Simbang Gabi 2018 3: St. Joseph and Vocation

SIMBANG GABI 2018 3

YEAR OF THE YOUTH

DECEMBER 18, 2018

JESUS, I trust in you.

In the genealogy of Jesus, St. Joseph was not called the father of Jesus. He was simply referred to as the husband of Mary who, in turn, was called the Mother of Jesus. This clearly pointed to us that Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. The Gospel reading today tells us that when Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child. In Jewish custom, a betrothal meant that a man and a woman have promised themselves to each other. The man is given a year to build their house and upon completion of the task, he goes to the house of the bride to claim her and bring her home with him. This was a beautiful custom which is unlike the co-habitation or living-in which many people do today. Today, couples live like husband and wife even without the benefit of marriage. They make a claim on each other’s persons and bodies but without asking God to seal their marital covenant. This was not the case for Joseph and Mary. They promised themselves to each other but they have not yet lived together because it was not yet the time. They had to wait for the proper time when they can consummate their marriage.

But before this could happen, Mary was found to be with child. But her pregnancy was not on account of fornication. Joseph respected Mary and protected her virginity. And Mary, on her part, was faithful to Joseph. Her pregnancy was the fruit of the action of the Holy Spirit. God had a special plan for mankind and this he intended to accomplish through Mary. St. Joseph had a dilemma. He was torn between his love for Mary and her exalted vocation. Could he keep Mary for himself or should he, out of generosity, step back quietly to allow God some space in order to accomplish his plan for her? He must have silently agonized over this problem. All he wanted was to accomplish God’s will. The Lord answered his prayer and sent the angel to convey his answer: “Do not be afraid to take Mary for your wife.” God wanted St. Joseph to be husband to Mary and also to be father to his only begotten Son. Mary will give God’s Son his flesh. Joseph will give him his name. Because of Joseph, Mary’s Son will be called “Son of David.” Joseph will make Jeremiah’s prophesy a reality: “I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as King he will reign and govern wisely.” When God’s will was made clear to him, Joseph rose up to fulfill it. He took Mary and took her home with him as his wife.

Young people are often confronted by the question of vocation. What is the direction my life should take? Where is this leading me? Is this the right person for me? Am I called to this way of life? While there are many things to consider when making life choices, the most important consideration should be the discernment of God’s will. It is only in fulfilling God’s will where true happiness and a sense of fulfillment be found. And God’s will can only be discerned in constant prayer. It is to the praying heart that God reveals his will. When confronted by a difficult choice, do not simply ask yourself. Rather, ask God through prayer. This prayer is not a quick visit to the church for an Our Father or a Hail Mary. Rather, it is silently coming constantly before God. We should keep asking God until he makes his answer clear. St. Joseph will prove to be a reliable companion for discernment. Ask St. Joseph to help you pray to the Lord. Seek for the Lord’s enlightenment. Always bring everything to prayer.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.  

Simbang Gabi 2018 2: The Lion of the Tribe of Judah

SIMBANG GABI 2018 2

YEAR OF THE YOUTH

DECEMBER 17, 2018

JESUS, I trust in you!

Advent makes a significant turn today. From being a preparation for the Lord’s 2nd coming, today it becomes a direct preparation for Christmas. And our journey towards the day of the Lord’s Nativity begins with the famous genealogy of the Lord Jesus. To many young people, the reading today may sound boring. After all, it is just a list of names of the human ancestors of the Lord. This is how it seems to be because we never made the serious effort to know the stories beyond the names. If only we made that effort, we will find out that these ancestors led very colorful and intriguing lives. Let us take Judah for example.

Jacob wanted to marry Rachel and worked for it for 7 years but later on was deceived by Lot to marry the elder sister Leah. And so, Jacob had to work for another 7 years to take the younger Rachel for his bride. Of course when they were married at last, Jacob showed preference for Rachel whom he loved more than Leah. The Lord saw this and so he favored Leah and Rachel did not bear children.  Leah bore Jacob his first 3 sons and she thought that she will be loved on account of them. But still she did not earn her husband’s love. When she gave birth to her 4^th son, Leah said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” She named him “Judah” meaning “praise” or “thanksgiving.”

