Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Tag: The Lord is Risen

  • The Joy and Wonder of Easter

    The Joy and Wonder of Easter

    April 21, 2020 –  Tuesday 2nd week of Easter

    Click here for the readings (http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/042120.cfm)

    The joy and wonder of Easter caught the heart of the disciples of Jesus to truly believe in Him and in God’s power that defeats death and darkness and thus liberates us. This kind of spirit was truly felt by the early Christians. In fact, the joy and wonder of Easter was transformed into concrete resolutions and actions in living as a Christian community.

    This is what we have heard today in the reading from Acts of the Apostles. We have heard how the community of believers felt God’s assurance and security that went beyond material wealth. It was because they were of one heart and mind, becoming more sensitive to the needs of each one. Consequently, the community began to share generously their material wealth with those who have none and were needy. Each member of the church had enough because each one contributed and shared.

    This is the spirit of Easter that tells us how the Christians believed in Christ’s presence among them. However, this kind of attitude of sharing and letting go of possession did not also last long because selfishness and insecurities came into the picture. People began to advance their personal interest over the others and have taken advantage at the expense of the needy and the poor.

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    However, as a Christian community today, we are still called to live the spirit of Easter by generously sharing what we have to those who are in need. Letting go of all our material wealth at this present age would be impossible; yet, to joyfully give and share our resources, talents and capacities is what the Risen Jesus is calling us today.

    This call to share our resources is more urgent in this time of crisis today. Our brothers and sisters who are daily wage earners such as the construction workers, trisikad and tricycle drivers, garbage collectors, street vendors and homeless/street-dwellers etc. are the most vulnerable during this lockdown and Enhanced Community Quarantine. What the Catholic Church is doing now is truly inspiring in the effort to reach out to people. Here in the Philippines, Caritas Manila for example (see their Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/OfficialCaritasManila/ ) has given a billion pesos to the needy. Dioceses and Religious Congregations too have creatively made efforts to reach out to these people and to the many front liners.

    In our own Parish, the Our Mother of Perpetual Help has also reached and given food packs to 635 families as of today in different communities. This became possible also through the generous contributions of individuals and families. Hence, even simple and small amount of help can make difference to the lives of others.

    Hopefully, we may let our hearts also be filled with the joy and wonder of Easter. We may be overwhelmed then, with gratitude to God who has been so good to us, so that it may lead us to become joyful givers to our community and especially to our needy brothers and sister. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Have you been Born Again?

    Have you been Born Again?

    April 20, 2020 – Monday of the Second Week of Easter

    Click ere for the readings (http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/042020.cfm)

    “Have you been born again?,” a Born Again Pastor asked me. Like Nicodemus, I was also stunned by the question. Then, he continued asking me, “Do you accept Jesus as your personal savior?” I said, “Yes.” And then, he told me, “You are now Born Again.” Immediately, he took out his notebook and pen and asked me to write my name on it and the date of the day and date of my birth. And so I did. 

    And I saw in his notebook other names of people with their details. He explained to me that those were the list of people he baptized just like me, a baptized Born Again by him.

    That encounter with a Born Again Pastor, reminds me of the very Gospel we have today. Jesus with his encounter with Nicodemus, a Pharisee said, “Unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Yet, Nicodemus also responded, “How can a man once grown old be born again? He cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”

    Nicodemus was referring for a physical rebirth of a person. However, Jesus speaks of a spiritual rebirth of a person. Consequently, Jesus invites Nicodemus to be born of the Spirit.

    To be truly born of the Spirit is not just a mere ritual but rather a way of life. In today’s language, we call it, “Lifestyle.”

    Each of us who had been baptized with water and the Spirit, is already “born again.” This is what Jesus speaks to us today. During the Easter Vigil and Mass on Easter Sunday, we were asked to light our candle and renew our baptismal promises. That rite was an invitation for us to be reminded of what we have received in our baptism when we were children, for those who were baptized as babies, and those who were baptized as adults too. Moreover, that rite also points to who we are, our very being, and that is, that we are all Children of God.

    Indeed, through our baptism we were born again and called to live our life filled with the Spirit of God. However, as we have lived our life and carry out our identity as Children of God, we might have not felt the Spirit within us perhaps because we have become “lukewarm” and indifferent, have taken things for granted, have become selfish by advancing our personal desires and wants, or have succumbed to what is only beneficial, easy and comfortable for us at the expense of others. These attitudes are signs that we are not allowing God to fill our hearts with the Spirit.

    To be truly born of the Spirit is not just a mere ritual but rather a way of life. In today’s language, we call it, “Lifestyle.” Thus, it means that it is not just a one-time event but an everyday commitment to live a life filled with the Holy Spirit.

