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.
GospelLuke 3:1-6 (English Standard Version Anglicised: England & Wales, India, Scotland)
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius
Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee,
and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and
Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas
and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah
in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As
it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
This is Handel's setting of the last part of today's gospel.
Charles Kuralt was an American
journalist who worked for many years for the CBS TV network in the USA. He was
especially noted for his 'On the Road' features on the CBS Evening News. These
started in 1967, the year I was ordained, and I became familiar with them when
I went to study in the USA the following year.
I vividly remember one particular story
- they were never from the highways but from the byways of the United States -
about a man somewhat on the older side who lived in a small town somewhere in
the heartland of the country. I forget the particular state. The nearest town
was only a few kilometres away but there was no road connecting the two. People
had to take a very long way around to get from one to the other.
The residents of both towns tried for
years to persuade their politicians to build a road connecting them, without
success. So this particular elderly citizen decided he'd start to build a road
himself, using planks. When Charles Kuralt caught up with him he hadn't got
very far - but he had started.
This man was
engaged in what the Handbook of the Legion of Mary calls Symbolic
Action. The Handbook was written almost entirely by Frank
Duff, the founder of the Legion.
The Handbook says, It
is a fundamental Legion principle that into every work should be thrown the
best that we can give. simple or difficult, it must be done in the spirit of
Mary . . .
But
sometimes we are faced with works which are really impossible, that is to say,
beyond human effort . . .
'Every
impossibility is divisible into thirty-nine steps, of which each step is
possible' - declares a legionary slogan . . .
Observe: the
stress is set on action. No matter what may be the degree of the difficulty, a
step must be taken. Of course, the step should be as effective as it can be.
But if an effective step is not in view, then we must take a less effective
one. And if the latter be not available, then some active gesture (that is, not
merely a prayer) must be made which, though of no apparent practical value, at
least tends towards or has some relation to the objective. This final challenging
gesture is what the Legion has been calling 'Symbolic Action.' Recourse to it
will explode the impossibility which is of our own imagining. And, on the other
hand, it enters in the spirit of faith into dramatic conflict with the genuine
impossibility.
The sequel
may be the collapse of the walls of that Jericho.
I saw
Charles Kuralt's broadcast some time between 1968 and 1971. In the autumn of
1982 I was working in a hospital in Minneapolis as a chaplain on a three-month
Clinical Pastoral Education programme. Charles Kuralt came to town while I was
there to give a lunchtime lecture in an auditorium near the hospital and I went
along to hear him. When he invited questions from the very large audience
someone asked him, What happened to that road the old man began to
build? So I wasn't the only one who had remembered the story.
Mr Kuralt
told us that the man had since died - but that the road between the two towns
had finally been built by the authorities.
The chances are that the man
featured in Charles Kuralt's story, since he was from the heartland of the USA,
was familiar with today's gospel. St John the Baptist is quoting the Prophet
Isaiah and asking each of us to Prepare the way of the Lord, make his
paths straight. He assures us that Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made
straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh
shall see the salvation of God.
Jesus asks
for our cooperation. When he was faced with the hungry crowds he asked the
Apostles what food they had and then told them to feed the people. Their
cooperation with their feeble resources enabled him to show God's bounty in a
way they could not have imagined. At Cana Jesus told the servants to fill the
water containers - and changed the water into the equivalent of about 600
bottles of the very best wine. (I once read a commentary that advised the
reader to take that in a symbolic sense. I really don't see why we should
diminish God's bounty! What Jesus did is indeed a symbol of God's bounty
precisely because it was an act of that bounty in a specific situation.)
We have no idea what
God can do with a seemingly insignificant or purely personal action. When the
young St Anthony of the Abbot went of to live as a hermit in the desert, rather
like St John the Baptist, he had no idea that it would lead to the foundation
of monasteries of contemplatives around the world.
Jesus, through the
words of Isaiah repeated by St John the Baptist is calling us to actively
prepare for his coming, in so many unexpected ways in our daily lives, through
joys and sorrows, through the Mass and the sacraments, and in glory at the end
of time. We are also preparing to celebrate the birthday of Jesus. However,
that First Coming in the flesh has already taken place.
St John of the Cross
wrote in The Ascent of Mount Carmel, When he (God) gave us,
as he did, his Son, who is his one Word, he spoke everything to us, once and
for all in that one Word. There is nothing further for him to say. This is
part of the Second Reading in the Office of Readings for Monday in Week 2 of
Advent.
There is nothing further for him to say.
St John of the Cross goes on to write in the
same passage, Consequently, anyone who today would want to ask God
questions or desire some vision or revelation, would not only be acting
foolishly but would commit an offence against God by not fixing his eyes
entirely on Christ, without wanting something new or something besides him.
God might give him this answer, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well
pleased; listen to him.' I have already told you all things in my Word. Fix
your eyes on him alone, because in him I have spoken and revealed all.
Moreover, in him you will find more than you ask or desire.
The writings of St John of the Cross and of
other great theologians do not reveal to us anything new but rather bring us
into a deeper understanding of the Word. Likewise, the messages that the Church
recognises as having been received in such places as Lourdes, for example, do
not reveal to us anything new but rather emphasise some aspect of the Word, usually
a call to penance and to prayer, in other words, Prepare the way of the
Lord.
God asks us to look to the future in active,
sometimes symbolically active, hope like the old man in Charles Kuralt's story.
Be ready to meet Jesus in whatever guise he comes and whenever he comes, each
day, at the hour of our death, at the end of time.
Antiphona ad Communionem
Communion Antiphon Baruch 5:5; 4:36
Ierusalem, surge et sta in excelso,
Jerusalem, arised and stand upon the heights,
et vide iucunditatem, quae veniet tibi a Deo tuo.
and behold the joy which comes to you from God.
Traditional Latin Mass
The Immaculate Conception
The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 12-08-2024 if necessary).
