SIMBANG GABI 2022: 9 DAYS IN THE MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION.
Dec. 16:
Homily: Behold, the Lord will come.
Friday of the Third Week in Advent
A polish proverb says: “Guest coming into the house - God
coming into the house.”
The coming of the Lord is an event we celebrate every year.
Nevertheless, when approaches Christmas, our expectation grows higher. For, we
feel the more its proximity. The liturgy exhorts us for quite more intense
preparation, external as well as internal.
From today, we are nine days away from the Nativity of the
Lord. Starting our traditional novena – Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo, the
readings are emphasizing our need to make ready our hearts to welcome Him. The
one who two thousand and twenty-two years ago was born in the small Burg of
Bethlehem, in a poor and lonely Belen, is now coming to be born anew in our
hearts.
The entrance antiphon and the opening prayer of today’s
Eucharistic celebration give the tune of this Novena: “Behold, the Lord will
come descending with splendor to visit his people with peace, and he will
bestow on them eternal life.” While waiting for that coming, we ask from the
Father, the grace to be ready, a grace that will always go before us and follow
after so that the coming of the Lord will not take us by surprise. As people in
expectation, our attitude must be that of prayer and observance of good works.
The first reading reminds us of the universality of
salvation. We are told that the House of God will be called a House of Prayer
for all people. No one is excluded from God’s plan of salvation. Foreigners as
well as autochthons will be God’s welcome guests. The only requirement to be
part of this prophecy, Isaiah says, is to observe what is right, and do what is
just. Charity, justice, and good deeds know no origin, no religion, no
nationality, and no race. They are attitudes of each one’s heart, provided that
one is truly human.
To prepare a people for his coming, God sent John, the
greatest of all prophets, to be a lamp alight and shining. The beautiful thing
about John is that he was a shining light to lead to a brighter light. He was
the greatest testimony of the Lord’s coming, and he was aware of not being
himself the Messiah but his precursor.
Like John, every one of us, Christians, is called to be the
light and lamp that leads others to the Lord and into the right path. Every
Christian is to be a testimony of the Lord’s presence in our midst. This
testimony is to be through a holy and open lifestyle. So, may it be our
personal challenge in these days of close preparation for the Nativity, to
become witnesses of the Lord, true testimonies of his presence and his love.
Dec. 17:
Homily: Son of God and Son of Man.
Saturday of the Third Week of Advent
A Ewe proverb says: “The son of the god of thunder does not
die of lightning.”
God the Almighty Father wished to save mankind his creature
from sin and its chains that enslave us. To make that salvation possible, he
chose to become one of us. He sent his only Begotten Son into our likeness.
From that very moment, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has become the
Son of Man. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…” (Jn 1:14)
On this second day of our Novena to the Nativity, our minds
and hearts are directed on Jesus as Son of God and Son of Man. In the first
reading, we hear about the promise the Lord made to Jacob that the scepter of
authority will never depart from him. So, Jacob, prophetically told his
children, “The scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between
his legs, while tribute is brought to him, and he receives the people’s
homage.” This prophecy of Jacob will find its fulfillment in Jesus, born of the
house of David, from the line of Jacob.
Can we say that there is at least one perfect family on
earth? Do we have perfect parents? Are we perfect children? Without hypocrisy
or falsity, we must all recognize that there is no perfect family. We are not
born of perfect parents; neither are we perfect children. We all dream of
perfection. But this is not of this earth. Even the Son of God was not born of
a perfect family, from a perfect ascendancy. He rather came to lead all to
perfection taking on himself our imperfections.
Thus, the Gospel speaking of the ancestry of Jesus Christ,
Son of God and Son of David, proves the fulfillment of Jacob’s prophecy, but
also how God works to transform our imperfections keeping faithfully his
promises. Jesus is born of Mary, betrothed to Joseph from the house of David.
Calling the Lord Jesus, Son of Man, is a special blessing
for our humanity. God has become one of us, and one with us in humanity. He is
not distant or far away from you and me. He is our equal, our alter ego in
humanity, our brother, so that, we also should become his alter ego in divinity
and his brothers. God became Man at Christmas so man should become Godlike in
virtues and holiness and perfection. We are urged these days to discover
ourselves in the mirror of Jesus, the Son of God who has chosen to become the
Son of Man. In him, we are born to be free, unselfish, open to God and our
fellow, and committed to being good and doing good. May we strive, day after
day, and especially, in these days of the great mystery of the Incarnation,
days of grace, to become more Christ-like. For Christ took on himself our
imperfection, our family wounds, to purify us and lead our human families to
the perfect image of God.
Dec. 18 (Cf. Sunday, 4th Week of Advent.)
