Advent is freedom from enemies

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Simbang Gabi-9 Homily, 24 December 2024
2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16     <*((((><  +  ><))))*>     Luke 1:67-79

Finally! This may be the word and expression today, the 24^th of December. Finally, a lot of you would be bragging about having completed the nine-day novena to Christmas. Finally, it would be Christmas day. And finally, we could sleep longer.

But then, finally what?

When Zechariah’s tongue was loosened after naming his son John in fulfillment of the angel’s instruction to him, it was not the word “finally” that came from his mouth but “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel!”(Lk.1:68). After being mute for nine months, Zechariah’s silence became praise with gratitude and wonder giving him the voice to speak again.

Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David. Through his prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hand of all who hate us, He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hand of enemies, free to worship him without fear (Luke 1:67-74).

*Photo by author, birthplace of St. John the Baptist underneath the church dedicated to him in Judah.*

We have reflected last Thursday that Advent and Christmas is a journey that begin in the church, in the celebration of the Mass as Luke opened his Christmas story with the annunciation of John’s birth to Zechariah during their Yom Kippur at the Jerusalem Temple.

Luke’s artistry and mastery in weaving stories brought us right into every scene leading into Christmas – from Jerusalem to Nazareth then to the hill country of Judah in the home of Zechariah until John’s birth where our scene remains today. Tonight and tomorrow, he will be leading us along with Matthew and John to Bethlehem for the birth of the Lord.

But this journeys Luke recounted to us were not only about places but most of all an inner journey into our hearts. As we all know, the destination does not really matter but the journey, the trip. It is most true with our Simbang Gabi too – it is not about completing the nine-day novena that matters most but what have we become!

After tonight and tomorrow’s Masses, our churches would be empty again, only to be filled up on Ash Wednesday, and then Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday. How tragic that on Easter which is “the Mother of all feasts in the Church”, people are miserably absent because they are out in the beach and resort enjoying summer. In fact, more people come to Christmas (Pasko ng Pagsilang) than with Easter (Pasko ng Pagkabuhay) when it is actually the very foundation of our faith.

*With our students after Simbang Tanghali last year at the Medicine Lobby of Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City.*

So, what have we become after these nine days of waking up early or staying up late at night, praying, listening and reflecting on the word of God, sharing our material blessings in the collections and gift-giving if we stop going to Mass the whole coming new year?

American Trappist monk Thomas Merton wrote that seeking God is not like searching for a “thing” or a lost object because God is more than an intellectual pursuit or a contemplative illumination of the mind. Merton explained that God reveals Himself to us in our hearts through our communion and fellowships in the Church.

We come to church to celebrate the Mass and pray with the whole community to express our communion with one another in Jesus Christ. It is in this communal aspect of prayer we become holy, when we are transformed and as Zechariah prophesied, we are “set free” by Jesus Christ who is the main focus of his Benedictus.

Who are those enemies Zechariah mentioned twice in his Benedictus? Who are those enemies we have to be set free for God and free to love?

*Photo by author, Church of St. John the Baptist, Israel, May 2019.*

Again, look at this minute detail Luke used in composing Zechariah’s Benedictus when he spoke twice of the word “enemies”: first of “saving us from our enemies, from the hand of all who hate us” (Lk.1:71) and then, the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham “to set us free from the hand of enemies, free to worship him without fear” (Lk.1:74).

Surely, those “enemies” were not just the Romans and other pagans around Israel at that time nor the Pharisees and scribes, the priests and Sadducees of the temple who had hands in Christ’s death for they are now gone. The gospel accounts were written in the past but remain true and relevant at all time in history, especially now more than ever in our own time.

Are we the “enemies” within who think only of our selves even in our religious and spirituality, manipulating God, controlling God?

A friend asked me last week if their priest was right in saying that the Simbang Gabi is the most effective means to obtain special favors from God. I emphatically told her “no”, adding that their priest’s claim is misleading. We cannot dictate God. God blesses everyone, including sinners who do not even go to Mass. We do not need to multiply our prayers as Jesus warned us because God know’s very well our needs before we pray. Then, why pray at all?

We pray and most especially celebrate the Mass especially on Sundays to know what God wants from us because we love God. Period. And that love for God must flow in our loving service and kindness with others. If gaining favors is the main reason we go to Mass or even pray, then, we are the “enemies” who prevent ourselves to freely worship God!

Mr. Paterno Esmaquel of Rappler rightly said it in his Sunday column:

“We are a society obsessed with achievement and success, command and control… Even we who try to complete the Simbang Gabi can plead guilty. During the Simbang Gabi, for example, we are tempted to focus on achieving all the nine days and succeeding for another year. By fulfilling this tradition, we can then ask God (or “command” God, like a genie) to grant our wishes. We can therefore wield greater control over life that is otherwise unpredictable (https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/the-wide-shot-missed-simbang-gabi-found-christmas-grace/).

And who are feeding all these misleading and erroneous thoughts on the people? We your priests and bishops!

How sad as we have mentioned last week when many priests have totally lost any sense at all of the sacred in the celebration of the Mass. Some of them not only come unprepared for the celebration without any homily, even so untidy and shabbily dressed and worst of all, make fun of almost everything and everyone that the Mass has become a cheap variety show. Online Masses continue not for evangelization for “shameful profits” in the Sacrament through “likes” and “followers” that some priests are now more concerned in finding ways to be trending and viral instead of how to effectively evangelize the people with our good liturgical celebrations flowing into our witnessing of life.

Yes, we priests and bishops are the enemies right here in the church when we align more with the rich and powerful, when we have no qualms asking/receiving gifts and favors from politicians and still, would want to collect more money and donations from people with our endless envelops that have totally alienated the poor from the church. The poor are the ones who suffer most, paying for the corruption of the politicians who help the clergy in their projects for the poor. Poor Jesus Christ!

Perhaps, on this last day of our novena to Christmas, let us all force ourselves – especially us priests and bishops – to go into silence to identify, to weed out those enemies within and outside us that prevent us from welcoming Jesus Christ in our hearts.

Let us pray to God that He may set us free from these enemies within us, around us so we can be like John the Baptist who will “go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation.” Amen. See you tonight or tomorrow, Christmas in the Holy Mass!

*Photo by author, Dumaguete City Cathedral, November 2024.*

Advent is fulfillment

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Simbang Gabi-8 Homily, 23 December 2024
Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24     <'[[[[><  +  ><]]]]'>     Luke 1:57-66

*Photo by author, Church of St. John the Baptist, the Holy Land, May 2019.*

We are now in our penultimate day of our Simbang Gabi. I love that word “penultimate” so often found in the sports page that means second to the last of the series.

From the Latin prefix pen- meaning “almost” + ultimatum for “last”, penultimate literally means “almost last” which gives a sense of fulfillment and of completion – exactly how we feel this eighth day of Simbang Gabi that is almost over with everything already fulfilled in our readings and prayers for Christmas.

