Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Tag: Jesus

  • PRAY WITH OUR FRIENDS

    PRAY WITH OUR FRIENDS

    October 16, 2022 – 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings(https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101622.cfm)

    A friend shared to me how she has lost her faith. She had been in a depressing situation in life. She did not know what direction she will take. She was totally lost and confused. She was emotionally abused at home and suffered the effects of a broken-home. She was misunderstood by many, among her other friends and colleagues. Her personal and family problems keep adding to the point that she felt suffocated by all of these.

    This was how she felt that her prayers seemed to be unanswered. The many times she cried during her prayers seemed to be in vain. God appeared to be very far from her to the point that she claimed, God is absent, thus, losing her faith.

    Yet, as she opened up and began to tell her narrative that became an opportunity for me to journey with her being a friend. In one of our conversations, I asked her if she still believed that God was with her. She answered a very big “no.” She neither can feel God’s presence nor believe that God was with her at that moment. She was indeed very hurt, confused and lost. She stopped going to Church. She stopped praying because everything seemed to be useless. I could not blame her for that. She has been through a lot already. What I can do was to listen to her and let her know that she was not totally alone.

    I asked her once if it’s okay that I will pray with her. She seemed to be hesitant but said yes. I prayed with her, recognizing God’s presence even in times of not being able to feel His presence. I prayed with her asking the Lord for comfort and assurance from the gift and embrace of friends, family and community. And I prayed with her to ask for the grace of humility to recognize our nothingness before God, for the grace to see light in the midst of dark experiences in life, for the grace of hope in midst of many uncertainties in life, for the grace of peace and freedom in the midst of overwhelming difficulties and grace of faith to believe even when it is hard to believe.

    When I opened my eyes after that, I saw her shoes all wet with her tears because she was sobbing while we were praying together. She found strength in there and comfort. “God is with me,” those were her words that touched me very much. Indeed, this is how I also realized the power of praying with others, praying with our friends and finding at the end how our faith grew together, and how we become closer to God’s presence. Such encounter brings a change of perspective in life as well as growth in our relationship with God and with one another.

    This encounter I had with a friend reminds me very much of the invitations we have on this 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Praying with our friends is what our first reading in the Book of Exodus tells us.

    We were told how Moses grew tired while he was praying. This happened when an enemy, Amalek waged war against Israel. Moses prayed to God for strength and victory. As long as Moses raised up his hands, they were winning. However, when he grew tired and rested his hands, they were losing. And so, Aaron and Hur helped Moses and supported his both hands. As a result, Moses’ hands remained steady until sunset. Thanks to the two for helping in that prayer.

    This story may sound primitive but there is wisdom behind here. We find it there in the power of praying with our friends. Surely, praying can be tiring as Moses experienced it. It is also time-consuming. It can be emotionally exhausting especially when we are internally and externally troubled. Yet, praying with our friends is different. The company and the assurance that we are not alone, gives us hope.

    This is what Jesus also wanted his disciples to realize as he gave them the parable of the judge and the widow. The judge in the story even though he was not at all righteous, did not fear God and did not respect any person, but gave in to the request of the persistent widow. Yes, it was because of the persistence of the widow that he granted her plea. This was the image Jesus used to bring out the character of God who is merciful. God will surely answer us because God listens to his people.

    Indeed, the parable is an invitation of Jesus for all of us to realize the need to pray always without becoming weary or exhausted. But how do we not grow weary? Well, this is where we find the importance and significance of our friends, of our community. As this was addressed by Jesus to all the disciples, it is to be understood that prayer becomes our strength, source of comfort and growth in faith when prayer also becomes our way of life as a community of disciples of Jesus.

    Now, these are the invitations for us today as well as your take-aways.

    Pray with our friends. Do not be shy or hesitate to ask your friend/s to pray with you. Even if you are in a public place, pray with your friends. Even if that is through a simple meal that you share, pray with your friends. Pray with your friends not just during bad and difficult times but also during celebrations and in times of gratitude.

    Pray with the Holy Scriptures. St. Paul tells us in his second letter to Timothy, “All Scripture is inspire by God.” And so, as we pray with our friends, maximize also the gift of the Holy Bible because praying with the Holy Scriptures allows us to discover God’s wisdom and invitations.

