Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Tag: Sunday

  • Be united in prayer because Christ is in the midst of us

    Be united in prayer because Christ is in the midst of us

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    September 6, 2020 –  23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090620.cfm)

    Homily

    Who wants to be corrected? Who wants to be criticized? Being with our friends, with our family or with a community, we cannot really avoid conflicts and tensions. However, a particular difficult situation can be more problematic when we become unwelcoming to corrections and to criticism.

    Jesus, in today’s Gospel offers us practical steps to overcome such situations in order to arrive in a mature way of attaining peace and reconciliation.

    Let us also bear in mind that because of the biases and discriminations that have been built up in us, we can become vicious when we are confronted by others because of our faults. That’s why, Jesus told us how to approach gently a person when we confront them of their faults or when we are being confronted. Yet, knowing that we can exercise forms of denial and refusal to admit our mistakes, then, Jesus affirms the need of the participation of the community. The Lord affirms this as he told us, “for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

    Before I proceed deeper into the participation of the community, I would like to invite you that we look first and remind ourselves of our tendency to deny and refuse to be confronted and criticized of our sins and failures.

    Thus, I would like to share with you the two forms of denial that may become our attitude when confronted by others.

    First, when confronted, we might tend to overemphasize the faults of others yet; there will be no acknowledgement of our personal defects and sinfulness. This overemphasis of the faults of others is a mere cover up of one’s skeletons hidden in the closet. It is a way of taking revenge cruelly.

    Second, when confronted, we could display an air of self-righteousness and arrogance in our hearts; claiming that we are always right and good and never committed any mistake. As a result, we could become violent to our critics and would even seek to destroy them. This kind of attitude boasts oneself of his or her good image but hungry of recognition and praise from people around him or her.

    Moreover, there is actually wisdom and goodness in criticism in itself and by being confronted by others. This is how others, friends, family members and our community play a big role  in conversion and transformation.

    Nevertheless, we also remind ourselves also of these two kinds of criticism. There is a constructive criticism and destructive criticism.

    A constructive criticism seeks the good of my brother and sister. In this criticism, we do not seek to ridicule the person but to help the person to grow and learn from mistakes and failures. It gives both positive and negative feedbacks. This is done with honesty and sincerity. St Paul in his letter to the Romans reminded us too to express our love for one another. Indeed, in this way we express it concretely because this seeks the good of the others. We fulfill, then, the law, because it does no evil to our neighbor, but goodness and love.

    This is basically what Jesus offers us in the Gospel today.

    Jesus offers us to do it intimately and confront the person personally. If this will not work, then, Jesus suggests to bring a common friend to serve as a mediator. Yet, if the two will not work and the person continues to refuse, then we seek the judgment of the community or of the Church.

    On the other hand, what we avoid and what Jesus does not want to happen is when we choose the destructive criticism, which is hateful because it desires damage to my brother and sister. It is destructive because it puts down and humiliates the person and has no desire to help the person to grow and to learn. Destructive criticism is a mere accusation that is filled with bitterness and hate.

    Thus, this is done with evil intent. It is usually done when we talk behind the person in initiating, perpetrating and joining others to destroy the image of a person, like in gossiping.

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    Jesus does not want us to be that bitter and hateful accuser of our brothers and sisters but rather disciples of him who are humble enough to recognize our wrongdoings, and courageous enough to speak what is unjust and oppressive around us. Jesus desires that each of us becomes free by being able to recognize our sins so that transformation of hearts will be possible. It is in this way that we become a help to one another, so that as parents, leaders, mentors and authority figures, we will not be leading others blindly but with humility and willingness to be corrected, affirmed and challenged.

    This is where we can find the need of the participation of the community, and that is to be united in prayer. To be united in prayer is to become discerning both in our words and actions. To be united in prayer also practically suggests that we are in a community, and we are a community. When we become united in prayer, then, we allow the Lord to be present in us.

    Thus, to be able to truly confront the sins and failures present in our community, we are called also that we unite in prayer. This also include that we bring, in the spirit of prayer, our effort to confront and correct one another so that we will grow and become the persons God wants us to be.

