9th Day of Simbang Gabi December 24, 2014

A father was always scolding his son because of the latter’s vices. The son rebelled against him that he never went home anymore. One day, the said son met an accident and the doctor said he could not be able to walk. He blamed his father because of what happened to him. After some months of sitting on his wheel chair, the son was confused when he was carried by his father outside their home. His father carried him on his back and told him to start walking. Since then his father never failed in carrying him outside the house and assisted him to walk again. Miraculously, the son could walk again. He learned how much his father loved him and so he loved his father. My dear friends, a father in the family plays an important role just as much as a mother does for their children. A father is not just a figurehead but a person who sets the tone and atmosphere of the home. He exercises some influence in the decision-making of his children. He teaches them what respect and authority means. He is not just a breadwinner who supplies his family with their basic needs but also the first one to sacrifice even his needs for the sake of his family. The name of a good father is worth remembering and children should not blemish his family name. Zechariah was this kind of a father. In Luke 1: 67-79, Zechariah who was filled with the Holy Spirit announced God’s vision for his son John the Baptizer. As a father, he wished all good things about his son. But above all these, he never doubted that his son would serve and be pleasing to God. My dear friends, the fathers of our time should know this –that they are not only sperm donors whose role is to make babies. They have to understand that as procreators, they should see to it that their children know God more so as to serve Him better. Being a father is not just a social, cultural or economic reality but most importantly is a spiritual reality.

8th Day of Simbang Gabi December 23, 2014

Nick Vujicic was born without four limbs. As a child, he struggled mentally and emotionally as well as physically, but eventually came to terms with his disability and at the age of seventeen, started his own non-profit organization, Life Without Limbs. In 2005, Vujicic was nominated for the Young Australian of the Year Award. My dear friends, I think it was very difficult for Nick’s parents to see him in his situation. But I appreciate their courage to let Nick live despite his physical disability. Nick’s story is a living testament that we cannot judge a child’s future until we see him/her grow. In our Gospel, Luke 1: 57-66, it is mentioned that people who heard about the birth of John the Baptist asked, “What then will this child be?” This question should be asked not only about John but also about every child in this world. It means that people recognize in each child the capacity or potential in the process of “becoming”. It also means that parents, by asking such question, are becoming aware of their role in the life of the child. If they shall not teach their child the ways of God, the devil shall make the child learn its evil ways. Moreover, it means that the child should know what to do with his/her life and do not blame his/her parents for his/her misfortunes. Amen.

7th Day of Simbang Gabi December 22, 2014

A father taught his son to save his money. However, his son asked him why they were still poor despite they saved some money. The father said they are not poor and the money they saved is used to help other people. For his son’s point of view, they are poor and they should not help others because they too are poor and they also need help. The son further believed that one needs to be rich in order to be happy. So his son decided to separate his ways from him. Years later, he became rich and famous. He only went home when he learned his father died. He was surprised while he was at home when he received letters from a Foundation inviting him in their awarding ceremony. He visited the Foundation and was surprised to receive an award there. It was only there that he learned that his father tried to help special children and those with physical disability in their education. He also learned his father was a hero in making those children happy. He realized that he was wrong to judge his father as poor and unhappy person. He also realized that one does not need to be rich in order to be happy. My dear friends, in our Gospel passage from Luke 1: 46-56, Mary expressed her happiness saying, “My spirit rejoices in God my savior.” Through Mary we learn that happiness comes not because of something that we have, of places that we wish to visit or of the position we get in our field of work. Rather, happiness comes when we do what we do in accordance to the will of God as His instrument to lift up others. Happiness is God’s gift to His people who make themselves available for the good of others. This Christmas season, we cannot expect to find happiness when we know we have not done anything to make others better. Amen.

6th Day of Simbang Gabi December 21 2014

One day, on my Facebook page, I saw a video clip of a certain Rowden and his wife Liezel posted. It was a wedding in the hospital. The groom, Rowden was sick and dying as he made a dying declaration that he wanted to marry Liezel. True in fact that he married Liezel while he was lying on his deathbed. After the wedding, he died. My dear friends, why enter into a marriage when you know you are going to lose your beloved either by death or by some other reasons? Well, there is in us that longs to make our commitment to love something solemn, serious and sacred. Even gays, lesbians or homosexuals cry out to allow them to enter into marriage though made in a civil court. They want to forge marriage with their same sex. Though no one prohibited them to have such relationship with their same sex, why do they wish to make it legal? In other words, though their cohabitation with their same sex partners is not rendered illegal, yet why do they still want to enter into marriage? What for? Well, as I have mentioned already, there is in us the longing to make our love sacred and it is what marriage does. In fact, it is what marriage is all about. In Luke 1: 26-38 even Mary herself considered marriage as sacred. When an angel announced to her that she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus, she said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I have no husband?” This means that being a mother which is a sacred duty, and bringing forth life to a child which is a sacred act shall be with the benefit of marriage. This is different from what we know these days that it is ok for a woman to be pregnant outside marriage. For some, it is ok to cohabitate or engage in a relationship with a semblance of marriage. While for others, it is ok to have a querida. My dear friends, if we are really a believer of God, there is in us the calling to make our commitment to love as something sacred. This is why it is often said that getting married is paglalagay sa tahimik. Our soul could not be silenced as long as we could not make a solemn commitment to love in marriage. (Note: This reflection is addressed to those who are called to the sacred vocation of marriage)

