THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD

Trials, hardships and tribulations are all part of a Christian's life. As gold is tested through fire and so must we if we are indeed true followers of Christ. We may be at a time of difficulty in life when one failure and one disappointment come after another like an endless stream of misfortunes as a person of this world may view it. There are times when we resort to ungodly practices and get carried away by the lure of the extraordinary that arouses our curiosity and wonder. Sometimes we justify our acts by saying that it's just for the fun of it. We do not realize that we are exposing ourselves to danger and allowing the power of the dark side to get a hold on us. We simply take these things for granted and it's a pity that we fail to grasp more than anything else the wonderful and awesome truth of a God who became man for His great love for us. There is nothing more exciting, fun filled and awesome than the truth in this song that says that we have a God who is mindful of us, hears us when we call, thinks of us and considers us His friend. The gift of life freely given to us is too costly, this truth alone should awaken all our senses to endlessly search for its deeper meaning, strive to live it to the full as a way of valuing the friendship of God. God is definitely with us every single step of the way. He will lead us exactly where we are supposed to be headed. We need not ask God for a sign for His signs and wonders are written and displayed all over the world, all we have to do is look with the eyes of our faith. The best sign is being celebrated within us, Emmanuel. An article from Tidings written by Bill Peatman entitled, "Embrace God's presence, always" said, "...We don't need to look for God. God, as we've been told since childhood, is everywhere. We are, as it were, swimming in God's presence. If this is the case, then why is that we are so often searching for God? Why do we assume that God is somewhere else - somewhere far from wherever we are?... Why do we look for God elsewhere - and for the love and acceptance and peace of mind that God offers? I'm not sure, but if I look at my own life I know that I don't assume that God is with me, in me and around me. I assume that I am somehow distant from or unworthy of God's presence, and must somehow achieve it by effort or by good behavior...God is the fabric of our existence. The light of the world illuminates all that we think, say, feel and do. We are invited to embrace and enjoy God's presence, always. If we are feeling far from God, it is likely not because God has moved. Our challenge is to open our eyes, ears and hearts to see, hear and feel the goodness and righteousness and truth that surround us." This article and gathering from the turn of events in our life further confirm the truth that God is definitely with us every single step of the way. He will lead us exactly where we are supposed to be headed. In today's 1st reading it was foretold hundreds of years before, by the prophet Isaiah that the Blessed Mother would bear a son and shall be named Emmanuel meaning "God is with us." This is one of the central teachings of the Catholic Church. It is very important that we need to know more about our Catholic faith and be able to explain and defend when the situation calls for it. These past few days we may have noticed that the readings, from the 1st, psalm and gospel are being repeated consecutively. It's message has been giving emphasis to the birth of Jesus our God by the Blessed Virgin Mary. When we think of a virgin giving birth to a son we come to this undeniable truth that God acted totally on His own initiative to bring about His saving action on mankind. This is to really demonstrate that God is Emmanuel, indeed with us and has loved us first. God is constantly inviting man to be in communion with Himself. According to Pope Benedict XVI Jesus is the incarnate love of God. He gives flesh and blood to the word of God not just in concept but really goes out in search of the stray. God is not totally invisible because He has become visible in Jesus. Sometimes we look for specific signs without realizing that there are already too many signs being given to us every moment that we live. We are just too narrow minded in thinking that the only acceptable signs are the ones we have preconceived in our minds. If it does not fall into that category then we dismiss it as nothing. This is what preachers used to say “putting God in a box” We have a mindset of who God is and what He is going to do. We have to be open to the surprises of God and just trust that He knows best as He has shown throughout the length of time or even before time came to be. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 7:10-14

...“Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God... “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”...the Lord himself will give you this sign the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel

We can't claim to be this kind of person, a Christian but conduct ourselves in a very unlikely way. Let us no longer be deceived by the false and misleading truths and principles that this world presents to us every single day. We have to be grounded at all times on this truth that today's psalm is telling us. There was a time when Tita Neds complained that something is wrong with the television. She said that somebody fixed it already but it didn't stay fixed for long. It wasn't the manufacturer who repaired it that was why. If it was brought to its manufacturer they would definitely know what to do with it. We've got to be conscious of this reality and apply it to ourselves. When something goes wrong we should know where to go, to whom we really belong, the Lord. This is the covenant: we belong to the Lord and He belongs to us for we are His people and He is our God. If we look at what's happening in the world today most especially the economic crisis wherein even the leading nations are being challenged by the present situation then we are really bound to anticipate the worst. Not even those people who used to be very confident of their present jobs in their respective stable companies can be too sure of what's going to happen next. There have been so much speculations of what will be the outcome of this worldwide problem of the economy and most of them are not good. With all these rubble, there is just really one thing we need to focus on and that is God. It is not easy to live life in this world but we can rejoice and be glad, we have an army, a battalion, a full house of saints with all the angels constantly and endlessly praying and singing in heaven, the so called triumphant Church/army of God, who intercede in our behalf and is joyously inviting us to be one of them. We are being reminded by the readings today to always keep ourselves blameless before the Lord no matter how tough things are. God wants to be with us, there is no doubt about that. But just like water and oil which can not be put together and mixed so is God and man if we are in sin or harbor anything that can not be attributed to the holiness of God. We can not force two different things to go together. Water is a polar molecule and oil is non polar. They do not mix because they are two different substances as in the adage, "Like dissolves like." God can not change. He is already who He is, Holy in all His ways. We can change. We can be like God in His holiness and goodness if we want to be with Him forever. Let us not lose sight of what a mighty God we serve who made the heavens and the earth. We pray to God to open our eyes that we may see the wonders of His love. We should think profoundly of our daily walk with the Lord which consists of not only a leisure stroll in the plains and valleys of life but a steep climb up to the top of the mountain. We must avail of the sacrament of reconciliation. It gives us renewed strength and hope. Our life consists of steep and dangerous climbs but we must not forget that God is always at our side. If we are to carefully assess our life we would find that it feels good whenever we are able to overcome most of our pitfalls though there are some that still needs improvement. We must praise and thank God that every time we experience a fall back and backslide we can immediately go back to Him through the sacrament of confession which restores us to our original path and right track. It is God's desire that we will someday come face to face with Him. There is a need for us to prepare for that day. We are sometimes guilty of not focusing on God's countenance alone, there are times when we get distracted by other things and today's psalm reading serves as the reminder. I heard a story about God's radiating and blinding light that when we stand before Him nothing is hidden from Him, He will never turn away from us but if we ourselves are tainted with the guilt of our sins then we can not withstand His presence and will definitely hide and ran away from Him, far from His ever blinding Light that penetrates us. Let us all hope that when that day comes we can stand in His Holy Presence and claim with confidence our rightful place in His Kingdom. For our information, all of us are eligible to be in heaven with God. There is no doubt about this since we have been made and washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. A virgin is with child. The Old Testament scriptures have foretold of this and point to the coming of Christ. The prophets preannounced and prefigured His coming and pointed to the fulfillment in Jesus in the New Testament. He has loved us first and continues to do so. He encounters us ever anew in the sacraments especially in the Eucharist. The Church helps us to respond to God’s initiative through word and teaching and the gathering of believers who respond faithfully. We have to be firm, resilient and faithful people of God. We’ve got to really focus on what is truly important and essential. We live in a world where there are so many distractions that we tend to lose sight of what should be our greatest and most important concern. After all has been said and done we will find in the end that what truly matters is not what will last only in this lifetime but for all eternity, a reward from God our Savior. When somebody invites us for a party we just don't go there without preparing ourselves for it. Much more gatecrash and just go to a party without an invitation. We are blessed that God has invited us. The best we could do being privileged, honored and counted to come to His banquet in heaven is to make preparations and always be ready to take part in it, really belong and not end up an outcast. We should not lose sight of this standing invitation that God gives us in our daily life. There is indeed a need to always be prepared so that when the final moment comes we can reside in the heavenly abode of God. In every game there is a rule to follow and only those who play it fair and square can finish to the end and win their prize. Today’s psalm gives us a guideline to follow in order to make it through. We should always long to see the face of God at all times in every person, event and circumstance in our lives. Let us always hold on to this image so that someday when we finally come face to face with God we will receive a blessing and reward for He will surely bring about what He said He would do. In the course of the time and in the history of mankind we hear of people like Abraham chosen by God. The chosen people were given laws and ordinances to follow. The remnants of the chosen people or those who were faithful to God in keeping these commandments like Simeon and Anna, Joachim and Anne are those who belong to the Hebrew generation, kept the Jewish tradition and prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah. This initiation of God in loving us first should bring us to act and make love blossom as a response on our part. We've got to be consistent to the kind of people who longs to see God's face. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

R: Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.

...For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. (R) 3 Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? Or who may stand in his holy place? 4 He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. (R) 5 He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior...Such are the people that love the LORD, that seek the face of the God of Jacob."

Among all of God's creation, the Blessed Virgin Mary is the best and most perfect work of God's hands. For through her cooperation with God, salvation of mankind was made possible. Mary never doubted God's mercy and goodness to carry out His plan for she trusted God more than anything else. We should always be confident in the truth that God's will in our lives will always work out for our own good. Whenever we feel afraid let us always follow the example of Mary. No matter how bothering the news or instances that are happening before us we should always maintain the same total surrender and trusting attitude of our Blessed Mother. Just like Mary who agreed to conceive and give birth to Jesus we should also openly and freely accept Jesus in our lives. We should always follow after her example of a perfect handmaid of the Lord. We are destined for the Lord just like Mary, all we have to do is follow the example she set before us from today's gospel. The example of Mary's complete obedience and trust in God should compel us to do likewise and believe in the fulfillment of God's promises in our lives no matter how impossible and difficult it may seem. During the time of Mary, she knew perfectly well the implications of her total surrender to God in agreeing to become pregnant could make her the object of ridicule and can lead to a very humiliating and life threatening situation but despite all of these she consented willingly and obediently. We, too can learn a lot from her and not miss out on the glorious reward that the Blessed Mother is bestowed now in heaven and for all generations to come. Mary was predestined to take on this special role to be Mother of God. It wasn't easy for her during that time for she was still bound by human laws which meant being stoned to death if found pregnant out of wedlock. But she thought of accepting the will of God in her life first and foremost by consenting to God's word like a handmaid would do to her Master and God. We are also invited through our daily circumstances to live out the will of God in our lives against all odds. May we also have the courage to say the words that Mary said whenever we are confronted with situations in our life that calls us to carry out God's will rather than our own. May we find in our hearts doing God's will at every moment of our life and truly make it our own. God's and our own wills as one. We all have plans in life but as the scripture in Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the decision of the Lord that endures.” Mary knew of this and though she may have other plans for her life back then already betrothed to Joseph, she did not hesitate and accepted the will of God in her life and the rest is history. History that is forever etched in the pages of the bible, every kind of reading material and most especially in the heart, mind and soul of every Christian. The greatest miracle is the birth of our Lord Jesus made possible through the obedience and cooperation of our Blessed Mother Mary. May we in our total surrender to God's will become a vessel of the birth of our own miracles. God coming to us in the form of man is a truth so great and awesome that no one can fully understand all the mysteries that surround it. Even the Blessed Mother who was favored by God and given this great privilege of giving birth to Jesus, our Savior was troubled. Because of our probing minds we tend to question a lot of things and resort to various ways in order to get a better view and understanding of things but there are times, too when all we have to do is follow the example of Mama Mary's perfect obedience to the will of God. There is only one thing we need to know, meditate and internalize daily, that God loves us this much, He suffered His only Son to become man and die on the cross for us. From this standpoint I am sure that all other things will follow. There are famous stories that are very wonderful to tell that it continue to be spoken of throughout the length of time. It has been passed on from generation to generation and never lose the awe, wonder and mystery it holds for those who come to know it. There are some that never leave our memory and continue to inspire and give us hope. It serves as a driving force that keeps us going and lifts us up when we are down and out. These stories are a source of strength and courage at times when we feel like giving up. The story of how God came to save us. This is one story that we should take personally. It should never leave our hearts, minds and memories every waking moment of our lives. It is the greatest story, living and true, ever told. On the day that the angel appeared to Mary she may have already been praying for a Savior to come. We all have been praying to God for something. Le us not doubt that God answers all our prayers in the best way possible. We should not waver or falter and have faith in God who knows our past, present and future. He can make all things beautiful in His perfect time that is for sure. There is no question to this, God is moving in power. Everything lies in the hands of God but it is in our hands to respond in the way Mary did and say this to God with all humility and trust, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” St. Anselm brilliantly captures the crucial role of Mary in our salvation history. He said, “God... is the Father of the created world and Mary the mother of the re-created world. God is the Father by whom all things were given life, and Mary the mother through whom all things were given new life. For God begot the Son, through whom all things were made, and Mary gave birth to him as the Savior of the world. Without God’s Son, nothing could exist; without Mary’s Son, nothing could be redeemed.” This is an incredible thing. It was only possible because God became man. There is an interplay between God’s grace and Mary’s free acceptance. This is what the real Catholic life is all about.  This is God’s desire for us which is a fantastic calling. The power to do this is given to us by God in Jesus through Mary. Let us no longer be tricked into believing otherwise and know that just like Mary we are also called to play our part in the history of salvation the way she did. The wonderful phrase from the lips of the angel is pregnant with meaning as He announces to Mary she is full of grace. When something is full there is no room for anything else just like a glass there’s a limit to what it can hold. When the angel announced the words in the present tense by saying you are full of grace. She has no room for sin and is where the Church got its dogma that Mary is conceived without sin. The angel could have said, hail who will be full of grace. She is already filled with the grace of God, special grace from God and for God so He can do His work. God made Mary the untainted human nature and spotless. There's this painting of the Annunciation where the angel is hovering over Mary with a ray coming from his mouth to Mary’s ear. Though, this is not a literal depiction of the Incarnation but a metaphor. The angel spoke the Word of God because the angel can only speak the word of God and this painting is a beautiful depiction of what happened in the annunciation. Jesus conceived in her womb without the assistance of husband or father but with the power of the Holy Spirit. Mary hearing the Word and accepts the Word became flesh. We also hear the Word and must accept that the bread and wine in Holy Mass is transformed in the Body & Blood in the Eucharist. We celebrate this when we pray the Hail Mary which is recorded by St. Luke spoken by the angel and also taken out from the words of St. Elizabeth inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is a prayer that we should say often each day. Mary is a part of what she heard, accepted and said yes. Eve was also created holy and in innocence. Eve and Mary are two innocent women created by God. Lucifer tempted and spoke a lie to Eve. The devil starts off by telling a lie while Mary is greeted by an angelic being speaking the truth. Eve gives in to the devil's allurement. At first Eve spoke the truth when the devil said in Gen 3:1-3, "Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?" The woman answered the serpent: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'" but Eve was allured and gave in. Mary on the other hand when greeted by the angel, instead of propping herself up like God she said I am the handmaid of the Lord and said yes and her womb became God’s dwelling place. Eve is the mother of the living while Mary is our spiritual mother. In the beginning humanity fell flat on his face when Adam & Eve sinned so we needed a Redeemer. We should remember these words in Gen 3:14, "Then the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; On your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. These are the words we should say to the devil every time we are tempted. Following that, is Gen 3:15, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel."  We know that the woman spoken of is Mary, the New Eve, Mary crushes the serpent’s head by her Son and defeat the devil once and for all. Lucifer’s no to God made him lose heaven. God breaks into human history and becomes one of us, wanting to be like us, as true God and true Man, filled with divinity and humanity. This is a glorious day as we celebrate the Annunciation and every time we pray the Hail Mary. We should say it with love and not embarrassed. When we speak of something important we say it with intention, deliberation and reverence. We ought to keep this in mind that the Hail Mary is the inspired word of God. It is a beautiful prayer and a sign of God’s love for us. It is God's poem to us to get us to participate in the plan of salvation and to motivate us to say yes. If we say no to God then we’re in trouble but if we say yes then we are saved. There’ll be suffering, even Mary who is without sin suffered the 7 sorrows. When Jesus is just a baby she was told of the sword that will pierce her heart. The sword pierced her heart when Jesus was missing for 3 days but the most intense was when He died on the cross. She had to go through sorrow and she is without sin. Do we think we are to get away scar free? How we get there is not as important what matters most is that we get there. It is God's divine will that He chose Mary to be part of the equation. Her immaculate heart keeps the heart of Jesus alive while He was in the womb. He loves us and He loves her so we say yes to Mary and be a handmaid of the Lord. She will definitely help us get to where Jesus is. We will never regret it for we are a people of the Word like Mary is. We are in the 3rd week of Advent and very soon we celebrate Christmas when Jesus enters history, fulfills our salvation when Jesus is born, the Word made flesh. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 1:26-38

26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, 33 and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” 35 And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. 36 And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; 37 for nothing will be impossible for God.” 38 Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.