Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ,

Deacon Bobby Peregrino, Spiritual Advisor for the Sacramento Filipino Cursillo Movement, has kindly shared his homily for last Sunday’s Mass.  It is titled, “Being Salt of the Earth and Light of the World and People will Know We are Christians by Our Love”.  You can find the audio link and the full text of his homily below this email.  De Colores!                                                                                                                  

Deacon Ben Agustin


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Homily on “Being Salt of the Earth and Light of the World and People will Know We are Christians by Our Love” based on the Gospel reading (Mt. 5:13-16) for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time:

 Click on the link below to listen to the audio of the homily:

http://stcatherinevallejo.org/wp/2014/02/10/homily-on-being-salt-of-the-earth-and-light-of-the-world/

 Here’s the text:

Jesus used the metaphors – salt, light, city set on a mountain - to describe the Church - relative to her mission in the world.  They all are for the sake of others.  When we speak of Church – We – ARE the Church - the People of God –and the Gospel message is for each one of us – not only addressed to the clergies or religious or the person next to you.

 “You are the salt of the earth.” Salt is not eaten for its own sake but salt is put into meat – to preserve it, to spice it up, to make it taste better.

 Actually - Salt cannot lose its saltiness.  Sodium chloride, salt, is a chemical compound.  Salt is not a complex composition like wine, which can become bitter.  Salt is not an organic compound like meat or cheese or bread, which can spoil or rot.  Salt is salt, pure and simple.

 So – what does Jesus really mean by the phrase, “but if the salt has lost its saltiness, it is useless, and worthy of being thrown out - to be trampled by - underfoot.” - which is a warning to us.

 Jesus is actually referring to the salt losing its usefulness – How? – We fail to live as the salt of the earth when we prefer to stay in the safety of the salt shaker – so to speak – just staying in our comfort zone and safe world - rather than fulfilling our destiny out in the world… which is to be the seasoning to those who face a bland existence; to serve as a preservative like the salt to keep the world from going bad… to preserve what is right and good and true.

 We lose our saltiness – so to speak – our distinctiveness as Sons and Daughters of God – when we simply blend in with the world… when we look and sound and act as everybody else…  So - Who needs us then?  What good are we for - then?

 Jesus did not command us: “You ought to be the salt of the earth, should act like salt, or pretend we were salt, or attempt to be salt.”  He said, “YOU ARE the salt of the earth.” – Referring to our identity – who we are - Meaning - We already have what we need to make a difference in the world… by virtue of our baptism in Christ.

 Our very being is Sacramental (signs/instruments) of God’s love, grace and mercy as the Body of Christ.

 “You ARE the light of the world.” Light is not threatened by darkness.  There is no measure of darkness that can swallow up light.  Darkness cannot quench light.  In fact, the greater the darkness, the greater the power of a single source of light to show the way.  “You are the light of the world,” Jesus said.  So do not fear the darkness.  Go conquer it.

 You are a City set on a Mountain… A city set up on a mountain helps guide the ship in its navigation … helps show the way to travelers…  The Church is meant to be visible so people can see how to guide their lives by it.  Literally – we can say – St. Catherine of Siena Parish Church is a Church set up on a hill.  So – is our parish, are our parishioners, is our community - a guiding light for people who live in darkness where hatred and violence and hopelessness dwell?

 Jesus calls His followers to make a difference in their world as a witness to the character and will of God.

 It has been said: “All that is necessary for evil to triumph in the world is for good people to do nothing.” (Edmund Burke).  Doing nothing is a sin of omission.  It is a deadly sin.  We contribute to the cause of evil by our evil deeds, and also by not doing the good deeds we ought to do. 

Pope Francis said: "I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security."

 What good is the light of the lamp under a bushel basket.  It only lightens up the inside of the basket…  “You are the light of the world,” the Lord says. “Your light must shine before others so they can see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”  We have a responsibility to others. 

 We heard in the first reading from Isaiah: “Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own.”  Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,” Our light should shine by caring for those who need us.

