Morning Voice

January 1, 2024. Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. Readings: Nm 6:22-27; Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Gal 4:4-7; Lk2:16-21. “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman…” (Gal 4:4) A Nigerian proverb says: “A child who has no mother will not have scars to show on his back.” A Namibian proverb adds: “A mother is always a mother.” Mother of God. There is no Marian title greater and beautiful than this. All we celebrate and recall about Mary, all our Marian devotions find their meaning here, because she bore the Son of God. Mary is the Mediatrix of all grace because she is the Mother of God. Mary is the Lady of Perpetual Help because she is Mother of God. Mary is the Mother of Divine Providence simply because she is the Mother of God. And more especially, we obtain everything we ask of the Lord through Mary because she is his Mother. At the wedding of Cana, when there was no more wine, Mary seized the need of the master of the feast an

December 31, 2023. Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Readings: Sir 3:2-6, 12-14 or Gn 15:1-6; 21:1-3; Ps 128:1-2,3, 4-5 or Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9; Col 3:12-21 or Heb 11:8, 11-12, 17-19; Lk2:22-40. “The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him…” Luke 2:33 A Kiganda proverb says: “A united family eats from the same plate.” A Russian proverb adds: “If the family is together, the soul is in the right place.” There is a quote from Patrick Peyton, also known as "the rosary priest", which has become very popular and famous: “A family that prays together stays together.” It is so because family prayer is the sacred time to express our gratitude for all the blessings we have received and continue to receive from God. Through family prayer, each member united with the others, and invite God's love and protection into our home. And, in praying together, we teach our children and the young generation the importance of faith and

December 25, 2023. The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas - Day) – B. Readings: Is 52:7-10; Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6; Heb 1:1-6; Jn1:1-18. “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory…” (Jn 1:14) A Filipino proverb says: “It is easy to be born human, it is difficult to be a human being.” An Ecuadorian proverb adds: “No matter if the child's born with a flat nose, as long as it breathes.” At Christmas, we realize that God's love is before all a divine concern for mankind. Without that concern, how would an Almighty and Omniscient God choose to lower himself and become one with mankind? May we seize the great meaning of the Incarnation. It adds nothing to the being of God in Jesus. It rather reduces him to a weak human being. As St. Paul said in his address to the Philippians: "Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of

December 25, 2023. The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Vigil Mass) – B. Readings: Is 62:1-5; Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29; Acts13:16-17, 22-25; Mt 1:1-25. “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Mt 1:1) A Serbian proverb says: “Your ancestor's glory should not prevent you from winning your own.” A New Zealander proverb adds: “Walk in the valley of your ancestors, learn of the history, and marvel at the beauty.” At the genesis of Christ's nativity is love. God's love for his people endures forever, from generation to generation. Our sinfulness and weaknesses, as well as our wickedness, do not prevent him from loving us more and more. At Christmas, what we celebrate is the incarnation of love. As Jesus said to Nicodemus: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) And life everlasting is the fruit and the gift of the

December 24, 2023 Cf. Sunday. Fourth Sunday of Advent – B. Readings: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27,29; Rom 16:25-27; Lk 1:26-38. “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus…” (Luke 1:31) A Maltese proverb says: “We are all flesh and blood.” A Cameroonian proverb adds: “You cannot produce one human being without uniting two bodies.” At Christmas, we celebrate a great mystery, the mystery of the Incarnation of God's Son into our human nature. The Word of God, the Son who was with him before the creation of the world, the one with whom and through whom all things were made comes to share in our nature. The Mystery of the Incarnation is the Mystery of the human person transformed in Christ. For St. Francis of Assisi, the incarnation expressed the profound humility of God and affirmed the holiness of all reality. While it is true that God became human to save humanity from sin and eternal death, this is but one dimens

SIMBANG GABI 2023:  In the mystery of the Incarnation, we are invited into the mystery of Love, the mystery of who God is, for all eternity. St. John wrote in his apostolic letter: “God is love.” (1 John 4:7-12) So, God is nothing but love and overflowing with love. At Christmas, we revive how God's love was made manifest in our humanity, how the Son of God revealed himself to man and took our human nature to become one of us. The mystery of Incarnation is truly a mystery of love. It is the beautiful mystery of our God sharing fully in our human life and experience. The fact that God chose to enter completely into our humanity and the human condition speaks to us about both the nature of God and the human person. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son..." (Jn 3:16) "And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth." (Jn 1:14) All that we celebrate at

December 17, 2023. Third Sunday of Advent – B – Gaudete. Readings: Is 61:1-2A, 10-11; Cant. Lk 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54;1 Thes 5:16-24; Jn 1:6-8, 19-28. “I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul.” Is 61:10 “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Lk 1:47 “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thes 5:16 If there is any word or expression that springs from today’s liturgy and links all the readings, it is nothing else but joy. We are exhorted, and insistently, to rejoice because the Lord is near. A Spanish proverb says: “Every season brings its joy.” A Dutch proverb adds: “It’s a poor heart that never rejoices.” One of the greatest characteristics of Christianity is that it is a religion of joy. Because we believe in a God who is not ashamed to become one with us and one of us. The joy of the Christian is intrinsic to the Lord's message. For the Gospel of Christ is a call to the joy that comes from salvation.

December 10, 2023. Second Sunday of Advent – B. Readings: Is 40:1-5, 9-11; Ps 85:9-10-11-12, 13-14; 2 Pt3:8-14; Mk 1:1-8.  A Swahili proverb says: “To get lost is to learn the way.” And a Korean proverb adds: “To be prepared is to have no anxiety.” The coming of the Lord is a new beginning that calls for preparation. We can not make the right Advent journey without preparation. Our preparation should, however, not be only physical and external, but also even more, spiritual and internal. I love the Philippines for its special way of living Christmas. From September 1, many places are in Christmas color with the counting down of the remaining days. While we are getting closer to this event that has become more commercial than spiritual, every family is looking at how to prepare for it. The liturgy, this second Sunday of Advent, comes to remind us of the right way to get prepared for Christmas. We are urged to make spiritual preparations; to get our hearts ready for the Lord. It