A JOYFUL ENCOUNTER

SIXTH DAY OF THE MISA DE GALLO

Sg 2: 8 – 14 / Ps 33 / Lk 1: 39 – 45

“Good vibes” – beneficial encounters, moments of grace and protection, and positive energy. We always want to have “good vibes” in life. That is why some wives would rather go with their ka –tropa rather than sleep beside their husband. That is also the reason why some husbands would rather find joy with other women rather than listen to the “noisy” voices of their legal wives. We all want to experience “good vibes” in life.

Such is the experience of Elizabeth in our Gospel today. Mary, after hearing the news about her cousin, went in haste to the hill country in order to help Elizabeth as she prepares for child birth. And such encounter between Mary and Elizabeth was an experience of “good vibes.” The good vibrations came not from themselves but from the child Jesus in the womb of Mary. The vibration was so positive that it even made the child in the womb of Elizabeth to leap for joy.

This is the message of our Gospel today – that an encounter with Jesus would give us joy. Despite the long travel Mary had to undertake and despite the poor condition of Elizabeth, there was joy in both of them for they encountered the Lord in their lives.

Pope Benedict XVI once said that “being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an EVENT, A PERSON, WHICH GIVES LIFE A NEW HORIZON AND A DECISIVE DIRECTION” (Deus Caritas Est 1). The joyful experience of Mary and Elizabeth is also our experience if we meet the Lord in our lives. There is joy in meeting Him because he changes our horizon – our way of seeing things. There is joy in meeting Him because he gives direction to our lost lives because of sin. That is why in this Mass, if you have truly met and encountered the Lord then hindi ka nakasimangot ngayon. You should have “good vibes” today. You rejoice not because after this Mass mababayaran mo na lahat ng utang mo. You rejoice not because after this Mass ang kapangitan mo ay mapapalitan ng kagandahan. No! You rejoice after this Mass because in the Eucharist, you have encountered the Lord.

My dear friends, we are now halfway in our Misa de Gallo. We have been celebrating this tradition for some time now. I hope and pray that we take this Misa de Gallo as a moment for us to encounter the Lord who gives joy to our lives. And the proof that we have encountered God in our lives is that nagkabuotan unta kita samtang nagkatiguwangan. We should become better persons every day and not the other way around.

“Good vibes” - beneficial encounters, moments of grace and protection, and positive energy. When Elizabeth encountered Mary, there was “good vibes” because the Lord was with them. How about us? If people see us after this Mass, will there be “good vibes” because the people saw Christ in us? Liliwanag baa ng buhay ng ibang tao pagnakita nila tayo? O baka naman biglang mag brown out ang buhay nila kasi dumating na tayo? Amen!

Photo taken from blogs.nd.edu