    To be united in prayer is not just about asking God’s favor to grant our petitions. To be united in prayer then, is to pray in the name of Jesus and that is according to the mind, heart and will of the Lord.

    To be united in prayer also means to change our hearts and minds according to the will of God and not changing God’s mind and heart according to our own desires. As a community, this will help us to be able to trust in God and to give our hearts to God so that we can grow according to God’s desire for us. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Together We Have and We Can.

    Together We Have and We Can.

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    September 6, 2020 – 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090620.cfm)

    Homily

    How come Filipinos manage and remain to be resilient and strong in times of crisis and disasters? How come, Filipinos can easily bounce back and rebuild their lives despite worst life-conditions and terrible events in life? 

    During typhoon Ondoy back September 2009, I happened to be in Belgium finishing my master’s degrees and licentiate in Theology. The above-questions were raised by my professors, colleagues and classmates which even I myself cannot help but also wonder. In response to their questions, I narrated to them a testimony of Ondoy-survivor which was published in Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper few days after the incident.

    During the typhoon, residents of an apartment seek refuge on the rooftop of their building. As they settle-in, while waiting for rescue and/or for the flood to subside, they started to pray the rosary together even if without their beads but by just using their fingers to count. After rosary, they pulled-out whatever provisions they were able to recover, and shared it with one another. As they had their fill, they began to share their stories – their experiences and backgrounds, hopes and dreams, fears and frustrations, as well as jokes and life-dramas.

    In others words, as answer to these questions, it is because we, Filipinos do and share things together especially during times of life-crisis and difficulties. We are not perfect people. We do have our own shortcomings and limitations. Nevertheless, we do have a common life. We usually live life together as family and community. And particularly, we usually pray, eat and share our stories together in good times and bad times.

    Somehow our Filipino togetherness, our common life as Filipino reflects the values Jesus upholds in our gospel today. For Jesus, Christian life must be lived and witnessed in the spirit of the following morals.

    First, together we pray. Christian life should have and share a common recognition and faith in God. Jesus said, “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst.” God’s presence, love and mercy are assured and promised whenever we pray together in His name. Second, together we eat. Christian life should also have and share a common concerns and regards for others. Ours and the salvation of others is our responsibility. Not the judge or the savior, but we are all our brother’s keeper. They are in our watch and it is our responsibility to correct them when they are at fault, feed them when hungry, and take care of them when they need help. And lastly, together we share our life-stories. As Christians, we must also have and share common meanings, ideals and morals in life. Jesus said, “what we declare bound or loosed on earth shall be held bound or loosed in heaven”. Our life as community is the bearer of God’s salvation. God’s grace of redemption reveals itself and happens in and through our community, i.e. in partnership with our life together as community. What we value and give importance in life is sacred before God’s eyes. We also accept what God deems important to our lives which is Love.

    While we do have our shortcomings and still struggling, we cannot deny as Filipino we do possess these values and qualities as people. As reflected in our aspired values of maka-Dios, makatao at maka-Pilipino, we do have the basic orientation towards others (Dios, tao at Pilipino) as well as of doing, sharing and living life together in common. Thus, together we have and we can overcome life-worse crises.

    It was once said that we, human being as like angels, but angels with only one wing. For us to fly and rise, we need one another, we need each other. Together we do our part so that in partnership with God, we can be with Him always.

    Pandemic times has indeed rendered us physically & socially distance from one another and has deeply challenged our common life,  but it would not hinder us Filipinos together to share our Faith by our prayers, our Charity by our food-agape, & our values & meanings by our stories with one another, and with others. As the world struggles with the challenges of pandemic times, we take note of numbers of Filipinos on the frontlines, both here & abroad who raised to the occasion, been responsible and tirelessly sharing to the world all time, talents, and experiences of our common Filipino resiliency and strength by the witness of our faith, charity & stories especially during times of worse life-crises. May our life and faith as Filipino Catholic Christian people & communities be a constant gift and witness now and always to the world especially at this pandemic times. 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).