    Pray to confront, to encourage and to embrace. Praying with our friends is not just about mumbling words or repeating memorized prayers but this also becomes our way of confronting ourselves of our sins and failures, to encourage one another through our presence and to embrace each one with love and affection despite our limitations and differences.

    In this way, we allow our faith to grow together as friends and as a community of believers and certainly, Jesus will find faith among us. Kabay pa.

  • Lambing

    Lambing

    October 16, 2022 – 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101622.cfm)

    Resentful of his neighbor’s humble faith, a local bully would usually make fun of the old lady’s religiosity. At times he would mockingly insult her, saying: “Waay ka gid makuha sa imo pag-ampo” – You gain nothing from praying. The old lady would just keep silent & smile instead. One day, the bully overheard the lady praying this way: “Gratitude O Lord for all your blessings. My food-supply though is just enough for this week.  Hope my hard-up children could extend assistance. Though I believe you would take care of me as you always have been. If it is your will, Lord, grant me enough of what I need. So may it be.”

    Hearing this, the bully bought some enough food-supply at the grocery. Then, next day, he went to his old lady’s house, placed a bagful of grocery in front of her door, hid somewhere and waited for his neighbor’s reaction. When the neighbor found the bag outside, she was happy and all praise to God for the graces right in front of her. Suddenly, the man intervened and said, “Aha, got you. That bag of food is not from your God but from Me. See, your God doesn’t care for you“. The old lady just smiled & loudly prayed, “Lord, many thanks for these food you have provided me today and….. for letting my good neighbor pay for it“.

    Praying to God has always been part of our faith-life. And in our efforts to pray, there will always a discontent within us with the way we pray – that somehow there is something kulang/inadequate or missing in the way we pray, and we don’t know what and how. There is always a desire and longing for the best way to pray. Deep inside, we do cry: “Lord, teach us how to pray”. Our readings today are all about prayer, and teaching us how to pray.

    In our first reading, we hear that Israel won the war against Amalekite as long as and because of Moses persistently raising up his hands to heaven to pray – not without the help of others. St. Paul in the second reading appeals for constancy and never losing patience in proclaiming and sharing our faith to others. Jesus in our gospel today points out that the same kind of widow’s persistency to the judge moves God to respond to our pressing needs and concerns.

    Meaning, prayer is our humble, trusting and persistent expression of our appeals, requests – of our heart’s desire to God before His presence. In other words, our readings today are teaching us that prayer is basically our persistent & constant lambing  “Kakulitan” “Pamaraig” “paang-ga” to God, our Father.

    Here, we are reminded that God always listens to our prayers. God as our parent wants to listen to our heart’s desire. He knows and understands our needs and concerns. At the same time, he wants us to come near & be constant in our prayer-lambing to Him.

    Also, God always answers our prayers in His own time and ways. Yes, sometimes we do feel frustrated with God for not answering our prayers. But same way we experience our own parents, God seems silent or passive with our prayers but actually He is discerning and planning what is best for us, better than what we prayed for. We are only to express our prayers – our pamaraig persistently, wait patiently and trusting that not long for now we receive more and better than what we expected.  Like what happened with our story above, God has His own ways and time to grant our prayers… & perhaps, even allow others to pay for it.

    Our readings these past few Sundays have taught us also a lot about faith. We come to learn that Faith is not something we can demand, for it is God’s gift to us. Faith also is rather our response in gratitude & in return for such gift of faith we already have. And today, we are taught that our faith is also our constant loving Lambing to our father, as he reminded us in our gospel to “pray always without weary”. Meaning our faith is our constant, consistent & persistent entrusting of ourselves to Him in lambing-prayer. 

    What matters then, for Jesus is not our desires, longings, needs, hungers, and cravings for gifts, but it is our persistency, patient waiting and trust and confidence in God, our Father. Praying to God, then is about not what we pray, but how we pray; not what we ask for, but how we ask it from Him that matters. It is the manner of prayer – the lambing, kakulitan, pamaraig, paangga: is significant “For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” In other words, it is the FAITH – the asking, seeking, and knocking – and not the content, outcome, or perks are most important.

    May our prayers then be expressions of our persistent faith & without weary lambing, heart-desire to the Giver of the gift rather than our mere longing for the gifts we want & need.

