Podcast: Cathedral Church of Saint Michael Kalibo Sermons

Knowing Christ, walking in His authority | Fr. Romie-Jun Peñalosa | August 27, 2023

August 27, 2023

Go and Proclaim: “Knowing Christ, walking in His authority”

21st Sunday of Ordinary Time – August 27, 2023

First Reading: Isaiah 51:1-6

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 138:1-2, 3-5,6-7

Second Reading: Romans 12:1-8

Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:13-20

Fr. Jun started off his homily with a story about a King who wanted to know why Jesus died on the cross. He wanted to convert to Christianity but wanted to understand the reason for this first. He asked some of the smartest scholars and philosophers and they gave him theological answers but yet he was not satisfied.

In his frustration, he went out of the castle and there he met a boy. He asked the same question to the little boy and his answer finally satisfied him. “He died on the cross because He loves me.”

In the Gospel today, Jesus asked His disciples a very important question. He does this so that we can use our mind. The answers to our deepest longings are placed in our hearts. We will never grow into maturity if we don’t ask ourselves these important questions.

Jesus asked them “Who do men say that I am,” and then asked them again, “Who do YOU say that I am?” This is where Simon Peter answered and said “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” In this instance, Peter did not realize yet that the Father was already talking to him for Jesus said that it was the Father that revealed this truth to him.

Sometimes the Father talks to us yet we are unaware. We need to see that God wants to deal with us. It gives Him so much delight when we talk to Him.

When we are posed with the question “Who is Jesus to you,” what is the answer that is alive in our hearts? It is important to know who He is in your life so you can also see who you are to Him. All the theology in the world is nothing compared to knowing Him personally in your heart.

Jesus is simply not a subject to be studied. Jesus is a person, so if you want to know Him better, you need to have a relationship with Him. When you have a relationship with Him, you will develop a heart like His.

When Simon Peter gave that answer, his name was changed from Simon to Peter. This changed name signifies new life. If you develop a relationship with Christ, it will change you. All we need to do is to know Jesus.

Know Him through scripture, through participation in the life of the Church, and through the poor. There is something about the poor that will open our eyes to see Christ.

Finally, when Jesus gave Peter the Keys of the Kingdom, he was given power. Wherever God puts you is where you are to live the life God wants you to live. True power that changes the world is within those who know Christ.

 

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Great Faith Works | Fr. Romie-Jun Peñalosa | August 20, 2023

August 20, 2023

Theme: Go and Proclaim: “Great Faith Works”
20th Sunday of Ordinary Time
August 20, 2023

First Reading: Isaiah 56:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 67:1-2,3-4,5-7
Second Reading: Romans 11:25-32
Gospel Reading: Matthew 15:21-28

In this Sunday Mass at Saint Michael Kalibo, Fr. Jun reminded us that as a church, we are to be established in prayer. The best time to pray is when we don’t feel like praying. This is because we need to pray by faith, not by feelings. Short prayers with confidence and hope matter more.

If we are being tested, God wants us to exercise our great faith. To have great faith is to be persistent in prayer. Great faith never gives up, just like the woman in the Gospel who never gave up in approaching Jesus by faith. Her daughter received healing because she worshiped Jesus and continued to call upon Him.

This is a good reminder to us that to develop great faith, we have to continue praying and calling upon the name of the Lord.

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19th Sunday of Ordinary Time & Inurnment of +Abp. Ricardo M. Alcaraz | +Abp. Craig W. Bates | August 13, 2023

August 13, 2023

19th Sunday of the Ordinary Time & Inurnment of +Abp. Ricardo M. Alcaraz – August 13, 2023 –
First Reading: Jonah 2: 1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 29
Second Reading: Romans 10: 6-11
Gospel Reading: Matthew 14:22-33

Homily by His Beatitude +Abp. Craig W. Bates, Patriarch of the Charismatic Episcopal Church

This Sunday holds exceptional significance for the people in the Cathedral Church of Saint Michael.
Patriarch Bates opens his homily with an encouraging reminder. Amidst challenges and seemingly adverse circumstances, God takes those that are seemingly not good and converts them, using them for His greater glory. Despite the suffering, heartbreak, persecution, and trial, the Church stands firm, for Jesus assured us that despite such trials, faith should remain unwavering as He has already overcome the world (John 16:33).

Recounting Memories Shared with Abp. Dick
The Patriarch’s interactions with Abp. Dick have left a treasury of memories. Their first encounter occurred in California during the inaugural International Convocation in San Clemente. A specific memory that remains vivid took place during the Installation as Primate, where the clergies danced, and joyous voices sang “Happy Days are Here Again.”

