RESTING AND RISING

Third Day of the Misa de Gallo

Jer. 23: 5 – 8 / Ps 72 / Mt. 1: 18 – 25

The love between an ugly husband and a beautiful wife is called, Diskarte

The love between a handsome husband and an ugly wife is called, Swerte

The love between a gwapo husband and a gwapa wife is called, Tadhana

The love between a pangit husband and a pangit wife is called, Sumpa

But what do you call the love between Mary and Joseph? They have been engaged. In a year’s time, Joseph will finally take away Mary from her home and begin a new family. But, God intervened in their love life.

My dear friends, at the start of the Misa de Gallo, we heard about John the Baptist. Yesterday, we heard about the ancestors of Jesus. Today, let us reflect something on the life of Joseph, the just husband of Mary.

When Pope Francis came to the Philippines last January. Inside MOA Arena, he challenged the family to do three things. However, let me just share with you the first two – RESTING and RISING.

Every one of us needs to rest. But I hope you will not make this cold chapel as a venue for you to rest at this very moment. After feeling brokenhearted with what happened to Mary, Joseph rested. While he was resting, God revealed His plan in a dream. As Christians, we also need to rest. And praying is our resting. Through prayer, we will know the “most important thing in life: God’s will for us.” My dear friends, let me invite you to use the remaining days of the Misa de Gallo as moments for you to rest in God. I know that you will be busy with the rest of the day. I hope that before all else, you will know the most important thing in your life today: God’s plan for you! And so, let me ask you this question: When was the last time that you rested well; that you prayed well to God?

After knowing God’s will for his life, Joseph rose from his sleep. He went to Mary and took care of her. This is also our challenge my dear friends – that we move from resting to rising. We need to rise from our sleep! We need to get up and act! We must make our dreams come. That is why to those who are sleeping right now. Rise up! Kay hapit nako mahuman! My dear friends, if God is telling you to give, then give! If he is asking you to forgive, then forgive. If he is asking you to love, then love. Only when we rest and rise can we be truly called – “just” “tawo nga matarong ug dili badlongon.” St. Joseph is a just man because in resting, he learned God’s will for his life and in rising, he carried out such will.

Nonoy Zuniga once sang this song for us:

Doon ay kaya kong ipunin lahat ng bituin

Doon ay kaya kong igapos ihip ng hangin

Doon ay kaya kong pagbawal buhos ng ulan

Sa panaginip lang kita mahahagkan t'wina

Doon lang

However, as Christians, hindi tayo hanggang doon lang. Kaya nating ipunin lahat ng bituin, kaya nating igapos ihip ng hangin, kaya nating ipagbawal ang buhos ng ulan, at kaya nating mahahagkan twina if we rest in the Lord in prayer and rise up from our sleep and make our dreams come true. Amen. 

Photo taken from the Internet olx.com