Gospel Reflection

December 25, 2012

Tuesday – Year of Faith

Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord – Christmas Day

Mass during the Day

by Rev. Fr. Ramon Jade Licuanan (Head, Youth Ministry, San Carlos Seminary)
12:15PM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

Reading 1 Is 52:7-10

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, "Your God is King!"

Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry, together they shout for joy, for they see directly, before their eyes, the LORD restoring Zion. Break out together in song, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the LORD comforts his people, he redeems Jerusalem. The LORD has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6.

R.  (3c) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
his right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Reading 2 Heb 1:1-6

Brothers and sisters: In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe, who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being, and who sustains all things by his mighty word. When he had accomplished purification from sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high, as far superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say: You are my son; this day I have begotten you? Or again: I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me? And again, when he leads the firstborn into the world, he says: Let all the angels of God worship him.

Gospel Jn 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man's decision but of God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth. John testified to him and cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'" From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father's side, has revealed him.

or Jn 1:1-5, 9-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man's decision but of God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth.

HOMILY

Every Christmas, I always remember this story, na gusto ko pong i-share, kahit na paulit ulit. There is this man who was looking at a wall, and on the wall, he saw ants. The ants were carrying little crumbs of food, and they were all climbing a perpendicular wall. Paakyat. And the man said, "Nakaka-awa naman itong mga langgam na ito. Ang liliit na nga ng paa, mayroon pang dala-dala, paakyat pa ng napakataas na pader". So the man was thinking of a way of helping them.

"Ah, finally, alam ko na ang gagawin ko." So what he did was, kinuha niya 'yong mga maliliit na crumbs doon sa floor na kinukuha ng mga ants. Then iniligay niya ang mga crumbs sa ibabaw ng wall. Kaso nga lang, pagbagsak ng mga crumbs of food, nagkakagulo ang mga ants. "Ahhh, something is falling. Giant ! Giant ! Run for your lives !" Takbuhan sila. So 'yong lalaki, sabi niya, that is not the way of helping them, kasi lalong nagulo yata ang mga ants. Sabi niya, "Wait, let me think. Ah....alam ko na."

So he attempted for the second time. Ang ginawa niya, para matulungan ang mga langgam, hinawakan niya sa bandang puwitan ang isang langgam, and then he started to push each of them up the wall. Para matulungan silang umakyat. Kaso may problema. Once na ma-touch niya 'yong langgam, syempre nagugulat 'yong langgam, tatakbo na naman. "Ay ! Giant ! Giant ! Run for your lives ! Run for your lives !" Nagkagulo na naman ang mga langgam.

So the man said, "Oh...how can I ever help them?" Until finally, he gave up. And he realized that the only way to help them - these ants carrying their load up the wall - is to become like them. To become an ant himself, and to carry the load with them, to encourage them, push them up, and lead them.

If you look at Christmas, it is, in a way, similar to that. It is because, God, in His glorious throne, who owns everything, a God who is the beginning and the end of it all, decided to be a creature. The Creator decided to become man, to be like His subjects, His subordinates. Ganoon ang Christmas. When we look at the manger, one reality is there for us to see. God in all His glorious throne and majesty, decided to live simply like us. That is Christmas.  

That is why I call Christmas as the mother of all possibilities. Why do I say that? Kung nagawa ng Diyos ang pinakamalaking ka-imposiblehan, kung nagawa ng Diyos ang nagpakatao to reach us, then everything else is possible, everything else can happen. Christmas is telling us that nothing can ever be impossible to us, especially because God owns us as His own, as His people. We, who are heirs of God's Kingdom, can do everything under His mandate, within the confines of His commandments, of His will. Kaya natin gawin.

The greatest, or the deepest, or the widest valley has been filled up. The greatest gap has been met and been brought together. 'Yon 'yong Christmas, eh. That is why if you go back to the Second Reading, you know you would see that the Book of Hebrews speaks of how God has been in a constant struggle to talk to us, to reach us. The Second Reading speaks about the prophets. From the prophets, God has been trying to reach us. From the patriarchs, to the Kings, to the Judges, to St. John - these are all attempts of God to reach us.

Even in the Gospel, mas mahaba ang kasaysayan na ipinakita ng Ebanghelyo. Why? Because it seems that the Gospel started with the very very first moment of Creation, or even before the Creation. "In the beginning was the Word." The Gospel of John began by illustrating where God is. Even before the Creation, God was already there. He is the Word. Even when there was still no universe, God is already there. And God who is beyond time, who is beyond space, decided to come to the world. And to live with us. That is why the Gospel ends by saying that this Word, this Light, this Life, who is beyond time and space, who is there already before everything existed, is with us, and already dwells in us.

You can see the long journey, you can see the long period of time, you can see the long spectrum of time and distance and reality, ngayon ay napagdugtong ng Diyos. Right now, He is dwelling within you and me. That's Christmas. And because of that, all the more that it strengthens the truth that Christmas is a reminder for us that everything is possible with God.

If God is so, then, there is no reason for us to say, "Wala nang pag-asa ang asawa ko. Babaero na 'yan from the beginning of our marriage." No. Christmas tells you, posible. God can teach your asawa. "Wala nang pag-asa ang anak ko. Ilang beses ko nang pinarusahan 'yan. Lahat na, pinalo, nagmaka-awa, pinalo, lahat na ginawa na namin sa kanya. Ganyan pa rin siya, wala nang pag-asa 'yan". No. Christmas is telling us, posibleng maabot 'yan ng Diyos. Kung gaano ka naabot ng Diyos. Walang imposible.

"It is impossible for me to get promoted, to reach that position. Naku ang daming nangangarap sa posisyon na 'yan. Nagkasiraaan na nga." No. It is possible. Christmas is telling and reminding us that everything is possible. "Sobrang matagal na ang aming hidwaan. Sobrang lalim na ng sugat namin, we can never be reconciled. You can never bring us or put us in one room. Amoy pa lang, pangalan pa lang, naiirita na ako. It is impossible for us to be reconciled. Sa ginawa niyang iyon, sa ginawa niya sa pamilya ko. Sa akin na lang sana, huwag lang sa pamilya ko." May mga ganyang drama pa 'yan. "Hindi na, hindi ko mapapatawad 'yan." No. You may be surprised that one day that you feel like forgiving the person. You may be surprised that one day, you are the best of friends. You are closer than ever. It is possible.

My brothers and sisters, it is Christmas. God will be disappointed if Christmas comes and yet we are so much disappointed in our own shortcomings, in our limitations, when we are so confined with our own insecurities. No. Christmas is a promise that everything will be possible. Everything can happen, especially if it is in accordance to God's will, when it is in congruence with God's Word, with His plan. It is possible.

That is Christmas. Because of that, we can say, 'posible pala'. Posible kaming yumaman, posible kaming maka-ahon sa hirap, posible kaming magkasundo, posible kaming magbago, posible akong gumaling, posibleng umunlad ang bansa, posibleng....although mahirap pong sabihin ano.....posibleng maging maayos ang aming mga politiko, maging tapat sila, posible lahat 'yan. And that is Christmas.

In this mass, my dear brothers and sisters, let us call to mind the things that so confine us and paralyze us, the things that make us think it is impossible. In this mass, as we partake of Jesus who is born in our midst, let us claim the grace of Christmas. That everything under the light of Jesus and under the light of God, is possible.

You may also want to see: A Holy Life - The Nativity of Our Lord