Homily: God and us.
Fourth Sunday of Advent – A.
Dec. 19.
Homily: God of all Possibilities.
Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
A Sicilian proverb says: “When God wants to help you, he
comes all the way to your house.”
God is the one who makes possible what humanly seems
impossible and somewhat unbelievable. We will hear it through the Angel
addressing Mary tomorrow: "nothing is impossible to God." Lk 1:37
The coming Nativity of the Lord conveys this great message
raising high our hope of restoration and life. God will make all things
possible and new, and that will not delay happening. As sings the entrance
antiphon, "He who is to come will come and will not delay, and now there
will be no fear within our land, for he is our Saviour." Heb 10:37.
God is about to reveal the radiance of his glory to the
world. In the first reading, we have an experience of the glory of God and his
power at work. The birth of Samson, from a barren woman. Only God can make such
a marvelous deed.
In the Gospel too, we are given another sign of God's
possibilities and power through the Annunciation to Zechariah about the
conception of John the Baptist. How does the Lord work? Zechariah is an old
man. His wife Elizabeth, not only is old, but barren as well. Scientifics will
see gathered all the signs of a non-lieu. But then comes the hand of God to
turn the impossible into possible. That is how our God works. He changes our
situations, our lives, and our history too.
From sterile and childless he made Elizabeth and Zechariah,
and also Manoah and his wife, parents. The birth of John, likewise with the
birth of Samson tells us that nothing is impossible to God. And that is the
hope that Christmas brings. That if we have faith in him, God will turn our
impossibilities into possibilities, our sterilities into fertility.
Dec. 20.
Homily: Unconditional Fiat.
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent.
An Arabic proverb says: “What starts with a condition ends
with many oppressions.”
"I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what
you have said be done to me.”
We live in times where everyone does everything under
conditions. "No pity in business..." So, nothing for free. Someone
said everything has its price, even goodness. We are always eager to ask for
something for anything we do.
Years back, when I was on a mission in Kenya, one Sunday, I
was heading to mass after heavy rain the days before. On the way, my car got
stuck in the sticky red mud. I tried all but hopelessly. Only one thing could
get me out of there, to ask for help to push. I saw a group of young men
nearby. I went, greeted them, and asked for their help. The answer was
unexpected: "How much do you have? Because, no money, no help." I was
speechless. Thank God, there were some children and an old man not far.
Spontaneously they came and gave me a hand. I offered to give them something,
but the old man refused. In the end, I gave some money to the children and some
water to wash their hands. The image of the young men is still in my mind with
their words in my hearing "no money, no help...” As to say, everything for
interests and under conditions.
In today's Gospel Mary teaches us the greatest act of
philanthropy and selflessness that is also an expression of love and obedience.
Without any question or objection, she answered the call of God to be the
mother of His Son. She found herself as a mere humble servant ready to carry
out God's will. Through this disposition of Mary, the promise made to Ahaz in
the first reading has reached its fulfillment, God has become our neighbor,
Emmanuel, "God with us".
The lesson for us today is simple if we open ourselves to God's will without conditions or objections, we have the assurance that all will be made possible and God himself will reward our obedience. Obedience has a price, while selfishness and disobedience lead to deception.
Dec. 21.
Homily: Missionary of Joy and Love.
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent.
A Norwegian proverb says: “Shared joy is double joy.”
Joy is something one can hardly hide or keep for himself.
Real joy is meant to be shared. And unless it is shared, our joy is fleeting
and ephemeral. The lasting and productive joy springs from what we give or
share with others.
The most beautiful example is given to us in today's Gospel,
Mary running in the Hills of Judea to share the joy of Elizabeth and share her
joy with Elizabeth.
The episode of the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth tells us
that Christmas is a time of mission and that each of us is to become a
missionary of joy and love. The Son of God himself is a model of that mission
and its main protagonist. While still in the womb of his mother, he moved her
to go and bring the good news to Elizabeth who is in her sixth month of
pregnancy. Through Mary going at the encounter with Elizabeth, it is Jesus who
goes at the encounter with John. And the consequence of these double missions,
as we read in the extract of Luke is Elizabeth overwhelmed with joy, and John
jubilating in his mother's womb. Mary cannot stay indifferent but exclaim also
in joy through her Magnificat that we will hear tomorrow.
Two great messages of Christmas from our reading, are love
and joy. Christmas is love. Christmas is joy. Without love, our Christmas
journey turns into an egoistic and selfish celebration. And where reign egoism
and selfishness, there can never be perfect joy. Christmas tells us that we are
here for each other. I am because you are and you are because I am. I must not
and cannot be happy without you and likewise. “Andito Tayo Para Sa Isa't Isa”
Ito ang tunay na diwa ng Pasko.
