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Tag: God

  • Faith That Shows Up

    Faith That Shows Up

    January 5, 2025 – Monday after Epiphany; Memorial of St. John Neumann, CSsR

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010526.cfm)

    When a community faces a problem like sickness, conflict, calamities or poverty, we find it necessary to ask for help. And so, we look for someone we can trust, someone who will not just talk, but will actually show up and do something. Thus, we value presence and value people who serve quietly, without drawing attention to themselves. This simple experience opens our hearts to the message of today’s readings and of the life of Saint John Neumann, a Redemptorist Bishop in the United States, whose feast we celebrate today.

    The Word of God today invites us to live our Christian faith that is true, discerning, and expressed in concrete service.

    In the first reading from the First Letter of John, we hear a strong reminder that our relationship with God is not only about words or feelings. When our hearts are aligned with God’s will, there is confidence and peace within us. But Saint John also warns us that not every spirit comes from God. Not every voice that sounds religious or inspiring is truly leading us to Christ. That is why discernment is important and necessary. The test is clear and simple, we can ask, “Does it confess Jesus Christ, truly God who came among us?”

    Remember, true faith always leads us closer to Christ and to love our neighbor expressed in concrete actions.

    Now, this message is very relevant to us today. We live in a time when many voices compete for our attention. There are all sorts of teachings in the social media, as well as opinions, and trends that promise happiness and success, but can also slowly pull us away from prayer, from the Church, and from compassion for others. Saint John reminds us that real faith produces real love, and real love is shown through obedience and service.

    The Gospel continues this invitation. Jesus begins His ministry by proclaiming repentance and by bringing healing. He does not stay in one place. He goes from town to town, teaching, curing the sick, and restoring hope. People follow Him not only because of His words, but because they experience God’s mercy through Him. Jesus reveals a God who is not distant, but close to human suffering.

    This is where the life of Saint John Neumann becomes a living Gospel for us. He was a Redemptorist priest who left his homeland to serve immigrants in America. He became a bishop not for honor, but for mission. Despite being physically weak and often misunderstood, he worked tirelessly. He gave his life and ministry in building schools, organizing parishes, visiting the poor, and strengthening the faith of ordinary people. He lived simply, prayed deeply, and served generously. He did not seek recognition. He only wanted people to know Christ and experience God’s love.

    Saint John Neumann teaches us that holiness is not about doing extraordinary things, but about doing ordinary things with great love and faithfulness. His life shows us what it means to discern rightly and to respond generously to God’s call.

    As Christians today, we are invited to live the same spirit. Faith must not remain inside the church. It must be carried into our homes, workplaces, and communities. As Jesus calls us, we are to bring healing. Like Saint John Neumann, we are called to serve quietly, faithfully, and consistently.

    So as we honor Saint John Neumann today, receive these two simple invitations.

    First, examine the voices you listen to. This means that you choose what leads you closer to Christ, to prayer, and to the love of neighbors.

    Second, commit one concrete act of service this week. Do it quietly and sincerely, trusting that God works powerfully through humble hearts. Hinaut pa.

  • Maturing in faith through time

    Maturing in faith through time

    December 30, 2025 – Tuesday, 6th Day in the Octave of Christmas

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/123025.cfm)

    As the days of Christmas pass, the noise slowly fades. The lights remain, but the excitement becomes quieter as most of you might have observed. Yet, it invites us to notice something important that Christmas is not meant to rush us, but to deepen us.

    The Church, on this 6th Day of the Octave of Christmas, gently reminds us to slow down. We should ask ourselves what kind of people we are becoming. This reflection calls for our growth not only in age, but in faith, wisdom, and love. As Christ was born for us, Christmas calls us now how our hearts should be formed over time to recognize what truly lasts.

    This is why the Gospel today brings us to Anna, the prophetess, a woman whose life had been quietly shaped by years of faithfulness. She did not rush through life, and she did not allow loss or loneliness to harden her heart. Her many years in the temple were not empty waiting but faithful presence before God. And so, when the child Jesus was brought to the temple, Anna immediately recognized Him. While others may have seen only an ordinary child, she saw hope being fulfilled. Her long journey of trust had trained her heart to see what truly mattered.

