CHRISTMAS 2018
YEAR OF THE YOUTH
DECEMBER 25, 2018
JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!
If people ask me about my favorite
Christmas song, I immediately answer: “Silent Night.” My mother told me that on
my first Christmas on earth (December 1968), I cried whenever a caroler sang
“Silent Night.” The same happened whenever it is played over the radio. Until
today, the song haunts me in a very special way. This is the reason why
wherever I am assigned, I always insist on singing “Silent Night” as entrance
song for Midnight Mass. Apart from sentimental reasons, this song was really
composed for the Midnight Mass. The story goes that in the Church St. Nicholas
in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria, the organ broke down and
it was impossible to repair it in time for midnight Mass. The priest, Fr. Josef
Mohr. inspired by the peace of the surroundings, wrote a poem and asked Franz
Xaver Gruber to compose the music for it. “Silent Night” was first sung on
Christmas Eve of 1818…exactly 200 years today.
The song captured the atmosphere of
the night of the Savior’s birth. Bethlehem was teeming with people because Caesar
Augustus declared a world-wide census. Everybody had to return to their
homeland to comply to this decree. St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin went home
to Bethlehem just like everybody else who came from the Clan of King David. The
situation there might have been chaotic but let us not forget that the census
was made possible because the whole world was at peace. As there was no room in
the inn, Mary and Joseph were forced to take shelter in a cave where animals
were made to rest during the night. It was the ideal place for the birth of the
Savior because it was away from the bustling hotels which were filled for the
night. It was a very private place…a quiet place…for animals really rest at
night. We humans have the tendency to disturb the silence of night time…but not
the animals. At night, they simply kept silent because that is how they really
are. The background of silence was the best context of the birth of the Word of
God on earth. For when can the Word be heard most if not in the middle of
silence?
It was a silent night. It was a
holy night. Silence does not necessarily imply holiness. Sometimes, silence is
imposed by threats (dulot ng banta). Bugbog o dignidad? Threats like this
oftentimes condemn people to silence. (tumutulak sa mga tao na manahimik na
lang) People keep silent because they do not want to get involved. Ayaw
madamay. Others keep silent so as not to further aggravate the aggressor. (lalong
mayamot) Tumahimik ka na lang para di ka masaktan. Fear also forces people to
be silent. Wag kang kikibo kung ayaw mong masaktan.
But the silence of that night was
not caused by fear. Rather, it was caused by love: Son of God, Love’s pure
light; radiant beams from thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace. The
Son of God appeared on earth tonight. He shines in the middle of darkness as
Light from Light. But this light is not invasive (mapanghimasok) like the flash
light of an arresting police officer. This light is the radiance (kariktan) of
God’s face, a face that appears not to condemn (magparusa) but to redeem. It is
not a light that hurts the eye. But rather, it is a radiance that attracts, a
countenance (mukha) that invites contemplation because it is a loving and
gentle (maamo) countenance. This holy infant, so tender (mayumi) and mild
(maamo), sleeps in heavenly peace. Thus, we come to him in silence not because
we do not want to startle him (Magbiro ka na sa lasing, wag lang sa bagong
gising.) but because we want to whisper to him our love and affection. We love
him because he “appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and
worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age…”
Now, we are at peace because he is our peace with the Father and with one
another. On this night of his birth, the only song that pierced the silence of
the night is that of the heavenly multitude that sang: “Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Jesus himself
told us that when we enter a house, we should say: Peace be upon you. And he
said that if a peaceful person lives them, that peace will rest on him. Tonight,
he entered our world and the angels greet us “peace on earth.” Are you a
peaceful person? Are you at peace with God? Are you at peace with each other?
Are you at peace with yourself? If you are at peace, then God’s favor rests on
you. It means that you live within the scope of the silence of that holy night.
Tonight, let us approach the
new-born King in silence. Let us beg him: O Prince of Peace, with humility you
come to us. In similar humility, we come to you and beg you: let your peace
come upon us tonight. Where there is hatred, bring us love; where there is
injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Prince of
Peace, Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace. Grant
us your everlasting peace.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray
for us who have recourse to thee!
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