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Tag: Moved with love

  • To Move towards Jesus and To Move like Jesus

    To Move towards Jesus and To Move like Jesus

    January 21, 2021 – Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012121.cfm)

    There are two interesting movements in the Gospel of Mark. These two movements are the invitations that I would like you today to remember. First is the movement of the people towards Jesus. Second is the movement of Jesus.

    How do we deal with our stress and tensions? With the difficulties we encounter daily? Or with our own personal issues? In dealing with these, we develop coping mechanism to address our issues. They could be a healthy or an unhealthy coping. There will be occasions where we fall into unhealthy coping mechanism that may trap us from growing and becoming more mature in the way we look at ourselves, in the way we relate with others and even in the way we relate with God. What prevents us could be our stubborn heart to accept our failures and limitations. What hinders us too is our arrogance to rely on our capacities, with our achievements, with our strength and will that refuse to seek help from others or even healing from God.

    Considering all these, I am reminded of today’s Gospel to always approach the Lord in humility but with confidence. This is what we have heard in the Gospel as people from all over the place came to follow Jesus. Mark tells us how the people were drawn towards Jesus. Those people took the risk that they too will see Jesus, touch Jesus and be healed by Jesus from whatever burden or suffering they were carrying.

    Mark presents to us how Jesus was drawing multitude of people. This tells us indirectly how the people have recognized that Jesus has come to give them life, to give them pardon and forgiveness, to give them freedom, to seek the lost, to heal the sick, to uplift the distressed and hopeless and comfort the brokenhearted.

    In Jesus, they must have saw “life.” This is the invitation for us in this first movement – and that is to be able to see life in Jesus and not in any unhealthy coping mechanism, not in arrogance, not in the stubbornness of our heart, not in self-doubt, not in complacency and self-satisfaction.

    Thus, we will only be able to touch Jesus once we also take the movement in taking the risk to remain humble and to remain dependent on God. The people approached Jesus in humility and recognize their poverty and need of God. This means that I am called to recognize my own inadequacies and weaknesses, issues and areas of healing. To remain dependent on God means that I am called to completely put my trust in God’s goodness and providence, and not just on my own strength and capacity. This is the first movement and the call to move towards Jesus.

    Again in the Gospel, Mark presents to us how Jesus became so popular. People heard about him and the wonders he did to many. He became “viral and sensational.” If Jesus was not conscious of his identity, he could easily manipulate the people who have come to him in order to gain praises only for himself and nothing to his Father in heaven. The popularity that he gained, the influence that he was able to build up and his power over the people were most probably also forms of temptations to him from Satan. Surely, Satan had also used these against Jesus.

    However, his awareness of his identity and confidence in His Father in heaven “moved” him to be more generous to the people and more conscious of their needs. As a result, he touched others, listened to them individually and taught them effectively.

    This reminds me to be always grounded and to be always aware of my own identity that I am a sinner in need of mercy, yet, chosen and loved by the Lord. This is a call then for us, not to be intoxicated with the popularity that we might have, with the affirmations and recognitions that we may gain, with the people who have come to us for help, with people who admire us. Intoxication of self-promotion, of self-entitlement, and self-gratification will only lead us to the temptation of gaining control and power that may also lead to abuses, in whatever forms that may be, and corruption.

    This reminds us to be always conscious and discerning as a person. To grow in confidence with God, like Jesus, will make our heart thankful and joyful. This is indeed an invitation for us to have a heart that is simple and undefiled by any form of bitterness, insecurity, arrogance and entitlement.

    To have this heart means to be able to love – a love that does not count the cost or expecting any return of investment. This love comes from the generous heart of God. Thus, the call of Jesus’ movement is a call to see God with others, with my brothers and sisters. This is the second movement and the call to move like Jesus. Hinaut pa.

