Rev. Fr. Mateo Suarez presided the fourth Simbang Gabi and 1st novena for the Solemnity of the Holy Family.
In his homily, he stated that there are three actions that we must do. The first one is perseverance in prayer, this is how Zacarias and Elizabeth lived their lives, praying incessantly until God grants their prayer and that is to have a child and they named him John the Baptist. Before they even received this blessing, they encounter some hardships and difficulties but this just made them keep their faith stronger. This is what God wants to convey to us especially during this pandemic: he is the only one that we can hold on and can run into. Even if we don’t know when will this be over like Zacarias and Elizabeth let’s not be discouraged and continue to trust in God.
The second one is silence. The moment the angel told Zacarias that Elizabeth will be pregnant with their child he doubted. Although he believes in God, his faith is not strong enough and because of this God gave him silence and, in this silence, he found his answers. Just like Zacarias we need silence in our life and through silence let God whisper to our hearts and know what is his plan for us.
And the last one, like Zacarias, God called us to fulfill our mission. God is reminding us that even if it is not easy to obey his mission that even Zacarias was enveloped by anxiety and doubt he encouraged him by saying, “Do not be Afraid.” We are missioners and there is no reason for us to be afraid and to feel anxious. Let’s face the mission that entrusted to us by God with confidence and strong faith. So that we can share the joy and hope to everyone. This is the right time for us to be generous in helping especially those in greater need.
Article by Athea Baranda
Photo by Nica Yalung
Estrella Communications