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  • Making a sacrifice?

    Making a sacrifice?

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    August 30, 2020 – 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/083020.cfm)

    Homily

    Who wants a life without suffering, without sacrifices and difficulties? That would be nice, right? We could dream of a life that knows only comfort, that is easy, and that we’ll always feel good.

    There is actually nothing wrong in dreaming a life filled with comfort and without sacrifices and difficulties, to always feel blessed and good. This is a desire from us to feel secured. Nevertheless, the danger lies within a heart that denies sacrifice and suffering as part of our life, and as part of our Christian way of living.

    I remember a story being told to me when I was in college. There was a boy who went out into their garden and found a cocoon. It was so timely that he saw how the cocoon moved. The butterfly was about to come out from its cocoon. However, the butterfly was struggling. The boy felt pity for the butterfly. And so, the boy immediately, ran back to his room, got a pair of scissors. He wanted to help the butterfly and so, with scissors in his hand, he cut the cocoon carefully in order not to wound the butterfly. He was so successful that the butterfly was in her perfect shape and out of her cocoon.

    But then, something was wrong with the butterfly. She did not fly. She couldn’t fly because her wings were too weak. When the boy cut the cocoon, the butterfly lost the opportunity to make her wings strong. She was supposed to go through in that struggle, in that difficulty of coming out from her cocoon. Because of the easy way out, her wings were not made strong to enjoy the wind as she was supposed to fly.

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    In today’s Gospel, Jesus scolded Peter when he denied that Jesus should suffer and die. Even though, Peter confessed that Jesus is indeed the Christ sent by the Father, but then, Peter did not understand the commitment of being sent by the Father. Peter only knew of the victorious image of the Christ who will bring salvation and glory. Peter held on to his belief that in Jesus, there will be only blessings, power, and praises.

    This was the mistake of Peter. He couldn’t accept that Jesus will undergo suffering, persecution and death. He couldn’t accept of a vulnerable and weak God. This caused Peter to be scolded by Jesus and even called Satan because Peter only wanted an easy one, an easy life. Peter only considered what he wanted, not what God desired.

    This is also the consequence when we encounter Jesus. Before this passage of Peter being rebuked by Jesus, the Lord actually asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” This question of Jesus was a question of commitment. And Peter responded this question with conviction. Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Like Peter, if we confess that Jesus is the Christ, our Lord and Savior, then, this confession implies commitment and risk.

    After all, when we commit ourselves to somebody we love, risks and sacrifices are implied. That is why, in the Letter of Paul to the Roman, he reminds us to “offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”

    This Sunday, we are reminded neither to fear nor deny the reality of making a sacrifice, of experiencing pain and difficulty in our life. Life is found when we go through the process of struggling. Never cut the cocoon or else there will be no life. When we experience pain, struggles, and difficulties never lose those opportunities because those are ways where we too shall find life, meaning and purpose.

    When we are called to make a sacrifice for others, never fear, because life is brought forth there. Take the example of parents and of mothers especially, giving birth is painful and excruciating, but the beauty of life is found when the baby finally comes out.

    Hence, do something concrete today (this week) that would best express your faith and knowledge of Jesus. Hopefully, by having this consciousness, this will further help us in knowing Jesus all the more because it is in knowing him that we also grow in our faith, in our commitment and relationship with God and with one another. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Life Again OR Anew? Normal Life OR New Life?

    Life Again OR Anew? Normal Life OR New Life?

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    August 30, 2020 – 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/083020.cfm)

    Homily

    How are you coping lately with the New normal life pandemic times has put us up? Whether we like it or not, pandemic reality has changed, is changing, and will change our lives. For better for worse, our life ahead will never be normal back again. Rather than hoping to regain back the normal good old times, we cannot help but accept that we are now at the dawn of the New life ahead and cope with its demands.

