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IN
THIS ISSUE:
Cover
Story
From
the Head Servant
By Bro.
Pete Lapid
The
Father Speaks
By Fr.
S. Binzler, SJ
Our
Faith
By Fr.
KJ Veeger, MSC
Place
of Refuge
By
Philip Yuson
Here's
the Latest
By
Tintin Magbitang
Reflection
By Fr.
Florianus Wudjon, PR
Sharing
By
Nenette Dizon
By
Armand Sol
Saint
for the Month
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THE
FATHER SPEAKS
 
-
 Celebrating
the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, actually, we do not only
celebrate it, we make His coming present again!
The
one who did it for the first time was St. Francis of Assisi, in the
year 1223 just three years before his death. He invited people from
around Assisi and Greccio to go with him to a nearby forest. Many
followed him in the middle of the dark night- young people, elderly
ones, women and men, poor and rich ones. More and more joined them
forming a long procession. They brought candles and torches with them.
It was a unique event. They stopped at the clearing in the forest.
There they saw a simple hut, made of sticks with a thatched roof. A
manger was placed in the hut; a baby asleep lay in the manger. A
woman, Mary, and a man, Joseph, watched over the baby. There was also
a donkey and an ox. Just as in Bethlehem according to an old
tradition. St. Francis sang the Gospel in front of the manger. Then he
explained the mystery of this special night.
St.
Francis from Assisi was the first who made a hut or a grotto just like
the one in Bethlehem – very real, easy to imagine. For St. Francis,
the event of Bethlehem was not a story of the past, but a perpetuating
event – always happening. Just as real, just as true. For him there
was no past tense. For him Bethlehem occurred in the forest, now and
then just as it happened also for us in the Holy Night. St. John wrote
in the prologue of his Gospel: “He lived among us. God has built His
home among us.”
From
St. Francis came the tradition until now to imitate the hut or grotto
in our Churches and in our homes to make the idea of Bethlehem
present. St. Francis wished that we should not only commemorate things
of long ago. Because for St. Francis, Jesus was born not only for the
people who lived 2000 years ago; Jesus is also born here and now –
for all who await for His coming.
God’s
love is so great. No human heart could have imagined it before. Still
we are tempted to ask: “How can we possible feel God’s love?”
When we read the newspapers after Christmas, or listen to the news, it
will again be the same as before: tragic accidents, murder, killing,
war, sickness and death. Did God’s love change anything in the
world? Is it true that hatred has disappeared through His mercy? Is it
not true on the contrary that hatred and revenge are stronger than
love?
How
can we give an answer to this question? How can we give an answer to
ourselves and to others? I think we all can and must admit that with
the birth of the Baby in the manger, something had really brought a
change in our lives. Our life has got a meaning. God is with us. This
is the meaning of Emmanuel. And so St. Paul concludes his letter to
the Romans: “If God is for us,
who is against us?” (Romans
8:31)
When
we celebrate Christmas this year, we read the news the following day
in our dailies, there won’t be any change, but in our hearts
something has changed. The joy and the peace, announced by the angel,
has filled our hearts because we know, if God is for us, who can be
against us? “I am bringing you
good news of great joy for the people. Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those whom He favors!”
This
news I would like to bring to you, too, and to all our friends at home
and abroad. Merry Christmas and the blessing of joy for the New Year.
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