Cycle B - Year II:  

7 January 2018: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord 

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Isaiah 60:1-6

Second Reading:   Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6

Gospel:Please Read  Matthew 2:1-12

The Lord's Epiphany: Salvation is for all!

 Today is the Feast of the Lord's Epiphany, or traditionally known as the Feast of the Three Kings. According to tradition, it is our last chance to receive Christmas gifts, in case we didn't receive any last Christmas. But it is unlikely though because Filipinos are known as generous and lavish people, especially during the Christmas season.

The word "epiphany" means manifestation or appearance of God in person like us through the humanity of Jesus our Lord. In the Lord's epiphany we see the plan of God to give His only Son as King and Savior, not just for the Jewish people who are God's chosen people in the Old Testament, but to all nations as well. Because the three kings were foreigner and non-Jews. Thus, the implication of today's feast is that the Lord Jesus comes to both the Jews and the Gentiles (or non-Jews), including our present generation of believers in Christ, so that all may find true and last peace with God.

The bible account of the journey of the three kings (or Magi, or Wise Men) is one of the favorite stories in the Gospel. It is a story of the journey of life, of guidance on the way, of delight in finding faith and God. A star started them on the journey and guided them to the end. Like our faith, the star which we share at baptism is the promise of God to guide us through life. 

We will hear from Matthew's narrative about the three kings looking for the infant Jesus in order to pay Him homage with the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Western Church has assigned them the names of Melchor (believed to be a Babylonian scholar), Caspar (a Persian scholar), and Balthazar (an Arab scholar). Because these three kings brought gifts to the baby Jesus, by tradition today is also considered the last day of sharing Christmas gifts to our loved ones.

The gifts of the three kings have symbolic significance to the divine identity and mission of Jesus. That is to say, gold has great value which symbolizes the kingship of Jesus. Frankincense is a perfume, and the symbol of the divinity of Jesus. And myrrh is a common anointing oil which symbolizes the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross that brought about salvation of the whole humanity. These gifts they brought to the infant Jesus speak of their respect for His divine identity and the realism about His death at the hands of humankind.

What is the relevance of the Feast of the Epiphany to our lives today?  Let us consider the following reflections:

Epiphany tells us that God became visible and audible for us in the person of Jesus, who is the human image of the invisible God. So that even to our generation we experience God living among us and within us in the Holy Eucharist.

Epiphany makes known to us the way to the Father through Jesus Christ. He leads our path in our journey in this present life to our heavenly home. As Jesus Himself declares: "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me." (Jn 14:6)

Epiphany reveals to us God's plan for all men and women to be saved, from the fall of our first parents Adam and Eve, by believing that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Because God's kingdom is meant for all people of all generations.

In sum, as we conclude our celebration of the Christmas season, we pray that the examples of the three kings be our guide in our own spiritual pilgrimage in the New Year 2018. Like them, we too acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior and do Him homage. And may the Lord's revelation shine on everyone so that the gift of salvation may be shared by all.

Happy Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord to everyone. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

1 January 2018: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God 

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Numbers 6:22-27

Second Reading:   Galatians 4:4-7

Gospel:Please Read  Luke 2:16-21

A new journey with Mary, Mother of God!

With great joy I greet my readers and friends "A Happy and Prosperous New Year 2018!"

New Year fills our heart with new hope, inspiring us to reach out to new opportunities, and celebrate anew the gift of life.

The Catholic Church opens the new calendar year by proclaiming Mary as the Mother of God.  The Council of Ephesus affirmed in June 431 that Mary can rightfully be called "Mother of God"

Let us understand this title of Mary in its proper context.

Since Mary is Jesus' mother, it must be concluded that she is also the Mother of God. We can affirm this fact by logical syllogism: "If Mary is the mother of Jesus, and if Jesus is God, then Mary is the Mother of God."  

However, it is important to clarify that "although Mary is the Mother of God, she is not his mother in the sense that she is older than God or the source of her Son's divinity, for she is neither. Rather, we say that she is the Mother of God in the sense  that she carried in her womb a divine person -- Jesus Christ, God in the flesh -- and in the sense that she contributed the generic matter to the human form God took in Jesus Christ." (Catholic Answers at www.catholic.com)

We honor Mary, Mother of God, for her courage, faith, devotion, and humility. Like all other mothers, Mary must have felt afraid at certain moments in her maternal role, like when Jesus was lost and found in the temple after three days, and also during the agony and death of the grown-up Jesus. But Mary's complete trust in God made her accept the role of a mother to God the Son.  

In the Gospel from St. Luke, we read about the poor shepherds who were the first witnesses of the birth of the Messiah. They went in haste to Bethlehem after receiving the Good News from the angel. There they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant Jesus lying in a manger, just as what the angel told them.

We can hear from the Gospel reading about Mary's humility and complete obedience to God's will: "Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." (Lk 2:19)

Thus, in Mary we find a perfect model of being a Christian and disciple of Jesus. She was the joy-filled mother of the new born Jesus; she was the mother of sorrow cradling her lifeless Son in the "Pieta"; and she was the Queen-Mother standing at the right hand of the glorified Lord, which we proclaim in the Fifth Glorious Mystery of the Rosary.

And so, as we begin a new journey int he Year 2018, let us pray to Mary, Mother of God and out mother too:

"O Blessed Virgin, pray to God for us always, that He may pardon and give us grace; pray to God for us always, that He may grant us peace in this life; pray to God for us always, that He may reward us with Paradise at our death. Amen."

Finally, the Church also celebrates this Sunday the 51st World Day of Prayer for Peace. Let us pray that Jesus, the King of peace, bless our country and all humanity with the gift of His peace.

Again, I wish you A Happy and Prosperous New Year 2018!  And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

31 December 2017: Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus,Mary, and Joseph 

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14

Second Reading:   Colossians 3:12-21

Gospel:Please Read  Luke 2:22-40

The role of family in God's plan....

 It's only in the Philippines that Christmas season is celebrated the longest. Because from the start of the "ber" months (September to December) the festive atmosphere of Christmas becomes alive. 

But then time seems to pass so fast, and so Christmas 2017 will soon  be part of history.

How did we celebrate Christmas this year? Was it all only just material celebration?

In the Christian world, Christmas is when the almighty God comes to our world as a "helpless" infant. The Lord of lords and King of kings chooses to be born in a human family, with Mary as His mother and Joseph as protector. Thus, this reality speaks loudly how God regards family life.

The Gospel narrative from St. Luke for the Feast of the Holy Family places Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the Temple as they came to Jerusalem to present the child Jesus to the Lord in accordance with the Law of Moses.

We can learn from this event about the humble obedience of the Holy Family in adhering to the requirements of the Law of Moses during their generation, even though Jesus had no real reason to be presented in the Temple, because it was the Lord Himself being presented to the Father. But in the drama of the Presentation in the Temple, Jesus closes the Mosaic Law and begins the fulfillment of that Law in His very Person.

The Church picks this narrative about the Presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple on this Feast of the Holy Family perhaps in order for us to meditate on the importance of the family in God's design for salvation. For God Himself willed that His only begotten Son be subject to human parents and receives His human formation within a family. Thus, God is showing us how Jesus truly identifies with our human experiences, including family life.

What then is the message of the Feat of the Holy Family on us today?

In practical life, we can start with the reality that family life is challenging and never easy. This fact was no different for Mary and Joseph. They had to work through the circumstances of Jesus' conception, with a little divine intervention perhaps. And Mary had to give birth to Jesus away from home, in the town of Bethlehem. And soon after the birth of Jesus the Holy Family had to flee to Egypt to avoid King Herod who was searching for the child Jesus in order to kill Him.

We can learn something from the examples of the Holy Family on their love, concern and respect for each other. God loves the family. By the incarnation of God the Son, God unites Himself with everyone through the family. Mother Teresa wrote: "The family that prays together stays together, because such a family learns something about how God loves each one of us."

It is in His human family, fraught with trials and challenges of everyday living that Jesus grew in wisdom, age and grace as He prepares for His saving work. In much the same way, God intends to prepare us for the many challenges in life in the environment of a family to make us strong through the ups and downs of family life through His grace.

Thus, in fulfilling our role in caring and sustaining our respective families, it is important for both parents to be close to God, to be prayerful and to have an obedient spirit so that we can hear God speak and follow His plan for the family entrusted to our care and guardianship.

Let us pray, that our celebration of the Feast of the Holy Family makes us realize how highly God regards family life. May we dedicate ourselves to building a strong relationship with Christ so that we can be a member of our own family that builds unity through our sincere caring attitude and virtuous deeds.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

               

Cycle B - Year II:

25 December 2017: Solemnity of the Lord's Birth (Mass during the day)

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading: Isaiah 52:7-10

Second Reading: Hebrews 1:1-6

Gospel:Please Read John 1:1-18

The Gift that is Christmas!

TODAY is the big day and we greet everyone a Merry and Blessed Christmas 2017. The Entrance Antiphon of the Mass during the day sums up the Good News: "A child is born to us, and a son is given to us; his scepter of power rests upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Messenger of great counsel." (Is 9:5)

So let us proclaim: "Glory to God in the highest!" For today the Almighty gives His greatest gift to us all, the gift of His beloved Son!

