Lighting Up the World - Feast of the Presentation of Jesus

Today marks the first day of Novena in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes. On February 11, we shall celebrate our 63^rd Patronal Fiesta recalling the first apparition of Mary to the 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous in 1858 at Lourdes, France. One of the many activities lined-up for the Fiesta is the Mass Wedding of 22 Couples. As they were prepared spiritually through seminars, the sacraments of confirmation and confession, I reminded them that when they were living together without the sacrament of marriage for years, they were like candles without flame. They were not giving light as they ought to be because our Christian vocation as Jesus said is to be “light of the world.” But now that they are again in the state of grace, Christ is re-kindling their fire. They are glowing once again like lamps on a lampstand.

We celebrate also today the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem by Mary and Joseph. Theirs was an act of thanksgiving for the gift of life; most especially for the gift of Jesus. Moreover, they were stunned by the revelation made by the old Simeon and the aging prophetess Anna. Simeon announced his gratitude that he has finally “seen salvation” because Jesus will be a “light and glory” for Israel. Anna also, led by the Spirit, recognize the future redeeming vocation of the child. Joseph and Mary never expected such epiphany to happen. Every child brought forth into this world has an amazing future waiting to happen. Every life is a gift; every child brings a particular contribution for a better world.

The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus has also been designated as World Day for Consecrated Life. Since this feast is also known as Candlemas Day; the day on which candles are blessed symbolizing Christ who is the light of the world, so the consecrated persons are called to reflect the light of Jesus to everyone. Religious Life reminds every Christian that on the day of our baptism, we have been consecrated to God. We have “put on Jesus Christ” such that we no longer live for ourselves. The aim of our life is to be pleasing to God and to give glory to the Father.

Prayer: Lord, constantly remind me that the aim of my life is to give glory to you as a candle that lights up the world. Amen. 

Total Availability - 3rd Sunday Ordinary Time

Carlo Carreto was an active man of the world. Born in Piedmont, Italy in 1910 he became the charismatic leader of the Italian youth movement known as Catholic Action. At that time Communism was a fatal threat to Italy and the church was desperately seeking to counteract the Red Menace. It was necessary to enter into the political arena directly but this could be done solely by the laity. It was in this context that Carlo emerged. He animated, inspired and mobilized the younger generation for twenty years. But a life-changing moment came in 1954 when he felt God’s call for austerity and contemplation. He set out for the Sahara Desert where he decisively burned his address book containing his contacts and information of thousands of his friends in Italy. He would stay in the desert as a hermit and sit for long hours in silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. He left everything to follow Jesus.

In today’s gospel reading, Matthew describes the call of the first disciples. Jesus invites ordinary fishermen who immediately responds by “leaving their nets and their boats” in order to follow Jesus. The disciples were simple working people with no great background. Jesus was not looking for impressive background and striking talent from his candidates; he simply needed ordinary people who were generous and willing to give themselves totally to him. Even today, what Christ needs is not our ability but our availability.

Moreover, the call of the disciples was to become “fishers of men.” The disciples fully understood what this metaphor meant. Jesus was referring to hard work! Just as the laborious process of net tossing and slowly dragging it along hoping to trap fish in the net; then the repetitive effort of repairing and cleaning the nets take time, so the process of working for the kingdom would be frustrating. It would often means lack of results yet not allowing the results to dictate our enthusiasm and motivation. It meant relying not on one’s own ability but on God’s generosity for good results. Hence to be fishers of men means to be totally available for God’s work without counting the cost. 

Prayer: Lord, inspire me to be challenged by your call; follow you with total availability without counting the cost. Amen. 

Pleasing God - Feast of the Sto. Nino

My brother, Glenn, has five kids; Gian is the only boy. He is the middle child. Born with several complications, he was able to hurdle them all miraculously. He was a blue baby, born at 32 weeks; his lungs were not yet fully developed. Prayers and the persistent love of his parents really made wonders. Now at eight years old, he is an energetic and fun-loving kid. He loves to play football. When at home, he plays with his toy-cars by lining them up all over the living room. As the only boy in the family, Gian is one of his dad’s greatest blessings. His daily growing is followed up with so much delight. He is the joy of his Mom Gamai. 

