psalm 24: when god enters our space - candelaria fiesta

Our responsorial psalm today is psalm 24 and it is often read in the liturgy of the church whenever we commemorate Jesus coming into or entering a place.

"Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in!" This is sung by the church on Palm Sunday when Jesus rode on an ass to enter Jerusalem not just to receive the acclamation of the people shouting Hosanna but also to eventually fulfill the Father's will by accepting death on the cross.

In the Ascension into heaven 4o days after the resurrection, when Jesus, having finished the mission, ascended to heaven to be seated on the right side of God the Father and thus the church once more lifts its voice of praise "Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in!"

Today with Mary and Joseph the child Jesus entered the place of promise, the holy city, Jerusalem.  There he was presented to the Lord, and seen by the prophets Simeon and Anna he was acclaimed as the fulfillment of God's promise to his people.  Thus the church once more sings psalm 22 saying "Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in!"

That he may come in, that he may be welcomed, God enters human space, God enters our space, our homes, our communities, our parishes, our hearts.

So why is God in Jesus entering human space?  No Jesus is not here for a vacation or a tour of the beautiful place called earth, he is not here to visit us just for visiting's sake.  No.  Jesus came because he needs to fix something in us.  Jesus came because something in our hearts need fixing.  Something in our relationship needs fixing.  Something in our communities and parishes need fixing.  Something in me needs fixing.

This is in fact the tone of Simeon's prophecy when he saw Jesus as the fulfilment of the promise to save his people.  Jesus came because he wants to set things right.  Something is wrong which must be righted. 

Last time I was invited to a fiesta and knowing some difficulties they had in the parish I begun the homily by saying, Indi mo makay-o ang wala mo ginakilala nga guba.  You cannot fix that which you don't recognize as broken.  Years ago we went to a parish in Luzon where the parish priest tried to fixed their former parish church which was destroyed by the earthquake.  They already have a small church nearby, but the parish priest tried to fix the ruined church.  The people went up in arms.  In their local paper one can even read in the headline, " They ruined the ruins." You don't fix something people don't recognize as something that needed fixing. Indi pagkay-oha ang wala ginakilala nga guba.

I've been assigned in this parish twice.  Ever since I have been working trying to build up the small communities in the barangays. Not much success here.  Minimal but not much.  People don't feel they need community.  They would rather go with their friends, or in relationships nurtured through the years perhaps by common interests and outlooks.  But it is always the neighbors whom we cannot stand.  It is always a challenge to build communion within neighborhoods.  It is always a challenge to build communities among neighbors. It is always hard to make people aware that we need to become a church in the neighborhood.  Perhaps because we don't feel that something is broken, and something needs fixing in this area of our lives.  Nevertheless, let us welcome the Lord who comes to fix what needs fixing in our lives.

Today as we examine our parish life let us pray to our Blessed Mother nga kabay nga bugayan pa gid sang grasya, ining palangga namon nga parokya.