A Family Without You

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

28 December 2025

 

First Reading: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

Second Reading: Colossians 3:12-21

Gospel: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

 

Reflection

By: Pietro S. Albano

 

One Christmas Eve, just a few minutes before the Midnight Mass I noticed that the statue of Saint Joseph was missing in the Nativity Scene in church. In his stead was a bald old shepherd. I asked the sacristan mayor, but he could not give me a clear explanation. The Midnight Mass commenced and ended without a trace of the missing statue. The following day, I texted our parish priest to ask if he knew. He suggested that I go to the storeroom in the hope that the statue might be there. The next day, feast of the Holy Family, I went earlier to church to go to the storeroom. My wife and I looked at each other as I brought the statue of my patron saint to the Nativity Scene.

Imagine the Nativity Scene and, in a larger scale, Salvation History without Saint Joseph. It would be unthinkable, wouldn’t it? The Gospels last Sunday and today featured this holy man. In the former, he was the bewildered groom who initially had thoughts of silently breaking up with her fiancée. In the latter, he was the father woken up from sleep as he needed to bring his family to a foreign country to escape Herod’s wrath. In both cases, he showed obedience and cooperated with God’s plan.

Christmas is a season to be reunited with family. If you do have the opportunity, try to look at some of your family pictures. You are part of that family for a reason. We may not like this or that relative, but we have been entrusted with a unique mission in our family. Joseph, his wife Mary and their child Jesus did their part in making their family holy. We too are called to do the same.

Prayer

O Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, we entrust our families to your powerful intercession and protection. Help us to realize and fulfil the role we need to play in God’s wonderful plan of salvation. Amen.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, we give you our hearts and our souls.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist us in our last agony.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may we breathe forth our souls in peace with you. Amen.

Taking Responsibility

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

08 December 2025

 

First Reading: Genesis 3:9-15, 20

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12

Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

 

Reflection

By: Pietro S. Albano

 

It would have been my father’s 75th birthday today. One of the lessons he inculcated in my mind as a boy was to be responsible for my younger siblings. I learnt this the hard way when he punished me and my younger brother for failing to look after one of our sisters who fell from the stairs. Fast forward, when he had his first grandchild, he sent me an e-mail: “Look after yourself, your mother, your brother and sisters, and my grandson”. Our family has grown ever since and that message continues to resonate, especially now that he is gone.

In our First Reading, Adam and Eve shunned responsibility when God confronted them for their disobedience. Contrast that with today’s Gospel where Mary responded to God’s call: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38). No wonder, Mary is called the new Eve!

Papa was a devotee of the Rosary. This became evident when our clan organised a daily online Rosary during the Covid lockdown in 2020. The devotion continues up to this time. When he was still alive, he religiously attended these devotions and would lead every week with my younger brother. Through the Rosary, we could readily see how Mary took responsibility, first as Mother of God and later as Mother of the Church. Did she fully understand what these roles are? Absolutely not! Yet she trusted because she was “in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will” (Eph 1:11).

Today’s feast recalls how Mary was conceived without original sin in the womb of her mother Saint Anne. This glorious occasion gives us hope because like Mary, we too have been chosen by God “before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him” (Eph 1:4). The call to holiness is addressed to all of us regardless of our status in life. Are we going to shun or take responsibility?

Prayer

Loving Father, You willed that Mary be immaculately conceived to prepare her to be the Mother of Your only begotten Son. Through her example and prayers, grant us the grace to lead holy lives so that we too may welcome Jesus in our hearts. In His Mighty Name we pray. Amen.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.

May the soul of Mario and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Seek the Lord!

Feast of All Saints

01 November 2019

First reading                                                                        Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to damage earth and sea, saying, “Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the people of Israel.
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that nobody could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Second reading                                                          1 John 3:1-3

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Gospel                                                                     Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Reflection

By Pietro S. Albano

Our Rosary group here in Nottingham has just concluded our October devotion. In one of the homes where we held the devotion, I shared a reflection that we were made to share in God's glory. My view is, if we are happy for everything that God has given us - life, family, work, food, clothing, etc. - how much happier we will be if we can see Him face-to-face in heaven. Wala na tayong hahanapin pa! (We wouldn't look for anything else!) 

As I mentioned heaven, I couldn't help talking about hell. A priest once said that what is painful in hell is not the fire, but the absence of God. It's like being left to your own devices without any assurance of being saved.

