9th Day of Simbang Gabi 2019

There is a story of a farmer who used an old horse to till his fields.

One day, the horse escaped into the hills. When the farmer’s neighbors sympathized with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, “Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?

A week later, the horse returned with a herd of horses from the hills. This time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was “Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?

Then when the farmer’s son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone thought this was very bad luck. The farmer’s reaction: “Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?”

Some weeks later, the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there. When they saw the farmer’s son with his broken leg, they let him off. Was that Good luck or Bad luck? Who knows!

My dear friends, bad things do happen to good people and at times we cannot understand why it should happen to us. Even those who achieved the highest educational attainment in this world cannot provide us the answer. If ever we get an answer, it will all be attributed to something that goes beyond the physical realm like –it is written in the stars, it is destiny or fate, or it is the will of the gods. But when people do not believe in the supernatural, they just say –who knows if it is bad luck or good luck?

Zechariah, the main actor in our Gospel (Luke 1: 67-79), was not alien to bad experiences, to failure, pain and frustration. He submerged himself in the negative weight of luck not knowing that what he considered bad luck would later turn into a blessing in disguise. He was old and had no children with his wife Elizabeth. It was big deal in those days to have children. In their culture, the family line ended when couples were found childless. They too considered that it was a blessing to have many children while it was a shameful thing to have no child at all. So Zechariah felt he was doomed as he would die childless. But it turned out that everything was a blessing in disguise. In his old age, God gave him a son to be named John. He was given a son who was not just an ordinary person but a precursor of Jesus. His only son John would play a vital role in preparing the way of the Lord. Thus, in our Gospel, we could feel how happy Zechariah was for having a son destined to greatness. Even Jesus Himself said something good about John, “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John” (Luke 7:28).

My dear friends, our Gospel reminds us to stay calm and refuse to become devastated when things seem to fall apart or when everything seems to bring us bad luck. We have to trust God and believe He knows what is best for us. We have handled crises before and there has always been this assurance that there is no such thing as bad luck because in God, everything is a blessing in disguise. Amen.

8th Day of Simbang Gabi 2019

A young boy aged 9 lived with his father, mother and his 85-year-old grandfather. The grandfather, in his old age, had poor eyesight and was also rather feeble at his limbs. As such, porcelain bowls often slipped from his wrinkled hands when he was eating, much to the annoyance of his son and daughter-in-law.

On this day when the young boy was playing in the backyard of the big mansion they were staying in, his grandfather accidentally broke another porcelain bowl yet again, just a few feet away from where the boy was playing. Hearing the breaking sound of the bowl, the boy’s mother and father came rushing out of their room and stated chiding the grandfather on how clumsy and troublesome he was.

Deciding that he had had enough, the boy’s father commented to the boy’s mother, “Don’t worry. I know that all these bowl-breaking by the old man will never end so yesterday I told our butler to make a bowl out of the coconut husks found in our backyard.” With that, the boy’s father disappeared for a few moments before reappearing with a brown coarse-looking bowl carved out of an old coconut husk. He gave it to the old man who took over the coconut bowl silently.

It was at this moment when the parents heard a soft but clear grinding sound behind them. They turned around and saw that their 9-year-old son was playing with a metal spoon and a coconut husk. Unsure of what their son was doing, the father proceeded to ask his son, “Son, what are you doing with a spoon and the coconut husk?’ The boy looked up and with his gentle eyes and innocent voice, he replied to his father, “Oh I saw how papa gave grandpa the coconut bowl. I thought papa may also need this bowl in future when you are old. So I am making the bowl in advance for you.”

Children are gifts from God. They are born innocent and pure. But when they grow old, some of them remain good, others change for the better while still others for the worse. Yet, the problem in attitude lies not only when children grow old, but even at their young age, children nowadays talk about sex, pornographic movies on cable television, drugs, etc. Young as they are, they are already worldly. We may say that children have lost their innocence. They have lost their true identity as gifts from God. Why? This is so as there is a change in values among parents when it comes to parenting. Parents allow their children to be exposed early to the adult world thinking that it is better for them to learn early from adult experiences. What parents fail to foresee is that their children miss their age of protection.

