My cousins and I applied to Canada as caregivers in 2009. My family supported me by allowing me to resign from my job to study caregiving fulltime. Both my cousins were approved while I was declined. Imagine how devastated I was when I received the rejection letter. I felt like my family’s sacrifices for years were wasted. I told my wife to look for a retreat so we could have a breather. We didn’t choose who the speakers were. We just wanted it to be in Tagaytay for the cool air and an out-of-town date.

It was a couples retreat facilitated by Bo Sanchez and Obet Cabrillas. Then, Brother Obet invited me to attend The Feast. One attendance led to a weekly habit. One yes to serve led to years of commitment. Who can turn one declined application to a journey of service? Only God.

Now, I’m in Canada not as a caregiver but as a missionary to care for His people. Everything works for the good of those who love and serve the Lord! 

Monching Bueno (ramon_bueno@yahoo.com)

reflect

Have you experienced getting rejected in a relationship? In your career? Health? Trust that God is working for your good. 

Lord, help me trust in Your plans. Help me focus on the ending You crafted, which is always for my good. Amen.  

Saint Adrian, pray for us.

First Reading | Micah 5:1-4 (or Romans 8:28-30)

There are Old Testament texts that speak of a king who will come from the tribe of David and will establish a universal kingdom that would never end. In today’s reading from the prophet Micah, it is revealed that the king would be born in Bethlehem; this is what the scribes told King Herod when the Wise Men inquired where the Messiah was to be born. The mother of Jesus is also mentioned in the verse “when she who is to give birth has born.”

¹ The Lord says: You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. ² (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, and the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.)      ³ He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the Lord, in the majestic name of the Lord, his God; and they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; ⁴ he shall be peace. 

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 13:6, 6

R: With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

⁶ Though I trusted in your mercy, let my heart rejoice in your salvation. (R) Let me sing of the Lord, “He has been good to me.” (R)  

Gospel | Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 (or Matthew 1:18-23)

Matthew shows the family tree of Saint Joseph from Abraham, the father of faith, even though Jesus was only Joseph’s foster son. By starting with Abraham, Matthew emphasizes the faith ancestors of Jesus. According to Saint Paul, the true descendants of Abraham are those who share his faith. We, too, are united to Abraham and Jesus by our faith—a faith that makes us holy.

Gospel Acclamation

Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God. 

¹ The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. ² Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. ³ Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, ⁴ Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, ⁶ Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. ⁷ Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph.  ⁸ Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. ⁹ Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. ¹⁰ Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. ¹¹ Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. ¹² After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, ¹³ Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, ¹⁴ Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, ¹⁵ Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, ¹⁶ Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. ¹⁸ Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. ²⁰ Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. ²¹ She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read JEREMIAH 27 - 30 today.

The Joy and Blessedness of Birthdays

Why do we celebrate birthdays? More than being born, we celebrate birthdays because we transcend and hurdle life’s pains and sorrows. Whenever we look back at our lives, we see not only the blessings but also the difficulties we have gone through. And in the midst of them all, we see God working in us and through us. That is the joy and blessedness of every birthday.

In the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, we celebrate only three birthdays: those of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist—both solemnities—and of the Nativity of Mary, a feast which rank is lower than a solemnity.

While we rejoice at Mary’s birthday today, let us not forget that, like Jesus and John the Baptist, her life was also full of sorrow, not just of joy. In her lifetime, she suffered many sorrows, like being an “unwed mother,” as our Gospel today tells us. A few months after Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph were refugees in Egypt.

Soon after returning to Nazareth, she was widowed and left to care for Jesus until He began His public ministry. It must have felt so good to see her Son Jesus teaching and doing all those miracles, but it was definitely devastating to stand at the foot of the cross as the mother of an “executed criminal.” After the Lord’s ascension, Mary remained with the Apostles and the Early Church. It was neither a glamorous nor an easy life for her, but she overcame all these with her deep faith and trust in God.

Like us, Mary did not know anything at all about the future, except that her Son is Jesus, the Emmanuel or God is with us. Like Mary, God calls us according to His purpose, each of us a part of His grand design.

Fr. Nick Lalog

reflection question

Do you feel the joy and blessedness of being alive every day? Count your blessings and thank God for your life. 

Pray for us, dearest Mother Mary, to be open to God always, to trust Him fully by saying yes to His calls. Pray for us that we may have the courage to remain in Jesus Christ even without knowing fully well the implications of being His disciple. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _______________________________________