Today, we remember all the saints - canonized or not - who now enjoy the presence of God. These people, coming from all walks of life, have soldiered through the night of sin and death, focusing all their efforts to please God. In the eyes of the world, these people may not be successful, but in the eyes of God they are His faithful friends. 

God desires every person to be saved, to share in His glory one day. Like the saints, let us always seek the Lord: in our poverty of spirit, in the many times we mourn over the plight of the oppressed, in our meekness amidst an "eye for an eye" society, in our hunger for justice, in showing compassion to the unlovable, in being single-minded in our service, in being agents of peace among our neighbors, and in remaining faithful in spite of people turning against us. 

God looks forward to our coming to heaven, to be counted among the saints in the future. How about us?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are always after our salvation. Through the intercession of all the saints, may we always strive to seek You in all we say and do so that we would one day be united with You in heaven. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Unwelcoming

Fourth Sunday of Lent 31 March 2019
First reading Joshua 5:9-12

The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal to this day. While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

Second reading                                                         2 Corinthians 5:17-21

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Gospel                                                                         Luke 15:1-2, 11-32

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable:

“There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.

When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and nobody gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”‘ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe ” the best one-and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'”

Reflection

By Bernard M. Borja

I have a friend who is now happily serving at a church he longed to belong to. But before he was able to serve, he went through a lot of challenges and ridicule. During his younger years, he spent his time with vices such as womanizing and health abuse. At 19 years old, having a wife and two kids did not stop him from continuing his vices. His family experienced emotional and physical abuse from him and after several years, his family left him. Few years past and he became worse that even his friends went to distance themselves from him. Feeling all alone and depressed, he then realized he was so tired. A simple prayer came out from him as he whispered, "Lord, I want to go home." He got so tired of all the things he pursued for his own satisfaction. He got tired of abusing the people around him especially those closest to him. He got tired of being alone and left out. There were only two ways that he was thinking on how we wants to go home. One is to take his own life and end it all so he can be home to wherever he thinks he might belong. He chose the other way which is to go back to the church where his family and friends belong. But when his former friends saw him there, they said many things to him such as "You don't belong here." and "Baka masunog ka dito (You might get burned here.)"

How easy it is for us to "excommunicate" people who we think have no hope of turning away from their wicked ways. And it is even easier for us to judge people who wanted to come home to God who are in the same family as we are in.

Jesus' message of repentance is still clear in our Gospel. The tax collectors and sinners draw near to listen to Jesus and this may be considered as their first step toward repentance. But those who are "serving" at the temple did not like how Jesus welcomes these people. Just like in the parable, when the elder son spoke to his father and said, "This son of yours...", he is somehow forgetting his relationship as his brother. He forgot that even though the younger son spent all his inheritance, he once belonged to the same house he is in. If we look closely in our society today, this is similar to what is happening. My friend who chose to come home almost gave up and thought of going back to his vices because of those people who were unwelcoming. Sometimes the very people who are always with God, and who has God's everything, are the ones who dissipate the blessings that were always meant for everyone. People think that the greater blessings are only meant for those who are in the house of God. This is somehow true because God has longed for us all to be part of His family. But to think that the riches of the Kingdom of God will only be inherited by the rich in spirit alone is dire. Worse is when we also think that we have always been doing the righteous things, not realizing that we also sin because of the things we did not do for our brother or sister.

Jesus continues to proclaim the Kingdom of God through the parable of the prodigal son. God always runs toward us to welcome us back when we repent. God also pleads with us to forgive each other and celebrate how we are found after being lost. Before Jesus died on the cross, he pleaded to Our Father saying, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." What if Jesus would plead to us with the same words, like the father in the parable, whenever our hearts are hardened to forgive our brother or sister? Should we open our hearts and welcome them if Jesus would say to us, "Please forgive him/her because he/she does not know what he/she was doing."? Or would we behave like the elder brother in the parable?

We must remember that when God calls us to repent, he also calls us to feast and to rejoice. God awaits for us and always sees us from afar when we come home. He also wants us to see from afar our brothers and sisters who wants to come home, for us to welcome them and celebrate because they have been found after getting lost. 

Prayer

Dear God Our Father, we thank You for Your generosity as You continue to give us every blessings and riches in Your kingdom. Open our hearts to share these graces to our brothers and sisters especially to those who want to come home to You. We also pray for the grace to ask forgiveness to those whom we have offended because of committed and omitted mistakes. May we welcome You in our hearts as we commemorate the passion of Your Son this Lent. We also ask Mama Mary for her guidance and intercession as we look up to her, overflowing with God's inspiration, to repent and amend our life. In Jesus' Name, Amen. 

