From Pastor’s Corner: Fr. Justus Alaeto
Make it easy for Jesus to bless you and use you for salvation

For the past three weeks, we have been preparing to welcome the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus the Savior!  These preparations came through the words of prophets, especially the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, “A Virgin shall conceive and bear a son and will name Him Emmanuel which means God is with us.”

Isaiah prophecy was to bring to our human awareness, that God Himself is coming to be with us and we are to recognize Him. The conception of this Messiah in Mary’s womb will not be by any human influence or action, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. An indication that Christ, even though conceived in Mary’s Womb, was not just Human, but God and Human, at the same time. The Almighty God is coming to be with us in human form, Emmanuel!

St. John the Baptist who was described as the voice crying in the wilderness, and who was seriously preparing and clearing the way for the Lord, was indirectly catechizing people not to have a double life, make your life straight for Jesus the Savior. In other words, change your ways, change your attitudes so as to make it easy for Jesus to truly identify with you. Go to confession, forgive your enemies, Not have grudges against anyone, love your neighbor as yourself, be a good Christian, and welcome the spirit of Jesus the Savior in your hearts. That was the primary focus of John the Baptist mission for advent. 

In addition to messages from the prophets, about the coming of Messiah, God the Father today, unfold the news of the birth of Messiah to Mary and to the whole world, through His Special Messenger, Angel Gabriel. Our world will now become Holy because God has chosen to be with us. Our lives will experience change and transformation if we allow Christ to be incarnated in our individual lives. By the virtue of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, God has given each of us the gifts of His Very Self!

The challenge about this wonderful mystery is: How are to respond to Christ the Emmanuel, the God with us?

The Gospel today presented Mary’s attitude as a model for fruitful response. The encounter between Angel Gabriel and Mary was not something so easy for Mary to digest and accept the message. However, Mary expresses in Her response today, the attitude of humility, obedience, prayerfulness, love, and trust in the providence of God.

Sometimes, life imposes a lot of duties to us. All duties are to be connected to our spiritual life, that is what Mary did. Even though we have duties for ourselves, we also have duties for others and to God, and we are not to separate our daily life from our spiritual life. Life is not all about me or all about you, it is all about God.

Sometimes, we may need to ask: where would the world be if everyone just thought of themselves, and insisted on doing their own thing, their own happiness, independent of others and independent of God, how would such a world look like? Have we ever thought about that?

Mary today, accepted all duties, God’s request imposes on Her life by somehow saying; let it be done unto me according how God wants, if I claimed truly that I am the handmaid of the Lord. That’s what Mary did indirectly today.

How many times have we denied our own way and our own will, and joyfully say, Lord let your will be done, especially those ugly moments I cannot understand? Those things we cannot comprehend. Have we ever let go of our own way and allow God to carry us along in His Divine providence? or do I always say, I do not think this is God’s will for me? How would you know since you have refused to follow God on that difficult road and trust Him till the end? That was the same manner those who refused to accept Jesus as Messiah did, they are still expecting Messiah till today. for them, the manner Jesus came is not the kind of Messiah they were expecting. They were expecting a Messiah that would come with battalions of armies with gold and long robes and security and trumpets everywhere. For them, how can a Messiah be born where animals live?

Such an attitude lacks serious trust about Divine providence. It lacks humility, it lacks serious love to God, and it lacks obedience. In our own world today and life, God can challenge our faith through different means and ways. We are to try to be humble, to give! all our will and desire to Jesus without any reservation.
May ask the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary today, for us to develop from our hearts, true love for the life of Jesus Christ, the God with us, to be humble, and to be obedient in our call to follow Jesus the Savior!
Merry Christmas!