• Cycle C - Year I:  

  
  

  23 December 2018: Fourth Sunday of Advent

  (Liturgical Color: Violet; White for Simbang Gabi)

  
  

  Readings:

  First Reading:        Micah 5:1-4a

  Second Reading:   Hebrews 10:5-10

  
  

  Gospel:  Please Read  Luke 1:39-45

  
  

  "Blessed are you among women..."

  
  

    Finally, it's now the ultimate week of our Advent journey, and our last Sunday of "waiting" for the big event of Christmas Day.

  
  

  So today is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, and the last. We now light the the fourth candle in the Advent Wreath, which is the candle of love. It symbolizes love for life and all creation, love for sinners and saints, love for the poor and the little ones, and especially God's love that redeems and shows us the way to His kingdom.

  
  

  The Gospel written by Luke narrates the visit of Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth.  Let us meditate on this scene in the second Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary.

  
  

  So what is the significance of Mary's visit to Elizabeth in the history of salvation?

  
  

  When Elizabeth greeted Mary and recognized the Messiah in Mary's womb, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and with a joyful anticipation of the fulfillment of God's promise to give humanity a Savior. The elderly Elizabeth, also herself with child, reports that her child leaps with joy in her womb as the two cousins met. That means to say, the unborn child John the Baptist is the very first to witness the divinity of the unborn Child Jesus, in the temple of Mary's womb.

  
  

  What a marvelous wonder for God to fill not only Elizabeth's heart with His Holy Spirit but the child in her womb as well. For John the Baptist, even before the birth of the Messiah, pointed to His coming and leap for joy in the womb of his mother, as the Holy Spirit revealed to John the presence of the King to be born.

  
  

  Much in the same way, the Holy Spirit is God's gift to us to enable us to know and experience the indwelling presence of God and the power of His kingdom. In other words, the Holy Spirit is the way in which God reigns within each of us. It is the Holy Spirit that  opens our hearts to see and experience the presence of God in our lives.

  
  

  So as we wind up our spiritual preparation for the Lord's coming, let us pray that the grace of our Lord Jesus, the joy of Mary and Elizabeth, and the blessing of the Advent Season lead every one of us to respond freely to God with the obedience of faith, even when sometimes we do not understand immediately God's plan for us. Let us pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit to understand in faith what our eyes and mind may fail to see. Amen.

  
  

  A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

  
  

  
  

  Ad Jesum per Mriam!

• 
  

Cycle C - Year I:  

16 December 2018: Third Sunday of Advent

(Liturgical Color: Pink/Rose or Violet; White for Simbang Gabi)

Readings:

First Reading:        Zephaniah 3:14-18a

Second Reading:   Philippians 4:4-7

Gospel:  Please Read  Luke 3:10-18

Feeling the joy.....

"Almost there, but not quite"... that's a good way to describe our Advent journey as we cross the Third Sunday of Advent.

The liturgical theme for this Sunday is "rejoicing" because we are mid-way in our Advent pilgrimage and thus so close to the big event that is Christmas day.

On the third week of our Advent walk, the Church celebrates Gaudete Sunday or the Sunday of Rejoicing. The Entrance Antiphon in the Mass begins with St. Paul's exhortation: "Rejoice in the Lord always." (Phil 4:4) Indeed the readings for this Sunday tell us there is a reason to rejoice as we prepare and await the joyful expectation for the coming of Jesus, our Lord and Messiah.

The Gospel narrative tells us about John the Baptist preaching his message of repentance. But this time, John goes down to specifics in his message. While the people showed good intentions of listening to him, they must also show firm resolutions to put to action their good intentions.

So the crowd asked John, "What should we do?" (Lk 3:10) He said to them in reply, "Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise!" (Lk 3:11) And to the tax collectors John has this to say, "Stop collecting more than what is prescribed." And to soldiers John admonished, "Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages." (Lk 3:13, 14)

And so we also celebrate the joy of the coming of our Messiah by asking ourselves, "What should we do"... in our own time and in our particular situations?

Well, we too have to do some preparation for our Lord's coming. We have to wash ourselves clean of sin. We have to pray more and give more. We have to practice justice, generosity and compassion. We have to make our hearts a worthy dwelling place for our Lord in every way.

John's exhortation was for us to clean our way and open it wide for our Lord Jesus Christ. Because Jesus is coming to dwell in us and give us a new birth, a new baptism, a new life in the Spirit.

Are we ready for the new life in Jesus?

