9th Day of Simbang Gabi 2017

I have been in Roxas City to buy a gift for my self this Christmas at a well-known mall. I have seen their beautiful decorations, light display, Santa Claus’ pictures and some Christmas trees. There was this greeting that was posted about a holiday but nothing about Christmas except for the Christmas sale. I heard some Christmas songs played all over the place. I saw many people spent their day there. They thought that such a place reminds them of Christmas. No way! For me, everything is arranged there to attract buyers and it is purely about commercialism like some other malls or stores owned by non-Christians. (I do not mean to offend our non-Christian friends by stating this.) 

Why do I say this? Well, I have also been in Kalibo, Aklan to buy a portable hard drive in a local Supermarket and I could say it‘s Christmas there! It was the only mall or store or supermarket which could remind people of what Christmas is all about. They had this “belen” where I saw the image of Jesus with Mary and Joseph, the three magi and some animals. Of course, as a Supermarket, they mean business. But what makes them different from others is that with their “belen”, they make their buyers aware that Christmas is about Jesus, the Christ. 

There is no Christmas without Christ Jesus!!! May our Gospel, Luke 1: 26-38 make us aware of this as the angel said to Mary, “The Lord is with you!” It means that Jesus is with Mary, and is also with us. It is because of Him (Jesus) that we have this Christmas. So, those who have something to buy for their “noche buena” or Christmas party, should not forget to thank God first. Could they not go to church or invite a priest to celebrate mass at their place before they start their party? For those who have no money to buy some gifts or to celebrate Christmas in grandiose fashion, they could still pray to thank God or else they should be ashamed of themselves because even the first Christmas was celebrated in a manger, it was a celebration with Jesus. It is important that  during this season, we thank God for His great love for all of us. Amen.  

8th Day of Simbang Gabi 2017

Rommel Jacinto Dantes Silverio is a male transsexual. He is a biological male who feels trapped in a male body. Being that, he sought gender re-assignment in Bangkok, Thailand. This procedure was successful –he now has a female body. Thereafter, in 2002, he filed a petition for the change of his first name (from Rommel to Mely) and his sex (male to female) in his birth certificate. He wanted to make these changes, among others, so that he can marry his American fiancé. The Manila Regional Trial  Court granted his petition stating that Silverio’s misfortune to be trapped in a man’s body is not his own doing and should be in any way taken against him. To grant the petition would bring the much-awaited happiness on the part of Silverio and his fiancé and the realization of their dreams. But this decision of the RTC was reversed by the Court of Appeals, and thus it was submitted before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that the change of such entries finds no support in existing legislation. A change of name is a privilege and not a right. It may be allowed in cases where the name is ridiculous, tainted with dishonor, or difficult to pronounce or write; a nickname is habitually used; or if the change will avoid confusion. The petitioner’s basis of the change of his name is that he intends his first name compatible with the sex he thought he transformed himself thru surgery. The Court says that his true name does not prejudice him at all, and no law allows the change of entry in the birth certificate as to sex on the ground of sex reassignment. Thus, the Court denied the petition.

In the said case, we learn that a name is not just a name. It brings with it some serious legal and public policy consequences. Just like when one asks for an NBI clearance, instead of approaching the Releasing Window with a smile, he or she starts to frown as an NBI personnel tells him or her that he or she has just been HIT! It means he or she has a namesake and probably with a criminal record or he himself or she herself has a criminal record. So a name is important for any person.