    Challenging at this early stage is our grieving over our losses – be it relationships, work opportunities, privileges, lifestyle and above all our usual normal life back then. Many have resorted to anger and blame-game (blaming government, civic and church leaders, & even God and themselves) while others succumbed to bargaining (selling themselves short) and denial & depression – a great danger to mental health. That is why at the dawn of a new life before us now it is important for us nowadays to check and be aware of how we are grieving over our losses and coping with its demands, and above all discern our proper attitude and approach towards the dawn of  new normal life ahead.

    And perhaps we could ask the question: WWJS? “What Would Jesus Say” about our experience of New Normal? How should we approach and what should be our attitude to this New life with Him being offered before us now?

    We remember that for deciding and professing Jesus as his Christ, and as confirmed by Jesus, Peter gained a new identity, role and faith in life as the “Rock”. Because of his inspired new faith in Jesus as the Messiah, Peter plays now an important mission as the foundation stone in the New life Jesus is offering all. However, the same Peter in our gospel today is called by Jesus as stumbling block because he hinders Jesus from the coming suffering and persecution New life entails. For Jesus, the way to redemption is not through our normal way but through the suffering of the way of the cross that requires “deny oneself, take up your cross & follow me.” Meaning, newness also brings along death of our normal lives and loosening of our usual ways. Peter here becomes  an obstacle – a stumbling block to the New  because though he chooses the New but not at the cost of his usual old Normal but corrupted life and ways. Peter do believe in the promise of the New life with Christ but not at the expense of his usual but limited  normal life. Meaning, for listening and being inspired by God, Peter becomes the foundation stone to the promise of a New Life; but for clinging on to his usual Normal human ways, Peter becomes its stumbling block.  

    Thus amidst the New Life being offered us now during this pandemic times, as Jesus directs us through Peter, we may choose now whether to be a foundation stone OR a stumbling block to the New life with Christ. We may open and be inspired to welcome and adapt with the New ways OR we may remain with our usual limited normal life.

    And we also know that for the inspired New to come and grow in our lives now, we have to loose and give up our corrupted normal life. New wine requires new (not normal old) wineskin. New (not the usual) vine for new branches. New updated (not old outdated) system version for new programs. Updates are and should not be same but much better than the usual. And all these new lifestyle requires rebooting, reformatting, and reprogramming, i.e. in religious lingo, the way of the cross towards resurrection and the sorrowful mystery towards the glorious mystery. As Albert Einstein would say: “We cannot solve our problem with the same thinking we used when we created them”, we do need something new and above us (difficult it may be), and cannot remain with the same usual normal thinking, approach or attitude to deal and live with the new offer of life before us now. Same with Peter, we cannot BE Fishers of men by simply just doing our usual normal way of fishing fishes.

    Perhaps we ponder on these questions: “When given another chance now, would you do it Again OR Anew? Would you do it same as before OR better than before? Would you live now as usual as before OR as New as it can & will be?” And now we are given another Chance, so what’s it’s gonna be? Lord, as we, your followers cope with the challenges of our pandemic reality,  guide us to be a foundation stone, rather than a stumbling block to Your promise and offer of New Life with us now and always. 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).

  • Unlocking our hearts for God

    Unlocking our hearts for God

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    August 23, 2020 – 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082320.cfm)

    Homily

    Do you use passwords or codes for your smartphones? I am sure most of us have done this. Others might have used a simple code to easily unlock their phone. Others must have used a complicated combination of numbers. Others could have also used the “touch ID” using the finger prints. There are also other systems that use face recognition where one has just to face the camera to unlock.

    Having passwords or codes are true not just with our smartphones. We also have passwords, key cards or just the traditional keys for our cars, doors of our rooms and offices. Every day we use them and they have become part of our way of life.

    Keys and passwords are indeed very important because aside from having access to most personal and confidential things, we have the assurance of security and at the same time a reminder of our responsibilities.

    Aside from these, however, there are also aspects in our life that we choose to close and lock perhaps as our way of protecting ourselves or from distancing from others.

    For instance, a person who had a painful memory in the past may choose to lock that painful past because it was too much to bear. We suppress the memory in forgetfulness yet it comes up when we are triggered. However, what actually happens when we do this to ourselves, is that, we become prisoners of our painful past.

