Gospel Reflection

January 09, 2013

Year of Faith

Wednesday after Epiphany of the Lord

by Rev.  Fr. Nilo Mangussad (Rector Our Lady of Peace Quasi-Parish)

12:15PM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

                         

Reading 1 1 Jn 4:11-18

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit. Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 72:1-2, 10, 12-13

R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Gospel Mk 6:45-52

After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray.  When it was evening, the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

HOMILY

We are saddened by news of so many recent killings. Just immediately after the birth of Christ, we see again killings, death. Not only by accident, but also premature, unexpected death.

But that is one of the pains and hazards of living. In fact, we fear such things - death, catastrophes, disasters, losing a job, losing one's life. We are always afraid. But this is the best time to show our faith in the Lord - when there is a storm. When the Lord reaches the boat of our lives, it is time to show how much faith we have. Peter was afraid, but he was consoled, because Jesus helped him.

To be honest, I am not happy right now, because I just lost another friend. A priest friend of mine who is number one in liturgy, just died this morning, and we are very sad. We just lost a priest at the Bahay Pari last December 28. I lost my best professor in the conservatory just after Christmas. And now, this one.

It is very disheartening to hear about these deaths. But if I am saying what I am preaching, "I have faith." I believe that these are things that the Lord wants us to experience, because He wants show us He is in control, He will be in control of the turmoil in our lives, and He will be there when we need Him most. The only question we must ask ourselves is, "Despite all these things in my life, am I really relying on my faith in the Lord?"

Gospel Reflection

January 08, 2013

Year of Faith

Tuesday after Epiphany of the Lord

by Rev.  Fr. Joel Jason (Dean, Graduate School of Theology San Carlos Seminary)

12;15PM Mass at Megamall, Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord

                         

Reading 1 1 Jn 4:7-10

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8

R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Gospel Mk 6:34-44

When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already very late. Dismiss them so that they can go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” He said to them in reply, “Give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food and give it to them to eat?” He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out they said, “Five loaves and two fish.” So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass. The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties. Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; he also divided the two fish among them all.  They all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments and what was left of the fish. Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.