    This is now the invitation for us today. Jesus calls us to re-examine our life on how we have lived our Christian life and carry out our commitment to God. We are called to identify the obstacles that prevent the flow of the Spirit in our life. We may want to start by recognizing the hurts, the pains, the traumas, even fears and doubts, our preconceptions, biases, attitudes and sins that hold us back from allowing the Spirit to inspire us, to mold us and to renew us.

    Hopefully, this may lead us to step forward by consciously making a faith-commitment to the Risen Jesus, who breathes into us the Holy Spirit. May it inspire us to develop a lifestyle that consciously prays, discerns the invitations of God and shows true concern to our brothers and sister.

    May this lifestyle be more active and inspiring especially in these difficult times brought by the pandemic Corona Virus. As we allow the Spirit to fill our hearts in this Easter Season, let us also fill with our kindness and generosity those who are most in need and vulnerable in this time of great crisis. With this, we are truly born again with Spirit. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • When the Divine Mercy pierces through LOCKDOWN-HEARTS

    When the Divine Mercy pierces through LOCKDOWN-HEARTS

    April 19, 2020 – Second Sunday Easter and Sunday of Divine Mercy

    Click here for the readings (http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041920.cfm)

    The word LOCKDOWN has become popular today given the situation we are in. At the outbreak of the virus that originated in Wuhan, China which has spread to many countries today, “lockdowns” have been imposed. This procedure is imposed to control and to minimize the spread of the virus to the public. As countries, regions, provinces, cities adopted such measure,  now even small sitios or purok (a village) have their own version of lockdown.

    We understand lockdown as a situation in which people are not allowed to enter or even to leave a building, or a property or an area freely because of an emergency (Cambridge Dictionary).

    As this has been highly recommended by medical experts, then, our government leaders have to impose it for the sake of the citizens. Thus, its main reason is not to limit the freedom of the individuals but to control the virus, to slow down the transmission and infection and save lives. It is a defensive mechanism that we have developed today which we also realized as necessary. This, indeed, is a lockdown that protects, saves and even gives life.

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    However, there is another form of lockdown that is different from protecting, saving and giving life. It is the opposite. It is the “lockdown imposed by the disciples upon themselves” that we have heard from the Gospel today.

    This is defensive mechanism of a heart that is hurt and bruised. It is a form of withdrawal from others and from God because of “fear.”

    In a way, experiencing pain in our relationships also makes us more defensive the next time we relate with others. We become defensive and even withdrawn with others because we fear of being hurt again. Thus, we “lockdown” ourselves from any possible pain or hurt, because we are afraid of what others can do to us.

    This happened to the disciples of Jesus. They lockdown themselves in a room because of fear. They locked the door to make sure that no stranger could enter. It was their way of protecting themselves because they were afraid that what happened to Jesus may also happen to them.

    As a consequence, their fear prevented them to believe what Mary Magdalene proclaimed to them, that Jesus has been raised from the dead. They couldn’t believe her because they were too afraid. However, what was more interesting in the Gospel was on how Jesus appeared in their midst even though they made sure that the doors were locked. Jesus appeared to them and brought peace to the hearts of these fearful disciples.

    Yet, we also find Thomas who was not there at that time of Jesus’ appearance, still holding on to his fears and doubts. Although all the other disciples have testified that they have seen the Lord, Thomas couldn’t accept it. He couldn’t believe, and because of that, his heart was more locked than the door. Thomas personally lockdown his heart.

    That is why, Thomas, set a condition before he would believe that Jesus is alive. He said, “unless I will see and touch him, I will not believe.” Because of so much fear and doubts, Thomas insisted that condition in order to protect himself.

    Just as Jesus met the other disciples in their own hiding place and so he did it also to Thomas. Jesus appeared once again and asked Thomas to touch his wounds so that he may believe. Jesus submitted to the condition of Thomas.

    This is what the Gospel is telling us today – the Lord meets us wherever we are and he takes us seriously in all our fears, anxieties and doubts. When God meets us in our own hiding places and closed doors, He brings us peace to our troubled hearts. This is an assurance that in God’s presence we find peace and without Him we will always be disturbed and insecure.

    This is the mystery of the Divine Mercy which we celebrate on this Second Sunday of Easter, the God of Mercy who brings peace into our troubled and fearful hearts, and who pierces through our lockdown-hearts.

    In God’s Mercy, Jesus indeed meets us  where we are at the moment especially when we decide to retreat to our own cocoons of self-centeredness, to our old bad habits and addictions, to our defensive mechanisms and self-imposed lockdowns from other people, and into our angry and irritable response to people around us. God meets us there and he wants us to know that He is with us and He brings us peace.

