Call to generosity

Tuesday,
December 20, 2016
4th Week of Advent
1st Reading: Is 7:10-14
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth. He was sent to a young virgin who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the family of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
The angel came to her and said, ‘Rejoice full of grace, the Lord is with you.” Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean.
But the angel said, “Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you. You shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call him Jesus. He will be great and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the kingdom of David, his ancestor; he will rule over the people of Jacob forever and his reign shall have no end.
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be if I am a virgin?” And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the holy child to be born shall be called Son of God. Even your relative Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child, and she is now in her sixth month. With God nothing is impossible.”
Then Mary said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Mary’s generosity unlocked the doors to salvation. This same generosity is the key to our journey to salvation as a parish community. The Catholic Church proposes a new theme for 2017: The Parish as Communion of Communities. It has the following subthemes: 1) Conversion (metanoia), 2) Charism (charismata), 3) Eucharist (eucharistia), 4)Service (diakonia), and, 5) Koinonia (communion). We have been discussing in previous columns about metanioa. Today let us reflect on charismata.
God has apportioned different charisms to different people so that the Church may be prepared to receive her King. This apportionment is necessary because left to ourselves we are all barren like Zechariah and Elizabeth. By this apportionment of gifts, each of us has something to contribute to build God’s kingdom on earth.
The Church does not demand extraordinary contributions from us. Sometimes our participative presence is enough. Joseph did not have to make an extraordinary display of talents. In the long list of descendants in the genealogy of Jesus it was Joseph who linked him to Abraham. He merely had to be there, and such contribution was big enough to keep the execution of the plan of salvation rolling. It is enough that we nurture hearts as generous as the heart of Mary. – Atty. Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM, 09287255610
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