FEASTING ON THE WORD
"If you meditate on the Scriptures it will appear to you in its brilliant splendor." ―St. Pio of Pietrelcina
Feast of the Holy Child Jesus (C)Isaiah 9:1-6 | Psalm 98: 1-5 | Ephesians 1:3-6.15-18 | Luke 2:41-52 Being a nation where children comprise 31% of the population (about 34 million of the total 112 million), Filipinos are known for their love of children. When we see children, we are happy. A child is welcoming, comforting and non-threatening. Its power is in its weakness. Its force is its love. It comes as no surprise that we have a long-standing and widespread devotion to Holy Child Jesus after the first image of El Santo Niño Jesus was brought to Cebu and given as a baptismal gift to Rajah Humabon’s wife by Fernando Magallanes 500 years ago. For Filipino Catholics the Holy Child represents a God who is a source of great joy; a God who is accessible to all and can be approached without fear. One can easily notice an image or icon of the Sto. Niño displayed in family altars of homes, schools, offices, community stores and even inside jeepneys. 5 year old Liam was talking to a shopping mall Santa Claus. Liam asked, “Are you a politician?” Santa said, “Why do you ask?” The little boy said, “Because you always promise more than you can deliver.”It's a remarkable thing when someone running for President of the Republic of the Philippines can, without blushing, promise that if elected, he or she will "give gold to Filipinos," "make Philippines great again," "bring in unifying leadership" or "usher in a Golden age of Philippine economy." The candidates might as well be saying to the Filipino people, "Hey, vote for me, I'm the person in Isaiah's prophecy, that's me! I'm the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace! Put the government on my shoulders, and see what happens. Every time election season rolls around the promises start flowing and without fail the people cling to the ones they want to believe in the most. The people of Israel were facing a threat from the growing superpower of Assyria which would eventually destroy the northern kingdom of Israel and lead many Jews into captivity. Isaiah addressed this situation by promising the coming of a future King. He prophesied that God will never abandon or leave them in deepest darkness. The light will come as a Holy Child who is a Governor, Counselor, God, and Prince of Peace. Isaiah prophesied that the Child who will be born to us will be great. This Child is not an ordinary child. He is not a weakling but a strong leader. He will liberate the people of Israel from oppressive rule and is destined to establish a kingdom of justice and peace. Jesus is different. He is righteous and perfect and keeps all promises made. At Catechism class they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Marlon, a child in the kindergarten class, seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam’s ribs. Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and said, “Marlon, what’s the matter?”Marlon said, “I don’t feel well, I think I’m having a wife.” The Child Jesus did not remain a child. In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul, talks about Jesus, not anymore as a little child but a grown up holy man. All favors are given to us through Jesus Christ. He is God's means of dealing with us in effecting his love and salvation and in gifting us with many graces. The Son of God became man to make all men — Gentile or Jew, servant or free, women or men — children of God. According to Saint Paul, our vocation as children of God is to be holy and blameless before the Father. As children, we both have good and bad qualities. On the one hand, childish behavior is not so attractive. It connotes immaturity, silliness, and foolishness. We dutifully try to eliminate these unpleasant qualities through constant teaching and correction. On the other extreme, a childlike demeanor denotes obedience, innocence and humility. When children are demonstrating childlike qualities, we find them endearing and lovable. It is God’s will that although, we grow in age, our values should remain childlike. We must remain like children — niños or niñas — before the eyes of God. We feed either childishness or childlikeness through our actions. So let’s ask ourselves the question, “Am I childish or childlike?” Fr Hector was in Tayuman, Manila, several years ago, and noticed in the restaurants section of the online yellow pages, an entry for a place called Church of God Grill. The peculiar name aroused his curiosity and he dialed the number. A man answered with a cheery, “Hello! Church of God Grill!” The priest asked how that restaurant had been given such an unusual name, and the man said: “Well, we had a little mission down here, and we started selling chicken dinners after church on Sunday to help pay the bills. Well, people liked the chicken, and we did such a good business, that eventually we cut back on the church service. After a while we just closed down the church altogether and kept on serving chicken dinners. We kept the name we started with, and that’s Church of God Grill.” In the Gospel, Mary and Joseph have raised Jesus for 12 years so it is no surprise that Mary would be in a panic when she discovers that Jesus is not with the group of travelers. With great anxiety she and Joseph search for him. Three days later the one who was lost has been found. Mary’s first words are, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” Mary and Joseph try to bring Jesus back into the small family circle when they find him, but Jesus rejects this. “Why were you looking for me?” he asks. “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Mary and Joseph don’t understand this comment. Notice the contrast between “your father” in verse 48 and “my Father” in verse 49. Mary says, “Your father and I have been searching for you.” Jesus replies, “I had to be in my Father’s house.” Jesus’ response signals a break in his relationship with his parents. Not a sinful break, but rather an appropriate break for Christ as the Son of God. During this time, Jesus will begin to show his independence from them (cf. John 2:4). It was at the age of 12 that young Jewish men began their formal training in the synagogue, were received into Judaism as a “son of the law” and were expected to begin strict obedience to the law at this age. Jesus was aware of who he was and he had his priorities right. He knew he had to honor his father and mother. But he also had to do what his Father in heaven wanted him to do. Authentic growth almost always involves letting go. Jesus has moved from Mary and Joseph’s home to the Father’s home. This is not a rejection of his earthly parents but a re-prioritizing of relationships. For us, it means examining and re-prioritizing the values, beliefs, and relationships that establish our identity and give our life meaning and significance. Growing up spiritually involves leaving our comfort zone, letting go of what is safe and familiar, and moving to a bigger place, to engage in our Heavenly Father's business. Today’s gospel is a story about growing up but it is not Jesus’ growing up. It is about Mary and Joseph growing up. It is about you and me growing up. Growing up is not about how old we are. It is really about moving into deeper and more authentic relationships with God, our world, each other, and ourselves. So we wonder what are the little homes in which we live? How have they bound up our life, stifled our growth, and kept us from the Father’s home? What might we have to leave behind in order to grow up and move to a better place? These can be hard questions, painful questions. Ultimately, however, they are questions rooted on love. The promise of the gospel, the promise of Jesus, is that if we seek first the kingdom, we’ll find our true identities as children of God. And that when we’re about our Father’s business, we’ll find the life we’ve always been waiting for. May God give each of you—each of us—the strength and wisdom to prioritize him always and may we never forget our purpose. Pit Señor! Viva, Pit Señor! <enrique, ofs>
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About JeffJeff Jacinto, PhD, DHum Archives
March 2024
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