In our Gospel (Luke 1: 57-66), the name-giving of the child is important to consider. It also shows how important to choose the name of the child. For others, they wanted to name the child Zechariah, but for both parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah wanted to name the child John. So people asked, “What then will this child be?” They could not understand the reason behind the parents’ decision as they were not privy to the instruction of the angel to Zechariah himself to name the child John. Why the name John? What is in the name? Well, the name of a child is like a title in a story which introduces his or her character, his or her being special and his or her mission in life. In the Talmud–Brachot 7b; Arizal – Sha’ar HaGilgulim 24b, it is said, “For at the beginning of life we give a name, and at the end of life a “good name” is all we take with us.” So if a child is important to both parents, they must give him a name that will have a positive effect to him or her. If ever the child is lost in the journey of life, his or her name may remind him or her of what he or she must become. For example, the name Jude or Judah or Judas comes from the same root as the word “thanks.” In reference to Judas Iscariot, he abandoned his mission in life to give thanks to God by betraying Jesus. He did not live up to the ideals connected to his name, thus his name even until now is tainted with bad reputation affecting also those who carry such a name. Thanks to Judas Thaddeus! Because he lived up to the ideals carried by his name, many people give thanks to God as they receive many miracles through his intercession. Going back to the Gospel, the name John means “God is gracious”. So in naming the child John, the parents expect that their son’s mission is to proclaim the graciousness of God to people. He has to prepare the way for the Lord by creating a welcoming heart among the people. People shall see the graciousness of God as John leads them to the direction towards Jesus. John shall live and die proclaiming that God is gracious.

To end, we have some names to consider implying one’s life mission. We have Joshua (Yehoshu’a) which means “Yahweh saves or God is salvation”. We also have Joseph (Ioseph or Yosef) which means “May God add or increase,” just like a good father who is blessed by God with long life and abundant posterity. The name Andrew means manly while James was derived from Iakobos or Jacob which means “he grasps the heel.” Nowadays, there are names given to children being the result of many combinations such as combining the names of the parents. Usually they produce good sounds once they are pronounced but they do not make any sense at all as they do not convey any meaning to one’s life. For example, if we try to create a name by combining the names of Peter and Malou , we get Petmalu! From the names of Jasmine and Louie, we have Jas-Lo! From the names of Catherine and Terry, we have Cathe-Ter! From the names of Segunda and Benedict, we have Seg-Ben! Well, it is up to the parents how they want to call their children and what names they want to give them. Hopefully, they are fully aware of this: “For at the beginning of life we give a name, and at the end of life a good name”. Amen. 

7th Day of Simbang Gabi 2017

There’s a woman who’s a senior student. She is quiet and doesn’t keep company with anyone in the class. When the class is over, she always rushes back home. Rumor has it, she had a baby since she was 18. Some say she has a child with her sugar daddy. The woman gets a tutor for her kid and she visits her daughter one day. The tutor tells her that her daughter has a drawing of a mother and child referring to them. The woman is happy about it. In fact, she always accompanies her child in school and picks her after she’s done with her class. And when they’re at home, they eat, play, laugh and sleep together. She is an ordinary woman. Not so beautiful nor outstanding but the smile she has for the kid makes me think that she is the most beautiful woman. One day when the tutor visits them, she says to the woman to tell the people about the truth. The woman asks, “What truth?” The tutor answers, “The truth about your kid.” The woman tells her, “It is not necessary.” But the tutor insists, “I’m just concerned because people are talking behind your back.” She remains quiet as she remembers how she got her daughter in a garbage place. Finally she says to the tutor, “I’d rather let them talk about me than talk about my child.” At that time, graduation day of her child in a nursery school, her tears fell for having a loving kid even it’s not her own blood.

My dear friends, the woman in the story welcomed the little child with a big heart. Though the child was considered “nothing” by her biological mother as she threw her in a trash, the woman in the story greatly loved her as if she were her own daughter. She gave her the value which the child as a human being deserves. We can say this is a kind of “magnificat” which literally means magnifies in a sense that what others give some little importance; one gives it an utmost importance for that is what it truly deserves. In our Gospel (Luke 1: 46-56), Mary’s soul magnifies the Lord. The magnificat is not an act of exaggeration on the part of Mary. Though how ordinary it seems for others to see a woman being pregnant, for Mary, being pregnant is so important that she glorifies God. She considers it as a great thing God has done for her. Then she continues to cite some events which others may consider ordinary but she regards them as God’s great works.