    Anna showed us that faith deepens when we stay rooted, grounded. She waited long, but her waiting did not turn into bitterness. Her years did not make her cynical. Instead, they sharpened her vision and her spirit more attuned to God’s coming presence. Thus, she could see hope because she had learned how to trust God through many seasons of loss and silence.

    Moreover, the first reading from the First Letter of John speaks to different stages of life. John addresses children, young people, and fathers. He recognizes that faith looks different at each stage of our life. Children know forgiveness. Young people are strong and have overcome evil. Elders know God deeply because they have walked with Him for a long time.

    However, John also gives us a serious warning. He said, “Do not love the world or the things of the world.” He is not saying that the world is bad. John, rather, reminds us not to build our lives on what does not last such as power, pleasure, possessions, and pride. Though these things promise satisfaction, but they fade quickly and leave hearts empty.

    Hence, this message is very relevant today. We live in a time when many are pressured to prove their worth through success, appearance, or status. Even during Christmas, many could have felt that pressure to have the best food, the nicest gifts, or the happiest photos we can post of our social media platforms. Yet Anna’s life quietly tells us another truth that certainly, a meaningful life is not measured by what we accumulate or show of to others, but by who we become.

    Hence, true maturity in faith is learning to long and desire what lasts. Anna desired God above all else. That is why, when salvation stood before her, she recognized it.

    For us today, this is an invitation to examine our hearts. We ask ourselves. What are we holding on to? What consumes our energy and attention? Are we forming our children only to succeed, or also to love and serve? Are we using our strength as young adults only for ourselves, or also for what is good and just? Are we allowing our elders to be teachers of wisdom, or have we forgotten to listen to them?

    Remember, Anna did not keep the good news to herself. She spoke about the child to others. Faith that matures always becomes generous. It shares hope.

    As Christmas continues, we are reminded that Christ is still growing among us. And like Anna, we are called not only to see Him, but to point Him out to others through our lives shaped by patience, simplicity, and trust.

    May this Christmas season teach us not just to celebrate, but to mature in love, so that when Christ passes by our lives, we will recognize Him and rejoice. Hinaut pa.

  • Called to Stay, Called to Love

    Called to Stay, Called to Love

    December 28, 2025 – Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122825.cfm)

    In this Christmas Season, we always long to be with our family. We try our very best to spend a quality time that includes good food shared together and family vacations. Indeed, in our culture, family matters. When we gather we tease, we argue, we make each other wait, but at the end of the day, we show up. And Christmas, above all, is a season when our presence matters most.

    Today’s celebration of the Feast of the Holy Family invites us to reflect on that same truth that God wants to dwell with us, and family is where love stays alive. But before we dig into the readings, let us be honest and see the challenges our families face today.

    First, according to the recent survey of SWS as of September of 2025, it shows that half of Filipino families describe themselves as poor.[1] This is a reality that affects how homes function and how dreams are lived out. Many feel the pressure of financial insecurity in providing not just food on the table, but education, health, and a future for their children. Families worry about making ends meet, and that daily strain can create stress, misunderstandings, and fatigue that hurt family relationships.

    Second, many Filipino families experience conflicts that remain unresolved, sometimes staying silent because of pride, fear, or the belief that they should handle everything on their own. Because of this, the inability to seek healthy closure when relationships become harmful can trap families in cycles of pain and even violence.[2] These realities challenge the very heart of what a home should be.

    Into this context of our families that we also find God speaking to us through the Word.

    In the first reading from the Book of Sirach, we are reminded that honoring our parents, being steadfast in family relationships, and caring for one another brings healing and blessing. “Those who honor their father atone for sins,” the text says. Indeed, family life with its joys, tensions, wounds, and reconciliations, is not something accidental. It is central to how God chooses to teach us about love. When we value one another, we not only strengthen each other’s lives; we participate in God’s work of healing.

