Since we are travellers and pilgrims in the world, let us ever ponder on the end of the road, that is of our life, for the end of our roadway is our home (St Columban, 8th sermon).
GospelLuke 1:39-45 (English Standard Version, Anglicised)
In those days Mary arose and went with haste
into the hill country, to a town in Judah,and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted
Elizabeth.And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby
leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,and she exclaimed with a loud
cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of
your womb!And why is this granted to me that the mother of my
Lord should come to me?For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my
ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken
to her from the Lord.”
I never fail to be moved, delighted and inspired by this 'Dance of Life' between St Elizabeth pregnant with John the Baptist and Mary pregnant with Jesus.
About seventeen years ago I celebrated Mass on the Feast of the Visitation in a home for girls where most come from a background of abuse. One girl of 16, whom I'll call 'Gloria', was pregnant. She was from another part of the Philippines and had been working in a restaurant and said that one of her co-workers was responsible. Gloria was very angry and would not accept the baby she was carrying who was by this time around six months, as I recall. I invited her at the end of the Mass to come forward for a blessing for herself and her child. She agreed. With her permission I placed my hand gently on her stomach, as Elizabeth and Mary do with each other in the painting below, while I prayed.
'Gloria' told me afterwards that she could feel the baby moving as I blessed them both - and she had a smile on her face. She was able to go home to her own place some time later where she gave birth. Perhaps you could say a prayer for her and for her child, now aged about 17.
Rogier van der Weyden captures the sacredness of the lives of the unborn Jesus and John the Baptist. El Greco captures the swirl of a dance of life, the flowing blue robes suggesting the joy of the two pregnant mothers, Mary and Elizabeth. Luca della Robbia's sculpture shows the sacred intimacy of the moment that Mary and Elizabeth met, each carrying a precious life, Mary's child the Son of God, God-become-Man.
Today's gospel has particular relevance in the context of on-going public debates in a number of countries about abortion, including Ireland and the USA. When I used this material three years ago the Republic of Ireland was about to introduce abortion on demand up to twelve weeks, the new law to come into effect on New Year’s Day 2019, the Solemnity of the Motherhood of Mary. 6,666 legal abortions took place in that year and 6,577 the following year. In 2023 there were 10,033.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
+++
One of a number of ministries to both women and men who have been directly affected by abortion is Rachel's Vineyard. I have connections with Rachel's Vineyard, Ireland, which has brought its healing retreat to such places as the Faroe Islands, Hungary, South Korea and Lebanon.
Del Verbo Divino
San Juan de la Cruz
Del Verbo divino
la Virgen preñada
viene de camino:
¡ si les dais posada !
Concerning the Divine Word
St John of the Cross
Translation by Roy Campbell
With the divinest Word, the Virgin
Made pregnant, down the road
Comes walking, if you'll grant her
A room in your abode.
Posada is a Spanish word meaning 'lodging' or 'accommodation' or 'inn'. In many Spanish-speaking countries and communities Las Posadas is a novena in preparation for Christmas. This tradition is a 'cousin' to that in the Philippines known as Simbang Gabi.
Traditional Latin Mass
Fourth Sunday of Advent
The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 12-22-2024 if necessary).
GospelLuke 3:10-18 (English Standard Version, Anglicised)
And the crowds asked John the Baptist, “What then shall we
do?”And he
answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has
none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”Tax
collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall
we do?”And he said to them, “Collect no more
than you are authorized to do.”Soldiers also
asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not
extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with
your wages.”
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were
questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the
Christ,John
answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is
mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to
untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn
with unquenchable fire.”
So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the
people.
Groot Nederlands Jongerenkoor with Musica Sacra Chorus
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Amen.(Philippians 4:4, 6-7, Authorised [King James] Version.)
Note: this translation uses 'alway', not 'always'.
