CHRISTmust 12
Let us not be defocused by the customs that evolved around the visit of
the magi from the East and the gifts they brought Jesus. The magi are
not the stars. THEY THEMSELVES HAD TO BE LED BY ONE! Their gifts were
nothing compared with the Gift they received: Jesus who Himself is the
Star that enlightens those who SEEK GOD WITH A PURE HEART.
The
Lord's Epiphany is about Jesus, not about the magi. It is the story of
Jesus's glorious self-manifestation to the world. Be careful not to miss
Jesus in the thick of the trimmings of the day.
Epiphany is THE SIGHTINGS OF CHRIST IN THE WORLD. Have you seen Him lately?
CHRISTmust 10
“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” says John
the Baptist as he points to Jesus Christ who came to be baptized by
him. The title “Lamb of God” is highly significant for any Jew.
CHRISTmust 9
One of the most important questions in life is the question on
identity. We search for who we really are. Each of us wants to know his
or her identity as an individual. Cold facts in our curriculum vitae do
not satisfy us. Neither do a list of our talents, skills, and traits. We
thirst for more knowledge about who we really are. We want to know what
makes us different from the person standing next to us and from the rest of humanity.
CHRISTmust 8
Today we honor the greatest mother of the greatest Son: Mary, the
mother of Jesus Christ. She saw her Son’s moments of triumph and
tragedy. Because her Son is no ordinary son, so is Mary a no ordinary
mother. Her Son is God’s own Son. Thus, Mary is God’s own mother. Not
that she gave divine personhood to her Son but that her Son favored her
with divine motherhood. More than honor, but less than adoration, we venerate Mary, the Mother of God, today.
Great mothers have great memories. The Gospel today tells us that Mary
kept all things in her heart and pondered on them. It is a very painful
experience for anyone of us if our aging mother can no longer remember
our names or the life we once shared with them. Motherhood and memories
go perfectly together. Mothers are keepers, not only of family secrets
but of family memories as well. They keep family memories not only by
remembering them but also by reminding us of them whenever needed and,
after reflecting on them, providing meaning and value to whatever we
face in life as we grow.
CHRISTmust 7
Jesus is God's Word Incarnate. We therefore cannot encounter Him UNLESS WE LISTEN.
We listen with OUR HEART. We FEEL the Word-Made-Flesh. We listen beyond the Word and feel the presence of Jesus.
KNOW SILENCE, KNOW JESUS.
CHRISTmust 5
The family is the door through which we enter into human history. The
same door, the Lord passed through to reach us. By becoming part of a
human family, Jesus sanctified all families.
But what has become of many of our families today?
CHRISTmust 4
Feast of the Holy Innocents
In any war, there are no winners; all are losers. And many innocent
people die in the crossfire. Today, we remember the children caught in a
rather peculiar battle.
Herod
wanted to kill the Baby Jesus because he felt threatened by His birth
and the prophecies linked to Him. Herod was ready and willing to
sacrifice other people’s lives to keep his grip on the throne. Such
madness! Such evil!
CHRISTmust 3
Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
“…that we have heard, and we have seen with our own eyes, that we have
watched and touched with our hands…we are writing to you to make our own
joy complete (1 Jn 1:1-4).” Now we know why John wrote the Fourth
Gospel and his epistles!
CHRISTmust 2
Memorial of St. Stephen, First Christian Martyr
A day immediately following Christmas, the liturgical color suddenly
turns from white or gold to crimson or red. December 26 is the feast of
the first Christian martyr, Stephen.
CHRISTmust 1
(We begin today, Christmas Day, a new series of daily reflections:
"CHRISTmust". We shall carry this from today through the Feast of the
Lord's Baptism. Please feel free to share it. Let us evangelize the
networld together!)