Pagpasok sa Tahanan ng Diyos

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

14 October 2018

First reading                                                                  Wisdom 7:7-11
I prayed, and understanding was given me; I called on God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. I preferred her to sceptres and thrones, and I accounted wealth as nothing in comparison with her. Neither did I liken to her any priceless gem, because all gold is but a little sand in her sight, and silver will be accounted as clay before her. I loved her more than health and beauty, and I chose to have her rather than light, because her radiance never ceases. All good things came to me along with her, and in her hands uncounted wealth.

Second reading                                                     Hebrews 4:12-13

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.

Gospel                                                                     Mark 10:17-30

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.'”

He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age-houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions-and in the age to come eternal life.”

Reflection

By Nats Vibiesca

Si St. Francis of Assisi agad ang naiisip ko sa tuwing naririnig o nababasa ang Ebanghelyo tungkol sa mayamang lalaki na sinabihan ni Jesus na ipagbili ang lahat ng kanyang ari-arian at ipamigay sa mahihirap ang pinagbentahan kung gusto niyang magkaroon ng kayamanan sa langit. Siyempre nalungkot ang lalaki dahil napakayaman niya.  Samantalang ang santong si Kiko, hubo’t hubad na lumakad sa kalsada (buti’t nakatalikod siya sa pelikula) dahil ipinamigay niya ang lahat ng kanyang kayamanan sa mga mahihirap, kaya nga galit na galit ang tatay niya, at pati ba naman balabal o anumang saplot niya’y ipinamigay rin. Pero ‘pag ginawa natin ngayon ang maghubo’t hubad sa kalsada kagaya ni Kiko, sasabihing baliw ka o kaya’y huhulihin ka ng mga pulis dahil exhibitionist ka. Pero teka? Ano nga ba’t kayhirap gayahin ang ginawa ng santong si Kiko? 

Pagkatapos kong maisip si St. Francis at mapagnilayan ang ginawa niyang sakripisyong pagtalikod sa karangyaan at saka sumunod kay Jesus, samu’t saring katanungan naman ang babagabag sa ‘kin. Halimbawa’y lahat ba ng mayaman ay mas mahihirapang makapasok sa Kaharian ng Diyos? Marami naman akong nakilalang mayayaman na talaga namang napakabuti at napakabanal. O, ibig sabihin ba’y ang lahat ng mahirap ay mas madaling makakapasok sa Kaharian ng Diyos? Pero marami rin namang mahirap na nalugmok na sa kasalanan at patuloy na tinatalikuran ang paanyaya ng Diyos sa kanila. 

Ano nga ba ang ibig sabihin ng “Makapasok sa Kaharian ng Diyos”? Hindi ba’t laging hangad ng Diyos na ang tao’y maging masaya? Kung kapiling ang Diyos, sigurado ang kasiyahan, hindi ba’t kasama sa Kaharian ng Diyos ang maging masaya tayo? Masama bang maging mayaman? Dahil kapag naging mayaman ay mahihirapan na nga bang makapasok sa Kaharian ng Diyos? Hindi na ba tayo dapat gumawa ng paraan para yumaman? Sino nga ba ang taong ayaw maging mayaman? Exempted na si St. Francis. Parang ayoko na tuloy tumaya sa lotto. Hangad ng Diyos na maging masaya tayo at kung nakukuha natin ang mga bagay na kailangan natin sa buhay nang hindi natatapakan ang ibang tao, hindi ba’t sobrang kasiyahan ang dulot nito? 

Ang suspetsa ko’y ang tinutukoy ni Jesus na mayayaman na mahihirapang makapasok sa Kaharian ng Diyos ay ang mga taong sobrang yaman na at nakukuha ang lahat ng pangangailangan at labis na luho sa buhay, pero sobrang ganid pa rin sa pagpapayaman sa pamamagitan ng pagwawalanghiya sa kanilang mga trabahador kung sila’y negosyante, na hindi ibinibigay ang tamang pagpapasweldo o tamang benepisyo sa mga tauhan o kaya’y sobrang magpatubo ng kanilang produkto at serbisyo kahit pa ang buong pamayanan ang magsakripisyo, silang mayayaman na walang pakialam sa kahirapan na nararanasan ng mga tao sa paligid nila, silang nilulustay nang todo-todo ang anumang yaman kahit masakripisyo ang ibang tao o maging kalikasan, sila ang mga kinain na ang prinsipyo at dangal para lang makamkam ang ari-arian ng iba, silang mayayaman na handang gawin ang lahat ng panloloko sa kapwa o kahit pa pumatay ng tao makuha lamang ang kapangyarihan sa bayan.   

