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Tag: Waiting

  • Our Everyday Waiting

    Our Everyday Waiting

    October 22, 2024 – Tuesday 29th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102224.cfm)

    What kind of attitude do we show when we wait for something or someone? It might depend on the situation, the urgency and of our inner desire and need. A friend told me that as he waited for his wife to labor and give birth to their first child, he was anxious but also excited. When the baby came and his wife was also safe, he was filled with joy. A patient who has been waiting for the biopsy result may be overwhelmed with anxiety and fear when the result may not be favorable. Once, when I was in an airport for a domestic flight and waiting for the boarding, the airline announce that the flight was delayed by 4 hours. I was mad and demanded that I will be rebooked to the next earliest flight to catch up for my connecting flight. A parent waiting late in the evening for the return of his/her child to come home may feel worried.

    There are also other small waiting that we experience daily like waiting for our parcel to arrive and be delivered by the rider. We delight when we like what we have ordered or feel deceived when it is not what we expect. We also wait on the road when there is a heavy traffic and even feel exhausted. We wait for the long queue at the supermarket and has to extend our patience when the counter seems to be so slow.

    These are indeed, just some experiences of waiting. There are those that are simple and routinary for us. There are also those waiting that can be long, exhausting and tiring. There are even those kinds of waiting that takes for a lifetime.

    However, let us also warn ourselves of “waiting in vain” especially of some other things in our life. Waiting in vain is waiting for nothing. This kind of waiting leads us to misery and hopelessness. This actually happens when we immersed ourselves in those waiting that are purely with selfish intentions, waiting based on our impulses, compulsions and whims.

    True enough, waiting is part of our life and it is even very important to us as Christians. The parable that Jesus told us in today’s Gospel basically reminds us of the value and the grace in and while waiting. Jesus said, “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.” Jesus teaches us that in “waiting patiently” we are already blessed. No matter how long or tiring that waiting can be, we are called to patiently wait and exercise vigilance. Meaning, to become passive or indifferent will make lose the opportunity of welcoming fully what the Lord has prepared for us.

    Jesus expressed this promised clearly in the parable. It is the master himself who finds his servant waiting for him who will prepare the table and serve the servants who becomes his friends. The servants receives the presence of their master who brings peace and friendship with them.

    This is also revealed to us in Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. Jesus who came and gave his life to us “broke down the dividing wall of enmity,” “for he is our peace.” This is again reechoed in Psalm, “The Lord speaks of peace to his people.”

    This brings us now that God’s coming, and we who waits for it will surely be graced by this peace. This peace shall fade our fear and anxieties, our worries and tears, forgives our sins and failures and unites those that have been divided and broken because of hatred, violence and indifference.

    Certainly, the Lord calls us today to be more patient and pro-active in our waiting especially in our waiting of God’s coming and visits. Jesus comes and visits us in simple and ordinary ways even through familiar people or events and places around us. The very presence of God that brings us peace will surely give us as well a dose of surprise and joy. Thus, let us also be more attentive, more sensitive and discerning of the Lord’s countless manifestations and revelations in our life. Hinaut pa.

  • Shake Well

    Shake Well

    November 28, 2021 – First Sunday of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112821.cfm)

    A wise man once said: We are like a bottle of medicine. For him not to forget, God puts a label on it, that says: “Shake well, before using.” – Shake Well Before Using.

    Like a tasty cooked meal or well-brewed coffee, there are things in life at its best when it is cooked, brewed, stirred, or mixed. Only by means of these processes, we may able to benefit and enjoy how good, effective & tasty these things are.

    Same way for us Christians. Human as we are, we do not like to be disturbed and bothered in life. We rather prefer an easy, comfortable & complacent life. But we also cannot deny that we are in our best selves, not in our contented, perfect, healthy lifestyles. Our greatness is rather shown in times of our endurance, faith & courage amidst struggles, sufferings & difficulties in life. Our best & greatness usually lie at the times when we are somehow disturbed, stirred, shaken, broken & hard-pressed by our present life struggles & challenges.

    We have witnessed & we are witnesses to these during these past few months. We have been through & still going through a lot during these pandemic times. Our life in our world nowadays has been chaotic, distressing, & difficult due to this novel yet incomprehensible disease & sickness that infected our lives. True indeed, we find ourselves lost, disturbed, & knocked-out in life, but amidst all these, we have also witnessed how our faith & humanity stand up for the occasion & show our best & greatness by our generosity to share our help & concerns with one another. Yes, amidst our present life-challenges and difficulties, we have seen the worse, as well as the better of humanity, and of our faith.  

