Day
5: December 20
Reflection
on Luke 1:26-38
by Joseph Don Castro,
CRS
Attention Technique: Story (from Children are Gifts
from God, by Nancy Campbell)
"This
is a story about a lady who had a vision. She shared: "In this vision I
saw God, as a King and a Father, busily wrapping all types of presents. All
these gifts were different, no two were wrapped alike, and all of them were
beautifully adorned in all kinds of paper and bows. I came to understand in my
spirit as I watched that all of these 'gifts' were children."
"I
continued to watch as God went from door to door, home to home, delivering
these carefully wrapped packages. My heart began to break as tune after time;
doors were opened and closed in His face, denying the gift God brought. Some
were very nice in their response, expl i i g that they were too busy right now
to receive any gift‑maybe later. Others were downright rude; slamming the
door in disgust, and some would take the gift, look at
it and shake it a little, then throw it out the door.
"I
watched as God's heart broke and a tear trickled down the face of this Kingly
Father. He had spent so much time, love, and excited prepamion to create and
deliver these gifts and to what avail? There were a few families who embraced
the gifts He gave to them and few who were overjoyed that He would deliver it
to them personally. However, the majority of the people were unreceptive to the
gifts from this "Loving Father."
This
anecdote somehow depicts a world that slowly comes to consider the coming of a
child into the world as an added expense, an unwanted accident, or perhaps even
a disgrace (literal translation of disgrasya). These people like the
nonbelievers of old seem to miss understand the coming of a child as Gods gift.
They fail to see that a child's birth signals Gods continuing trust in man.
Lead in:
Today's
Gospel speaks clearly how the Blessed Virgin Mary accepted the offer of God to
her that is to be the Mother of God. It is important to note how the Blessed
Virgin Mary believed in the message of the angel even without asking for a
sign. This is FAITH, believing even without seeing! in
relation to the story I related to you earlier I would like to ask HOW DO WE
RECEIVE/ACCEPT THE GIFT OF CHILD? The Gospel of Matthew (18:5) says,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives Me." The word "receive" means to "accept
a gift deliberately and readily; to receive heartily, reaching out eagerly to
receive something; looking for; waiting with earnest" This scripture says
that we are to intentionally desire the gift of children In our accepting or
receiving the children let us imitate the Blessed Virgin Mary by saying
"let it be done to me according to your word." Let me give you three
points in answer to the question above.
First is the so‑called humble
submission to the will of God. One who is willing to participate in God's plan
of salvation must have an attitude of openness to whatever it takes in
fulfilling the mission entrusted to us. A jar that is filled with water up to
its brim cannot contain even at least a little amount of water to be poured on
it, because it has no space anymore. Therefore in accepting the gift of child
one needs a humble submission and it requires readiness and openness to take
all the risks that continues up to the present time. This is what Mary exactly
did. She took the risk in order to show her solidarity with God's mission. She
did it out of her faith, readiness and openness.
The second point to reflect upon
accepting the gift of Child is to have a joyful heart. Joy is a three letter
word that is also reflected in another three letter word that was uttered by
the Blessed Virgin Mary during the Annunciation and this word is non‑other
than her YES! It was out of her joy in being privileged to be chosen as a
partaker of God's mission that she bravely uttered with assurance the word YES.
Such a simple gesture of expressing Joy is a fruitful one on the part of the
Blessed Virgin Mary. Her simple yes went
beyond its simplicity but to greatness and exaltation of man from gaining
his/her original dignity.
The third point is very much
connected to the first two points. Whenever there is joy in doing whatever task
is given to anyone surely CONFIDENCE would enter in the picture. Mary's humble
submission to the will of God made her feel confident enough to proclaim her 'Magnificat" that God does not
put any criteria or qualifications in electing someone to partake in his
Memorable closing
technique: Story of Simon Birch
Simon
Birch is a young boy who has a defect ("unano"). He and his friend
used to play at the river and compete to stay long under water. And to a
surprising result Simon would always win. One day during their school field
trip, while the bus is heading back to school, it accidentally fell in a
stream. Simon Birch being small in size calmed his classmates and lead them one by one out of the bus before the bus would
totally sink under the water.
When it
was time for him to go out he noticed that there is still a child
; left at the back seat of the sinking bus. Without hesitation he
immediately risk his life in order to save the child.
Unfortunately after saving the child he could no longer save himself for the
water starts to enter the bus and it was sinking fast. Finally the bus sank
with Simon Birch inside. Simon Birch died a heroic life by saving his
classmates form drowning. His being small in stature did not put him down in
order to help others especially those in need.
Just like
many, Simon Birch did not looked on his
"lowliness" in extending God's saving actions for others. He also
able to risk his life and allowed himself to be instrument of God's love to
humanity. BE LIU MARY, BE LIKE SIMON! BE
AN INSTRUMENT OF GOD'S LOVE TO HUMANITY.