The event of the nativity of our Lord is the reason for all the preparations during our Advent pilgrimage, and the nine-day novena Masses or Misa de Aguinaldo. Indeed, let us rejoice and be glad for the Messiah is born! We are overwhelmed with joy in the hope that lights up our darkness.

The Gospel is the Prologue of the Gospel of John. In this simple introduction, John summarizes for his audience everything that he wanted to convey about Jesus of Nazareth. John expresses the divinity of Christ: He was there in the beginning (that is to say, the beginning before anything else has been begun); in that time Jesus was with God and He was God; nothing was made without Him because it was all created through Him; in Him is life for all men.

John writes about Jesus as God's creative, life-giving and light-giving word that has come to earth in human form. For Jesus Christ is indeed truly man while remaining truly God.

And it is only through Jesus Christ that we can behold the glory of God. Jesus became the partaker of our humanity so that we could also be partakers of His divinity.

Let us then reflect on the significance and importance of the Christmas event in our lives. Today we continue to proclaim anew the wonder of the Incarnation. "The Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it. The Son of God.... worked with human hands; he thought with a human mind. He acted with a human will, and with a human heart he loved. Born of the Virgin Mary, he has truly been made one of us, like us in all things except sin. (Gaudium et Spes),

As we gather together on this Christmas Day, the birth of our Lord, to celebrate the Eucharist around the infant Child in Bethlehem, it is my joy to wish everyone of my family and friends a BLESSED AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Let us pray: Almighty God and Father of light, Your eternal Word leaped down from heaven in the silent watches of the night. Open our hearts to receive His life and increase our vision with the rising of dawn, that our lives may be filed with His glory and His peace. Amen.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY JESUS!

A BLESSED AND MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!

'

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

24 December 2017: Fourth Sunday of Advent 

(Liturgical Color: Violet; white for  Simbang Gabi)

Readings:

First Reading:        2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16

Second Reading:   Romans 16:25-27

Gospel:Please Read  Luke 1:26-38

And let it be!

 We now enter the final week of our Advent journey this Sunday, and our last days of "waiting" for the big event of Christmas. In all churches and chapels we light the fourth and last candle in the Advent wreath, the candle of love. It symbolizes love for life and all creation, love for sinners and saints, love for the poor and the little ones, and especially God's love that redeems and shows us the way to His kingdom.

We hear in the Gospel account of St. Luke about the angel Gabriel's Good News to Mary that she was chosen by God to bear His Son, our Lord Jesus.

The Annunciation is the first Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. It invites us to reflect on Mary and her anticipation as she waited nine months for the birth of her Son. Mary is our model of how to prepare to welcome our Savior, by her openness to God's promise, her deep faith, and her willingness to trust and follow God's plan.

Let us reflect that both Mary and Joseph came before the Lord, at different moments, facing the decision to believe in God and trust in His unfathomable plan. Their radical "yes" to God's plan brings fulfillment to their lives and enables them to participate by their own free will in the marvelous, saving work of God.

In historical perspective, the Incarnation of Jesus will not happen again. (Although we know and believe that He will come again in glory as Judge and King of all creation in the second coming, but no longer as an Infant Child.) So in that sense, none of us will ever be asked to do anything quite like Mary and Joseph in their obedience to God's will. 

Yet in practical life, everyone of us is called to make a similar act of faith. Because we too stand before God and are asked by our Creator and Redeemer to place our lives in His hands, and to trust in His loving plan for us.

Perhaps, our deep faith in God is really the foundation of the Filipinos' spirit of resiliency in the midst of calamities and trials. It is the Holy Spirit, dwelling within us, that gives us the strength to overcome our fears and doubts, and like a trusting child make the leap of faith into the loving arms of our loving Father in heaven.

As we wind up our spiritual preparation for the Lord's coming, let us pray that the grace of our Lord Jesus, the examples of Mary and Joseph in their trust and obedience to God, and the blessing of the Advent season lead every one of us to respond to God with the obedience of faith, even when sometimes we do not understand immediately God's plan for us. And like Mary, let us say "Amen" to God's plan in our lives.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

17 December 2017: Third Sunday of Advent 

(Liturgical Color: Violet or Pink; white for Simbang Gabi)

Readings:

First Reading:        Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11

Second Reading:   1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Gospel:Please Read  John 1:6-8, 19-28

Anticipating with joyful hope!

We hear the Entrance Antiphon in this Sunday Mass: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near." (Phil. 4:4-5)   

The theme of the liturgy is "rejoicing" because we are mid-way in our Advent pilgrimage and thus so close to the big event that is Christmas day.

On the third week of our Advent walk, the Church celebrates Gaudete Sunday or the

Sunday of Rejoicing. Gaudete Sunday is a joyous celebration. Although it takes place during the usually penitential period of Advent, Gaudete Sunday serves as a mid-point break from the austere practices to rejoice in the nearness of Jesus' return. 

The readings tell us there is reason to rejoice as we prepare and await with joyful expectation for the coming of Jesus, our Lord and Messiah.

In the Gospel account, John the Baptist appears in the Jordan River as "the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord." The Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask John if he might be the Messiah. But John answers, "I am not the Christ.... but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." )(Jn 1:20, 26-27)

Thus, we know from the Gospel account that the leaders of Israel show their attentiveness and expectation of the Messiah. And yet the irony of it all, despite their expectation they did not recognize or accept Christ when He came. And years later they would even cry out against His claim to be the Messiah, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"

In our own generation today, we find ourselves in a similar position of waiting and watching. Our Lord promises to come to us -- and not only at the end of the world but also through the course of our lives/ So then, like the leaders of Israel, we should be attentive to His coming.

We rejoice that Jesus our Lord is indeed among us here and now. But do we recognize Him?

The Lord is among us in many ways: we hear His voice in the teaching authority of the Church, like He promised the first disciples: "Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me." (Lk 10:16) He comes to us in the smallest among us: "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me." (Mk 9:37) And the Lord is here in the least among us: "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (Mt 25:40).

We have reason to rejoice because Jesus dwells not only among us but also within us, by grace. He comes to us most especially in the sacraments. At baptism we receive the sanctifying grace that fulfills His promise to dwell within us. In our reception of the Eucharist we encounter Him again in the most intimate manner. But sometimes we fail to recognize Him in this encounter in the sacraments because of lack of faith.

So let us pray, for stronger faith to seek our Lord Jesus Christ where He promised to be: in the Church, in the small and weak of society, and most of all in the grace we receive from the sacraments.  Let us pray fervently, anticipating with joyful hope.... the coming of our Lord on Christmas day.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:

10 December 2017: Second Sunday of Advent

(Liturgical Color: Violet)

Readings:

First Reading: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11

Second Reading: 2 Peter 3:8-14

Gospel:Please Read Mark 1:1-8

Prepare the way of the Lord!

Are you a man of mission? It is said that someone consumed with passion or zest for something is "a man with a mission."

On the second Sunday of Advent we will meet such a man in the person of John the Baptist. His life was fueled by one burning passion, which is to prepare the way for the Savior and point others to Jesus Christ and the coming of God's kingdom.

Who then is John the Baptist, and what is the significance of his message in our lives today?

John the Baptist was the last of the prophets who was sent by God with a special mission to prepare the way for the Savior. He was to make the way ready for the coming of the Messiah, God's anointed Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. It was John who announced the coming of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Thus the role of John the Baptist in our salvation history was very important because it was he who opened the way for Christ start his public ministry.

So today's reading takes us back to the beginning of the Gospel narrative of Mark. He starts his Gospel simply with the appearance of John the Baptist in the desert and his ministry. So Mark wrote in this Sunday's Gospel: "John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins." (Mk 1:4-5)

And to his listeners John proclaims: "One higher than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (Mk 1:7-8)

And so we also take the role of John the Baptist in our own time. Because we, too, are called to give testimony to, and proclaim, the light and truth of Jesus Christ. But first, we need to prepare ourselves for His coming through conversion and repentance, especially during this Advent Season, so that we can point others to Christ through the way we live, work, and speak. We are the John the Baptist in our time.

Speaking of repentance, it is like a door that opens to allow God's visit to our soul. For while God's throne is in the highest heaven surrounded by majesty, glory and splendor, yet God's dwelling place on earth is found in a humble and contrite heart the repents sincerely. And conversion is a continuous process, which starts with a decision to come into a personal and intimate relationship with the Lord.

In sum, the Churches teaches that all who is baptized becomes "a man of mission", and our mission is to proclaim the Good News of the kingdom of heaven through our faith, words and examples. In other words, our mission especially this Advent Season and also the whole of our Christian life is to prepare the way for Christ's coming on His birthday on Christmas Day, His coming in our lives through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, and His final coming at the ed of times.

And so let us pray during our Advent pilgrimage:

Lord, let Your light burn brightly in my heart that I may know the joy and freedom of Your kingdom. Fill me up with the Holy Spirit and empower me to witness the truth of Your Gospel, so that by words and examples I can point others to our Lord Jesus Christ wherever I am, in my homes and workplace. Amen.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!