“Magnificat” is an expression of people who give importance even to little things given to them. This Christmas, we may receive gifts, some are valuable while others may not be the kind we like to keep. Some of us may only receive a mere Christmas card or greeting. But if we have the heart of Mary, we can express our magnificat, thanking and glorifying God not so much because of the gifts we receive but because of the people who remember us during this season. It is the love behind their gifts that matters, whether the gift is priceless or not. When someone gives us something this Christmas, we have to remember that it is the thought that counts. With this, we have the reason to magnify the Lord. Amen. 

6th Day of Simbang Gabi 2017

There was a son who decided to leave his mother at old age home. He used to visit her there once in a week. One day he came to know his mother was seriously ill and she was left only with few hours of her life. He asked her mother if he could do something in her last time that would make her happy. Upon which his mother replied that, “son, please install some fans in the rooms here, as there isn’t any fan in any of the rooms of this home. And also buy a fridge for the old people living here because I myself had to sleep without food for many days.” The son questioned her why she asked him for all of these when she knew she had only a little time left to live. The mother replied, “Son, I am worried that you will not be able to live here comfortably when your children will one day send you here. So, I want that everything before you come here gets mended.”

This story reminds us how great a mother’s love is for her children. It is called mother’s instinct to love her children. It is in her nature to nurture her children. We can say that any child does not need to earn a mother’s love because being a mother, her power is to love. Her love is unconditional. She can sacrifice her life by giving birth to her children. She can give up her time for herself just to teach her children how to walk and talk. Her happiness is in her children. Still, there is a lot for us to know about a mother. Our Gospel (Luke 1:39-45) tells us about two women who were chosen by God to become mothers; Elizabeth as the mother of John the Baptist and Mary as the mother of Jesus. When Mary visited Elizabeth and greeted her, Elizabeth’s babe leaped in her womb. Here, we may realize that what affects the mother affects her babe. Recent studies also confirm that the state of the mother affects her child. Some researchers even explained that people who are more prone to suffering from stress compared with others shared their mother’s stress while they were still in the womb. As babes, they did not possibly know what was happening to their mother, yet they felt that it was something painful. They could feel the feeling of their mother who was going through a major upheaval.

Therefore, a mother should keep herself calm and her soul joyful as her state affects her child. Just like Mary and Elizabeth, a mother should be grateful to God and ask from Him the gift of the Holy Spirit. Instead of listening only to her favorite music in which the unborn baby responds, she better tries to read the bible or spends more time in prayer. A mother should be aware that her children are gifts from God and there is no greater happiness for a mother than to see her children grow loving God. If every mother does this, we can say, “Blessed are all women and blessed are their fruits.” Amen. 

5th Day of Simbang Gabi 2017

There was this story about a Japanese troop waging war against a fierce enemy which outnumbered them. So their leader made a strategy and he planned it well that they could win the fight. But the troop doubted it. The leader then led them to pray. After praying, he told them that he would toss a coin. If the head would come out, it would mean they shall win. If not, then they will lose. Then he tossed a coin in front of his troop. The heads appeared. The troop gained confidence upon seeing it and were eager to go to war. After they won the war, they said , “No one can change the hand of destiny.” But they were dumbfounded when their leader showed the coin for it was a two headed coin.

My dear friends, this short story reminds us of those who depend their lives on destiny, luck or fate. There are people who believe that an event will surely happen to a particular person in the future and no matter what he or she will do, he or she cannot escape it. They believe that success or failure depends on chances and not on one’s own action. Even if a person does everything in order to succeed, he or she cannot make it unless he or she has given the chance. Thus, everything seemed to be beyond one’s control and everything is already determined by a certain natural power. But this is not how we Christians think. We believe as Christians that everything is grace. But grace builds on nature. Conversely, even if God pours out His graces, man may choose to reject or accept them. He or she is free to choose. We are not robots which are programmed to do something and are left no choice.