The above
is a setting by
George Rathbone of the first and last verses of today's Second
Reading. It emphasises a basic theme of Advent: Joy. And today the Church
focuses on that. We call the Third Sunday of Advent 'Gaudete Sunday' from
the Latin opening word of the Entrance Antiphon, 'Gaudete in Domino semper,'
'Rejoice in the Lord always'
The First
Reading begins with the same theme: Sing aloud, O daughter of
Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O
daughter of Jerusalem! (Zephaniah 3:14).
'Ligaya'
is the Tagalog word for 'joy' and is a common enough name for girls in the
Philippines. It is the name used for the girl at the heart of the story below,
though not her real name, which was a particularly beautiful one. St Joseph is
one of the central figures in the gospels read at Mass as we approach Christmas
and is highlighted in the gospel for Friday, 17 December, Matthew 1:1-17, and in the gospel for Saturday, 18
December, Matthew 1:18-24. It was through St Joseph, the Husband of
Mary, that Jesus was born of the line of David, as God had promised. And by
naming Jesus, as the angel asked him to do, St Joseph became the legal father
of Jesus.
I published
the story below, written by Korean Columban lay missionary Columba Chang
Eun-Yeal, in the November-December 2015 issue of MISYONonline.com, the
magazine of the Columbans in the Philippines of which I was then editor. It had
appeared there before in the November-December 2002 issue. I have used it
in Sunday Reflections a number of times because it is a story
that shows the joy that only God can give, a joy that usually comes from within
a very painful situation, a situation where one's suffering may well be the
result of the grave sin of an aggressor, as in this case.
I MET ST JOSEPH IN MANILA by Columba Chang Eun-Yeal
The author
There may be as many as close to ten million Filipino overseas workers spread all over the world. They greatly help the country’s economy by the money they send home. However sometimes they may be taken for granted for those at home who think that they have an easy life abroad. Read Aling Maria’s story below and find out the dangers that OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers), and their counterparts from other countries, face and the abuses they experience. We thank ‘Mang Pepe’ for his help in writing this article in which we’ve changed the names.
'Mang' and 'Aling' are Tagalog honorifics for a man and woman, respectively, older than oneself. 'Tatay' is the equivalent of 'Papa' and 'Daddy'.
I met Mang Pepe and his daughter Ligaya through my work with Caritas Manila. I visit the family regularly. They live in a poor part of the city and Mang Pepe makes a living by doing odd jobs. My work takes me to families affected by HIV/AIDS. I knew Mang Pepe’s story before he shared it with the congregation at the Saturday evening Mass in Baclaran Church on 7 December 2002 at the end of a celebration organized by Caritas Manila for World AIDS Day.
Mang Pepe and his wife Aling Maria were having difficulties putting their five children through school. This sometimes led to arguments. Eventually Aling Maria decided to work in the Middle East. She felt happy when accepted as a nursing aide with a two-year contract in the UAE. She prepared her documents. She and Pepe sold their house and lot for her fare and placement fee. She flew out on 5 February 1989, full of hope for her family’s future financial stability.
Aling Maria soon discovered that her contract as a nursing aide was terminated just a few months after she arrived, without any hope of renewal. But she didn’t want to go back to the Philippines with an empty pocket. She decided to take the ‘TNT’ (tago ng tago, Tagalog for hidden or illegal) route. She managed to find a series of jobs as a saleslady, cashier and office worker.
Columba Chang, left, with friend in Manila
Hope turns into a nightmare
As an illegal worker, she was often subjected to different abuses like underpayment, long hours of working without a day off and so on. But the worst thing was when one of Aling Maria’s employers took advantage of her and made her pregnant. When she came home to the Philippines in October 1993 Mang Pepe and the family were very shocked to learn that Aling Maria carried a child in her womb. She hadn’t mentioned anything about this before. However, despite this they still welcomed her and the child with joy . . . but deep in their hearts there was a shadow of sadness, fear and uncertainty.