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father… He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name.” Immediately, his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him (Luke 1:57-62, 63-64, 66).

*Painting of “Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin” by Flemish painter Roger van der Weyden (1400-1464); photo from en.wikipedia.org.*

See again the artistry and advocacy of Luke as an evangelist and a journalist. We can imagine the scene, experience the joy and excitement of the event in the tight-knit community with all the wonderful elements of a drama in real life.

Leading the scene is Elizabeth, the priest’s wife barren for years and beyond hope now gives birth to a son, creating excitement and gossip among the many Marites. Then Zechariah the priest who was silenced for nine months due to his doubts with the good news announced to him by the angel finally spoke praising God, filled with gratitude and wonder. And of course, the uzis (usiseros), the neighbors who shared in the joy and for a good reason and intentions wanted the baby named after his father.

That’s when Luke showed his skillful mastery of weaving together a wonderful piece of tapestry clearly designed by God that surprised everyone, including us today. “When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father… He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name.” Immediately, his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.“

Again, notice another minute detail mentioned by Luke when he called Elizabeth “his mother”.

Of the four evangelists, Luke is the one who gave a lot of emphasis on the role of women in the society, especially the ancient Jewish one that was strongly patriarchal.

In the Visitation story yesterday, it was only Luke who had written a scene in the whole Bible with two women together conversing and in very positive mood. Women were so rarely put together in one scene especially in the Old Testament, a sort of what we may call as “gender bias” because women were always at odds with each other, even quarreling. Except for the Book of Ruth where we find two women not only in a single scene but a whole book and yet very pronounced there how it was Naomi the mother-in-law always portrayed in control or leading, always speaking while Ruth was silent, giving an impression of being so lovely yet very soft even submissive to elders and men.

Luke wrote the Visitation scene to clarify all these gender bias of their world then that persists even to our own time. Luke made a loud and clear statement in putting together Elizabeth and Mary in this one scene, an old, barren woman and a virgin, unmarried maiden both so blessed by God with infants in their wombs. Not only men are called by God to a special mission but most especially women who give birth. Elizabeth and Mary represent all the women of the world to remind everyone for all time that they are created in the image and likeness of God, with same dignity as men who must be respected at all times as indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Notice how throughout the scene from the annunciation to Zechariah and the Visitation, the wife of Zechariah was referred to by her name Elizabeth but, when controversy arose about the name to give her son, Luke emphatically wrote “his mother” to show that she has every right over her son, reaching its climax when Zechariah affirmed the mother as he wrote “John is his name.”

Think of those moments in your life when there are reversal of roles and suddenly God threw you – catapulted you – to a major role in life you only entertained in your wishful thinking and daydreaming because you have given them up, you have surrendered it due to a very long time of being disappointed like Elizabeth or Zechariah?

Think of those times when you realized, when you felt being at the center of attention for a good reason because you are good, you are so blessed, you did the right thing? How do you feel of the grace of God?

Think of those times when you did something so good that prompted others to “prepare the way of the Lord” like John the Baptist, when people around you were wondering what else you would achieve because clearly, God is with you?

On this penultimate day to Christmas, take time to speak God from your heart as you prepare for the fulfillment of His promise to you. I tell you, claim it now whatever you are asking God for Christmas. Remember what the angel told Mary at the annunciation, “nothing will be impossible for God.” Dare to open yourself to God, create a space within you for Him alone and let Him lead you like Zechariah whose name means “God remembers”, Elizabeth which means “God has promised” and John, “God is gracious.”

On this penultimate day to Christmas, we are assured God is gracious because God remembers His promise always. Amen. Have a blessed week ahead.

*Photo by author, birthplace of St. John the Baptist underneath the Church of St. John the Baptist, the Holy Land, May 2019.*

Advent is God’s tenderness & sweetness

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Fourth Sunday in Advent-C, Simbang Gabi-7, 22 December 2024
Micah 5:1-4 ><}}}}*> Hebrews 10:5-10 ><}}}}*> Luke 1:39-45

*Photo by author, Baguio City, March 2020.*

Christmas is a story of love, about the meeting of lovers with God as the Great Lover who gave us His only Son because of His immense love for us. But, this love is not the kind of love conveyed by the cheesy Christmas tunes “Pasko na Sinta Ko” and “Last Christmas”.

The word “lovers” may be too serious as a term for us to relate this with today’s gospel of the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth though both women were so in love with God who clearly loved them so much with children in their womb bound to change the course of human history forever. They were also filled with love for each other as expression of their love for God. And when there is love, there is always tenderness and sweetness that all happen in the context of a visitation that we must first clarify.

*Photo by author, Church of Visitation, Israel, May 2017.*

Visit and visitation may seem to be one and the same as both share the Latin root vidi, videre which is the verb “to see” as in video and visual. But, a visit is more casual and informal without intimacy because it is just “a passing by” or merely to see. It is more concerned with the place or the location and site and not the person to be visited. We say it clearly in Filipino as in “napadaan lang” when it just so happened you were passing by a place and even without any intentions, you tried seeing someone there.

On the other hand, visitation is more commonly used in church language like when a bishop or priests come to see the parishioners in remote places; hence, a chapel is always called a visita where priests “visit” to celebrate Mass and check on the well-being of people living in areas far from the parish. Aside from being the venue for the celebration of Masses, the visita serves as classroom for catechism classes and other religious even social gatherings in remote barrios. Now as a chaplain in a University with a hospital, I do sick visitations every Sunday after our Mass to anoint and bring communion to our patients.

Thus, visitation connotes a deeper sense in meaning because there is an expression care and concern among people, a kind of love shared by the visitator/visitor and the one visited like Mary and Elizabeth. Visitation is more of entering into someone’s life or personhood as reported by Luke on Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth where Mary “entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth” (Lk.1:40), implying communion or the sharing of a common experience. In this case, the two women shared the great experience of being blessed with the presence of God in their wombs!

*Photo by author, bronze statues of Mary and Elizabeth at the patio of the Church of Visitation, Israel, May 2017.*

Visitation is a sharing or oneness in the joys and pains of those dear to us. The word becomes more meaningful when we try to examine its Filipino equivalent –“pagdalaw” from the root word “dala” that can be something you bring or a verb to bring.

When we come for a visitation, we dala or bring something like food or any gift. But most of all we bring our very selves like a gift of presence wherein we share our total selves with our time and talents, joys and sadness, and everything to those being visited that Mary did exactly in her visitation of Elizabeth where she brought with her the Lord Jesus Christ in her womb.

This fourth Sunday of Advent, we are invited to become like Mary in the visitation of others to bring Christmas and Jesus Himself to others by allowing our very body to be the “bringer” or taga-dala of Christ, the highest good we can bring as pasalubong in every visitation we make. Here again is another beautiful Filipino word, pasalubong that is literally the gift you bring when you visit somebody. It has a verb equivalent that is salubong or meeting/encounter. To salubong or meet another person, one has to leave one’s place, one has to leave behind one’s biases and mistrust to be empty to meet the other person.