Lumaki ako sa Tundo at nakasalamuha noon ang maraming isang-kahig-isang-tuka sa buhay. Madalas na naririnig ko noon sa kanila’y magsusumikap talaga sila sa paghahanapbuhay para makaahon sa buhay (hindi para yumaman) dahil gusto raw nilang tulungang maiangat din ang iba pang mahirap. Hindi nakapagtataka ito dahil naranasan namin kung papaano ang magdildil ng asin, naramdaman kung papaano masaktan sa pagkakataong kung minsa’y kahit asin at kanin ay walang-wala. Kaya nga laging buhay na buhay ang bayanihan sa lugar ng mahihirap; kapansin-pansin na likas na matulungin sila dahil lagi silang nakaalalay sa nangangailangan; kung minsa’y hindi na nga kailangan humingi pa ng tulong ang kapwa nila mahirap dahil napakasensitibo nila sa pangangailangan ng iba at kahit walang-wala’y siguradong gagawa ng paraan para makatulong; totoo ang pananampalataya nila sa Diyos kaya’t walang humpay ang pananalangin; karaniwan ang paghahangad ng kung ano lamang ang kailangan at hindi ganid sa pera para magkaroon ng anumang luho sa katawan; at kung naliligaw naman ng landas ay laging hinahanap ang paraan para makabalik sa tamang daan.  

Alam ni Jesus na hindi totoong tamad ang mga mahihirap. Laging nasa isip kasi nila ang makaahon sa buhay upang matulungan ang kapwa, ngunit kahit anong pagsusumikap nila ay hirap na hirap umasenso dahil nga sa kawalan ng oportunidad. Sa bansa nati’y laging ang mga makapangyarihang mayayaman na ganid sa pagkamkam ng anumang ikayayaman nila ang nagkokontrol ng oportunidad kahit pa gawing alipin ang mga manggagawa. 

Kahit pa nasasanay na sa mga pagtitiis ang mga mahirap, nakatuon pa rin sa kung papaano iraraos nang marangal ang isang araw, subalit anu’t anuman ang mangyari’y hindi nakalilimutang ialay sa Diyos ang anumang dagok ng buhay, sapagkat ang paniniwala nila’y anumang lakas at pag-asa upang lumaban sa hirap ay biyayang galing din sa Panginoon, at nakakasumpong naman talaga ng kaligayahan sa biyaya ng Diyos. Kaya’t nakita ko na maraming masayahing tao sa Tundo o kung saanmang mahihirap na komunidad. 


Ito nga talaga ang misteryo ng buhay, ang naghihikahos pa ang may napakataas na dignidad sa hanapbuhay at sila ang kadalasang nakakaranas ng tunay na kaligayahan sa buhay.  Ang pagbibigay ng tunay na kaligayahan sa mga mahihirap ang rebelasyon ng Diyos sa atin sa Ebanghelyo, dahil walang hanggang ang Kanyang awa, ang pinakamaliit na nilalang ang Kanyang laging kinakalinga. Mahirap sigurong maunawaan ito ng mga mayayaman kung nakatuon na lamang sa pagpapanatili o pagpapayaman pa lalo ng anumang bagay sa mundo kahit pa natatapakan na ang ibang tao. Kung magmagandang loob naman at maisip na mamahagi rin ng kayamanan sa mahihirap, ano’ng silbi ng pamimigay ng kayamanan, kung hindi naman sila susunod kay Jesus at mananatili lamang sa buktot na gawain? Ang panawagan ni Jesus sa Ebanghelyo ay huwag nating kalimutan ang mga maralita, ibigay natin ang lahat ng ating makakaya upang matulungan ang mga nangangailangan. Pagkatapos ay talikuran na ang anumang kasamaan at ituon nating lagi ang pansin sa pagsunod sa Kanya. 

Ang mensahe ni Jesus ay babala at grasya rin hindi lang sa mga mahihirap kundi upang bigyang pagkakataon din ang mga mayayamang nakaligtaan na ang maliliit nilang kapwa at ang pagsunod sa Diyos.  

