3rd Day Christmas novena "Look for your star"

 HERODES

The truth is that the story of those Magi caught me totally off guard... A king? In my territory? Is someone trying to dethrone me? I was meticulous, I informed myself about every detail and well, I became a great connoisseur of history, of the readings, I went to the prophecies, I scrutinised what the Magi told me, I even pretended to be a follower of the future Messiah...

The things they said were beautiful, sometimes I even doubted if all that wasn't true, a very beautiful story... But in the end, like all stories, something idyllic, disturbing and even dangerous. Imagine what they would have said from Rome, if they found out what I had allowed, if they found out that I was an accomplice, if they found out that I knew and had knowledge of that extra-ordinary event.

It would have been a massacre for all my people and of course for me. You can call me selfish and think that I am the bad guy... but what about you? What do you do with that beautiful message that you come across? What sacrifices do others have to make in order to lead the lifestyle you have? At least I am aware of what I did and why.

Perhaps you are not even aware of your complicity in inequality, in the deaths of your fellow human beings and their sacrifices. You may believe that you can do nothing in the world order... but it is an excuse as I used a thousand and one to justify it. I am Herod, the evil one, the murderer of children, the one who sacrificed a whole generation for the greater good... but who are you?

What sacrifices are you ready to do for others good?

2nd Day Christmas novena "Look for your star"

SHEPHERDS

Wow, it was amazing, a guy came from heaven... he came out of nowhere... what a scare! We were... well, we were there like every night having some wine, warming ourselves by the fire, telling some jokes and making up stories... and I'm telling you, that guy came out of nowhere... He was incredible, super clean... with spectacular clothes and what a voice... it was like powerful and so on...

Well, the thing is... I'm going to get to the point, I'm getting long winded. He tells us that the son of God has been born... in Bethlehem... that his name was going to be a certain Jesus and that well, a lot of peace and so on for everyone... and suddenly he leaves. Imagine our faces... finally, Salva, who is the most outspoken, blurted out the comment... whose wine is it?

I promise not to drink anymore... but if you want to know what really made us go to see that was when Jorge took the floor. It turns out that Jorge never drinks... Jorge never speaks... Jorge is the oldest and most serious guy in the group... And he says... gentlemen... we have to go to Betlehem...

Well, I don't know what surprised us more, the vision of that being from another planet or Jorge speaking... the fact is that we went... I have to confess that it was more out of curiosity than conviction... What's more, I was sure that it was all an illusion... I was sure that nothing was going to be like what we had been told...

On the way we talked and imagined, some even laughed and talked about the possibility of becoming rich by going to see the Son of God... that he would give us each a palace... And when we arrived we found the situation... a young girl, an elderly man... a mule... an ox... and a child in a manger... really?

That guy had taken us for a ride, hadn't he? That one? The son of God? Well, the thing is that I didn't believe it... immediately... I was about to turn around and then I felt him... leaving the place... I don't know, it left an emptiness in my heart... I don't know why, but I felt happy to be in the presence of that simple family...

To this day I don't know if it was the Son of God or not... but I do know what I felt in their presence... and it was the peace that the man who gave us the scare wished us so much. My name is Jesse the deputy chief shepherd... And who are you?

What makes you happy in the presence of God?

1st Day Christmas novena "Look for your star".

 ANGEL

Good morning, I am the angel Gabriel, God entrusted me with the task of announcing the birth of his son to his favourite work of creation. At first I didn't really agree, the truth is... what's the point? Isn't he God? Is he going to be easily recognised?

Besides, I've never really liked humans... They don't understand anything, you have to explain things to them a thousand times... On top of that, whenever one of my brothers or I show up we have to reassure them because they get scared easily... 

Anyway, the thing is, I was reluctant, but finally I did it... I put on my best clothes... and it seems that some of the shepherds were quite shocked by what I was telling them, I was surprised to see how their faces changed... To be honest, I didn't really understand what I was doing... It was a bit like when I appeared to that little girl called Mary... I don't know, they seemed so little...

The thing is that with time I have been thinking why the boss, the almighty, the king of kings, the alpha and the omega... oops, sorry; I'll stop now, it's the habit... Anyway, I was very surprised by that apparently simple mission but... although it was hard to see it, I think I understood something... It wasn't just the message... but how it changed me...

I understood something about your lives, your options and decisions... but above all I understood that even the simplest task can change lives, that even the most obvious announcement heals hearts, but above all I understood that when you waste time, as I did in making excuses for accepting God's vocation, the only thing you lose is the happiness of that gift that God has left for you... I made some excuse... my name is angel Gabriel... and who are you? 

What have you understood regarding your vocation?

Nazarene virtue: Sincerity

 

SINCERITY

One of the most important qualities that a person can posses is sincerity. It is the ability to be true to oneself and one’s beliefs. Sincerity is key in any relationship because it allows for trust to be built and confidence to be conveyed. 

