Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Category: Year 2

  • Faithful in Small Things

    Faithful in Small Things

    June 6, 2027 – Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060626.cfm)

    Do you begin in excitement but lose in disappointment? Indeed, many would begin with great enthusiasm. Students start the school year full of dreams. Couples begin relationships with excitement and affection. We make promises to pray more, to become better parents, to be more patient, more honest, and more generous. Yet, after some time, when difficulties come, when no one notices our efforts, or when the results seem slow, it becomes tempting to stop or to take for granted the things and people around us.

    St. Paul has something to say about it. Knowing that his life was nearing its end, he gave Timothy this powerful reminder, “Be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient.”

    Paul was not speaking from theory. He had experienced rejection, persecution, imprisonment, and suffering because of the Gospel. Yet he remained faithful. That is why, he could confidently say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

    Here, Paul did not measure success by popularity, comfort, or achievements. What mattered to him was faithfulness. He remained committed to God whether circumstances were favorable or difficult for him.

    This brings us to the Gospel, Jesus observed the people who were making offerings in the Temple. Many rich people contributed large amounts. Their offerings were visible and impressive. Yet Jesus’ attention was drawn not to them but to a poor widow who quietly dropped two small coins into the treasury.

    While the human eyes saw insignificance, Jesus saw greatness. The widow’s offering was not remarkable because of its amount but because of the love and trust behind it. While others gave from their surplus, she gave from her poverty. She offered not merely her coins but her entire self to God.

    This means that the widow became a living example of what Saint Paul was teaching Timothy. She remained faithful even when life was inconvenient. She continued trusting God even when she herself had very little.

    This is where today’s Gospel also touches our lives. Many of us are not called to extraordinary acts that will make headlines on national TV. Most of us are called to ordinary faithfulness.

    The mother who continues sacrificing for her children despite exhaustion. The father who works honestly even when income is not enough. The student who studies diligently despite failures and disappointments. The employee who chooses integrity even when dishonesty seems more rewarding. The parish volunteer who continues serving even without recognition. The person who keeps praying even when God seems silent.

    These may appear small in the eyes of the world, but not in the eyes of God. The Gospel reminds us that God does not measure what we give by quantity but by the love, sacrifice, and faithfulness with which it is given.

    In a culture that constantly seeks instant results, quick success, and public recognition, both Paul and the poor widow teach us another way. This is the way of perseverance.

    Thus, continue doing good even when nobody notices. Continue loving even when it is not returned. Continue serving even when it is tiring. And continue trusting God even when the road is uncertain.

    For in the end, holiness is often found not in extraordinary moments but in ordinary acts done faithfully day after day. Hinaut pa.

  • Faithful Even When We Fail

    Faithful Even When We Fail

    June 4, 2026 – Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

    Homily for the Opening Mass of the (Catholic Youth in Action) CYA Mindanao Conference

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060426.cfm)

    There are moments when we become very excited about something. You might relate with this very well. For example, we join a youth gathering, attend a retreat, or make a promise to God, and tell ourselves, “This time, I will really change. This time, I will pray more. This time, I will be faithful.”

    Yet, after a few weeks, classes become demanding, family concerns are overwhelming, our friendships become complicated, then distractions return, and slowly our enthusiasm fades. Then, we miss our prayers. We neglect our commitments and become inconsistent. Afterward, a question may quietly enter our hearts, we ask, “After all my failures, does God still believe in me?”

    As you begin your Mindanao Conference today, let us discover the Lord’s invitations through our readings in today’s Opening Mass.

    In the first reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy, the words of the Apostle are beautiful and comforting. Paul reminds us, “If we are unfaithful, God remains faithful.”

    You know, this is not an excuse for laziness. It is not even a permission to sin. Rather, it is a proclamation about who God is. This also means that human beings can change, that we can become distracted. We can grow cold. We can fail.

    However, God does not stop loving. God does not stop calling. And God does not stop believing that something beautiful can still happen in our lives.

    And that message is especially important for all of you gathered here in this CYA Mindanao Conference with your theme, “GenZ: Zealous Generation.”

    When Jeremiah was called by God, his first response was not confidence. It was actually fear. “Ah, Lord God! I do not know how to speak. I am too young.” Well, how many young people today feel the same way? “I am too young.” “I am not good enough.” “I am not holy enough.” “I am not ready.”

    Yet, God did not focus on Jeremiah’s limitations. God focused on His own faithfulness. That is why, God said, “Do not be afraid. I am with you.”

    Remember that the story of salvation has never been about perfect people doing perfect things. The story of our salvation has always been about a faithful God working through imperfect people.

    This is the reason why St. Paul tells Timothy to remember Jesus Christ. Not simply to remember teachings or rules, but to remember a person. To remember Jesus! Because Christianity is not first about laws; it is first about a relationship.

    In the Gospel of Mark, a scholar asks Jesus about the greatest commandment. It is a question about laws. The Jews had hundreds of laws to observe. Yet, Jesus brings everything back to the heart. Jesus said, “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.”

    In other words, behind every commandment is actually “love.”

    Sometimes, young as we are, think and even believe that faith is merely about following rules and obligations. We go to Mass. Avoid sin. And follow Church teachings. While these are important, they are not the deepest reason for our faith.

    The deepest reason is love. That is why remember this, we pray because God first loved us. We serve because God first served us. We forgive because God has forgiven us first. We remain faithful because God has already been faithful.

    The problem also comes when we reduce Christianity to mere obligation. Then, faith becomes heavy. We feel guilty whenever we fail. And we become discouraged when we fall.

    But when faith is rooted in love, something changes. This means that we no longer follow Christ because we are afraid of punishment. We follow Jesus because we have experienced His goodness.

    This is why the Psalm today is so beautiful. The psalmist prays, “Teach me your ways, O Lord.” The psalmist realized that life is a journey of learning and also of unlearning. The disciple never stops growing.

    Friends, remember as well that zeal is not simply about intense emotional excitement. Our excitement can disappear after a few days. Your passion fueled by high emotions of today can subside after this conference. However, zeal is deeper. Zeal is a heart that keeps returning to God even after failures and pain.

    Thus, a zealous generation is not a generation that never falls. It is a generation that keeps getting up because it knows God’s mercy. A zealous generation is also not a generation that knows everything because it is highly digitally connected. It is a generation humble enough to keep learning.

    A zealous generation is also not a generation seeking applause and recognition. It is rather, a generation seeking Christ in all things and in everything.

    This is why your presence here is important. The Church needs young people whose zeal is rooted not in trends, popularity, or social media validation, but in a personal encounter with Jesus.

    I also speak as a Mindanawan myself. Mindanao needs young people who can choose peace over violence, kindness over indifference, dialogue over division, and reconciliation over hatred.

    The Church also needs young people who can choose service over self-interest. Our families also need young people who can choose to listen and stay rather than run away. The world also needs young people who can still believe in the goodness of others when distrust and suspicion have crept in our culture.

    And whenever you doubt yourself, remember this truth, “God has not given up on you.” Some of you may be carrying regrets. Some may feel distant from God. Some may be struggling with hidden wounds, addictions, anxieties, disappointments, or questions about the future.

    Listen carefully to what St. Paul is saying today: “If we are unfaithful, God remains faithful.” This means that your failures do not have the final word. Your mistakes do not define your future.

    It is because God’s faithfulness is greater than our weakness. That is why YOU CAN BE ZEALOUS. Not because you are strong, but because God is faithful and will always be.

    And now let me leave you with two simple invitations.

    First, spend five minutes each day this week simply remembering God’s faithfulness in your life. Instead of focusing on your failures, recall one blessing, one answered prayer, or one moment when God never abandoned you.

    Second, choose one concrete act of love each day. It may be helping at home, listening to a friend, forgiving someone, or serving without recognition. Love is where zeal becomes real.

    CYA Mindanao, be a GenZ: Zealous Generation not because you are perfect, but because you have encountered a God who remains faithful even when you fail. And when you truly believe that, your hearts will never stop burning for Christ. Hinaut pa.

  • Strengthened by the Spirit

    Strengthened by the Spirit

    June 3, 2026 – Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060326.cfm)

    A friend once shared with me a struggle that many of us may be able to understand and relate well. He said, “Father, I know what is right, but sometimes I just don’t have the courage to do it.” That friend was speaking about a difficult situation at work where remaining honest could cost him opportunities. Yet, deep inside, he knew what he should do, but fear kept pulling him in another direction.

    Indeed, we could have already experienced something similar. There are moments when we want to speak the truth but we choose to remain silent. We want to forgive but continue holding on to that resentment in our hearts. We want to trust God but become overwhelmed by our worries. Hence, most often, the battle is not outside us but within us.

    This is why the words of Saint Paul to Timothy remain timely even today. Paul reminded us, “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.”

    Paul wrote these words while facing suffering and persecution. He was already aware that his life and mission would not be easy. Yet instead of dwelling on fear, he reminded Timothy to rekindle the gift of God within him.

    Here, Paul did not speak first about success, influence, or achievements. He spoke about three gifts. These are power, love, and self-control.

    This power is not the power to dominate others. It is the strength to remain faithful when life becomes difficult. It is the courage to stand for what is right even when doing so is costly for us.

    Love is not merely an emotion as well. It is the willingness to seek the good of others, even when there is no reward in return.

    And self-control is the ability to govern our desires, emotions, and impulses so that they do not control us.

    These three gifts are deeply connected with each other. This means that power without love becomes oppression. Love, also, without self-control becomes unstable. And self-control without love becomes cold and rigid. But when these three are united, they form the heart of Christian maturity.

    This brings us to the Gospel. The Sadducees approached Jesus with a question about the resurrection. They presented a complicated scenario involving a woman who had seven husbands, hoping to trap Jesus and make belief in the resurrection appear ridiculous.

    However, Jesus immediately recognized the deeper problem. The issue was not their question. The issue was their lack of faith.

    Jesus told them that they neither understood the Scriptures nor the power of God. The Sadducees had merely reduced God to the limits of their own reasoning. They believed only what they could fully explain and control. As a result, they could no longer recognize the greatness of God’s action beyond this world.

    And in fact, we might also fall into the same attitude. There are moments when we want God to fit within our expectations. For instance, we become discouraged when our plans fail. We lose hope when we cannot understand why suffering happens. We become fearful when the future appears uncertain.

    Yet, Jesus reminds us today that God is greater than our fears, greater than our limitations, and even greater than our human understanding.

    The resurrection itself is proof of that. The God whom we worship is not the God of the dead but of the living. Because God is the God of the living, we are invited to live differently. This also means that we do not allow fear to dictate our decisions. We do not allow hatred to consume our hearts. We do not allow our impulses and emotions to control our lives.

    Instead, we allow the Spirit of God to form within us that spirit of power, love, and self-control.

    And so, in the context of our families, this means choosing patience over anger. Or in our workplaces, this means choosing integrity over dishonesty. And in our relationships, this means choosing forgiveness over resentment. In our daily struggles, this means choosing hope over fear. Hinaut pa.

  • Growing in Grace

    Growing in Grace

    June 2, 2026 – Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060226.cfm)

    One of the struggles we face today is not our lack of religion but the lack of integration in our life. We know how to pray, attend Mass, and participate in religious devotions, yet sometimes there remains a gap between what we profess and how we actually live.

    Indeed, we have all encountered these contradictions. A person may be very devoted in church but difficult to live with at home. One may faithfully pray the Rosary but remain dishonest in business. Another may be active in ministry yet unwilling to forgive.

    This is why today’s readings invite us to something deeper than religious observance. They invite us to grow in grace.

    This is what Peter in his Second Letter reminds us, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Peter was writing to a community living in uncertain times. False teachings were spreading, and many were tempted to lose their direction. Yet, Peter did not simply tell them to preserve what they already had. He challenged them to continue growing.

    This means that faith is not to remain stagnant. Just as a child must grow into maturity, a Christian must also grow in grace.

    What does it mean to grow in grace?

    It means allowing the presence of Christ to shape our decisions, our relationships, and our priorities. It means becoming more patient, more honest, more compassionate, and more faithful. Growth in grace is not measured by how many prayers we know but by how much our life resembles the life of Christ.

    This brings us to the Gospel. The Pharisees and Herodians approached Jesus with a question about paying taxes to Caesar. At first glance, it seemed like a political question. But in reality, it was a trap. They wanted Jesus to choose between loyalty to God and loyalty to civil authority.

    Jesus responded with remarkable wisdom, he said, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

    The coin bore the image of Caesar, so it could be returned to Caesar. But behind Jesus’ answer lies a deeper question. It asks us, “Whose image do we bear?”

    The answer is clear. We bear the image of God. Therefore, while we fulfill our responsibilities as citizens, workers, professionals, parents, and leaders, our deepest identity remains that of being God’s children. Indeed, we are created in God’s image and likeness.

    This means we are called to be responsible citizens. We cooperate in building a just and peaceful society. We respect legitimate authority. We participate in civic life with honesty and integrity.

    However, we must never forget that no political leader, institution, ideology, or earthly success can take the place of God. Our ultimate loyalty and faithfulness belongs to the Lord.

    This is where growth in grace becomes visible. A Christian who is growing in grace does not separate faith from daily life. The same person who prays in church strives to be truthful at work. The same person who receives Holy Communion seeks reconciliation at home. The same person who praises God with words also honors Him through actions.

    Thus, our Scripture today challenges us, “Are we merely practicing our faith, or are we truly growing in it?”

    Because growth in grace is not about becoming perfect overnight. It is about allowing God, day after day, to transform us into the persons He created us to be. Hinaut pa.

  • The Authority of Love

    The Authority of Love

    May 30, 2026 – Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/053026.cfm)

    Do you thirst for peace amid anxiety? Do you thirst for understanding amid confusion? Do you thirst for acceptance, security, and genuine love. Do you thirst for peace and justice? We see this in families struggling to stay together, in young people searching for meaning, in workers carrying burdens that few people notice, and among those who were oppressed and abused.

    This is why the Psalm today speaks so beautifully to our human condition, “My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.”

    Whether we recognize it or not, beneath all our desires lies a deeper longing, our longing for God. Well, there are things that may temporarily satisfy us. There is success, recognition, possessions, or even relationships. Yet, the human heart remains restless until it rests in the Lord.

    Saint Jude addresses this very longing in the first reading. Writing to Christians facing difficulties and confusion, he gives a simple but powerful instruction, “Keep yourselves in the love of God.”

    Jude does not merely tell them to know about God or to speak about God. He tells them to remain in God’s love. To keep ourselves in the love of God means to stay rooted in prayer, to persevere in faith, to show mercy, and to trust that God continues to guide us even in uncertain times.

    This is important because when we lose our awareness of God’s love, we easily become thirsty for the wrong things. We begin seeking our worth from the approval of others. We become consumed by power, success, or recognition. We become easily threatened, insecure, and defensive. We too become lost in anger, violence and revenge when we are hurt.

    This brings us to the Gospel. The chief priests, scribes, and elders questioned Jesus, “By what authority are you doing these things?”

    At first glance, it appears to be a sincere question. But Jesus recognized that it was not really about truth. It was about control. They were not seeking God. They were protecting their own authority.

    The religious leaders were so concerned about preserving their position that they could no longer recognize the presence of God standing before them.

    Jesus, on the other hand, exercised a very different kind of authority. His authority did not come from power, wealth, titles, or influence. His authority came from love. People listened to Him because He healed the sick, forgave sinners, welcomed the outcast, and gave hope to those who had none. His authority flowed from a life completely united with the Father. This is the authority of love.

    We also see this authority in a mother who sacrifices quietly for her family. We see it in a father who remains faithful despite difficulties. We see it in teachers who patiently form young minds, in workers who choose honesty, and in people who continue doing good even when no one notices.

    Remember, love has an authority that force can never achieve.

    This is also the invitation of today’s readings. If our souls truly thirst for God, then we must remain in His love. And if we remain in His love, then our lives will naturally become instruments of that same love for others.

    And so, whenever you face a decision, ask yourself: “Am I acting out of fear and self-interest, or am I acting out of the love of God?” Hinaut pa.