REMEMBERING THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD

Fourth Day of the Misa de Gallo

Jgs. 13: 2 – 7, 24 – 25 / Ps. 71 / Lk. 1: 5 – 25

As early as 5 in the morning my Father was very angry speaking to my mother over the phone. He was looking for his pair of sandals. I also helped in finding my father’s sandals. After more than 20 minutes of searching, both of us sat down. And only then when my father realized that he was already wearing his sandals. He forgot. He did not remember.

In this fourth dawn Mass in preparation for Christmas, Luke narrates to us the story of the old couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth. While Zechariah was offering the sacrifice in the Temple, an angel of the Lord announced to him the news that shocked him – his old wife will be having a son. However, the Gospel ended with Zechariah becoming speechless. Thus, we ask, isn’t it unfair for him to become speechless because of his disbelief in so great a news? Scholars would comment that Zechariah became speechless because he forgot that such a news was not something new. As a priest of the Temple, he must have known well the history of Israel. And our first reading today tells us that indeed what happened to Elizabeth was not something new. An angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah whose wife was barren and announced to him that his wife will conceive and bear a son named Samson. Zechariah whose name means, “The Lord has remembered” became speechless because he forgot. He did not remember the goodness of the Lord.

We can also be like Zechariah – we forget; we do not remember. Our many problems and worries in life can lead us to forgetting the presence and generosity of God in our lives. Like Zechariah who was already old, our problems make us old fast thus making us forget the goodness of the Lord. And once we forget the Lord, then we slowly and little by little look for other “lords.” Since I have a lot of utangs to pay before the year ends, then, I will just steal a little of these 13^th month pay of my fellow worker. Once we forget the Lord then we lose our faith in him and our fate begins.

My dear friends, the Holy Eucharist is a means for us to remember the goodness of the Lord in our lives. Every time we celebrate the Mass, we are commanded to “do this in memory of me.” Every time we celebrate the Mass, our memory is brought back to that event in Calvary where Jesus ultimately showed his goodness to us for by his death we were raised back to life.

As we continue with this Mass, as we strive to complete the Misa de Gallo, may we remember every time we gather together for the Eucharist that despite the many problems in life, the goodness of the Lord still has the last and final say.

I once met Nanay Nenita during my hospital exposure a few years ago. Her left leg was amputated because of complications of diabetes. While sitting beside her bed, she narrated to me her life story that was filled with ups and downs. Before leaving her, she left me with these striking and unforgettable words, “ Brod, after all the trials of my life, I do not blame God. Why? Because despite my problems, he was still good to me. That is why my present condition cannot even cause me to blame him, kay kung iya kong giluwas kaniadto, nganong dili man ko niya luwason karon? ( If God saved me before, why will he not save me today?) Nanay Nenita never forgot the Lord. She has always remembered God’s goodness in her life. How about us? How about you? Have you already forgotten the goodness of the Lord? Amen.

 Photo taken from www.wikiart.org