HOMILY

Today is Tuesday....after Monday (laughs). Kanina 'yong ating commentator, she was introducing the mass, tama naman ang kanyang introduction. Today is Tuesday after the Epiphany. Last Sunday was the Feast of the Epiphany.
Ano ba 'yong nakita natin during the Feast of the Epiphany? It was the manifestation of the Lord, the Lord being revealed to the people. It was, as it were, the beginning of the introduction of the Child Jesus, not only to the Jews, but to all people. And Jesus was manifested as Savior of all of humanity.
And so the feast last Sunday was, in a way, a sort of introduction to the ministry of the Lord, which, we will see, slowly unfolding. Next Sunday, we will be celebrating the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. 'Yon ang panahon ng official entry ng Panginoon in His active ministry.
In today's Gospel, we hear the familiar story of the multiplication of the loaves. Ano ba ang ipinapakita dito? Jesus is already beginning His mission. And this mission was very much in conjunction with the mystery of His birth. We have just celebrated the mystery of Christmas, and we are still very familiar with the Christmas story. Ano ba 'yong narinig natin doon sa Christmas story? Jesus was born in a town called Bethlehem. And Bethlehem literally means 'house of bread'. There's a reason why Jesus was born in a town called Bethlehem. Why? Because He is the Bread of Life. And that is why even the town where Jesus was born was already pointing towards the mission that Jesus was to accomplish. He is to give His own life as Bread, as food for the salvation of all humanity.
So nakikita natin dito 'yong unti-unting pagkakasatuparan ng ating Panginoon ng Kanyang misyon. I think it is a good reminder for all of us, especially as we begin the New Year. I am sure all of you here have your own New Year's resolution, 'yong inyong mga misyon na gusto ninyong simulan sa taong 2013. They said there are three kinds people when we talk about mission, or things that need to be accomplished. Who are those three kinds of people? Sabi nila, those who make things happen, and then secondly, those who watch things happen, and thirdly, those who ask 'what happened?'.
Now, it would be good at the beginning of the year to ask, "In what category do you fall?" Are you the kind of person who makes things happen? Or do you simply watch what happens? Or do you simply ask what happened?
Ano kaya ang mga tao who simply ask what happened? You can find that in the Gospel for today. In the Gospel, the people were hungry. And the Apostles were, in a way....para bang they fell into the third category. They did not want to do anything about the hunger of the people. When Jesus asked if they had something to feed for them, ano ang sabi nila, 'Lord, pauwiin mo na lang. Huwag na nating abalahin ang ating sarili.' Para bang they did not want to do anything. People who simply asked what happened are those kinds of people. They do not want to act. They simply ask what happened because they always remained in the background.
Once I received a text message, ang sabi, 'mga bagong kasabihan ngayong 2013'. Sabi doon, "Kung kaya ng iba, eh di ipagawa mo sa kanila." (laughs) Nagbago na ano. Dati sinasabi natin, "Kung kaya ng iba, kaya ko rin." Pero ngayon iba na. There are people like that. They only ask what happened. Why? Kasi inaasahan nilang may gagawa ng lahat. "Lord send them home. Let other people take care of them."
And then, there are people who simply watch things as they happen. They know that they can contribute something, but they are still hesitant, because they do not believe that they have something to contribute.
But there are those people who make things happen. And in our Gospel for today, this is also very evident. Who is that man, or who is that person who made things happen? Number one, the boy who had those five loaves and two fish. He knew the people were hungry, and he heard the Lord asking if they had something to feed for them. Ano'ng sinabi ng bata? Hindi niya sinabing, 'Ay, akin lang 'to. Ay, hindi ko ito ibibigay.' So what did he do? He offered his five loaves of bread and two fish. He wanted to make things happen. Jesus also was someone who makes things happen. He accepted the offering of the boy and when He took it, He blessed it, and then distributed it, and then the multiplication of the loaves happened.
As we begin the new year, let us ask for the grace that like the little boy, and like our Lord Jesus, in front of our many resolutions, let us be the kind of person who will make things happen. And we know that we can make things happen, not when we rely only on our own power, but more so, if we ask the intercession of God's grace. We have that very beautiful principle of spirituality: "Grace builds on nature." In this mass, let us ask for God's grace, that He may help us in all our projects. But let us offer back to the Lord our willingness to cooperate in His grace. That with the help of the Holy Spirit, we, too, can make things happen, especially for this New Year, 2013. God bless us all.

Gospel Reflection

January 07, 2013

Year of Faith

Monday after Epiphany of the Lord

by Rev. Fr. Roberto 'Bert' V. Fabillo (LRMS, Parochial Vicar, St. Peter the Apostle Parish Church, Paco, Manila)
5:45PM Mass, Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel (Greenbelt Chapel), Makati

                         

Reading 1 1 Jn 3:22–4:6

Beloved: We receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us. Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit whom he gave us.

Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God, and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus does not belong to God. This is the spirit of the antichrist who, as you heard, is to come, but in fact is already in the world. You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They belong to the world; accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world, and the world listens to them. We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 2:7bc-8, 10-12a

R. (8ab) I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.”
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

Gospel Mt 4:12-17, 23-25

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled:

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. His fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain, those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

HOMILY

Magandang gabi po sa ating lahat. Happy New Year po.

Actually, it's still Christmas. Christmas will end with our celebration of the Baptism of the Lord this coming Sunday. Pwede pa po kayong mamasko. (laughs) Kayong may mga ninong at mga ninang, mamasko na kayo at last week na po. Katulad ng mga sale, last week ng mga sale ngayon. Kayo naman pong mga ninong at mga ninang, sad to inform you, hindi pa tapos ang inyong pagtatago. (laughs)

Now, from today until the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, these days will be saturated with the theme of light - Christ as light. That is why you might be wondering why our Gospel said that after John had been arrested, Jesus went to other places, went outside Bethlehem, and preached the Good News.

The Gospel is not revealing to us or is not telling us how Jesus was affected by the arrest of his cousin. As we have heard in the Gospels during the past weeks, especially the novena masses in preparation for Christmas, the Simbang Gabi, we heard about Mary and Elizabeth praising God together. Mary went to Elizabeth, and then they praised God together. This only indicates, in simple terms, that Mary and Elizabeth were close to each other as cousins. And so, humanly speaking, we would like to conclude that John and Jesus must have also been close to each other, because their mothers knew each other. And yet, now that John had been arrested, Jesus went out to preach, as if nothing had happened.

The Gospel is not telling us that Jesus does not care about His cousin, does not care about John. That's not the point, my dear friends. The point is this - it's a little bit subtle. Darkness in the world still lingers on, but Jesus, as the Light of world, continues to conquer this darkness that even the forces or the powers of heaven cannot quench that light of Christ, or cannot even discourage Jesus from teaching. And so here we are, given the picture of Christ shining into this world which is darkened by sin, with Jesus saying that no amount of darkness can subdue or stray Him away from conquering the world with His light.

Another important point in our Gospel, my dear friends is that Jesus, the Light shining in the darkness, repeated the preaching of John for us to repent and believe in the Gospel, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. The Kingdom of God is at hand. It means that the Kingdom of God is with us, here and now. But if we are to ask, "Where is the Kingdom of God?"

In the preaching of Jesus, He did not only preach by words. Many people came to follow Him because He preached through action. That is why the Gospel mentioned about Jesus healing and curing every disease and illness. That is telling us that the Kingdom of God is here. That God did not remain up there, untouchable, but that God came into this world saying, "Here I am.".

The Kingdom of God is at hand. Again we ask, "Where is the Kingdom of God?" It is in our hands. If we want to experience the Kingdom of God, my dear friends, it is in our hands. We cannot experience God unless we allow ourselves to be part of the Kingdom of God.

As we go back to our respective responsibilities, in our homes, in our offices - once again we begin another year of working and taking up responsibilities - we must have the light of Christ. Will we be a light of Christ, shining in our homes or in our offices, or will we be the darkness of Herod, spreading along gossip, spreading darkness, spreading actions that are in consonance with the evil force? The Kingdom of God is in our hands.

As we nourish ourselves with the readings of Christmas, we are expected to be just like Christ. We should continue to comfort one another, healing people, guiding people. Mag-smile ka lang sa loved one mo, sa office mate mo, that's a lot, diba? Pero pag sinimangutan mo sila, it is also a lot. Little things make a lot of difference. If you are a parent, kamustahin mo lang ang anak mo, or if you are a manager, kamustahin mo lang ang subordinate mo, that means a lot. You make their world shine, you make their world bright.

My dear friends, as we continue to reflect on this theme of light, we must begin, at least within this week, to be a light, to bring the light of Christ to others. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

January 06, 2013

Sunday – Year of Faith

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

by Rev. Fr. Lito Ignacio

12:15PM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

                         

Reading 1 Is 60:1-6

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13.

R. (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Second Reading Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6

Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation. It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Gospel Mt 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star,  and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,  they departed for their country by another way.

HOMILY

Maligayang kapistahan po ng Epiphany.

Alam nyo itong EDSA Shrine.....Bakit nga EDSA pala? Epifanio de los Santos. Ano ho ba ang kahulugan ng Epifanio? Epiphany came from the Greek word which means 'showing' or 'manifestation'. Epiphany also means revelation. Thus, EDSA or Epifanio de los Santos literally means 'epiphany of the saints'. Kaya ang Feast of the Epiphany ngayon ay parang kapistahan din po ng EDSA.

