Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Tag: God

  •  Fear Locks the Door, Christ Walks In     

     Fear Locks the Door, Christ Walks In     

    April 12, 2026 – Second Sunday of Easter

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041226.cfm)

    In one way or another, there could be many of us living behind “locked doors.” This could be of our own choice because of the thought of wanting to protect ourselves. Or perhaps, we have been locked away against our will because of unpleasant circumstances that we have been through.

    Indeed, this is not only about the doors of our homes, but the doors of our hearts. Because of rising prices, financial struggles, and unstable income, many are anxious about the future. This can make us irritable, overly anxious and restless even in small financial decisions. It could also make us selfish or overly protective of what we have because of the fear of not having enough.

    In our relationships, the experiences of misunderstandings, betrayals, and disappointments can make us more guarded. We become careful, distant, even withdrawn. This means, we protect ourselves not because we are strong, but because we are afraid of being hurt again.

    On this Second Sunday of Easter also called as Divine Mercy Sunday, our Gospel today meets us where we are. And so, let us discern God’s invitations for us.

    The disciples, after the crucifixion, were also behind locked doors. They were afraid and felt lost. What happened to Jesus might also happen to them. So they hid and locked themselves in, not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually.

    What the disciples experienced can also be our experience now. Hence, there is also a kind of “self-imposed lockdown” in our lives. For instance, when we have been hurt, we could become defensive. And so, we stop trusting and withdraw from others. We refuse to invest ourselves again in relationships. We stay in our comfort zones, but deep inside, we remain fearful, anxious and restless.

    This is how fear paralyzes us and locks our heart. This is what happened even to Thomas. When he heard that Jesus was alive, he could not believe. His doubts became his protection and defense mechanism. He said, “Unless I see and touch, I will not believe.” Yet, that also means that his heart was more locked than the doors of the room.

    However, here is the beauty of the Gospel. Even if the doors were locked, the Risen Jesus entered the room, not just once but twice. The Lord did not wait for the disciples to open the door. He came as they were fearful, confused, and wounded. And the first thing He said was, “Peace be with you.”

    This is Divine Mercy. In His mercy, God does not wait for us to become perfect. The Lord meets us in our fears, in our doubts, and in our hidden places. He enters our locked doors not to condemn us, but to bring peace.

    That very grace became also the opportunity for Jesus to show them His wounds. Why? Because the wounds of Jesus speak to our wounds. His pain also speaks to our pain. When Thomas touched the wounds of Jesus, he encountered not just proof, but love. And it is a love that understands suffering and anguish.

    And this is the turning point. Thomas, who doubted, now proclaims: “My Lord and my God!”

    What find in the scripture today, is indeed also our journey from fear to faith, and from locked doors to open hearts.

    In fact, the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles shows us what happens when hearts are opened. The early Christians lived as a community and so they shared what they had. They supported one another and so there was joy, unity, and trust.

    However, this is the very opposite of a locked life, of hearts that are locked away. This means that a locked life isolates but an open heart builds community.

    Peter reminds us in the second reading that our hope is alive because Jesus is alive. Even if we face trials, our faith gives us a deeper joy that cannot be taken away.

    So today, we are invited to ask, “What are the doors that I have locked in my life?” Is it fear? Is it anger? Is it past hurt? Is it doubt in God?

    We ask this and hope for freedom because as long as we remain locked, we cannot fully live and we cannot fully love.

    But remember, the good news is this, “Jesus comes anyway.” The Lord comes into our fears, into our doubts and into our struggles. And He says to you and to me, “Peace be with you.”

    This also means that the Divine Mercy is not just about forgiveness. It is about God entering into our brokenness and restoring us from within. And once we receive that peace, we are sent. Jesus told His disciples, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” From locked doors, they were sent into the world. And from fear, they became witnesses of peace and joy.

    So let me leave you with two simple takeaways for today.

    First, allow Jesus to enter your locked doors. Do not hide your fears, your wounds, and your doubts. Bring them to Him. Let His mercy give you peace.

    Second, open your life to others again. Take one step to forgive, to trust, to care, or to reconnect. Do not remain locked. Rather, choose to live and love again. Kabay pa.

