Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 18:3-4
1ST READING
The
devotion to the Sto. Nino must be one of the most popular in the
Philippines. This a good devotion, but like all devotions we must ensure
that we do not lose the proper focus on Jesus. As we venerate an image
of the Child Jesus, the challenge remains with us to make sure that our
faith continues to mature and does not simply remain that of a child.
The heart of our faith demands that our faith makes a difference in how
we make our choices
Isaiah 9:1-6
1The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwell in the land of gloom a light has shone. 2You
have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice
before you as at the harvest as men make merry when dividing spoils. 3For
the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of
their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. 4For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for flames. 5For
a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion
rests. They name him: Wonder-counselor, God-hero, Father-forever, Prince
of Peace. 6His
dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over his
kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both
now and forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this!
P S A L M
Psalm 98: 1,2-3,3-4,5-6
R: All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
1Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. (R) 2The Lord has made his salvation known in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. 3He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. (R) All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song: sing praise. (R) 5Sing praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. 6With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the Lord. (R)
2ND READING
The
Christ Child calls us to live and be disciples of Jesus every moment of
every day. Does this sound too difficult or too harsh? Does this mean
that we should all become saints? No, it is not too harsh a calling and
yes, we should strive for sainthood. The only way we will make a lasting
difference in the world is by living in accordance with God’s will.
Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18
3Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has a blessed us in
Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, 4as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love 5he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, 6for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted un in the beloved. 15Therefore, I, too, hearing your faith in the Lord Jesus and of your love for all the holy ones, 16do not cease giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17that
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a
spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. 18May
the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the
hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his
inheritance among the holy ones.
GOSPEL
Hospitality
is a characteristic of the Gospel message, as it is in many other
religions and cultures. There are times and places where it is obvious
that hospitality and care for others are essential for the proper
respect of human dignity. Love demands that we always respect and care
for one another. If only all men and women could do this, we would be
able to see a remarkable transformation of international relations. Let
us pray for all people to recognize the truth of this calling to mutual
and lasting respect for one another.
Matthew 18:1-5, 10
1At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2He called a child over, places it in their midst, 3and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. 10See
that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that
their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly
Father.”
REFLECTION
A CHALLENGE TO GROW UP IN OUR FAITH
Seldom
do I have the chance to visit the beautiful city of Cebu, but whenever I
go there, my first visit is to the Basilica of the Sto. Niño, where I
pay my respect to the revered image of the Child Jesus.
It is quite different from the Baby Jesus we have venerated at
Christmas. There the Baby Jesus was covered only in skimpy swaddling
clothes. In Cebu, the Sto. Niño stands before us in the full regalia of a
king. He wears a crown and royal purple cloak. He holds the scepter as a
symbol of power and the globe as a symbol of the universe. Before us
stands the King of kings, the King of the universe.
Looking at the Baby Jesus in the belen (nativity scene), we can easily
think: What a small, weak, cute but harmless baby Jesus is. This
impression is corrected by the image of the Sto. Niño. The Baby Jesus
did not remain a baby but grew up and became a powerful, often
demanding, preacher. This helpless baby of Bethlehem later uttered
uncomfortable things like, “Love your enemies” or “He who wants to
follow Me must take up his cross.”
And so the image of the Infant Jesus in royal robes reminds us to look
beyond its appearance and discover the adult Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
When the late Pope John Paul II visited Cebu, he also paid a visit to
the image of the Sto. Niño. In a homily, he reminded the faithful of
what we just said: Jesus did not remain a child; He grew up. And then he
continued, “In the same way, we must grow up in our faith.” To face the
trials and demands of life, we need a strong and mature faith.
To grow spiritually, we need regular nourishment through the
sacraments. Especially in the Holy Mass, we receive even double
nourishment. First, the Word of God that nourishes and guides us in our
daily life. Then we receive the Eucharist, where Jesus becomes our
nourishment.
The feast and the image of the Sto. Niño then encourage us to grow
spiritually, to trust God like a child and so mature in a faith that
enables us to face whatever difficulties may lie ahead. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD
"Jesus, help me to deepen my faith, to mature spiritually and so become a more effective follower of Yours."
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