Monday, January 21, 2013

Feast of Sto Nino (Lk 2:41-52)


Live as a Child of God

Introduction

-          It is a special feast that is celebrated on this day only in the Philippines since Sto Nino symbolizes the evangelization of the Philippines.
o   In AD 1521, Ferdinand Magellan and his team visited Philippines and converted King Humabon and Queen Juana to Christianity and gave them a statue of Sto Nino as a gift. Later in 1565 this statue was miraculously overcame a fire accident. Now it is in placed in Cebu Sto Nino shrine.
-          This feast recalls to our mind the fact that ‘we are the children of God’
o   Usually children want to grow up to become adults, and the elderly want to become children. That is the irony of life. But in front of God we all are children.
o   Jesus, the Son of God came to this world to make us children of God.
o   In Baptism we were made the children of God. But are we living our vocation?

Content

-          How to live as a child of God? Let us look at what is meant to be a child…. Let us look into the word CHILD
o   C – Care
§  Careful of the situation like a little child. When it encounters a strange situation, it run back to the elders.
§  Take care of others especially children
o   H – Humility
§  The child is ready to accept its weaknesses and limitations. Holding the hands of elders is a symbolic way of acceptance.
§  Sometimes the elders think that with money, power and influence they can do anything they want. They feel they are strong.
o   I – Innocence
§  It is usually said that a child cannot say a lie professionally. He cannot hide anything from his face.
o   L – Love
§  Child loves others without any selfish interests. Love flows from the child’s heart like a river or stream of water. There is no malice in that love.
o   D – Dependence
§  The child knows its limitations. It also knows that it is strong with it’s parents.
§  St Therese of Avila said, ‘without God I can do nothing, but with God I can do everything’.

Conclusion

-          Am I a Child of God?
o   Are we careful of the situations of our life that are sinful and leading us away from God?
o   Are we humble enough to accept our own weakness and depend on God?
o   Are we innocent to open up ourselves in front of God, and to lead an innocent life like a child of God?
o   Do we love each other as Jesus loved, that is forgiving and unconditional?
o   Do we depend on God and realize that without God we are nothing?
-          Let us live the vocation given to us though our baptism – “I am a Child of God”
(Obligation to Fr. James Thayil CMI)

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