Homily on Christmas Eve, 24 Dec 2025, Maryville Chapel, Talamban
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Is 9:1). This is what the prophet Isaiah has proclaimed to us in tonight’s first reading,
For the past 24 hours I have been receiving several Christmas greetings already. But there is one greeting that stands out the most – no words, just a picture of someone lying on a hospital bed, forcing a little smile on her face, trying to hide her pain. It came with the shortest but most meaningful of all captions: “Thanks ‘der!” I immediately got what she, a parish catechist and cancer patient, meant. She just survived a very delicate surgery last night and she was very thankful for all the prayers offered for her.
Today we are gathered to celebrate Christmas because despite the trials, difficulties, problems we are facing, we feel we are still very truly blessed. The truth is we have actually been experiencing the joyful spirit of Christmas since day one of our novena.
On a personal note I am thankful that my brother Salesians including myself have survived these nine days of Simbang Gabi and Misa de Gallo with none of us getting sick. I am particularly thankful for God’s miraculous intervention last Sunday. That afternoon Fr Gino was surprisingly kept unharmed, after the Wigo he was driving bumped into the left side of a parked taxi and turned turtle, landing upside down in the middle of the road along Cabancalan Road. He was able to unfasten his seatbelt and crawl out of the car to safety. Shortly after that, the ambulance arrived and took him to the ER of PSH. And the good news is he was eventually discharged after his xray and other tests results all came out negative indicating that he was fit to go home.
Indeed, Isaiah’s message of long ago still keeps resounding even today: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.”
Looking back just at these past nine days of Misa de Gallo and Simbang Gabi, I am beginning to realize that we Filipinos are probably the most excited and the best prepared spiritually for Christmas. For nine days, I have been assigned to celebrate Masses in several different chapels under San Isidro Parish and San Pedro Calungsod in Pulangbato, in chapels like Villa Leyson 1 and Villa Leyson 2B, Lower Tanay, Binaliw 1. Metropolis Subd., Silver Hills, Maryville Subd., Daughters of St Camillus, and St John Bosco Parish Church in Cotcot, Liloan…. And after talking with some people I came to know that many of these communities had been badly affected by the flash floods brought by typhoon Tino; some of them have lost their loved ones, their homes washed out, and some persons still missing. Nevertheless, their liturgies continued to be celebrated with joyful songs filled with hope.
Isaiah’s message of long ago really keeps resounding even today: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.”
If today our faith continues to be vibrant and our hope joyful, despite the darkness all around us, it is because of HIM, who did not remain distant from us in eternity but came down from heaven to be born 2,025 years ago in Bethlehem. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived among us, preached the good news and later gave up his life on the cross for our salvation.
Once again Isaiah’s words continue to re-echo even today “A child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests… His dominion is vast and forever peaceful.”
The gospel passage we have heard tonight not only presents to us the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy but also brings us all back to that first ever Christmas that took place on earth, in a most humble stable at the outskirts of Bethlehem. Year after year we actually hear the same Scripture story being proclaimed on Christmas Eve so that we Christians may remember and make present what happened two thousand and twenty-five years ago. And by recalling this joyful event we may be led to reflect more deeply on this profound mystery of our faith and strive to live accordingly today transformed by the power of God’s amazing love.
Even the Responsorial Psalm proclaims this mystery loud and clear: “Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.” But did you hear it said: “Today is the birthday of our Savior?” Absolutely not! In the liturgy, we do not say: “Today is the birthday of Jesus” because this statement seem rather flat and powerless. It fails to express the fullness of the mystery we are celebrating. It fails to make present what should actually be happening right now even 2,025 years after his historical birth in Bethlehem.
The correct and exact proclamation is “Today is born our Savior Christ the Lord.” This precisely means that Jesus’ birth is a dynamic mystery being kept alive year after year. Even though we were not present on the day it first happened, we can still experience its full impact today, but only if we allow HIM, who is forever alive, to be born in our hearts today, especially in our devout reception of Holy Communion during this Eucharistic celebration.
Let us not mind for now all the evil happening around us. At least for tonight let us focus on what is happening within each and every one of us, for you and for me. When the first Christmas took place there was so much suffering too… the world was enveloped in darkness, uncertainty and gloom. There was so much abuse of public funds, taxpayers’ money being pocketed by the millions and billions without benefitting the Jews who were religiously paying their taxes to the Roman authorities.
But, that very night when the world was still enveloped by darkness, a lowly group of poor shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night, saw a bright light coming from an angel announcing to them the birth of the divine Savior. This extraordinary vision lightened up the entire sky and made them forget about the darkness as they run quickly towards the exact place where the baby Jesus was born.
Then upon entering the light-filled stable, they saw for themselves the fulfillment of God’s promises. They beheld the new born baby, the Emmanuel and Savior of the world. And so, still overflowing with joy, they said to one another that the people must immediately know about everything they have seen that they too might be filled with the same light. Thereupon, (since there were no cellphones and social media yet at that time) they hurried back to the city to proclaim to everyone the wonderful mystery they have witnessed with their very own eyes. Surely an awesome gift from heaven!
My dear brothers and sisters, we as a people have been suffering long enough for many years. We still can’t forget the ordeal we had to go through during the lockdown caused by the covid pandemic, the devastation left behind by super-typhoon Odette. Most recently, many of us have suffered from the powerful earthquake of last Sept 30, and then again from the flash floods of typhoon Tino and then typhoon Uwan just last month.
Today we are still uncertain about the future of our country with the flood control scandals still left unresolved. When will all trials, tragedies and tribulations be finally over? We feel more and more that the world still needs a powerful but gentle Savior to grant us true peace and happiness that lasts a lifetime; a bright light that never fades away.
The good news is that tonight Jesus our longed-for Savior of the world is born for us much like on the first Christmas night. He is the gift; the true light that brightens our Christmas, so much like the way he brightened up the manger for Joseph and Mary as well as the shepherds. And with Jesus born in our hearts, we now have the power to change the world around us.
In fact Christmas has already been happening everyday in the midst of all the sufferings around us. While many people had been losing their homes, their livelihood, and most of all their loved ones to various calamities, natural, political or man-made, God has always been there for the weakest victims. Through the selfless services and sacrifices of many volunteers and kind-hearted people, the God-with-us continues to be made really present for the poor, the sick, the afflicted and the suffering.
We are indeed grateful to the generous people of this community who shared their blessings so that our parish community in Liloan can rise up from the devastation caused by the flash floods of Nov 4. As long as we care for each other from the heart, those who lose loved ones, jobs, livelihood, finances are able to experience the spirit of Christmas so alive even today.
Christmas is here, for Christ wants to be born in your heart. Jesus is offering you this wonderful opportunity at this very moment not only to come to the Belen, but also to receive Holy Communion and open your heart to his divine love. Allow him to be born in your heart tonight so that every day from this night onwards you may also become the Emmanuel, the God-with-us today. With your family and community to support you, you can be a little Jesus for people still longing for a Savior. GiGsss!
Disclaimer: This section of the website is a personal creative writing of the author and does not necessarily reflect the official views, opinion, or policies of the Salesians of Don Bosco – Philippines South Province. For concerns on the content, style, and grammar of this piece, please contact us.