How lovely and sweet if we can leave our negativities behind this Advent and Christmas so we can dala (bring) Jesus to family and friends and strangers to therefore salubong (meet) to experience God’s tenderness and sweetness in Jesus Christ.

*Photo by author, Fourth Sunday of Advent 2022, Chapel of Basic Education, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City.*

Tenderness and sweetness in Filipino are often translated in just one word which is “malambing” from “lambing” that has no direct English translation except that it connotes a loving affection; however, both terms are more than just affections but stirrings from the heart that move us into action.

Tenderness is very much like gentleness; the former is more focused while the latter is very general attitude. Tenderness is more than being soft and gentle but an awareness of the other person’s weaknesses, needs and vulnerabilities. A tender person is one who tries not to add more insult to one’s injuries or rub salt onto one’s wounds so to speak. A tender person is one who tries to soothe and calm a hurting person, trying to heal his/her wounds like God often portrayed in many instances in the bible in lovingly dealing with sinners filled with mercy.

Like God, a person filled with tenderness is one who comes to comfort and heal the sick and those taking on a lot of beatings in life. When Jesus Christ came, He also personified this tenderness of God like when He was moved with pity and compassion for the sick, the widows, the women and the children and the voiceless in the society. Tenderness is coming to heal the wounds of those wounded and hurt, trying to “lullaby” the restless and sleepless. Mary visited Elizabeth because she also knew the many wounds of her cousin who for a long time bore no child, living in “disgrace before others” as she had claimed (Lk.1:25).

*Photo from The Valenzuela Times, 02 July 2024.*

Sweetness always goes with tenderness. It is the essence of God who is love. Anyone who loves is always sweet, something that comes naturally from within, bringing out good vibes. It is never artificial like Splenda, always flowing freely and naturally that leaves a good taste and feeling to anyone. In the Hail Holy Queen, Mary is portrayed as “O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary” to show her sweetness as a mother. There are no pretensions and pompousness in being sweet, never needs much effort to exert in showing it for it comes out naturally and instantly.

Tenderness and sweetness are the most God-like qualities we all have but have buried deep into our innermost selves, refusing them to come out because of our refusal to love for fears of getting hurt and left behind or, even lost. When Mary heard Elizabeth’s condition, she simply followed her human and motherly instincts that are in fact so Godly – she went in haste to visit her. Tenderness and sweetness are the twin gifts of Christmas to humanity when God almighty became little and vulnerable like us so we can be great and powerful like Him in being able to love.

Photo by author, *Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora De Guia, Ermita, Manila, 28 November 2024.*

It is the final Sunday of Advent. In a few days it will be Christmas day and we still have enough time to empty our hearts of sins and bitterness to be filled with God’s love, sweetness and tenderness in Christ.

Let me leave you with my favorite quote from the novel “The Plague” by Albert Camus, “A loveless world is a dead world, and always there comes an hour when one is weary of prisons, of one’s work, and of devotion to duty, and all one craves for is a loved face, the warmth and wonder of a loving heart.”

Let that love in you come out this Christmas and hereafter; simply be like the child Jesus and be surprised with His tremendous power to transform the world. Amen. Have a blessed, sweet and tender Christ-filled week ahead!

Advent & Christmas are a love story

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Simbang Gabi-6 Homily, 21 December 2024
Zephaniah 3:14-18     ><}}}*> + ><}}}*> + ><}}}*>     Luke 1:39-45

*From Clergy Coaching Network, posted on Facebook 13 December 2023.*

Advent and Christmas are a story of love of God’s love for us all that “He gave us His only Son.” No wonder, it is on this blessed Season when we share gifts, and most of all, our gift of self to others.

My youngest sister Bing works as an area manager of a Jollibee franchise in Bulacan. A few years ago before Christmas during our family conversations over dinner, she told us of a story shared by the Jollibee manager at NLEX. According to her story, two nuns entered their store there with some Dumagats with their driver. Right away, the store manager noticed how the two nuns were busy “calculating” the meal they have to take until settling for the cheapest, a rice meal of shanghai rolls. Obviously, the religious sisters have limited budget which did not escape the intuition of the lady manager who offered to treat them to a ChickenJoy meal for free. But the nuns felt shy and refused the manager’s offer, asking her not to be bothered at all until another woman with two kids in tow interrupted them, giving them ChickenJoy buckets with extra rice enough for the religious sisters and their companions! The woman refused to be identified and simply said that she too had noticed the nuns trying to budget their limited money that she ordered right away the food. For her part, the kind manager treated them instead for desserts to complete their meal.

That’s when my sister said “talagang Pasko na nga” (it’s really Christmas).

Since the start of Advent, we have been advocating that we also remember on those not feeling merry and bright this Christmas for various reasons like having family problems, financial woes, grieving for loved ones, dealing with mental issues or serious sickness of a loved one (see https://lordmychef.com/2024/12/13/advent-is-journeying-like-joseph-mary-to-bring-jesus-in-darkness/).

Yesterday in our reflection on the annunciation of the birth of Christ, we said of the need for us to enter in a dialogue with others to let Christmas happen. Dialogue is not just about improving relationships with others by thinking through issues and problems but more of a way of being with others, of being present with others to experience and feel their situations, exactly what Jesus did in being human like us in everything except sin.

At the annunciation of the Lord’s birth, Mary dialogued with Gabriel unlike Zechariah who was eventually silenced in order to be open to God. True dialogue as an incarnation like Jesus with God and with others can only happen when we are convinced of God’s love for us. Mary went in haste to visit Elizabeth because she felt God’s love in her that she wanted to share it with her cousin right away.

Mary set out in those days and travelled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth (Luke 1:39).

*Photo by author, Church of the Visitation, the Holy Land, May 2017.*

Try imagining that scene of Mary’s Visitation of Elizabeth. What did you feel? Did you feel some sense of tenderness, of being loved, of being touched by God?

While praying over this scene as I recalled my second pilgrimage to the Holy Land when we went to the Church of Visitation, I remembered my early years in the ministry when I always felt ashamed accepting invitations for dinners because I could not bring a gift.

Maybe part of our upbringing, I have always felt inadequate coming to another home bringing nothing. That is why I keep cards and stampitas in my desk along with some chocolates so that when I visit families, I could bring a little something for them.

It was only in 2011 after being assigned to a parish of my own when I was able to let go of this feeling of inadequacy after a parishioner told me how they deeply appreciated priests visiting them at home, sharing in their meal because they felt so blessed. That is why most of us priests are fat – we always get invited to meals and gatherings that sometimes I wonder if people really love me when they “force” me to eat more of their cholesterol-laden food and sugary desserts they serve!