    Consider, our Saints become saints not because they were perfect & sacred human beings, but because these people were able to endure & persevere in their Christian faith amidst life-difficulties & their own worse & limitations. Likewise, limited & worse we might be, we Filipino are greatly acknowledged these days not only in our country but also in the whole world, for the love & care we, (& mostly our Filipino frontline health workers), extend to respond in sharing our life & faith to those who are sick & dying.  

    Just like a bottle of medicine, for us to be an effective & worthy medicine of God to others, there are times & moments in our Christian lives that we need to be disturbed, stirred, and shaken well by life-challenges & difficulties from our complacent & comfortable lives. In other words, before using, we need to be shaken well, & indeed, we are being shaken well lately.

    Amidst these challenging & confusing pandemic times, somehow perhaps God is shaking & stirring us well for us to be better person, better witness, better Christian, better medicine for others. And Jesus warns in our gospel today: “When these signs begin to happen, stand erect & raise your heads because redemption is at hand.”

    That is why, friends, during this Advent season, wake up, stand up & await in hope for great things about to happen in our lives, thus prepare & make us ready to own God’s promise of redemption through Christ & make us living witnesses & medicine of His blessings to others.

    May God’s word, God’s peace, disturb & shake us well now & always. Amen.  

  • The Gift of promise being fulfilled: A call to fulfill our commitment

    The Gift of promise being fulfilled: A call to fulfill our commitment

    December 18, 2020 – Friday, Third day of the Misa de Aguinaldo

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121820.cfm)

    Homily

    Each of us might be waiting for something good to happen. Yet, we could have grown impatient because of waiting. But then, extend more our patience, God is preparing and it is coming. It really is. Just believe. But, why should we believe? Why risk in believing, in having faith in God? Well, because promises are made to be fulfilled.

    Do you believe in this? Contrary to popular saying that “promises are made to be broken,” which applies to those who are bitter in their life, promises are indeed made to be fulfilled. So, please don’t be bitter, be better rather.

    Promises are, certainly, made to be fulfilled. This what makes a promise, a promise. Using the philosophical language, “the very essence of a promise, is its fulfillment.” That is why, the very essence of the WORD is when it becomes FLESH. The very essence of what we speak and talk about, is when it becomes our action.

    The very person of Jesus, our Lord, is the fulfillment of God’s promise. This promise of God started from the very beginning found in the Book of Genesis. When man and woman was driven out from paradise, God promised to be with them and to stay always with them. As God chose the people to be his own, God also promised to send a Savior, a Redeemer, a Messiah who will be with God’s people. This is what has been proclaimed in the first reading today. The Book of Jeremiah tells us that God proclaims his promise to save his people and give them security.

    In fact, this points us to this “PROMISE OF GOD” that springs from the covenant made by God with humanity.  The prophets told the people of this promise, the laws and decrees of God point also to this promise. The historical events and all those people in the Bible have prepared for the promise to be fulfilled.

    So, what is this promise? Much better to ask, Who is this promise? He is the Emmanuel, the God who is with us. He is born from a virgin, the word that became flesh, he is JESUS, (whose names means “YAHWEH SAVES”.) JESUS, our Lord, is the very promise of the Father to us.

    However, the fulfillment of the promise was tainted by a scandal of unfaithfulness and of a promise seemed to be broken. The arrival of Jesus seemed to be scandalous. This was the steaming aura at that time in the little town of Nazareth. In the ears of the neighbors of Joseph, what happened to Mary was scandalous. Mary and Joseph were already engaged but within that period of engagement Mary got (preggy) pregnant. The people in their village knew that Joseph was not the father. Joseph himself was confident that Mary’s child in her womb was not his. Joseph knew that the Jewish law would find Mary guilty of adultery.  This was an act punishable by shame and death.

    As it happens in small villages, Mary must have been a subject of gossips and fake news. Mary was judged without further investigation. The eyes and fingers of the people around her must have pointed and branded her to be a shame. In their eyes, the promise of the engagement was broken.

    Joseph must have been in pain as well. He must have been confused and must have been very hurt. He must have felt betrayed. However, Joseph’s response to this was not out of anger or bitterness. In the heart of Joseph, he wanted to save Mary by divorcing her quietly. Joseph must have thought that Mary was in another relationship. To divorce her quietly will allow Mary to be engaged with the man who fathered the baby in her womb.

    This difficult situation in Joseph, and the belief that he was betrayed, became the way for God to reveal the divine plan to this gentle and thoughtful man. God must have been waiting for the proper time when to reveal to Joseph the divine plan. Thus, when everything was in its place and when Joseph was ready enough, an angel revealed to Joseph the mind of God.

    What Joseph realized in that deep dream was the fulfillment of what he was hoping for and the hope of all humanity, the joy of all. God’s presence made into flesh is that greatest joy of all, and the fulfillment of the promise because “Yahweh saves.”

    Joseph began to see the scandalous situation of Mary’s pregnancy through the eyes of faith rather than his fears and disappointment, through God’s love rather than his anger and hate. Joseph now fully realized that this was the fulfillment of God’s promise, calling him also to fulfill his commitment.

    From then on, Joseph saw and felt that what has been revealed to him was truly scandalous because God revealed Himself to him, because God has become man there in the womb of Mary just to be with us. It was scandalous because we thought that God is up there or out there in the heavens only, a place that no person can reach. But then Mary was preggy (pregnant). This blows our minds now, because through that unexpected pregnancy, God is telling us the He is intimately present with us. God is telling us that humanity can become pregnant with God.

    Joseph understood that Mary’s pregnancy is a statement of God’s faithfulness and commitment to us. God commits himself to be our God. God commits himself to choose us as His people. This is God’s assurance to us now that he is present and he lives in the midst of our lives, in the midst of our pain, of our failures, of our disappointments, hurts and fears in order to bring to us His mercy, love and friendship.

    What God is telling us now is this – that God chooses life and not death because God chooses to be born like us. God is telling us that he never gives up on us because His name is Jesus – the God who saves us. God is telling us that we are not alone in our difficulties because He is Emmanuel, the God who is with us who gives joy and hope.

    May this reminds us now, that as God fulfills His promise to be with us and to be for us, we too are called to fulfill our commitments in our work or profession, among our friends and family, in our communities or organizations. May our commitment then, bring us into that realization that every time we fulfill our commitment, we also share in fulfilling God’s promise to be with us for we become God’s presence today. Hinaut pa.

  • Ready? Handa ka naba?

    Ready? Handa ka naba?

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    November 8, 2020 – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110820.cfm)

    Homily

    “Last two minutes”. Usually in a basketball game, the last two minutes is scheduled as “Time-out” for both teams. At that moment, the game is paused for a minute break to allow both teams to assess their situation in view of the coming end-game. This is the chance for both teams to have a wider look on where they are and how they fair at that period of the game. It is an opportunity for teams to have a reality-check in terms of their strengths and weaknesses as well as of the possible opportunities and threats at this stage of the game, in view of plotting a game-plan strategy for the end-game. The “last two-minutes time-out” of the basketball game is thus an occasion for each team to consider at the last two minutes of the game their resources and limitations in relation to their aspired goal and end-game and their remaining game-plan. 

    Just recently early this month of November, our observance and celebration of All Saints Day and All Souls Day respectively may have been also “a last two-minutes time out” occasion for us, Christians. As we prayed for the eternal repose of our saintly and beloved dead brothers and sisters, we may have also slowed down, have a pause and break from our busy schedules in order to consider not only the death and lives of those who have gone before us, but also our own lives so-far now as we are still in this life. Yes, as we considered the lives of those who have gone before us these days, we are also confronted with the reality of the mortality of our very lives now as we are still alive living here. Like the last two minutes time-out in a basketball game, the last two months of the year can be a chance for us to consider where and how we are in our lives in relation to our game in life – our dreams and aspirations as well as what we are to do to improve our lives now for the better, and above all in relation to our salvation.    

    Behind the story of the five wise and five foolish virgins in our gospel today is the call for us to be vigilant and ready. Jesus wants us to be Wise enough to be prepared and awake, and not to be foolish enough to be not ready and unaware. When we hear this challenge, many people think that they have to be ready for death so as not to be caught unaware. Rightly so, because when we came into the world, death has become natural to us. We know that no man lives forever in this world. Death is our lot, and reminds us of how limited our life is. We have only one life, lived in a given time. And it is wise enough to be prepared for our coming death.

    However, much more than our coming death are meant in our gospel today. Our gospel today is all about how ready and prepared are we to meet and experience the Lord IN our lives here and now, and not in our coming death later. In other words, the challenge of Jesus for us to be wise enough to be vigilant and ready is for Here and Now while we are still living, and not for There and Later on our death.  Thus, the readiness and vigilance we are to be is not in view of our end – our death, but as to how we have lived and spent our life so-far here and now as we meet and encounter the Lord in our daily lives.

    Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “When you were born you were crying and everyone else was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you are the one who is smiling and everyone else is crying”. True enough, in our death, we wish to be remembered not how we died, but how we live our lives to the fullness with the Lord. It is not the end-game itself – the Winning or Losing but about the GAME itself – How we lived our lives and play our game with the Lord in life, that matters most. 

