birthdays in oras sang parokya
Today in this first Wednesday in the month of December, our thoughts are led to the day of our birth when the Lord in his merciful and fruitful love deemed it wise that we be born in this world. We were the joy of our parents, the pride of our family, the apple of everyone’s eye and perhaps even the talk of the town. And though you may look superbly disconcerted in your crib and not exactly comfortable with all the attention, your parents and all the people with them were happy because life is a gift from the God and you were a gift of God for them and for all.
But you see God did not just intend us to live this life. He also wanted to share with us a deeper life, a richer life with him, a life that will not be marred by that impermanency that is characteristic of the life created on your birthday. He wanted to share something permanent, something eternal, something that makes life and all the goodness and possibilities in it eternal. Thus our parents were not content in giving birth to us. They also wanted to be born of water and the spirit, to be born not just in this world but to be born from above. Thus, the gift of baptism.
Every birthday then in this parish should be a celebration of your two births – your birth to this impermanent life and your birth to life eternal in baptism. Every birthday then in this parish should be a rejoicing of the remembrances of these two births. Every birthday in this parish should be celebration of your birth as a child to your parents and your birth as child to God the Father, in the Holy Spirit, a brother to Jesus.
We are giving you a gift for your birthday, a white candle partly colored with blue. You will light that candle after communion. The flame is Christ whom you should permit to be the light on your way. The flame is the symbol of your faith which should shine brightly so that all men and women and may see the goodness of God in you. The white candle symbolizes your soul, a soul washed clean by the blue waters of baptism, a soul made holy, a soul made pure by God specifically by Christ’s redeeming death for you. Keep that soul holy and pure. Keep that soul untarnished by the corruption prevalent in this world. Keep that soul undefiled by idols whose glamour and allure will distract you from your God. In the past, you were given roses by this parish for you birthday – roses that will eventually die – perhaps it was an appropriate symbol of what you were celebrating – you were celebrating the impermanency of this life. Now we give you a candle instead to remind that you are made for greater things, you were made for a more sublime life.
In the coming days perhaps you will celebrate your birthday with your family and friends who are proud of you. They are proud of what you have achieved because of your career perhaps or the goodness that they see in you. Make God also proud of you. He too is your parent. He too gave you birth. And if you crave for the attention and adulation of those who gave you birth in this impermanent world, crave too for the attention and adulation of that proud parent who gave you birth unto eternal life.
Life in this world is short and it is impermanent. And it is only proper that we celebrate it and are happy because of this life. But we should celebrate all the more and we should be happy even more for that assurance of life eternal which baptism has given unto us – given to us in Jesus, through Jesus by Jesus himself.
Our gospel today shows us the inadequacy of everything that we have here on earth. We have only seven loaves and a few fish. But bring the little that we have in Jesus and it could feed a crowd. So also our life, which our birthdays brought forth into this world, are inadequate, it is nothing, it will only sooner or later turn back to dust from whence it came. But bring this life to Jesus, bring this within the ambit of his power, bring this to the life giving waters of baptism and it will be more than enough, he will transform our lives in ways we could not even dream of. Because Jesus has the power, because in Jesus all are multiplied not just two time, not just three but multiplied as to bear a rich surplus. Take good care of your Baptism, take care of your birth in God as you take care of the life born unto this world. Rejoice in your baptism as you rejoice in your birthday. This is what we are celebrating as we re-launch Oras sang Parokya this first Wednesday of Advent.
But you see God did not just intend us to live this life. He also wanted to share with us a deeper life, a richer life with him, a life that will not be marred by that impermanency that is characteristic of the life created on your birthday. He wanted to share something permanent, something eternal, something that makes life and all the goodness and possibilities in it eternal. Thus our parents were not content in giving birth to us. They also wanted to be born of water and the spirit, to be born not just in this world but to be born from above. Thus, the gift of baptism.
Every birthday then in this parish should be a celebration of your two births – your birth to this impermanent life and your birth to life eternal in baptism. Every birthday then in this parish should be a rejoicing of the remembrances of these two births. Every birthday in this parish should be celebration of your birth as a child to your parents and your birth as child to God the Father, in the Holy Spirit, a brother to Jesus.
We are giving you a gift for your birthday, a white candle partly colored with blue. You will light that candle after communion. The flame is Christ whom you should permit to be the light on your way. The flame is the symbol of your faith which should shine brightly so that all men and women and may see the goodness of God in you. The white candle symbolizes your soul, a soul washed clean by the blue waters of baptism, a soul made holy, a soul made pure by God specifically by Christ’s redeeming death for you. Keep that soul holy and pure. Keep that soul untarnished by the corruption prevalent in this world. Keep that soul undefiled by idols whose glamour and allure will distract you from your God. In the past, you were given roses by this parish for you birthday – roses that will eventually die – perhaps it was an appropriate symbol of what you were celebrating – you were celebrating the impermanency of this life. Now we give you a candle instead to remind that you are made for greater things, you were made for a more sublime life.
In the coming days perhaps you will celebrate your birthday with your family and friends who are proud of you. They are proud of what you have achieved because of your career perhaps or the goodness that they see in you. Make God also proud of you. He too is your parent. He too gave you birth. And if you crave for the attention and adulation of those who gave you birth in this impermanent world, crave too for the attention and adulation of that proud parent who gave you birth unto eternal life.
Life in this world is short and it is impermanent. And it is only proper that we celebrate it and are happy because of this life. But we should celebrate all the more and we should be happy even more for that assurance of life eternal which baptism has given unto us – given to us in Jesus, through Jesus by Jesus himself.
Our gospel today shows us the inadequacy of everything that we have here on earth. We have only seven loaves and a few fish. But bring the little that we have in Jesus and it could feed a crowd. So also our life, which our birthdays brought forth into this world, are inadequate, it is nothing, it will only sooner or later turn back to dust from whence it came. But bring this life to Jesus, bring this within the ambit of his power, bring this to the life giving waters of baptism and it will be more than enough, he will transform our lives in ways we could not even dream of. Because Jesus has the power, because in Jesus all are multiplied not just two time, not just three but multiplied as to bear a rich surplus. Take good care of your Baptism, take care of your birth in God as you take care of the life born unto this world. Rejoice in your baptism as you rejoice in your birthday. This is what we are celebrating as we re-launch Oras sang Parokya this first Wednesday of Advent.
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