The feast of the Sto. Niño is for us a reminder of the importance of children. It prompts us never to lose the childlike attitude as we grow older. Even Jesus points out that the Kingdom of heaven belongs to children. In fact, when he was baptized by John at the Jordan River at thirty years old, the voice of his Father was heard saying: “This is my Beloved Son whom I am well pleased.” Jesus never lost his childlikeness even in adulthood. He was the Beloved Son of his Dad all his life. His obedience and docility delighted his Father so much. Jesus brought joy, not just to the world, but in heaven’s eyes.

When we become like Jesus, heaven opens for us. Our faith in him is the key to enter the Father’s Home. He has taught us the way to heaven and revealed the secret of gaining the Kingdom. Childlike traits are essentials in our Christian life. The child teaches us that we cannot grow alone; we need each other’s help. No matter how intelligent and capable you are, there are things beyond your control. We need to surrender everything to God and trust in the goodness of the people around us to survive. Relationship nurtures us. It is the bond that makes us accountable to one another and makes us a family with God as our Father. Pit Senyor!

Prayer: Lord, teach me obedience and docility so that I may be pleasing in the Father’s eyes. Amen. 

God’s Anointed - Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

In the 13^th century, when King Louis IX (1226-1270) was the king of France, he annually held a grand celebration on the day of his baptism rather than on his birthday. His reason was that baptism was the beginning of a life that would continue for eternity in the kingdom of God as a citizen of heaven. Baptism for him is that moment when he became a child of God, more than just being given the gift of life.

Today we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. It ends the Christmas Season as the adult Jesus marks the beginning of his Public Ministry. His baptism by John in the Jordan River was a turning point in his life. After thirty years of work and quiet as a carpenter, Jesus is officially revealed as the Son of God to the world on this occasion. As described by the four Gospels, three things happened that affected him deeply. Heaven was opened! Since Adam’s disobedience it has always been closed; Jesus made it happen. Then the Spirit descended upon Jesus – he became a man filled with the Holy Spirit and power. Finally, the voice of the Father declared: “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” Only Jesus delighted God absolutely.

Jesus’ baptism reminds us of our own baptism. In the eyes of faith, this is one of the greatest milestone of our life when we become adopted children of God. This is the moment when God transforms us so deeply that we begin to breath his very life. He gives us our identity and dignity because from then on we know whose we are. We become heirs of heaven and temples of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, this experience of God’s in-dwelling in us is the beginning of a life-long journey to please God in our thoughts, words and deeds. This becomes our mission to be living witnesses of God’s goodness and love in the world.

Prayer: Lord, open my eyes to appreciate the spiritual gifts I have and make me secure in your all-out love for me. Amen. 

Spiritual Awakening - The Epiphany of the Lord

Vincent Leclercq asked for baptism at 42 years old. Born in Paris, he was indifferent to the faith as he was growing up. But seven years ago, he had a spiritual awakening. A friend opened his eyes to the beauty of the Christian Faith. He confirmed that he had an experienced of being enlightened by Christ such that he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. It was like a “Damascus Experience”. He started a journey of faith by reading scriptures. For a year now, he had been attending catechism classes twice a week in their parish in Oman where he is based. Vincent experienced an epiphany of the Lord!

Today we celebrate the epiphany of the Lord. It is a Greek term which denotes a “visit of a god to earth.” When Jesus was born on Christmas, we contemplated the incarnation of God. The child in the manger is an extraordinary child; the Son of God. His given name is “Jesus” because he will save his people from their sins. A bright star appeared when he was born. Through it, he manifested his divinity to all humanity and all people. The Magi came to adore him and brought symbolic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These gifts manifested his kingship, his priesthood and his vocation as messiah who will redeem humanity through his sacrificial death.

The Magi believed that stars carry messages from God. The presence of a bright light indicated God’s presence in the world. When God called Moses into a closer relationship with him, he used the burning bush to manifest his presence. When the Magi saw the bright star in the firmament, they responded as Moses did. The Star of Bethlehem continues to be a sign that manifest God’s presence in the world today. It challenges us to draw near, to seek more and to discover his fuller message. French philosopher Blaise Pascal once wrote: “there is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator made known through Jesus Christ.” He is the star that enlightens and fills up our lives. 

Prayer: Lord, may I constantly be open to your light and courageously step forward to embrace you. Amen.