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Tag: Sunday

  • Afterwards

    Afterwards

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    September 27, 2020 – 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092720.cfm)

    Homily

    Jesus told this parable of the two sons to make a point to his listeners that they may be able to see themselves in the story. The parable is a common situation at home that those who were listening could relate well. The father who asked his sons to be in the vineyard depicts an image of the everyday struggle of parents in motivating their children to follow them. And this kind of domestic situation was being used by Jesus to  make his message known and let people know God’s invitation.

    Thus, for us this Sunday, let us go deeper into this parable. Let us see the attitudes of the two sons and discover God’s invitation for us today.

    The father asked the first son to go and work in the vineyard. However, this son refused and said he will not. This son must be very busy with some other things in his life. He did not want any disturbance from his father. And so the father received an immediate “no” from his son. However, the Gospel told us that “afterwards,” the son changed his mind and went and worked in the vineyard.

    The word “afterwards” is very important here. Certainly, the son did not want to be disturbed. He did not want to be challenged by his father. He did not want to participate or to follow what his father said. At that time, what his father told him was insignificant for him. Yet, “afterwards,” he realized something and changed his mind. He changed his attitude and changed the direction of his life.

    This “afterwards” of the son was that process of realization on the importance of life. This son who initially refused his father had thought very well the implications of his actions. Not to go and work in the vineyard will not only not be his failure but will affect the entire family. This means that the “afterwards” of the first son became a moment for him to think not just for himself but also for people around him.

    This is what St Paul said in his letter to the Philippians, “do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves.” Certainly, this “afterwards” made the son to consider others and move from his own comforts in order to respond to a greater need. Thus, from changing his mind, this allowed him to change his perspective in life and his approach towards life. Moreover, this inspired him too to change his actions that led to transformation. Prophet Ezekiel tells us something about this, “since he has turned away from all the sins which he committed, he shall surely live.”

    This first son is the image of those sinners like the tax collectors and prostitutes at the time of Jesus who at their encounter with John the Baptist were touched and thought of their life. Indeed, the presence of Jesus made a great impact on their life and moved them to change and transform their life according to God’s desire for them.

    However, the second son in the story who was also asked by the father to go and work in the vineyard and said his big “Yes,” did something that must have surprised the father. This second son, though his words must have been a comfort and assurance to the father, revealed later on that he was only filled with pretensions. This son was only concerned in being affirmed. His words were empty. His words were merely a sugar-coating. Yet, his actions revealed different.

    This means that this son responded in words but he never listened and never believed. Afterall, what he was after was himself. He was merely concerned of his own interests. He did not consider others.

    Indeed, the second son is the image of the religious leaders and elders of the community at that time of Jesus. These were the people who memorized the scriptures, strict in observing rituals yet never changed their minds and attitudes towards others. They never believed in Jesus because believing in Jesus meant moving away from their privileges, moving away from their comforts, challenging the status quo and making themselves less important.

    The call of Jesus was too much for them, not good for their self-righteous image, bad for their business.  That’s why Jesus criticized their attitudes because they were only full of themselves, full of pretensions. When we become people like these, then, we are only depriving ourselves with true life, with freedom and depriving ourselves with the joy of being with God.

    God invites us today to identify ourselves not with the second son but with the first son who like him have said “NO” to the Lord many times. The mistakes, failures and sins we have committed in life were those moments of saying “no” to the Lord. Those were the moments of depriving ourselves with true life, with freedom and joy of being with God. Yet, time and again, God surprises us with His presence and appears before us through people and events to call us once again and to invite us to come closer to him.

    God only desires what is good and best for us. God desires that we enjoy a life where we are free and joyful. Hence, never deprive ourselves from these by becoming full of pretensions, full of selfishness. A person who is always pretentious, selfish, always seeking approval and affirmation, advancing his or her personal interest is a very sad and insecure person.

