December 21   (from the book: Where is the Child? by Fr. R. Marcos (Makati: St Pauls);  pls responsibly acknowledge source when using publicly) fr tam nguyen’s photo First Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-18a Shout for joy, daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, Zion, do not be discouraged! The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; Who will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, Who will sing joyfully because of you, as on festival days.   A. Short Background on the First Reading 1. Remember Ahaz the king and his wife, the young woman or virgin mentioned by Isaiah in yesterday’s First Reading? The prophet Zephaniah, from whom comes today’s reading, was the great grandson of Hezekiah, the son of King Ahaz and his wife, the son promised as sign of God’s help and faithful love for his people. Zephaniah was the contemporary of Jeremiah and like him preached repentance and conversion, in the context of God’s impending punishment and judgment on the nation for idolatry and decadence in moral and religious life. Zephaniah comes across as a harsh and condemnatory judge of human nature. But this reading comes from the only positive section of his prophecy. It is a call to rejoice because salvation is near! 2. An alternate reading for today comes from the Song of Songs (2:8-14). It says: “For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the turtle dove is heard in our land.” We have no winter in the Philippines but only a brief cold season from December to early February. But those who experience winter know that it is not all snowman and skiing, white blanket all over the place and people’s breath sending vapor in the air. No, it’s not all romantic; winter is a difficult season—no vegetation, animals in hibernation, people’s movements curtailed by the severe cold. But God’s word assures us that winter is passing. Soon it will be over. After winter comes spring, evidence of new life. B. Reflections on the First Reading Reflection 1: Christmas Sadness? Even before Christmas comes, our hearts vacillate between joy and sadness. Someone said that there is such a thing as Christmas sadness. Yes, the music may be merry, the lights all aglow and pleasing to the eyes, the gifts are overflowing and laughter can be heard in every party we attend. But in the heart of many people, there is a serious question; is there really a cause for rejoicing? Christmas itself does not remove our present problems. Christmas does not cure our daily woes. And so in the midst of the season of joy, many people focus more on the reason not to be happy. We look back at the past and enumerate our mistakes and sins. Or we project into the future and shudder with fear for what’s in store for us there. Yet God invites us to joy. If we will look for joy outside of us, we will be frustrated. If we will depend on others to make us happy, we will be dismayed, because joy is an inner disposition. It is a decision we make. We must know that joy is, first of all, interior, in one’s heart, where we are most at peace with God. Yes, our joy can only be found in the Lord who enters our hearts and reigns within as king. But here is the mystery of Christ’s joy. It can coexist with pain and suffering, darkness and trials of life. The fact that we face challenges does not rob us of peace and hope. True joy cannot be overcome by life’s adversities. The saints are living witnesses to this and Christians discover this when they realize that their joy comes only when Christ enters the heart! Reflection 2: This, Too, Will Pass Many times in life we grow impatient. When we do not see immediate results, we grumble. When we feel that we are forgotten, we complain. When we think that we are dropped on the ground, we lament. So we need the divine assurance that our winter is passing. It will not be always winter in our lives. Tragedies and sorrows will end. Even difficulties cannot endure forever. While we are passing through the test, there is a promise of newness at the end. With faith, we will conquer. With faith we will rise again. As the new expressions go: All will be well or This, too, will pass. Let us pray that we may be able to handle the hardships of life, that we may be able to embrace these as part of the mysteries of our earthly existence. In confronting them, and not running away from them, we prepare ourselves for the joy that God offers us in his Son. GOSPEL: Luke 1:39-45 During those days Mary set out  and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” A.           Short Background … Continue reading SIMBANG GABI DAY 6: READINGS AND REFLECTIONS