned they were slayed and died.

    This tells us that our total rejection of God’s friendship and salvation and of our desire to become like “god” means death to us. It is only in embracing the Lord who has come to be with us that we also find the fullness of life and not in being separated from God and from others.

    The second are the servants who responded well to the king. They listened and did what the king commanded them. As a result, they became fruitful and were rewarded generously by the king. These servants proved that even in small matters they can be trusted.

    This is a response that comes from faith and of the awareness of God’s generosity in us. Each of us is gifted and a steward of God’s gifts. Our faith as well as our person must also grow and become mature that we may become fruitful and productive. This will be evident in our relationships and in our way of life as Christians who invest in kindness and goodness, in concern and love, in understanding and community building.

    The third were those who retreated in fear but indifferent. They were represented by the servant who did nothing after receiving the gold coin. He rather retreated in fear and hid. Indeed, the servant showed no response, unmotivated, unenthusiastic and unchallenged. His reason was fear of losing yet he also remained unproductive and un-creative.

    Fear is therefore not the right attitude towards God and faith. The spirit of God gives us the confidence and strength yet when fear paralyzes us to become the person God wants us to be, then, this is not from God. The Lord continually calls us to overcome that fear and embrace rather the confidence and strength that God gives us.

    We now ask ourselves, how do I respond to God? What do I make of my faith? How do I relate with people? What do I do with the talents, potentials and responsibilities I have?

    As we are led today to see and recognize our failures, we may also come closer to the Lord who calls us to be productive, to become mature and to become more welcoming of his many invitations for us. Kabay pa.

  • A Paralyzing Fear

    A Paralyzing Fear

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    November 15, 2020 – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111520.cfm)

    Homily

    I had a conversation among students and we were talking about self-confidence and talents. There was a good number among them who expressed that they were struggling because of low self-esteem. Most of them too tended to compare themselves a lot with others. They recognized more what was lacking in them and what others have. Such comparison seemed to become a habit that anything can become a subject of comparison and telling the self that he/she lacks and is unfortunate.

    As I let them talk about their experiences, most of them also expressed that it started at home. Their parents tend to compare them with their sibling, or cousin or neighbor or a classmate who seemed to be so much better, brighter and more talented than them. The constant nagging and comparing of their parents have made and molded their consciousness that they were less intelligent and less talented.

    Thus, when we tend to compare more ourselves from others, we also become harsher towards ourselves. By identifying what we don’t have and what others have would only make us more miserable in life. We become more miserable because we will not be contented with what we have. Moreover, we will become indifferent to our own talents and capacities, resources and potentials. This will develop then, into fear, into a paralyzing fear that prevents us to be fruitful, joyful and living life to the fullest.

    Now, this brings me into our Gospel today. Jesus tells us this wonderful story of the parable of the talents. There were three people being given talents from their master. The talents, here were the amount of money gifted to the three. And so the master, gave the talents according to the ability of each one. To the first, he gave five talents. To the second, he gave two talents. And the last one was given one talent.

    However, we were told that the third man was a fearful person. Unlike the two, he did not take the risk of investing the talent given to him because we was afraid of failure. He chose not to do anything because fear seemed to paralyze him.

    He must have pitied himself because he only received one talent unlike the two who had more. He must have compared himself a lot with them. Deep inside, he must be furious and angry why he only received one. It must have been so unfair for him. In his insecurity, he retreated to hide, to low self-esteem, to fear but bitter towards the gifts and blessings of others.

    These thoughts must have occupied his mind and heart to the point that he couldn’t do anything because fear crept it. He feared his master. He was afraid to fail. Yet, that fear in him did not also save him. The talent that he was hiding because of fear, was taken away from him. He lost it and lost the opportunity given to him to be fruitful in his own way. He lost the opportunity to enjoy that talent and to enjoy life.

    Moreover, this attitude is only one possible extreme reaction towards the talents, gifts, and potentials we have. Another possible reaction is its opposite and that is to accumulate what we believe to have been lacking in us and ignoring what we are actually capable of. When we tend to amass things that we were deprived of, we will also tend to be corrupt and abusive. Then, we begin to show arrogance, exercise power and control over others whom we think are lesser than us.

    We can be this person. We can be that man who was anxious and fearful, insecure and bitter. We can also be that person who will become self-entitled and corrupt but deep within, fearful and insecure.

    This is not what God wants us to be. God wants us to trust Him who has blessed us with gifts, talents and people. Trusting God means being faithful to the gifts that we have received which may include our intellectual and physical abilities, our ministry, roles and responsibilities in our community  and even our relationships as a parent, as a spouse, as a sibling or as a child. These are the areas where we are invited by the Lord to invest our heart and our life.

    The Lord gifted us, each according to our abilities. God is confident with our potentials. God knows very much what we are capable of. Yet, let us also remember, that we don’t have to make big and spectacular things to just seek praise and recognition from others. The Book of Proverbs in our first reading today tells us how a simple wife does her duties with grace and kindness. In that way, she developed her gifts as a wife and as a person by also reaching out to others and extending kindness to the needy.

