Reflection for January 2016
Word: Those who diligently search Jesus will find joy in the Light of God.
Order: “Pay him homage…serve him!”(Ps 72:11)
Reflection:
New Year begins with a wonderful message of hope in the person of Jesus Himself, the Star of Bethlehem. Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer,was manifested to the world through the searching eyes and determination of the wise men who left the comforts of their homes to look for higher wisdom in the King of Israel. Their search was difficult. There were obstacles along the way. They were almost misled by King Herod, whose only desire was to remain the only mighty king. Like the magi, we are also finding our way towards the Truth, the Light of God. God gave us Jesus so that we might journey towards holiness and joy, just as our Community Word for the month of January 2016 tells us – Those who diligently search Jesus will find joy in the Light of God. And therefore, we must heed our Community Order as expressed in Psalm 72:11 – “Pay him homage…serve him!”
As the story of the Epiphany of our Lord unfolds in the gospel for the 1st Sunday of the month, we can associate ourselves with the journey of the magi who despite finding a poor child in a lowly manger, paid Jesus homage with humility and gave Him gifts. After a long arduous search, what the magi saw “filled their hearts with delight.” They presented Jesus with gold – acknowledging Him as King, frankincense – acknowledging His divinity, and myrrh as a prophecy of His suffering and death as our Savior. We too will experience joy when we adore and offer ourselves in serving the Lord thru our brothers and sisters. This is our theme for the 1st week – We find joy in the Light of God when we adore and offer Him our time, talent and treasures.
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord gives us the theme for the 2nd week – We find joy in the Light of God when our way of life is renewed by the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ baptism was in fulfillment of the Will of God because at His baptism the heavens were opened and the waters were sanctified by the descent of the Holy Spirit, who empowered Christ as He began his earthly ministry. This is the same for us because it is in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in our life that our hearts are renewed and we are prepared us once again to continue our apostolate, our ministry, our mission to bring Christ to those who need him – the lost, the last and the least of our brethren.
On the Feast of the Sto. Niño and 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, our theme is – We find joy in the Light of God when we are obedient to pastoral authority. Jesus started His ministry in the spirit of obedience. Even as a little child, He was obedient both to His heavenly Father and to His earthly parents. Especially for us who serve our community, the attitude of obedience opens our heart to love and therefore, gives us the opportunity to serve others with sincerity, commitment and dedication. For each one of us, obedience to God’s Will “may give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in the knowledge of him,” (Eph 1:17).
Our theme for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time is – We find joy in the Light of God when we proclaim the Gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit. We have received the love of God in our hearts and our delight in the Lord should be experienced by others. Just as Jesus received the Spirit and empowered Him“to bring glad tidings to the poor,” we too should share the love of God by translating the gospel of Christ into action through our evangelization and mission works, attending to the needs of the poor among us, promoting the spirit of peace and reconciliation, opening the doors of mercy and compassion, helping the younger generation sustain their faith in a time when it has become scarce.
Perhaps, our challenge for New Year 2016 is expressed in our theme for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time – We find joy in the Light of God when we are willing to stand up and be witnesses to the Truth. The call to Christian discipleship is a call that requires courage. Peter was a good apostle because he had the courage to keep moving even when the circumstances were unfavorable. St. Paul was successful in bringing the Good News to the gentiles because he had the courage to confront the difficulties he met on the way. There are many external obstacles that we might encounter when we serve community, but perhaps one difficulty is within ourselves, when we are afraid to leave our comfort zone, change our priorities and attachments. But the Lord continues to sustain us, give us strength and encouragement: “They will fight against you, but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you,”(Jer 2:19)
May our faith journey in 2016 continue with direction and focus. Quoting from the message of Fr. Vic de Jesus, BLD Manila Spiritual Director: May the Light of God dispel the darkness of sin and death and lead us to the splendor of grace and a godly life.
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