Thank You for Blessings From the Past and in the Future

When I was a child, my family lived in an old ancestral house that my great-grandfather purchased nearly a century ago when he married my great-grandmother. It was a traditional Filipino stone house, a stone-walled ground floor, and a wooden second floor, complete with large windows that allowed the cool breeze to pass through. My time there was very special, as it was the same home of my grandfather and my father. They blessed us with many stories about the house, the former layout, the games they played, the events, and the various visitors they hosted. Particularly, I remember the small birdhouse which was my father’s high school art project, and a penny glued on our wall was his brother’s doing. These stories gave the house a special meaning and made us feel even more connected to it.

Dwelling

This memory of dwelling in an old house somewhat evokes St. John’s Gospel today when we read, “ the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” Jesus was here with us, in a specific place and time. And when St. John wrote, “ have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father”, it is not an expression of a mere nostalgia, but of a profound awe. Imagine—the Eternal, Omnipotent God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, chose to become human and live among us. The Word became flesh for our salvation as we profess in the Creed, to offer the redemptive sacrifice that rescues from sin and death. And having united himself with us, “ gave [us] power to become the children of God.”

We share in this awe during the Christmas Season. That is why last Christmas, we knelt when we professed that Jesus, “ the power of the Spirit, was born of the Virgin Mary and became man”. It is to kneel like Mary and Joseph at the sight of the newborn King. It is to kneel like the simple shepherds and the wise men in front of this great mystery of the Incarnation.

Jesus Continues to Dwell

Again, this commemoration is not nostalgic. Our childhood house maybe gone, and the memory we have of it may slowly fade and be forgotten, but the Incarnation remains. Jesus continues to dwell among us, in our churches (maybe not in our childhood home, but in our actual home!), right there in the tabernacle, to be received in the Holy Communion, and to be adored by those who love Him.

At the end of the civil year, why don’t we spend some time and kneel in front of the Incarnate Word? There we can thank God for all the blessings of the year that is about to end and offer our gratitude for His presence in our lives through every moment of joy and difficulties. As we kneel before the Incarnate Word, let us entrust the new year to Him, confident that His love will continue to lead us on our journey towards our heavenly homeland.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Incarnate Word, lead us closer to her Son.

P.S. Thank you, Father Jasper, for becoming a Reflection Writer for GVM. Remain blessed!

[Readings: 1 Jn 2:18-21; Jn 1:1-18]

Gratia Vobis Ministries

A Hub of Cross-Cultural Catholic Evangelization.

1 Comments

  1. Cheryl on December 31, 2024 at 10:01 am

    Beautiful! I miss my childhood home too but look forward to being in my heavenly home someday.

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