After a few days the tabloids reported that three Filipino overseas workers had been sent home because of being infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS – and that one of them was Aling Maria. These stories, and the rumors they spawned, continued for a month. Some relatives, neighbors and friends rejected Aling Maria. The children of Mang Pepe and Aling Maria were torn apart. Some wanted to quit school and leave the area. The family suffered greatly because of the stigma.
Aling Maria and Mang Pepe went to the Department of Health (DOH) for a series of blood tests. The tests confirmed what Aling Maria knew already, that she and her ‘little mercy child', as Mang Pepe called his wife’s daughter, had HIV. The doctor gave them counseling and advice and information about HIV/AIDS.
Ligaya is born
Aling Maria decided not to stay in the hospital and continued to work as a pension plan insurance agent. In time she gave birth to a baby girl whom they named Ligaya. Gradually, however, Mang Pepe saw his dear wife turning into a picture of misery as she suffered from constant headaches and flu. Aling Maria was hoping for a miracle that would ease her agony. It was not to be. The HIV developed into full-blown AIDS. Her appetite disappeared until she couldn’t eat anymore. Mang Pepe and the children saw Aling Maria slowly dying. He prepared the family to accept her death as the will of God. She died on 15 December 1997, aged 46.
Like everyone else in Baclaran Church, I was deeply touched by Mang Pepe’s story, even though he had told it to me many times. I was touched by the great love of this simple man who accepted as his own a daughter who was the fruit of the brutal violation of his wife. Mang Pepe is ‘Tatay’ to Ligaya. Her schoolmates sometimes teased her because her features clearly show her Middle Eastern origins. But her Tatay stands by her, as do her brothers and sisters.
Proud to be her Tatay
Tatay Pepe is proud of Ligaya’s singing ability and smiled as she sang at the celebration in Baclaran. Ligaya is very proud of her Tatay and knows the depth of his love as a father. She has very uncertain health and is often in the hospital. The shadow of AIDS hangs over her.
St Joseph named Jesus, the Son of Mary, and thereby became his legal father. He loved Mary, his wife, and raised Jesus as his own son. Mang Pepe has gone through the agony of knowing that his wife was violated overseas, after dishonest employers had taken advantage of her in other ways. When she brought home a child who was not his, he made her his own. This latter-day St Joseph in Manila has given much joy to his daughter Ligaya as she has given much joy to him and others, like myself, who have come to know and love her.
+++
‘Ligaya’ died in the latter part of 2004. I was in Baclaran Church at the invitaion of Columba the day that Mang Pepe told his story and I came to know ‘Ligaya’ as a friend. Shortly before she died I had the privilege of talking to her on Columba’s mobile phone. She was a delightful child. The light of heaven upon her.
Today the Church celebrates Our Lady of Guadalupe. In most countries it is an optional memorial. Here in the Diocese of Meath in Ireland today is the Feast of St Finnian, the patron saint of the diocese and so Our Lady of Guadalupe isn't celebrated liturgically at all. Under that title Our Lady is a secondary patron of the Philippines, since the country was originally part of the Archdiocese of Mexico.
The Daily Meditation published in Magnificat and online by Aleteia today is by the Servant of God Luis María Martínez who died in 1956 when he was Archbishop of Mexico. Here is the first part of it.
The Incomparable Love
of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Do we remember the first word that the Blessed Virgin pronounced on the summit of the Tepeyac? It was a word of love, a word of incomparable predilection: “My son Juan Diego, whom I love tenderly as a delicate little one.”
The Virgin did not just speak that word then, for she continues to speak it and will speak it until the end of time. It is necessary to repeat it: We are Juan Diego. He is not only the poor, unfortunate individual who looked at the hill filled with light, who contemplated the heavenly face of Mary, who heard her maternal and most sweet word as music from the heavens. We are Juan Diego. He is four centuries old. He will live until the end of time. And to the immortal Juan Diego Our Lady says: “My son whom I love tenderly as a delicate little one.” Do we feel the exquisite sweetness, the heavenly softness of that word of love?… The love of the Holy Virgin was not fleeting. It is not like the affections of our fickle heart, which change, fade, and suffer eclipses. No, the love of the Virgin is like the love of God. What Mary loved she continues to love….
