Today's 1st reading tells us about the birth of Samson
despite the barrenness of his mother. Every time I hear a story about barren
women I can somehow relate to it because I, myself, was diagnosed before with a
condition that could prevent me from bearing children. This prompted me to take this opportunity to
proclaim God's mighty power in our life. My husband was aware of it and told me
that he is ready for the consequences of what it may bring about. Our
relationship just started back then and one of the things that we regularly do
was to visit and pray at the St. Francis Church in Mandaluyong before we go to
work. God is good that in spite of my condition I was able to bear children, my
2 sons, Jude and Allan. Looking back now at all those memories, I just realized
that this church is the same church where the Lourdes School of Mandaluyong is
situated and run by the Franciscan Order (Capuchin) where my 2 sons went to
school (Elementary and High School). I am just amazed at how God made things
work out. Before when we used to go to that beautiful church of St. Francis
Judges 13:2-7. 24-25a
...An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to
her, “Though you are barren and have had no children, yet you will conceive and
bear a son... 24 The woman bore a son
and named him Samson. The boy grew up and the LORD blessed him; 25 the spirit
of the LORD first stirred him.
Let us not forget that our bodies are God's temple and we
should make an effort of maintaining our health at its prime, so that just like
Samson we can have the strength to hurdle whatever is coming our way. There are
many things that we don't understand especially the things that happen to us.
We can always choose to trust that it comes from God. We are His beloved son or
daughter with an awareness that God is fathering us and has brought us into a
family. We should have a childlike fearlessness that we can appropriate and
exercise as we trust God who never fails. In God we find the most secure and
safest shelter. If we will always fill our hearts with gratitude and praise for
God we will realize as we look back and recall, that we really have a lot of
things to be thankful to God. Let us proclaim God's goodness and mercy. Our God
is incomparable for He loves us with a love greater than any other. In God we
find the most secure and safest shelter. Let us constantly build our confidence
in God who never fails. There is really nowhere else to go but to Him alone. By
just looking back at our past and present we can only come up with just one
thing which is God is constantly at work and in charge of our lives for as long
as we live. The mention of being called even from a mother’s womb, is one of
the symbols of God’s words. The Word that reaches to the ends of the earth,
penetrates the hearts of people and able to separate soul and spirit. It should be our duty to spread God’s Word.
Evangelization is defined with a very broad meaning and although preaching is
its core there's more to it than just that. It is crucial that we reflect the
values of Jesus. There is the so called "Equipping the Saints". We need
to go through a process to achieve this. We process information in the mind, it
is mind centered since it is a quest for knowledge. Formation is soul centered,
it is a quest for wisdom and go through it by making decisions in the heart.
Transformation is the meeting of mind and soul since it is a quest for
spirituality. Propagation is the fullness of mind, body and soul resulting to
authentic and meaningful faith in action. It is sometimes called
Evangelization. The Balloon Story tells us of a child who saw balloons of
different colors rising up in the sky. The child exclaimed how beautiful it
looked up there with all the different colors. An old man told the child that
it's not the colors that makes the balloons rise up but what's inside of it. As
we become formed and equipped for evangelization we become Good messengers of
the Good News. Furthermore, we need to differentiate between good and great
leaders. A good leader when the company
is doing good, is one who faces the mirror and look back at the reason why the
company is doing well but looks out of the window and to others when the
company is performing bad. On the other hand, a great leader is one who looks
out of the window and point to others as the reason why the company is doing
well but when things are bad, looks at himself and ask what he can do to help.
Jesus is a great leader because when things got really bad for humankind, He
did not point any finger but instead came as man and redeemed us all.
Evangelization should work towards making humanity whole again and free men and
women from things that hinder them from being whole again. We should treasure
the salvation that Jesus has given us. Do away with sin that makes us broken.
Avoid not just sin but the occasions of sin.
When we speak of the 5th commandment which is, "Thou shall not
kill" there is an unwritten command too, that we need to be peacemakers.
There is no peace without justice. We need to fight injustice and unjust
structures.
The Principles of Catholic Evangelization1. Live the gospel-use words only when necessary. Walk the talk
2. Challenge others by one's example and lifestyle
3. Uphold true values. People first than profit. Embrace peace and justice. A Capitalist value works differently, it upholds profit at all cost.
4. Open our hearts to the saving power of God. From a distance foolishness and wisdom look alike but if we come closer we'll find that foolishness is an open mouth and wisdom is an open mind. In evangelization we need to approach it in a manner of discovery with an element of surprise rather than deciding which means we already have an idea of it. In discovery, God brought us to where we are although not fully revealing but trusting. We discover God and the wonders of His wisdom.
5. Build community
6. Identify and really call injustice as injustice. Accept and handle the truth. Sometimes the closer we are to power the farther we become to truth.
7. Work for a better society. Life is a gift from God but what we make of it is our gift to God. Amen. Hallelujah!
P S A L M
Psalm 71:3-4a. 5-6ab. 16-17
R: My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will
sing your glory!
3 Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, for
you are my rock and my fortress. 4 O my God, rescue me from the hand of the
wicked. (R) 5 For you are my hope, O Lord; my trust, O God, from my youth. 6 On
you I depend from birth; from my mother’s womb you are my strength. (R) 16 I
will treat of the mighty works of the LORD; O God, I will tell of your singular
justice. 17 O God, you have taught me from my youth, and till the present I
proclaim your wondrous deeds.
Today's gospel is another demonstration of God's power to
bring about something out of nothing. In this case, St.
John the Baptist who was born of St. Elizabeth is not just something but someone
who portrayed a great role in the mission of Jesus here on earth. God's ways
are sometimes the most unlikely and unbelievably impossible. Let's not limit
God's power in our life and be open to His miracles. Be not like Zechariah who
doubted and was made speechless. Let us all be confident that God would fulfill
what He said would happen at their proper time. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 1:5-25
...they had no child,
because Elizabeth
was barren and both were advanced in years...But the angel said to him, “Do not
be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth
will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. 14 And you will have joy and
gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the
sight of the Lord...Then Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel said
to him in reply, “I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to
you and to announce to you this good news. 20 But now you will be speechless
and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not
believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.” ...
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