Don Bosco Philippines South Province

Homily on Wednesday, 2nd Week in O.T.; 17 January 2024, DBPH Chapel, Talamban

Almost everyday we see each other around the table of the Lord participating actively in the Holy Mass, singing joyfully to God and smiling at each other during the sign of peace. But what is not seen are the infirmities of our souls, the burdens we carry in our hearts, and the problems hidden behind our smiles. The good news is that the Lord sees all of these and so gazes on us with so much love and compassion.

The Gospel today presents Jesus to us as someone who cares a lot, especially for the sick and the infirm. And he would even go beyond the rules of society in order to pull out someone from the paralyzing situation of his illness. According to the account of St Mark, one Sabbath Day while he was in the synagogue to celebrate God’s Word, he noticed a man with a withered hand among the crowd. After having a word with him, unmindful of the murmurings of the Pharisees who were too blinded and paralyzed by their Sabbath law, he stretched out his hand to cure him. In so doing he enabled the man to stretch out his hand to others who might also be in need of his help. Thus did Jesus teach us by his example that our acts of worship should not be too blinding and too paralyzing that we ignore or reject our brother or sister in need of our help.

These past days of the Sto Nino Novena, we have seen so many devotees stretching out their hands and lifting up their hearts to honor the Kingly Child both in joyful thanksgiving and in humble supplication. I guess they have realized how powerfully Senyor Sto Nino has stretched out his hand towards them not to punish but to forgive and to bless. We ourselves have been the beneficiary of the silent generosity of countless people who never hesitated to extend a helping hand or share whatever blessing they might have. And we can indeed say that it is the Lord himself stretching out his hand toward us even today after we have been knocked down by so many trials and calamities.

As we celebrate this Eucharist and offer our thanksgiving to the good Lord who is ever faithful and merciful, we also lift up to him the intentions of all our benefactors, partners, donors, friends and all those who silently support us in our mission both prayerfully and financially. May He who is never outdone in generosity reward them all a hundred-fold.

Today we also celebrate the memorial of St Anthony, Abbot, or better known as San Antonio Abad. He was born in Egypt in the year 251. After his parents died he was struck by what he read in the Gospel according to Matthew. So he decided to give away some of his property to his neighbours, sold the rest and donated the money to the poor. Then he began to dedicate himself to a life of prayer and asceticism. He lived in the desert and was able to master himself by taking as food only bread, salt and water. He died on this day in the year 256 just a few days after celebrating his 105th birthday. Because of that he became popularly known as the “Father of Monasticism”, and was also given the title the “Father of All Monks”.

May the inspiring example of St Anthony move us frequently to bend our knees and lift up our hearts to the Lord in constant prayer and adoration. But may we not be found too preoccupied with our devotional practices that we become too blind to see and too paralyzed to help our brother or sister in need. Instead, following Jesus in today’s gospel, may we have his eyes and his heart to be able to notice the suffering of our neighbour, and so, out of compassion, stretch out our hands to help them.

Let us remember this, true devotion is not simply feeling good in loving and honouring the ONE we love. More importantly it is feeling disturbed and moved to reach out to the helpless ones who are also beloved by the ONE we truly love. GiGsss!

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