It was during these home visitations especially of the sick and for simple meals I felt “rootedness” or oneness with people, of being “a member of each family yet belonging to none” as the famous French Dominican Fr. Lacordaire said a hundred years ago about priesthood. The more I visit families, bidden or unbidden, the more I feel the joy of my priesthood because of the family and community that I belong to. That is when I realized too that celibacy is lived in a community both of priests and laity.

For 26 years in schools and the parish and now the hospital, the more I felt Jesus present in me as a priest as I live among brother priests and lay people. Tenderness and intimacy take on a new dimension that is spiritual in nature because I don’t just touch people but am also being touched by them. Every time they thank me, I also thank them for blessing me with their warm welcome. It is like Mary and Elizabeth during the Visitation blessed abundantly by God and still sharing that same blessing with each other.

*Photo by author, bronze statues of Mary and Elizabeth at the patio of the Church of Visitation, May 2017.*

That is the meaning and significance of the Visitation: inasmuch as Christ comes to us individually, He behooves us to share Him also with others to form a community.

Mary visited Elizabeth not merely to help her out in her pregnancy nor to confirm what Gabriel had told her but simply because she was so convinced of God’s love that she wanted to share it with her cousin.

Mary visited Elizabeth because she felt touched by God in the Annunciation and wanted so much her cousin to be touched also by the Lord! And indeed when Luke wrote that “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, ‘Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb'” (Lk.1:41-42).

Faith in Christ leads to love that moves us to bond with one another to form Christ’s body, a community of believers, a community of beloved, a community of lovers.

After receiving Jesus, like Mary, we have to move to the Visitation and share Him with others. To be able to do this, we must first be convinced that God loves us so much like what the Prophet Zephaniah said in the first reading and what Elizabeth told Mary in the Visitation, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Lk.1:45).

There’s a saying, “If you have love in your heart, you have been blessed by God; if you have been loved, you have been touched by God.”

Let God touch somebody today with your visitation… believe and feel the love of Jesus! Amen.

Advent as a dialogue leading to Christmas, the presence of God

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Simbang Gabi-5 Homily, 20 December 2024
Isaiah 7:10-14     <*((((><  +  ><))))*>     Luke 1:26-38

*Photo by Mr. Boy Cabrido, National Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, QC, 16 December 2024.*

Last Monday at the start of Simbang Gabi, one of our priests became viral when at the recessional of their Mass while the choir was joyfully singing “Pasko na! Pasko na!”, he sarcastically sang “Hindi pa! Hindi pa!”

Many people laughed at the viral video with some commenting that Father was right because it wasn’t Christmas yet while a liturgist advised choirs to check the many choices of Advent songs now available online. But, sad to say, the people missed the whole point of the incident.

What our brother-priest did was not funny at all in putting to shame his own choir members and most of all, in destroying the solemnity of the Mass.

And the problem was not really the choir at all but the priest himself. What the priest did at the end of the Mass was a self-indictment of his lack of formation for his choir members and of any dialogue at all.

*Photo by author, Advent in previous parish, 2018.*

Advent is a dialogue between God and humans that led to the presence of God among us in Jesus Christ on Christmas. It is a process that continues in our own time as we are all called to be open to God and with others for dialogue like Mary in the annunciation of Christ’s birth by Archangel Gabriel.

Dialogue is more than conversing to improve relationships among people in a community or organization but a way of being with others as opposed to a way of thinking through issues and problems only. Dialogue is being present with others, of giving one’s self to feel and listen and experience the other person.

Luke shows us in his second Christmas story today how this true meaning of dialogue between God and Mary happened.

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming of her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! Then Lord is with you.” But she was greatloy troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God… But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “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 called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:26-30, 34-37).

*“Cestello Annunciation” by Botticelli painted in 1490; from en.wikipedia.org.*

See the artistry and genius of Luke as a storyteller. Yesterday he presented to us the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zechariah while incensing the Holy of Holies in the temple of Jerusalem.

Notice the great differences in the flow of conversations and dialogue in the two annunciations narrated by Luke. Both Zechariah and Mary were troubled at the coming of the angel. And who would not be in a such unprecedented event? However, there is one minute detail we find in Luke’s narration of the two annunciations that reveal something so big and deep in meaning.

According to Luke, “Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him” (Lk. 1:12) while Mary “was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be” (Lk. 1:29). Both were troubled which is normal but their reactions differed so great with Zechariah becoming proud while Mary was humbled.

I believe that it was more than their age and differences in social status that Zechariah was simply “troubled” while Mary was “greatly troubled” but it was largely due to their dispositions and openness to God.

Zechariah was proud of his stature and of his intelligence, trying to take hold and control of everything that is why he was seized with fear. When he told the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years” (Lk.1:18), Zechariah was troubled and fearful because he felt challenged as a priest much respected in the community, choosing to stand proud of his position and intelligence as if having a child is all an effort of man and woman alone! There was no dialogue as Zechariah was proud that is why he was made mute by the angel. He had forgotten all about God!

*Photo by author, Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, Israel, May 2019.*

Compare Mary’s reaction to the annunciation, “But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.”

Luke always portrayed Mary as the listener and doer of the word, the one who ponders at the words spoken to her not only by the angel here but later at the birth of Jesus those spoken by the shepherds, then by Simeon at the Presentation and by Jesus Himself at the wedding in Cana. Mary has always been open to dialogue, to feeling the other person conversing with her. She was not concerned only with the news and information but with the persons involved.

In that sense, there is her remarkable humility and great courage at the same time. True humility is not really about being submissive but most of all being filled with courage, not with fear. Mary as the very young virgin from a poor family in a town nobody gave importance stood fearless before the angel as she took hold of herself to ponder on the words spoken to her. Despite the very unprecedented moment with an angel, Mary had that inner engagement with the words she had just heard without any violent reactions.

Unlike Zechariah, Mary was the one actually in control of herself and of her emotions. The Jedi Master Yoda of Star Wars said it so well, “fear leads to anger, anger leads to destruction”. Zechariah was afraid of losing power and control but Mary was not bothered at all. In fact, she faced the challenge head on, reflecting deep in her what is this going on? Am I awake, is this a dream would most likely be the words playing in her mind and heart. Mary had presence as she tried to feel the angel and later God that no wonder, Jesus came to her womb and we have Christmas!

The humility and courage of Mary became more evident when she said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”

She was not afraid at all to be become the Mother of God! There was already her willingness to submit, as if telling the angel, “OK let’s do it but tell me how?” whereas Zechariah was argumentative, trying to escape responsibilities? Such was the attitude too of Ahaz in the first reading, denying he won’t test God when in fact he had already aligned with other kings in the region as he feared the invading enemies near his borders.

It was at this moment when the good news became most closest to us through Mary when the angel explained of the coming of the Holy Spirit, of how the power of God would overshadow her, assuring her that nothing is impossible with God.