Our Gospel (Luke 1: 57-66) tells us that when John was born, he was exposed to the adult world where their neighbors and kinsfolk were very involved at his birth. Thanks to his parents because they protected John by insisting that his name should be John despite the protest of the people. They said, “None of your kindred is called by this name.” The act of his parents to give the child the name John reminds all parents that young children should be given love and protection. They should show love to their children as love is the highest form of communication between parents and children. They have to give protection to children because the latter cannot yet protect themselves. In protecting them, they should protect them not only from physical threats but also from that which could rob them of their childhood. Parents should treat their children as a child. They should let their children play with them and be who they are in their presence. They should allow their children to confide in them and give them a hug. All these may be understood by parents if they read Proverbs 22: 6 stating, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

May all parents then today learn from Zechariah and Elizabeth to love and protect their children. Amen.

7th Day of Simbang Gabi 2019

A famous actor often referred to a special day in his childhood when his father took him fishing. The day was fixed in his mind, and he often reflected upon many things his father had taught him in the course of their fishing experience together. After having heard of that particular excursion so often, it occurred to his cousin much later to check the diary that the actor’s father kept and determine what had been said about the fishing trip from the parental perspective. Turning to that date, the reader found only one sentence entered: “Gone fishing today with my son; A DAY WASTED.”

Being a father is different from being a mother. A father has a different approach to raise children than a mother does. A child learns from his father without his father knowing it. A father influences his child without him realizing it. He/she learns about what a man is from his/her father. He/she may either want to be like his/her father or to be his exact opposite.

In our Gospel (Matthew 1: 18-25), Joseph was told by an angel in his dream to take Mary as his wife and to father God’s only Son –Jesus. Although God could take care of His Son with all His power, He still chose Joseph to play the role of a foster father of Jesus. Why? Joseph was obedient to God. Jesus could learn from him through his example. As any child looks to his/her father to lay down the rules and enforce them, the former learns what it means to obey. But he/she sincerely learns to obey only when he/she sees his/her father as his/her model or idol. If not, then he/she obeys only because of fear.

Jesus, like His human father Joseph, grew up obeying His Father God. Philippians 2: 6-11 states, “Though he was in the form of God, Jesus did not count equality with God, a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death.” Joseph, though human as he was, never failed God to be the father of Jesus as he passed on to Him what it takes to obey God.

We pray then that all fathers teach their children how to obey God by giving them examples. We pray then that all fathers find Joseph as their model in parenting their children. Amen.

6th Day of Simbang Gabi 2019

Devina Nund wrote this beautiful story about mothers:

When God created woman, he was working late on the 6th day...

An angel came by and asked, “Why spend so much time on her?” The lord answered, “Have you seen all the specifications I have to meet to shape her?”

“She must function in all kinds of situations, she must be able to embrace several kids at the same time, have a hug that can heal anything from a bruised knee to a broken heart.

She must do all this with only two hands, she cures herself when sick and can work 18 hours a day.”

The Angel was impressed. “Just two hands...impossible! And this is the standard model?” The Angel came closer and touched the woman.

“But you have made her so soft, Lord.”

“She is soft,” said the Lord, “But I have made her strong. You can't imagine what she can endure and overcome.”

"Can she think?” The Angel asked...The Lord answered, "Not only can she think, she can reason and negotiate."

The Angel touched her cheeks..."Lord, it seems this creation is leaking! You have put too many burdens on her."

"She is not leaking...it is a tear," The Lord corrected the Angel...

"What's it for?" Asked the Angel...The Lord said, "Tears are her way of expressing her grief, her doubts, her love, her loneliness, her suffering and her pride."...

This made a big impression on the Angel, "Lord, you are a genius. You thought of everything.

A woman is indeed marvellous"

Lord said, "Indeed she is. She has strength that amazes a man. She can handle trouble and carry heavy burdens. She holds happiness, love and opinions. She smiles when she feels like screaming. She sings when she feels like crying, cries when happy and laughs when afraid. She fights for what she believes in.

Her love is unconditional. Her heart is broken when a next-of-kin or a friend dies but she finds strength to get on with life."

The Angel asked, "So she is a perfect being?"

The lord replied: "No. She has just one drawback, she often forgets what she is worth."

My dear friends, this story reminds us of the meaning of being a mother. A mother is selfless –one who sacrifices her wants, needs and ambitions as long as the wants, needs and ambitions of her children are fulfilled and satisfied. Her reward is being a mother herself. It is not the medal or certificates that can make her happy but the arms of her children who hug or embrace her.