Ang kahulugan po ng Epiphany ay ito po. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, during the days of Herod, the King of Judea of Israel. Galit na galit si King Herod at gusto niya talagang ipapatay si Hesus, kasi nabalitaan niya 'there will be a new King of the Jews'. Sabi niya, 'I am the King of Jews. Paano'ng magkakaroon ng another King?' King Herod was greatly troubled that he called all his chief priests to ask where this child will be born. Ang mga haring gustong pumunta para mag-pay homage sa batang ito, hinarang niya. Niloko pa niya ang tatlong hari at sabi niya, 'Tell me if you have found this child, so I can also pay homage to him.' But Herod wanted to know all the details about this child, so that he can kill him. That is King Herod.

But what happened? A star led the three kings or the three magi until it stopped over the place where the child Jesus was born. The three magi then saw the child Jesus with Joseph and Mary, His mother. Ang ganda nito. They adored the Lord Jesus and paid Him homage. They gave Him treasures. Gifts of gold, meaning this Child is King. Gift of frankincense, which is a sign of worhsip, which means this Child is a Son of God. And the gift of myhrr, which means that this Child will one day die, as myhrr is the oil used when somebody dies.

What does Epiphany mean? Why do we celebrate this? The feast of the Epiphany is a reminder for us that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the Son of God, Jesus is the Savior of the world. The feast of the Epiphany celebrates the adoration of the Child Jesus by the three wise men from the East. The three magi are the representatives of all the pagan religions all over the world who, one day, would come to adore the Child Jesus. These three magi welcomed the good news of salvation through the incarnation of Jesus.

The feast of the Epiphany celebrates the first presentation of the newly born Savior of the world. The Child Jesus is revealed to all of us; the Child Jesus is meant for all of us. Christ came to give us Light. Only Christ can dispel the darkness which envelopes us. In order to dispel the darkness in our life, Christ must enter our soul. We are also the revelation of God, if we are united with Christ, if we receive Christ in our hearts. It is because man is also created in the image of God.

What will destroy this image of God in man? Sin. Kasalanan. Sin marred the image of man, but Christ came to restore man. Christ helped us to discover the brightness of this image. And God is revealed in Christ's plan of salvation and showed Christ as the Light of all peoples. Now that His glory is shown among us, God has renewed humanity in his immortal image. This is our First Reading for the day, from the prophet Isaiah. "The Lord will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to Your light, and kings to the brightness of the dawn."

Today, we celebrate God's plan of salvation. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to save us. Our Lord Jesus Christ came us our King, the King of all nations. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is Our Lord God and Savior, the Savior of the world. This is the essence of the Epiphany. That is why alam po ninyo, during the Simbang Gabi, I was very much struck by the image of the parol. Nasa Baguio po ako, I was invited by the Pink Sisters to celebrate Simbang Gabi at the Pink Sisters Convent. I also had a very meaningful Advent Season.

Alam nyo po 'yong Catholic Bishops' Commission on Family and Life, si Bishop Gabby Reyes, he asked the help of San Carlos seminarians...kami po ay parating prayer warriors, tagadasal po. And we are also asked to help to serve as marshalls. 'Yong mga marshalls, sila po 'yong mga guardian angels doon po sa Batasan. Ako po ang laging na-a-assign doon, 'ikaw ang sumama diyan'.

Practically, we have been there since December 4, December 9, December 11, nakapasok kami sa loob ng Batasan, December 12, nandoon po kami, and on the last day of the voting on the RH Bill, December 17, nandoon po kami. Nakaka-antig po ng damdamin. Totoo po ang nababasa natin sa Internet. We have to see it for ourselves, to see what is really happening inside.

Whenever I go there, talaga pong puro dasal po kami, to be honest po ano. I pray the rosary with this rosary po - ito po ang hinawakan ng Tatay ko last year when he died. I am always praying the rosary for our Congressmen, and prayed that the light of God, the light of Christ may shine upon them during their deliberation.

December 11 nagtataka ako. Bakit kaya ganito? Amendment ang pinag-uusapan. Life begins at conception, ayaw tanggapin. Nagpupukpukan na. And then pag tayo na ang nagsasalita, namamatay ang sound system. Akala ko ako lang ang nakakapansin. Sabi ko, pati ba naman sa Congress nagkakaroon sila ng cheating sa 'aye' tsaka 'naye'? I was praying, tahimik pa rin po ako. Lord, bakit po ganito? At a certain point I stopped.

I remembered San Lorenzo Ruiz. On October 21, I cried at the Vatican when San Pedro Calungsod was canonized. I said, "Jesus, thank you for making me a Filipino. Thank you for making me a Catholic." Umiyak ako. But inside that Congress, when I saw what was happening inside, I almost cried. Sabi ko, ito na ba ang ating bansa?

Ito ang sinasabi ko sa inyo. The light of Christ has come. Dumating ang liwanag ni Kristo. As St. Thomas Aquinas said, "God must have no substitute in your life. God must have the first place in your life." And St. Ignatius de Loyola said, 'God must be the first principle and foundation of your life. God must be the one treasure of your life."  But as St. Thomas Aquinas said, there are four substitutes for God. Mayroon daw pong apat na bagay na pinapalitan natin ang Diyos.

The first is wealth. Kayamanan. Wealth is very tempting. It is sad when some of us, even some of our legislators, choose wealth over God. Origally, there were 155 anti-RH Law legislators, but throughout the journey, before December 17, nagbago ang karamihan. Maraming mga congressman ang umiiyak at humihingi ng patawad ngayon, kasi alam nilang they did not vote out of conscience, not out of principle.

The second substitute for God is pleasure. It is sad that pleasure has substituted God in the light of discipline, in the light of love and sacrifice. We are called into a life of love, and not of pleasure and desires. We should do, not what is pleasurable, but what is right and what is God's will. What are we looking for? Is Jesus really the King of my life? Is Jesus the God of my life? Is Jesus really the fulfillment of all my desires in life? Am I really choosing Jesus? Do I want to study the teachings of Jesus' Gospel of love and life? Purity, 'yon po ang laging isipin natin. We are called to live a life of purity, of chastity. Kalinisan. We have to have the courage to be faithful, to be true, to be pure, in the context of responsible love, in the context of the sacredness of human life.

The third substitute is power. Marami pong nasisira sa power. Nagsisimula mabait, pero pag may kapangyarihan na, power corrupts. We have seen the abuse of power. As Christians, we are called to a life of humble service. Maglingkod po tayo. Let us choose the path of humility. Let us choose the path of Jesus Christ with humility and total abandonment. Let us remember the path of the Child Jesus - the path of trust, confidence and humble service, especially to the poor.

Lastly, the fourth substitute for God is honor. In the Scriptures, Satan tempted Jesus when he said, "Honor me and I will give you all the kingdoms of the world." But Jesus said, "You shall honor the Lord Your God alone. You must worship God alone." It is sad that people refuse to believe in God, because they choose to honor themselves. Nowadays, we see a lot of forms of self-redemption, and people substituting God in their reasoning. My brothers and sisters, we should worship God alone. We should accept Jesus as the Lord and Savior of our life, as the King of our hearts. At the very center of our being, nariyan pa ba ang Diyos? Ginagalang ba natin at tinatanggap ang Diyos bilang ating Panginoon at Tagapagligtas ng ating buhay? Siya pa ba ang ating kayamanan?

The Angel taught this prayer to the three children at Fatima : "Oh my God, I adore You, I believe in You, I hope in You, and I love You." "And we ask forgiveness, O God, for those who do not adore You, for those who do not believe in You, for those who do not hope in You, and for those who do not love You."

This is the challenge for us. We must place God at the very center of our hearts. As Pope Benedict XVI told us during Christmas, "Make room for God in your life." Magbigay po tayo ng puwang para sa Diyos. Ilagay natin ang Diyos sa ating puso. Ilagay natin ang Diyos sa ating pamilya. Ilagay natin ang Diyos sa ating lipunan, sa ating bansa. Nawa'y si Hesus ay patuloy na maghari sa ating bansa. Jesus is our Lord and Savior. Nawa'y patuloy tayong lumapit kay Hesus na ating Panginoon at Tagapagligtas. Happy Epiphany. May Christ's light dispel the darkness in our hearts. Amen.