The Book of Genesis today tells us that Judah was destined to be great among the sons of Jacob. He was destined to be the ancestor of the Israelite kings. He rose in leadership because his 3 elder brothers were disqualified on account of sexual misconduct of Reuben and the bloody revenge by Simeon and Levi. Jacob blessed Judah in the presence of his brothers: “The sons of your father shall bow down to you…Judah crouches like a lion recumbent – the king of beasts.” The fourth son of the unloved wife will be the ancestor of King David…and later on of Jesus. Jesus was the son of David, the son of Judah, the son of Abraham.

God prepared the family to which Jesus will be born in a truly amazing way. If we look at the lives of each ancestor of the Lord, we will discover very scandalous cases. Tamar’s relation with Judah was illicit because she was his daughter-in-law. At the very root itself, we find the defects of the tree. No wonder David’s kingly line will emerge from an illicit affair with Uriah’s wife which eventually led to murder. Kung ano ang puno siya ang bunga.

If this were true of Judah and David, how could Jesus have emerged unaffected by the “sins of his fathers?” The answer is rather simple. Look at the end of the genealogy. It spoke of Joseph not as the father of Jesus but as the husband of Mary. We all know that St. Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. He stood as the legal father of Jesus but never was he Jesus’ biological father. “Joseph was the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.” Jesus did not inherit the generational sins of his family. He is the seed of the woman. Jesus was born to redeem the sins of his people…but first of all the sins of his ancestors.

Sometimes we wonder why we have become what we are. It is important to look at our personal lineage (angkan). To understand ourselves, we need to look at the ancestors who came before us. Traits are inherited and so are sins and defects. (This is true even biologically as there are families that are prone to certain diseases…we always say that it runs in the family.) Sometimes, we suffer the curses incurred by our ancestors. However, we should never feel helplessly trapped in this situation. There is a way out. As Jesus cleansed his own family with his own blood, so also should we ask him to cleanse our family with his blood. With faith in our Lord and in his Blessed Mother, we must ask that the Cross be placed between us and any unhealthy relationships.

The genealogy of Jesus shows us that the Lord hails from a royal line. The Kingship of Jesus gives fulfillment to the blessing of Jacob for Judah. Jesus is the powerful King who defeats the enemy. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah who has conquered and destroyed the work of the devil. If only we put our faith in him and have recourse to the Church which is his Kingdom of earth, we can rise from the faults of our fallen generation. Faith in Christ empowers us in this spiritual battle. Jesus is the Father’s gift to fallen humanity. In Jesus, we are beloved by God.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Simbang Gabi 2018 1: The Winnowing Fan

SIMBANG GABI 2018

3^RD SUNDAY OF ADVENT C

DECEMBER 16, 2018

Jesus, I trust in you!

The beginning of Simbang Gabi this year coincides with the 3^rd Sunday of Advent which is known as the Gaudete Sunday or the Day of Rejoicing. Both occasions which coincide on the same day tell us of the same message: The Lord is near! Therefore we should rejoice. And by now, many of us feel the pressure of the approach of the holy days. Traffic is exceedingly heavy because everybody wants to do last minute Christmas shopping. After all, we are down to the last 9 days to Christmas. And also let us not forget the many Christmas parties we must attend…even if it were still only in the Advent Season. All of these constitute our preparations that we must fulfill because Christmas is near. “Now the people were filled with great expectation,” so the Gospel tells us. I suppose that these words apply to us as well.

But what are we expecting? Who are we expecting? Are we expecting gifts? Food? Liquor? The return of some long separated loved one? Reconciliation with a former friend? What is is that we are expecting? In the time of John the Baptist, people were clearly expecting the coming of the Christ. They were all asking in their hearts whether John was the Christ they were waiting for. And John was quick to say: “The one mightier than I is coming. I baptize you with water but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn into unquenchable fire.”

The winnowing fan. Farmers know what this is all about. After the harvest, the grains are collected and pounded (bayuhin) and they are thrown before a powerful fan. The fan blows away the chaff (balat) while the grains fall to the ground. The chaff are easily blown away because they are empty. The grains are heavier, therefore these fall into the ground.

And so we, who find ourselves amidst the frenzy of holiday preparations must ask ourselves: If our preparations are thrown before the winnowing fan, will they be blown away because they are empty? Or will they fall to the ground because they are substantial and real preparations?