    The Psalm echoes this blessing for those who walk in love and obedience. The image of a fruitful vine, a household thriving and secure, is not simply about comfort. It is God’s promise that when a family commits to love through respect, patience, and perseverance, they reflect God’s own faithful care.

    In the Letter to the Colossians, Paul speaks directly into the life of the Christian household. He speaks not only about virtues like compassion, kindness, and forgiveness, but about allowing Christ to rule in our hearts. Families are called to welcome one another, not just in physical presence during Christmas gatherings, but in the everyday choices that shape a home manifested in our listening, understanding, affirming, and forgiving. Paul’s words remind us that family becomes a school of love when Christ is at the center.

    Finally, the Gospel presents the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt. This may sound far from our Christmas parties and bright lights, but it is deeply human. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were strangers in a foreign land, living with uncertainty and loss. Yet, they stayed faithful to God’s call. They did not abandon one another. In the midst of fear and displacement, they lived out trust and care. This shows us that family is not defined by comfort or security, but by commitment and love in difficult times.

    Today, we celebrate the Holy Family because their journey resembles ours not in perfection but in our struggles. Joseph, Mary and Jesus knew fear, uncertainty, and sacrifice. They knew the heaviness of responsibility and the challenge of staying together. And yet, they trusted God fully because God is indeed with them.

    Thus, this Feast of the Holy Family invites us to take a hard, honest look at our own families. In a country where economic hardship often burdens homes, where communication sometimes breaks down, and where love is tested by struggles we did not choose, God calls us to grow in deeper fidelity, presence, and care. The Holy Family teaches us that love is not a feeling that waits for perfect conditions. Rather, it is a choice that stands firm amid difficulties.

    We are reminded today that family is a gift and a mission. It is where God calls us to stay, to love, and to build life together with courage.

    And so, how do we live this out this Christmas season, not just as a fleeting celebration, but as real transformation? With this question, I also leave you now two simple, concrete invitations:

    First. Choose intentional presence. Go beyond being physically at the table. Turn off the phone to be able to listen deeply. Share not only food, but concerns, dreams, and fears. Let your home become a place where hearts are heard and valued.

    Second. Rebuild trust and communication. When there is hurt, take the first step and say, “I am sorry.” Ask, “How are you really?” and mean it. Commit to one regular family ritual even just a weekly conversation time where everyone can speak and be heard without judgment.

    Remember, our families are the first school of love in our society. If love thrives in our homes, it will shape our communities, our nation, and our future.

    May the Holy Family intercede for us, especially in this Christmas season, that our homes may become places of peace, endurance, personal growth and love, where we are truly present to one another, and where God continues to dwell. Hinaut pa.

    [1] https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/964345/50-of-filipino-families-consider-themselves-poor-sws-survey/story/

    [2] https://igg-geo.org/en/2023/06/27/divorce-prohibition-in-the-philippines-a-system-serving-the-patriarchy/

  • Parenting by Choice

    Parenting by Choice

    December 21, 2025 – Fourth Sunday of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122125.cfm)

    Two brothers went for enrollment. When asked about their age & birthday, both are eight years old – one borne on August 8 & the other on August 21. When asked to explain, both smiled & said they have asked their parents about it. And their parents just reply; “we don’t remember anymore who is natural or adopted. All we know that regardless, you are both chosen & loved.

    We call God, our father. And rightly so, we call him “Father” because God did not only become our father but He also chooses to be our father. To parent us to be His children is God’s choice, not only by obligation. In the same way to parent our children is not only an obligation but more so our choice. One may disown their children, but someone has to choose to be responsible to the child as parent. 

    Take for example, St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. God is the Father of Jesus. And Joseph, as Mary’s husband, becomes the foster-father of Jesus. Joseph did not need to be the father of Jesus, but he chose to become the earthly father of Jesus. He chose to be a father to Jesus who is not of his own. Not out of obligation but out of choice that Joseph became the foster-father of Jesus. 