  • Because Love is of God

    Because Love is of God

    January 5, 2021 – Tuesday after Epiphany, Memorial of St. John Neumann, CSsR

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010521.cfm)

    John who is believed to be the author of the 2 Letters of John and the Gospel of John is known to be Jesus’ beloved disciple. Among all the disciples of Jesus, it was only John who died out of old age and missed martyrdom. John who had grown old revealed to us now his consciousness and deep faith in Jesus who loved him so much.

    This is the reason why we have the 1st letter of John talking about one thing, love, not just any ordinary love but the Love who is God. Throughout the life of John, the very reason that drew him to follow the Lord was the love of God for him.

    John reminded us how this love of God works in our Christian life. In his first letter, he proclaimed, “to love one another, because love is of God.” When we have God in us, it moves us to love. John realized how the love of God was revealed to us. This love is revealed through the birth of God’s only-begotten Son, Jesus.

    From Jesus, who is the Father’s concrete expression of love and the face of God’s love, life is gifted to us. John truly felt the weight of this love through his life. It was because of this love that made him to stand strong even in the midst of confusion at the arrest of Jesus. John remained fearless even when Jesus was persecuted. He followed Jesus on his way to Golgotha. John was also present at the foot of the cross of Jesus with Mary and witnessed the death of his Lord. John was also the first to believe in Jesus’ resurrection upon seeing the empty tomb despite his confusion and fears.

    It was this love that made John confident and affirmed. The love that he truly believed is life in itself. He believed that God first loved him and because God is faithful. God will always love him even if everyone and everything goes wrong.

    It is the same love that God tells us today. God wants that we too will have the fullness of our life. Fullness of life means being in love and remaining in love. In other words, fullness of life also means being in God and remaining in God in all the days of our life.

    It should be this the same love that would hopefully lead us to see the light and joy even in the midst of suffering and pain in life, even in the midst of rejection and betrayal of people who are close to us. This love should also inspire us to respond in love, to express our love to God, to ourselves, and to others even to those who have hurt us and people we do not like.

    This is what Jesus also showed us in today’s Gospel. Seeing the vast crowd of people who were in pain and suffering, hungry and abandoned, Jesus was moved with pity. Jesus did not only looked at them but he also responded in love. With this, Jesus allowed his disciples to join him in that response of love by giving what they had. The five loaves and two fish as their food were given out of generosity so that others may be satisfied and be filled. This, indeed, is love.

    Again, John reminds us, “love!” Because it is of God, and we will never go wrong. Loving the way God loves can be painful, but, God’s love heals and comfort, empowers and liberates us. May we enjoy and cherish that love in us today. Hinaut pa.

  • True love never goes wrong

    True love never goes wrong

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    September 7, 2020 – Monday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090720.cfm)

    Homily

    True love could never go wrong. The Lord could never inflict any bad thing on anybody. Jesus only desires our wellbeing, our healing, and our freedom. The presence of Jesus among us is the concrete expression of God’s tremendous and empowering love. Perhaps, it is our way of loving that could go wrong because ours is filled with selfishness and of too much self-importance to the point that our way of loving becomes corrupted and vicious.

    This is how St Paul reminded the people in his first letter to the Corinthians. A man living with his father’s wife was no love at all and not something that one should be proud of. Paul called it immorality. Paul also called such action an “old yeast,” a yeast of malice and wickedness.

    This malice and wickedness were the intentions felt by Jesus among the scribes and Pharisees while he was teaching in a synagogue. In this event, Jesus graced the people with his presence by teaching them and to perform in a concrete way how love desires the wellbeing, the healing and the freedom of a person.

    However, the scribes and the Pharisees were more concerned on how to accuse Jesus of something and then put him to death. One could not claim that these people were without love. They must have loved also, yet, their way of loving was filled with selfishness. They became corrupt and vicious. They felt threatened by the presence of Jesus who only desired goodness.

    This tells us too that a corrupt and vicious person will always be threatened by the goodness and kindness, sincerity and truthfulness of others. They felt threatened by the presence of Jesus because the very person of the Lord, his way of life, teachings and works mirrored their incapacities, their corruption, their self-absorption, their malice and wickedness. Through the very person of Jesus, they were confronted and called to be healed and to be renewed.