5th Day of Simbang Gabi December 20, 2014

Most of those who are married, if not all, want to have a baby in their early stage of relationship. The presence of a baby in the home brings great satisfaction or sense of completeness in a husband-wife relationship. My dear friends in Christ, our Gospel (Luke 1: 26-38) shares the same idea about what happiness could a baby bring in the home. The words of the angel Gabriel to Mary indicate that a baby brings happiness and joy as he said, “Hail” to Mary. If we try to consider the circumstances of Mary, she could not be happy knowing she is pregnant without the benefit of marriage. Mary knew the punishment for a pregnant woman who is betrothed to somebody who is not the father of the child in her womb. Even in our present day, a woman would worry if she would get pregnant outside marriage. But the Gospel gives us a better perspective. Whenever there is a woman who is pregnant, it is a sign of God’s blessing. Remember, every baby is a gift from God. However, the father and/or mother or guardian of a child has the paramount responsibility to bring him/her up to be a blessing for others. Amen.

4th Day of Simbang Gabi December 19, 2014

A man saw an old lady who was pushing her cart hardly. He assisted her. He also saw a mother with her daughter begging some alms; he gave them money. He saw a dog suffering from hunger; he gave it food. The list of his good deeds extended day after day. But what did he get in doing good? He was never famous. He never appeared on television. Well, it was the emotions of those people he helped which captured him to do more goodness. The said man was a living testament of happiness. He was happy making people happy. My dear friends in Christ, a person who is happy with his/her life shares his/her happiness with others. Such a person has learned that happiness is rooted in doing something for the good of others with less expectations of any return. Charles H. Burr described this kind of happiness stating –Getters generally don’t get happiness; givers get it. You simply give to others a bit of yourself –a thoughtful act, a helpful idea, a word of appreciation, a lift over a rough spot, a sense of understanding, a timely suggestion. You take something out of your mind, garnished in kindness out of your heart, and put it into the other fellow’s mind and heart. My dear friends in Christ, our Gospel for today, Luke 1: 5-25, unfolds to us that we have a happy God. In the said Gospel, God sent His angel to Zechariah whose wife Elizabeth was barren. The said angel announced that Zechariah’s prayer has been heard by God. God blessed them with a son. But the angel did not stop speaking after he announced the birth of John the Baptizer to his father Zechariah. He said in addition, “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” These words reveal the will of God who sent His angel to Zechariah: God wants to bless those who believe Him. God listens and brings favour to those who pray to Him. He is a happy God who shares His life to us that we may realize He does not want us to suffer here on earth. He gives us His blessings because He is a happy God. My dear friends in Christ, if we have one reason to celebrate this Christmas, it must be our recognition of God’s blessings for us through Jesus. Amen.

3rd Day of Simbang Gabi December 18, 2014

A mother, who was a solo parent, tried to make her best to make her only son grow happy. But because she was having a problem with her finances, of course she could not give everything to her son. One day, her son wanted a toy from a store. But she told her son they didn’t have enough money. Her son got mad and cried aloud. He wanted to have the said toy. Yet they never bought it because they did not have any money. When they arrived home, the mother thought she could make a similar toy using some scrap materials. She spent the whole day making a toy similar to what her son wanted to have. When she gave it to her son, the latter threw it on the floor and shouted, “I hate you mom!” My dear friends of Christ, this story does not just tell us that it is not easy to be a parent but also it is never easy to be a solo parent. Although one could give birth to a child and raise him/her by a solo parent, it is still recommendable that the child grows up with a father and a mother. The child needs both parents to love him/her. There are things which a father could share which the mother could not give and vice-versa. In our Gospel, Matthew 1:18-25, it is said that Mary was chosen to be the mother of Jesus. But God did not only choose Mary as a mother of Jesus but also the wife of Joseph. There is no doubt that Mary could be a loving mother to Jesus even without a husband. But God in His infinite wisdom did not allow it to happen. He wanted Mary to have a husband and He wanted Jesus to have a human father all in the person of Joseph. God affirmed the importance of both parents in the life of a child when He sent an angel to Joseph to tell him of his significant role as a father. My dear friends, we are called by our faith to preserve our family system –having both parents to love their children. Although solo parenting is prevalent in our time, it is still better to remind all males to be responsible in their relationship and stand to become good fathers to their children and good husbands to their wives. It is also true to all females who are in a relationship. Be careful not only for your body but also for the child you are about to carry in your womb. Remember, it is in God’s design that every child has the right to have good parents –both his/her mother and father. Amen.