 When we perform charitable actions, we are beacons of the Light of Christ that has come into the world.  We have a responsibility to let others see this light of Christ, and through this light find their way out of darkness and despair and into the way of love and fulfillment, the way of holiness.

 Meaning – the reason why we help others in not just for sake of helping others - not just for the poor to have their physical and worldly needs met – but the ultimate goal is that by helping those in need -  out of darkness and despair – they, too, will find their way to love – to holiness – and Encounter Christ… so they can love God.

 This is the underlying reason and passion that drove Mother Teresa to help the poorest of the poor so that eventually they can love God… Christ is thirsty for the love of the poor.

 It is not enough that the followers of Jesus are the salt of the earth.  Jesus wants us to get out of the salt shaker into the flavorless world!

 Later, in that same Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (7:21) Jesus calls us - not to be just identified with Him, but to follow Him. He went where people were hungry and poor, lonely and hopeless. He retreated to quiet places to be alone with God. He refused worldly power and wealth. He loved his enemies. Every day he took up a cross of self-sacrificing love. He calls us to follow him.

 In the Gospel of Mark 3:31-35 - Jesus said: “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’

 The name “Christian” is not enough. Today maybe more people than ever before call themselves Christian but there are not nearly as many, however, who day by day follow in the way of Jesus Christ.

 There are not many whose lives are like salt, seasoning the world for others, - - - or like light, bringing illumination to all the dark places of the world. Do you know people like this? When we encounter such people, they don’t have to tell us they are Christians. We know who they are. When we ourselves decide to take seriously the invitation to follow Jesus, we will not need to identify ourselves to the world. “They will know we are Christians by our love.”

Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ,

Deacon Donnie Geaga, from the San Bernardino Filipino Cursillo Movement, has kindly shared his homily for today’s Mass.  It is entitled, “Christ Shining Through Our Good Deeds”, and you may read it at the end of this email.  Thank you, Deacon Donnie, for sharing your preaching with us.


Homily on “Christ’s Light Shining Through Our Good Deeds”

Is 58:7-10  1 Cr 2:1-5  Mt 5:13-16  Cyc A  5th Sun in OT  2/09/2014

I      Introduction          Have you had a chance to look at yourself in the mirror lately?  If you did, what did you see?  For some of us, we see the image of a good and kind-hearted person.  For others, the image of a good, young and maturing person who is ready to assert oneself and make a large imprint in the environment.  Still others, the image of a good and matured person who still has some battles to conquer and wars to win in the world.  And for the rest of us perhaps, the image of a person who sits back and marvels at the good we have accomplished and wonders what could have been done or can still be done on what we have failed to do.  Whatever the case, we console ourselves first with the good that we see in ourselves and after more intense looking and thinking, we start to see the other side of our physical appearance – the inner self. 

Reminds me of the story of a teacher with 6-year olds in her class.  One day, she had asked them, “What is the color of an apple?  One of the girls immediately raised her hand and said, “Teacher, apples are red.” “Yes, Nancy, you are right.  Then young Robert counters, “Apples are also sometimes green or yellow, Teacher.”  “Good answers”, the teacher replies.  Then little Nichole in the far corner joined in, “Teacher, I know the answer too - apples are white”.  A bit surprised the teacher asked, “Apples are either red, green or yellow or shades of them.  Now Nichole, where do you find apples that are white?”   “In the inside” was the straight and simple answer.  What a profound statement coming from a 6-year old.  She not only sees the outside of an apple but more particularly, the inside. 

Similarly, we go by what we see outside in a person but God sees and looks more on the inside – on the heart, especially the condition of the heart.  Jesus tells us, “It is where your heart is that your treasure lies.”

II    Christ’s Light in our Hearts          And the heart is where God dwells, for He is our most coveted treasure.  For our hearts belong to God and our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit comprising the mystical body of Christ.  When God is present in our hearts, it almost becomes second nature for us to keep on thanking God for the many gifts he has bestowed on us.  Since they are gifts from God, they are meant to be shared like sharing food with the hungry, giving a drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked and sheltering of the homeless, among other things.

