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Tag: Jesus

  • 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.

  • Give me a sign Lord

    Give me a sign Lord

    October 10, 2022 – Monday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101022.cfm)

    Do you also ask signs from God? This is surely a common experience to many of us to ask signs from God especially when we are about to make a major decision in life or undergoing difficult situations. We take comfort and assurance when we also believe that we already have the sign that we have been asking. This belief must be coming from our need to see something physical or concrete because we want certainty and security.

    However, the divine signs that we ask for may not appear to what we expect it to be. Meaning, we could be more focused to look for what is extra-ordinary and out of this world signs when in fact, the Lord reveals his presence and graces through ordinary means. This is something that we have heard in today’s Gospel which is both a warning and an invitation for us.

    The people who were around Jesus asked for a sign from him. They want Jesus to do something extra-ordinary, perhaps, some kind of magic. This was the sign that they wanted to ask before they would believe in him. Yet, as Jesus said, no sign shall be given them.

    They did not realize that Jesus himself, his very presence in their midst is the greatest sign shown by the Lord God to them. Jesus is the Word-made-Man, God who dwells among us, nevertheless, people were unable to recognize such Divine Presence because they were blinded and deaf. They were blinded by hatred and bitterness in their hearts. They have become deaf to God’s invitation because of being self-righteous and self-centered.

    Indeed, we could become a person who is blinded and deaf of God’s self-revelation and invitations when we only think of ourselves and more busy of looking for extra-ordinary things to happen. Let us remember, God manifests himself in ordinary ways, through our human experiences, through the movements of the world and the whole creation. Let us be more welcoming of the presence of a person in our life, of an embrace of a loved one, of the kind words and generosity of our friends.

    Thus, we are invited to be more attuned to God’s many manifestations in our life and in the world. It is by being able to discern and recognize God’s invitation that we also discover more God’s desire for us. Kabay pa.

  • GOD without Borders

    GOD without Borders

    October 9, 2022 – 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100922.cfm)

    The common belief among many Jews in Biblical times was that God was only for them. Yahweh chose them to be His people and thus, it was understood that the Lord God would only favor them and no other peoples except them. This belief made them exclusive to the point that outsiders are unwelcomed. More than this, God was as if being monopolized by the people and not wanting the Lord to be outside. This belief proved to be problematic and caused a lot of divisions, hatred and indifference among the people.

    Such form of monopoly can also be present and creeping even in our culture today as Christians among our groups and religious organizations. Like for example, there was a choir-group in a small parish who seemed to be so exclusive and trying to monopolize their services for weddings, funerals and even birthday events in the community. There were even particular songs they claimed that only them should sing and no other groups. They went further by advertising their choir group to the people to advance their singing services. As a result, such actions caused divisions and unnecessary conflicts and tensions in the Parish Community. Their exclusivity and monopoly become toxic.

    This belief and attitude of our heart, indeed, not just limit us but also limit God to be God. Our exclusivity and monopolizing attitude could make us unwelcoming and horribly indifferent towards others.

    This is something that the readings we have today on this 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time are trying to convey to us that God is without borders and our Church and all our communities cannot be exclusive and cannot monopolize God. So, allow me now to journey with you through our readings and see how God calls us today.

    In the first reading from the Second Book of Kings, Naaman who was a commander of a Syrian Army, went to Elisha to be cleansed from leprosy. Naaman was first told about Elisha by his captured-slave, a young girl from Israel. Naaman who was very desperate listened to her and went to Elisha. For the Hebrews at this time, their belief told them that this foreigner did not deserve to be cleansed of leprosy because he was different and an enemy. Yet, though it was not directly through Elisha, Naaman was cleansed as he was instructed by the prophet to plunge into the Jordan river seven times.

    This was something very significant here. Elisha was telling something very important. He did not even touch Naaman but only instructed him. Elisha wanted Naaman to realize the power and grace of God directly working in Naaman. Naaman understood this, hence, he was grateful for that encounter with the Lord. The gratitude of Naaman was overflowing and was transformed into action through his new found faith in God. Though Elisha refused to accept his gift, yet, Naaman in response worship the Lord from then on.

    This healing story of Naaman already tells us that God is not limited among the Hebrew people. God’s grace and favor cannot be monopolized by a particular culture or group. This is something we have heard as well in the Responsorial Psalm that clearly proclaims, “The Lord has revealed to the NATIONS his saving power.” Yes, the Lord’s presence is revealed to many nations not just to one nation, not just to a particular group of people or race or language. But to all.