    It is when we recognize God in those moments that Jesus invites us to touch his wounds just like Thomas. Being aware of the wounds and touching the wounds of Jesus means that Jesus feels our own pain and suffering, our fears and anxieties, questions and doubts. Hopefully, that experience will lead us to proclaim like Thomas, “My Lord and my God.” This is again an assurance to us that our God is alive and at work in our lives.

    I would like to invite you now to be aware and recognize those attitudes, beliefs and experiencesthat continue to lock us away from others and from God. Be aware of those that hold us from fully relating to others and from freely expressing goodness, and those that make us withdrawn and indifferent to people around us.

    Hopefully, our encounter with the risen Christ, the image of the Divine Mercy will make our locked and defensive hearts to open up as He brings us peace and send us to others. This may move us  to go out to touch the lives of those who are in need by sharing what we have experienced with God, his goodness and generosity, faithfulness and mercy. Thus, even during lockdowns we can still show our kindness and generosity to those in need. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Believe the Gospel, believe in Jesus Christ

    Believe the Gospel, believe in Jesus Christ

    April 19, 2020 – Second Sunday of Easter: Divine Mercy Sunday

    Click here for the readings (http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041920.cfm)

    Homily shared by Fr. Mar Masangcay, CSsR

    A young man once said, “I will never believe until I have an experience of Jesus Christ.” But a Catholic missionary replied, “Unless you believe, you will never experience Jesus in His Church”. 

    Nowadays, it is not easy for us to believe. We ask usually for signs, proofs or evidence in order to trust somebody. We need some credentials in order for us to believe someone. We say: “To see is to believe.” Many times we claim, “We will never believe until we see it”. Others would say, “Show me the money first before I trust you”. Like Thomas in our Gospel today, we say: “Unless there are evidences (see and touch the nail marks on the Lord’s sides), I will not believe”.

    The opposite of Faith is doubt. Doubt has indeed been a great stumbling block or hindrance in the growth of our Christian faith. Even Jesus had difficulty in preaching the Good News because of the people’s doubt and unbelief. And the same doubt and unbelief have caused the Lords’ suffering, crucifixion and death.  

    Usually we doubt by certain truths in our life because they are beyond our comprehension. Because we don’t understand them – they don’t make sense- that we doubt if what is presented before us is really true and sincere. That is why, many at times in life, we struggle to find God in our signs and evidences, in our darkness and loneliness, in our comprehension and understanding that usually leads us nowhere but doubt and unbelief. But actually doubt and unbelief happen whenever and because we are just asleep – not aware or not awake and present enough to recognize what has been presented right before us.

    This is what Jesus is trying to reveal and teach his apostles then and us now in our Gospel today: Be Present in order to Believe. Believe in order to be in His Presence.

    As the community of disciples hid themselves asleep in fear for the authority, in shame for abandoning their master, and in hopelessness and defeat for the death of the Lord, Jesus, now the Risen Lord came and shown Himself to them, saying: “Peace Be with you”. Take note, Jesus appeared and presented Himself – make Himself known to them, in order to tell them: “Do Not be unbelieving, but Believe”, that is to wake them up from doubt, and to wake up their faith in Him again. The Risen Lord thus presents Himself before and in the Church to wake up our Faith in Him anew so that we may experience God’s glory being offered to us once again. 

    And He continues to reveal Himself again and always to us in our Church and whenever we are present in our Christian faith-community. Remember, Thomas doubted the risen Lord because he was absent – not there but somewhere else – when the Lord revealed Himself for the first time. So also whenever we are absent with ourselves and with our community, we don’t experience and don’t believe Easter. But whenever we are present with ourselves and our community, we experience and believe in the Resurrection of our Lord.    

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    “Believe the Gospel, believe in Him, Believe in Jesus Christ” has always been the core message of the Gospel. For us to always experience the Good News of God’s glory in our lives, all we are asked to do is not to look for evidences, signs or proofs but just to believe in Him who reveals Himself right before and in us, our community of faith. Without faith, we cannot comprehend and benefit from the greatness of God’s graces offered and can offer us now by the Risen Lord, as he makes Himself present in our church and community. 