2nd Day of Simbang Gabi December 17, 2014

There is a story of a boy who was caught stealing some medicines. While he was beaten by the store owner, a man intervened. He learned that the boy’s mother was ill. So he paid for the medicine which the boy tried to steal. He also gave him some food, and let him go. Thirty years later, the man was still generous especially to those who are in need. One day, he collapsed while he was in his work. He was brought then to the hospital. He needed to undergo surgery according to the physician. His daughter was worried about him as they stayed long in the hospital. Her worries were added when she received their hospital bill. She decided to sell their properties but the proceeds of the sale could not meet the needed amount to pay their dues. She was crying while holding her father’s hand until she fell asleep. When she woke up, a nurse handed her a receipt of their bill. She was surprised that it was fully paid. The nurse told her that the physician paid it in full because thirty years ago, her father saved his life. The daughter remembered then the boy who once stole some medicines for his mother was now the physician who paid their hospital bills in full. My dear friends in Christ, the story tells us that it is at times good to give chances to bad people to change their ways. But it is not easy to make such idea a reality. Most of us heard of many stories of ungratefulness in this world. It is thereof too risky to do good to bad people because we do not know what they could do to us in return. But on the part of God, He always takes a risk that something good comes out from everybody. Let us try to understand this from our Gospel, Matthew 1:1-17, which gives us the genealogy of Jesus. In the said genealogy, there are some of them who suffered a bad reputation like Tamar and Rahab who were described as prostitutes (Genesis 38: 24 and Joshua 2:1). Majority of them could not even be considered holy according to the religious standard. But why God allowed that His only Son Jesus would be born from this family? Why did he not choose a perfect line-up of men and women with unblemished lineage? Well, God is a giver of chance. It does not always follow that when one’s parents are bad, everything is bad in such family given a chance. In other words, if God would not give a person any chance, He would cut off his posterity. There is no chance for such person to redeem himself/herself. With the genealogy of Jesus, we are reminded that God does not choose only those who are good to be saved but even the bad ones. He always gives chances to everybody to be worthy of His love. In fact, as Jesus redeemed His human family –both the good and the bad, He also redeems the family of the whole human race –both the good and the bad. We have many chances to be good if we are bad, and to be better if we are already good. Amen.

1st Day of Simbang Gabi December 16, 2014

There is a story of a boy who wished to become a famous rockstar. However, his parents could not afford to buy him even the cheapest guitar in this world because they were so poor. Yet, his father made a promise to buy him a guitar as a birthday gift. So the boy became excited. He did not bother to know how hard his father tried to look for some ways to earn the money he would use to buy a guitar. On his birthday, he waited for his father to bring him his guitar. His father decided to steal a guitar from the store as his money was never enough to buy it. He did not want to disappoint his son on his birthday. As the father rode his bike home to give the guitar to his son, he met an accident. He fell from his bike at the train station. The boy saw how the father tried to save the guitar by pushing it away from the train while giving up his life for it. The son cried as he lost his father though he had what he wanted –a guitar. Years later, the said boy became a famous rockstar. His guitar always reminded him of his father who wanted to fill him with success and happiness. My dear friends in Christ, in this world, God sends us people who can inspire us, make us happy and give meaning to our lives. We can say they serve as our light in life. In our Gospel, John 5: 33-36, Jesus reminded the people of his time that John the Baptizer served as their light. He said, “John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.” It means John the Baptizer inspired the people, made them happy and gave meaning to their lives. But Jesus also reminded them the role of John was limited and temporary. It means then that as it ended, people should see the “source” of light which John’s showed them. It also means that as John’s role to be the people’s light came to an end, people should not live in darkness. Rather, they should seek to live in the unfading light of God –who is Jesus. My dear friends in Christ, our family, friends, etc. serve as our light in this world. However, we have to remember that someday we will lose them. And though we come to grieve in the process, we should not allow ourselves to stay in darkness. We should seek the light of God –Jesus. It is only in Him that we can find the true meaning of everything including our life. Amen.

