At the Heart of Mission

In his message for the web's "The Nine Gifts" this year, Cardinal Orlando Quevedo wrote  "Gratitude is our response, but gratitude is not meant to remain as a prayer of the heart. It is meant to be expressed in Mission, in sharing our gifts with others." Indeed, we ought to be Christians not just in name, but in action. The same prelate remarked on a separate occasion that despite the commercialization of Christmas, we have the Misa de Gallo and Belen which puts Christ in the center stage of the season.
The Belen, which has been a feature in our churches and homes these days, offer us ways to become missionaries. First of all, we have Mary who humbly gave her "yes" to be God's Mother (Lk 1:26-38), proclaimed the greatness of the Lord (Lk 1:46-56), and treasured in her heart what the shepherds told her (Lk 2:19). Second is Joseph, the just man (Mt 1:19). Though no words of his were recorded in Sacred Scripture, his life was devoted to fulfilling God's will. Third are the shepherds who, after visiting the Child Jesus, "spread the message they had received about Him" (Lk 2:18). Finally, the Magi who, after offering their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, "returned to their country by another route" (Mt 2:12).
Each character has become a missionary. What holds them together is the Christ Child. Christ was that " power of salvation" which endowed the rest of the Belen characters to share their gifts with others. Without Him, all the other characters would just be nothing. This holds true for us, the new characters of the Belen of today. Without Christ in the heart of any missionary, any endeavor will be fruitless,  for "apart from Me you can do nothing" (Jn 15:5).
As we celebrate the Lord's Birth, may we rediscover the centrality of Jesus in our lives. May our encounter with Him - through prayer, the sacraments, the "signs of the times", and our service in the community of believers - endow us with His Spirit that we may also share whatever gift we have with others, especially those who still do not know Christ.
A Blessed Christmas and a Peaceful and Healthy New Year!

What Did You Realize?

Covid-19 has been a life-changing experience. Homes had the privilege of becoming a school, an office, and a church. Someone in social media posted a question: "What did you realize this lockdown days?". Reactions from friends vary. Some expressed health concerns, while others mentioned their long-forgotten skills. Some wrote about how grateful they are in spite of the situation. Another wrote about more time being spent with family. Still some others shared how they come to realize and appreciate their parents' hard work in looking after them. This comment, in our view, stands out.

Covid-19 has brought the best out of parents and carers. In an instant, parents have become teachers, counsellors, and extraordinary ministers to their children. Indeed, churches may have closed, but the Church - God's People - has been deployed. Outside the home, other people from various walks of life have faced the challenges of Coronavirus: doctors, nurses, priests, nuns, police, barangay officials, and other key workers. It is heartwarming to witness how these people have gone out of their way, have taken the extra mile to serve others. Some have even lost their lives after being exposed to the virus.

The lock down has been some sort of the long retreat. Most of us stay at home to be safe and to look after our loved ones. We do not know yet when will this end, when will things be back to normal. Perhaps the word "normal" might have a new meaning when we do go back to where we left prior to the lock down.  

In his homily during Good Shepherd Sunday, Pope Francis said "Let us pay attention to the voices that reach our hearts. Let us ask ourselves where they come from. Let us ask for the grace to recognize and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd, who brings us out of the confines of selfishness and leads us to the pastures of true freedom". 

What sort of voices speak to our heart during these challenging times? Are they voices full hope or despair? Is it the voice of the Good Shepherd or the Father of Lies? During this lock down, let us keep on discerning God's will for us. Doing His will is our vocation regardless if we are married or single, ordained or lay. And if we have discerned what God wants us to do, let us be open to it. Openness to His call will surely bring "us out of the confines of selfishness and leads us to the pastures of true freedom". Openness to His will would help us become a holy parent, a holy child, a holy professional, a holy minister of the Church, a holy frontliner.  And for our young people and those of us who seem to be clueless, openness to His will would pave the way to discover in what vocation God is calling us.

United with Mary and Joseph, may we have the grace to listen to the Shepherd's voice, to revive our homes as seedbeds of vocations.