  • The Power That Gives Life

    The Power That Gives Life

    April 2, 2026 – Holy Thursday-Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040226-Supper.cfm)

    Tonight, as we begin the Sacred Triduum, we gather not only to remember the Last Supper of Jesus, but to enter into its meaning. And we do this, as we carry the realities of our lives as Christians here in Marawi. Many of you have felt uncertainty in expressing your faith freely. There are moments of fear, of hesitation, even of silence. Indeed, in the past 4 Sundays, some of us have felt terrified of even coming to the chapel for our liturgical celebrations. Yet, we continue to worship, but sometimes with caution. Though, we continue to believe, but sometimes with heaviness in our heart.

    And in such a situation, we may quietly ask, “Where is God? What power do we have as Christians in a place where we feel small, vulnerable, and sometimes even threatened?”

    The Word of God being revealed tonight gives us a profound answer. It tells us that true power is neither found in control, nor in force, nor in dominance. Rather, true power is found in love that serves, and in humility that gives life.

    In the Book of Exodus, we hear of the Passover. The people of Israel were weak, enslaved, and oppressed. They had no political power, no military strength. And yet, God saved them not through human force, but through God’s faithful presence. The lamb was sacrificed, the blood marked their homes, and that night became a passage from slavery to their freedom.

    This tells us that God’s power is not always loud or visible, but it is always saving, always faithful, and always present.

    In the Second Reading, St. Paul reminds us of what Jesus did on the night He was betrayed. He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body… This is my blood.” Jesus transformed an ordinary meal into the greatest act of self-giving love.

    And then in the Gospel, we see something even more striking. Jesus, the Lord and Master, knelt down and washed the feet of His disciples. Let us pause here for a moment.

    Jesus had power. He knew who He was. He knew where He came from and where He was going. And yet, He chose to serve. He chose to kneel. Jesus chose to love in the most humble and concrete way.

    This brings us to the heart of our reflection tonight. We ask, “What is power, then?”

    Power is the ability to influence, to create, and to transform. It can be used for good or for evil. When expressed through love, it becomes service and self-giving. But when used wrongly, it becomes control, manipulation, abuse, and even destruction.

    Each of us carries power. As long as we live in community, we influence others. Our thoughts, our emotions, and our actions affect the people around us. In our families, in our workplaces, in our communities and even in our silence, we shape the lives of others.

    And this is where the danger lies. When we become insecure, when we forget who we are, and so, we begin to misuse power. We will try to compensate. We will try to dominate. And we will try to protect ourselves at the expense of others. This is how relationships are broken. And this is how communities are wounded.

    We see this clearly in Judas. The Gospel tells us that the devil had already influenced him. His heart was already leaning toward darkness. He thought that his actions would bring him gain, security, perhaps control. But in reality, he was being manipulated. He was no longer free. Judas was no longer himself.

    This is the power of evil. It slowly pulls us away from light, disguising itself as advantage, until we find ourselves lost, and away from the grace of God

    But here is the beautiful and powerful truth also of tonight. Remember, even in that moment of betrayal, Jesus did not withdraw His love. Rather, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples including Judas. Jesus offered His body and blood to all of them, even the one who would betray Him.

    And this is the power of God – a love that does not exclude, mercy that does not withdraw, and service that does not count the cost.

    Friends, this is the power given to us as Christians. Not the power to dominate. Not even the power to retaliate. But the power to love, to serve, and to remain faithful even in difficulty and in the midst of threats.

    And tonight, this becomes very concrete in the washing of the feet. Those whose feet will be washed come from different walks of life, young and old, civilians and uniformed personnel. This is not accidental. This is the Gospel made visible to us as a Christian community here in Marawi.

    Because the call to love and serve is not limited by status, role, or identity. Every person, regardless of who they are, is called to share in this life-giving power of Christ.

    In a place where we sometimes feel divided, misunderstood, or even threatened, Jesus shows us another way: to build relationships, to affirm dignity, and to serve one another in humility.