    As we are still living in this world now – most especially during this pandemic times, we have yet to learn how to be wise & street-smart enough to be aware and ready to meet the Lord now in the many ways he comes to us. He is the “Word of God made flesh”, the God with Us, our companion in the journey of life, who lives with Us. Blessed then are those who are ready and alert to Welcome the Lord in our lives, not in our death. So, Are you ready now? Handa ka na ba?

    On our “last two-minutes time-out” moment, we pray that we may be wisely awake and cleverly prepared enough to welcome Him in our lives now as we meet Him in our church, our brothers & sisters, our fellowmen and others, in our day to day lives. Amen.

  • Desiring God Always

    Desiring God Always

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    November 8, 2020 – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110820.cfm)

    Homily

    The first reading was very interesting. We have heard that Wisdom was personified by a “she,” by a woman who hastens to make herself known to us in anticipation of our desire to have her. Wisdom even makes her rounds, “seeking those worthy of her, and graciously appears to us with great attention and care.” This is a sign of intimacy from God being shown to us. This image actually makes me remember of my own experience with my mother, surely with your own mothers too. Usually, if not most of the time, a mother always knows what her son or daughter needs and wants. As soon as I pronounce the word, “Ma,” my mother knows what I need.

    This is wisdom described to us in the first reading. Now, wisdom is innate in each of us as we are created in God’s image and likeness, who is the source of wisdom. Our Psalm reveals what is innate in each of us. Our Psalm says, “My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.” Yes, our human heart is designed to long for God, to be with God. Acknowledging our “thirst for God” is in fact the beginning of Wisdom which makes us become conscious of the importance of God in our life. Wisdom is also faith because it leads us to believe in God who has been “seeking to find us.”

    Let us remember this, that God seeks to find us as wisdom has been seeking for us in anticipation of our desire to find her. This is a hint for us that though God seeks to find us first, yet God wants something from us also – and that is to have “the desire to long for him.” It means acknowledging our desire for God. It is in recognizing our desire for God that our heart will keep burning. Our desire to be with God makes us hopeful, generous and joyful as we wait to welcome the Lord in our life.

    This is basically what our Gospel is teaching us today. The Parable of the 10 virgins gives us the image of people who lose hope and forget their desire for God and people who hope against adversities and difficulties and still remember their desire to welcome God in their life.

    Thus, the Gospel actually assures as that in our Christian life we may fail, we may fall asleep in the middle of the night because we have become so tired from waiting for the Lord, because our prayers remain unanswered, because you have failed several times in your exams despite your reviews and daily devotion, or your partner or family member is still problematic despite the prayer intentions you have offered, or until now you are not yet healed from your illness which gives you suffering despite the many “pamisa” you’ve made, or your loved one was taken away from you because of a sudden death even though you have been a good catholic, or because this pandemic is taking too long to disappear and your job or business is losing and you have grown tired from this quarantine and in following the protocols while powerful political people in our country enjoy the comforts of life yet people are growing hungry, homeless and sick, etc.

    These experiences are truly disappointing. They discourage us and so we feel that our faith is weakened. This happens when we lose our desire for God and tend to focus more on our personal wants, personal assurance of comfort and security.

    This was the situation of the five foolish virgins. It was not just about running out of oil in their lamps but losing their desire for God. They were losing the light and oil of their lamps and so was their enthusiasm to meet the bridegroom. They felt tired from waiting and waiting for the bridegroom to come.

    This situation was also the condition of the Christian Community under St. Matthew’s. His people had grown tired, felt hopeless because Jesus seemed not to come back anymore as he promised. At this time, the belief of the immediate “parousia” or the second coming of Jesus was so strong that anytime during their lifetime – Jesus will come to welcome them all in his kingdom. Yet, the first disciples were already being martyred by the Romans and as if nothing was happening. Therefore, Matthew addressed them here and challenged them to be like the other five wise virgins and that is “to be always vigilant” – “to be always ready to welcome God” despite the difficulties and discouragements that they were experiencing.

    This is the invitation for us this Sunday and that is to be wise enough, to seek wisdom from God, to desire Him even in the midst of trials, of discouragements, of boring and dry moments, and even in the most ordinary days of our life.

    Remember, God reveals his abiding and loving presence to us in any moment of our life. Let us keep our hearts then to always desire God through our constant and intimate communication with God through our personal prayer and through this Eucharist.

    Let us hope that as we are able to meet the Lord in our ordinary life may it become a moment of joy for us and a life-changing experience for us and for our community. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR