December 19 Homily

Fourth Sunday of Advent

December 19, 2021

Readings (Please click here to read full text)
    Reading I: Mi 5:1-4a
    Responsorial Psalm: Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19.
    Reading II: Heb 10:5-10
    Gospel: Lk 1:39-45

If we can recognize and see Jesus alive in others, we will be blessed. 

When Mary visited Elizabeth, after having heard from Archangel Gabriel that she was already in the 6th month of her pregnancy despite her being advanced in age, Elizabeth’s infant inside her womb and Elizabeth herself having been filled with the Holy Spirit, immediately recognized God’s presence in the womb of Mary. She acclaims that Mary is blessed among women and calls her the mother of her Lord. She was so blessed to have been visited by the Lord and His mother that the infant in her womb leapt for joy. She was blessed because she recognized the visitation of the Lord through Mary.

Perhaps there were many times in our lives that God visited us through the different people around us, even those whom we see as unpleasant, dirty and unlovable, the poor, street beggars, and many ordinary people in need. Do we recognize Jesus in them? Do we attend to them as if they were Jesus Himself? St. Teresa of Calcutta emanates Elizabeth’s joy every time she helps the homeless dying. She said, "Seeking the face of God in everything, everyone, all the time, and his hand in every happening; This is what it means to be contemplative in the heart of the world. Seeing and adoring the presence of Jesus, especially in the lowly appearance of bread, and in the distressing disguise of the poor." It may be easy for us to see Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist. But, is it also easy for us to see His presence in the poor?

Therefore, if we want to be blessed like Elizabeth, let us open our hearts to recognize God’s presence even in the most unlikely of people, the poorest of the poor.

Fr. Joel R. Lasutaz, SSS

Image credit: pixabay.com

December 17 Homily

Friday of the Third Week of Advent  |  Second Day of Misa de Aguinaldo 
December 17, 2021

Readings (click here to read full text)
    Reading I: Gn 49:2, 8-10
    Responsorial Psalm: Ps 72:1-2, 3-4ab, 7-8, 17
    Gospel: Mt 1:1-17

It is a common belief that the sins of our ancestors affect us today, and in like manner, the sins we commit today will affect future generations. In the Second Book of Samuel (chapter 12 verse 14), the son of King David died because of David’s adultery with Bathsheba, even after he was forgiven. His son was punished because of his sins in the past. This is true not only during Biblical times. Remember that the sin of Adam and Eve affects all of us today. It will even continue to affect the future. However, Deuteronomy 7:9 gives us a truly good news that for those who love and serve the Lord, his love extends even to thousands of generations. 

In our Gospel, we heard in the genealogy of Jesus the names of King David as mentioned above and Rahab, who was a prostitute, to mention these two. Yet their sins did not affect Jesus. It is, instead, the other way around. It is Jesus, Son of David, who affect the past, present, and future generations taking their sins away and its effects. This is, in reality, a deep healing of humanity's family tree.  Jesus did this to His own family tree, and it is what He is doing for all of us today.

If we believe that the unfortunate events and situations of our lives are due to the sins of the past generations, then we can do something today for them and for the future. It is by becoming a member of Jesus' family, by loving and serving Him that our ancestors in the past, our family in the present, and successors in the future are deeply healed from the inter-generational ill effects of sins.

Fr. Joel R. Lasutaz, SSS

Image credit: pixabay.com

December 16 Readings and Homily

December 15 , 2021 Wedneday Evening Mass (Simbang Gabi) 

December 16, 2021, Thursday Misa de Aguinaldo

Reading I:  Isaiah 56:1-3, 6-8

Reading from the book of Prophet Isaiah

The Lord says to his people:

′′ In accordance with justice and always your deeds are righteous. My salvation will no longer be revealed, it will come, it will be revealed in your eyes. Blessed is the man who does this, the son of the man who rules this. He is doing what he should do on the Rest Day, in doing evil, avoiding himself." A foreigner who is united with the people of God should not say that God will not allow him to join the worship of his people ." This is what the Lord says to the former foreigners, who are now in his people, who serve him with all their heart, who keep the Sabbath day; and those who keep his covenant with faith: ′′ I will bring you to Zion , in my holy mountain. I will make you feel the joy in my Temple. I will accept your offerings, and my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations." The Lord promised to the Israelites, that He will bring many more to be enrolled in his people.

The Word of God.

Responsorial Psalm:  Ps 67:2-3, 5, 7-8

Response: May the praise be to you all the people.

Oh God, bless us with mercy,

We, Lord, have mercy,

So that in the world everyone will be blessed

Your will and your salvation. (R)

May the creations praise you,

Because you are righteous to judge the audience;

You are the guide of all nations. (R)

The lands are doing well,

We are blessed with the Lord our God!

All of us are blessed,

May all nations respect you. (R)

Verse before the Gospel

    Alleluia! Alleluia!

        Come and visit us.

        Bring your peace

        to exist in us.

    Alleluia! Alleluia!

Gospel: John 5:33-36

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John,

At that time Jesus said to the Jews, ′′ You sent John, and he testified about the truth. Not that I need human testimony; I'm just saying this to save you. John was like a fiery light that illuminated before, and you immediately enjoyed his light. But the testimony of me is greater than the testimony of John: the works that the Father has done for me, and I am doing for him-this is the testimony that he sent me."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Homily:

Every year, when the time of Christmas is near, why do you go to a Novena Mass, Misa de Gallo, or Simbang Gabi every day for nine days.  Why do you go to Mass? 

Is it because of the snacks after the Mass? Or is it because you will see your longtime crush serving as altar servers? Or is it because it gives you joy to go to Mass with your friends or with your family? Or is it because there is something that we are asking God for? We have different purposes and intentions, good or not-so-good. 

In these nine days of Novena Masses, at dawn or nighttime, until the birth of Jesus, we accompany Mary and Joseph in their journey towards Jesus' nativity. We do this so that we too may be present when Jesus Christ is born.

Looking at our own experience of pregnancy, especially when "labor" comes, in our own family, what were your experiences? What preparations were you making for a healthy and safe delivery of your baby or your sibling?  The father, children, and especially the mother herself, focused their preparation on the baby who was about to be born. The focus is on the baby. 

Our nine-day novena is thus about and for Jesus. We must focus on Him, not on what we want from God. We are not here to get what we want; rather, we are here to give something to Jesus on His birthday.

We have been going to Misa de Gallo /  Simbang Gabi Masses every year for many years already. What gifts have we given to Jesus, Mary and Joseph? In the coming Novena Masses, what gift can we bring?  On the day of Jesus’ birth, Christmas Day, what gift are you going to give Him? 

Fr. Joel R. Lasutaz, SSS

Image credit: flickr.com

Saying Yes vs. Doing Yes

Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church

December 14, 2021, Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent

Readings: Click here to read full text.
    Reading I: Zep 3:1-2, 9-13 
    Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19 and 23
    Gospel: Mt 21:28-32

Saying "yes" does not accomplish or mean anything yet until that "yes" is executed. This is what Jesus teaches us in our Gospel today. In the parable, it was the other son who refused to work in the vineyard who obeyed his father’s will. And the other son who said yes was the one who actually disobeyed. Both of them did not do what they said they would do. They changed their minds by doing the opposite. Yet at the end of the day, the one who said "no" but did the father’s will anyway, was the one who truly obeyed. Obedience, then, is not just saying yes, it is, most importantly, doing yes. It is one thing to express what we commit to doing with our faith, but it’s another thing to actually obey God’s will by acting upon it. Saying yes to God is just a word that means nothing unless it is made flesh.

Examining ourselves, we can readily identify with both of the sons, for we cannot totally say that we do God’s will all the time. At times, we can be one or the other or both; that is, we execute our yes. It is easy for us to say "yes" to God, but sometimes we find it difficult to do what our "yes" entails. God is reminding us to be more about doing our yes rather than just saying our yes. May our words be made flesh.

Fr. Joel R. Lasutaz, SSS

Image credit: crosswalk.com