In our Gospel according to Luke 1: 26-38, we can learn about how God’s grace and man’s free will interplay. Mary never asked or prayed to be the mother of God. Yet God chose her. Others may say this is called destiny, luck or chance given to Mary. But as Christians we understand it is called God’s grace –“for you have found favor with God.”  To affirm that this is not a matter of destiny, luck or chance, the Gospel tells us that Mary questioned the angel how would it happen for she knew no man. It means that if this is a matter of destiny, luck or chance, then Mary could not question it but would rather be forced to accept it. Yet, she showed she had the freedom to accept it or not. When the angel explained to her how the grace of God shall work in her, Mary expressed her “Fiat.” She said yes to the angel; it was a yes to God’s grace. Here we learn that God never forces anyone just to obey His will. Rather, God sends His graces and it is up for us whether we reject it or accept it, and face the consequences of our choices. Let us therefore recognize every grace God has bestowed on us and do everything for His glory. Amen.

PASAEAMAT by Genevir P. Patron

Sa rayang gabie atong napatunayan

Nga kung kita gali hay hay nagabueuligan

Bisan anong problema pa ro atong mataeopangdan

Ro kada isaea atong saeandigan

Unang pasaeamat hay para sa atong kura paroko

Maaeam, mabuot Rev. Fr. Jude Rebaldo

Sa gintao nimong hangkat kami nagatuo

Owa't imposible basta halin kimu

Saeamat gid ay ro mga Chapel Pres. hay naghiliugyon

Agud rondayang search hay mapatigayon

Programa it parokya o anumang okasyon

Sa kada kapilya abong mabinuligon

Saeamat sa atong mga ginikanan

Sa pagpalangga nga owa it katapusan

Ro andang mga onga tanan ginsuportahan

Ginpagwapo ag ginpagwapa para katon tanan

Saeamat sir Cendrix sa mahabang pasensya

Bisan salikwaot ro siki, sa tunog it sonata

Tanan nag-antiguhan,mga kandidato/kandidata

Owa't gapapirde sa andang kakontra

Sa mga litrato it atong kandidata

Si Ma'am Ronalie, hay masaligan ta

Bisan owa it filter,tanan gwapo ag gwapa

Talented,dedicated,huwarang maestra

Indi ko gid malipatan imaw si Ma'am Maicah

Solicitation letter,certificates ag program,imaw ro nag-obra

Pati sa pag-emcee owa imaw gabalibad ra

Thank you gid Ma'am kabay indi ka mamadla ha

Ro mga intermission numbers sa youth nakatoka

Imaw paeang namon nakita gasaot pati mga KOA

MUG, Youth Ministry, Angels ag Junior CWL hay nag-intra

Sa pagsaot ag pagkanta tanan sanda hay masadya

Mabahoe gid ro among pagpasaeamat

Sa atong sponsors, donors ag table buyers

Sa andang pagsuporta nga indi masukat

Ro inyong gintao kamon hay naamat

Abo ro pagpasaeamat sa rondayang eskuylahan

Tanan nga andang gamit katon hay ginpahueam

Sir Larry J. Justo indi ka gid namon malipatan

DepEd CAMACA saeamat sa inyong pagbueoligan

Indi ko eon tanan pagtigsambilogon

Sayud eon ninyo kung sanday sin-o run

Libreng serbisyo inyong ginabaton

Mabahoe nga pagpasaeamat nagahalin kamon

Rondayang programa bago pa matapos

Sa iba't-ibang isyu kami nanghilam-os

Pero ok lang, owa kami gabaeos

Basta sayud namon,mas abo ro nagpanipueos.

Kennard Jerric and Jonna's Wedding 12-19-17

One of the best quotes on love is found among the decided cases of the Supreme Court particularly in the case of Padilla-Rumbaua v. Rumbaua, G.R. No. 166738, August 14, 2009. The highest court of the land said, "Love happens to everyone. It is dubbed to be boundless as it goes beyond the expectations people tagged with it. In love, “age does matter.” People love in order to be secure that one will share his/her life with another and that he/she will not die alone. Individuals who are in love had the power to let love grow or let love die."