    Moreover, today’s passage in the Gospel of Luke tells us also of another healing of a group of despised people, the lepers like Naaman. There were 10 of them who asked Jesus’ mercy so that they will be cleansed. Nine were Jews and one was a Samaritan. People won’t come near them for fear of contamination. This was the reason why they stood at a distance and did not dare to come near. Here, we can already notice the indifference among the people against them. These lepers were unwanted and unwelcomed, believed to be cursed by God.

    However, as the 10 lepers were on their way to the priest as instructed by Jesus, they were healed and cleansed from leprosy. This is where we find the turn of events and a seemingly more faces of animosity and indifference. Only one of the ten came back to give thanks to God for the grace of healing received. The nine did not, as Jesus also wondered. Well, we can also suspect that the nine Jewish lepers, they must have not believed that the Samaritan among them will also be healed and cleansed. It must be still in their hearts that bitterness and exclusivity.

    Upon seeing the Samaritan who was also healed, they must have felt bad and turned bitter believing that the Samaritan did not deserve such grace. This could be the reason why they forgot to give thanks to God. Their heart must be heavy and could not accept the reality that God also graces even non-Jews.

    However, God is not limited to any group of people. No one can monopolize the grace of God or claim that God is theirs alone because God remains faithful to all. Yes, God is faithful to all humanity and to all His creatures. This is what Paul reminds us in his second letter to Timothy. Paul who was already old and was in prison at this time reminded his friend Timothy, of God’s faithfulness even when we become unfaithful to the Lord.

    Thus, on this Sunday there are at least two points that I would like you to dwell.

    First, God is without borders. Meaning, we do not have the monopoly of God and of God’s grace. This invites us  then to be more faithful to our identity as Catholics, which basically means, universal or inclusive. Thus, let not our differences become a reason to be indifferent with one another, or become hostile with each other. We are all brothers and sisters, no one should be left alone and be apart from God’s family.

    Second, let our gratitude transform to active faith. Naaman’s gratitude made him worship God and the healed Samaritan Leper’s gratitude made him to give thanks to the Lord. So, let also our gratitude to the Lord become an expression of faith that recognizes God’s inclusive presence and grace to all. Hence, let our faith become inclusive and not discriminating. Let our faith gathers, not divides. Let our faith generates understanding and love, not hostility and apathy to those who are different from us. Kabay pa.

  • Transformed by Faith

    Transformed by Faith

    October 8, 2022 – Saturday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100822.cfm)

    How does my faith in God mold may ways of thinking, behaving and speaking? How does my faith in God play a role in my relationships, in my career and profession, in my studies and endeavors? How does my faith in God transform me as a person?

    These questions would be very good to take into our heart and see how our Christian faith works in our life. Having faith is not limited with doing religious practices and faithfully observing religious obligations. Having faith is not limited on Sundays as well or during seasonal religious celebrations during Holy Week or Christmas only. When faith is only a “part” in our life, then faith becomes our extra-curricular activity.  Faith is a way of life and as Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said, “faith is our human response of love to God who first loved us.”

    Faith, therefore, is a human response, an active response of love. This response is basically spontaneous, neither obligated nor mandated by any law. It’s spontaneous because it comes from a heart filled with so much love and gratitude to God. Consequently, faith brings us into an intimate relationship with God who calls us and loves us first. “Through faith we become children of God in Christ Jesus,” as St Paul reminds us today in his letter to the Galatians. And because we are made children of God, it is only right that we call each other sisters and brothers and breaking any division caused by hatred and indifference among us. We become one in Christ Jesus. This is what it means to be a Community of Faith.

    Moreover, in today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that “blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” And Mary, the mother of Jesus and our mother heard the word of God, accepted and embraced the word in her whole life and let the word to grow within her. This is how faith in the life of Mary transformed her life because the Word of God grew in her heart and was made flesh through her. In that way, the life of Mary became an instrument of bringing God’s presence to all.

    This is also how we are called today as we accept and embrace the gift of faith, to let it grow in our hearts, in our lives and allow the Lord to transform our whole life. May our thoughts, actions, words and our relationships, work and our very person become ways of loving that bring blessing to all. Kabay pa.