DAILY- HOMILY

JANUARY 16, 2011
FEAST OF STO. NIÑO
2ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – A

Readings: Is 9:1-6 / Ps 97:1,2-3,3-4,5-6 / Eph 1:3-6, 15-18 / Lk
2:41-52

ISAIAH 9:1-6
The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. A light has
dawned on those who live in the land of the shadow of death. You have
enlarged the nation; you have increased their joy. They rejoice before
you, as people rejoice at harvest time as they rejoice in dividing the
spoil. For the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressors, you have broken it as on the day of
Midian. Every warrior's boot that tramped in war, every cloak rolled
in blood, will be thrown out for burning, will serve as fuel for the
fire. For a child is born to us, a son is given us; the royal ornament
is laid upon his shoulder, and his name is proclaimed: "Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." To the
increase of his powerful rule in peace, there will be no end. Vast
will be his dominion, he will reign on David's throne and over all his
kingdom, to establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness
from this time onward and forever. The zealous love of Yahweh Sabaoth
will do this.

EPHESIANS 1:3-6, 15-18
Blessed be God, the Father of Christ Jesus our Lord, who in Christ has
blessed us from heaven with every spiritual blessing. God chose us in
Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and without sin in
his presence. From eternity he destined us in love to be his adopted
sons and daughters through Christ Jesus, thus fulfilling his free and
generous will. This goal suited him: that his loving-kindness which he
granted us in his Beloved might finally receive all glory and praise.
I have been told of your faith and your affection towards all the
believers, so I always give thanks to God, remembering you in my
prayers. May the God of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Father of Glory,
reveal himself to you and give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation,
that you may know him. May he enlighten your inner vision, that you
may appreciate the things we hope for, since we were called by God.
May you know how great is the inheritance, the glory, God sets apart
for his saints.

LUKE 2:41-52
Every year his parents used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the
Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as
usual. When the days of the feast were over and they set off home, the
boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing i t.
They assumed he was somewhere in the party, and it was only after a
day's journey that they went to look for him among their relations and
acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to
Jerusalem looking for him everywhere. It happened that, three days
later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers,
listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard
him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were
overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, `My child, why
have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been,
looking for you.' He replied, `Why were you looking for me? Did you
not know that I must be in my Father's house?' But they did not
understand what he meant. He went down with them then and came to
Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother stored up all
these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature,
and in favor with God and with people.

REFLECTION
Today throughout the Philippines we celebrate the feast of the Sto.
Niño. This writer calls it a "difficult" feast for two reasons. First
of all, for the liturgical purists it is a bit strange that after we
have finished with the liturgical Christmas season we come back to the
infancy of Jesus. It would be more logical if we celebrated this feast
right after the feast of the Holy Family, before the Baptism of the
Lord (which took place when he was an adult).

But the second reason why this may be a difficult feast is the serious
challenge it can present to us. That challenge is about growth,
change, and development. Here is the explanation.

Jesus was born like us, a baby, in need of the care of his mother and
his father. Like us in all things but sin, he had to grow out of his
babyhood. He had to go through the uncertainties of his adolescence
and the difficult period of life when his own growing "independence"
seemed to be in a sort of conflict with his still being his parents'
boy.

Today's Gospel tells us about his parents' great anxiety. And what we
see in today's Gospel is just the beginning of the story of Jesus
having to continue to develop into the man that he still had to
become. Eventually he had to leave the nest of his parents to follow
his own vocation according to what his heavenly Father called him to
be. (We saw that last week in the event of his baptism by John at the
Jordan River.)

And that very same pattern of growth, change, and development
challenges us not only in our individual personal lives but also in
our parishes, in our Church, and in our country. Not always very easy,
is it? That is why we can call it a challenge.

Just take this parish for example. Think back of the more than 50
years of this parish. It is a parish that has experienced fantastic
growth over the years. So many changes and developments have marked
these years of growth. Consider the various ministries and pastoral
help groups that have been formed in this parish and in other parishes
all over the world here and abroad. All of these are signs of
wonderful growth, change, and development.

Are we sometimes confused? Perhaps at times we are, but that is normal
for us as we undergo the pattern of real never-ending growth. The
temptation can be to resist the challenges to growth and to want to
remain as comfortably in the past. But new challenges will continue to
face us as new problems, new opportunities and new solutions will
arise. These can at times confuse us, but to refuse those challenges
is to die.

So, on this feast of the Sto. Niño let us thank the Lord for our
growth and let us ask for the grace to continue to grow gracefully as
the child Jesus did.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Baby Veloso, Erlinda Roa
- Vicky Fabella
- Susan
… for the personal intentions of Trinna
… for the eternal repose of the soul of Ng Yam Bee Tuazon Lao. Eternal
rest grant unto them and may perpetual light shine upon them. May they
and all the dearly departed rest in peace.
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Ryan L. Lamar
- Birthday: Albert Jabanahab
- Birthday: Lucy M. Eugenio
- Birthday: Sally Mamalateo
- Wedding Anniversary: Ramon & Chit Marin
- Wedding Anniversary: Liza & Manny Salgado
- Wedding Anniversary: Lanny and Charito Nañagas
… for world peace and reconciliation.

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers
and for those who need our prayers the most.

Have a good day!

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