My dear friends, this quotation reminds us that love visits everyone and it comes in surprises. Sometimes we cannot expect that love is possible even between two people when one has not shown any sign of love to the other. Just like what happened to this young couple Jonna and Kennard. Though they were together for their school project, Jonna had many reasons to be uncomfortable with Kennard. I believe she never thought that she would be married to Kennard at that time. It was not even part of her wildest dream to fall in love with Kennard. But as I mentioned earlier, love comes beyond one's expectation. They both learned to love each other and until now they remain in loving each other. After seven years in their relationshop, finally they decided to get married. In love, truly, age does matter. I believe Kennard and Jonna you have learned a lot in your seven years of relationship especially on how you deal with your loneliness, your doubts, your likes and dislike which affect your love towards each other. It is a good reason for you to say you love each other that is why you are getting married. But marriage is not just about love. It is about making each other secure in the relationship. Jonna you are blessed that you have the man who is willing to bring you to the altar of God as his wife. Nowadays, most men hesitate to make a commitment for there are many women compared to men in this world and so it is difficult for any men to choose the right one to marry. Therefore be a good wife. Do not just love Kennard without loving those who love him. You can only be a good wife if you learn how to listen to your husband. Remember, there are wives who have been abandoned by their husbands because they talk too much as they forget to listen. Kennard, plan your future together with your wife. Do not think that love is enough. Love as an emotion may give you a happy feeling but married life is not just about feelings. Be a man! Put direction to your married life. You know as a seaman that a ship without a captain is a lost ship. It brings you anywhere and it ends in nowhere. Be thankful to God that He directs you to have Jonna as your co-journeyer. 

Let me end this homily Kennard and Jonna by saying to you, love each other as God loves you (John 13:34-35). This is the reason why you marry here in this Church: you present yourselves before God. God is love and when God has joined you in love together then no man should put you asunder. God loves you that is why you find each other, so love each other for the glory of God. Separation or divorce is not an option if you remain in the love of God. So both of you must pray. As Fr. Patrick Peyton used to say, "The family that prays together, stays together," I say to you Kennard and Jonna, you better pray together if you want your love to have a forever. Amen.

4th Day of Simbang Gabi 2017

In a small town, there was a meeting at the local church. Their greatest problem was that there had been no rain in their place. The priest invited everyone to pray to the Lord for rain. So, young and old alike prayed to the Lord for rain. At this moment, the priest saw a little girl who brought an open umbrella to the venue. When he asked the girl why she had brought an umbrella there, she replied, “Father, do we not pray to God for rain? It will rain so I bring with me my umbrella.” Then, it indeed rained.

My dear friends, from the said story we can say that prayer is simply defined as a communication with God. It is a communication sent by man to God. God as He is, He hears all our prayers. Yet, God as He is, He can also refuse to hear our prayers (Jeremiah 7:16).  If we try to analyse everything, our prayers to God are answered according to His will. Our prayer does not depend on us thinking that we can change the mind of God. Rather, our prayer depends on God and how He wants us to change. We can understand this when Jesus taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6: 9-13 or/and Luke 11: 2-4) we can observe from the said prayer that before asking God for bread, we are led to dispose ourselves to welcome God’s will first. A similar lesson may be learned by reading the Gospel (Luke 1: 5-25), when an angel appeared to Zechariah. The angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard…” But Zechariah refused to believe that God answered his prayer because for him, it was too late for God to answer His prayer. He said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” Zechariah thought that his prayer depended on him. He wanted it to be answered on the time he wanted an answer from God. But this was not how God worked. God willed to answer his prayer in His own time. Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife better understood this as she said, “Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.” Thus, when we pray we need to submit our will to God. Let God answer our prayers according to how He wills it and when He wills it. This is why it is called prayer because we can never impose our own will on God. Rather, we accept whatever He wills for us because God knows best. Amen.

