Gospel Reflection

December 04, 2012

Tuesday – Advent – Year of Faith

by Rev. Fr. Juancho "Choy" Ramos (Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Parish of Sta. Cruz, Manila)
12:15pm mass at the Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace (EDSA Shrine)

Reading 1 Is 11:1-10

On that day, A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A Spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land's afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea.

On that day, The root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, The Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
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. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
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. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
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. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Gospel Lk 10:21-24

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

Turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

HOMILY

"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see." These were the words addressed in private by our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples. And as we all know, our Lord performed miracles and a lot of good things in front of his followers.

But there is a word here that struck me, which I believe is truly alive and present in our own experiences today. He says, "All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and anyone whom the Son wishes to reveal Him."

Let me underline the phrase, "anyone whom the Son wishes to reveal Him". I believe that our Lord wishes to reveal His presence to each of us. But are we ready to accept His presence in each moment of our lives? That is the purpose why Jesus came into this world, kung bakit Siya ay nanahan dito sa daigdig, upang makipamuhay sa atin. But oftentimes, Jesus was rejected. He was not recognized by many around Him, except by His own disciples.

In our celebration of the Eucharist, it is good that many of us believe in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. But are we really able to understand the meaning of the Eucharist in our lives? Oftentimes, we just take it as a kind of a devotion, an obligation, or as a ritual. Maybe some also look at it as just a process that needs to be done, because perhaps it is a tradition that has been handed down in the family.

But the real essence and the meaning of the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is to receive Him, and to make Him alive into our own being, into our own daily life. When you look at it from the perspective of faith, once we receive Jesus during the Holy Communion, we are being transformed into His own body. And as we receive Him, we are also challenged to become a channel of God's grace to others, to become 'broken bread' for others.

Let us pray that we, who receive Jesus in this Eucharistic celebration, may become a true channel of God's grace to others. Remember His words: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see." It is an act of faith. It is an act of total union with Jesus in the Eucharist. The Host is not just a piece of bread which we receive; it is the presence of the Lord who dwells in us. Sa pagtanggap natin sa Kanya, mayroon tayong lakas, mayroon tayong dignidad, mayroon tayong kakayanang maibahagi ang presensiya ng Panginoon sa ating kapwa. Sana ay maisabuhay natin ito at huwag natin itong tingnan na obligasyon, na isang tradisyon o ritwal lamang. Sa halip ay gawin natin itong ating buhay sapagkat si Hesus sa Eukaristiya ay nananais manahan at mamuhay sa ating buhay, Amen.

Gospel Reflection

December 03, 2012

Monday – Advent – Year of Faith

Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

by Rev. Fr. Prudencio 'Jun' T. Solomon (Rector and Parish Priest)

(Archdiocesan Shrine of the Our Lady of Loreto Parish, Sampaloc Manila)Guest Priest, Lunch Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

Reading 1 Is 2:1-5

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In days to come, The mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say: "Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths." For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.

O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!

Responsorial Psalm Ps 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, "Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Gospel Mt 8:5-11

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." He said to him, "I will come and cure him." The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven."

HOMILY

Mga ginigiliw kong mga kapatid, atin pong natunghayan ngayon sa ating Ebanghelyo ang pagpapagaling ni Hesus sa isang taong may karamdaman, kahit na ito ay wala sa kanyang harapan. Pinagaling niya ang alipin ng isang Kapitang Romano.

At bakit gumaling ang alipin? Hindi lamang dahil sa pananalig ng Kapitang Romano. Hindi lang dahil sa kapangyarihan ni Hesus. Mga kapatid, pinagaling ni Hesus ang alipin dahil unang-una sa lahat, dahil ito sa pagmamalasakit ng Kapitan sa kanyang alipin. Dahil sa ipinakitang pagtingin, pag-aalala at paggaling ng Kapitan sa taong iyon. Gumaling ang alipin dahil sa pagbibigay ng kanyang Kapitan ng panahon sa isang simpleng taong nangangailangan ng kanyang tulong.