How wonderful is this scene for us to emulate Mary so that we experience Christmas daily in our lives, not only of God coming but being present in us and among us. Can we dare to be open before God like Mary? Have a blessed Friday!

*Photo by author, Fatima Avenue, Valenzuela City, December 2024.*

Advent & Christmas begin in the church

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Simbang Gabi-4 Homily, 19 December 2024
Judges 13:2-7, 24-25     <*((((><  +  ><))))*>     Luke 1:5-25

*Photo by author, wailing wall of Jerusalem where Jews pray until now being the section closest to the Holy Holies destroyed in year 70AD*.

From Matthew, we now shift to Luke to listen to his account of Christmas which is the most complete and detailed. In fact, most artistic renditions of Christmas were inspired by Luke’s gospel.

Very surprising in his Christmas story, Luke started it with the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zechariah who was then serving at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. It is a reminder to us all these days that Advent and Christmas begin in the church, in our holy celebrations.

In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Once when he was serving as priest in his division’s turn before God, according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense (Luke 1:5, 8-11).

Luke’s detailed account of the event is the Jewish Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) when their priests incense yearly between September 18-24 the Holy of Holies where they used to keep the Ark of the Covenant. From this detail by Luke we got the reliable timetable in the celebration of Christmas on December 25 by considering this event as the time of Elizabeth’s conception of John who was born June 24 or nine months after. Tomorrow we shall hear in the gospel how “on the sixth month” of Elizabeth’s pregnancy which fell on March 25, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary the birth of Jesus, the Solemnity of the Annunciation we celebrate on that date. Nine months from March 25, we have December 25! Who said our Christmas date is not in the Bible? We got it here in our gospel today courtesy of Luke!

*Photo by author, Parish Church of St. Joseph in Morong, Rizal, January 2021.*

It may sound simple yet, it is so profound. In narrating this to us, Luke reminds us today that the Christmas story began in a holy celebration in the temple of Jerusalem now happening in our Eucharistic celebrations in every church around the world.

Many take our Sunday Masses for granted these days with so many excuses and alibis but, let us set aside all these to reflect on this simple detail from Luke’s first story on Christmas.

First, this is a call for us all to go back to the church by finally putting a stop NOW of online Masses. Online Mass as a term is an oxymoron because it presupposes actual presence of people. There can be no virtual Mass because there is no such thing as virtual sacrament nor virtual grace. That is why God introduced Himself to Moses as “I AM WHO AM”, the One who is perfectly present, always actual never virtual.

Since the waning of the COVID virus last year, both the Pope and the CBCP have called for the ending of online Masses but unfortunately, so many priests have remained stubborn with some making “shameful profit” out of it which is strongly prohibited by Canon Law and other Church and papal documents. Unless online Masses are stopped, people will always find reasons and alibis not to go to church on Sundays.

As we reflect on Luke’s account of the celebration at that time of the annunciation of the angel to Zechariah while he was incensing the Holy of Holies, we get the feel of solemnity and sacredness that are sorely missing these days in many of our celebrations of the Mass.

Like Zechariah and the priests of the Jerusalem temple at that time who were all steeped in traditions and presumably spirituality, we have every reason to expect the same, even more, from our bishops and priests today. They are the ones who set the tone of every celebration and of life in the parish; their spirituality or lack of it is manifested in the parish life, from its building structure to its witnessing.

*Photo by author, pious Jews and Rabbis in another enclosed section of the wall of the temple of Jerusalem, May 2017.*

How sad when priests have lost the sense of the sacred of the Holy Mass when they disregard the solemnity of the celebration with all their antics and gimmicks; worst of all, of coming to Mass unprepared without a homily and good vestments, sometimes without having showered or shaved! What is tragic is when the priest attends all socials in proper attire, but never in the Mass.

The other day, I saw a sticker at the back of a delivery van that asks, “How’s my driving? And my grooming?” Too bad I was not able to get the name of the company of that delivery van but how great are its people must be in giving a premium on how their drivers behave and look!

Some priests shamelessly argue that what is essential is what is inside but they forget that the outward appearance is an indication of what’s inside them too. How can the people feel and experience God if their pastor comes shabbily dressed without any good vestments, so untidy as in dugyot, unprepared for the Mass, without a good homily?

What had become of our churches that have been the shining glory of architecture through the centuries but now look like malls? Some churches look like videoke bars with a lot of giant TV screens while priests serenade the people with their wonderful voices instead of delivering a homily.

How sad that many churches are untidy and ugly. Yes, ugly is the word. And kitschy, bereft of any sense of the holy that people cannot experience God except be played on their emotions with dramas and not to forget, second and third collections. Choirs are on their own with a concert, totally deaf to the fact their music is supposed to lead the congregation into prayerful reflections not to applaud them for a performance. It is about time we restore the dictum of the Roman liturgy of noble simplicity not only of the church and also of celebrations.

Our gospel invites us today, especially us priests and bishops along with those involved in preparing our parish celebrations to be silent like Elizabeth – lest we be silenced and be made mute by the Lord like Zechariah to finally open ourselves to listen to God’s instructions about His Son’s coming.

Let’s face that sad reality of so many of us clergy and laity in the church who are like Zechariah trying to control everything including God, even playing God who give the people enough reasons to turn away from the Church completely.

Photo by author of the beautiful sacristy of the *Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora De Guia in Ermita, Manila where even a guest priest could feel at “home” with everything in order.*

Like Elizabeth, let us choose to be silent in order to pray truly, awaiting God in the Holy Spirit to stir us into His Divine Plans like Samson in the first reading, “The boy grew up and the Lord blessed him; the Spirit of the Lord first stirred” (Jgs.13:24-25). We find the same thing in the gospel when Gabriel told Zechariah how John while still in Elizabeth’s womb would be filled with the Holy Spirit (Lk.1:15) in accomplishing his mission as precursor of Jesus.

If we could allow ourselves to be stirred by God first – not by fad or ulterior motives in our church celebrations – then every Mass becomes a Christmas, a coming of Christ.

Let us do away with unnecessary things in the church and in our celebrations that call attention to us, to our abilities and talents, even power like Zechariah by being more daring in silence and noble simplicity to experience God’s coming every Mass.

As we shall see in the coming days from the gospel of Luke, Christmas is both a journey into Bethlehem, Jerusalem and other places as well as into the very hearts of Joseph and Mary and of those who would recognize and accept Jesus Christ. May our churches reflect what is in our hearts as disciples of Christ, always with a space for Jesus to come and dwell inside and among us. Amen.

*Photo by author, Simbang Gabi in our previous parish, 2018.*

Advent a time machine?

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Simbang Gabi-3 Homily, 18 December 2024
Jeremiah 23:5-8     <*[[[[><  +  ><]]]]*>     Matthew 1:18-25

For those looking for a great gift this Christmas, whether for others or for yourself, I strongly recommend a copy of Before the Coffee Gets Cold. If you can afford, get its four other sequels too!

