God's Word and Daily Life

By Father Bernard Holzer, aa

At the end of this week, in communion with millions in Asians, we celebrate the Lunar New Year. During this special week, the liturgical texts invite us to meditate on the first chapters of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, to meditate « the story of the heavens and the earth at their creation ».

They tell us God’s visions for humanity, God’s vision for a new year:

“God created mankind in his image;

in the image of God he created them;

male and female* he created them.

God blessed them and God said to them:

Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.

Have dominion over the fish of the sea,

the birds of the air, and all the living things

that crawl on the earth.”

Let us find time to reread quietly Chapter 1 of the Book of Genesis, and to ask God to inspire us for the beginning of this Lunar New Year. What can I do to save the creation, the environment and mankind?

February 4 marks the First International Day of Human Fraternity, established by a recent Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly. This initiative also takes note of the meeting on 4 February 2019 in Abu Dhabi, when the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyib and Pope Francis signed the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living together.

Pope Francis is inviting us to join in this celebration, aimed at promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue. He himself will take part in a virtual meeting with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, with the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, and other leaders:  

“The United Nations Resolution recognizes “the contribution that dialogue among all religious groups can make towards an improved awareness and understanding of the common values shared by all humankind”. May this be our prayer today and our commitment every day of the year.”

Let us meet during this week a person from another religion or a person I have difficulty to meet.

By Ada Escopete

God’s Word has powerful transforming impact on the national life. In world history, as well as in our own, the Holy Bible is regarded as a powerful book containing timeless principles that when heeded and obeyed can change a nation for the better. And after having tried so many alternative methods in the past, the call for us now is to heed God’s Word, to follow its statutes and obey its precepts if we want to see true development and lasting change in our lives as a people and as a country.

The Philippine Bible Society has endeavored to introduce people to the Bible’s transforming power through all means possible. One such means is the celebration of the National Bible Month backed up by Presidential Proclamation No. 124 declared by incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte last January 5, 2017.

Every year, the nation commemorates and celebrates the importance of the Bible in nation building. Churches have come together through parades, motorcades, and rallies proclaiming the yearly themes of the Bible celebration. Sermons and homilies have focused on the Bible’s role in changing the people’s lives during the National Bible Sunday. Streamers and posters called attention to this significant event, as well as Scriptures that are distributed on the streets and other public places.

Let us pray that we may be strengthen by the Word of God through Scriptures.

By Mel Jasmin

In the Philippines, the Sunday following the Feast of the Lord’s Baptism has been celebrated as the Feast of the Sto. Niño. The devotion to the Sto. Niño in the country has become popular. One can easily notice an image or icon of the Sto. Niño displayed in places for business, offices, and at home. However, this devotion has also raised some questions, like theological questions. Some laugh at this popular devotion because Jesus, accordingly, has never remained a “child.” He grew, he preached, he died, and he rose from the dead. For these people, they say that Filipinos have missed an important point.

Well, we may have missed the point but we have to realize that there is a point in the “childhood” of Jesus that we should not miss.

Equally, there are points or traits in children that we should not miss. This is the heart of the Gospel. Jesus says, “Whoever does not accept the kingdom like a child will not enter it.”

Children during Mark’s time were insignificant, powerless, and dependent. This may not be the picture of children that we see today. I pity some parents nowadays because their children have become a problem to them.

The children are uncontrollable and disobedient. They are problematic, in other words.

However, children, good or bad, have qualities which are worth emulating. The good characteristic that subsists in children is dependence, that is, dependence from parents. Some children may be bad, but never would they think that they can live all by themselves. They would always cling to their parents because they know they cannot live without them.

By Fr. Bernard Holzer, aa

During the Angelus last Sunday, Pope Francis shared with us his secret to render ordinary things extraordinary:

« Let us not tire of invoking the light and strength of the Holy Spirit, so that he may help us to experience ordinary things with love and thereby render them extraordinary. It is love that changes: ordinary things seem to continue being ordinary, but when they are done with love they become extraordinary.”

 Let us remain open and docile to the Spirit who inspires our daily thoughts and actions.

The liturgical “ordinary time” is the time of the Spirit, the time of the mission.