Hear and see the experience of two mothers in our Gospel (Luke 1: 39-45). Mary and Elizabeth were both happy because they were now ready to be called mothers. They rejoiced because of the baby in their womb. How fulfilling it was for them to become mothers. All they did was to talk about their baby. This is the true meaning of being a mother –selfless. Why? Everybody can notice that she changes her name when she gets married. She leaves her own home and moves in a home with her husband. She gets pregnant which changes her body and risks her own life in the labor room. After she delivers her baby, she knows it comes from her yet it does not bear her surname. Everything she does from the birth of her child until the child grows mature is for the benefit of the said child and sometimes she does this at the expense of her needs and ambitions.

Today, we continue to pray for all our mothers. We thank God for creating mothers because it is never easy to be one. During this Simbang Gabi, we resolve before the altar of the Lord to understand and respect our mothers. We give them thanks for the priceless gift of motherhood God has blessed us. Amen.

5th Day of Simbang Gabi 2019

A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his mom dried her hands on an apron, she read it, and this is what it said:

For cutting the grass: Php 50

For cleaning up my room: Php 20

For taking out the garbage: Php 30

Total owed: Php 100

Well, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy could see the memories flashing through her mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper he had written on, and this is what she wrote:

For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me: No charge

For all the nights that I’ve sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you: No charge

For all the trying times, and all the tears that you’ve caused through the years: No charge

For all the nights that were filled with dread, and for the worries I knew were ahead: No charge

For the toys, food, clothes and even wiping your nose: No charge

Son, when you add it up, the cost of my love is: No charge

When the boy finished reading what his mother had written, there were big tears in his eyes, and he looked straight at his mother and said, “Mom, I sure do love you.” And then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote: “Paid in Full”.

This story tells us about a mother’s special kind of love. No words can explain what a mother’s love is. It is totally unselfish. It always thinks of her children. Nothing and nobody can take away a mother’s love for her children.

In our Gospel (Luke 1: 26-38), the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was chosen to be the mother of God’s only son Jesus. When Mary learned about this, she accepted it without fear of its consequences. During her time, a woman who became pregnant out of wedlock should be terrified about her plight. It was an accepted norm that children should be born within marriage. Thus, when found pregnant outside marriage, the woman would be forced to leave her home and her family. If she would leave home but had no way of supporting herself, then it would be possible that she would eventually end up as a prostitute. If she would stay, she would be stoned to death the moment people learned about her state.

But Mary was pregnant while betrothed to Joseph, could this mean she would spare her life? No. In ancient Judaism, betrothal was a temporary period between the covenant of marriage itself and the time of living together. Therefore, she was considered legally married to Joseph during such intervening period. The Jewish Law (halakha) forbids a man to continue living with an adulterous wife and he is obliged to divorce her. If found guilty of adultery, the wife would be stoned to death as a punishment. This would be the legal consequence that Mary would suffer when she accepted the call to become the mother of Jesus. Yet Mary accepted to become the mother of Jesus out of her love for God. Because God knew how Mary loved, so she was chosen to mother His only Son. Her love gave her the courage to face what other women of her time feared of –to be stoned to death either for getting pregnant out of wedlock or for being accused of adultery. Mary showed how great her love is as a mother and every mother would be wise to follow her example. She was so disposed to love unconditionally that when the angel appeared to her saying, “You will bear a son,” with deep love she replied, “Let it be done according to your word.”

Today’s Simbang gabi, we pray for all mothers to love God with all their heart and respond to God’s call favorably just like what Mary did. Children are gifts from God, and every mother should know how to love them no matter what the consequence is for having them. Without love, any woman would end her pregnancy in abortion or infanticide. Without love, any woman would not care for her unborn child; never would she bother to give the child proper medical check-ups. Worst, she would not avoid smoking, drinking liquors or any drugs which could have a harmful effect to the child. She would avoid the burden of motherhood or lone parenting. We thus pray today to God to bestow His grace to all mothers, to overshadow them with the Holy Spirit, so that they would not find their life with their children burdensome. May Mama Mary be their guide as a mother. Amen.

4th Day of Simbang Gabi 2019

British sprinter Derek Redmond held the British record for the 400 meters’ sprint and won gold medals at the World Championships and European Championships. However, his career was visited by a series of injuries. At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, he had qualified for the semifinal of the 400 meters with the fastest time in his heat, he was looking strong when suddenly he pulled up because his hamstring had torn. Rather than crumble to the ground, he continued hobbling toward the finish line. His father ran down to stop him because the former was worried that the latter was going to carry on in pain and such could cause greater damage to his injury. Derek refused. “Well then,” his father said, “we’re going to finish this together.” It was true, both the father and son finished the race.