Written by the Japanese Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Before the Coffee Gets Cold and its sequels is a collection of stories about “time travel” set in a Tokyo cafe with a funny name that is actually the title of 1921 Italian opera song, Funiculi Funicula that means “A Merry Life”. It is very appealing because we all have dreamt or wished of travelling in time with its crucial question – who is that one person you would like to meet in the past or future?

There are many rules to follow for anyone wishing to travel time in the Tokyo cafe like you can only time travel with someone who had been there; you sit only at one particular table inside the small cafe; you may go back to the past or even go to the future but you cannot change them as it would adversely affect the present; and most of all, you have to drink the coffee before it gets cold to return to the present.

The novel is aptly titled Before the Coffee Gets Cold because anyone wishing to travel time, whether in the past or future, one has to drink and swallow all bitterness (coffee) we have in life in order to find fulfillment in the present and future.

Is it not funny that in life and in fantasy like time travel, we are governed by rules as well as commandments? Many times most of us disregard them while some almost worshipped them like the Jews of biblical times, except Joseph.

After establishing the fact that Jesus Christ is from the lineage of the two greatest personages of the Old Testament, Abraham and David, Matthew logically placed next to his genealogy the circumstances surrounding the birth of the Lord by solemnly declaring, “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about (Mt.1:18).”

Notice how Matthew not only stressed Joseph as “the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ (Mt.1:16)” to indicate his royal blood from the lineage of King David but as a true blooded Jew for he was “a righteous man (Mt.1:19).”

In the Bible, a “righteous man” or a “just man” is a “holy man” called a zaddik in Hebrew, one who lives his life according to the sacred Scriptures as word of God, delighting in His laws and commandments, and entrusting everything to the Divine will.

Joseph was exactly that kind of Jewish “zaddik” who lived in constant dialogue with God in His words, concretely living it out minus the legalisms of Pharisees and scribes. For Joseph, the Torah was a “good news” meant to make life better not bitter that it was not difficult for him to choose to leave Mary silently so as to spare her of all the shame and trouble in bearing a child not his if he went by their laws. Eventually after the angel had appeared to him in a dream to explain the virginal conception by Mary, “When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home (Mt.1:24).”

Matthew is teaching us that to be holy like Joseph, we have to make that important decision of bridging our faith with our life, of being obedient to God. Obedience literally in Latin means “to listen intently”; in being open to God’s words and will, Joseph listened intently that he was able to obey and follow God. It required a lot of listening and humility on Joseph’s part to set aside his plans and let God’s will prevail. That early, Joseph realized that for him to accept God in Jesus, he had to take Mary as his wife. And here lies Joseph’s greatness: in taking Mary as his wife as told by the angel, Jesus Christ was born and we have Christmas to celebrate!

As a true blooded Jewish man, Joseph knew all the rules and commandments and lived by them but never in absolute terms especially when they superseded persons. Later, Jesus would insist to His detractors that “the sabbath was created for man not man for sabbath.” Joseph as a righteous man did exactly that when he took Mary as wife and became the Lord’s “foster father” on earth. There was a clear application in life whatever was in the heart and mind of Joseph as he walked his talk (or silence).

Joseph’s holiness in the real sense is best expressed in his ability to sleep soundly in the midst of great crises as he completely trusted God. There were four instances that the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream with important messages from God: first was here in the annunciation of Christ’s birth; then, when he was told to flee to Egypt with Mary and Baby Jesus to escape Herod’s wrath; third, when he was told to return to Israel after Herod’s death, and fourth when he was told to raise Jesus in Mary’s town of Nazareth in fulfillment of the prophecy “he shall be called a Nazorean.”

Joseph was always asleep because he completely trusted God whenever he made decisions in life. He never dilly-dallied with important decisions unlike us who could not firm up our decisions that is why we are restless, could not sleep at all. In the first reading we heard the prophecy of the coming of Christ who shall be called “the Lord our justice (Jer.22:6)” because like Joseph, Jesus would entrust Himself completely to God’s will when He died on the Cross for us.

Sleeping and dying are similar in the closing of our eyes when we entrust ourselves to God completely without knowing what shall happen next if we would still wake up or, in the case of death, rise again.

When we sleep, we travel through time in our dreams, in our hopes and aspirations in the future, and in the pains of the past. We submit them all to God as we sleep hoping for His surprises upon waking up. Christmas happens and Jesus comes to us when like Joseph we abandon everything to God and go to sleep to be ready and prepared for new, unexpected, and even incredible things the following morning. So, face your problems and issues squarely before going to bed, pray and then decide like Joseph and be surprised by the Lord, whether in your dream or upon waking up.

One of the stories in Before the Coffee Gets Cold is about an accomplished Japanese career woman; she asked to travel to her past when her younger boyfriend dated her in the cafe before leaving for the US. The woman was so sad as she felt discarded by her boyfriend in favor of a career in the the States. When she finally travelled in time, she kept her mouth shut unlike in their last meeting; lo, and behold, it was only then she “heard” her boyfriend asking her to wait for him after three years. She never listened to her boyfriend during their last meeting, oblivious to his request that she wait for him after three years when he comes back to get married with her! Everything changed when she returned to the present: without changing the past, she could still change the future in her favor as she happily awaited her boyfriend’s return.

When we are open to God in Jesus, we can also “travel time” in Him for He is eternal, to listen intently to Him as we revisit our past with all its mistakes and sins or peek into the future with all of its fears and uncertainties or simply remain in the present moment with all the problems and trials we grapple. That’s when we admit and swallow the bitterness we have and surprisingly find Jesus Christ in our present, past and future always loving us, calling us, speaking to us. Do we listen to Him and to those around us or, are we so bound by rules and our own prejudices? Amen. Have a blessed day!

*Photo by author, Fatima Avenue, Valenzuela City, December 2023.*

Are we all lost stars trying to light up the dark?

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Simbang Gabi-2 Homily, Tuesday, 17 December 2024
Genesis 49:2, 8-10 <*[[[[>< + ><]]]]'> Matthew 1:1-17

*Photo by Atty. Polaris Grace R. Beron atop Mt. Sinai in Egypt, May 2019.*

Some of you must have noticed – even sang – the title of our second Simbang Gabi homily is from the lyrics of the song Lost Stars of the 2013 movie “Begin Again” starring Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine and James Corden.

Every time the Advent season would come since the pandemic in 2020, Lost Stars would always come to my mind as it has some semblance with Isaiah’s prophecy about the coming of the Messiah when peace would finally be achieved with predators and preys living in harmony. It is a passage so lovely that it is used twice or thrice during Advent until Christmas.

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall b e neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like ox. The baby shall play by the cobra’s den, and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair (Isaiah 11:6-8).

See now its semblance with Lost Stars and if you know the song, sing it:

And God
Tell us the reason youth is wasted on the young
It's hunting season and this lamb is on the run
We're searching for meaning
But are we all lost stars
Trying to light up the dark?

Who are we?
Just a speck of dust within the galaxy
Woe is me

If we're not careful turns into reality
Don't you dare let our best memories bring you sorrow
Yesterday I saw a lion kiss a deer
Turn the page, maybe we'll find a brand new ending
Where we're dancing in our tears

Begin Again and Lost Stars are unlikely movie and song for Christmas but you will be surprised that they are indeed so perfectly apt for this season which is about love and loss, friendships and ties, hopes and dreams of a better future.

Christmas is actually a story about mankind “beginning again” in Jesus, of us like the prodigal son who was a “lost star” but found again by Christ. These realities we find in both our readings today from Genesis and from Matthew’s account of the genealogy of Jesus.

The world had always been at a loss since the fall of Adam and Eve. Mankind was in darkness that is why God sent His Son Jesus so that we can “begin again” no longer as “lost stars trying to light up the dark” but this time sharing Christ who is the true light of the world as we have reflected yesterday.

Like in that movie Begin Again, the coming of Jesus did not simply happen. There were a lot of twists and turns in the lives of the different characters in the story who were totally unaware and uncertain of what would happen next but, as every good love story would end, and they lived happily ever after.

*Photo by author, BED Chapel, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City, 2022.*

The same is true with the coming of Jesus and with us today: how amazing and interesting that our Savior came from a lineage of family just like ours – imperfect even crazy and weird people. But, the good news is, eventually at the coming of Jesus, everything was neatly tied up by God in His grace we tremendously enjoy now.

Both the first reading and the gospel traced to us the roots of Jesus to the very beginning of Israel and Judaism, from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his sons led by Judah from whom came their greatest King, David, an ancestor of the Christ.

Of Jacob’s twelve sons, we wonder why Judah was the one blessed when it was Joseph who saved them all from famine and gave them a new start in Egypt. In fact, Judah would have a son with his daughter-in-law Tamar who disguised herself a prostitute to lure him into sex so she can have a son after her husband, Jacob’s son died and left her childless. Their children were Perez and Zerah (Mt. 1:3).

*Photo by author, San Fernando, Pampanga December 2022*.

Meanwhile, if Tamar pretended to be a prostitute, the second woman in the Lord’s genealogy was actually a prostitute named Rahab who was the mamasan of the brothel in Jericho where the spies sent by Joshua hid before attacking the ancient city. Rahab welcomed the Israelite spies led by Salmon after securing a pledge from them to save her family after their attack. Jericho fell and so were Salmon and Rahab. They named their son Boaz who later married a pagan woman named Ruth that was a big no-no among jews at that time. They had a son named Obed who became the father of Jesse, the father of King David.

Known as the greatest king of Israel from whose lineage the Savior would come, David was not totally a good king. He sinned big time against God not once: first, he not only took the wife of his army officer but even had him killed in a scheme after Bathsheba got pregnant with Solomon. One of his sons in his previous wife overthrew him but was later beheaded by his loyalist soldiers that caused David deep sorrow to compose Psalm 51.

Behind all those names in the Lord’s genealogy by Matthew are great materials for modern-day telenovela with its unique plots with exciting twists and turns.

However, we hear it proclaimed today as we shift our focus into the second aspect of Advent of preparing for the first coming of Christ more than 2000 years ago to remind us that Jesus did not just appear as an isolated human being. He came from God, no doubt about it, but, He is also intimately and crucially linked with the history of His own people. And because of that, so are we.

All four evangelists have as their primary objective in writing their gospel accounts the provence, or origin of Jesus Christ, the Promised One of God. That had to be clear before everything else because they have to established clearly the identity of Jesus Christ.

Matthew opened his gospel account with the genealogy of Jesus to remind us too today of our origin in faith in Christ who gives us a new beginning in God. May this second day of our Simbang Gabi be our new beginning, no longer a lost star but a true star in the eyes of God meant to light the dark in Christ. Amen.

*Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 20 March 2024.*

*You might be interested to listen to “Lost Stars”…better, watch “Begin Again” to warm your heart this Christmas.

From YouTube.com

Advent is sharing the light of Christ

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Simbang Gabi-1 Homily, Monday, 16 December 2024
Isaiah 56:1-3, 6-8     <*((((><  +. ><))))*>     John 5:33-36

*Photo by Mr. Boy Cabrido at Mt. Carmel Shrine, QC, December 2023.*

Today – or last night – we begin our nine-day novena to Christmas more known as Simbang Gabi which actually began last night or Misa de Gallo which is the pre-dawn Mass most of the faithful observe.

How you call it does not really matter for as long as you complete the nine-day Masses before Christmas which is actually a novena to the Blessed Mother Mary known as Nuestra Señora dela Expectacion. And of course, the other important thing is the setting of the Simbang Gabi, that of darkness that calls us to muster enough courage and strength to be awake and vigilant, praying for the Lord’s coming.

Night time and darkness in the bible connote evil and other negativities that Jesus conquered in His coming to us. In fact, His birthdate was pegged at December 25 partly because it is the darkest night of the year, making Jesus truly the light of the world.

*Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com*

It is very interesting that during our Christmas celebrations, our brothers and sisters in the Jewish faith celebrate their Hanukkah (Chanukah) or eight-day festival of lights beginning December 25 to January 2, 2025. It commemorates the victory of the Maccabean brothers and followers against their Syrian-Greek occupiers led by King Antiochus IV who defiled the Jerusalem Temple during their brief take-over of Judah around the year 170 BC. After driving out the pagans, Judas Maccabeus and his followers cleaned the temple and found only a small amount of consecrated oil lamp left that was good only to last for a day. Miraculously, the lamp burned for eight consecutive days, giving them enough time to prepare according to their rituals new sets of holy oil for their temple lamp.

During their Hanukkah, every Jewish family celebrate at home by lighting eight candles in their menorah that means “to shine” in Hebrew to remember and thank God for those eight days of light in their temple as well as their deliverance from their enemies despite their being outnumbered.

Regardless of faith, there is one truth we all believe in, that God’s love and mercy abides in us not only for one day or eight days but all the days of our lives even through all eternity. That is actually the meaning of eight-days which we Catholics borrowed from the Jewish liturgy in having Christmas and Easter octaves to signify eternity. We have always stressed that we do not have weekend because the week does not end but simply goes on and on because after the seventh day of Saturday, we have Sunday again which is eighth day! (The Beatles were right after all when they sang, “eight days a week… I looooo-ve you.”)

*Photo by author, San Fernando, Pampanga, December 2021.*

Whether it is the menorah or the beautiful parol (lantern) that lights our homes during this season, they all remind us of God’s abiding love and presence in the midst of many darkness in our lives.