 

3rd Day of Simbang Gabi 2017

The wedding of Charles the Prince of Wales and Diana was dubbed as a “fairytale wedding” and the “wedding of the century”. It was the first time to see it real that a common citizen like Diana married a prince. Thus, millions of people watched on television to see this grand wedding. The United Kingdom had even a national holiday on that day to mark the wedding. However, the couple separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996.

This wedding of the century is far different from the wedding of Mary and Joseph (Matthew 1: 18-25). Joseph and Mary were already betrothed and were already considered as husband and wife by Jewish tradition and customs. Their actual marriage, the taking of the wife by her husband to his home, was what they were both anticipating to happen. It was at this moment that Joseph learned of the situation of Mary. He learned that Mary was pregnant and the child was the Son of God. Joseph was a righteous man and he could not afford to take Mary to his home because he believed she belongs to God alone. But he knew that Mary could be put to death for just being an unwed mother as this was considered immoral. Thanks to the angel Gabriel! He appeared to Joseph in a dream and explained to him that what happened to Mary was about the fulfilment of a prophecy that a virgin would bear a child who was to be the Messiah. The Lord thereof commanded him to take Mary home as his wife. This wedding story of Joseph and Mary is not romantic yet it could be considered as a dream wedding. It was a wedding allowed by God as announced by an angel in a dream. It was a wedding too real to believe in as it revealed to us that even Mary and Joseph had their share of problems, worries and anxiety. Despite what they had been through, they remained faithful to God and God never abandoned them. Thus our Gospel reminds us today that no matter what happens to a righteous person, God has a plan for him or her. Whatever problems, worries and anxiety come to the home of a husband and wife, if they are both faithful to God, God will unfold His plan for them. A wedding is not therefore just a family affair. God wills that a wedding can be a source of His grace. Amen.

2nd Day of Simbang Gabi 2017

Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in 1879. It was said that his team had just completed the fabrication of one bulb and Edison himself gave it to a young boy, who was helping them in the lab. He told the boy to carry it upstairs for safekeeping.  Step by step the boy cautiously watched his hands not to drop the bulb. But he tripped at the top of the stairs and dropped the bulb and it shattered. The team got mad because of this. Yet, Thomas led them to make another bulb for almost 24 hours instead of blaming the boy. When they finished it, Thomas was ready to have his bulb carried up the stairs. Surprisingly, he gave it to the same boy who dropped the first one. He knew that the boy was devastated by the first incident. So he decided to give the boy back his confidence and be welcomed again by his team. This act of Thomas Edison reminds us that it is better to accidentally break a thing because at times it could be fixed or replaced than to break one’s life. He knew that a light bulb is precious but it cannot equate the preciousness of a child’s life. He enlightened his team about this. He did not want them to lose their sight of the preciousness of the child’s life because of their emotions. Truly, Thomas Edison was a light itself to his team as well as to the boy.

My dear friends in Christ, in our Gospel (John 1: 6-28), it is said that God sent John to prepare the way of the Lord. John himself is not the light. Rather, he came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, Jesus Christ. Without a light, there would be no sight while one is in the dark. It is difficult for him or her to make any move. There is therefore the need for him or her to take a light into his or her place to dispel the darkness. So John went ahead of Jesus to tell people about this role of light to sight. He preached to them that they should not stay in darkness because Jesus is there as their light. They should only prepare themselves to give Jesus a warm welcome.

This is what Simbang Gabi is all about for us Catholics; we wake up early to claim that Jesus is the light of our life. We know problems still come even if Christmas is a joyful season. We know that there are others out there who are lonely because they are sick or dying. There are still questions which remained unanswered such as why does an innocent man suffer. Instead of spending one’s time in vices, drugs, liquors, etc., it is better to pray to Jesus for enlightenment. Whenever we feel we are in a deep crisis or trouble, we approach Jesus at the altar. Instead of staying in the dark, we call on Jesus to shine upon us. Jesus knows that no thing can equate the preciousness of our life. He enlightens us about this. He does not want us to lose our sight of the preciousness of our life because of our emotional problems. We may have many friends who can give us a good advice, but it is only Jesus who can show us our way out of darkness if we let Him be the light of our life. Amen.

1st Night of Simbang Gabi 2017

There was a man who amassed his fortune by producing explosives and became more popular when he invented the dynamite. When his brother passed away, it was his name and not of his brother which was listed in the obituary of a newspaper, believing that it was he who died. What he read brought him disturbance because the newspaper described him as “The Merchant of Death”.  At that moment, he realized that this was how he was going to be remembered. Of course, he did not want to be remembered this way. So he decided to dedicate his fortune in rewarding those who have done something good for humanity. The award is known to us as the Nobel Prize, one of the world’s most famous prestigious prizes. The said prize was created to make people forget Alfred Nobel as the Merchant of Death and to remember him for his good works.

My dear friends in Christ, our deeds reveal who we are. Our actions or inactions speak louder than our words. Just like Alfred Nobel, we have the chance to ask ourselves today, how do we want to be remembered when someone mentions our name? It is mostly through our works that we are remembered. Our works may testify for us or against us. Our works may show to others if we are truly good Christians or not. Although, we can fake our actions or make a disguise with ourselves, still our actions can tell us who we are.

In our Gospel (John 5:33-36), Jesus said that the very works He is doing testify that the Father has sent Him. It means that His works reveal that He is the Son of God. His “doing” is connected to His “being”. The works of Jesus is enough to serve as evidence that He is indeed the saviour of the world. Therefore, there is no need for Him to be introduced by somebody so that people might believe in Him. His works are more than enough to make us recognize Him as the Son of God. This is why we celebrate Christmas. This is why we have our Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo: we declare to the whole world that we acknowledge and accept Jesus, the Son of God, as our Saviour. We rejoice because by His birth, Jesus became one of us. In remembering the day He was born make us aware that God is with us and He loves us. Amen.

1st Day of Simbang Gabi 2017

Joe arrives at the boundary of a province on his motorized vehicle with a huge bag over his shoulder. A police officer stops him and asks: “What is in the bag?” “Sir, it is only sand,” he replies. “Sand? We will just see about that –get off the vehicle!” The police takes the bag, rips it open, empties it out and finds nothing in it except sand. Detaining Joe overnight, the sand is analysed only to find that it is simply sand. Joe is released, the sand is put into a new bag and placed on Joe’s shoulders, and he proceeds to his destination riding his motorized vehicle. For almost every day, same thing happens until one day, the police confronts him to tell the truth about smuggling. “I swear that I shall do you no harm, just tell me what you have been smuggling?” the officer asks. Joe smiles and replies: “A motorized vehicle…”

My dear friends in Christ, the officer in the story has messed up because he has missed what he is really trying to search out. It is necessary therefore to recognize what is coming and identify what one expects to find or else he or she will be unable to welcome it. Such happened to John the Baptist. John the Baptist was mistreated if not maltreated because many did not recognize him as Elijah, as a prophet sent to prepare the way of the Lord. In our Gospel, (Matthew 17: 9-13) Jesus said, “I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased.” From these words of Jesus, we are made aware how our knowledge of the person affects our behavior or attitude towards him or her. If only we recognize that every person we meet is sent by God to prepare the way of the Lord for us, then we can treat him or her the way God wants us to treat him or her. If we know the person we meet could bring us closer to God, we cannot ignore him or her. He or she deserves our warm welcome.

