Today's Gospel Reading - Sunday, January 20, 2013 with Reflection

Feast of the Sto. Niño

1^ST READING - Isaiah 9:1-6

P S A L M - Psalm 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6

R: All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm.(R) 2 The Lord has made his salvation known in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. 3 He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.(R) All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. 4 Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. (R) 5 Sing praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the Lord. (R)

2^nd READING - Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

Luke 2:41-52

41 Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, 42 and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. 43 After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, 47 and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus advanced [in] wisdom and age and favor before God and man.

SABBATH

I’M GROWING UP In May 2012, a Filipina-Mexican named Jessica Sanchez made it to the finals of the world famous singing contest on TV, American Idol. It was the first time that a woman of Filipina lineage made it that far in the contest, going against a “WGWG,” i.e., a white guy with guitar. Rounds of jokes circulated that the winner was the American while Jessica was the Idol. A video of an American girl throwing a tantrum when Jessica did not win was posted on the Internet days after the contest. In all innocence and cuteness, the girl kept crying and shouting that Jessica was her idol. That video went viral and had almost a million hits on YouTube. We find it cute that children throw a tantrum when they don’t get what they want. But when an adult acts the same, it is as a sign of immaturity. The ability to give up one’s desire, will and caprice for a greater purpose has always been a mark of maturity and growth. To paraphrase what Jesus told Peter in the Gospel of John: “When you were young, you went and did as you pleased… When you grow old, someone will tie a belt round your waist and bring you where you would rather not go” (See John 21:18). Today is the Feast of the Sto. Niño, a local feast unique to the Philippine Church. Very little is known about the childhood of Jesus. It is interesting to note that the only adjective we know about the Christ-child is obedience. St. Luke narrates, “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Obedience — the ability to set aside one’s wants in deference to another and to a higher value — is not a virtue to be found in adults alone. Let us not trivialize the feast of the Christ-child by turning it into a “dress up a Sto Niño” fashion craze. On this feast, let us develop in us the virtues of obedience, humility and receptivity. These virtues are what transform a child into an adult. Fr. Joel Jason REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you have a tendency to pamper little children and condone their every wish and fancy? Lord Jesus, may the obedience of Your youth accompany mine unto adulthood. Amen.

St. Sebastian, martyr, pray for us.

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