Homily of His Excellency, Most Rev. Mylo Hubert Vergara, D.D. on the mass on the occasion of the Preparation for Advent, Dec. 1, 2013, Immaculate Conception Cathedral
Our readings today give us a
further challenge as we know that this evening we will be starting our Advent
Season. If you observed that I’m still wearing green and this is the last time
at least for this day as we move on for the next Sundays of Advent that you
will see this colour because later you will see violet and rose when we
celebrate the third Sunday of Advent.
The first reading gives us a powerful
image of what it means to look forward to God’s kingdom. You have observed the
image of a river – a river flowing and at the other end you see that the fruits
of the river will be blossoming of the plants because that is the symbol of
life, if not eternal life. This even hints us of our disposition for the Advent
Season since we talked about the Lord’s coming. Because if you observe, you
will be seeing what will take place in eternal life when the Day of Judgment
comes - this river flowing and the experience of blossoming and fruitfulness.
Then, awaiting the Lord’s coming motivates us to a disposition of longing for
the Lord. Sabi nga, nag-aantay tayo, ninanasa natin na siya’y dumating sa ating
buhay kasi syempre kung nakikita mo yung magandang darating, sana dumating na. That’s
why there is this urgent longing for the coming of Jesus in our lives – the
coming of our Savior.
However, in our Gospel there is
another disposition of the Lord’s coming that perhaps you should also be aware
about. The key word is “beware”. Parang
babala, sabi nga “Aba, maghanda kayo, kasi ito yung mangyayari.” As I said,
whenever we talk about the second coming of our Lord – the parousia, it’s not
easy to welcome that coming because it means death, it means the end, it means
judgment day. But yet it also tells us even though there is death, judgment
day, we should welcome the Lord’s coming with vigilance, with readiness so that
we will all receive our eternal reward. Nakita n’yo, “longing – vigilance”, napakaganda po nung themes because I’m
sure during this next Sunday, giving those two themes of longing and vigilance,
your parish priests, guest priests, priests of the diocese will be talking
about preparing for the Lord’s coming –
paghahanda sa pagdating ng Panginoon.
However, I’d like to enter a
practical side of preparing for the Lord’s coming. If you’ve observed in my
talk a little while ago, I gave you seven points of Advent in the “Year of
Faith”. Now I’d like to have another memory aid because there is a powerful
symbol during Advent that I’m sure we are all aware about in our parish
churches and in our homes. It is the
Advent Wreath. In our Advent wreath there are four candles of advent. Notice, in
the slides of my talk, may apat na kandila
and at the center nandun si Mary
and Joseph at si baby Jesus. Ngayon ang
gagawin ko, I’m sure you have heard this catechesis on the candles of Advent
that each candle symbolizes a Sunday of Advent so that it is a sign that the
Lord is near. In a more practical perspective, I’d like to look at those four
candles of Advent to dispose us to how we can best prepare in longing and
vigilance. Iisa-isahin natin yung kandila.
This reflection is sort of borrowed and the same time altered.
Many many years back there was this
Jesuit priest who gave a recollection and shared that when we talk of preparing
for the Lord’s coming, you can prepare it by looking at the candle and seeing
the context of the lighted candle in your own experience. But he shared, meron daw tatlong candle light of
preparation. Ang gagawin ko apat,
because I’d like to look at the Filipino human experience. Madali n’yong tandaan para yung bawat kandila ay merong hamon sa atin.
The first candle, I call this the
candlelight of prayer. Sa mga bahay natin
may mga altar at sigurado ako na sa mga altar n’yo mayrong isa o dalawang
kandila doon. At sa pagdadasal ay sisindihan natin ang kandila. This is a
sign that we are entering our silence and solitude before God, right? So I
think the first candle of advent tells us that we are called to rekindle our
own intimacy with the Lord, so during this Advent season, light that candle.
Literally, it may be lighting your small altars at home but really it’s
lighting within your heart – your practice of prayer. Kasi yung iba nagdadasal lang pagkailangan si Lord, pag hindi kailangan,
hindi magdadasal.
The second candle is the candle of
relationship. Halimbawa, during Valentine’s Day yung mag-asawa nagka-candlelight dinner. It is an experience of a
loving relationship. That is the candle I’d like you to light during Advent. This
candlelight of rekindling relationship. Bakit?
Kasi baka nga meron pong mga pakikipag-ugnayan kayo sa pamilya, sa parokya,
pamayanan, sa opisina na mukhang patay na yung kandila. Ibig sabihin namatay na
yung relasyon, hindi mo pinapansin, hindi mo binabati o kaya hindi mo mapatawad-tawad
sa buhay mo. Makipag-bati ka na! That’s the second candle I’d like you to
light – the candle of renewing relationship with people.
The third candle is the candlelight
of solidarity. Nagsisindi tayo ng mga
kandila na maramihan kapag may advocacy
tayo, halimbawa, prayers for peace – nagsisindi
tayo ng mga kandila sa mga bahay-bahay sa labas o kaya pag may mga rally nagsisindi tayo ng kandila – prayer
rally. This is candlelight of solidarity. What does this mean? When you light
this candle you become sensitive to the needs of others – the poor, the sick,
the homeless, those in need, those who have no one to care for and to turn to. Minsan
may mga pagkakataon iniisip lang natin sarili natin. I’d like you to light
that third candle because this is a blessed opportunity that during Advent and
Christmas we go out of ourselves. Magkawang
gawa naman tayo, hindi puro inisip natin pasko natin. May mga kailangan
magdiwang ng pasko, na mga nangangailangan ng pagmamahal, pagkalinga – let
us share, yun ang candlelight of solidarity.
The fourth candle is the
candlelight of holiness. Sa sementeryo nagsisindi po tayo ng kandila
pagka Araw ng mga Patay o Araw ng mga Kaluluwa at inaalala natin ang ating mga yumaong
mahal sa buhay. Why? Because when we pray for our departed love ones and
friends, it is actually prayer not only for eternal life but the movement
towards eternal life. During All Saints Day and All Souls Day, ang inaalala natin ang mga Santo at Santa sa
kalangitan, pero inaalala din natin ang mga Santo at Santa na maaaring hindi
kinikilala ng simbahan, pero mga Santo at Santang naging banal, naging
inspirasyon natin para tayo maging banal din. Panalangin natin, sindihan natin
yung kandila ng kabanalan. Why? Because that’s our goal. As we look forward
to experience eternal life let it be our objective to live a life of holiness. Bakit parang sementeryo, kasi nga
pagnagsisindi ka ng kandila sa sementeryo paalala din sa’yo – mamamatay ka rin!
Kaya ngayon pa lang maghanda ka na, magpakabuti ka na, at magpakabanal ka na.
Rekindle that candle of holiness. You observe four candles; the candlelight of
prayer, the candlelight of relationship, the candlelight of solidarity and the
candlelight of holiness.
But what’s the whole point, when
you light these four candles of Advent, what happens to you, you make Christ
live and be born again in your hearts not only this Christmas but always.
Amen! /dpoc20130110, log: Bishop's homilies
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