“What must we do?” the people asked John. So also should we ask him as well. And John answers us: share and change. “Whoever has 2 cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Isn’t this the filling of the valley that he referred to last Sunday? And to the tax collectors he said, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” To the soldiers he said, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone. Be satisfied with your wages.” Aren’t these the leveling of the mountains that he referred to last Sunday? By sharing what we have, no matter how little they may be, we fill up the valleys. By cutting down our sinful ways, we level the mountains. This is the substantial preparation for the Lord’s coming. “Your kindness must be known to all. The Lord is near,” said St. Paul.

As every Advent brings us closer to the end, so we should make sure that every Advent increases us in holiness and decreases us in sinfulness. Remaining unchanged from one Advent to another is a waste of so much opportunity given to us by God. Remember that as the deadline draws near, we should be progressing in the work assigned to us. The closer we get to the end, the more task we should have accomplished so that when the time is up, we have something to present, something to offer to the Lord. When we are told that the Lord is near, it means that the struggle for holiness will not be for long. Therefore, let us urge one another to go on and not to abandon the fight. The Lord is near. His recompense (kabayaran) comes with him. Soon, we shall rest from our labors. Soon, we shall be rewarded for our faithful service. It won’t take long. The Lord is near. Our salvation is at hand.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Late Post - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time B: Hunger for God

18^TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME B

YEAR OF THE CLERGY AND CONSECRATED PEOPLE

AUGUST 5, 2018

Jesus, I trust in you!

The people of Israel have witnessed how with a powerful arm, the Lord liberated them from the slavery of Egypt. They saw how the Red Sea was divided so that they can cross it on dry ground with walls of water to their left and right. They saw how the soldiers of Egypt who pursued them were drowned at sea when the waters collapsed on them. Very impressive signs they saw and yet, as they walked to freedom, they could not forget how they sat by their fleshpots and ate their fill of bread when they were still in Egypt. They even complained to the Lord: “You had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine!”

So also did the people who came to Capernaum in search of Jesus. They looked for him because they ate their fill when Jesus multiplied bread and fish. The Lord knew their hearts and so he said: “You are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” Basically, we are always hungry for food and never do we become satisfied. This “craving for food eventually expands to include other things – clothes, cars, gadgets, houses, and wealth in all its forms. The irony is that the more we accumulate these things, the hungrier we become.” (Fr. Virgilio Ojoy, OP)

Seeing our insatiable hunger, the Lord tells us: “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” “It is foolish to think that perishable material things can give us the happiness and the satisfaction that we seek.” (Ojoy, OP) Jesus reminds us that there is a concern greater than what to eat and what to wear. We are meant for eternal life. Material things give us temporary satisfaction. Only God can satisfy the deepest cravings of the human heart. Since the cravings of the human heart are endless, only the One who is eternal can satisfy it. “To make us appreciate more keenly the necessity to turn our eyes to eternal blessings, God has filled our hearts with desires so vast and so magnificent that nothing in creation is capable of satisfying them.” (St. John Vianney) Only in the Lord will we be happy for all eternity. “Do you want to be happy? Fix your eyes on Heaven; it is there that your hearts will find that which will satisfy them completely.”

The earthly food that we eat can sustain us only from one meal to the next. The only food that can help us endure to eternal life is the food that Jesus gives us. He gives us Himself. “The Bread of God is that which comes down from heaven. I am the Bread of life. He who comes to me will not hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst again.”  For us to crave for this heavenly food, we must “believe in the one (God) sent.” We must believe in Jesus. “You must no longer live as Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds…” Learn Christ as truth is in Jesus. To believe in Jesus is to be renewed in the spirit of our minds: to see beyond the limits of this material world into the invisible and eternal world that Christ reveals to us. It is only when we believe in Jesus that we will beg Him: “Give us this bread always.” To hunger for God is to crave for the Eucharist. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Taste him. Eat this bread from heaven and you will hunger no more. Believe in Jesus and you will thirst no more.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Immaculate Conception: Original Holiness, Justice, and Beauty

SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 2018

YEAR OF THE YOUTH

DECEMBER 8, 2018

JESUS, I trust in you!

The greeting of the angel Gabriel to Blessed Mary reveals the Immaculate Conception: “Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you!” it was an appropriate description of Mary’s soul which was “full of grace” from the very beginning of her existence. Hers was a soul unlike all of us who were conceived and born deprived of God’s abiding presence: “All men have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.” By the disobedience of Adam, sin entered the world. This sin, which we call “original sin,” is a deprivation of holiness and justice. God created man in a state of original holiness and justice. St. Paul tells us we were “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph 4:24). God created Adam and Eve in a state of original justice and original holiness (CCC 375). According to the Catechism, original justice means Adam and Eve were in a right relationship with themselves, each other, and all of creation (CCC 376). Original holiness means Adam and Eve shared in God’s own life through sanctifying grace, so they were adopted children of God (CCC 375). After the fall, our first parents transmitted to all of us a human nature deprived of this right relationship with God, with one another, with ourselves, and with all creation. Ours is an inherited nature that is deprived of God’s own life, God’s indwelling which is called sanctifying grace.

But not so for Mary: she was full of grace from the very beginning of her mortal existence. This is because she was “chosen before the creation began.” In the world, people are chosen for certain positions according to their achievements and track record. But this is not the case with Mary. Even before she was created, she was chosen to be the Mother of God. Or better yet, when God created the Virgin Mary, he already intended her to be the Mother of his only begotten Son. Therefore, he infused into that little fetus a soul that is full of grace. From the very beginning, the Lord was with her and has never left her. Hers was a human nature that was endowed with original justice and holiness. She was the most beautiful creature that God has ever created. None will be lovelier than her. She is the loveliest of all God’s creation: Tota pulchra es, Maria, et macula non est in te.

This is why Mary is our fallen nature’s solitary boast. Mary shows us the original beauty of our human nature. Hers was the beauty of the human being before the fall. Hers is the beauty of human nature redeemed. In her, we see how God wondrously created man and how he even more wondrously redeemed him. Take away all the corruption, all the ugliness of sin, and you will find man as God originally intended us to be. We look at Mary and we see the original plan of God for creation: wonderfully sharing in his Divine Life.

And this is what we ask our Redeemer to make of us: transform us according to the pattern of Mary’s beauty! Save us from sin! Save us from our own selves!  Restore in us the beauty of your Divine likeness. O loveliest of all God’s creation, preserve us in the Baptismal grace. 

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

2nd Sunday of Advent: Returning Home

2^nd SUNDAY OF ADVENT C

YEAR OF THE YOUTH

DECEMBER 9, 2018

Jesus, I trust in you!

Many of us think that Advent is simply a preparation for Christmas. However, last Sunday’s gospel reading tells us that Advent means something more. It points us towards the 2^nd coming of Christ at the end of time.

St John the Baptist

Today, St. John the Baptist enters the picture. He will be our Advent guide. We often associate him with Christmas because he is the precursor of the Lord. He goes before the Lord to prepare his way. He is shown to fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah: “A voice crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths…and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” However, we should pay attention to the end of the reading: “All flesh shall see the salvation of God.” When did it happen that all people saw the salvation of God? Was it when Jesus was born? Definitely not! When the Lord was born, only shepherds and magi saw and visited him. On that blessed night of the Lord’s birth, Bethlehem was fast asleep, unaware that God was born among them. In fact, later on, Jesus would weep over the ancient city of Jerusalem, soon to be destroyed because she did not recognize the time of her visitation. In fact, even until today, not everybody can see the Lord. Only those who have faith in him can see him.

And so, when will all flesh see the salvation of God? It will be at the end of the world. Remember last Sunday’s gospel reading? Jesus said: “And then they (all nations) will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” All people, whether they are believers or not, will  see Christ coming back in glory. That is why, the Lord told us to stand erect with heads held up high because we know that our redemption is at hand. The Prophet said: “All flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

And no one can escape the Lord’s inevitable coming. “That day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth.” The Lord’s coming is something we can neither prevent nor avoid. And so, we might as well prepare for it. How can we prepare for the Lord’s coming? St. John the Baptist tells us the way: “Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight his paths.” John preached a baptism of repentance. Our preparation for the Lord’s coming should be by way of repentance. Our crooked ways must be made straight. We must make up for our shortcomings as valleys are to be filled. We must temper our excesses as mountains are to be made low. In society, we must also strive to bring about social justice. Many live in want because a few live in plenty. Preparing for Christ’s coming also means that the rich must temper their opulence so that by charity, those who are in want may have their necessities satisfied.

