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.