Cycle C - Year I:  

20 January 2019: Feat of the Sto. Nino

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Isaiah 9:1-6

Second Reading:   Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18

Gospel:  Please Read  Luke 2:41-52

The Sto. Nino: Father's Gift to humanity!

A birth of a child is a joyful event in the family.For every baby born is a clear sign that God has not grown tired of the human race. And Filipinos especially are known for their fondness and special affection for children.

The Church celebrates this Sunday the Feast of the Sto. Nino, who is the Father's gift to humanity as the long awaited Messiah. Filipinos revere the image of the Holy Child or Sto. Nino throughout the country. The devotion to the Holy Child is said to be the oldest and one of the most popular in the Philippines, recalling the birth of the Catholic faith in our country in Year 1521.  The Holy See granted us special permission to celebrate the Feast of the Sto. Nino every third Sunday of January, and this year 2019 it falls on January 20.

The Feast of the Holy Child is a celebration of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is to say, God came to us as a child to show us how to become children of God, and how we must entrust our lives to our heavenly Father. God chose to make Himself visible in Jesus as an appealing Child in order to draw to Himself all of humanity. For in the eyes of a child is a reflection of freshness and holiness in God's kingdom.

In today Gospel narrative from St. Luke, we read about Jesus going up to the Temple for His first Passover at the dawn of His manhood (usually at the age of 12 years for Jewish males). Now this shows that although He is still in His youth Jesus already recognized that He has been given a call by His heavenly Father. We can see this in His response to the anxious inquiry of His mother Mary: "Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

In reflection, today's Gospel is really a story about growing up. It is about Mary and Joseph growing up in their understanding of their roles as Jesus' human parents. It is about us also growing up. But growing up is not about how old we are. It is really about moving into deeper and more authentic relationship with God.

And growing up spiritually involves leaving our comfort zone, letting go of what is safe and familiar, and moving to a bigger place, to the Father's place in the heavenly kingdom. It means, letting go is a necessary detachment from worldly concerns if we are to grow in the love and likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus, the Gospel incident should remind us that our devotion to the Holy Child should not stop only at His infancy. Because the Holy Child we revere in today's Feast grew up to be Jesus of Nazareth who inaugurates the kingdom of God by His preaching, healing and missionary work. So also our devotion to the Sto. Nino must grow and deepen so that we become witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ by our words and good examples of Christian living.  In other words, our devotion to the Sto. Nino must bear good fruits in practical life for it to be meaningful. Because our heavenly Father also call each of us to a unique task and mission in this life. All we need is to understand and cooperate with God's plan in our lives. For the Lord gives us the grace to say "yes" to His will and grace to persevere in our calling.

May the Feast of the Sto. Nino inspire us to grow spiritually so that we become witness of Christ and missionaries for His saving work on earth. And may our devotion to the Sto. Nino also inspire us to have a special love for the "little ones" in our midst: the poor, defenseless, persecuted, and all those who rely on God for their support.

Happy Feast of the Sto. Nino. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!