Prayer

O butihing Ama sa langit, maraming salamat sa lahat ng mga biyaya at pagkakataong ibinibigay Mo sa amin upang kami ay makatulong sa aming kapwa. Nawa’y patuloy kaming magkaroon ng kakayahan at pagkakataon na makapagbahagi ng Iyong pagmamahal sa aming kapwa sa ngalan ni Jesus. Amen.

God Has a Plan

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary   8 December 2017

First reading

Genesis 3:9-15, 20

But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.”

Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living.                

Second reading

Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.

He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us.

With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.

Gospel

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel as sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, you relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Reflection

by Jessa Janelle Padilla

How obedient are we? How do we handle temptations?

Temptations are all around us and they test our obedience. Sometimes we fall into temptations just like Adam and Eve in our first reading from the Book of Genesis. They have fallen into the temptation of the serpent and ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. They have disobeyed God and have been punished.  And because of what happened, Eve became the mother of all the living.

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, our Principal Patroness here in the Philippines. The mother of our Savior and Son of God, Jesus Christ. Eve and Mary differ from each other. Eve disobeyed God and committed sin but Mary obeyed God’s will and conceived Jesus in her womb. She is free from sin.

In the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians it states that “In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intentions of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ’. The verse confirms that we are not born for nothing but we are born to fulfill and accomplish what God destined us to become. We all have our purpose and mission in this world. Let us be obedient to fulfill it and pray to overcome temptations.

Mary was prepared by God from the moment she was conceived in her mother’s womb, Anne. She was conceived immaculately and born free from any sin, worthy to be the mother of Jesus.

We may not have been immaculately conceived like Mary, but God has plan for us and His plan is better than our plan. We should trust Him and never lose hope. Hope will light a fire in our hearts to continue persevering and keep moving forward to achieve a better version of ourselves. We should also be like Mary who said Yes to God’s plan for her. In today’s situation, I admit that it is not easy to answer Yes to any call but let us discern, pray, and put our trust to God so that answering Yes to a call will become easy for us. Let us imitate Mary’s example as an obedient servant of God, with full of grace, and a good mother.  Let us make her our role model. Let us follow the will of God, leading us to holiness, leading us to Jesus who will come to save us!

Prayer

Oh most blessed Lady of the Immaculate Conception, you are full of grace. In you we lift up all our desires. You are the best example of being an obedient servant of God, may we become more like you. Shower us, your children, with your grace.  Light our way towards the crib of Bethlehem.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you. Amen.

Called to be Holy

“I wish to invoke the protection of the Holy Family of Nazareth…it is therefore the prototype and example for all Christian families…St. Joseph was a “just man”…may he always guard, protect and enlighten families. May the Virgin Mary, who is the Mother of the Church, also be the Mother of “the Church of the home”…May Christ the Lord, the Universal King, the King of Families, be present in every Christian home as He was at Cana, bestowing light, joy, serenity, and strength” (#86). – Pope John Paul II

First Reading:  Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14

God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons. Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and preserves himself from them. When he prays, he is heard; he stores up riches who reveres his mother. Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children, and, when he prays, is heard. Whoever reveres his father will live a long life; he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.

My son, take care of your father when he is old; grieve him not as long as he lives.

Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him; revile him not all the days of his life; kindness to a father will not be forgotten, firmly planted against the debt of your sins

—a house raised in justice to you.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

Second Reading: Collosians 3:12-21

Brothers and sisters:

Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another,  if one has a grievance against another;  as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body.

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or indeed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.

Gospel: Luke 2:22-40

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses,

They took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,  and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit  that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple;  and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,  He took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;  and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted —and you yourself a sword will pierce—  so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,

and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.

She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.

And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;  and the favor of God was upon him.

Reflection
By Pietro S. Albano

These past few weeks, Chiara's homework was to write 3 sentences about her baptism. She and her classmates were also asked to include pictures, if any. This was followed later by another homework asking the kids on what words the priest said while pouring water on the baby's head and what do the Chrism Oil and white dress signify.

Like in any of her homework, Nidz and I got involved in these assignments. Recalling her baptism and putting it into writing was a family activity we truly enjoyed.  I imagine that the Holy Family would have a similar experience when the young Jesus would have asked His parents about events in His life such as when He was presented to the Temple and how Simeon and Anna recognized Him as the Promised Messiah.  