This Sunday also begins the beautiful tradition of Aguinaldo Masses. As we know, it is a devotional nine-day series of early dawn Masses until December 24 in honor of our Blessed Mother Mary. The Gloria is sung in these Masses  and white is the liturgical color used even on Sunday.

Let us cry out to God with joy and gladness. We should rejoice because our salvation is at hand.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam! 

Caroling in the Philippines:

Caroling is an enduring and beautiful Filipino Christmas tradition. Once the month of December comes, we see carolers going around singing Christmas carols from house to house spreading the spirit of the season through Christmas songs, traditional and modern versions.

And as Dawn Mass known as "Misa de Gallo" or "Simbang Gabi" starts, more carolers will be on their feet singing Christmas carols.

Usually it is the children grouping together and going around house to house in their neighborhood to

sing Christmas carols. Among the old time favorites are Jingle Bells, Silent Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Silver Bells. Traditional Filipino Christmas songs add to the festive atmosphere, like Ang Pasko ay Sumapit, Pasko na Naman, Himig Pasko, Payapang Daigdig.

Filipino ingenuity comes naturally with handmade musical instruments made from bottle tops for tambourine, or drums fashioned out from used cans or biscuit tins. The children are happy with whatever amount from the generosity of people is shared with them.

Even adults are into caroling during the Christmas season. Church organizations, clubs, and other adult groups also do their caroling to raise funds. Some of these groups give a letter in advance to inform the date and time of caroling. They usually come with more "professional" musical instruments like the guitar, drums, tambourine, and even portable musical organ. For these groups, it is a wonderful feeling not only to spread the joy of the Yuletide Season but to raise needed funds for their organizations or causes and advocacy.

Christmas carols make the Yuletide Season livelier and more spirited. They remind the people that Christmas is really giving and sharing, which also manifests the Filipino spirit of generosity and magnanimity.

The Advent Wreath

The Church begins a new journey of faith with the start the Advent Season on Sunday, 2 December 2018. The Advent Season is the beginning of a new liturgical year for the Church. It is also our preparation for the big event that is Christmas. In Churches and chapels, including most homes and offices, we see a beautiful symbolism of Advent in the Advent Wreath.

The Advent Wreath is part of our long-standing Catholic tradition, which is very much a part of our

spiritual preparation for Christmas. The symbolism of the advent wreath is beautiful. It is made up of various evergreens in circle, signifying continuous life. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, depicts the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the new everlasting life promised to us through our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, who entered our world becoming true man and who was victorious over sin and death through His own passion, death and resurrection.

The four candles in the Advent Wreath refer to the four weeks (or four Sundays) of Advent. According to tradition, each week represents one hundred years, to sum up to the four thousand years from the time of Adam and Eve until the birth of the Savior. Each candles is lit on each Sunday of Advent.

Three of the candles are color purple and one is color rose. In particular, the purple candles symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifice, and the good works the faithful undertake at this time in preparation for Christ's birth.

The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, which is also called "Gaudete Sunday", or the Sunday of rejoicing. It is so because the faithful are now at the midpoint of Advent journey by this time, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas Day.

The progressive lighting of the candles, one on each Sunday of the Advent Season, combined with the liturgical colors of the candles, helps to symbolize not only our expectation and hope in our Savior's first coming into the world, but also His second coming as Judge at the end of the world.

Prayers for the Advent Wreath: (usually at the start of Sunday Mass)

1st Sunday of Advent:

Father, as we begin our Advent pilgrimage, we light a candle of Hope.
Grant us the courage to hope: hope for your presence, hope for your peace, hope for your promise. Amen.

2nd Sunday of Advent:

Father, as we journey down the Advent road, we re-light the candle of Hope, and we light a candle of Peace.
Grant us the courage to make peace: peace in our hearts, peace in our homes, and peace in our communities. Amen.

3rd Sunday of Advent:

Father, at the height of our Advent walk, we re-light the candles of Hope and Peace, and we light a candle of Joy.
Grant us the courage to experience joy in the hope of the Savior's coming: joy in the face of apathy, joy in the face of sorrow, joy in the face of uncertainty. Amen.

4th Sunday of Advent:

Father, as our Advent pilgrimage draws to a close, we re-light the candles of Hope, Peace, and Joy. And we light a candle of Love.
Grant us the courage to share your love: love for life and all creation, love for sinners and saints, love for the poor and the little ones. We thank you for the hope your Son gives us, for the peace he bestows, for the joy your Spirit pours into our hearts, and for your love that redeems us and shows us the way. Amen.