3rd Sunday of Advent December 14, 2014

There is a story about a little girl who wanted to become a great pianist, but all she could play on the piano was the simple little tune, "Chopsticks." No matter how hard she tried, that was the best she could do. Her parents decided after some time to arrange for a great maestro to teach her to play properly. Of course, the little girl was delighted. When the little girl and her parents arrived at the maestro's mansion for the first lesson, they were escorted by the butler into the parlour, where they saw a beautiful concert grand piano. Immediately, the little girl dashed over to the piano and began playing "Chopsticks." Her embarrassed parents started across the room to tell her to stop, but as she played, the maestro entered the room and encouraged the little girl to continue. The maestro then took a seat on the piano bench next to the little girl, listening to her play. After a moment he began to play along with her, adding chords, runs, and arpeggios. The little girl continued to play "Chopsticks." The parents couldn't believe their ears. They were hearing a beautiful piano duet, played by their daughter and the maestro, and amazingly enough, the central theme of it was still "Chopsticks." My dear friends of Christ, there are times when we feel little with ourselves or we are nobody in front of others. We think they are great in what they do and what they accomplish too. And yet, when it comes to evaluate ourselves, we lack some skills or something in order to be great. Such times are so tough for us especially when we hear words of discouragement from people we thought who should have supported us in the first place. In times like these, it is useless to prove how great we are. But in these time too, we need to accept who we are as well as the limits of what we can do even if others would not accept us. The moment we learn to accept ourselves, we also learn to see and glorify God in what He has done for us. In our Gospel, John 1:6-28, John the Baptist was asked, “What do you have to say for yourself?” John’s answer was plain and simple indicating his own “self-acceptance”. He never cared about what people would say about him, whether they regarded him as someone great or small. He just did what he believed he should do though how little it may seem to be for others or even for himself. Because he knew who he is before God and before others, he allowed no man to persuade him to seek “self-glorification.” Rather, he did everything for the greater glory of God. This coming Christmas, some of us may seem to be forgotten. No gifts to receive. No Christmas greetings or message to read. It seems that no one gives us at least even a little importance this season. Though we know we have done many good things to others, they never remember any. But instead of being morbid during this season, we have to look at ourselves and embrace the way we are. We forgive ourselves for the sins we have committed because God has forgiven us first. We have to forgive ourselves for the times we blame ourselves due to our failures because God never blames us even until now. We accept who we are including the darkest part in us because God has accepted us first. The moment we feel at ease with ourselves, we become more ready to give thanks and bless God. This is what advent season is all about –to prepare ourselves to glorify God for what He has done for us. Advent season and even Christmas season are not meant to be celebrated just for partying, eating and drinking. Reasonably, they are seasons to celebrate the great things God has done for us though how little we could do for Him. To end, we have to remember that though how little we could do in this life as long as God is working with us and through us, we have the reason to rejoice especially this Christmas. Therefore, rejoice!

2nd Sunday of Advent December 7, 2014

Since last week, the Philippine government has been preparing for the impact of Typhoon “Ruby,” aka “Hagupit.” The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has also briefed everybody to make a pre-emptive evacuation in strategic place. Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda was even heard saying, “We still don’t know what the impact of the incoming storm would be primarily because we don’t know yet. Until it’s near the country, we can’t make a more accurate assessment as to the size, as to the path it will really take. But, definitely, we are preparing for that.” He even said, “We have learned a lesson from Typhoon “Yolanda,” so I think that’s one area where we could really make sure that we are going to be prepared for this typhoon, as we are in all other typhoons.” My dear friends, I myself have been busy these days bringing my books and other things in a more secure place. I am afraid to experience again what I had experienced when Typhoons “Frank” and “Yolanda” visited our place. When Typhoon “Frank” devastated our town, I admit I was not prepared for the flood and mud which destroyed many things I treasured the most like my sacred vestments. When Typhoon “Yolanda” devastated our parish, I admit I was prepared yet my preparation was never enough to minimize what I lost. In both Typhoons, I learned what it means to prepare for such event. Now, there is a need again to prepare for Typhoon “Ruby.” I have to set aside and secure first those things which are important like my car registration, land titles, sacred vessel and vestments, etc. If it would still be possible, I would save all my stuff like my steel cabinet and others similar to it. But as the time is of the essence, I decided to leave behind those things which I believe are not important and necessary if ever Typhoon “Ruby” destroyed them. (Of course, I still pray that God will spare us all from such disaster!) Today, our Gospel Mark 1:1-8, reminds us of the need to prepare not for the Typhoon but for Jesus: "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight -- " Unlike our preparation for the Typhoons, we prepare for the coming of Jesus with a welcoming heart. And yet, similar to our preparation for the Typhoon, we prepare for the coming of Jesus by setting aside to secure what is important and necessary while leaving behind what is not important. During this season of advent then, it is best for us to go to confession, leaving our bad memories and sins behind while securing the goodness which is within us. We should not allow to happen again what happened during the first Christmas day when many people were never prepared to welcome Jesus. We have learned a lesson from His “first coming” how the three magi prepared for the Lord. They left everything behind and bring only their best gifts to Jesus. But for those who were not prepared including Herod, history reveals how they clung to their selfishness. My dear friends, I urge you to prepare the way of the Lord to your hearts. You know you are well-prepared when you can face God and His people without any burden of pain hidden in your hearts. Amen.