These were basically the same teachings that the Lord exhorts us to do to make a difference in the life of others as contained in the first reading from the prophet Isaiah.  It is when we do all these good works, that “… your light shall break forth like the dawn and your wound shall quickly be healed, your vindication shall go before you and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.”  Is 58:8  Isaiah continues, If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech, if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted, then light shall rise for you in the darkness and the gloom shall become for you like midday”.  Surprisingly, these words are still applicable to our present time. As the colloquial phrase goes, “talk is cheap, what we need is action!”  We cannot just look at ourselves in the mirror, sit back, relax, watch in the background and not do anything while the world around us is crumbling to pieces.  The greatest tragedy occurs when good men do nothing in the midst of oppression, destruction and demoralization.

Jesus teaches us that to be true followers of his, we are to always strive for personal sanctification.  But in order to be holy, we must go about the task of bringing others to be part of the One who is holy.  In the words of St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, “Charity must not remain hidden in the bottom of our hearts; nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  Your love must be seen, not so people may give you honor and glory but so that they may see your good works and give praise to your Father in heaven”.

 

III    We are the Salt and Light to the World       The proclamation of Jesus Christ is not really heard by the world through theological arguments or through spiritual writings.  Rather, the world will come to know Christ by the outward signs of our faith - how we live our faith in our everyday, ordinary existence. So that when they see us, they will reflect and ask why do we do such works when there is no fame or fortune involved? Or why do they serve when it comes at the cost of their own personal wealth and health and even at times at the loss of their lives? If we are truly engaged in living our faith, the love that the world will witness to is the love that Christ personified- the beauty that will eventually bring them to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christian life consists of doing good for others in the way, the truth and the life of Jesus Christ.  But what if our salt goes flat or our light is hidden from sight?  What if we become timid and complacent because of our fear of being ostracized by society or of how people may react to our public display of our faith and beliefs?

The threat of relinquishing our religious freedom is looming because of the dictates of society and some government leaders.  They are telling us to keep our faith to ourselves and that the practice of faith or religion is a private matter.  In other words, people of faith are not supposed to make a difference in society; that we are only allowed our freedom of religion within the confines of our churches and Sunday worship.  Hence to live out our beliefs beyond the church and in the public eye, is taboo.

IV    Conclusion          So brothers and sisters, will any of these incursions deter us from living our faith in public?  Can we still evangelize and spread God’s Word in a hostile environment?  With God’s grace and blessings, we absolutely can.  Like salt and the light, the flavor and brightness we give to society must be strong, evident and purposeful, not bland, dull nor inconspicuous.  But we do it as Christ did, with humility, love and friendship.  And we do all these not to seek self-glorification but do so all for God’s honor and glory.  Amen.

Deacon Donnie Geaga     St. Peter & St. Paul Church, Alta Loma      Diocese of San Bernardino

Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ,

Deacon Donnie Geaga, from the San Bernardino Filipino Cursillo Movement, has kindly shared his homily with us from last Sunday’s Mass.  It is entitled, “The Light of Christ in the World of Darkness”, and is well worth reading.  You will find the full text of his excellent homily below. 



Homily on “The Light of Christ in the World of Darkness”

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time  Is 8:23, 9:3  1Cor 1:10-13, 17  Mt 4:12-23  1/26/2014

I    Introduction          Do you agree with the saying, “If you look for the bad in a person, you will always find the bad and if you look for the good in a person, you will certainly find the good”?  Last Christmas, a 6-year old child sitting on the lap of Santa was asked, “What do you want for Christmas?”  Without blinking an eye, the child replies, “A better life!”  Amazing, isn’t it?  From the eyes of a 6-year old who hardly observes the good and bad around her, we would think, she sees the need for a better life, not wanting anything else a child would usually ask for.

Because very often we, you and me, would always focus on what is bad, not just in a person but in our world.  This includes our environment - our home, our community, our school, the church we belong to and the company we work for.  We constantly whine about ineffective government policies, corrupt and self-serving politicians, biased news and print media, high crime rate, the prohibitive cost of fuel and basic commodities, unemployment, loss of homes and so on and so forth.  All we see and think about is how awfully bad is the world we live in.

 

II    The World of Darkness           On top of all of these politics of personal destruction are the natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes, tornados, snow winter blasts, hurricanes and typhoons, etc., that have caused great loss of lives and properties.  Not to mention the countless people living in poverty, deprived of their basic necessities, the marginalized, the oppressed, the unattended – the unloved.  Public moral issues such as abortion, birth control, same-sex marriages, mercy killing or euthanasia, etc., have caused great division among people in many countries.  It seems hopeless for most of us.  We believe we live in a world of darkness.

We are tired and weary of all these politics.  The real need is to have vision, to see ways and means of making our world a better place to live in and to work on what we can do rather than just complain and blame each other for all these problems.  This is what the 6-yr old was asking for – a better life, a better world.

In his time, Jesus lived in a troubled world, which in many respects, was even worse than the world we live in today.  Justice was never served.  The kings, pharaohs and emperors were actually tyrants who lorded it over the people, making them their slaves, abusing and persecuting them.  Roman legions oppressed the people while living in luxury and wanton abundance, oblivious to the plight of the people in need.

Then God sent the Christ Jesus to give us vision and the message of hope, faith and love starting with ourselves.  God in Jesus Christ tells us to take charge of ourselves first before we can take charge of others.  As stewards of our body and soul we have to make something good and decent out of ourselves.  As the saying goes, “Life is God’s gift to us and what we do with our lives is our gift to God.”

 

This is the fulfillment of the prophesy of Isaiah in the first reading of today which says,                                                                                                                   “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom, a light has shown.” (Is 9:3)  

                                                                                                                       

III    The Light of Christ in Our Lives          Even if we live in the darkness of our sins, Jesus provides the light for our souls when he sees a repentant heart.  He loves us so much that he readily looks for the good in us and then forgives and forgets so that we can walk in his light.

In Matthew’s Gospel of today, upon hearing the imprisonment of John the Baptist, Jesus  decided to make his move as part of the beginnings of his public ministry.  Ironically, the end of the time of hope becomes the beginning of a new and glorious era.

                                 

He begins his ministry in Capernaum, the farthest land in Israel -the land of darkness, a shabby location filled with pagans and those disobedient to Jewish laws.  This is the kind of people Jesus calls to himself; people who eke out their existence on the edge of life.  Pope Francis must love the Gospel Theme of today because it is in places like these that the Lord’s Mission is urgently needed.



Sounds familiar?  When we are burdened with problems like the loss of a job and/or home or the care for a very-ill loved one or the decision to have abortion to avoid scandal or other challenges that we cannot overcome that the world is crumbling down on us, isn’t it time to turn to God to seek his forgiveness and to ask for his help?  God in Jesus Christ, came to heal the sick and not the righteous.  Jesus begins from things that are broken and in need of repair. He is greater than all of our transgressions.

Jesus preaches to us saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (Mt 4:17)  He is telling us that a better world is within our reach and within our grasp.  He continuous to say, “Reform your lives and believe in the Good News.  A better world begins when we begin to change our personal lives to seek the face of God.

Also, Jesus calls us in the ordinariness of our lives, in places where we are or when we seem distant from God.  No matter how dark our lives are, Jesus comes to us and calls us to his light.  This was how he called his first disciples who were caught up in the tasks of ordinary life.  So Jesus calls us in the state of life in which we exist.

IV    Conclusion          So brothers and sisters, as true followers of Christ, we always remember that Repentance is central to our lives.  Let us npw bow our heads in prayer.  “Lord God, teach us to be repentant.  Help us to soften our hardened hearts whenever we offend you and hurt other people whether verbally, emotionally or physically.  Make us realize that in doing so, we also diminish our personal dignity and pride.  Guide us return to your light to let your light shine upon our world to glorify you, by making a firm resolve to amend our lives and follow Christ’s teachings.    In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.”

Deacon Donnie Geaga     St. Peter & St. Paul, Alta Loma      Diocese of San Bernardino