To bring our daughter's baptism to mind keeps us all grounded on our calling as a family, as a holy family like that of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, humbly and gratefully we accept Your calling for us to be holy for You are holy. As You have guided the Holy Family in their many ups and downs, we entrust ourselves to You too in our own happy and sad moments. You are our strength, our consolation, our sure foundation. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, accompany our families this Christmastime and in the New Year. Amen.

Preparing the way

3rd Sunday of Advent
December 15, 2013

Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your king is coming to you. Sion, do not be afraid: your salvation is at hand.

First Reading: Isaiah 35:1-6,10

Let the wilderness and the dry-lands exult,

let the wasteland rejoice and bloom,

let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil,

let it rejoice and sing for joy.

The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it,

the splendour of Carmel and Sharon;

they shall see the glory of the Lord,

the splendour of our God.

Strengthen all weary hands,

steady all trembling knees

and say to all faint hearts,

‘Courage! Do not be afraid.

‘Look, your God is coming,

vengeance is coming,

the retribution of God;

he is coming to save you.’

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

the ears of the deaf unsealed,

then the lame shall leap like a deer

and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy

for those the Lord has ransomed shall return.

They will come to Zion shouting for joy,

everlasting joy on their faces;

joy and gladness will go with them

and sorrow and lament be ended.

Psalm: Psalm 145:6-10

Second Reading: James 5:7-10

Be patient, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. Think of a farmer: how patiently he waits for the precious fruit of the ground until it has had the autumn rains and the spring rains! You too have to be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord’s coming will be soon. Do not make complaints against one another, brothers, so as not to be brought to judgement yourselves; the Judge is already to be seen waiting at the gates. For your example, brothers, in submitting with patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11

John in his prison had heard what Christ was doing and he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or have we got to wait for someone else?’ Jesus answered, ‘Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor; and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me.’

  As the messengers were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the people about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? No? Then what did you go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? Oh no, those who wear fine clothes are to be found in palaces. Then what did you go out for? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet: he is the one of whom scripture says:

‘Look, I am going to send my messenger before you;

he will prepare your way before you.

‘I tell you solemnly, of all the children born of women, a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.’

Reflection

Preparing the way (Matthew 11:2-11)

by Bernard M. Borja

“Go back and tell John what you are hearing and seeing...” Jesus leaves the conclusions to John the Baptist if Jesus is the one they are expecting, the Messiah. John was in doubt because there was disconnect between his preaching about the Messiah and the actual ministry of Jesus. When John said to the people, “He will gather His wheat into his barn, but He will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out (Matthew 3:12).“ they perceived Jesus as someone who will bring transformation of the physical world. Like a second Exodus where the oppressed will be separated from the oppressors, and the wrath of God shall be brought upon the sinners. But the coming of Jesus was a different Exodus – salvation because of God’s love for His people. Jesus came as the true light that brings healing, wholeness, and holiness.

Sometimes we become disappointed when we see those who sinned against us not being punished. We even wait for the time that these people will be brought down by God and see them suffer because of their sins. But it is not why God has sent us His only Son. Jesus came for the salvation of all, saints and sinners alike. Most of the time we do not really understand how God is working in our life but we are to trust and obey in order for us to receive Jesus completely in our hearts.

Jesus referred to John the Baptist as more than a prophet, and is greater than anyone who has ever lived, because he has prepared the way for the coming of Jesus. But Jesus also said that “the one who is least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than John (Matthew 11:11).”

We are all called to prepare the way for Jesus to come into our own hearts. But we must also prepare other people’s hearts so they, too, may experience the joy of salvation and have a meaningful life. Whoever prepares the way of the Lord is more than a prophet but whoever accepts Jesus Christ and His cross is greater than the one who prepares the way.

If we look at most the events in the world today, especially if we do not focus on the good things in our life, we might also ask the same question “should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3). There are so many blessings that we are receiving everyday which already proves that God is in our favour. Jesus is already present and working in our life. But He still has to come fully when He brings us healing, wholeness, and the Good News (Matthew 11:4).

Prayer

God, Our Father, we thank You for all the blessings that You are pouring into our life. We are putting our trust and faith in You despite great obstacles as we prepare the way for the coming of Your Son, Jesus Christ. May we share and experience the joy of salvation with other people through the healing, wholeness, and holiness to have a meaningful life. This is all for Your greater glory, in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son.

Amen.