Alam po ninyo, mga ginigiliw kong mga kapatid, mga ginigiliw kong mga kaibigan, marami sa atin ang nangangailangan ng kagalingan, hindi lamang ng katawan kundi ng kalooban. At marami sa atin ang gagaling, kung sisimulan nating magpakita ng kaunting malasakit at pagdamay. Pagsisimula po ito sa ipakikita nating pagdamay, sa ipakikita nating concern, sa ipakikita po nating malasakit sa iba. Sa ating paglapit sa kanila sa Panginoon, marami sa kanila ang gagaling sa kanilang dinaramdam. Marami sa kanila ang gagaling sa kanilang pangangailangan.

Sa pagpapatuloy po ng ating banal na pagdiriwang, mga ginigiliw kong mga kaibigan, sana ay hilingin natin sa Panginoon na bigyan tayo ng pagkakataon sa araw na ito, sa maghapong ito, na sana'y makapagbigay tayo ng kaunting malasakit at pagdamay sa mga nangangailangan ng ating oras, ng ating panahon, at presensiya. Amen.

 

 Saint Francis Xavier - Pray for us

You may also want to see: A Holy Life - Saint Francis Xavier

A Holy Life

Saint Francis Xavier

Priest, Jesuit Missionary to the Orient (1506-1552)

Feast day – December 03

A young Spanish gentleman, in the dangerous days of the Reformation, was making a name for himself as a professor of philosophy at the University of Paris. He was aspiring, apparently, to a high dignity, until Saint Ignatius of Loyola decided to undertake the spiritual conquest of this ardent soul. What does it profit a man to gain the entire world, if he suffers the loss of his soul? Ignatius often repeated to the brilliant teacher. The words of Christ, joined to the example of Ignatius and his disciples, prevailed. It was not long before his gifted friend decided to labor for the glory of God, by adopting the evangelical life of an apostle, to which he was indeed called. He was among the first five members of the Society of Jesus, those who with Ignatius made their religious vows in the church of Montmartre in Paris, on the feast of the Assumption in 1534.

On his way to Rome with the others, handicapped by severe penances he had imposed on himself, he remained in Venice and exercised a brief apostolate by caring for the sick in the city hospital. The others waited for him to regain his ability to walk. These first fervent Jesuits were intending to embark for the Holy Land, but were prevented by a war. In Rome, Francis again went to a hospital to serve the sick; he also visited the prisons to encourage and console the poor inmates, while preparing for ordination with the others, according to the desire of the pope.

Saint Ignatius having remained in Venice, the other five returned there afterwards. Francis was sent by Saint Ignatius to the Orient in 1534, where for twelve years he labored unceasingly to win souls, sleeping only three hours a night, eating very little, and bearing the Gospel to Hindustan, to Malacca, and as far as Japan. At all times thwarted by jealousy, covetousness, and the carelessness of those who should have helped and encouraged him, he did not slacken in his apostolic endeavors despite opposition and the difficulties of every sort which he encountered. The gift of tongues and miracles accompanied him everywhere; he resurrected several dead persons. And his inexhaustible kindness was not the least of his assets in winning thousands of pagans to the Faith. He baptized so many that his arm became virtually disabled, ten thousand in a single month in the kingdom of Trevancor, where in the same space of time he saw to the building of forty-five churches. At Meliapour, site of the martyrdom of Saint Thomas, he found the marble on which the Apostle was sacrificed, and which exuded blood the first time Mass was said upon it. Passing through various islands, cities and provinces of India, he strengthened his first conquests by additional preaching. He planted crosses in the public squares and overcame all obstacles.

From India he went to Japan; Saint Francis is called Apostle of Japan as well as of India. There the pagan priests opposed and calumniated him, and tried without success to outwit him in debates. Humiliated, they used subtle means to instill dislike for him in the minds of the court authorities. But he won the love as well as the respect of those he evangelized, blessing them with such miracles as filling the hitherto sterile sea of Cangoxima with inexhaustible reserves of fish. The vast kingdom of China appealed to his charity, and he was resolved to risk his life to force an entry, when God took him to Himself. It was on December 2, 1552, that the Apostle of the Indies died on Sancian, an island facing the city of Canton in China, like Moses, in sight of the land of promise.

Reflection: Some are specially called to work for souls; but there is no one who cannot help greatly to win their salvation. Holy example, earnest intercession, the offerings of our sacrifices and works on their behalf, are within the reach of all. What is needed is the spirit which animated Saint Francis Xavier — the desire to make some return to God for His bounties, with much confidence in His paternal love.