To end, I remember in one famous restaurant in Kalibo, Aklan, I was falling in line waiting for my turn to be called by a McDonald’s crew member. It so happened that one of its managers asked the crew to step aside and made himself the one to receive my order. So I ordered a value meal and then I asked him something about their other food menu. I do not know if he had a bad day but twice did he show me an ill-mannered gesture with his pouting face. I was not yet finished with my order but he interrupted by telling me how much should I pay him for the value meal. So I just paid him and grabbed a table where I ate my meal. To be honest, I was angry while eating my value meal. I felt I do not deserve to be treated in an impolite manner by a manager of one of my most favourite fast food restaurant chains. So I called up my friend from Makati who was also a manager in one of the McDonald’s outlets in Metro Manila and told her about the incident. She told me she could help me report it to the restaurant manager because such a bad attitude of a manager could taint McDonald’s goodwill. But I decided not to report the incident and forget everything about it. I did not want the manager to lose his job just because of me. I also realized that I often did the same thing to others. Some people who tried looking for a priest and found me, they saw me as snobbish and arrogant. I acted as if I had a bad day while showing them my pouting face. I failed to think that my actuations could taint the gift of priesthood in me. I caused others to fail to welcome Jesus because of my bad attitude which affects my priestly ministry. If only I have always the knowledge to acknowledge that people who approach a priest like me are sent by God, I can be patient in dealing with them. So today, I pray for the grace of God to be conscious and aware that every person I meet can bring me closer to Jesus and vice-versa. I also ask all of you to remind each one of us here to be careful on how we treat people starting today. Amen. 

In Memory of Victor Emmanuel Sevilla

In 2005, I arrived at the Resurrection of Our Lord Parish and it was my first time to meet Vic. He was an innocent young man then who would play the keyboard/organ during the Sunday afternoon mass for the youth. He really loved to play the keyboard everyday even if he was alone in the church. I even saw him playing piano at Alabang Town Center. He was so silent and reserved during his younger years. This was the Vic I knew until I left the parish.

In 2015, I came back to the Resurrection of Our Lord Parish, and I met Vic again. This time Vic was a different man. He could express his own thoughts, ideas, opinions and even his emotion without fear or hesitation. He would give me a hug whenever he would fetch me to meet the group (ROLP Young Professionals). When he learned that I was preparing for the 2015 Bar Exams, he provided me some reviewer and books I needed for my review. He informed me of all the schedules announced by the Supreme Court regarding the Bar. He even brought me his transparent bag because he said other kinds of bag were prohibited due to security reason. There was a night when I needed someone at Starbucks to accompany me in my review, Vic who was tired from work showed up with his book on Civil Law. He joined me in my review that night until the next morning. Vic really made everything easy for me. When the Bar result came out, he was one of those who shared in my happiness. He made himself available up to my signing in the roll of attorney at the Supreme Court. He acted as my personal driver, as my photographer and above all as my guide and mentor as he knew every step and detail of what I should do while we were at the Supreme Court. He even was the first one to suggest that I should apply for Notary Public.

It happened last year, Vic was working in an insurance company when I was invited as a substitite teacher on the subject Insurance by the dean of a Law School. I had to ask Vic to explain to me what is an insurance. He explained it well that he convinced me to take an insurance policy from him. I agreed with him but with the parish that I have at present, I could not raise the right amount for my insurance.

I told you all these tonight to let you know that Vic has been part of my life. Now, that he is gone, then part of me is also gone. Death has stolen him from me and from you who love him. Death wants us to stop loving because if someone we love dies, we get hurt. And if we do not love the person, whether he lives or dies, we do not care and we do not waste our tears for him. Death sends us a message that no love is forever because death puts an end to it. But my dear friends, just as the Scripture says, "Death where is your sting?", I say to you that death cannot take away my love and your love for Vic. I am here to say I love Vic and I will not allow death to triumph over my love for him. I came from Kalibo, Aklan, I have to leave my parish where I am the only priest assigned and I have to cancel all the parish schedules because Vic is important to me. As Vic has been important to me when he was alive, he remains important to me even now that he has gone ahead of us. I am here to say this mass for him to assure him that there is a community that loves him dearly. There is a parish community that loves Vic. Death cannot put an end to this love. Death has no power to end our love because we now entrust Vic to the love of God through this Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Vic is totally safe now. Vic can now feel the love which the world cannot give to him, which we cannot give to him. And so tonight we pray that God may grant eternal rest on the soul of our beloved Vic and may he rest in peace. Amen.