In the story of creation in the Book of Genesis, God created light first of all on the first day because light is so essential that it also means life itself. In light, we find things easier, we travel better. And we need light so much – literally and figuratively speaking – to move on in life.

As we go through our Simbang Gabi – whether at night or at dawn in preparation for Christmas, Jesus reminds us at the start of our novena to continue searching, following and sharing Him as the true light of the world.

During that time, Jesus said to the Jews, “He (John) was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me” (John 5:35-36).

It is very sad, even tragic despite our many advancements achieved in science and technology that our world today is still in a lot of darkness due to wars going on especially in the Holy Land, of natural calamities displacing many people that claimed many lives almost everywhere this year, as well as poverty, hunger, and oppression in all forms that put so much sufferings especially to children, women and elderly.

Everyone of us is challenged, as God told Isaiah in the first reading to “observe what is right, do what is just” (Is.56:1) to alleviate and ease the hardships of so many of our brothers and sisters who have to face survival daily.

Let us be the light of Christ with our loving service and presence with others especially those facing financial challenges at this time, those grieving at the loss of a loved one, and others not having a merry Christmas this year. May we share the light of Christ too to those losing hope and faith in life and mankind because of being in too much or prolonged darkness in life. Amen. Have a blessed Simbang Gabi everyone!

*Artwork by Kay Bratt in Facebook, 13 December 2023.*

Advent is the joy of our union in the Lord

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Third Sunday in Advent (Gaudete Sunday), Cycle C, 15 December 2024
Zephaniah 3:14-18 ><}}}}*> Philippians 4:4-7 ><}}}}*> Luke 3:10-18

*Photo by author, Gaudete Sunday, Advent 2018.*

Our altars are bursting in shades of pink this third Sunday in Advent known as Gaudete Sunday from the entrance antiphon in Latin of today’s Mass meaning “Rejoice in the Lord”.

To rejoice means to intensify joy which is a world apart from “happiness” many have mistaken as synonym for joy and rejoicing. Happiness is fleeting and superficial, dependent on the outside “stimulus” that makes us happy while joy comes from within one’s heart.

Joy is that feeling of certainty that no matter what happens to us, God would never forsake us, leading us to serenity and peace. That is why one can still rejoice and be joyful even in pain and sufferings like the elderly, the sick, or those struck with tragedy and failures. We can only rejoice when we have that deep faith in God, filled with hope that even if things get worst, our final salvation is in Jesus Christ who had come, would come again, and continues to come to us.

*Photo by author, Advent 2021, BED Chapel, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City.*

Joy and salvation always come together as expressed by the Prophet Zephaniah in the first reading today which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ who renewed us all in the love of God our Father.

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has removed the judgment against you, as he turned away your enemies… The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love (Zephaniah 3:14-15, 17).

True rejoicing can only happen in Jesus our Savior as St. Paul insisted in our second reading today, “Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4).

In His sermon on the mount about the beatitudes, Jesus taught us that true blessedness that leads to joy is not in having everything but in being empty and poor for God, being free from the trappings of this material world. Just ask those above 50 years old today: we have less of material things when growing up but we have so much fun so unlike these days of so many gadgets and things when suicides and mental cases are on the rise. People may be happy today but not joyful.

*With our Campus Ministry members after our Advent Recollection, 12 December 2024, Chapel of the Angel of Peace, RISE Tower, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City.*

At His Last Supper as well as after Easter in His appearances to His disciples, Jesus assured us of joy and peace if we remain in Him by keeping His commandments especially the celebration of the Eucharist until He comes again. But, in a recent Christmas party I attended, a parlor game surprised me when the host asked participants to “bring him” the first thing we look for upon waking up when everybody rushed to him bringing their cellphones!

I thought the answer were eye glasses which I first look for upon waking up to check the time. As a result, I made an informal survey when I took the elevator and during our Mass at the university when I asked the students, “what is the first thing you look for upon waking up?”

And, cellphone again was their unanimous answer which I find very alarming. Is the cellphone the new god of our modern time, replacing not only Jesus but even ourselves! It has slowly robbed us of our true joy, often caused many of our sorrows and breakdown of relationships.

We rejoice because of Jesus Christ and in our union in Him, we become one with others in whom we experience joy and rejoicing too.

Now we go to another dimension of joy and rejoicing – its personal and relational aspect. Have you experienced there are times we find it difficult to rejoice with others having fun or enjoying something while on the other hand, we are easily moved to sympathize with anyone crying or feeling api and forlorn even if we do not know them?

Is it not ironic we easily unite with strangers in sadness but not in joy? I think that perhaps, God designed us to sympathize with anyone in pain because there is a thread that connects and binds us together in times of sorrow. It is a lot different with rejoicing which presupposes a relationship, a sort of oneness to experience the others’ joy. Joy is never solitary unlike sadness that is often kept inside by the person. Joy to be really joyful has to be made known. That is why we can easily share in the joy of others when we know them. We turn sarcastic even jealous when we find others we do not know rejoicing simply because we are not part of them nor of their joys.

*Photo by author, Gaudete Sunday, Advent 201*9.

Rejoicing is not about what we or anyone can do but all about relationships as Luke shows us in his account on John’s baptism at Jordan that is so upbeat that we too could feel the rejoicing of the people in John’s coming and preaching that some of them thought John was the Messiah. The people felt a deep sense of belonging, of relating and knowing that they asked John what they must do to continue rejoicing!

The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” Now the people were filled with expectation, nd all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ… Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people (Luke 3:10, 12, 14, 15, 18).

In telling us how John answered the queries of the people on what they must do to experience the coming of the Messiah, Luke teaches us that God is not asking great things from us but only simple acts of charity and mercy for one another like being kind and loving because we are already related in Him in the first place. Hence, we all can rejoice in Christ!

Here is our common misconception that if we do what is good and right, then we shall be filled with joy. Wrong. We are already filled with joy and we just have to intensify that into rejoicing because we are already God’s beloved children in baptism. When we live out our status as beloved children of God in Christ, everything follows.

Don’t you feel rejoicing just before communion, praying, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you under my roof but only say the word and I shall be healed”?

Imagine that immense love of God in Christ for us when nobody among us even the priest officiating the Mass is worthy to receive Jesus and yet, He came and made it a reality because He loves us so much! All we have to do is be sorry for our sins, reform our lives, apologize to those we have wronged, forgive those who have sinned against us… it is God who does everything for us in Jesus Christ. We do only so little but sadly, we could not even do the little things so well like coming on time for the Mass every Sunday, much less be silent to pray and listen to Jesus coming to us in Holy Communion because we are so busy conversing with those beside us or checking our cellphones.

This third Sunday in Advent, Jesus invites us to imitate John the Baptist His precursor who “preached good news to the people” with his warm and joyful presence. Spread the joy of Jesus by being kind and warm to others especially those in pain, those alone, those who are lost. After all, we are all one in Christ who is our joy and salvation. Amen.