Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Tag: God

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • In GENEROSITY

    In GENEROSITY

    November 10, 2024 – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111024.cfm)

    Once on a Sunday mass, after I preached in our Redemptorist church in Dumaguete about the boy  in the gospel on the multiplication of Loaves (our so-called accidental hero), a small boy went up in the sanctuary during the offertory bringing with him his offering. He did not quite know where to put his fifty pesos offering. So, when I noticed him coming up, I postpone preparing the altar. Instead, I fetched the boy and led him to our collection box.

    For me, it was a moving experience. Here I was, preaching about the boy in the gospel who gave up everything (his two loaves of bread and five fishes) to Jesus as his generous contribution for the people’s need, and calling people to share something themselves for the mission of the church. And right there after, a little boy coming up in the sanctuary, offering his everything generously (n.b. for a four year old boy, a fifty pesos bill is not only something but everything) for the mission of the church. Such gesture for me is not only something (because that little boy and his family heard my homily and responded to it), but EVERYTHING because it is Good News manifested right before my very eyes. Gospel preached & responded as witnessed right before me.

    As you might notice, for the past Sundays, we have been reflecting about Christian Values fitting for Christian discipleship.

    Blind Bartimaeus reminded us of the importance of seeing again & anew God’s will in our lives. Then, Jesus emphasized the commandment of loving God, others and ourselves as our right faith response to God’s grace & blessings. Then, particularly today, we reflect about Generosity.

    Moving from the whole issue of what is the greatest commandment, here in our gospel today, Jesus discussed with his disciples about the whole issue of who or what can truly please God. By comparing the rich and the widow’s offering, Jesus pointed out to His disciples that what matters most is not what but HOW we give our offerings to God.

    The rich people gave from the excess or surplus of their plenty – out of duty & obligation as well as  others may notice them, while the poor widow contributed from her poverty and helplessness everything that she has as her sacred offering & humble contribution for others.

    As Jesus upholds, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more that all those who gave offerings. For all of them gave from their plenty, but she gave from her poverty and put in everything she had, her whole livelihood.”

    For Jesus then, what could truly please God is our Generosity. God is please with generous people who wholeheartedly contributed and gave up & share everything they got for the betterment of others, (if not all).

    This is clearly portrayed by the poor widow who gave her family’s food to Elijah in our first reading; by the temple offerings of the poor widow in our gospel, by that boy in the multiplication of loaves, by that little kid who offered his five pesos for the mission and by Jesus who laid down his life for the redemption of many. They all wholehearted gave up and share everything they got to the point of denying themselves for the good of others. Well, that is Generosity, that is Christian charity and love.

    And generosity usually happens whenever we have sympathy & empathy towards others. Whenever we have the heart to feel with others (sympathy) & to feel for others (empathy), generosity happens in our lives & grace abounds. We give credit to the spirit of generosity as we face the challenges of pandemic & natural disasters (like the recent typhoon Kristine). In our generosity via our sympathy & empathy with one another, somehow we are able to withstand in faith these trying times.

    And so, what truly pleases God is not what we offer Him but How we generously offer Him our gifts with others. We have much to learn from the window’s mite for in her gratitude for God’s graces, she generously offers & shares her everything in empathy & sympathy with others. Remember then: God appreciates a grateful beneficiaries & acknowledges generous sharers of His Gifts with others.

    We pray then with St. Ignatius of Loyola as he described what Generosity is, through his Prayer for Generosity.

    Dearest Lord, teach us to be generous. Teach us to serve You as we should. To give and not to count the cost. To fight and not to heed the wounds. To toil and not to seek for rest. To labor and ask not for reward. Save that of knowing that we do Your Most Holy Will.

    Amen. Hinaut pa unta.

  • LONG In Faith

    LONG In Faith

    October 27, 2024 – 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102724.cfm)

    We cannot deny Life during Covid pandemic times had rendered our lives unstable, unclear, and unknown. With the challenging reality upon us then, we found ourselves  disable & limited. Somehow someway, not unlike Blind Bartimaeus in our gospel today, if not blinded by the overwhelming difficulties we were facing, we were sightless & without a vision.

    And when the Lord would ask us then, “What do you want Me to do for You?” without a doubt, we do have a lot of wants and needs from Him, to at least save our day. But over & above our urgent needs & wants from the Lord, we do want always some clear vision & direction as we face the life-challenges. Like Blind Bartimaeus, our difficult condition calls for more than just sympathy, concerns & assistance but most of all, a new clear set of meaning, ability & purpose in life. Like Bartimaeus, deep inside we cry before the Lord praying: “Lord, I want to see”. Somehow this is what we want the Lord to do for us: “Lord, we want to see.”

    Without question, the Lord will show us & reveal to us life amidst, behind & beyond challenging realities. He will give us sight, direction & vision in life as we struggle with it now and ahead. But we also have to do our part for the miracle to happen & blessings to be revealed to us, for us to see not only in sight, but in Faith. And we have much to learn from Bartimaeus here.

    First, same way as he listens of the Lord’s arrival, we do need to be sensitive of the Lord’s presence in our midst. Second, we do need to call the attention of our Lord & others about our own presence: “Lord, have pity on Me.” Third, we need to throw ourselves on His mercy & express our needs & intentions, praying: “Lord, I want to see.” And above all, we must trust & have faith in Him with His plans, ways & will for the grace of sight, vision, inspiration & direction to happen.

    The LORD’s Presence, OUR presence, our Needs & His Graces with our Faith are somehow the essential ingredients for us to taste & see God’s greatness in our lives despite challenging times. Same as Bartimaeus, somehow we are to (L.O.N.G. : L-ord’s, O-ur presence, in our N-eed of His G-races) LONG in FAITH for miracles to happen in our lives.

    Lord, as we look in sight what is going on with us & ahead of us, make us also long to SEE in faith what better You in store for us now & always.

    So May It Be. Amen.