    Let us embrace our “afterwards,” those moments of realizations to dwell deeper on the importance of our life, of our relationships , of God, and on how our actions can affect others. By becoming less and less selfish and self-conscious then the more we become loving, life-giving and happy. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • DO What You Mean

    DO What You Mean

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    September 27, 2020 – 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092720.cfm)

    Homily

    Recently, a Q&A post was logged in Facebook. It asked the question: Is mortal sin forgiven only through sacramental confession? In other words, is it enough just to confess your sin to be forgiven of your mortal sin? The answer was, sacramental confession is normatively but not absolutely required of mortal sin. Meaning, confession can forgive mortal sin but it is not the only one way of forgiving and being forgiven of mortal sins. Saying sorry then is not enough for you have to do something about being sorry to renew faith & trust with others.

    Yes, forgiving mortal sin through sacramental confession is all about reconciliation with God and others, but it is also and moreso about repentance – the whole process of turning from sin and dedicating oneself to amend one’s life & relationships for the better.

    Our readings today have a lot to teach us about repentance. First of all, repentance is more than just changing one’s mind, but it is about making a choice – a stand for ones life. In our gospel, both sons changed their minds, the second did not fulfill what he promised while the first did what was requested which he had initially refused. The virtuous as well as the wicked may also change their mind as our first reading suggests. Although it involves much changing one’s mind, repentance thus requires our choice – to turn away from virtuous or wicked life, as well as to fulfill or neglect our promise.

    Second, repentance is giving oneself and the others another chance. In our gospel today, because he chose to neglect his promise, the second son did not give himself and his father a chance to make things right. The first son however gives himself and his father another chance to make things right again by doing what was requested, even though he did not initially commit at first. In the same way, for the wicked to change his mind and turn away from his wickedness, he gives himself another chance for God to forgive and be merciful to Him, and for himself to lead a virtuous life.

    Third, repentance is about saying what you mean and meaning what you say. It is not only about confessing you sin – just saying you’re sorry, but it is all about Being sorry. Confessing one’s sin is also not only about resolving to change your ways but it is all committing/ dedicating oneself in changing one’s life. Jesus asks about whom among the sons who Did the will of Father. He is not concern with who says Yes or No, but who does the Father’s will. Meaning, God needs doers who mean what they say, live and witness what they preach and believe, rather than preachers who do not do, live, witness what they say and preach.

    Although less appreciated compared to other sacraments, repentance of sin through the sacrament of reconciliation or confession is actually a Gospel – a good news of God’s salvation because it involves the resolve and commitment of the sinner to change one’s life, to give oneself and God another chance, as well as to live his life and dedicate his faith as witness to Christ’s good news to all.     

    St. Francis of Assisi who once said: Preach the Good news at all times, and use words when necessary. This reminds us that everything in our life as Christian – our struggles, hopes, dreams, aspirations, commitments, as well as our repentance of sin is a Life of Witness to the Good News of Christ. Whatever we do and however we live our Christian lives is a testimony to God’s work of salvation. It is ours now to share and preach such gospel to all at all times, not only by our words but also by our actions.

    Remember our God is a God of surprises and another chances who we will come to know if and when we give Him and ourselves another chance of better than usual life through our reconciliation and repentance. Somehow Jesus is saying to us today that it is never too late for us to change our minds, our ways and our lives…. just believe in Him, and be His witness by doing what we mean. This would be the Lord’s  challenge for us now.

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    Today’s pandemic times has indeed been a significant crisis experience for all of us that also requires our important life-adjusting decisions. Difficult as it may be, these times could also be our choosing to give ourselves and God another chance now for a better meaningful than our usual directionless life,  by our living our lives in witness of our faith. Transform, O Lord, our initial refusal, reluctance and neglect to follow you so that we may taste and see the better chance you are offering us now even amidst and through this pandemic crisis in our life. Amen.

    By  Fr. Aphelie Mario Masangcay, CSsR (a former Filipino Redemptorist Missionary for Filipino Migrants in South Korea who, due to immune compromised diabetic condition, stationed back home  in the Philippines for now).

  • God is Generous

    God is Generous

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    September 20, 2020 – 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092020.cfm)

    Homily

    To seek recognition, affirmation and praise are all part of growing up. We see this among our children as they always try to get the attention of their parents or among the adults around them. Children have their own way of getting attention. However, when parents become indifferent to this need of a child, this could leave a hallow and painful part in the life of a child. Thus, when the child becomes an adult, he or she  would most probably continue seeking recognition and affirmation from people around in order to satisfy that need which the person did not receive from home.

