LIGHT FOR THE MISSION

February 02, 2012

FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD

World Day for Consecrated Life

Mal 3,1-4 . Heb 2,14-18

Lk 2,22-40

A sequel to last year's post on this same feast: Brownout pa rin? Hindi ko na alam yan. Kung hindi yan dahil sa hindi mo alam kung paano tatawag sa Tunay na Liwanag, ay posibleng dahil yan sa nasisiyahan ka sa dilim. Hindi pa tapos ang lahat! Bakit di mo subukang tumawag ngayon? Oo, ngayon!!!

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If you observe the way I write recently, you can obviously see that my reflections are always inclined to Mission. As the Philippine Church observes the Year of Mission this 2012, Ur Dose would like to express its bond to the always-new Mission of the Church, that is to proclaim the Gospel to all, especially through the Internet. As people always say, this is the least that I could do, but in the Lord's providence nothing is considered least. As long as it is for the Glory of God and the holiness of all, everything is seen as the Best!

In writing or everything we do, we consider the essence of the Light: the Sun, the lamp or the incandescent bulb. We are in total darkness and we certainly cannot do the next step. We need even just a little light from somewhere for us to proceed and work. Essentially, light would lead us to fulfillment, as darkness might lead us to nowhere.

Today we remember the event where Jesus was took by His parents to the temple. He was indeed very young then, but for those who hope and wait, here is coming the fulfillment of every  prophecy told, the glory of Israel and the Light which reveals God to the nations! For some bystanders, as this also goes for the modern tao, this is just an usual sight of parents bringing their child to the temple to be presented to God and be purified of the sin. But for the saved one, this day comes as a sign that the light has already  sparked through our midst!

Though the world is already enjoying the presence of natural light, still their souls are in a total darkness. They kept on alluring on worldly pleasures and fleshy desires, and because of this they are misled. Wars here, faux pas there, death and loss everywhere. To save the damned nation, God deigned to send his Son to preach and heal, to die and rise again. He came not as anybody else, but as a man. He went to understand our failures, forgive us and reinforce us to live a sanctified life.

The Jews waited, though, for the coming of the Messiah, as the prophecies tell of it, but as he dwells among them they did not recognize him. But whatever their loss was became our gain, and now we are sent to continue passing the Light of Life to all who seek and all who do not know him. This is our mission, to proclaim the Good News and never be ashamed of what we profess.

As we proceed we are guided by that mystical light, who is nobody else but Christ the Lord! Through our undertakings, he reveals his power and glory to all those who listen and illuminated. Through us, others see  Christ. We may experience hardships in the future of this life, but we believe that something better is waiting for us in the life to come. No matter how long should we wait, we still believe in God's grace and providence. 

Of this, we remember those who left the pleasures of the world and decided to take the road not taken. They are our priests, religious brothers and sisters and consecrated laity who came from modernity and proceeded to the total possession of the total Christ. They did not fear of the loss of everything they had; what's important is what they have gained, which is nobody else but Jesus!

As for us, do we still proceed with our mission under the guidance of Christ's Light? Do we enlist ourselves among those who go satisfied with the light from the world and continue to dwell into sin? Much better, do we consider ourselves blessed to be illuminated by the Heavenly Light which illumines the world?

We all have our mission to proclaim the Good News everywhere. Let us persevere amid the hardships and rejections of the modern age. Let us not fear, for Christ gives us himself as the Light for the Mission!