By Fr. Bernard Holzer, aa

« Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” asked the magi from the East to King Herod in Jerusalem.

Where can I find Jesus today to pay him homage?

Let me share with you the story of the monk Epiphanus.

One day Epiphanus discovered a special gift: how to paint beautiful icons. He wanted to paint the face of Jesus. But where could he find a model that expresses at the same time suffering and joy, death and resurrection, divinity and humanity?

Epiphanus then went on a journey. He travelled around the Mediterranean Sea examining every face. He found nothing that could represent Christ. Tired, he fell asleep repeating the words of the psalm: "I look for your face, Lord, show me your face!"

During the night, he had a dream. An Angel appeared to him, he brought him back to the people he met, and for each person he pointed out to him a detail that made this face similar to the face of Jesus: the joy of a lover, the innocence of a child, the strength of a peasant, the suffering of a sick man, the fear of a condemned person, the tenderness of a mother, the dismay of an orphan, the hope of a young, the mercy of a confessor, the mystery of the bandaged face of a leper......

And then Epiphanus understood. He returned to his convent and went to work. The icon was ready in a short time and he presented it to his abbot. He was surprised: the icon was wonderful. He wanted to know who was the model he had used because he wanted to show him to the other artists in the monastery. The monk replied: "No one, father, has served as a model for me, because no one is like Christ, but Christ is like everyone. You do not find Christ in the face of one person, but you find fragments of the face of Christ in every person. »

During this New Year, let us find Christ in every person: “Fratelli Tutti” – “All brothers and sisters”! Happy and Blessed New Year!

By Ada Escopete

Are you ready for the Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi? As we go through this nine days novena Mass let us try to prepare ourselves to be worthy to the coming birth of our savior. This we could do best by having an interior renewal of ourselves, by reconciling with our enemies. And by not focusing on the material side of Christmas focusing rather on the true essence of Christmas which is the birth of our savior Jesus Christ.

Have you testified for Jesus by the way you talk and live? Have you humbly called for repentance and renewal? John humbly did all of these noble things, he was sent by God to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus. Have you done something also to prepare the way for the coming birth of Jesus?

For example, if you’re a parent, have you taught your children that the true essence of Christmas is not the material gifts that they would be receiving not either the appearance of Santa Clause? Have you pointed out to your children that the essence of Christmas is about Jesus our savior?

Slowly but surely the true meaning of Christmas is being overpowered already by materialism and commercialism. In our own little way, we could be like John also if we would try to highlight the true reason for this Christmas season no other than the birth of Jesus.  

By Father Bernard Holzer, aa

This week, we celebrate two important feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary namely her Immaculate Conception (on December 8) and her apparition at Guadalupe, near Mexico City (on December 12). What example does Mary give us for the difficult time we are going through?

I will highlight two of her characteristics:

Her total trust in God. When the angel told her that she would be the mother of the Savior, she got troubled, she was afraid, she wondered and asked questions to the angel and to God himself. But in the end, she had this wonderful answer: “May it be done to me according to Your word.”

Her sense of service. While pregnant, she traveled in haste to her cousin Elisabeth to help her while she waited for the birth of her son - who would be a prophet. She left her house and her town to help and to take care of her cousin.

In this difficult time of pandemic, let us follow Mary's example: let us surrender our life serenely to God, abandon ourselves to Him and take care of others. There are two inspiring attitudes or characteristics to prepare us, our families and our communities for the real Christmas.

Let us renew our trust in God by praying the Song of the Lamb.

                                                            The Psalm of the Lamb (Revelation 4: 4)

“Great and wonderful are your works,

Lord God almighty.

Just and true are your ways,

O king of the nations.

Who will not fear you, Lord,

or glorify your name?

For you alone are holy.

All the nations will come

and worship before you,

for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Let us pray

O God,

How difficult was this his year!

It revealed our strengths and weaknesses,

our faith and our lack of faith.

This year we put it in your hands:

sanctify it, cleanse what needs to be cleaned.

Increase our faith and our trust in you.

Send us your Spirit to build a new world,

more fraternal and more humane.

Give us to become builders of peace and hope.

Through Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

now and forever. Amen.