    We could be this person who continually seek to be recognized, affirmed and praised. There is nothing wrong with this need. However, this could also lead us to become bitter, unsatisfied and envious of others despite the talents we have developed or despite the success we have achieved. We would tend to accumulate more and demand for more praises and affirmations to the point of becoming indifferent towards the needs of others.

    The tendency to accumulate more praises and demand for greater reward because of the good qualities we have can only poison our hearts and relationships. This tendency makes our heart unwelcoming to others who need more than us.

    This attitude was what the Pharisees showed at the time of Jesus. They believed that their superiority made them deserving of all God’s goodness and graces. They cannot accept the teaching of Jesus that others could also experience the goodness of God. They despised Jesus for offering God’s forgiveness and gift of healing to the poor, the sick, and sinners. They despised Him because they believed that God’s grace was reserved for them alone.

    This is what we find in the Gospel. It teaches us how God treats all of us, showing concern and compassion.

    This parable speaks of the generosity of the landowner towards the workers. The first ones who were hired on that day felt jealous with those who were hired at the last hour. The first ones worked the whole day and the last ones worked only for an hour. But then, they all received the same wage according to the agreed wage for that whole day work.

    The first ones were disappointed because they thought that those who only worked for an hour did not deserve for that wage. Since they worked hard, they should be above them and those who worked less should not be treated like them. But then, for the landowner, if he will not give the usual wage for those who were hired last then the food that they will bring for their families will not be enough. They will still starve on that day. It means that the parable actually is not about labor issues but of God’s generosity to each of us.

    Indeed, this is what we always believed that when we are more gifted than the others, more intelligent, more educated and so the more we feel entitled, and seeking to have more; and those who are lesser than us, should have less. When we feel that we are more religious, going to church and saying the rosary daily, we might think that we are far better than those who don’t go to church and do not pray. When we feel that our educational achievements, our status in the community, or our material possessions make us higher in dignity than others, then, we might believe that we can just ignore those whom we think as lesser than us, and become indifferent with those who do not belong to our class.

    Unconsciously, we also become like the Pharisees who did not have the sympathy for those who were struggling in life. The poor, the sick and the weak sinners at the time of Jesus can be today’s young people who have been addicted to drugs, to alcohol, to gambling or any addiction not because they are bad but because of family problems, broken relationships and low self- esteem. They can also be our friends or family members whom we continually bully because they are weaklings, untalented and less intelligent than us. They can be people working for us or those who are around us and doing menial jobs just because they did not have much opportunities like you to uplift their life.

    But remember, God relates to us not merely because of the effort that we did but because of “who we are” to Him. God is good to us not because we are deserving but because God is so good and generous. We are all loved by him no matter what, no matter how big our failures were, no matter how serious our sins are.

    Thus, for those who have worked hard, for those who have been so faithful to God, this gospel is not meant to discourage you for working hard, for doing your daily devotion but this is meant for us to know that God is generous also towards those who are less fortunate. And we have the role to lift up those who are less fortunate in this life. For those of us who felt that we are lesser beings, felt unworthy because of our mistakes, failures and sins – this Gospel is truly good news for us because God tells us today that we too are blessed because we are loved. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Life and Freedom in forgiveness

    Life and Freedom in forgiveness

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    September 13, 2020 – 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091320.cfm)

    Homily

    A friend shared her troubles. There have been nights of anguish and sorrow that she was enduring in the past months. The difficult situation of the lockdown and the movement and work restrictions in the City added to her emotional suffering and even heightened the way she’s handling her troubles. There’s so much anger, hatred and self-blame in her heart. Something has triggered her painful memory of the past that relived the physical and emotional abuse she suffered from her father. That painful memory brought fresh anguish and sorrow, as well as those feelings of anger, hatred and self-blame.

    These emotional suffering became episodes of attacks to the point of having sleepless nights and empty feelings during the day. As she said, she could not find a way on how to reconcile things, find peace and realize forgiveness. Her traumatic memory was just too painful to forget.