    Yet, these people could not because they were trapped in that kind of life. They could not because it was too much for them. Thus, with evil intent they have been looking for something to accuse Jesus and bring him to death.

    However, the Lord cannot be stopped from doing good, from giving life and bringing healing to us. The Lord willfully healed the man on a Sabbath day to tell us how ridiculous “a law made by man” can be. Hence, the question of Jesus, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?”

    This question was directed to those who were with evil intent and those who were seeking to destroy life. Certainly, this is no love at all.

    Today, the Lord also calls us to examine our way of loving and to learn the way the Lord loves. Loving in the way of the Lord would never go wrong. May our way of loving then, be motivated with the desire to bring goodness, healing and freedom. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

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  • Our God is moved with compassion

    Our God is moved with compassion

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    July 9, 2020 – Thursday 14th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070920.cfm)

    Homily

    If someone hit and hurt you, is it not that we also desire revenge and desire that they too will experience pain? Our human tendency is to inflict pain to others when we are being hurt. This is what animals usually do. When we accidentally and even deliberately hurt a dog, the dog may automatically bites us in return as a defense mechanism. Or when we hurt a cat, the cat may scratch us too. They do that without any discernment and they respond because of the danger to protect themselves.

    However, though we belong to the Animal Kingdom but we have the capacity to discern and to go beyond from our animalistic attitudes and selfish human tendencies.

    The Book of Hosea, in our first reading reminds us today about this. Moreover, the way Hosea reminds us is very much interesting. Hosea pictures God like a parent who loves so much His children. As a parent, God felt being betrayed and rejected because His child did not recognize His love. God’s child was ungrateful and childish. God indeed, like a parent was in pain upon realizing how ungrateful and unfaithful his beloved child to their covenant.

    However, it is in this love too that God proves His faithfulness and compassion to his lost and sinful child. God does not respond to human sinfulness out of impulse because of anger. This is not God’s way.

    The Book of Hosea describes to us God’s character in these words, “My heart is troubled within me and I am moved with compassion. I will not give vent to my great anger; I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not human. I am the Holy One in your midst; and I do not want to come to you in anger.”

    Such beautiful words and also powerful and comforting. This reminds us again that God sees beyond our sins and beyond our ugly selfish human tendencies. As we are made by God, made through God’s love, God cannot turn against Himself. God sees Himself in us. God’s compassion for us springs from that identity in us.

    We can also do this when we become more discerning. To discern allows us to see as God sees and to love as God loves.

    Thus, do not believe when others express how hopeless a person can be because of his or her sinful way of life. Do not be tempted to believe that the your painful and traumatic experience has made you hopeless. Do not be driven to believe also that this worst situation we have today will be the end. No. This belief and expression of hopelessness is not from God.

    Let us discern more because God sees us and God is moved with compassion. What we are suffering now is not God’s desire. Our suffering is not God’s anger upon us. God will not destroy us. God will rather save us and make us free.

    This is the concrete message of Jesus to his disciples, “heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons.” God’s desire for us is to be liberated, to be free, to have life in its fullness. As God is moved with compassion, God is also moved to respond and be with us.

    This is God’s invitation for us today. As Jesus commanded his friends, each of us too is being sent to go and to proclaim what God reveals to us. Thus, do not allow our fear and anxiety to prevent us in bringing God’s comfort to those who are in need. Do not allow also our anger, hatred and desperation to take control of our life that would lead us to respond out of impulse. Be more discerning then, on how we could express in concrete ways our faith and our love for God and for our neighbor.

    Though it may be difficult to move around and visit the homes of our friends and in our community due to the restrictions of our movements, but then, this should not stop us from being more kind and generous to others. Evangelize others through your good works and attitudes that express God’s characters of being compassionate, patient and merciful. Encourage others in your own capacity, to listen and live God’s word even through our live stream masses via Facebook or radio. Be more active then, in participating in God’s call to tell others of God’s goodness and hope in us. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR