5th Day of Simbang Gabi 2011

December 20, 2011

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Today, we are reminded of the beauty of visiting someone. Visiting itself is of great value for both the visitor and the one visited. On the part of the visitor, he/she exerted some effort just to do the visit. On the part of the one visited, it is flattering to be given importance. Now, in our Gospel, it reveals to us that there is a greater value or the greatest value in visiting. This happens when Jesus is brought by the visitor to the home of the one who is visited, and the latter also welcomes his/her visitor as he/she welcomes Jesus. During this season, we have to understand that our caroling is a form of visiting homes. Choristers sing Christmas carols to bring Jesus in the consciousness of people. People in their homes listen to the carols as a sign of welcoming Jesus in their hearts. Christmas is not an opportunity to beg or solicit some money through singing Christmas carols. This is not a mere social activity but an act of Christianity: to bring Jesus to others and accept Jesus with others.

To end, I remember a sick couple who was in the hospital. I was asked by the parishioners to join them in visiting this couple on Christmas day. So, I brought my anointing kit and two sacred hosts. When we arrived at the hospital, I prayed over them and gave them communion. I saw how the tears fell from their eyes. After some months, both husband and wife died. But their children were so happy that they received Jesus as we visited them with Jesus.