parents as stewards - dec 23 2013

Each culture has a way of naming their children.  We Filipinos have our own way of naming children.  In fact our way of naming is so uniquely Filipino, it cannot be found in any other, and because it is so uniquely Filipino chances are you’re a Filipino if you are named as such.

There are three Filipino characteristics in naming.  One is a portmanteau, the combination of two names to form another name.  So if your mother is Anna Maria and your father is Joseph you can be named Anjo; Juliana and Manuel named their son Julman; Ramon and Elsie had a daughter named Monelle.

Another Filipino hallmark in naming children are the unnecessary h we place in names like Dhan with an h and Mhark and Ghirlie with an h.  And lastly people will know you are a Filipino if your name is repeated twice –Junjun, Dangdang, Pekpek, and Bongbong.

People in the bible have also a unique culture of naming their children.  Most often they will be named depending on the circumstances surrounding the conception or birth of the child.  The name John for example means the Lord is gracious; Moses means he who is drawn out from the river; Samuel means God has heard because like John the Baptist he was also the son of a barren wife. 

Some persons in the bible however are named depending on their perceived mission in life - Joshua who has the same root as Jesus means God is salvation, God is savior; and Zechariah means God remembers because 400 years after the last prophet Malachi in the old testament  God remembers Israel and sent John the Baptist, whom Jesus would call last and greatest among the prophets.

But there is another more important cultural practice that matters more than the name given to the child.  More than the what name, is the question, who gives the name. Who names the child?

Of course it is always the parents who gives the name of the child, the relatives can help as is shown in our gospel.  But in the case of John, as it was also in the case of Jesus it was the angel who gave the name.  It is a name ordered by heaven itself, a name chosen by God himself.  It was heaven who named John as John.

Does that matter?  Yes, it matters dearly.  In the bible ang tawo nga nagahatag sang ngalan nagakahulugan man nga sia ang magadumala sang imo kabuhi.  You are under his control, under his supervision and under his guidance.

The naming therefore of John and later on of Jesus is unique.  They are in a way under the direct supervision of God who gave them the name.  That is why even the relatives were so astounded in this process so much so that they asked “what will this child be, what will become of this child, for surely the hand of God was with him.”  And fear came upon all of them – nagpalanindog ang ila balahibo.

To parents present here this morning.  Do you look at your children with same wonder, with the same awe and perhaps with the same fear, asking, what will this child be?  Or do we put them in line and say ikaw ma-doctor, ikaw ang ma-abogado, ikaw ang manubli sang negosyo, ikaw mamana kay kwan, ikaw paggusto ka kay natak-an na ako sa imo.  Do we make an effort to know with our children the mind and heart of God for them, the mission of God for them, the purpose of heaven for them?  Do we look at our parenthood not as an ownership of something but a stewardship, indi tag-iya kundi tulogyanan this time entrusted with a most precious gift by the owner of all life?

Your children are not your children; though they come through you they are not from you; and though they are with you, they do not belong to you. (Gibran)

Two days before Christmas we are made to look once more on the faces of our children before we look at him who is born in a manger.  Both looks should be imbued with wonder, our looking to both should rouse in us the question, what will this child become?