So then, let the Advent Wreath be our symbolic reminder about our need to prepare, not only for the Lord's birth this Christmas, but to make our hearts truly ready to receive Him through repentance of our sin.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

2 September 2018: Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8

Second Reading:   James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27

Gospel:Please Read  Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Love God from the heart!

It is true that traditions and customs are noble and admirable when observed and practiced with the sincerity of the heart. Because, as the great poet Helen Keller said, "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart."

In the Gospel incident for this Sunday, our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us that what comes from within gives meaning and importance to our external actions.

According to St. Mark, the scribes and pharisees were upset with Jesus because He

allowed His disciples to break with their ritual traditions by eating with unclean hands. Now remember that washing of the hands before meal was an important religious ritual for the Jews. And in their zeal for holiness many elders developed many other elaborate traditions which become a burden for the people to carry out in their everyday lives.

Bear in mind that Jesus was not primarily concerned with justifying His disciples' omission of washing their hands before eating, but instead He used this incident to clarify what true holiness is in the very eyes of God. And so Jesus accused the scribes and pharisees of hypocrisy because they appear to obey God's word in their external practices while they inwardly harbor evil desires and intentions. So Jesus reminded them of Isaiah's prophesy: "This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vein do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts."

Unfortunately, this attitude of "hypocrisy" in serving the Lord is still with us even in our generation. For example, many of those who profess their faith in Jesus are so much focused on external rituals and practices but forget the reason and meaning for observing them.

So then, the message of this Sunday's liturgy is a timely reminder that religious traditions are practices are good, but then they become meaningless without our personal intimacy with the Lord. In today's Gospel incident, our Lord Jesus is actually reminding us that external rituals of cleaning are really empty physical acts without inner purification from within us. Such "inner purification" is essentially the work of the Holy Spirit in a human heart that is open and receptive to divine intervention.

In sum, our Lord Jesus Christ reminds us that true holiness is first and foremost a matter of the heart, a personal intimacy with Jesus our Lord and God. And we become close to God primarily because of His grace rather than own merits.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

26 August 2018: Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time  

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b

Second Reading:   Ephesians 5:21-32

Gospel:Please Read  John 6:60-69

Are we Catholics by choice?

Are we Catholics by choice? Perhaps this is a timely question during these most challenging times in our national journey. It challenges us to witness and live our Catholic faith.

In one of his homilies, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle has expressed disappointment that many Christian Filipinos fail to draw inspiration from the Good News at Holy Mass. According to him, many parishioners often grab the opportunity to nap when the Gospel is being proclaimed at Mass. And he asks, "Why is it easier to spread gossip than the Good News?"

Our Lord Jesus was in the same predicament when He reveals to His listeners  and disciples  that He is the Bread of Life. This Sunday's Gospel proclamation is the conclusion of our Lord's discourse on the Eucharist. Jesus confronts His followers to make a choice. Either they believe Him and ask for this bread, or reject His claim on Himself as the Bread of Life. So it is decision time for His followers.

The religious leaders and many of Jesus' followers were scandalized by His claim. They find His teaching difficult to swallow, and so they no longer want to follow Him. They cease to be disciples and deserted Him.

So Jesus asks the twelve Apostles: "Do you also want to leave?"

It was Simon Peter who answered Him: "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the

words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that You are the Holy One of God." (Jn 6:68-69)

Now Peter's profession of faith and loyalty was based on a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the gift of faith Peter knew that Jesus was the Messiah, the Holy One of God, and he believed in His words.

And so faith is our response to God's revelation. It is the key to seeing God work in our lives. But we have to make the difficult choice of accepting our Lord Jesus, or rejecting Him. We cannot be content with merely drifting through life.

Real faith seeks understanding. That is why God gives us the help of the Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of our mind to understand His truth and revelation.

In practical life, so many things are happening in our lives and in our world today that shock us. But the Lord invites us to receive Him as the Bread of Life. We can refuse Him, or like Peter we respond to our Lord's invitation, "Lord, to whom shall we go?"

In sum, our life is made up of many choices, big and small, human, spiritual and religious choices. But our choices must come from within us. And so we need our Lord Jesus Christ with us, if we are to follow Him in our earthly journey.

Let us pray. Lord Jesus, You have the words of everlasting life. Help me to cast aside doubts and fear and to embrace Your word with trust and joy. I surrender my life to You. May there be nothing which keeps me from You and Your love. Amen.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank You for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!