    This is God’s invitation for us – to trust God who trusted us first, to trust his generosity and to be faithful to the many gifts and talents we have received from him. We are called to recognize and embrace what we have, to be grateful for those and invest time and effort. God wants us also to commit ourselves to those things.

    I would like now to leave three reminders for today.

    First, do not compare yourself to others. It will not help you. You will only become more miserable. Rather, begin to acknowledge what you have now – talents or abilities, roles or responsibilities and relationships. Identify also those areas where you think you are still weak and so need more investment from you, perhaps, you need more time, more attention, more practice, more focus, more presence and more confidence. When we are able to accept them and nurture them, then, we shall surely witness God’s wonder in making us productive and flourishing.

    Second, parents, please stop comparing your child to another. It does not help. Instead, discover their gifts and encourage them to develop them. But avoid pampering them to the point that they couldn’t do anything without you.

    Third, never be afraid of failure. If we fail, it could be painful and shameful but go on. It is not the end of your world. Never let fear prevent or paralyze you. Conquer fear by becoming more grateful to God who first loved us and also the first one to have confidence in us. Hinaut pa.

  • In Love not in Fear

    In Love not in Fear

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    October 25, 2020 – 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102520.cfm)

    Homily

    Have you been terrified of God? My childhood memories of God was a terrifying God. I was introduced to a God who will easily get angry over a naughty boy and will deliver a punishment. I grew up in an environment also when corporal punishment was the easy way of discipline. The adults around me that included my parents, siblings, teachers and other authority figures were always ready to strike whenever I become rowdy.

    And because a punishment can be painful and shameful at times, I would behave immediately not to anger more those adults around me. In this way, I was also catechized and made to believe that God was like those authority figures around me. My childhood imagination of God was like a grandfather who always has a stick in his hand ready to strike a boy like me who was unruly.

    Yet, I was told to love God with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my mind. I found it hard because I was terrified of God. I fear God most rather than love Him. However, as I grew up, I also gradually realized that as I matured in my faith and relationship with God, I found God less and less terrifying. God manifested His love to me in many ways. God showed his faithfulness in me despite my unfaithfulness and sinfulness.

    With this deeper relationship with the Lord, the terrifying image of God changed into a Loving and ever faithful God. In this way, it moves me to respond in love to God and to others.

    With this kind of transformation, I found it also interesting how the Israelites grew in their knowledge of God. The readings this Sunday reveal to us this development as well as the invitations for us today.

    The Israelites, in the beginning, believed that God was just “one of the many gods.” The people recognized that other nations had gods and goddesses and what they had was a good one. Like the others, they too conceived of a god who protects them. Thus, they believed of a “warrior god” who shall deliver them from their enemies.

    Hence, the Old Testament has many images of God taking revenge, being vengeful and violent to the enemies of his people and to the wicked ones. The first reading from the Book of Exodus reveals this kind of image of God as it says, “My wrath will flare up and I will kill you with the sword.” And who will not fear this kind of God?

    However, despite this violent image of God, the scripture also reveals something of an image of God that people had already recognized. God as a defender against outside enemies, God also assures His presence to those who are struggling in life, the poor, the widows and the orphans.

    This is a manifestation of God’s loving care and that character of God that shows compassion and so much love for the people. Indeed, the Israelites over a loooong period of time gradually knew God more and deeper. Israel realized that there is only one God and that God is not a terrifying God, but a loving and caring God.

    This is what Paul preached in his travels. Jesus, the ultimate revelation of God’s face, revealed that God even became man and died for his people. This is how much God shows his faithful love to us. The Church in Thessalonica, upon receiving this good news to them, received it with love and devotion.

    Moreover, Paul commended the Thessalonians because of the devotion they showed. Their faith was being expressed in the way they lived their lives. Theirs was a response of gratitude to God whom they realized has loved them so much.

    Moreover, the response of Jesus to the scholar of the law tells us of the right attitude in relating and responding to God. Thus, the question as to what is the greatest commandment expresses a relationship of love and not of fear. Jesus reveals what was behind the law, and that was love – to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

    We are only able to respond to God with love when we ourselves are conscious of God’s love for us, his goodness and generosity in us. Again, the Book of Exodus tells us how God reminded his people of the many good things he did for them. God saved the people from slavery, from that misery of having no land, no home, and no identity. God heard their cry and sent Moses to deliver them from that slavery. Because of these many blessings they enjoyed from God they too in “gratefulness” shall show compassion and mercy to those who are strangers, to the poor, the widows and orphans.

    And again, this is what we find also in the letter of Paul to the Thessalonians. They have showed compassion and mercy to others and with one another. They have imitated Christ in words and deeds because they were convinced of Jesus and conscious of the many good things that God has done for them.

    This is what God wants to show to us this Sunday – that as we live our lives as Christians, as we practice our Christianity – our response to Him should be out of “gratefulness” not out of fear that springs forth from our deep love for Him who first loved us. Our love for God will then be shown in our words as well as in our actions. We shall be generous to those who are in need because we are grateful to God who is generous to us. We shall show our concern and affection to our friends because God shows his love to us in many ways. We shall forgive those who hurt us because God has forgiven us first.

    In this way then, we will be able to live our Christian faith that truly loves God and our neighbor as we love ourselves. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR