Today is the last day of this year 2019. I am sure that each of us here have many stories to tell of what happened the past year. There must be difficulties and sorrows, problems and struggles that you have to wrestle. However, at the same time also, there must be blessings and graces that we have received from the Lord. I am sure too that there were many encounters with other people that made our year 2019 memorable and wonderful.
And so, for all that has been, I would like to invite you now that we observe a minute of silence and close our eyes to thank the Lord for his grace and favor upon us.
(A minute silence)
Let us remember, that before God spoke to create the world, there was only the silence of God. It was from that silence of God also, that God speaks. In the Gospel of John, we are reminded that “in the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God.” And this Word became flesh who made his dwelling among us.
God invites us that as we are about to close 2019, let us also be more receptive of God’s Word, of allowing God to speak to us through the many experiences we have in this year 2019. We can only be more receptive of God’s word and of his voice when we also choose consciously to be silent.
Thus, in the few hours before the closing of 2019 and beginning of 2020, stay in silence for a while for 10 minutes or more. You do not have to say your memorized prayers on your mind. No need for words. No need for mental prayers. Just allow yourself to be embraced by silence and allow God to speak to you through your experiences in this past year.
As we allow God to speak to us, we may be assured of His presence as we also welcome a new year. Hinaut pa.
The life of the Prophetess Anna in the Gospel of Luke, reminds me of our grandmothers and fathers who come to Church often or even daily. These people are most of the time, the first ones to arrive and to sit in front or at least near the altar.
It is a contrast that I see between the old and us, young people because the young would usually sit at the back or even stay outside the church. I know, that because of the physical limitations, our grandmothers and fathers would choose to be near the altar so that they can hear well and receive communion easily. The young ones also would choose the back, perhaps so that it would be easier to chat with a friend and make an easy exit after the mass or more comfortable to sit there rather than in front. 🙂
Anna, in the Gospel of Luke, would always go to the Temple because she was desiring of seeing and meeting the Messiah. For many years, she persisted despite the dull and boring days that she had to spend while waiting for the Messiah to come. However, her faith bore fruit when Jesus arrived. At last, Anna met and encountered the Messiah.
It was not difficult for her to recognize Jesus because her heart was ready and open for his coming. Thus, she immediately recognized the Lord and was delighted for that encounter. That encounter too changed her life completely.
On this sixth day of the Octave of Christmas, let us also make our hearts and minds always open and welcoming to God’s presence. Like Anna, we may also desire in meeting the Lord in ways that could be beyond our expectation. As we meet and encounter Jesus through the presence of our brothers and sisters, we may also praise God by telling others how good God is to us. Hinaut pa.
We, Filipinos are known to have a culture that values very much our family. Indeed, we have a family-centered culture. Family is always the top priority. This is manifested how a simple celebration becomes crowded and loud.
Yet, through the years, as time has changed, our families also face different challenges. It would be good for us, then, to look at the challenges of Filipino families as we also celebrate today the Feast of the Holy Family.
There are 3 challenges that I want to highlight today. The first two came out when I gave a retreat to grade 6 pupils and divided them into 5 groups. I asked them to portray and dramatize the joys and blessings as well as issues and problems present in their families. Surprisingly, all the 5 groups in that retreat revealed the first two issues that I am going to point out.
First, the Filipino families are “forced” to separate due to migration. This is because of the current trend of OFW families. Parents would choose to work abroad in order to provide better opportunities for their children. As a result, children are left behind to relatives or to their grandparents. Absentee parents could sometimes create deep longing to their children. This longing sometimes generate emotional distance or indifference between parents and children.
Second, “Irregular” relationships or extra-marital relationships have left families broken and deeply wounded. Unfaithfulness between spouses brings traumatic experiences to children because it also leads to neglect and abuses. The family especially the young children are exposed to depression, confusion, insecurity and loneliness. Because of this, physical, mental or even sexual abuse happen in this domestic environment
Third, poverty affects families the most. The third quarter of SWS survey last September found that 42% or an estimated 10.3 million of families considered themselves as Poor. This has already gone down from 45% last June. The survey also found a 35% or about 8.5 million of families rated their FOOD or access to food as POOR. This is as of June 2019. There are also thousands of families who have been affected by the earthquakes here in Mindanao and recently by the typhoon Ursula that left them at the mercy of relief goods from different organizations.
These are just three of the many challenges that millions of Filipino families are facing today. Our own families might also have particular struggles and difficulties. These concerns are most of the time what consume us.
Being made aware of our family struggles, we may also ask, what is the Lord inviting us to reflect? It is good then for us to look closely at the life of the Holy Family, of Mary, Joseph and Jesus.
This family is not exempted of struggles and problems. The holy family had been a refugee. Joseph has to bring Mary and Jesus out of Israel and went to Egypt to seek for a safer environment for their baby.
There seemed to be constant threat in the life of the young Jesus, yet, that did not discourage Joseph and Mary to abandon the child. Joseph particularly was always conscious of God’s presence. This was the reason also why Joseph would always receive instructions from God on what to do. The awareness of Joseph that God is with them made him more familiar with God’s voice.
Joseph has pointed out to us the priority of being with God and of being constantly conscious of God’s presence in our family. Indeed, through Jesus, he made God’s presence ever present in that family of Joseph and Mary. And yes, God dwells in every family too, in our families.
This is the invitation for us – to make God our priority in the family. Just like the Holy Family, make our families closer to God by praying together, like by going to the Church.
But of course, as the Holy Family also faced difficulties, our own families too have experience trials and challenges like financial crisis or poverty, sickness, death, separations and conflicts. But God assures as now, that as long as we remain in Him, and trust Him, God shall always be with us to keep us together, to strengthen us in the midst of trials.
It means that if we will only allow God to dwell in our family and allow him to be part of our family, God’s favor shall be with us, His blessings shall be with our families. And so I would like to invite you then with these two simple actions.
First, spend enough quality time together… what I mean is… let us not be distracted with our latest gadgets. Our smartphones, tablets and ipads are meant to bring us closer together but they can be means also to bring us farther from each other. Remember this, real conversation is what the family keeps together. Do not let our gadgets keep us apart. Do not just allow your children and yourself to be so absorbed with gadgets. Talk with one another and play!
Second, pray together! Bring what you have received during the mass to your home. Extend your religious expression, your faith in God at your family table by encouraging your children lead the prayer before meals. But at first, they need to have an example, and it is through you, parents.
In these ways, we make a room for God to enter and dwell in our families. We are assured that God is with us, that we are not alone in facing the challenges that are to come. Hinaut pa.
Homily by Fr. Mar Masangcay, CSsR – a Filipino Redemptorist Missionary in South Korea
How many of you here have experiences with adopted children? Be might you an adopted child yourself, or have adopted a child in a family as son/daughter, or brother/sister or relatives. Child adoption has never been an easy experience within the family. It entails a lot of adjustments and complications not only to the adopted child but also to the parents and the whole family as well.
I remember once I counselled a couple who have no child of their own and have decided to adopt a child. As the child grew and eventually learned that she is adopted, they observed that their child becomes problematic and difficult. I advise them to try to take care of the child even more, as well as to acknowledge the child not as adopted- someone taken on, which connotes someone who is “sabit o sakay lang” but as chosen “pinili”, as someone they have chosen as their own among other abandoned children. The child might not be their own but the child is whom they have personally chosen as their own. Essentially, the child then is chosen – the one they have chosen, not only adopted.
Either by natural birth or adoption, as a child, we are not only taken and accepted but more so Chosen “Pinili” by our own parents and family. Thus as parent, your child then might be or not be your own, but basically you choose your child. We are chosen children then, not only of God but also by our own fathers and mothers, and our own family as well.
Christmas reminds us that God comes into our lives as a Child – not as fully grown man or as superman or as god, but as a poor child on a manger.
For a child to live and grow, God’s child needs a human parent and family like any other child. Jesus Christ, God’s son has to be taken, accepted, adopted and above all chosen by human parents and family. He grew up then in, with, through his family who adopted and chosen Him to be their own. And In a Family Jesus was born, loved, lived and have grown as a Person. Not in a Monastery or Convent.
Once I receive a Christmas card that say: “A child is born in our midst”. Well that’s okay because that is the core message of Christmas. But what made me suspect then was that card was sent from the sisters’ convent. Imagine sisters’ sending me a message that a child is born in their midst”. Me batang isinilang sa kanila. Hmmm??? Yes, God’s son has a family, a foster parents and family who chose Him to be their own.
Today we honor the Holy Family, the very first family who welcomes and willingly accepts the Immanuel “the God with us” into our lives. Mary and Joseph are the very first parents who adopted and chosen the child of God Jesus to be their very own as member of their family. Our gospel today gives us a description on how Mary and Joseph do their best to parent the child Jesus into their own lives as they observe their own local cultural and religious traditions, while conscious of the mysterious unique experience of adopting and choosing God’s blessing into their lives. Yes, with Mary and Joseph they are and become a normal human family; but with the child Jesus, they are and become a HOLY family – now member of God’s family.
Honoring the Holy Family on Christmas season posts the on-going ever-present challenge for us, like Mary and Joseph to adopt and parent Jesus, God’s child by choice into our lives now and always. By willingly accepting Jesus into our lives to be our own, part of our own lives as family and community, we come to know also that we also are and becoming God’s adopted and chosen children and people, part of His Holy Family. Sa ating pag-angking kay Hesus na ating kapamilya, tayo ay naging at maging ka-anak rin ng Dios at kamag-anak ng anak ng Dios. As we consider Jesus as our chosen family member, we are and become God’s children and Jesus family.
With the Holy Family, this Christmas season, and the coming New Year remind us always that God comes to us as a Child, who can brings us a lot of joys as well as uncertainties, but above all another chance to live our lives for the better, as His willing chosen parent and family. Have a Grace-filled Christmas and New Year to all us. Amen.
King Herod was hungry for power. When he heard the news that there will be a new-born king, he was threatened. In his hunger for power, he did not want anyone to share in what he enjoyed. In fact, Herod murdered his own children so that no one will take the power and riches from him. Hence, how much more if the one who is to reign is a baby? Herod was indeed frightened and threatened.
God reveals Himself not to the rich and the powerful, not to politicians and famous personalities of our society, but, to simple and poor people – because the rich and powerful, the famous and the “big shots” do not need God. They believed that they themselves are “gods.” This is the attitude of Herod and the reason why he felt threatened upon hearing the news of the new-born king.
Sadly, because of so much insecurities and the corrupted heart of Herod, he would do whatever he can in order to eliminate that baby who threatened his power, wealth and comfort. What had been sacrificed were the lives of many innocent baby boys. They were murdered right before the eyes of their mothers and fathers. There was no mercy! It was just evil!
Today’s feast of the Holy Innocents reminds us of all the innocent people who have died and who are dying because of the cruelty and oppression of others. The Gospel also tells us that Joseph through the instruction of the angel brought baby Jesus and Mary to Egypt. Egypt was a common place for Jewish refugees and people who seek safety. Egypt had become an important place in the life of Jesus as it had become a safe place for him. This tells us, that even God became a refugee because of the people who rejected him.
Thus, there are two invitations that I would like you to remember today.
First, let us be aware of our insecurities and of our tendency to be threatened by the goodness of others. Being aware of these, allows us to come to the light as the first letter of John tells us. It is by coming closer to God that we also come to light, therefore, making ourselves exposed to God. This will lead us to recognize our own insecurities and tendency to be abusive, corrupt and insecure.
Second, as Egypt had been a safe haven for Baby Jesus, allow ourselves also to be the “Egypt” for others – that we become a safe haven for people who need help, love, care and protection. This will not be easy as it will be demanding us of our time, presence and resources. However, let us also remember, in some ways, we have taken refuge to others, friends and family members when we needed help. It would also be good to return the goodness that we have received to others.
In this way, we may be able to make Christmas a memorable and holy day. Hinaut pa.
A DOSE OF GOD TODAY 