    Though that memory happened in a distant past but it remains fresh in her mind every time she remembers that. Indeed, this happens when a traumatic memory is merely buried in forgetfulness and covered by pretensions that as if nothing had happened. However, not unless that past of horror is accepted, embraced, confronted and be forgiven and not forgotten, only then, a person achieves peace and reconciliation.

    How important really then, is forgiveness? Is it possible at all to forgive without forgetting?

    This Sunday’s Gospel, the response of Jesus to the question of Peter regarding the number of times to forgive others and the parable he gave to his disciples tell us of God’s invitation to forgive and its important in the way we live our life as Christians and in our desire to live in freedom.

    We have heard Peter how he asked Jesus about how many times he should forgive. For the Jews a righteous man should forgive those who have hurt them for four times. However, Peter exceeded that and made it to seven. He thought he has more than enough. Nevertheless, Jesus responded to him that not just seven times but seventy seven times. The number actually does not matter. What Jesus is saying is that, forgiveness has no limit.

    Why is that? Why forgive without limit? It is even so difficult to forgive even once especially when the person who hurt us is someone we love and someone we trust. As what my friends shared to me, most of our pains are sometimes rooted from our relationships especially when we are betrayed or abused or deceived by a family member or friends.

    The pain and suffering that come from those broken relationships create deep wounds in us. And will forgiveness be possible then? Yes, it is. And forgiveness will always be a call for each of us.

    Hence, unless we find forgiveness in our hearts that begins with accepting and embracing those painful experiences and go on with life, then, we will not be free.

    Remember, forgiveness will make us free. It will not erase the scar of betrayal or of abuse or of deceit in our life but we will be able to stand up, to wipe our tears and go on with life.

    Forgiveness then is not about telling the person, that what he/she did was okay and pretend as if nothing happens. No! Forgiveness is to heal our wounded heart that will make us say to the person, “I forgive you not because of who you are but because of who I am.” This is what the Dalai Lama said.  This means that to forgive is not about to forget. To forgive is not to allow that painful memory to hurt us again in the present and to be freed from grip of violence.

    Forgiveness, then, also is not really for the person who hurt us or those who caused us the pain but rather it is all about us. The pain that we endure will lead us to feelings of anger, hatred and bitterness.  When we linger to these they will lead us to a heart that seeks revenge. This will become our tendency from our belief that by hurting the person back, our anger and hatred will be satisfied. But then, we are wrong because anger and hatred will never be satisfied by violence. Violence will only make us angrier, hateful and bitter person. The more we linger to our pain, anger and hate; they become a cycle that will never end. The Book from Sirach reminds us about this, that wrath and anger are hateful things that we sinners love to hug them tight.

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    This is how a person can create a cycle of violence, of revenge, of anger and hatred mostly directed towards ourselves. We will become prisoner of our own pain. All of these will control our lives, our thoughts and actions. We will never be free. We will begin to become suspicious to our other relationships. We will be afraid of trusting others, of loving others again and even ourselves. We are fearful because we linger to that pain thinking that other people might do it again to us. Hence, the cycle begins.

    This, indeed, is the attitude of an unforgiving person portrayed by Jesus in the parable. The person who was all cleared by the king from his debts became unforgiving and unkind to his fellow servants. Despite the kindness and the forgiveness shown by the king to him, he turned to be filled with hatred and resentment towards those who were indebted to him. He was violent, vicious and hateful. Thus, while causing pain and damage to others because of being unforgiving, he too later on was punished and suffered more.

    This is what Jesus is saying to us now and he wants us to forgive many times because a single un-forgiveness will only make us prisoner of our own pain and hatred. Jesus wants us to be free and not prisoners of anger, hatred, and bitterness or of violence. Jesus invites us to find life and freedom in forgiveness.

