For the vision still has its time… If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. – Habakkuk 2:3

     In December 2012, they were Joseph and Mary in our Christmas tableau. The baby bump was a fake, but it was something Poch and Grace had been hoping for years would become a reality.

        Six years of waiting must not have been easy. Once, at the Saturday Feast Alabang, I was tasked to look for people with unanswered prayers. These were to be written on big boards they would carry on stage. Their board had the word “baby” written on it. Then I noticed that Grace was teary-eyed. I felt so guilty for putting them on the spot, I hugged her when she came down. I could feel the disappointment through her tears.

    But through it all, they remained hopeful. They prayed and did everything they could. Their vision was so clear that when they were deciding on a new car, they opted for one that was child-friendly even if the pregnancy was still a dream. They confidently claimed their baby would be joining them in the Christmas tableau.

       Their baby boy was born in December 2014, just in time to make the vision of a complete family that Christmas season a reality. Lella M. Santiago (lellams88@gmail.com)

Reflection: Do you have prayers that have remained unanswered for so long? Wait for it, it will surely come.

When my eyes grow weary from the long wait, refresh my vision, O Lord, and help me see with my heart the fulfillment of my dream.

What is your vision for your life? Habakkuk reminds us of the need to have meaning and direction in life. Let us reflect on what we think God is calling us to achieve in our life. Once we have an answer, let us set out to fulfill it. Scripture tells us that the people without a vision perish. It is because they will be assimilated into secular society. We need to work hard to retain our Christian identity in the midst of a secular world.

2 How long, O Lord? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not intervene. 3 Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and clamorous discord. 2:2 Then the Lord answered me and said: Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. 3 For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. 4 The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.

Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

R: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

1 Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; let us acclaim the rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him. (R) 6 Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us. 7 For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides. (R) Oh, that today you would hear his voice: 8 “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, 9 where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.” (R)

Paul tells Timothy to exercise the gifts of the Spirit he has been given and not to worry about what other people might think. Faithfulness to God’s call is the key. If God calls us to a particular ministry, we should do what we can and get involved. Using our spiritual gifts helps us and other people to grow in our faith in God.

2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14

6 Beloved: I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. 8 So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. 13 Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.

Even a little faith can make a big difference. Let us not aspire to make a “big splash” or to be the “main event” at an evangelistic rally. Rather be content in doing what God asks of us no matter how small or insignificant it may seem to be. This is the way to holiness. Faithfulness in the little things prepare us for the bigger things. Let us prove our trustworthiness by following God’s will today.

The word of the Lord remains forever. This is the word that has been proclaimed to you.

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” 6 The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7 Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? 8 Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You  may eat and drink when I am finished’? 9 Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”

Thank You Lord for: __________________

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Daniel 7-9 

SABBATH PAUSE

THANK YOU LIST

SPECIAL NEEDS

HIDDEN TREASURE

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KNOWING SOMETHING

RATHER THAN BEING KNOWN

Hardly anything is known about Habakkuk, the prophet from whom today’s First Reading was culled. In this age of social media, not being known at least as a temporary “cewebrity” sounds like a tragedy. With all the social networking sites available, almost everyone now has a “following,” and everyone can boast of “likes” and thumbs-up icons, even if they all come from friends whose “likes” you have zealously solicited.

       Habakkuk enjoyed no such cewebrity status. All we know about him is that he was a prophet, and that he already lived in Jerusalem already when he began prophesying. He may not be popular, but Habakkuk sure knew something worth sharing with others. He talked about what he learned from the Lord. He spoke about a vision that presses on to fulfillment and which will not disappoint. “The just one,” he says further, “because of his faith, shall live.”

       In our times, everything we do is known by someone else other than ourselves. We post about going to Starbucks. We tell the Facebook world when we hie off to our little corner of the world, in real time, all the time. Our lives remain, pardon the pun, an open (Face)book. In this artificial cyber world, everyone simply seems happier, more fulfilled, busier and richer than the average Juan and Juana de la Cruz.

    Habakkuk, however, spoke of life like it really is, surrounded by violence, ruin, misery. And he chose to speak about the better part — that knowing something important is better than merely being known by many.

       He knew that life in God is not any less of a life than one lived in the limelight. He talked about something related to what the Lord today speaks of — a simple and hidden life lived in service, where the priority is not getting noticed and rewarded. This is a vision that will not disappoint — to be “unprofitable servants” who only do their duties. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

REFLECTION QUESTION: Are you fond of posting your activities in social media sites? What is your motivation in posting them?

Help me to remain humble, Lord, and to prefer a simple and hidden life lived in service. Amen.