6th Day of Simbang Gabi 2011

December 21, 2011

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah,  and she entered the house of Zechari'ah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."

It was month of July, when a man proposed marriage to a woman but the parents of the latter did not like him. They said he had many vices -smoking, drinking, gambling and womanizing. The man told her parents that he was willing to change himself. First, he was given a month to quit smoking. In August, he did quit. Then he was given another month to stop drinking liquor. In September, he also did stop. This was a good news for the woman and her parents. The woman began to love him more. Then the man was given again another month to avoid gambling and it was in October that he did avoid it. This was another good news for the woman. The only vice he left was womanizing. So the woman's parents gave him a month to prove his love by refraining from wooing other women. Finally, November came and he also did refrain. When he now asked the woman to accept him as her husband, the woman asked him to visit the church and pray from December 1 to December 25 and on Christmas day she would gladly accept him as her husband. So this news spread all over the town. The man indeed went to the church early in the morning, attended the mass and prayed privately. He was almost in the church the whole day. Now December 25 came and people who knew about the matter where standing outside the church while the man was still praying inside it. The woman and her parents arrived and waited for the man to finish his prayers outside the church. Everybody was excited. Then the man went out of the church and approached the woman. Everybody became silent as they waited to hear his proposal to the woman. The man finally said to the woman, "Sorry, I can't marry you. I now want to become a priest."

My dear friends, today we are reminded that Christmas is about good news. News is good only when we can appreciate God in every information that we get. If we can't find God in any report of events, it is not good news.

Look at what happened in CDO City and Iligan City. It was a bad news that many died because of the flood. If we look at the pictures and videos taken from those places, some would ask if God really exists and why God allowed bad things to happen during this supposedly joyful season. It is a bad news because it seems we can't find God. But as the days went by, we learn that many people try to help those victims by donating cash or kinds. There are many good things that other people do for the victims to help them cope with their situations. In every good thing being reported, we can find that it is the love of God that impels more people to help the victims of calamity. Because of the goodness of some people, we find God working through them. This is good news.

In our gospel, Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth. Mary in her visit to Elizabeth  was carrying the good news. The good news she was carrying is Jesus -the image of the invisible God. Mary was announcing that God is with us! Nothing can separate us from God now that he is with us. Nothing can stop our celebration of Christmas. This made Elizabeth happy. There was happiness in her as she found God working through and in Mary the bearer of good news.

Today, we are giving gifts not to make a good impression that we are generous. Rather, by giving gifts, people will find God in our words and works. What is the use of the gifts if we also keep an ill-feeling against the one who receives the gift. Today, we invite people to eat and drink with us to share our blessings from God. What is the use of inviting one to dine with us if he can't find God because he knows we criticize him. In everything we do, may people find God. Let us reflect on this and more.