Simbang Gabi 2021 (12-24-21)

 

There was a boy who always caused trouble to his parents. But he recently noticed that his parents did not scold him the way they used to do. Instead, his father would go to their backyard and hammer a nail into the fence. The boy asked for his father’s reason in doing it. The father explained that every time the boy caused them trouble, the former had to hammer a nail into a fence. The boy asked his father if he could do something to remove all the nails from the fence. The father told him that he could gradually remove the nails if the boy could show improvements in his behavior. After some days, the boy changed his ways and he was able to remove all the nails. His father asked him, “What do you see there?” The boy answered, “There are no more nails except for the holes in the fence.” Then the father told the boy, “You could remove all the nails but the holes they left could not be removed. My son, there are times that your bad behavior caused us trouble and left us a scar in our hearts. I only hope the scar would not remain here in our hearts forever.” The boy understood his mistake and he decided to change his ways for good.

My dear friends, children are meant to be the treasures of their parents. Children are signs of God’s goodness. But children like their parents are just human and thus they are imperfect. Instead of being a blessing to parents, they bring problems in the home. This should not be so! Today’s Gospel (Luke1:67-79) tells us how a child brought happiness to his parents being a blessing from God. Zechariah praised God for such a wonderful blessing. But take note also that the father, Zechariah, pointed out how the child should live out his life. He said, “You my child shall be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways…” Thus, in order to be a blessing for his parents, a child should know how to live his life well. He should know his purpose and direction in life. He should fulfill his life’s mission. In other words, a child who does not know what he should do for his life is a child that brings trouble to his parents. But a child who knows why he exists and lives his life well brings blessings to his home. In today’s mass, let us pray that we as children be the cause of our parents’ joy. If not, then we pray to change our ways for the better so that at the end of their journey, our parents may find happiness in heaven because of us. Amen.