Dec. 22.
Homily: Thanksgiving.
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Advent.
An Ivorian proverb says: “Ingratitude is sooner or later
fatal to its author.”
A few weeks ago, all the news and timelines on social media
and the internet were about Thanksgiving. In the USA it is something special, a
great season of the year. Someone said with humor, "Thanksgiving revolves
around the table and the glorious amounts of food we should all be thankful for."
Another one added: "Thanksgiving is not just about being thankful for our
family members, but being grateful for having wonderful friends in our lives as
well." In simple, it is a moment to reflect on life, on what we are, what
we have, and what we do, and be grateful for everything and anything.
Christmas is a double Thanksgiving. Gratitude for God being
with us and gratitude for God giving us to be with him through his marvelous
deeds in us. Today's readings plunge us into this motion of Thanksgiving.
Hannah sings her heartfelt gratitude to God for the gift of Samuel, and Mary
sings her Magnificat to the Lord for all his great works in her.
We get to know through these acts of Thanksgiving that the
heart has also a memory. It keeps a record of all the great things that happen.
A heart without memory or an ungrateful heart does not deserve to live.
Therefore, people who are not grateful deserve not to live. And then goes the
saying, "Hell is full of ungrateful people."
Like Mary and Hannah, may our hearts and lives always
overflow with gratitude to God for his love and Providence. So with the Blessed
Virgin, let us sing: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit
rejoices in God my savior…”
Dec. 23.
Homily: God's Gift.
Friday of the Fourth Week of Advent.
A Tshi proverb says: “In order to find evildoers, every
human being is given a name.”
Our God, we read in the pastoral letter of John, is love.
Because of that love, he is providential, that is, he always provides. God is
always gracious and all that we are, all that we do, and all that we have come
from his graciousness. All is a pure gift from God, even our lives.
Consequently, every person should be seen and called "God's gift". In
French, there is a beautiful name that expresses it: "Dieu-donné"
(given by God).
Reading and meditating on today's Gospel passage, the name
giving of the child of Elizabeth and Zechariah, I came to realize that every
Christian should have in his name "Yohanan" (John). For, we all are
the fruits of God's gracious love.
When they were asked, Elizabeth first, and then Zechariah,
about the name to be given to their child, without hesitation, their answer was
unanimous: "His name is John." And that amazed their neighbors who
started questioning: "What will this child turn out to be?"
Our names, the name we give to our children is a mission we
put on their shoulders. For, a name carries a meaning, a message, and
sometimes, a burden. John, because the fruit of God's graciousness will turn to
be a great prophet, one given in return to God, one at the service of the Lord.
His whole life will be conditioned by that name and the mission it entails.
Beware, therefore, parents, of how you name your children.
You may be, unknowingly entrusting them to an evil spirit that could condition
their lives. If you call your son Lucifer, he will turn out to be an angel of
dark light. Call your daughter Lilith, she will turn to be like the primordial
she-demon. So, may we all live as God's gifts, as the works of his
graciousness.
Dec. 24.
Homily: Song of Hope and Mercy.
Saturday of the Fourth Week of Advent.
A Kanuri proverb says: “Hope is the pillar of the world.”
Starting the Advent season, we thought of Christmas as a
season of great hope, a time that was preparing and opening us to a new coming.
This hope is still alive, even now, as we are about to close our Advent
journey. This hope is about love and mercy. We are called to sing with great
elation the coming of the Son of God in our human likeness. That same hope runs
today's liturgy. The entrance antiphon sings: "Behold, when the fullness
of time had come, God sent his Son into the world." Tonight, it will be
the commemoration of that fullness of time, the time when, two thousand years
ago, the Son of God became the Son of Man. This came to be because of God's
mercy.
The old man Zechariah, filled with joy after the birth of
his son John sings about the mercy of God at work in our humanity. The Canticle
of Zechariah, not only speaks of what John is about to be but also, especially
of what God is coming to do with us and for us. He will visit his people and
set them free. Zechariah does not foresee only physical freedom, but also, and
mostly, spiritual freedom, freedom from sin. Thus, he says about John that
through his prophetic mission, the Lord will bring forgiveness of sins to his
people. So, Christmas is a time when God's mercy is truly revealed and made
manifest to us in Jesus.
As we enter this time of mercy, like King David, in the
first reading, let us make a house ready for the Lord. This time not a house of
cedar, or stones, or gold, but a living house, our hearts. Let us clean ourselves
from all sins, open the way to God's mercy and await him with hope. May we make
ours, the hymn of Zechariah, and sing: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel
for he has visited his people, he has come to their rescue...” Merry Christmas to us all!
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