    Amen. So be it. Siya Nawa.

  • The Unforgivable Sin

    The Unforgivable Sin

    October 15, 2022 – Saturday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101522.cfm)

    Do we find ourselves living in the past and unaware of our present? We might find ourselves trapped in this situation when we cannot let go of our past. Our thoughts and actions as well as our perspectives in life may have been tightly tied up by our painful memories or by our glorious past. When this becomes our way of life, we also become detached from the realities of the present. Our perception of the reality in the present may be distorted because we also see and recognize what was in the past. Our relationships could suffer greatly because we will fail to appreciate and affirm what we have at present. It will surely be a challenge also to correct our misconceptions and wrong practices and unhealthy coping at the present because we are so disconnected with reality.

    This is the image of finding ourselves in the difficult situation of moving forward, finding healing, peace and freedom. Indeed, when we are trapped in the cycle of the past we might believe that that is all. This is how a psychological trauma can affect a person as well.

    The invitation for change and transformation, for healing and forgiveness can be quite difficult because such actions can be interpreted as a threat to what we have been used to. This was how Jesus’ call for conversion was actually treated by those in power and influence in the Jewish society. The Pharisees and the lawyers were threatened by the call of Jesus and so they too denied him and did not recognize the presence of God in Jesus.

    For Jesus, this reaction can still be forgiven. However, when one blasphemes the Holy Spirit, then, this one is beyond forgiveness. What does it really mean? Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a conscious denial or rejection of the presence of God. This is a willful act of rejecting God. This is not even about the belief in the non-existence of God. In fact, the person believes in the presence of God but deliberately denies God’s presence and also of God’s grace.

    The person chooses to be separated and alienated from the grace of God, thus, becoming indifferent towards God. This surely is blasphemy because such decision and action worship not God but something or someone else. It cannot be forgiven because the person does not ask or welcome the grace of forgiveness. Total indifference, indeed! However, being separated from the grace of God will only bring us into oblivion and endless misery, to meaninglessness and hopelessness.

    The Lord does not want this for us. God’s desire for us is to totally embrace the gift of the Divine Presence so that we may be able to live life in its fullness. This is where we find the meaning in the words of Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, he said,

    “ I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you…”

    The Lord invites us today to allow him to reach out to us and to allow our hearts be touched by his grace. The Holy Spirit continuously works and moves in our life, we may become more receptive then of the movements and invitations of Spirit in our individual lives and in our community, to bring transformation and healing, forgiveness, freedom and peace. Kabay pa.

  • What influences me?

    What influences me?

    October 14, 2022 – Friday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101422.cfm)

    What usually influences me? There are many influences in our life. These influences can be in the form people who are significant in our life and so we could become dependent on what they tell us. This means that we could make life-decisions based on the influence of these significant persons in our life. We could be influenced also by our peers and close friends in terms of choices in life and ways of living. Depending on the trend our peers are following, then we could be carefree, careless or careful. We could be extravagant in our spending even beyond our financial capacity because we try to fit in with our group.

    In terms of our psychological state, our emotions can be easily influenced by chemical substances especially when it has become our habit to be drunk, to abuse drugs or indulge ourselves into some addictive behaviors. Our attitude towards people around us may also be influenced by our major emotional disposition. Meaning, we could just react out of our emotional impulse. With the surge of information we have in the social media, our “opinions” about politics, economics, religion, history etc. are also being influences by so-called “media influencers.”

    When we are surrounded also by mature people, a supportive circle of friends and an encouraging community, then, we are being helped to process our difficult experiences, understand our emotions and being led to discern and decide maturely. Indeed, we may not be constantly aware of these but our actions, words, thoughts and way of life are being influenced by the interweaving influences that we receive.

    Having all these influences in our life, as Christians, it is also good that we become aware of these so that our thoughts, our actions, our decisions and the way we respond to the realities of our life will be done in mature way, and in a way that we are able to embrace the inspiration from the Holy Spirit and become life-giving.

    This is how the Gospel today sheds significance into the many influences in our life. Jesus continued to denounce the behaviors and the evil intent of the Pharisees and scholars of the law. Jesus warned his disciples, “beware of the leaven, that is, the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.” Jesus knew their hearts, corrupted and filled with malice.