As we in a season of Advent contemplating and waiting for the messiah to be born again in our hearts. Let us talk about the sincerity of Mary and Joseph. God, the Father has chosen as a mother of his own loving son by seeing the righteousness and sincerity of her. God helped her perplexity by the very words of God through the angel “Do not be afraid, Mary, For you have found favor with God.”  

Let’s look into Joseph, knowing that Mary was pregnant, he did not know what to do, he was in anxiety, dilemma. He was just and did not want to divorce her, decided to dismiss her in secret (Mt 1:19). There comes the God’s intervention, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said to him “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary, your wife, with you, because what is conceived in her comes from the Holy Spirit…” (Mt 1:20). The Lord rewards the righteousness and sincerity of Joseph who did not seek himself or his interests, but wondered what was God’s will and the greatest good for Mary Most Holy. He was praying, reflecting, pondering in the light of faith.

This means we need to cultivate the virtue of Sincerity and Trust in one’s vocation. Whether it is in marriage, single life, or religious life. We need to be sincere to the vocation that God has given. When you fall in love with your vocation, the natural thing to do is give yourself to it. That’s what I think. It’s just a form of sincerity. 

The problems comes in our family and community life. In that tough times we need to be sincere to the promises we made. Then God will communicate us like he communicated to Mary and Joseph: “Do not be afraid to take face your problems, I am with you always.”

"Insincerity is always weakness; sincerity even in error is strength". George Henry Lewes

Virtud nazarena: Silencio

 

 “Todo lo definitivo lleva el sello del silencio

que abre espacios de libertad, disponibilidad, receptividad.”

 EL SILENCIO EN JOSÉ Y MARÍA…

San José se caracterizó por su silencio.  La vida de San José fue una vida de oración y silencio permaneciendo de este modo en diálogo con Dio. Trabajador y honesto para mantener a su familia. Padre y esposo, supo responder con fidelidad el cumplimiento de sus deberes, en un constante y silencioso servicio. El Papa Benedicto dijo «dejémonos invadir por el silencio de San José”, el ruido nos impide escuchar o percibir las grandes verdades de la vida.

María es el paradigma del “silencio” de Dios, más misteriosamente silencioso y gratuito cuanto más íntimamente sentido. En la historia de la salvación, ella es “la gran silenciosa” en los textos sagrados; y lo es, además, por su plenitud espiritual y su directa vinculación con el misterio. Cuando decimos “silencio de María”, queremos decir profundidad, plenitud, fecundidad, dominio de sí misma, madurez humana, y lo que lo sintetiza todo: humildad y fidelidad”.

Nosotros, Familia Sa-Fa hoy: ¿Estamos dispuestos a ejemplo de María y José en Nazaret; a un silencio respetuoso y puesto al servicio de la escucha? ¿Ese silencio que ayuda a tener una mirada hacia dentro para meditar y conocer la voluntad de Dios?

Nazarene virtue: Service

 

The virtue of service.

Service is one of the noblest act. It is now slowly fading away in the young generations. Holy Family teaches to every one the act of service. Each one individually and collectively shows to this world the virtue of service. 

In this world service also valued by money. In Nazarene view service is the value to give to everyone.

The best example of the service of authority is Jesus who washed the feet of his disciples. Mary did service to Elizabeth voluntarily. Joseph himself served to Mary and Jesus. 

Action: Let us do service to the whole world by loving and caring for each person. A service without selfish expectation.

Virtud nazarena: Sencillez

“Permaneced sencillos, cuanto más sencillos seáis, mayor bien haréis” 

Estas son las palabras que el Santo Cura repetía con frecuencia a los Hermanos en Ars. Es una invitación para todos los miembros de la Familia Sa-Fa a vivir esta virtud nazarena. Las siguientes frases nos pueden ayudar a encarnarla en nuestra vida diaria.

“Que su humildad profunda, su sencillez, su confianza en el plan de Dios, su caridad llenen tu vida” (Prólogo a las Constituciones)

 

“En la casa de Nazaret había una alegría limpia. Era la alegría cotidiana y transparente de la sencillez, la alegría que siente quien custodia lo que es importante: la cercanía fiel a Dios y al prójimo” (Papa Francisco)

 

“Estoy seguro que en este difícil y confuso pero provisorio momento que vivimos, las soluciones para los problemas complejos que nos desafían nacen de la sencillez cristiana que se esconde a los poderosos y se muestra a los humildes: la limpieza de la fe en el Resucitado, el calor de la comunión con Él, la fraternidad, la generosidad y la solidaridad concreta que también brota de la amistad con Él”. (Papa Francisco, visita a Colombia Septiembre 2017)