    Indeed, as Christians here in Marawi, our faith may feel small but it is not powerless. Remember, every act of kindness is power. Every moment of patience is also power. Every choice to forgive, to serve, and to remain faithful is the power of God at work in us and through us.

    As we enter the Triduum, we are invited to examine ourselves too. How do I use the power given to me? Do I build, or do I destroy? Do I serve, or do I control? Tonight, Jesus kneels before us not only to wash our feet, but to teach our hearts.

    And so, let me leave you with two simple and concrete invitations.

    First, choose one act of humble service each day. It may be small as you help someone, or in listening patiently, in offering time but do it with love. This is how God’s power flows through you.

    Second, examine your heart each night. Ask yourself: Did my words and actions today give life or cause pain? Then, ask for grace to love better the next day.

    Indeed, the world may define power in many ways. But tonight, Jesus shows us the truth that the greatest power is love that gives life. And when we live this kind of power, even in weakness, even in fear, even in our uncertainties we become instruments of God’s life in the world today. Hinaut pa.

  • Homecomings

    Homecomings

    March 29, 2026 – Palm Sunday

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032926.cfm)

    For us Filipinos, culturally there are three occasions in the year that we come home, get together, and spend quality time with our family:   Christmas, All Souls’ Day, and Holy Week. These are the homecoming moments where and when us Filipinos BE with each other, that is where and when we experience, encounter, and meet each other again as family and community which usually lead to renewal, deepening and strengthening of bonding and relationships among family & community as church. While Christmas is for & with our family and friends, and All Souls’ day is to & with our family and relatives remembering our beloved dead, Holy Week is particularly our time and space for & with our God.

    Today, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of our Holy Week this year. Significantly holidays of this week is our church time and space to BE with our God. This week is specifically our God-time and God-space.

    This week then is more than just our chance to be with God but more so, God’s chance to be with us. Meaning, this week is not only our time and space with God but more so, GOD’s time and space with us, His church. It is more like God must be first and foremost “Be with us” rather than “we must be with Him”. The center or focus of this week then is not ourselves but God. This week is not about us and ourselves but about HIM and His being with us now.

    Thus, this is our opportunity to experience, encounter and meet God in His own terms and not on our own terms. The best attitude then is to let Him set the agenda, activities, schedules, and venue of this week. Meaning, to let Him takes the steering wheel. Allow Him to drive & lead your life this week. Let God be God, not be a god as we want or need Him to be.

    And so, these days of Holy week become our homecoming moments with God through the paschal journey of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so that we might be at home again & anew with our God.

    To do this and make the best of this week, some appropriate approaches might be in order as to how we prepare ourselves for this week.

    First, RECALL. As I have said, this is not about us but about Him. So, once again be reminded, that is to put into mind – God’s story with Us which is the Jesus story. We are to call again and remember (to make it member or part of ourselves) what God did, does and is doing to us through the life and mission of Jesus Christ in the past year. So, time and space to “Recall, Remind, Remember” God’s story with us through Jesus rather our story with God.

    Then, REFLECT. This is an invitation to mirror back or reflect back God’s story with and along our faith-story with Him now. In other words, “Manalamin”: to look and see our faith-life experiences from the point of view of God’s story and less from our own perspective, and to understand what happened to us lately with the lessons we realized from God’s story with us. Meaning, Be moved. Be disturbed. Be influenced. Be shaken. Be challenged. Be transformed by God’s story, presence, words, movements, plans, agenda and will for us – you and I, now and ahead.

    And above all, RESPOND to what, when, how, when and where God is calling, inviting, and leading you now in whatever faith-life commitment you choose to be. Meaning, whether you are ordained, married, professed, or baptized Christian, DO be a BETTER version of Christian follower as you choose and committed to be.

    Today we begin our Holy Week this year. Recall, Reflect, and Respond anew to what God did, does and is doing to You and Us now by being with Him, not in our own terms but in His own terms. May we, you and I, have a blessed and inspired homecoming week ahead with Him now & these days.

    So May It Be. Amen.