 

Sources for this article were taken from:  Lives of Saints - http://magnificat.ca

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You have sent us to proclaim the Gospel to all nations,
and have promised to always remain with us.
Look upon this family
gathered on the feast day of St. Francis Xavier.
Pour out the abundance of your Spirit
upon each one of our brothers and sisters
especially on those who are called to ponder
upon the journey made
and to plan what has still to be done,
so that we may offer a more authentic service to mission.
Grant that we may ever be faithful to the Gospel
and to give an answer
to the hopes which the world places before your church today.
Stay with us, Lord,
when we gather around the table of your Bread and your Word,
and when we walk the paths of the world
side by side with our brothers and sisters.
Grant that we all find ourselves in heaven, our homeland,
after having been members of the same family on earth.

Amen.

Saint Francis Xavier – Pray for us

Gospel Reflection

December 02, 2012

First Sunday of Advent – Year of Faith

by Rev. Fr. Jose Timajo (San Juan Nepomuceno Parish, Malibay, Pasay City)

Anticipated Sunday Mass, Sto Nino de Paz Chapel, Greenbelt, Makati

Reading 1 Jer 33:14-16

The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot ; he shall do what is right and just in the land. In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: "The LORD our justice."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

R. (1b) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior,
and for you I wait all the day.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Reading 2 1 Thes 3:12-4:2

Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.

Finally, brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God and as you are conducting yourselves you do so even more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Gospel Lk 21:25-28, 34-36

Jesus said to his disciples: "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.

"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man."

HOMILY

Why is there Advent? What is the essence of the celebration of the season? There are a lot of questions from us, lalo na 'yong mga pilosopo. Ipinanganak na si Kristo, hihintayin na namang ipanganak, diba? We have already celebrated the birth of Jesus, so what is this Advent waiting about? That is exactly part of the answer. It has to do with Jesus's birth. Not physical birth anymore, but His birth in our hearts.

Advent also reminds us of our own forgetfulness. As the Gospel today tells us, our hearts sometimes get drowsy and lazy, tired out by the anxieties and stresses that we have in our life. Sometimes, we get so pre-occupied with our troubles, or perhaps get fascinated with many other things like gambling, shopping, or Facebook, e-mail, surfing the web, etc. 

Whatever reasons we have, the very message of Advent is simply for us to settle down. And hopefully, we can open the door of our hearts to let God come into our lives.

Our Liturgical celebration is so beautiful, especially the Advent readings we have for today. The First Reading reminds us of God's promise to His people - rightness, justice, security, peace in our day. These are beautiful things, lovely things that we can desire in our life and in our world. The Responsorial Psalm is also beautiful, as we are asking God to make known His ways to us, to guide us, to teach us. And we lift up our souls to God. In the Second Reading, God tells us to conduct ourselves properly and to live faithfully, to love others and to be loved. 

But then comes the Gospel that tries to wake us up, as it shows terrifying descriptions, scene by scene, of the end times. Will they happen? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe more worse things will happen. In fact, we can already judge by the things that are happening around us. There is disorder, there is war in some parts of the world. So many crimes happen in our country today. Heinous crimes. They are becoming bolder and bolder, and the perpetrators are getting younger and younger. The disorder is simply terrifying.

If amidst all these, we become afraid, we can go back to the Responsorial Psalm. As we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent, let us pray and ask God that Christ be given birth in our souls, and also in the souls and hearts of everyone in this world, as this is what we need so badly. 

Welcome to Advent, my dear brothers and sisters. May God bless us.

Gospel Reflection

December 02, 2012

First Sunday of Advent – Year of Faith

by Rev. Fr. Lito Ignacio

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

Reading 1 Jer 33:14-16

The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot ; he shall do what is right and just in the land. In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: "The LORD our justice."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

R. (1b) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior,
and for you I wait all the day.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Reading 2 1 Thes 3:12-4:2

Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.

Finally, brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God and as you are conducting yourselves you do so even more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Gospel Lk 21:25-28, 34-36

Jesus said to his disciples: "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.

"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man."

HOMILY

This First Sunday of Advent reminds us of our Lord, that He is to come. The word Advent is derived from the Latin word "Adventus", which means 'coming'. It is in Advent that we prepare for the coming of Jesus. It is in Advent when we recall the coming of Christ, when He was born in Bethlehem. 