    As Joan Chittister, a known lady-theologian once said: “It takes a lifetime to really understand that God is in what is standing in front of us. Most of our lives are spent looking, straining to see the God in the cloud, behind the mist, beyond the dark. It is when we face God in one another, in creation, in the moment that the real spiritual journey begins”. Very true, indeed. We do tend to look for something else while searching for God who is already right before and in front of us. In other words, Easter – the Lord’s resurrection only happens, makes sense and becomes meaningful to us, if and when we are present enough to acknowledge and believe in the Risen Lord as He reveals to us face to face, in front of us, in our Church, our community of believers.So, Don’t doubt but Believe the Gospel being and yet to appear to us in our community of faith. May we present as the Lord is present in our Christian Church even in the midst of our social distancing world.  So be it. Amen. 

  • It is the Lord

    It is the Lord

    April 17, 2020 – Friday within the Octave of Easter

    Click here for the readings (http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041720.cfm)

    Jesus who was thought to be the Messiah and Son of God was crucified and died on Friday. He was buried in a tomb but on Sunday morning Jesus resurrected. 

    However, his disciples like Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael and other disciples were not yet fully convinced that the Lord is alive despite the news from the women. These disciples only knew that their Lord was buried in a tomb. Because of this, their hearts were filled with pain, disappointment, with fear and doubts. 

    When Jesus was there at their side, they were filled with enthusiasm and spirit but when Jesus was arrested, they fled and when he was crucified, they hid themselves for fear of the Jews. Because of these negative experiences, they believed that they have failed the Lord, and so, they themselves were failures.

    Their immediate response was to go back their old self, to retreat and not to go forward anymore. Because they believed that they were completely failures, they succumbed to the temptation to go back to their old ways and that was to fish. They have been called from being fishermen to become fishers of people, yet, having a painful and horrible experience on the death of Jesus, they retreated to go back to fishing. This was what Simon Peter and the rest of his gang did.

    However, all night they caught nothing. The “night” in the Gospel is very symbolic because it reveals to us that the disciples were in darkness and they couldn’t find light. They felt hopeless and even in a helpless situation. 

    However, as the story of the Gospel was unfolded, it was during at dawn that a stranger appeared on the shore and asked them if they have caught anything. They all answered, “no,” they caught nothing. That stranger said, “cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” And they did! They trusted that stranger and to their surprise, when they pulled the net they could barely pull it back because there were plenty of fish. 

    It was at that moment, that the “beloved disciple” recognized that “it was the Lord Jesus.” Jesus is alive and there waiting on the shore. I always find this part of the story amazing and wonderful. The disciple whom Jesus loved had surely a closer relationship with the Lord. All of them were in darkness and all of them succumbed to their fear. However, because of the closer relationship with the Lord, the beloved disciple was able to find light in the midst of darkness. The beloved disciple realized the breaking of the dawn and so light has come. He realized that pain and death, sorrow and grief have all ended. Christ is alive. “It is the Lord,” as he said.

    This prompted Peter to jump into the sea in order to meet the Lord with excitement and joy.

    This gospel reminds us now, that as we go forward with life, surely, as we have experienced it now, there are times of sorrow, of disappointment and discouragement, times of fear and failure. We might have come into the point of our life where we feel hopeless and helpless because we have failed, because the situation is just too difficult, family problems are just horrifying, our poverty is just overwhelming, or our relationship with others have failed – and then, our immediate reaction is to retreat, to hide in our own failure and pain, to dwell so much on our problems, to go back to our old and bad habits, becoming fearful, anxious and mediocre – which means going into the darkness of depression rather into the light of hope and life.

    True indeed, this was what happened to the disciples of Jesus and because they retreated into the night of fear, they caught nothing – because they thought that they could catch fish by themselves alone, that they could surpass that difficulty by being alone, but, no! 

    Being alone and separated from God only brought them into a deeper disappointment in life. It is when we are with Jesus that we find meaning and joy even in the midst of pain, of failure and difficulties.

    These are the invitations for all of us. 

    First, when we meet failures and difficulties, do not go back to the old ways and old habits (which could be your addictions and depressive behaviors) that may only bring us into deeper darkness and hopelessness, instead, go forward and take the risk. 

    Second, in taking the risk of going forward never take the road alone, or never think that we can do everything by ourselves. The journey becomes lighter when we are with somebody else whom we can trust, whom we can share our story – so, find and build long lasting friendship, build a deeper family relationship, invest in your relationships. And when we are told to cast our net, to change the course of our boat and to change our life – go for it and trust the Lord because it might be in that direction that we will find the abundance of love and life.

    Third, be always aware of God’s presence waiting for us on the shore. Just like the beloved disciple let us always be intimate with Jesus. It is only when we become intimate with Jesus in our prayer that we also become aware of his presence in everyone. Thus, be always conscious with those strangers you will meet along the way, who could be anybody as God’s image and representative for you. Hinaut pa

    Jom Baring, CSsR