“From dust you came and to dust you shall return”
First Reading: Joel 2:1-2; 12-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20 – 6:2
Gospel Reading: Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Homily by Fr. Romie-June Peñalosa

During Ash Wednesday’s Homily, Fr. Jun reminded us of the importance of the imposition of ashes. Ashes remind us of our mortality – that we do not have time to waste. It also keeps us humble before God. Ashes were also used for repentance. Daniel put ashes in his head when he fasted. Finally ashes were also used for intercession, like the time Esther put ashes on her head and she prayed for her people.

From today’s gospel, we are also reminded of three disciplines. First is the discipline of giving. God teaches us to give so that we will not keep our focus on ourselves but on other people. The second discipline is praying. Fr. Jun reminded us that the best form of prayer is listening. Finally the third discipline is fasting. It disciplines the heart and shows that we are willing to sacrifice for the Lord.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saintmichaelkalibo
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/141718362@N07/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104587191745272872189
Tumblr: http://saintmichaelkalibo.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stmichaelkalibo/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/saintmichaelkalibo/
Blogger: http://saintmichaelkalibo.blogspot.com/
iTunes Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ph/podcast/cathedral-church-saint-michael/id1139105076
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4DiiezN2MKXqq8OX7pvhaZ

6th Sunday after Epiphany
February 12, 2023
Theme: “Go and proclaim: The Judgement and Reconciliation of Christ”
First Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:1-3,4-6,16-18
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:6-10
Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:21-26
Homily by Fr. Romie-June Peñalosa

Our gospel reading today reminds us that we are sinners. Yes, we are forgiven and cleansed by God through Christ; but let us not forget that as human beings, we are prone to sin. Oftentimes, we neglect the sin of anger. True, we get angry at our kids who disobey us, or at our friends and family members who offended us; but understand that anger or hatred that stays longer in our heart leads us to sin. And even Christians are not exempted in this.

The bible teaches us that to sin against God is a curse. But there is a greater sin than this; that is when a man causes someone else to sin. In our anger, sometimes we say words that really hurt our loved ones. And these words causes them to hate us and do things that could harm both you and them. We then become the reason why that person committed sin. Jesus reminds us today in the gospel to reconcile with our brothers and that before bringing our gifts and offerings to Him, we should first reconcile with anyone we have offended. After all, God is not after our gifts; He is after our forgiving and loving hearts.

Father Jun reminded us also that to forgive is our responsibility. When our brothers offends us, it is our responsibility to forgive him.

But what if we are the ones who offend others? Our responsibility now is to apologize. When we apologize, it must be sincere. And here, he teaches us the five (5) languages of apology:

1. Say “I am sorry.” Because you realize the bad thing you did. You are not happy with what you have done.
2. Say “It is my fault.” Take responsibility for your mistakes against the person. Admit your fault and acknowledge your mistake.
3. Say “I will not do it again.” Repentance should be evident. The expression of willingness to change must be seen and commitment not to repeat the same thing is promised.
4. Ask “What can I do?” You have to make a amends. Be willing to make a way to repay or rectify the mistake.
5. Say “Please forgive me.”

True reconciliation is possible only when we learn to forgive others and when we learn to apologize for our own offense as well.

Recap by:
MERCY DE LA CRUZ-ESPIRITU

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saintmichaelkalibo
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/141718362@N07/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104587191745272872189
Tumblr: http://saintmichaelkalibo.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stmichaelkalibo/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/saintmichaelkalibo/
Blogger: http://saintmichaelkalibo.blogspot.com/
iTunes Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ph/podcast/cathedral-church-saint-michael/id1139105076
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4DiiezN2MKXqq8OX7pvhaZ

5th Sunday of Epiphany
February 5, 2023
Theme: “Go and Proclaim: We are salt and light of the World”

First Reading: Isaiah 58:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 112:1-2,4,5-7,8-9
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:2-5
Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:13-20
Homily by Fr. Romie-Jun Peñalosa

How do we value Christ in our life?

In his homily today, Father Jun shared a story about a king who has three daughters. One day, he asked them how they value him in their life. The eldest said he is like gold to her while the second one valued him like a diamond. The king was very happy knowing how precious he is to his daughters. But when the youngest turned to answer, she told her father that he is like “salt” to her. The king got mad about the princess and he commanded her to be locked up. But the queen heard their conversation and so she intervened. She commanded the royal kitchen not to put any salt in the food prepared for the king. And it went on for weeks, even months until the king weakened because he cannot eat well. The queen then made him realize something about salt when she invited him to the kitchen and let him see by himself how his food was being prepared. The king clamored to the queen because there was still no difference in taste. It was bland and tasteless. So the queen called the youngest princess and carrying a jar of salt, she let her daughter sprinkle it in his father’s food. The moment the king ate the food, it made him realize how much her daughter values him!

Today, many of us think that life has no value. We don’t have the money or power to change the world. But Jesus said, “You are the salt of the world”. He talks here about our influence and how we can change things around us through our lives. Bringing out the Gospel and preaching it to the world is the only ingredient that can change the world. To preach the Gospel means to live it out because its message is seasoned by the salt of our living. As salt, we “season” life, we give flavor, and we preserve life. We can change the world through the life we live and by influencing others. We can do this by following Christ. When we follow Christ, we love God. And it is not hard to love God when we understand how He loves us. As salt also, we have the power and the ability to influence the world. However, Jesus also warned us not to lose our saltiness. For if we lose it, then we became useless. So let us guard our hearts and our minds. Compromising loses our flavor: our saltiness. Living out the life of Christ maintains the balance of flavor in our life.

Understanding the truth of God’s love for us, we learn to love our neighbors also. When we have so much love in our hearts, we are salt already such that whenever we go, we season the world around us. The saltiness in our life is holiness. Holiness is living life in love despite our sins. And by living it deliberately, we can change our surroundings and our community for we also become light that illuminates the darkness. As light, we bring peace wherever we are. We bring understanding to everyone. We shine by being aware of God’s love. Thus, when we shine, we honor God.

Lastly, Father Jun encourages us to go out and shine. Life is too short to be wasted in the four corners of the room. We need to live out the life God intended us to be. The moment is now and we need to act immediately. Every day we wake up, let us be conscious of Jesus and let us deliberately live out His life. We should not allow any hindrances to ruin or corrupt the saltiness and the illumine that is in us already!

Recap by:
MERCY DE LA CRUZ-ESPIRITU

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saintmichaelkalibo
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/141718362@N07/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104587191745272872189
Tumblr: http://saintmichaelkalibo.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stmichaelkalibo/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/saintmichaelkalibo/
Blogger: http://saintmichaelkalibo.blogspot.com/
iTunes Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ph/podcast/cathedral-church-saint-michael/id1139105076
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4DiiezN2MKXqq8OX7pvhaZ

3rd Sunday of Epiphany – January 22, 2023

Theme: “Go and Proclaim the Gospel of Christ as Fishers of Men”

First Reading: Isaiah 8:20-9:2

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:1,5,8-9,11-13

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Gospel Reading: Matthew 4:12-23

Homily by Fr. Romie-Jun Peñalosa

The season of Epiphany talks about the light of Jesus in our life. The light reveals, and so, we can notice that the previous gospel readings speak about the revelations of Christ. The first was on His birth where the three wise men reveal about the baby. The second was on His baptism, where John the Baptist reveals Him as the voice in the wilderness. And third, was at the wedding in Cana, where He was revealed as the Son of God.

Today, our gospel reading reveals the calling of Christ in our lives. The imprisonment of John the Baptist has become the beginning of Jesus’ transformation; from living (His transfer from Nazareth to Galilee) to preaching and teaching, and to calling out of disciples. Once called by God, oftentimes, circumstances of being forced to go out come along. Going out, not just physically from one place to another, also means moving out of our comfort zone.

In his homily, Fr. Jun shares a story about an eagle. This eagle lives and thinks like a chicken for it grew up in a community of chickens, having been adopted after being lost from its family. But when finally finding and following someone like his identity, the eagle lives up to what is expected of him. Moral lesson? “Come, follow me.”

In our gospel reading, Jesus calls Peter and Andrew to come and follow Him. So with James and John. Here, we can notice that Jesus often calls people of relations (for they are siblings) and people who are working (for they are casting and fixing their nets). Father Jun wants us to see the principle from here, “Jesus, calls us in the midst of our work.” He calls people who are working. And the call of Jesus is not just to “come” but to “follow”. Yes, we can come to Him as our Friend, as our Savior, as our Provider; but unless we follow Him, He cannot be our Lord. Many come to Him, but few only follow. For Jesus to be the Lord of our life, we must follow Him. His invitation to us is not just to “come”, but also to “follow”.

The Lordship of Christ in our life is one thing that changes us. He promised us, that when we follow Him, He will see to it that we will truly become and live our life to the fullness of its potential. Like the eagle, who once thought he was a chicken, we often think and live the life we used to. We forgot that we were created in the image and likeness of God. We identify ourselves in the life of the world, we forgot our potential – that we were designed to shine brilliantly so that other people can come to Christ. Let us bear in mind and keep reminding others as well, to continually follow Christ so that we can be the person living the life that God wanted us to be.

Recap by:

MERCY DE LA CRUZ-ESPIRITU

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saintmichaelkalibo
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/141718362@N07/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104587191745272872189
Tumblr: http://saintmichaelkalibo.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stmichaelkalibo/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/saintmichaelkalibo/
Blogger: http://saintmichaelkalibo.blogspot.com/
iTunes Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ph/podcast/cathedral-church-saint-michael/id1139105076
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4DiiezN2MKXqq8OX7pvhaZ

1st Sunday of Epiphany – January 8, 2023

Theme: “Go and Proclaim: The Father’s Beloved Son”
First Reading: Isaiah 42:1-7

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89:13-14,19-20,21-22,25-26

Second Reading: Acts 10:34-38

Gospel Reading: Matthew 3:13-17

Homily by Fr. Romie-Jun Peñalosa

In today’s Sunday Mass Homily at Saint Michael Kalibo, Fr. Jun reminds us that we are baptized into Christ. We are immersed in the life of Christ. Our baptism causes us to be immersed with Him in His death and raised to life with Him in His resurrection.

In the Gospel, the baptism of John the Baptist is for repentance of sin which is why he did not feel that he should baptize Jesus. Jesus did not really need to be baptized for repentance because He is the spotless Lamb of God. But why did He need to be baptized even without sin? Because in this way, He identified Himself with sinful men. He did it not for Himself but for all of us sinners.

When we are baptized, Jesus cleanses us from all our sins. We are also immersed in the plans and purposes of God. We make plans and present it before God so He has something to work on. Life becomes meaningless when we have lost perspective of God’s plan for us. Life is meaningful when we know our purpose. How? By immersing with the community God has given to us. Participate in the life of the church because the church is the Body of Christ.

You have a purpose in life. God’s plans and purposes for your life is always what is best for you.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saintmichaelkalibo
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/141718362@N07/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104587191745272872189
Tumblr: http://saintmichaelkalibo.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stmichaelkalibo/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/saintmichaelkalibo/
Blogger: http://saintmichaelkalibo.blogspot.com/
iTunes Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ph/podcast/cathedral-church-saint-michael/id1139105076
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4DiiezN2MKXqq8OX7pvhaZ

Feast of the Holy Name – New Year

January 1, 2023

First Reading: Isaiah 63: 7-9

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 148: 1-2; 7-8; 11-12; 13-14

Second Reading: Hebrews 2: 14- 17

Gospel Reading: Matthew 2: 13- 15, 19- 23

In today’s Sunday Mass Homily at Saint Michael Kalibo, Fr. Jun taught us the 3 aspects of our humanity.

First is that we should know our purpose – and that will always have something to do with the Kingdom of God.

The second is that God gives us a specific and particular time to fulfill our purpose. This time that we have here on earth is something God decided long before He created anything. This is the best time for you. God decided to bring you and raise you up at this particular moment. God, in His wisdom, knew that He will fulfill His purpose in your life at a particular time. Do not miss out on the time that God has given you.

The only good thing in the past is you can learn from it, but do not stay in the past. Do not live also in the future because it will only fill you with anxietỵ The best time to fulfill your purpose is now. We touch God today in the present moment. Love NOW. Forgive NOW. Serve NOW.

Finally the third one is that God knows exactly where we are in the world and this specific place is where you will fulfill your purpose. You are not floating – God has placed you in a particular place! Embrace the place that God placed you in. Embrace the particular place that God assigned to you.

As he ended his homily, he encouraged everyone to live, grow, love, where God has placed us.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saintmichaelkalibo
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/141718362@N07/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104587191745272872189
Tumblr: http://saintmichaelkalibo.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stmichaelkalibo/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/saintmichaelkalibo/
Blogger: http://saintmichaelkalibo.blogspot.com/
iTunes Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ph/podcast/cathedral-church-saint-michael/id1139105076
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4DiiezN2MKXqq8OX7pvhaZ

Feast Of The Nativity Of Our Lord – Christmas Day

December 25, 2022

First Reading : Isaiah 52: 7-10

Psalm: Psalm 98:1-6

Second Reading: Galatians 3:29-4:5

Gospel: John 1:1-14

Christmas Day is all about the love of God for all of us. It is celebrated within twelve (12) days representing 12 months because the message of hope, of faith, of peace and of love should live within our hearts everyday throughout the year. We need to contemplate, to reflect, and deliberately live it out so that it will not be lost from us. Constantly sharing and expressing it with other people is the only way to keep the peace, the joy, and the love of God in our heart.

Today, Father Jun shared the love story of Rakesh and Sadnha. A story about a rich man who fell in love with a poor woman. A love story that crossed social barriers and showed the transforming power of love. If we truly love someone, even the unlovable becomes the most loveable person. The same love story happened to us when Jesus came to us. It was impossible for us to live with God before, because of our poverty and sin. We need to be like-God in order to live with Him. The world we live in today is the picture of poverty, of pain, of hunger, of hatred and other sufferings. But on Christmas Day, Jesus leaves everything He has in order to live with us. He took humanity and chose to be with us, so that He can live with us.

Salvation is not just forgiveness of sins. When we say, “We are saved” it means God lives in us. Christmas teaches us the most beautiful part of salvation – Jesus dwells in us. This is the greatest love story ever foretold. God and man, loving each other, dwelling with each other, no longer  separated. Jesus loving us, in our fallen nature, became like us so that we, also can be like Him, sharing His divine nature. This is the most beautiful love story we need to bring into our life every day and share among others; telling our children so that they will begin to understand what life is all about. Life is living, not only for our self but living with God and for God.

Recap by:

MERCY DE LA CRUZ-ESPIRITU

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saintmichaelkalibo
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/141718362@N07/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104587191745272872189
Tumblr: http://saintmichaelkalibo.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stmichaelkalibo/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/saintmichaelkalibo/
Blogger: http://saintmichaelkalibo.blogspot.com/
iTunes Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ph/podcast/cathedral-church-saint-michael/id1139105076
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4DiiezN2MKXqq8OX7pvhaZ

Theme: “Go and Proclaim with Joy”

3rd Sunday of Advent- Year A December 11, 2022

First Reading: Isaiah 35:1-10

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146:2 &7,3&5,9-10

Second Reading: James 5:7-10

Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:2-11

Our Advent Sunday readings have been talking about hope, faith, joy, and love. These are the virtues that God wants us to build and cultivate in order for us to become effective in bringing out the Gospel and as we prepare our lives for His second coming.

At the on-set of the year, we are reminded of these virtues. We need to prepare our hearts for Christmas so that when Christmas time comes to our lives, we know what we are celebrating; that God, our Emmanuel has come to live with us. As we prepare our hearts, let us also prepare our lives for the whole year! For God will open door of blessings and the anointing of the Spirit will bring many breakthroughs in our lives.

The first Advent is proof of Christ’s second coming. Christ didn’t back out the first time, and so we anticipate the fulfilment of His promise – His next coming. And for this year, as commissioned people of God in bringing out the Gospel, our activities will be geared to our mission – to preach and proclaim the Good News. We are now the hands and feet of God, the Body of Christ. It is our responsibility now to bring the knowledge of God’s love to the people, especially those who are loaded with so much burden, so much guilt and sin that they forgot that Jesus is no longer counting those sins against them. They need to know and understand, they need to see the freedom that God has given them; the healing and restoration that Jesus has provided. And for the Gospel to be brought out to them and the world, we need to go and bring it with our own lives.

Today, we lit the candle of joy. “When we set our hope in Christ, and anchor our faith in the Son of God, joy comes in”. Many people find it hard to find joy, nowadays. “Joy is the flower/fruit of setting our hope in Jesus.” Joy can evoke and sometimes bring happiness, but joy is an inner strength in us that propel and push us to overcome whatever problems we have in life. Scriptures said, Jesus endured the suffering in the cross because of the joy that was set before Him. When we go out in the world to preach the Gospel, it is the joy of the Lord that will be our strength; it will give us the spiritual energy inside, that though we our feeling wasted and tired outwardly, inwardly, there is a renewal happening. This is the same joy that will be our driving force in our life as we take care our children, our family, and our community no matter how difficult it is. it will cause us to serve Christ when others are already giving up, when others are losing already the ability to serve Christ. This is how joy is important in bringing out the Good News.

The essence of bringing out the Gospel, is to change the world around us. Gospel transforms the lives of the people. It is like a rain that comes to the desert, when we bring it to the wilderness, the people who hear and receive it starts to bloom. With hope, faith, joy and love, let us be the “rain” that “blooms out the desert”. Let us go out of our comfort zones and venture with joy in our hearts. Hardships and problems of life might cause us to doubt, but like St. John the Baptist, he anchored his faith in God’s words, we might also have that trust and confidence in the promises of Christ. It makes a great difference when Christ comes in the picture of the life of the people.

Finally, Father Jun pushes us to go out to the world, praying that we will no longer be “silent Christians”. Life is short, we need to prepare our hearts for God’s purposes in our lives. Let us not miss out what God has stored for us!

Recap by:

MERCY DE LA CRUZ-ESPIRITU

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saintmichaelkalibo
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/141718362@N07/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104587191745272872189
Tumblr: http://saintmichaelkalibo.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stmichaelkalibo/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/saintmichaelkalibo/
Blogger: http://saintmichaelkalibo.blogspot.com/
iTunes Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ph/podcast/cathedral-church-saint-michael/id1139105076
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4DiiezN2MKXqq8OX7pvhaZ