The Advent Season has four weeks. The first two weeks of Advent invites us to direct our minds to Christ and prepare for His Second Coming, the Final Coming of Jesus Christ, at the end of the world, at the end of time. The third and fourth week tells us to prepare for Christmas, when the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is recalled. Yes - Jesus came in history, Jesus comes in mystery, and Jesus will come again in glory. Jesus came with love in Bethlehem. He comes with grace into our souls, and again, He will come with justice at the end of the world.

The Gospel for today speaks of the coming of Christ as Judge of all. And before He comes, the Gospel tells us that we will experience earthquakes, calamities, and so on. It describes how we should prepare ourselves for the great event on which depends our eternal destiny. It also tells us that if these terrifying things happen, we should raise up our heads, as our redemption is drawing near. The Gospel says that all things in this world will pass away - glory, fame, honor, possessions, position, prestige, power, wealth, riches, beauty. But only one thing will remain, and that is the love and mercy of God. God will never pass away; His Word will never pass away. Eternal life is a life awaiting us.

I was in Lourdes in September 15, and I came for the second time this October. And Cardinal Rosales was there for almost two months. He was giving confessions and did not want to be acknowledged as a cardinal. He wanted to be incognito and be a simple priest, just to sit at the confessional box. The Cardinal was moved and he said that he could see the tears in Lourdes, as the people cried during confession. All of them received the love and mercy of God. And in front of the Lamb of God, you cannot but cry, seeing the grace of God, seeing the goodness of God, thanking God for his everlasting mercy and love for us, leading us to conversion.

This is also what the Lord is inviting us in this first Sunday of Advent. He will come to judge us, but He is also showing us what it means to celebrate and prepare for His Second Coming. It is a joyful encounter with the Lord. This is what the Synod of Bishops (from October 7 to 26) is telling us. It all begins with a personal encounter with the Lord, our personal experience with God, to love Jesus, to follow Jesus, and to share our faith in Jesus. This is also what the Year Faith is telling us - to revive our faith in the Lord, and to renew our personal relationship with Jesus. Let us listen and allow the Words of Jesus to teach us and to transform us and our society in which we live.

I was telling you about Lourdes. On October 18, Cardinal Rosales left Lourdes. And on October 20, do you know what happened to Lourdes? There was a strong deluge. Lourdes became heavily flooded, and it was a great natural disaster. There was a super typhoon. October 20 it was Lourdes, and days later, that super typhoon hit New York, New Jersey and other parts of the United States. 

This is what the Gospel tells us. The earth will be in dismay, perplexed. God will allow the phenomenon of natural disasters to happen even in Lourdes, which is considered the spiritual capital of prayer. It can happen elsewhere. 

This is also what the Gospel reminds us. Let us be vigilant at all times through prayer. Our lives are in God's hands, and in God's mercy. The Gospel tells us that we should pray that we may have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man. We must fix our eyes above, and not in this world. Our lives here on earth is a preparation for an extraordinary world that is yet to come, a supernatural destiny.

Yes, there is such a thing as judgment, death, heaven and hell, and purgatory. Do you believe that there is eternal life? Yes. We will all die and be judged. There will be reward for the good, and punishment for the evil. There is such thing as heaven, for those who are worthy to be in heaven. There is such a thing as purgatory, for those who could not yet enter heaven. It is a place for cleansing. And there is such thing as hell, for people who have really turned away from God.

We must see beyond this world and consider a world without end. This we will understand in the mystery and truth of the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Christ is the Living One, who is, who was, and who is to come. It is only through our encounter with Christ that we can understand the mystery of our life here on earth. 

Our life here on earth is like the Rosary. We have the joyful and luminous mysteries, diba? We also have our sorrowful mysteries, our suffering and death, and we have the glorious mysteries of our earthly life. And during this Advent Season, we are preparing for the coming of Christ, the coming of our Messiah. The Advent season reminds us that Jesus is the fulfillment of everything. Jesus is our Lord and King. Let us adore the Lord, the King who is to come. Jesus Christ is the fullness of God's revelation. 

Ito po ang hilingin natin this Advent Season. Hilingin po natin na lumago ang ating pakikipag-unayan kay Hesukristo. Lumago ang ating karanasan ng pag-ibig at awa ng Diyos sa ating buhay. It is only in our encounter with Jesus that we can understand the mystery of our life. Let us await and adore the Lord, the King who is to come. Amen.