At sinabi ni Maria, “Buong puso kong pinupuri ang Panginoon, at nagagalak ang aking espiritu sa Dios na aking Tagapagligtas! Sapagkat inalala niya ako na kanyang abang lingkod. Mula ngayon ay ituturing akong mapalad ng lahat ng henerasyon, dahil sa dakilang mga bagay na ginawa sa akin ng Makapangyarihang Dios. Banal siya! Kinaaawaan niya ang mga taong may takot sa kanya sa bawat henerasyon. Ipinakita niya ang dakila niyang mga gawa sa pamamagitan ng kanyang kapangyarihan. Itinaboy niya ang mga taong mataas ang tingin sa sarili. Ibinagsak niya ang mga makapangyarihang hari mula sa kanilang mga trono, at itinaas niya ang mga nasa mababang kalagayan. Binusog niya ng mabubuting bagay ang mga nagugutom, ngunit pinaalis niya na walang dala ang mayayaman.
Scripture Reading
Lucas 1:46-53 (ASND)
Today is Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of Joy.
Pero parang hindi ko alam kung joyful ba?
Paano ba maging masaya? Kung nakaambang na mawawalan ng kabuhayan ang mga jeepney drivers, because of the modernization program ng gobyerno.
Paano magagalak at mag-se-celebrate ng Christmas para sa iilan sa atin na mga so-called “woke?”
Kung libo-libong mga batang Palestinians ang napatay na at patuloy na napapatay sa bayang sinilangan ni Hesu Kristo?
Paano nga ba mararanasan o matatamo ang puro at tunay na kagalakan sa kabila ng kahirapan at kaguluhan? How can we experience, find, or create joy in a world full of poverty and bloodshed?
Yet, the mother of Jesus, a peasant girl of about fourteen years old, joyfully declared her manifesto. The first manifesto, together with her cousin, Elizabeth, who equally experienced joy and shared it with her.
Joe Albright, in his article, quoted one of my favorite authors, Barbara Brown Taylor, at sabi niya sa article niya: Barbara Brown Taylor describes the experience of joy as almost irreverent. She writes: “joy has never had very much to do with what is going on in the world at the time. This is what makes it different from happiness, or pleasure, or fun. All those depend on positive conditions. The only condition for joy is the presence of God. Which means that it can erupt in a depressed economy, in the middle of a war, or in an intensive care waiting room. Joy is a gift.”
So, taking inspiration from the article of Joe Albright, in relation to the song of Mary the Magnificat, joy was not the only thing present in Mary’s heart. Most likely, as a young girl, she was afraid. Fear was inside her heart. Fear for her life, fear for the child inside her, fear for their future and where it will all lead.
Bakit siya takot?
Nabuntis siya na hindi si Jose ang nakabuntis. Puwede siyang patayin ng taong-bayan sa Nazareth.
Hindi rin nawawala ‘yong kaniyang takot sa shame at sa stigma ng pagiging batang ina, na hindi ang mapapangasawa niya ang ama.
Come to think of it, baka nga kaya siya umalis, based on the biblical story in Luke. Baka kaya siya umalis ng Nazareth at nagpunta sa pinsan niyang si Elizabeth ay para bahagyang takasan at lisanin ang mapanghusgang mga mata at bibig ng mga marites niyang kapitbahay.
Yes, Mary was joyful. Masaya siya, nagagalak siya, with the child inside her, and that her child is God’s child. While at the same time, Mary also equally experienced fear. Perhaps even terror, and a lot of anxiety from so many questions and uncertainties of her situation. But joy, genuine joy, has nothing to do with the conditions and situations so this world, as per Barbara Brown Taylor. It has everything to with presence. and if I may add, ang pangalawa is trust o tiwala.
Ang presensya ng Diyos sa kaniyang sinapupunan, at presensiya ng Diyos na nangakong sasamahan siya. Sasamahan si Mary. Presensiya ng Diyos sa pamamagitan ng kaniyang asawang si Jose, at presensiya ng Diyos sa pinsan niyang si Elizabeth na tinanggap siya. Presensiya ng Diyos din sa pagbubuntis din ng kaniyang pinsang si Elizabeth na isang baog, that at the time na nabuntis siya, matanda na siya at imposible nang magkaanak. Presensya ng Diyos sa kaniyang mga magulang, at sa presensiya ng sino pa mang mga kaibigan o kamag-anak na tumulong kay Maria.