As Isaiah said in his prophecy: “Jerusalem, look and see your children gathered from the east and the west at the word of the Holy One,” we realize that listening to the Word of God leads us to this gathering of the Church. “Led away on foot by their enemies they left you: but God will bring them back to you.” Sin led us away from the Church and now, God brings us back to be reconciled with him and with the Church. Incidentally, the President tells us not to go to the Church and simply stay home. In doing so, he has done the work of the enemy who led the children of Jerusalem to leave her. Repentance means coming home to God. Repentance means coming home to the Church. During Advent, there is a better place to go than shopping malls. That place is the confession box. Return home to God. Return home to the Church.

As we joyfully await the glorious coming of Christ, we light today the candle of peace. This peace can only be received if we are reconciled to the Lord and to his Church. St. Paul said: “This is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.” (Narito ang aking idinadalangin: na ang inyong pag-ibig ay yumaman ng yumaman sa ganap na kaalaman at sa lahat ng pagkukuro. Makilala sana ninyo kung ano ang lalong mabuti at maging malinis kayo at walang pagkukulang hanggang araw ni Kristo, na puspos ng bunga ng kabanalan na nakakamit sa pamamagitan ni Jesukristo, sa ikaluluwalhati at ikararangal ng Diyos.)

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!   

First Sunday of Advent C: Looking towards the end

1^st SUNDAY OF ADVENT C

YEAR OF THE YOUTH

December 2, 2018

Jesus, I trust in you.

Every time we begin a new year, we are filled with hope. To many of us, a new year is an opportunity to erase mistakes done during the past year. A new leaf turns and so hopefully, things would get better. This hope is expressed by the word “sana”: “Sana maging masagana ang bagong taon”; “Sana matupad ang pangarap ko”; “Sana magbago na ang lahat.” Perhaps this is the reason why we light a candle of hope on the first Sunday of Advent. Inasmuch as the first Sunday of Advent is the beginning of a new liturgical year, we light the candle of hope which expresses our longing for something (or someone) in the future.

The Last Judgment

But why is it that the Gospel about the end of the world? The signs in the sun, moon, and the stars, the shaking of the powers of the heavens and the roaring of the sea and of its waves will cause all people to be perplexed and afraid in anticipation of what is coming upon the world. This fear will come from the fact that they do not know why these things are happening. But we Christians are told by the Lord that when these things happen, we should stand erect and raise our heads because we know that our redemption is at hand. We know that the Lord Jesus will descend in a cloud with power and great glory. We are so sure that this will happen because our Lord promised that he will return and he will keep his promise: “The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah.” We should raise our heads as if we are telling the world: “The Lord comes with vindication. Just wait and see…I told you that this will happen. The Lord will return to judge the living and the dead.”

There is no use for distress because our worrying will not keep the Lord from fulfilling his promise. Our worry will not stop the signs from taking place. “That day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth.” The day of his return is already set and nothing can we do to delay it. Every Advent season brings us closer to that appointed end. Time is running out.

Therefore, what must we do? St Paul tells us we should spend our remaining time in striving to increase in love for one another and for all. We must strive to be blameless in holiness before God at the coming of the Lord Jesus. As we received apostolic instructions on how to conduct ourselves to please God, we should do even more because we are closer to that day and time is running out. The anxieties of daily life and the corruption of the world must not allow us to be caught by surprise on that day. We know that the Lord will surely come. Therefore we must be vigilant in prayer and in charity so that we may be able to stand before the Son of Man.

Look at the overseas contract worker. Every day he works and toils and endures the pain of being separated from his loved ones. What sustains him is a date that he keeps in mind: the date of the end of the contract when he could return to his family. And as that day draws near, he saves his earnings so that he may bring something home to offer his family.

Let us keep in mind that we are strangers in this world. Every day, we work and toil as time brings us closer to the end. This hope should console us. We are going home at last and our true home is in heaven. Now that the end of our earthly journey is coming to an end, we should think of what to bring home to offer the Lord at his return. What harvest will I offer him? What good work? What offering of holiness will I give him? We shall soon be reunited with the Lord. That day will not be far away. Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!