Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God (ABC)

January 1, 2020

Readings:

First Reading: Numbers 6: 22-27

Psalm 67 “May God bless us in his mercy.”

Second Reading: Galatians 4: 4-7 

Gospel reading according to Luke 2: 16-21

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Homily:

There is no other woman in the whole world, past, present and in the future, like Mary chosen by God to become Mother of God (Theotokos), our Lord Jesus Christ.  Because Jesus is God, the Second Person in One God, who becomes like us except sin, so it is God's will and by nature that Mary is the Mother of God.  And Mary is venerated (not worship), given highest honor (hyperdulia) because of his Son, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man (of Mary).

When the Son of God was born in our midst, a group, or let us say humanity, to be the first to hear the good and glad tidings was the shepherds tending their flocks in the field near Bethlehem.  The angel of the Lord appeared and announced to them the birth of the new born king wrapped in the swaddling clothes and lying in the manger.  Not only one angel but a multitude of angels appeared and sung: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to mankind of goodwill, while their surrounding was as bright as morning despite it was night, a holy night.  After hearing the good news, they left their sheep to one of their trusted companions and in haste went to the place where the babe of Bethlehem lying.  The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger (Luke 2: 16).  They found the family of Joseph in a cave where animals were kept in that evening, and they saw the infant lying in a manger with his mother, Mary.

The shepherds witnessed what was announced and proclaimed to them by the angel of the Lord, and they believed. They knelt down to worship the infant King and gave him homage.  Afterward they told (isinalaysay) what the angel of the Lord told them about the birth of the babe of Bethlehem.   When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about the child (Luke 2: 17).  The shepherds were excited to tell the story about the apparition of the angel and the multitude of other angels and how their surroundings became as bright as day and pronounced what the angel brought forth the good news and glad tidings – the birth of the Messiah, the King of Israel.

Those who were present there, when they heard what the shepherds told them about what the angel of the Lord said all were astounded. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds (Luke 2: 18), for in front of them is the truth and the evidence of the message of an angel.  Nobody can deny but rather accept what is presented and manifested to them here and now (of space and time).

Mary, the Mother of God who became man, was listening attentively to the story of the shepherds. Nothing escapes from the sharp ears of Mary.  And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart (Luke 2: 19).  She knew that the shepherds' story was true, for she herself experienced the apparition of the angel (Gabriel) and announced to her the good news of motherhood of the Son of God.  This also was written in her heart. Mary was an active listener.

The shepherds after experiencing the revelation by an angel went back to their companions and to their flock rejoicing, glorifying and praising God.  They were happy indeed of what they have heard and seen.  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them (Luke 2: 20).  Afterwards, they reflected, recalled and discussed (shared) all that happened that night, they now know that salvation is at hand for their liberator is born in their midst. 

As a Jew and under the Law of Moses, Jesus underwent the traditional circumcision as purification and or cleansing and a sign of membership in the Jewish community. On the eight day, Jesus was brought by his foster father Joseph and his mother Mary to the temple for the traditional circumcision. When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb (Luke 2: 21).  After the rite of circumcision was finished, a name was given to him; and he was called Jesus.

Feast of the Holy Family (A)

December 29, 2019

Readings:

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

Psalm 128 “Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.”

Second Reading: Colossians 3: 12-17 (or 3: 12-21)

Gospel reading according to Matthew 2: 13-15, 19-23

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Homily:

Jesus was born, the Word of God became man to bring light to the dark world of sin and division, to bring good harmonious relationship with God and human beings.  The whole world rejoices at the coming of the Messiah, of Christ the anointed One, Jesus whom Joseph gave his name according to the command of an angel of the Lord.  Led by the shining star from the east, three wise men followed it and arrived at Jerusalem, while the star disappeared.  After inquiring King Herod and the scholars of Jerusalem they pointed to Bethlehem, the birthplace of the new born King.  When they left King Herod and continued their search for the infant babe of Bethlehem, the star re-appeared and found the infant with his mother wrapped in swaddling clothes.  The magi worshiped him and brought out their gifts, frankincense, gold and myrrh.  They too rejoiced for now the God of glory is revealed to them.  Since they, the magi, represented the whole humanity, all humankind too saw the glory of God in this infant babe of Bethlehem (as St. Francis of Assisi called this child). After a day or two, the magi left for their own countries of origin to proclaim the good news of the birth of the new king without going back and passing through to King Herod, who also planned to kill them.  They used another routes.  When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: Rise, take the child and his mother; flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you.  Herod is going to search for a child to destroy him (Matthew 2: 13).  During that night, when the magi left, a dream came to Joseph and the angel of the Lord warned him about the coming danger in the life of the infant and his mother.  The angel told him to rise, take the child and his mother; flee to Egypt, and stay there until he was told for King Herod is going to search for a child to destroy him because he was jealous and afraid to loss his throne and since he was tricked by the three wise men.

Joseph, like his forefather of old, Joseph of Egypt, who always had dreams from God, he followed what the angel commanded him to do in a dream.  Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt (Matthew 2: 14).  He rose, woke up Mary in the middle of the night, and prepared their departure from Bethlehem, Jerusalem to Egypt, to the place where their ancestors (Jacob and his family) stayed and lived during famine in the land of Canaan, for the safety of the life of the child and even of his mother, Mary.  Though King Herod was sure that he was killed the new born King of Israel, but to be sure he sent many spies in the surrounding areas of Judea up to Egypt, so Joseph to avoid those spies moved from one place to another his foster son Jesus and wife Mary.

Joseph and his family (Jesus and Mary) stayed in some parts of Egypt for quite sometimes until a dream told him that King Herod was dead.  He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son (Matthew 2: 15).  He and his family mingled with the Egyptians and some Jewish people who were in diaspora.  He raised Jesus with his trade, carpentry and other woodwork while staying in Egypt.

After sometime, again, in a dream the angel of the Lord appeared and told Joseph that King Herod and those who would like to kill the child and his mother were already dead and it was now safe to go back to Jerusalem, in Bethlehem where his families and relatives mostly lived.  When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said: Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead (Matthew 2: 19-20).  At last, when King Herod and those who would like to kill the infant and his mother died, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him it is now time to go back to the house of Israel for it is safe for his family to go back home, and so the prophecy was fulfilled that God called his Son Jesus out of Egypt (cf. Hosea 11: 1).

Again, as he awoke he did what the angel of the Lord told him, he is truly an obedient servant of God.  He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel (Matthew 2: 21).  He woke Mary and Jesus and readied themselves for a journey from Egypt to the place of their relatives and friends in Jerusalem.  There they will stay for the rest of their lives and nobody knows what happened to Mary, and the virgin birth to Jesus conceived by the Holy Spirit in accordance to the will of God the almighty Father.  He, Jesus, can also serve in the Temple, if he wishes to do so while helping his father Joseph in their business.  He can also get marry of one of his kin.  Nevertheless, Jesus has different future and plan of God, his loving Father.  He will become the savior of the world.

When the family of Joseph approached Jerusalem, he found out that Herod Anchelaus replaced his father as a new king.  He is worse than his father Herod.  But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there (Matthew 2: 22).  Joseph knew the cruelty of this Archelaus to the people of Israel and his disbelief in the Jewish religion, and he was friend and cohort of the Roman Empire, for the Romans was the ones who chose him in replacing his father in his throne.   It is natural for a father and a husband to get worried about the fate of his family in the hands of a corrupt, cruel, authoritarian and bad king.

In a dream, Joseph was again warned by the angel of the Lord for the safety of his family, especially of the infant King.  He was told to go back to Galilee, in his former home in Nazareth, and there he should raise Jesus to manhood.  And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, He shall be called a Nazorean (Matthew 2: 22-23).  And Jesus will be called as Nazorean, as what the prophecy had been foretold for he will grow up in Nazareth, Galilee.  

Fourth Sunday of Advent (A)

December 22, 2019

Readings:

First Reading: Isaiah 7: 10-14

Psalm 24 “Let the Lord enter, he is King of glory.”

Second Reading: Romans 1: 1-7

Gospel reading according to Matthew 1: 18-24

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Homily:

The story of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is told by Matthew, the Evangelist and one of the twelve apostles.  Matthew lived in Galilee (Capernaum), and son of Alphaeus; he spoke Aramaic and Greek and was a tax collector. Most probably he was an educated man.  He may probably know the families of Mary and Joseph and he heard the good news about the birth of Jesus, for he too came from Galilee (Nazareth).  He knew the story of the betrothal of Mary to Joseph, the annunciation of the virgin birth of Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit as proclaimed by the Archangel Gabriel.  'This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about' (Matthew 1: 18).  So, let us listen attentively to the story of the birth of our Lord Jesus the Christ narrated by Matthew.

The story went like this.  Mary was betrothed to Joseph after she was released from the Temple service in Jerusalem.  She was more or less fourteen or fifteen years old at the time of her betrothal to Joseph. Though they were married in the eyes of the people and of God, they have not yet live as husband and wife in one house or roof.  Mary was still living with her parents – Joaquim and Anna, because she was separated for many years when she was small girl and raised in the Temple together with other young girls as living offerings for the gift of children, she will spend some time with her parents, while Joseph lived in his own house waiting for Mary to come with him. 'When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit' (Matthew 1: 18). Secretly, Mary carried in her womb the Son of God as announced by an angel of God, and alone she carried by herself the burden as mother of the Son of Man, even Joseph her husband as well as her parents, relatives and neighbors did not know that Mary was carrying a child in her womb. Nobody knows her pregnancy conceived by the Holy Spirit, in accordance to God's will.