My dear friends, what made this story special is that it brings into focus not just the fighting spirit of the said athlete but more on the nature of parenthood. Derek’s father supported him and he did not cast doubt on what his son would be able to accomplish despite the physical impossibility on the part of the son. This is made obvious in the message sent by a Canadian athlete to Derek: “Long after the names of the medalists have faded from our minds, you will be remembered for having finished, for having tried so hard, for having a father to demonstrate the strength of his love for his son. I thank you, and I will always remember your race and I will always remember you –the purest, most courageous example of grit and determination I have seen.”

My dear friends, our Gospel (Luke 1: 5-25) tells us about the story of a father named Zechariah. Like St. Joseph, he received a divine message by God through an angel. But unlike St. Joseph, he was not submissive to accept the angel’s message. He was told that he would father a son. Yet, he dared to doubt it saying, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” For this reason, he was punished by the angel. He was made silent and unable to speak until the day that the message came true. Why Zechariah was punished? It is said that because he doubted that he deserved to be punished. If he doubted the message from God, then how could such a father believe that his son would be a messenger of God? What kind of faith would he pass on to his son? Being a father is not a matter of gender but a quality of parenting he can provide for his son. It is therefore better for him to be silent than to spread his doubt. His doubt, his manner and thought processes might rub off on his son.

Today, we pray for all fathers to learn from the experience of Zechariah. God wants that fathers should raise their children in faith. The primary task of a father is to let his children believe in God the way he believes Him. A father should provide them hope for the future and confidence to face challenges in life believing that everything happens under God’s will and command. Without knowledge of God, children will live with aggression or delinquent. 

Let us also thank God today for all the fathers who discipline their children; those fathers who instill among their children good values. We thank God for fathers who work so hard to provide their children’s daily needs, their food, shelter and clothing. We pray for fathers who untiringly work to support their families, who prioritize their families rather themselves, and who work away from home just to secure their families with a better future. Thereof, may all the fathers of the families always seek the will of God for their children. Amen.

3rd day of Simbang Gabi 2019

Teaching in a Graduate Class in Psychology, a professor asked one female student to write 30 names of most important people in her life on the blackboard. The student wrote names of her family members, relatives, friends and her neighbors.

The professor told her to erase three names that she considered least important. She erased the names of her neighbors. The professor again told her to delete five more names. She erased her friends’ names. This went on until there just four names left on the blackboard. These were names of her father, mother, husband and their only so.

Now, the professor told her to delete two more names.

It was a very difficult choice for the student. She unwillingly deleted her parent’s names.

“Please delete one more”, said the professor.

The student became nervous and with trembling hands and tears in her eyes she deleted her son’s name.

The professor then asked her, “Why your husband? Your parents nurtured you and your son is the one you gave birth to? And you can always find another husband!”

The student gently answered him, “One day my parents will pass before me. My son may also leave me when he grows old, for his studies or business or whatever reason. The only one who will truly share his entire life with me is my husband.”

Her classmates stood up and applauded for her for sharing this truth of life.

My dear friends, this story reminds us about the importance of a lifetime partner –a husband in particular. Each marriage is unique yet there are things which every wife desires from her husband. One of those is to have a husband who can always stand in her corner. Nowadays, many men have forgotten what it means to be a husband. They have forgotten their duties to their wife though they have been good fathers to their children.

The Gospel of Matthew (1: 18-25) tells us that Joseph was first chosen to be the husband of Mary. The angel said to him, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife.” This particular Gospel passage suggests that though Mary could raise Jesus alone just like what any single parent could do, yet God willed that His only Son should grow with a father and a mother. Mary needed to have someone at her side. She needed someone to be a shoulder she could lean on when times get tough. She needed a support that whatever trials might come to her life, she needed to feel the protection of a husband. Thus, this Gospel serves as a reminder for all husbands to stay committed to their wife like what St. Joseph did. Let us include then in our prayer during this Simbang Gabi, all the husbands here on earth, that they may realize their calling from God to be capable of going beyond for the sake of their wife, for their marriage and children. May they be able to stand out to let their wife fell secure under their protection. Amen.