Aling Julia was our village philosopher and kamias (bilimbi) supplier for the world’s sinigang needs. I asked her once, “Why does the kamias tree become more fruitful after a huge storm, when it has lost much of its leaves and branches?” She said that thick leaves and excessive branches are good “for show,” but not for fruit-bearing. The nutrients from the roots are wasted on unnecessary foliage, robbing the tree of fruitfulness.

Storms can bring salvation. God allows storms so we can bear fruit and not be “cut down and thrown into the fire.” Yes, it can be painful. But this pain is not meant to stop you. It’s meant to promote you. It’s not just a random pain. It’s birth pain. There’s a blessing in this pain. There’s a gift in this pain. 

There’s a ministry in this pain. So don’t waste it. Your breaking is your blessing. Don’t just go through it. Grow through it! Can God trust you with this pain? Jesus prepares His way into the “new you” this Advent season. Make space. Embrace His grace. 

Jon Escoto (jonmaris@yahoo.com)

Reflect

How can you grow through your pain as you prepare for Jesus’ coming? 

Jesus, as You prepare Your way into the new me, give me the grace to make space for You. Amen.

St. Maria Giuseppe Rossello, pray for us.

First Reading | Isaiah 11:1-10

The time of righteousness that Jesus brings may take some time to fulfill, but it will include all of creation. We see it in today’s reading through the promises that the lion and lamb will lie down together; that children and asps will play safely with one another. The imagery is vivid and unbelievable. Yet, whatever God promises, whether through a prophet or His Word, will come true.

¹ On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. ² The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, ³ and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, 4 but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. ⁵ Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. ⁶ Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. ⁷ The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. ⁸ The baby shall play by the cobra’s den, and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair. ⁹ There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea. ¹⁰ On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

R: Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.

1 O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; ² he shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. (R) ⁷ Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. 8 May he rule from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. (R) ¹² For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. ¹³ He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. (R) ¹⁷ May his name be blessed forever; as long as the sun his name shall remain. In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed; all the nations shall proclaim his happiness. (R)

Second Reading | Romans 15:4-9

God died for us on the cross while we were sinners. We may be preparing for Christmas, but we remember the Easter imagery and story, as it represents the work of salvation that Jesus came to perform. Without it, there would be no need for Christmas. Love is the key to understanding the gift of salvation and the coming of Jesus as a man. Let us welcome the love of God as He is made one with us this Christmas.

⁴ Brother and sisters: Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. ⁵ May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, ⁶ that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷ Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God. ⁸ For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs, ⁹ but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name.

Gospel | Matthew 3:1-12

Read the story of Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan River, and ask yourself: “Why did Jesus need to be baptized?” Jesus explained that it was to fulfill all righteousness. According to the Fathers of the Church, it was to sanctify the waters of baptism and make it life-giving through the sacrament that we celebrate in the Church. This links our own baptism with that of Jesus, the celebration of our redemption by Him.

Gospel Acclamation

Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

¹ John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. ⁴ John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him ⁶ and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. ⁷ When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. ⁹ And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. ¹⁰ Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹ I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read PROVERBS 9 - 12 today.

Stream Toward Jesus

It was weeks before Christmas. The mall was packed with shoppers. A boy was walking along with his dad when he noticed a long line of people. He asked his dad about it, and the father said it was the line to see Santa Claus and kids wanted to have their pictures taken with him. After a short pause, the boy asked, “Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. Where is the line to see Jesus to have our pictures taken with Him?”

How we need to be reminded of that these days. The boy’s intuition in our story may be simple, but it is profound. If Christmas is Jesus’ birthday, there must be at least a line that leads to Jesus, the Reason for the season. Actually, there is. In the First Reading, Isaiah continues to give us the image of the mountain that signals the coming of the expected Messiah. In Isaiah’s vision, all people will stream toward that mountain. It will stand as “a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.”

In the Gospel, people were lining up to John the Baptist to be baptized, but he redirected them to “the line to see Jesus.” John called attention to the One who is to come, the “One who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.”

Today, I propose to you the lines where you can encounter the One who is to come. Do you want to be unburdened from the load of guilt and sinfulness? Receive the mercy of Jesus in the line toward the confessional. Do you long for the peace and calm of Divine presence? Receive the real presence of Jesus in the line toward the Eucharist. Do you want to make yourself a gift for another? Encounter the person of Jesus in the line of fraternal charity. 

Fr. Joel Jason

Reflection question 

As Christmas nears, what line have you been frequenting? 

Lead me, Lord, take me by the hand and draw me to You. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ________________________________