    Moreover, our heart is the entry point of all our relationships. When we experience pain, the more we close our hearts and restrictive in opening up for others to come. Like for example, a person who experienced the pain of betrayal from a loved one may become suspicious and untrusting the next time the person develops another relationship. This is a kind of defense mechanism to people who have been hurt and so made the heart closed and restrictive.

    The key to a memory overwhelmed trauma and to a bruised heart because of betrayal is healing from the pain through forgiveness and reconciliation.

    Having this in mind, allow me to bring you deeper that we may discover together how God invites us this Sunday by reminding us of the simple things that we have, the keys to lock and unlock things.

    In today’s Gospel, we have heard Jesus telling Simon, son of Jonah, that he has been given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Simon has been given the role to lock and unlock the gates of the kingdom.

    As Jesus entrusted to Simon the keys, let us first see a bit deeper the event and the very circumstance that led us to the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.

    The gospel of Matthew told us that Jesus asked his disciples personal questions. The first question was on the perceptions of the people about him, the Son of Man. The disciples told Jesus that the people believed that he was the resurrected John the Baptist, or Elijah, or Jeremiah or just one of the prophets. These answers revealed that despite the miracles done by Jesus, the people perceived him as a different person. The people in many ways did not understand yet the very identity of Jesus.

    Thus, Jesus reformulated the question and directed it to his disciples. It was Simon, speaking in behalf of the group, who answered Jesus. Simon here is the image of all other disciples, including us today.

    As the Gospels tell us, the person of Simon was characterized by being hesitant, doubtful, fearful and sometimes inconsistent. In the scriptures, we find him having doubts as he was invited by Jesus to walk on water. He was also called by Jesus to get behind him because he refused to believe that Jesus should undergo suffering. He ran and hid himself when Jesus was arrested and even denied him three times when he was questioned by the people.

    However, what was redeeming for Simon was his “openness” to the invitations of God. This explains to us why he immediately followed the Lord when his brother Andrew brought him to Jesus. This openness of Simon allowed him also to intimately recognize and know Jesus in the most profound way. That is why, when Jesus asked his disciples about their perception of him, Simon boldly professed that Jesus is the “Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

    Simon did not depend on the perception of others about Jesus, who thought that Jesus was merely a teacher or some sort of a magician or a resurrected old prophet. No! Simon, like the rest of the disciples, had a personal encounter with Jesus and thus, he recognized the Lord.

    Though Simon was an imperfect disciple but God revealed himself to him because Simon was open to God. This tells us that knowing Jesus does not rely on human reason but through divine revelation. But remember also, this divine revelation unfolds through our human experience and personal encounter with Jesus.

    And thus, Jesus called Simon to follow and to serve in the best way Simon could serve God. This call from Jesus has two important points.

    First, through the openness of Simon, Jesus gave him another name, Kephas or Rock or Peter. This means a responsibility has been given by the Lord to Simon Peter to lead the Church.

    Second, through the personal encounter of Simon Peter with Jesus and that deep relationship with God, Simon Peter was entrusted with the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. This tells us of the authority given to Simon Peter who is considered as our first Pope, to unlock and lock, to grant access and prohibit the doors of heaven.

    This tells us too that Peter holds not just the key of God’s house, but of God’s heart. Jesus is telling us today that through the person of Simon Peter, we are also called to see ourselves in him and find God’s invitation of us today.

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    Thus, many times, we will find ourselves hesitant, doubtful, fearful and inconsistent. These attitudes would surely make our hearts locked and disallowing God to come and to transform us.

    Like Peter, we are called today to go beyond from these restricting attitudes of our hearts and begin to open up for God and for others. We can only do this when we also acknowledge that we are weak, inadequate and sinful. Then, we too acknowledge that we need help and we need God to transform and renew us.

    Like Peter too, we shall be transformed and renewed as we develop a deeper relationship with God through personal encounters with Him in the scriptures, through our sacraments, and through the people around us.

    In this way, we may courageously unlocked our closed hearts for others to come and bring more joy in us and for God to transform and renew and bring more life to us. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR