SIMBANG GABI 2017
YEAR OF THE CLERGY AND
CONSECRATED PERSONS
DECEMBER 16, 2017
The following are the homilies I wrote for this year's Simbang Gabi. In as much as the Church in the Philippines is celebrating a Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons, our Parish Simbang Gabi homilies were centered on the mystery of the Priesthood.
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| The Interior of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Diocese of Cubao, Philippines |
Jesus, I trust in you!
We celebrate the Simbang Gabi this
year at the beginning of the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons which
is part of the Philippines’ nine-year novena in preparation for the 500th
anniversary of the evangelization of the Philippine islands. Therefore, let us
meditate on the priesthood and the consecrated life and try to see their place
in the new evangelization.
But before looking at the
ministerial priesthood, we have to first affirm the priesthood of all the
faithful. “The Lord Jesus makes his whole Mystical Body sharer in the anointing
of the Spirit wherewith he has been anointed: for in that Body all the faithful
are made a holy and kingly priesthood, they offer spiritual sacrifices to God
through Jesus Christ, and they proclaim the virtues of him who has called them out
of darkness into his marvelous light.” (Presbyterorum Ordinis, 2.) “The whole
community of believers is priestly. The faithful exercise their baptismal
priesthood through their participation, each according to his own vocation, in
Christ’s mission as priest, prophet, and king. Through the sacraments of
Baptism and Confirmation, the faithful are ‘consecrated to be a holy
priesthood.’” (CCC, 1546)
“The common priesthood of the
faithful is exercised by the unfolding of baptismal grace – a life of faith,
hope, and charity, a life according to the Spirit.” (CCC, 1547) Therefore, each
of us is called to live a holy life, a life worthy of our Christian vocation,
because in this way, we are able to offer our lives to God as a living
sacrifice. The prophet Isaiah in the first reading speaks of gentile nations
who were formerly strangers but are now part of God’s chosen people. They
wholeheartedly serve the Lord. They make holy the Sabbath day and faithfully
keep his laws. God promised that he will bring these gentile nations to his
holy mountain. There, the Lord shall receive them with joy in his holy Temple
and he will accept their sacrifices.
We are these gentile nations
referred to by the prophet Isaiah. Through the sacraments of Baptism and
Confirmation, God admitted us to his holy temple and accepts our sacrifice. But
what could we give to the Lord? What could we offer him? We offer him our
lives. We offer him our fidelity to his commands. We offer him our humble and
contrite hearts.
The Lord in the holy gospel praised
John the Baptist for his witness to the truth. “John was like a light burning
brightly and people rejoiced in his light.” Like John the Baptist, we must be
witnesses of truth. Our light must shine before men. Our light shall give joy
to the world. This is how we must live our baptismal consecration. By Baptism,
each of us was consecrated to the Lord. To be consecrated means to belong to
the Lord. We are consecrated to be holy. We are consecrated to be light of the
world. And this should really make us think: Do I bring light or do I bring
gloom? Does my presence radiate joy or sadness? Am I witness of truth or
bringer of fake news? What can I offer now to the Lord? Is my life a spiritual
sacrifice worthy of him?
Let us always do what is righteous
and just for the salvation of God will surely come. It will not delay. Let us
live lives worthy of our identity as a priestly people. Glorify the Lord with
your lives.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray
for us who have recourse to thee!
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