Abp. Dick’s legacy embodies the heart of a true servant, characterized by his dedication to serving rather than seeking to rule over others. This Sunday is a day of expressing love and honor for Abp. Dick and thus, the Patriarch shares from 1 Corinthians 13. This epistle from the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian church, facing different challenges, was Paul’s pastoral call to “get their act together.”
Everything is passing away but these three remain: faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love (1 Cor. 13:13). These are eternal and will never go away. Our faith – where without Christ’s resurrection then our faith is in vain (1 Cor. 15:14); our hope – which is the resurrection; and love – the greatest of these. These are invisible and we can’t see them though we only see their consequences. The Spirit is like the wind. We cannot see it and it blows wherever it wants to (John 3:8). It is in these invisible things that we live our lives as Christians.

Love That Motivates and Empowers

This love, though invisible, motivated everything that Abp. Dick did. Jesus’ love motivated, encouraged, and empowered this man of God, not because he was perfect, or a great scholar. This divine love empowered his ministry and he wanted to love those around him. In the same way, God created us, male and female, so we can love one another. It’s the invisible things that bind us together. With a love like that, we begin to know what life is.

God calls us to participate in this love. The Church’s responsibility is to convey the message – “You are loved.”

Love cannot die in the grave. Love is eternal and thus, the Primate’s love has not stopped. Love, an intrinsic quality of God, remains undefeated. The archbishop’s love for Jesus and unwavering certainty in His reciprocating love defined his life. We may mourn as a sign of our love but today, he would want us to celebrate the love of Jesus – it’s so powerful that even if hate and evil put it into the grave, this love emerged victorious on a Sunday morning. Love conquered death.

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Kingdom In Us – Our Treasure and Joy | Fr. Erel Villanueva | July 30, 2023

July 30, 2023

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 30, 2023
Theme: “Go and Proclaim: Kingdom In Us – Our Treasure and Joy”

First Reading: 1 Kings 3:5-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:123-125,126-128,129-131,133-135
Second Reading: Romans 8:26-30
Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:44-52

Our Gospel today talks about three parables.

The first parable is about a farmer who accidentally found treasure and the second is about a merchant who is seeking for a beautiful pearl. These are two different circumstances but both received the same outcome. They both gave up everything in exchange for the treasure. The Bible says that where our treasure is, is where our heart is. The scripture pushes us to ask ourselves if God is our treasure or if we value other things more than Him.

If God is our treasure, we must put God first.

The third parable speaks about the fishes. It tells us that good and evil will be separated during the end of times. God is giving us the time to change, He’s giving us time today. We have no choice if we do not know the Word of God. But now that we have the word of God in our lives, we have a choice. It is up to us to choose between good and bad things, it’s our own decision if we become a good fish or a bad fish.

God’s word is like a precious pearl, it is so hard that it can never be molded or broken.
Don’t Make the Blessing your treasure but make the Blessor your treasure.

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Sow the Good Seeds in the World | Fr. Romie-Jun Peñalosa | July 23, 2023

July 23, 2023

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Go and Proclaim: “Sow the Good Seeds in the World”
July 23, 2023

First Reading: Isaiah 44:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 139:1-3,4-6,7-10
Second Reading: Romans 8:12-18
Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:36-43

GO AND PROCLAIM: SOW THE GOOD SEEDS IN THE WORLD
(A RECAPITULATION BASED ON THE HOMILY OF +FR. ROMIE JUN PENALOSA)

Our Gospel today is the continuation of the parable of the sower last Sunday. Here, Jesus explained the side of the sower/planter.

Jesus uses parables to encourage us to think. Parables are effective ways to teach the principles of the kingdom of God. Jesus as the greatest teacher knows exactly the things that people can relate well to. These parables make complex topics accessible and relatable.

The first reading teaches us that there is nothing impossible with God. He is saying (through Isaiah) that we just need to look and focus on Him because He can turn every bad thing into good things. Our thirst, our hunger, our longing for something in life…He can always fill and satisfy.

The second reading tells us about our sharing together of our lives to Christ. When we are in Christ, we become co-heirs of the benefits of Christ. We enjoy every thing God the Father has given to Him. He is so generous that even His only Son was given to us. But understand also that when we share in His blessings, we share also in His sufferings; because we are no longer guests in His house, we are His children, His family.

The first lesson from our gospel reading today is that “Nothing evil comes from God.” Jesus, being the sower/planter in the parable, never planted tares/weeds. Yet sometimes He allows them to grow with the wheat (the good seeds.) Our world today is the field, where we can see manifestations of what God has planted — such as the churches, the lives of the saints, the Christian communities, etc. However we also need to realize that wherever the Lord plants, evil with the intent to corrupt follows.

Wickedness always try to follow every great move of God. But understand that this is not a battle between good and evil. Satan is no match to God. Yet how come we still suffer or have problems? Because sometimes we fall asleep (spiritual sleep) and fail to notice that the enemy is already invading our place. Corruption and wickedness enters our life when we loosen our guard. That’s why Jesus reminds us to “watch and pray” together.

Evil always try to leech on to what is good. Unfortunately, evil can sometimes be successful in corrupting what is good. But know that it is never authored by God. Evil creeps into our life when we are not spiritually attentive. Uprooting evil is a delicate process but sometimes, God allows this evil to happen so He can turn it into something good.

Finally, we need to realize that there are evil works that only God can stop. Let us simply cling on to God. Let us look at the sower who stayed calm when he realized that the enemy planted tares on his field was wise enough not to pull them out lest he risk pulling out the wheat too. He patiently waits for them to be ready for harvest. In the same manner, we should also not allow our emotion to run over us when facing enemies. Instead, we should be spiritually awake, looking on and focusing on Jesus.

Recap by: MERCY DE LA CRUZ-ESPIRITU

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Fruitful by Hearing and Understanding God’s Word | Fr. Romie-Jun Peñalosa | July 16, 2023

July 16, 2023

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time- July 16, 2023
Theme: Go and Proclaim: Fruitful by hearing and understanding God’s Word

First Reading: Isaiah 55:6-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 65:9,10-12,11,13
Second Reading: Romans 8:8-11
Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

GO AND PROCLAIM: FRUITFUL BY HEARING AND UNERSTANDING GOD’S WORD
(A RECAPITULATION BASED ON THE HOMILY OF +FR. ROMIE JUN PENALOSA)

Every day, God is talking to us. He has something always to tell us…but, we do not understand. We do not understand, because we don’t want to understand.

In today’s gospel, there are three things that Father Jun pointed out for us to become. We can be the sower, the seed or the soil. Prophet Isaiah (First Reading) speaks about the power of God’s word. It is so creative that once He speaks, it will happen, because everything comes from Him; it will always achieve the purpose for which He said it. One word from God, once you receive it in your heart, it can change your life forever. But the way we receive it matters.

As Christians, we need to be mature in order to bear the fruit of a transformed life. Maturity is all about understanding what God is saying to you and responding to it. Many of us have grown old in our Christian faith, yet never achieve spiritual maturity. Why? Because we do not understand God. Though the word is powerful, it will never force us; instead it invites us always and waits for our response.

Our response to God’s word depends on how you understand. And how you understand depends on the condition of your heart. The key to receiving the word of God is understanding. And the level of our understanding depends on the condition of our heart or soul. Our gospel today teaches us the four conditions of the soils:
1. The hard one. Those who hears the word, but do not understand. The word was sown to them, but it doesn’t grow because the soil was hard. These are the people with unteachable hearts; a proud hearts.
2. The stony one. They are the ones who are so excited when they hear the word, so enthusiastic that it seems they will do everything for the Lord. But when trouble comes, their excitement wanes off.
3. The thorny one. These are the types of people who hear the word, but cannot let go of their past life. They cannot leave the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and they compromise the word, this is the reason why it doesn’t bear fruit in their life.
4. The good one. These are the ones who have been broken to God; they hear, they understand, and they respond which allows them to bear fruits. These are the hearts who have fully surrendered to God and long always for His love.

So, what is the condition of your heart?

In our everyday life, there are thousands of decisions that we need to make. These decisions determine the condition of our heart; and the condition of our heart determines how we receive and understand the word of God. If we truly understand Him, then we will be bearing fruits for we do not just hear Him, we also respond to Him. Let us remember then that the condition of our heart is our sole responsibility.

Recap by:
MERCY DE LA CRUZ-ESPIRITU

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Coming to GOD has its Benefits, Go for it!

July 9, 2023

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Go and Proclaim: Coming to GOD has its benefits, go for it

First Reading: Song of Solomon 2:8-13

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 45:7-9,10-12,13-15

Second Reading: Romans 7: 21-8:1

Gospel Reading: Matthew 11: 16-19,25-30

For this Sunday’s homily, Fr. Jun reminded us that we should not quit, but we should learn how to rest with God. In life, it is normal for us to become tired. However sometimes, we could not identify if that tiredness is physical, mental, or spiritual. He also emphasized some symptoms of spiritual tiredness, and they are the following:

*Having a hard time believing God’s promise;

*If we are troubled with how to start in prayer;

*If we become people-focused;

*If we settle rather than to seek more;

*If we stay in our comfort zones;

*If we want control;

*If we choose convenience than to seek our destiny;

*Unbelieving;

*If we are always angry;

*Dissatisfaction;

*If we tend to isolate ourselves from others;

*Insecurity; and

*Lack of self- control [discipline]

When we experience these things, we are experiencing spiritual tiredness or weariness. Come then to God. Jesus promises that He will give us peace and rest.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30

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Go and Proclaim: The Cost of Following Jesus

July 2, 2023

13th Sunday of Ordinary Time July 2, 2023

Theme: “Go and Proclaim: The Cost of Following Jesus”

First Reading: Jeremiah 28:5-9, 15-17

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89:1-3,19-21,36-37

Second Reading: Romans 6:16-23

Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:37-42

In this Sunday Mass Homily at Saint Michael Kalibo, Fr. Romie- Jun reminds us that Christian life is not a convenient life. People nowadays don’t want challenges because people settle for convenience, in such way that we also want our Christian life convenient. True Christianity is attained by becoming Christ’s disciple and by making Christ the center of your life. It is not easy, convenient, nor comfortable. But what does it mean? Christian life is not boring unless you live true Christianity. If you take on the challenge, our life would become an adventure.

The Gospel teaches us three things. First, to love God above our parents. Loving our parents is an intense form of love. But it should not be above our love for God. Secondly, we should take our own cross. We should carry our cross with patience. Jesus bore the cross together with our sicknesses and our poverty. If we are going to be His disciples, we ought to seek our cross by helping others to overcome their burdens. And lastly, to not love your life more than anything else. Anything that you will find for yourself, eventually, we will lose it. But if we decide to surrender it to Jesus, it will multiply. The only thing we can keep eternally is the one we share with others.

Live life in such way that we are willing to give it away. Our blessings are meant to be shared to others because we are blessed to be a blessing. It is God who will fill us with blessings. Be the Jesus in this world.

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“Go and Proclaim: Do not be afraid for the FATHER loves us.”

June 25, 2023

12th Sunday of Ordinary Time – June 25, 2023

Theme: “Go and Proclaim: Do not be afraid for the FATHER loves us.”

First Reading: Jeremiah 20:7-13

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 69:10-12,14-15,16-18

Second Reading: Romans 6:1-11

Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:24-33

 

GO AND PROCLAIM: DO NOT BE AFRAID FOR THE FATHER LOVES YOU

(A RECAPITULATION BASED ON THE HOMILY OF +FR. ROMIE JUN PENALOSA)

“Do not be afraid.” Such a very important statement that that Jesus Himself mentioned three times in today’s Gospel.

In our everyday life, we are bombarded with a lot of questions. From the moment we wake up in the morning until we close our eyes to sleep in the evening, our minds are filled with countless thoughts. Often, we struggle to find the right answers because we haven’t asked the right questions. Father Jun encourages us to ask the right questions in order to grow and mature in our spiritual journey.

What do you want in life? What are you afraid of in life? These two (2) important questions will confront us with our fear and will guide us in the right direction toward God. As we grow older and mature, we need to ask these questions deep in our hearts. We need to discover what we really want so that we will not end up wandering in life.

The life of the prophet Jeremiah reflects the significance of these questions. Despite God’s warning, Jeremiah knew what he wanted. He fearlessly faced uncertainties, trials, mockery, disdain, failures, and persecution while proclaiming and prophesying about God. He knew that God was with him, and he experienced God’s profound presence deep within his heart.

God allows many things in our life not to destroy us but to discover something profound in our life that others may never experience. Through life’s trials, we can encounter the profound presence of God—a presence that brings peace and joy to our hearts, regardless of the problems we face.

Once we discover that place in our hearts where the Lord never leaves us, our only fear becomes losing God’s presence in our lives. Jesus will never condemn us for our mistakes in trying. Let us take care of our soul, for it is through our souls that we connect with God. The moment we neglect prayer, we are allowing the world to touch our souls. As long as we keep and take care of our souls, no one can touch us. So Church, let us not be afraid to do our mission. Let us not fear man who can harm our body and emotions, but we should be more afraid of God who can destroy both body and soul.

 

Recap by:

MERCY DE LA CRUZ-ESPIRITU

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“Go and Proclaim: We Are Called And Empowered”

June 18, 2023

11th Sunday of Ordinary Time – June 18, 2023

Theme: “Go and Proclaim: We Are Called And Empowered”

First Reading: Exodus 19:1-9a

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 50:1-3,4-6,7,15,16-17,22

Second Reading: Romans 5:1-8

Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:1-8

 

GO AND PROCLAIM: WE ARE CALLED AND EMPOWERED

(A RECAPITULATION BASED ON THE HOMILY OF +FR. ROMIE JUN PENALOSA)

Once, there was a story of a dying child who was comforted by his family, especially his father. Throughout their time together, the son observed his father’s calmness and peace, despite their difficult circumstances. In their final conversations, the father asked his son if he was afraid of dying. Surprisingly, the child replied that he wasn’t afraid, as long as God was like his father. Father Jun shared this story to remind us of the profound impact a father’s character can have.

Today, as we celebrate Father’s Day, we are reminded that fathers have a significant role in representing God the Father to their children. Sadly, many young people in our generation struggle because they cannot see the Father’s representation. They lack that picture of who God is. Fatherhood is a vocation; it is a calling.

In our Gospel reading, Jesus called His disciples to come to Him before sending them out for their mission. It is crucial to understand that when God blesses us, those blessings are not meant for our exclusive benefit, but rather for the benefit of others. The same applies to our calling. We are called not only for ourselves but because others need us. This emphasizes that once God pours His grace into our lives, it should be shared and used to serve others. Our mission begins within us, and our calling within the Church starts with our relationship with God. To stay close to Jesus, we need to engage in prayer. However, prayer must be a God-centered dialogue; not a self-centered monologue. Effective service in the church comes from a very good relationship with God.  We need to pray, listen, hear, and obey His words. When we are called, God also empowers us. Power flows naturally when we are in a relationship with God and often this power goes with authority. As we come closer to Christ, He gives us the authority to cast demons and heal all sicknesses and diseases.

Our relationship with Christ is a two-way process. We are called, then, we are sent out. He called us first in order for us to be in love with Him so that it would be easy for us to do the mission once sent off. The Gospel will naturally come out from our mouths when we are in love with Christ. Our coming to Christ, our constant talking and listening to God will eventually strengthen our relationship with God. And when our hearts are filled with His goodness, nothing can hinder us from sharing it with others—that is our mission.

However, our mission should begin in our own “Jerusalem.” Father Jun encourages us to start with our families, our friends, and the people who are connected to us. Let us boldly proclaim the goodness of Jesus in our lives. Today’s Gospel reading serves as both an invitation and a challenge for us. Let us respond with confidence, knowing that once God calls us, it becomes a command that will forever change our lives.

 

Recap by:

MERCY DE LA CRUZ-ESPIRITU

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Corpus Christi Sunday

June 11, 2023

Corpus Christi Sunday – June 11, 2023

Theme: “Go and Proclaim: He is in the Bread and Wine”

First Reading: Genesis 14: 14-20

Responsorial Psalm: 111

Gospel Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-30

Second Reading: Luke 24:30-35

GO AND PROCLAIM: HE IS IN THE BREAD AND WINE

(A RECAPITULATION BASED ON THE HOMILY OF BISHOP RAYMUNDO ABOGATAL JR.)

Today, we gather to celebrate Corpus Christi Sunday. As the Body of Christ, we believe in the power of God’s Word. However, Bishop Jun challenged us to examine the depth of our beliefs.

During his homily, Bishop Jun referred to Matthew 16:21, where Jesus foretold His suffering and death in Jerusalem and His resurrection on the third day. However, when these events unfolded, none of His disciples waited at the grave for His resurrection. As disciples or believers, they should have waited for three days because Jesus said that He will rise again. They let fear of worldly authorities overshadow their faith in God’s Word.

Do we truly believe in the Word of God? Jesus said that “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63-64) The word of God is life itself, regardless of the circumstances. Often, we neglect the power that goes into the breaking of bread and the drinking of wine during the Eucharist because we do not witness any changes. However, Jesus assured us that it is indeed His Body and Blood. To truly comprehend this reality, we must approach it with faith. Even if we do not see visible transformations, miracles happen when we firmly believe in God’s Word. Hebrews 4:12 further emphasizes the active and living nature of God’s Word. Rest assured, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:11) This assurance alone guarantees that God faithfully fulfills His words. While our human nature tends to rely on what we see, in the kingdom of God, we must believe first so that our understanding will be open to the things of God.

In our lives, we encounter situations and desires that only God can solve. As long as we have a good relationship with Him, we need not to worry. We only need to rely on Him and be calm. Let us cast all our cares upon Him, for He has promised to care for us. When we grasp the profound sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, we will never stray from the Church and from Him. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly asks us to believe. Therefore, let us set aside our limited human knowledge and understanding, and immerse ourselves fully in the mind of God. After all, we were created perfectly in His own image and likeness.

Recap by:

MERCY DE LA CRUZ-ESPIRITU

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I AM BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING

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