Tiwala sa Diyos na hindi pababayaan ang batang kaniyang ipinagbubuntis, at siya na ina nito. Tiwala sa pangako ng Diyos sa kaniyang bayan. Ang pagsusugo ng isang tagapagligtas. Tiwala sa kaniyang asawa na hindi siya ipapahamak. Tiwala sa pinsan niyang masaya siyang tinanggap sa tahanan.
Presensya, at tiwala. Pero may pangatlo rin.
Ang pagpili sa joy bilang an act of resistance.
As Filipinos, we are also known sa ating pagiging masayahin, even in the midst of devastation, catastrophies, and disasters. As part of our resilience and coping, we try our best to find ways to still laugh and smile, para doon, humugot rin ng panibagong lakas at pag-asa, ibsan nang bahagya ang mabigat na pangyayari.
Part ng ating consciousness bilang Pilipino ang kasabihang “itawa mo ang problema mo.”
(Ang reminder lang ay sana sa pagiging masayahin natin at sa ating humor, hindi natin ito gagamitin na panakip-butas sa mga masamang pangyayari.)
I hope and pray that in the many worries, troubles and sorrows of this world, our humor, at ang pagiging masayahin, is a form of resistance and a form of push back, against those who bring fear and terror in our lives and in our societies.
How can we use joy, and celebration, and laughter, as a way to push back and even fight back against oppression, injustice, and discrimination? And also against anxiety, depression and despair?
Tayo ay tumawa at magsaya hindi lamang bilang gamot sa takot, kalungkutan, at pangamba. Gamitin din natin ito bilang mabisang gamit para sa nagpapatuloy na pakikibaka.
Kasi nga kung sa dami ng kabigatan na nangyayari, at sa kabigatan ng movement, at kailangang kaharapin ng movement, mababaliw tayo kung hindi tayo paminsan-minsan ay tatawa.
Humor is a critic to the exploitation and injustices in our LGBTQIA+ community na talagang ginagamit ang humor.
Let us use joy and celebration not only as medicine that heals our hearts, but also as an effective tool to continue our journ in struggle to a better world. In the midst of all the terrible things in our world, and also of the terrible things that might be in your life.
In the midst of all this and the negative emotions they make you feel. I hope you, we, can learn and look towards Mary of Nazareth, who feared for her life and future. And fear for the life and the future of her child. And yet tenaciously held on God’s presence and God’s promise. And therefore declared one of the greatest manifestos of justice. The Magnificat. And found both joy and courage. The joy of her child being born. The joy of great possibilities that her child will bring to the world. The joy of the people who cared for her, loved her, and shared her joy.
Like Mary, who pressed on despite the difficulties of her situation and the path she had to take, let us press on and choose joy.
Piliin ang presensiya ng Diyos, the presence of God. And God’s promise to fuel our resolve to push on. To journey further, to care for, and raise an extraordinary child. And eventually to stand facing the cross and ask the painful question: why?
So the question: What gives you joy? Where is your joy? Who is your joy? Is your joy based on the situations and conditions of this world? Is your joy about the purchase of new material things that will eventually rot and decay, and which does not really respond to or answer to the pains and longings of your heart?
What, where, and who is the source of your joy? Whatever the situation of our world, our country, and each of our personal lives, let us look and learn from Mary, allowing both fear and joy to stand side by side, but choose joy nonetheless. Embracing both anxiety and hope in her heart, but choosing hope to fuel her commitment to continue. Facing both uncertainty and also trust.
But choosing to trust the promises and faithfulness of God. That things will be better, that someday, indeed, the oppressors will be pulled down, and the greedy people will be emptied and sent away. While the oppressed will be raised up, the poor will be satisfied, given dignity and will have enough.
So it’s okay. Magulo ang mundo. Pero hindi masamang magsaya o tumawa paminsan-minsan. Basta’t alam natin na sa ating pagsasaya, hindi ‘yon ang ating paraan para bingihin ang ating sarili sa mundo pero gamitin ang saya ang tawa, ang community, ang celebration to continue pushing on. Joy is part of the resistance. Joy even in the midst of terror is an act of courage.
I hope that in the many troubles of this world, let us use joy to push on to 2024.
Amen.
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