  • Learning to See as God Sees

    Learning to See as God Sees

    March 15, 2026 – Fourth Sunday of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031526.cfm)

    This Fourth Sunday of Lent is traditionally called Laetare Sunday, a word that means “Rejoice.” In the middle of the Lenten journey, the Church invites us to pause and remember that our path of repentance ultimately leads to joy. But the readings today suggest that this joy comes only when something in us is healed and when our way of seeing begins to change. Many times we look at people, situations, and even ourselves through limited human judgments. God, however, invites us to see differently and that is to see with the eyes of the heart.

    In invite you now that we discern together the readings this Sunday and take the invitations and challenges of God for us.

    In the first reading from the First Book of Samuel, the prophet is given the difficult mission of choosing a new king for Israel. Samuel carries this responsibility seriously because the people need a leader who will guide them according to God’s will. Yet in the process of discernment, Samuel almost makes a mistake. When he sees the strong and impressive sons of Jesse, he immediately assumes that one of them must be God’s chosen one. Their appearance, strength, and stature seem fitting for a king.

    However, God corrects Samuel with words that reveal a deeper truth. The Lord said, “Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart.” Samuel, despite being a prophet, had also been influenced by ordinary human ways of judging. Hence, Samuel looked at what is visible, impressive, and socially acceptable. Only when he learns to see beyond these appearances does he finally recognize David, the youngest and least expected, as the one chosen by God.

    The Gospel from John presents another story of blindness, but this time it is both physical and spiritual. Jesus encounters a man who has been blind since birth. Interestingly, the man does not ask to be healed. It is Jesus who takes the initiative. At that time, many people believed that illness or disability was a punishment for sin either the sin of the person or of his parents. The disciples themselves ask Jesus, “Who sinned, this man or his parents?”

    Jesus rejects that way of thinking. The blindness of the man is not a punishment but an opportunity for God’s work to be revealed. Jesus heals the man, restoring his physical sight. But the deeper healing unfolds gradually. Through the events that follow, the man begins to recognize who Jesus truly is. His physical sight leads him toward spiritual vision. He moves from simply calling Jesus “the man,” to recognizing Him as a prophet, and finally professing faith in Him as Lord.

    Meanwhile, the Pharisees who physically can see remain spiritually blind. They refuse to accept what God is doing before their very eyes. Their rigid expectations and their attachment to their own interpretations of the law prevent them from recognizing God’s presence. In contrast, the man who was once blind becomes the one who truly sees.

    These readings invite us to examine our own way of seeing. Many of the struggles in our society today arise because we easily judge based on appearances. In our Filipino context, we sometimes value status, wealth, or influence more than integrity of heart. People can easily be dismissed because of their poverty, their mistakes, or their past. Sometimes we even label people permanently by their failures.

    Yet, the Lord reminds us today that He sees beyond what the eyes can see. Indeed, God looks into the heart. And this invites us to a deeper kind of discernment. We are presented with three challenges.

    First, we are challenged to look beyond appearances and recognize the dignity of every person. The poor, the struggling, and those who have made mistakes should not be quickly judged or dismissed. Like David, God often works through those whom society least expects.

    Second, we are challenged to examine our own blindness. Pride, prejudice, and self-righteousness can prevent us from recognizing God’s presence in our lives. Like the Pharisees, we may think we see clearly when in fact we remain blind to God’s grace at work around us.

    Third, we are called to bring light to others. St. Paul reminds us in the second reading that we were once in darkness but are now children of light. When we begin to see as God sees, we become instruments of healing, helping others rediscover hope and dignity.

    Lent is therefore, not only about giving things up. It is also about allowing God to heal the blindness of our hearts. As our vision expands, we begin to recognize Christ more clearly in our lives, in our struggles, and in the lives of the people around us.

    For our takeaways this Sunday, there are two.

    First, look beyond appearances. God sees the heart, and we are invited to do the same.

    Second, ask God to heal your blindness. Through humility and faith, we learn to recognize Christ in the people and situations around us. Hinaut pa.