    In this way, we may always find reconciliation with God and with those who have hurt us so that in return, we too shall also be forgiven by those we hurt in one way or in many ways. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Be Forgiven BY Being Forgiving for God

    Be Forgiven BY Being Forgiving for God

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    September 13, 2020 – 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091320.cfm)

    Homily

    “To err is human, to forgive is divine.” Easy for us to say these words at times to make excuses for our wrongdoings and to ask forgiveness for our mistakes. However, we also say same words of excuse to refuse forgiveness to those who have wronged and hurt us. “What can I do, I’m only human.” “Pasensya lang, tao lang po.” These words in fact describe not only our human frailty but also our difficulties of forgiving others. Perhaps asking forgiveness is much easier than giving forgiveness. But nevertheless to forgive is indeed difficult, especially whenever it is associated with “forgive and forget”.

    When his disciples asked Jesus how often should we forgive those who have sinned against us, they are just expressing our difficulties in practicing and upholding the value of forgiveness in our lives. Yes, like the disciples we see the value of forgiveness in our lives but we also know how frustrating forgiveness is and can be. In response to this, somehow Jesus in our gospel teaches and offers us something more about forgiveness.

    When he said “not seven times but seventy-seven,” Jesus is telling us to forgive indefinitely. Forgiving others then is not about numbers (counting faults, sins, mistakes and forgiveness) but all about sharing – GIVING your compassion and forgiveness (awa at patawad) without counting the cost or prize. Meaning, though human it is for us to err and to forgive is divine, nevertheless it is also human to forgive. Frail human as we are, we CAN also forgive and be forgiving of others. Difficult and frustrating it may be,  we can humanely and divinely give and share forgiveness with one another. 

    In our parable today about “the forgiven yet unforgiving servant,” Jesus is also teaching us that forgiveness is more than just “forgive and forget”. For Jesus, forgiveness is all about settling account, paying back, being patient, and regaining trust and respect. Meaning  to forgive is not about forgetting but all about evaluating, i.e. to put value and importance to the action-done, the experience-happened and the relationship-built. In other words,  Bigyang halaga at hinidi binabaliwala lamang. So, to forgive is then not about forgetting but rather about remembering – to put value on the whole experience of reconciliation from mistakes as part/member of ones life. It is a decision to give value, importance and responsibility to your action, experience and relationship.  And not to get out, get rid, and get away from our own mess, but to give God, each other and yourself another chance to grow and live life. For instance, the master forgave the servant because the master gives value and respect to the mercy-asked, promised-made and the relationship-renewed between him and the servant.  However the same forgiven servant was unforgiving because he did not value and respect his fellow servant. That is why to forgive is also  for both the aggrieved and aggressor to remember the wrongdoings-done, lessons-learned & restored trust from the mistake. Thus forgiving is about remembering for the sake of healing while forgetting the resentment. 

    Above all, our gospel today directs us to “Be forgiving as we are as we have been forgiven by God”. Let our reason then for forgiving others should be not ourselves (just to feel good) or be others (just to appease them) but be God, who forgives and loves us first and always. Forgive then not for our’s or other’s sake but for God’s sake, as Paul reminds us today that we live and die not for oneself but for God. Forgiveness is God’s grace we received and ought to be shared to others. Let our forgiveness be our offering of gratitude for God’s mercy and forgiveness – in thanksgiving for being ourselves forgiven.

    In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus taught us to ask our Father to “Forgive us AS (same way as) we forgive those who have sinned against us”. This is our cry to the Father to give us another chance in life as we try our best to give ourselves and other’s another chance also in life. Yes, forgiveness is divinely-granted but also humanly-shared for God, not to be forgotten but be remembered for its value in life.

    Pandemic times make us also conscious not only of the mess, struggles and challenges we are in, but also our own mistakes, shortcomings and wrong-doings in life. We realize that we also need not only God’s love, protection and guidance but also His forgiveness and mercy at this time as well. And we can fully enjoy all His graces by also being humanly and divinely enough forgiving and loving to those who have wronged, failed, and hurt us. In other words, we are mercifully forgiven by our being forgiving….. we are loved by our loving.

    Human as we are, yet are blessed and forgiven, may we be and ought to be for God’s sake forgiving to others especially to those who are needing of His compassion and mercy at this time.  So be it. Amen.

    By  Fr. Aphelie Mario Masangcay, CSsR (a former Filipino Redemptorist Missionary for Filipino Migrants in South Korea who, due to immune compromised diabetic condition, stationed back home  in the Philippines for now).