The video was made in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City
The fifth stanza has these beautiful words:
Oh Virgen de Guadalupe, Oh Madre del Salvador, tu vientre, jardín sagrado, prepara la eterna flor. Mujer de la nueva alianza: restaura la creación.
O Virgin of Gudalupe!
O Mother of the Saviour!
Your womb, sacred garden
prepares the Eternal Flower.
Woman of the Eternal Covenant,
restore creation.
In the miraculous image of Mary on St Juan Diego's tilma (cloak), now framed in the basilica in Mexico City, she is pregnant, as indicated by the black sash around her waist. This was the custom of pregnant Aztec women. She is venerated especially as Patroness of the Unborn, [see here also] along with their mothers.
I'm certain that she protects their fathers too, ignored by those who want women to be able to have their children aborted and too often forgotten by those who fight to protect the lives of unborn children and their children. And the Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops doesn't forget them.
Virgin of Guadalupe,
Patroness of unborn children,
we implore your intercession
for every child at risk of abortion.
Help expectant parents to welcome
from God
the priceless gift of their child’s life.
Console parents
who have lost that gift
through abortion,
and lead them to forgiveness and healing
through the Divine Mercy of your Son.
Teach us to
cherish
and to care for family and friends
until God calls them home.
Help us never to see others as burdens.
Guide our public
officials
to defend each and every human life
through just laws.
Inspire us all to bring our faith into public life,
to speak for those who have no voice.
We ask this in
the name of your Son,
Jesus Christ, who is Love and Mercy itself.
Amen.
Las Mañanitas
The Spanish title of this Mexican song literally means, I
think, 'The Little Mornings'. It is sung as an early morning birthday greeting.
At the end of the Mass in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe on her feast day
everyone sings it, facing the image of La Virgen.
The May-June 2013 issue of Misyon, the Columban magazine of the Columbans in the Philippines of which I was editor, published A Visit to Tepeyac, Mexico by Vissia Hernandez who lives in Metro Manila.
Today we Columbans received this email from our Superior General Fr Andrei Paz:
With a heavy heart, I write to request your prayers for our dear
brother, Fr Aminiasi Ravuwai. Recently, Amini has been hospitalized in Lima,
and after undergoing a series of tests, it has been confirmed that he has an
inoperable tumor in his pancreas. He is experiencing significant pain, which
has left him unable to travel for medical treatment outside of Peru. This news
has deeply affected him and all of us who care for him.
In this difficult time, prayers are needed for Amini’s strength and
peace, as well as for the grace to face the challenges ahead. I also ask for
prayers for the Columbans in the Region of South America and for his family,
who are dealing with this difficult news. The Columbans in Lima are deeply
moved by his suffering, and his family is grappling with the emotional weight
of this situation. Amini’s loved ones, both near and far, are struggling with
the uncertainty of what lies ahead.
Please remember Amini in your Masses and prayers, asking for God's
comfort and healing presence. Through our prayers and the intercession of St
Columban and our Blessed Mother, the Immaculate Conception, may Amini
experience the strength and peace that only God can provide. May he feel the
solace of Christ’s love and the courage to persevere through this difficult
journey.
Thank you for your support and prayers for Amini, his family, and the
Columbans in South America. In times like these, it is through God’s love and
grace that we find hope and peace.
Father Amini with his family on his ordination day in Suva, 22 December 2020
You can read more about Father Amini here. He was a teacher before he joined the Columbans. He went to Peru as a priest in 2021 but had spent two years there on First Mission Assignment as a seminarian. He also spent a year in Manila for his Spiritual Year, the equivalent of a novitiate.
In the video Fr Frank Hoare, an Irish Columban who went to Fiji about 50 years ago, interviews Father Amini shortly after his ordination.