    In the same way, unlike mothers who needs to be a mother by nature to her child, fathers don’t have to or need to be a father to his child. Some fathers do escape such responsibility. But come to think of it, our very own father are the very first person, aside from our mother, who chooses us to be his own child. As a child, we are chosen by our fathers. Fathers choose their children. You are chosen by your fathers. Our fathers own us by choice, not only by obligation.

    In our gospel today, we hear the story of the birth of Jesus as experienced by Joseph. If we really come to think of it, Joseph’s experience of the birth of Jesus is a story of being  held accountable for something not-yours. Joseph’s experience of Jesus’ birth is a story of “Nagmahal, Nasaktan, Pinapanagut”.

    Obviously, Joseph Nagmahal, – has loved. He loved his wife to-be Mary very much. He is willing to grow old and have a family with Mary. He is a just and righteous man who will do everything for his marriage and family to-be. But Joseph is also Nasaktan (of being hurt). Joseph was also hurt by what happened. Who would not be hurt and pained when you just learned that your beloved is already pregnant before you lived together and the baby is not-yours? Ang sakittttttt. Can we blame Joseph for planning to quietly divorce Mary? We can easily relate with the broken-hearted Joseph. And worse, Joseph is Pinapanagut – of being held responsible and accountable for all of these things.

    If it is hurtful and hurting to learn that your wife to-be is already pregnant of a baby who is not-yours, how much more if you are pinapanagut – being held accountable and responsible for the baby? If you are Joseph, are you willing to take responsibility? Are you ready and willing to take responsibility for the so-called “unwanted” child? Would you still love your “unfaithful” wife to-be who is now pregnant with a child not-yours?

    This is the story of Joseph as he experienced the birth of the Messiah. A story of being held accountable for something and someone not-yours. Nagmahal, nasaktan, pinapanagut sa hindi kanya. Loved, hurt, and being held responsible for something or someone not-yours.

     

    The story of Joseph is also the story of our salvation. As the Lord offers us His beloved Son into our lives, we are asked to be like Joseph, i.e. to be held responsible for God and others – someone and something not-ours. Pinapanagut rin tayo. Like Joseph, we are being held accountable for His Son Jesus, for the sake of God and others, and not for our own sake. Pinapaangkin sa atin ang Kanyang Anak – to accept His Son as our very own.

    And in doing so, in taking responsibility for God, like Joseph, we will love and be hurt along the way, and will be held accountable for something or someone not-ours. Because, only by taking responsibility and be held accountable for Jesus like Joseph, God’s grace and salvation continues to prosper and fulfill into our lives today. Thus, God’s incarnation requires our responsibility – our ability to response for God’s sake than ourselves.

    Here  we have much to learn from Joseph himself. As he went through the difficult experience of being accountable for God’s Son, he always honors and only listens to God’s message to him. Despite his confusions, frustrations, and broken-heartedness, Joseph simply listens to God’s message, honors God’s will, and hopes on God’s promise of Emmanuel “God is with us”, being responsible and accountable for Him. By always honoring and listening to God’s will and message to us, we become more responsible for Emmanuel, God with us. 

    Here we also come to realize that the history of our salvation is a story of parenting by choice. God our father chooses to be our parent by entrusting us His own beloved Son Jesus Christ, and as well as we choose to parent God’s child into our lives, God’s blessings & graces of salvation thrive always into our lives.

    Just like Joseph, by adopting & taking responsibility for Jesus into our lives, not of obligation but by choice, the holiness & sacredness of God’s become flesh & dwell amongst us… regardless since we are chosen & loved.

    Christmas is already near upon us. Actually the Lord has already came and arrived into our lives. But do we welcome Him into our lives? Do we follow Him and let Him change and influence our lives? Are we willing to be held responsible and accountable for Him, our God with us?

    The season of Advent requires  of us to  “Be awake & Be Prepared”,  “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand” , “Go and Tell others what we have seen & heard” &  “Not be Afraid to take home” . Meaning awareness, repentance, witness & parenting the Holy Family into our lives now are enough preparations for us to receive & celebrate once again & anew God’s blessings upon us now & forever.