  • Wider POV

    Wider POV

    March 15, 2026 – Fourth Sunday of Lent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031526.cfm)

    By digging a hole underground, a story once told that a prisoner was able to escape prison. And it so happened that he came out through a playground few distances away from the prison. And so in his great joy, before a group of playing kids, he shouted at the top of his voice, “Yesssss. I’m free. I’m free”. Then a little girl approached him and said with confidence, “Oh, Mister that’s nothing, I’m four”. 😉😜😄

    Here is a prisoner, after long years of imprisonment, deprived of his freedom, now got a chance to be free: to do what he wants to do – to be what he wants to be. He finally now gains his freedom. However, here is a little girl, who witnessed the event differently because of her limited awareness. She is not concerned about her safety or his freedom at all, but only her being four years old.

    Same thing could be said about our gospel today. Here, a great miracle has happened. A man born-blind has been healed of blindness. After years in darkness, he can now see the light and become conscious of life – of everything. He can now see everything.

    However, despite of this great event, people around him still refuse to see, refuse to accept the reality that a miracle has happened. They refuse to admit that life & creation has dawned upon them. In the midst of life & creation, their reaction is rejection – refusal to see. They don’t want to see and accept that the blind man can now see. They deny his sight and awareness and prefer he remains sightless and cursed blind man, same way as the girl is more concerned about her age than the prisoner’s freedom.

    Freed from of his blindness, the man also viewed his healing differently. He said, “I don’t know if he is a sinner; I only know that I was blind and now I can see”. He doesn’t care about sins & sinfulness, or whether he or Jesus is a sinner. All he cares about is that he was blind and now gains sight through Jesus. Consider for a blind man to be able now to see… is everything – just as for a prisoner his freedom and for a little girl her four years of age.

    For the blind man, it is his redemption from cursed life of darkness. But for the Pharisees and people, it is a violation of Sabbath. Life has been created, God’s glory has been revealed, a man born-blind can now see… but all they can think of is the regulation about the Sabbath. They still refuse to see and believe in God’s glory and power revealed through Jesus.

    With these, our readings today teach a number of lessons.

    First, whatever happens in our lives whether it is a creation or reaction depends on how we See (phonetically sound as letter “C”) it. Whether things are C-reation or reaC-tion depends on how you C it. Meaning, how we create life or how we react to life depends on how we view and see things.

    And most of the time, our own “ponte vista” – our point of views of reality hinder us to see a much wider perspective of things. Our limited biases and prejudices then can block or blind us to see a much wider picture of life or even to view life in the eyes of faith – based on how God sees it. Our readings today thus are all about awareness, about how limited and how limiting our perspectives can be, about how we can be blinded by our own biases and prejudices.

    Our readings remind us also that God’s perspective is different from our own and much wider and better than our own view. As He directed Samuel, the Lord judges life not on appearances but by our hearts. Like in our gospel today, Jesus also sees the blindness of the man differently – not as a sin or curse but as an opportunity for God’s grace to reveal and create life. For Jesus, the healing of the blind man is not (as commonly perceived) as curse but as God’s glory being revealed and happening before us now. He said, ‘so that works of God might be displayed in him’. For Jesus then, the blind man is not a sinner but a saint, because through his disability, God’s works and graces are made known in the miracle of gaining his sight.

    Through the miracle of his healing from blindness, Jesus also makes people aware of God’s blessings in our midst – that it is through Him God’s salvation comes & in Him whom we should believe.

    Lastly, we are challenged to widen our perspective of life, and try to see things, not only from our own eyes but also in the eyes of faith. As Christian, we are called today to go beyond our biases and prejudices, our own view of reality, and try to widen our perspective and try to see from God’s perspective, that is, to be more aware of God’s blessing, graces, miracles in our midst rather than only seeing our misfortunes, sinfulness & disgraces in life.

    We are invited thus to be like the blind man who after gaining his sight, now searches for his faith. Like him, we are to see not only physically but also spiritually. We are invited to change from blindness to sight toward faith, from being a cursed sinner to a staunch believer and loyal follower & promoter of Christ.

    May God, during this Lenten season, free us from darkness of sins & from the blindness of our limited sight, teach us to go beyond our perspective, and enlighten us to be creative, not reactive to the life-miracles He offers us in life now & always.

    So May It Be. Amen.