Just completed nine Simbang Gabi masses after a very long time. A believer of plenary indulgence, I embarked on the goal of attending all nine masses because I had a petition for God.
Some like to call that a selfish motive but I beg to differ. Most of the time, I ask for something in exchange for a certain sacrifice and I get even more than what I pray for. That's lesson number one when you're talking about God's grace. He always gives more than what you take or ask.
So what do I have to show apart from a mild case of sleep deprivation, an acne breakout, and a new-found appreciation of the morning sun? Well, I got a renewed look at this thing called 'Christmas' and a reminder of why we're celebrating it in the first place.
Listening to a Jesuit deliver a homily is always a privilege. Listening to them nine mornings straight is a luxury.
One thing I got from their combined homilies is that our salvation history is full of people who, far from being servile robots, wrestled with their inner selves before acceding to God's plan. Mary, the penultimate example of obedience, was also among those who fought through reluctance and fear prior to saying yes. As Catholics, we take consolation in the fact that following God's will is not an isolated incident but is something we share in common with the saints and sinners of yesteryear.
What's good about this whole 'exercise' though is that it reminded me once again why we're celebrating Christmas. Most of the time, we become inundated by the message in the media about what Christmas must be: It is about family, about presents, about giving, about Santa Claus. Frankly, it isn't.
Simple isn't it? But, most often, the simple things are the ones we usually forget.
Merry Christmas everyone.
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