    We pray then that like Joseph and Mary, we may be willing responsible people and accountable parent for the Lord into our lives by always listening and responding to God’s message and will for us, now & always. So May It Be. Amen.

  • Joyful WITNESS

    Joyful WITNESS

    December 14, 2025 – Gaudete Sunday

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121425.cfm)

    After Eucharist, a man once approached me and asked for an advice. He said, “Father, my daughter is engaged to her boyfriend. But seemingly the guy’s family does not approve of their relationship because they have learned that I am now unemployed. They thought that I am lazy and irresponsible parent to my daughter. You see, Father, I am a retired seaman. I subsist now from the pension and time-deposit I’ve earned. I just wish to spend the rest of my life with my family after long years of absence from them. I really love my daughter and only wish for her happiness. Father, is it a sin to be unemployed, and enjoy my own family? What shall I do, then?”

    Like that man and John’s disciples in the gospel today, sometimes we become restless with life in anticipation for the Lord’s reign that we ask the practical question: “I believe that the Lord will come again, but what must I do, then?” Yes, we do believe that God so loves us that He gave his only begotten Son for our salvation. He has been good to us and continually showers us His love and blessings. But as faith necessitates actions, “what is the right thing to do then? What then does God require and demand of us?”

    If we reflect deeper on our readings today, we see that like any parents, God desires nothing much from us but our happiness. He simply wished us JOY in our relationship with Him. As what Jesus said to restless disciples of John, “Go and report what you see and heard here.” Meaning, Jesus wants us to see for ourselves and enjoy the great things happening and what God is doing us here and now.

    As God shares to us His life and salvation, He does not ask for our heroic acts or sacrifices but our whole being to enjoy, savor, and share his love and work with others. God does not demand of us so-called “holy” extra-works of doing physical penances, or attending or organizing bible studies, miracle crusades, or prayer meetings.

    But rather, He simply requires us to be as best Christian as we can be, that is, to love Him and our neighbor, follow His precepts, celebrate liturgies in worship, share responsibilities with our fellowmen, and make them feel and realize that we are God’s people. For God, then, what matters most are not our sacrifices but our obedience, not commandments but our faith – a loving & joyful relationship with Him, through Jesus Christ.

    Basically, God simply invites us not to be heroes, martyrs, or saints. But like John the Baptist, and the farmer who joyfully anticipates for the fruits, Jesus wants us to be His living and willing witnesses of the revelation and unfolding of God’s work of salvation. In other words, He simply wants us to joyfully witness God’s salvation here & now.

    For what is a witness? Like a best man in a wedding ceremony, a witness is someone, who first, let God’s work of salvation to happen before his very eyes, not controlling or programming, but simply experiencing the event. Second, a witness is someone who let the event disturb, influence, and affect His life, for God’s work is good news to those who recognize accepts & believes his experience. And a witness is someone who stand for, share & witness joyfully what he experiences and believes to others, for “Happy is the man who does not lose faith in me”.

    Through our faith-responses to God’s revelation and act of His love, by our encounter and acceptance of His son as Emmanuel “God-with-us” in our lives now, by being affected and changed by the person of Jesus, by sharing our faith to others, – in other words by being His living eye, ear & heart joyful witnesses of Christ, God’s blessings begin and continue to prosper within us today and forever.

    And so, in response to that man’s questions, I said to him, “it is never a sin to be unemployed. You are not only what you have or what you have done in life or what others say about you. But you are who you are before God now – His beloved child. Just Be the best and responsible father and husband you can be. Let God do the rest, and never to forget to enjoy the moment.”

    We began our advent journey with His challenge to: “Stay awake & Be prepared”. Then we are invited to “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand”. And today, the Lord calls to “Go & tell others what you hear & see”. And what are we to do then? Awareness, repentance & joyful witness.

    As we continue our advent journey in preparation for the birthday of our Lord in our lives nowadays, may we open our hearts, minds, body, soul, ears & eyes in joy to recognize & believe in Him always in our midst, & hope for another spirit & grace-filled year with Emmanuel, the God-with-us now & always. Amen.