As we journey on…
The story is told about a man driving up a steep and narrow mountain road when a woman, driving down from the opposite direction, opened her window and shouted, “Pig!” Thinking that she was calling him names, he immediately leaned out his window and angrily shouted back, “You too!” As the man rounded the next corner, he crashed into a pig in the middle of the road. Lesson? If only men would listen!
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In today’s Gospel (Matthew 2: 13-15, 19-23) we hear of Joseph, the man who knew how to truly listen, and who knew how to faithfully obey. Upon the instruction of the angel of the Lord, Joseph took Jesus and Mary to Egypt, and later on took them back to the land of Israel. There would be more peace in our lives if only we knew how to really listen to the Lord, and faithfully obeyed His instructions.
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Today is the Feast of the Holy Family. What makes a family holy? It is the presence of God. What makes a family unholy? It is the absence of God. When God is absent, the vacuum is often filled up with materialism, greed, vices, unfaithfulness, neither of which gives true peace. Are you truly listening to God, are you faithfully obeying God as a family?
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Take note of the three P’s we’ll need in our journey through 2026. The first P is prayer. We must keep in touch and be connected with our Lord who knows and sees everything. We must continue to consult Him and listen to Him for directions.
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The second P is patience. Our journey is not a walk in the park. There will be obstructions, delays and even complete stops. Let us be patient. If we are humble and trusting in God, we can handle anything that comes our way in stride. No need to complain, to get angry, or be mad. Patience. Patience. Patience.
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The third P is perseverance. Let us not give up. Just keep moving, and keep on believing that we will reach our goal and accomplish our mission. Let us not be affected by human applause nor condemnation. In the end, it is what God thinks or says that matters.
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The dangers, the deprivations, the injustice, and the violence that the Holy Family experienced are still very much with us today. As we face the New Year, let us fervently pray and work for peace. As in Jesus’ time, so also in our time, it is the children and the innocent ones who suffer and are affected by the selfishness and greed of the rich and the powerful around them. Lord, tame the beasts, and bless the children. Amen.
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A timely message for all of us, as the old year comes to an end, and a new year is about to begin: “Do not look back in anger; do not look forward in fear; look around in anticipation and love.”
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Another beautiful message we all should say: “To those I have wronged, I ask for forgiveness. To those I may have helped, I wish I did more; to those who have helped me, I want to say thanks!”
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A Christmas moment happened when we were eating breakfast on Christmas Day at our community dining room some years ago. An old woman had just walked in and said: “I’m so hungry. May I come in and eat?” We at the table were stunned for a moment because the dining room was off-limits to “outsiders” and there were rules in the house that had to be kept. After recovering from our initial shock and dilemma, the silence was broken when one by one we stood up, gave her a plate, gave her a glass of water, a cup of coffee and just welcomed her. Yes, the Lord visited us that Christmas morning and reminded us that our loving must be concrete, and that our service must not be stifled by rules and regulations. Wishing you all a life of love free from fear, distinctions, and calculations. Happy New Year. Happy New You!
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Lord, bless all members of our family, living or dead, present or absent, especially those who need healing, enlightenment, conversion, direction or provisions. We consecrate to You our family, our country, our people, and our world, our one and only world. Amen.
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A moment with the Lord:
Lord, as we journey on, help us to really listen to You and faithfully obey You. Amen.
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