    The “leaven,” which is typically a yeast, used for the dough to rise, is the very image employed by Jesus of the evil influence that these people bring into the hearts of many. The influence they bring would lead the people away from the grace of God. The strict observance of the law up to its minutes details, becomes the focus. Yet, showing mercy to the sinners and compassion to the sick and the weak is alien to that way of life.

    Thus, Jesus challenged them and their way of life that does not believe in the mercy of God. In fact, they cannot recognize God in Jesus because they were so full of themselves. Such influence can truly lead many away from God.

    Yet, St. Paul reminds us today, “In Christ we were also chosen… we were sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit.” This is the influence that the Lord wants us to realize today. Being chosen by the Lord means that God has already embraced us and accepted us because the Lord wants us and desires our redemption. This promise of the Holy Spirit is God’s presence in us and among us bringing us closer together as a community and allowing our person to grow.

    Therefore, we ask the Lord for the grace to make our hearts more attuned and warm to the influences that the Holy Spirit brings into our life. May our thoughts, our actions, and words be more influenced by the promptings of the Holy Spirit. May our relationships, our way of life and our daily dealings with people be influenced by the presence of God dwelling in us so that we may become life-giving people. Kabay pa.

  • Allow the Lord to Confront our Guilt

    Allow the Lord to Confront our Guilt

    October 13, 2022 – Thursday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101322.cfm)

    When people begin to honestly confront our failures, mistakes and sins, it won’t be easy to stay calm and welcoming. We would surely feel bad or even feel insulted and humiliated especially when we are not used to honest feedback. This will be more unbearable to a person who tends to display a strong image with a sense of self-righteousness and mastery in many things.  A person with this attitude would be more resistant towards his or her critics. This can happen to us when we think highly of ourselves that we also tend forget how to be humble and to be accepting of negative comments and confrontations.

    What becomes more dangerous is when we also have grown to be arrogant. Arrogance in our heart could easily make us hostile and aggressive towards those who confront us and of those whom we believe are threatening our good image. This becomes our experience at home, at work, in our organizations and society. This is what we witnessed in today’s Gospel passage.

    Jesus confronted the Pharisees and scribes of their failures and sins. Yet, they could not accept Jesus’ confrontation. Consequently, they became unfriendly towards Jesus.

    Jesus also pointed out how their ancestors resulted to the killings of the prophets in the Old Testament in order to hide their sins from the people. With this, Jesus knew what was in their hearts. They wanted to keep the people away from the truth and away from God. In order to advance their personal interests, to preserve their status quo, privileges and influence in the community, they developed ways on how to make the common people their slaves. Thus, they created many laws to burden the people, high taxes were imposed upon the people, they developed and maintained a gap among their people.

    Because of this, they became furious and hostile towards Jesus as they were to the prophets before him. And so, as a retaliation they planned to also silence Jesus by killing him.

    They indeed were cursed as Jesus said because God has already come to them but then they still failed to recognize him in Jesus. The Lord has revealed himself to them but still they refused God’s offer of salvation. These people were without faith. They did not worship God but themselves alone.

    In the same way, Jesus also confronts us of our sins and failures not to demean us or to humiliate us but to make us realize of God’s mercy and freedom. Peace and freedom are not achieved by being hostile and vicious towards those who confront us of our mistakes and sins. A fulfilled life is not attained by our denial and arrogance but through humility and honesty.

    Having these experiences in us, the Lord invites us today to have the courage to confront our own guilt and of one another so that we may be able to live in a community that truly expresses concern for each one.

    St. Paul reminds us in this letter to the Ephesians, that we have been “blessed with every spiritual blessings in the heavens.” Such blessings in us would hopefully influence us to be honest and true to one another, making us humble and courageous.

    Thus, let us allow Jesus to confront us that may appear in different forms. The Lord may confront us through a friend or a colleague who has the nerve to give an honest feedback to us, or through a family member who took the risk of making us aware of our sins and mistakes, or through the Word of God that touches our conscience.

    Expect also that it will not be easy. To be criticized and be confronted by our sins will certainly bring discomfort in us. So, rather than resistant, may we have the courage to embrace that opportunity so that we may grow, become mature and be renewed. Kabay pa.