Only later, when Joseph her husband most probably visited Mary in her home maybe Mary told him about her condition, for it was about three months that passed of her pregnancy.  'Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly' (Matthew 1: 19).  Joseph, for a while, was not able to accept the condition of Mary, as if he was thinking that Mary was not faithful to him and he could not take it.  But, because he was a righteous man and he loved Mary more than anybody else, he did not want to expose Mary to a shameful situation, the ridicules of people, mock her, even curse her and expel her in her community or else she might be killed by stoning to death for her infidelity, unfaithfulness, betrayal, cheating, in short adultery to their marriage vows.  By divorcing her, at least he can save Mary's life, honor and dignity, but she cannot escape the lampoon, ridicule and call name names for they will think that Mary is not a good wife to Joseph.  

His divorcing to Mary might save Mary's life, but still he cannot decide properly, because he worries about Mary’s condition.  He cannot sleep well, he was thinking Mary and the infant in her womb, yet he cannot accept it that someone impregnated Mary.  Finally, he decided to leave Mary by divorcing her.  'Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.  For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her' (Matthew 1: 20).  While he was sleeping, suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared in his dream and explained to him what had happened to Mary and the child in her womb.  The angel said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.'  There is nothing to worry about in taking Mary in his home.  The angel told Joseph about the virgin birth through the Holy Spirit, and the child to be conceived is the Son of God.

Then the angel told Joseph that he is the one to give name to the child, and the name given by heaven to the Son of Mary is Jesus.  'She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins' (Matthew 1: 21).  Joseph will give then name to his foster son Jesus for he is destined to save his people from their sins. He will raise and help and support Jesus to fulfill the plan of God for him.  Joseph is the chosen one to protect the mother and the son from all harm and danger until he grows up and mature.

While Mary was the chosen virgin, pure, holy and clean, to become the mother of the Son of God, as it was written in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 7:14: 'All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, God is with us' (Matthew 1: 22-23). It was prophesied long, long time ago this event that happened to Mary, she is the virgin to give birth to a son, whose name to be given was Jesus, the God who comes to bring light and salvation to the whole world.

When Joseph learned all this in the dream through an angel of God, when he woke up he hurriedly went to the house of Mary and asked her hands from her parents that he will take Mary in his home.  'When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home' (Matthew 1: 24).  There, in his home, he took care Mary, loved her with full respect, and with all his heart with a pure intention that is to serve her and her son, whom he will name Jesus.

Third Sunday of Advent (A)

December 15, 2019

Readings:

First Reading: Isaiah 35: 1-6a, 10

Psalm 146 “Lord, come and save us.”

Second Reading: James 5: 7-10

Gospel reading according to Matthew 11: 2-11

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Homily:

John the Baptist was arrested and imprisoned by King Herod because John said to him that it is not good to take to himself his brother's wife, Herodias.  Even Herodias became mad at him and had grudges against John  When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ, he sent his disciples to him with this question, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?' (Matthew 11: 2-3).  In prison, John heard many things about his cousin Jesus as Christ, the anointed One or the Messiah, that Jesus had done many good works.  To know better and to make sure that Jesus was truly the One sent by God to save Israel of which he also waiting for his coming, he called his disciples in prison and told them to look for Jesus and asked him if he is the awaited one or not.

When the disciples found Jesus curing every kind of diseases and illnesses and performing the acts of mercy and compassion, they came to him and asked the question John would like to know regarding him.  Jesus said to them in reply, 'Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them' (Matthew 11: 4-5).  Jesus did not show any dilly dally, nagpatumpik-tumpik pa, for he knew the urgency of John's question.  So, Jesus let the disciples of John see for themselves who he is, what he does, and what he says.  He let them witness the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them, and many others, as 'And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me' (Matthew 11: 6), as proof that it was he who were sent by the Most High God and Father the Almighty.  They were the living witnesses to John that he (Jesus) was truly the One who is to come.

Jesus praised John as true prophet in the desert.  Before the disciples of John left to report what they saw, experienced and learned, they also heard and listened to Jesus' exhortation about John.  As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, 'What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?  Then what did you go out to see?  Someone dressed in fine clothing?  Those who wear fine clothing are in the royal palaces.  Then why did you go out? To see a prophet?  Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet' (Matthew 11: 7-9).  Jesus said people go to the desert not to see reed swayed by the wind, or someone dressed fancy clothing whom they can only see in the palaces but not in the dusty, humid or hot desert, but to see and listen to a prophet.  And John who lives in the desert is the greatest prophets of them all.  For John was the prophet written in the primordial time to be, 'This is the one about whom it is written: 'Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you' (Matthew 11: 10), for John will be sent as a messenger (like an angel with a message of good news to the people) before the coming of the most awaited one, the Messiah, the Christ, and when he (John) comes ahead of him he will prepare the way of the Lord.  No one, even the greatest prophets of old were able to do what John has done during the coming of the Anointed One, Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God.

He even compared John to the sons of so many a women (mothers).  There were many great men born during the time of John but nobody surpassed his greatness, even from the leaders and elders of the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, the priests in the Temple in Jerusalem and those members of the Sanhedrin had no equal with John.   'Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist'; nevertheless he who is humble, kind, simple, poor, merciful 'yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he' (Matthew 11: 11).