By Fr. Bel R. San Luis, SVD
THE fourth and last Sunday of Advent relates about Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth in her pregnant state.
I had visited that biblical "hill country" called Ein Karem, the village of Zacariah and Elizabeth. Ein Karem is 90 kilometers away from Nazareth and by foot, it took a week to travel.
So you can just imagine how difficult it was for Joseph and the pregnant Mary riding on a donkey to travel at a time when paved roads, cars, buses and trains were unknown.
Despite the difficulty, Mary and Joseph took the trouble. This is Christianity at its best — caring, committed to the welfare of others.
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I once took a bus bound for the North. In Carmen, Pangasinan an old, feeble lady boarded the bus, dragging a lot of personal belongings. Hardly had she settled down then the conductor came to collect her fare. When the woman reached out her R80, the ticket man said, "Lola, that’s not enough; remember this is an aircon bus."
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To which the elderly lady replied: "But that’s all I have." "Then I’ll let you off the next bus stop," said the conductor, "because I’ll pay for the balance."
When the bus halted at next bus stop and the feeble woman struggled to go down with her belongings, one of the passengers asked what was the problem. The conductor told him. To which the man replied: "Ako na ang bahala sa balanse (I’ll take care of the balance). Let her return to her seat."
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The quick reaction of the kind man was very inspiring. I, a priest, who was two seats away, felt guilty (na-konsyensiya). I should have been the first to come to the rescue of the poor woman. Since the passengers around knew I was a priest, I slid down in my seat to hide my embarrassment. "Oh well, doing good is not only for priests!" I said, justifying my failure.
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The inspiring gesture of the man is just one of numerous ways how we can reach out to people in need, which Mary and Joseph exemplified in today’s gospel.
Do we take time out to reach out, especially this time of the year, to our oft-forgotten brethren like the old folks, the prisoners, the sick in charity wards, the victims of calamities?
Or, do we have time only to those for whom we’re socially obligated like our bosses, patrons and clients?
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There’s another message in the visitation. When Mary greets Elizabeth, she is filled with the Holy Spirit and cries out: "Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy."
I was told a baby stirring in a mother’s womb is not unusual. But Luke who tells the story intends the baby’s movement to be caused by something else. He intends the movement to be a joyful response to the presence of Jesus in Mary’s own womb.
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We’re just one day away from Christmas. We ask ourselves: Does the coming of Christ make us "leap for joy" like the baby in Elizabeth’s womb? We surely can say, "Of course." But what kind of joy do we have?
Is it the joy of receiving Christmas gifts, having Christmas parties and making merry? If this is just the kind of joy we experience, it is incomplete and superficial.
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The source of our real and ultimate joy should be in the reality that Jesus Christ came to our world.
His abiding presence in the world, in the sacraments and in his people should make us jump for joy the way the baby John the Baptist did in his mother’s womb.
As Isaac Watts puts it in the Christmas carol he composed, "Joy to the world, the Lord has come." JOY means "Jesus, Others, You."
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TV MASSES — "The Healing Eucharist" produced by the SVD Mission Communications Foundation, Inc. is aired every Sunday at 7-8 a.m. on ABS-CBN, Channel 2.
Celebrant for this Sunday is Fr. Glen Paul GOMEZ, SVD
Its sister program, the FAMILY TV MASS, is aired every Sunday on IBC 13 at 9-10 a.m. Sponsor for this Sunday: Phil. Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). Celebrant: Fr. Jerry Orbos, SVD.
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Our "Simbang Gabi Sa TV" project will culminate with the "Misa Aguinaldo" on December 25 to be aired on ABS-CBN at 12:00 to 1:30 midnight.
TUNE IN.
Donations for Mass intentions and sponsorships are most welcome. Names of donors/sponsors will be gratefully acknowledged in the TV Mass.
For inquiries, call tel. 726-5002 or 723-3343. E-mail: belsvd@skyinet.net.
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