Faithfood for the Faithful January 19, 2014 Feast of the Sto. Niño Readings: Isaiah 19:1-6; Psalm 97:1-6; Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18 Matthew 18:1-5, 10 Insights: SANTO NINO Fr. Jun Lingad, SDB Love for the SANTO NIÑO [Spanish: ‘HOLY CHILD’] is the most popular devotion among Filipino Catholics, and the one historically connected with the beginnings of Christianity in the Philippines. The missionaries who went with Ferdinand Magellan lost no time in evangelizing the natives of Cebu. On their Baptism Day, Rajah Humabon and Lady Humamay, took on the Christian name Carlos (in honor of Carlos V, king of Spain) and Juana (after Joanna of Castille) respectively. On this occasion, Magellan gave Queen Juana the image of the Santo Niño. We all know the sorry end of Magellan at the hands of Lapu-Lapu in the battle of Mactan. When another expedition was being planned, a courtier of King PHILIP II of Spain objected: “Go back there again [to our country]? It is so far, so costly, so dangerous: what for?” To this, King Philip II countered: “If we could just present to our Lord Jesus Christ even only one soul from that place, there we will surely return!” And back to the Philippines they did return! — NB: Our country was renamed by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos from ‘The archipelago of St. Lazarus’ to Las Islas Filipinas in King Philips honor. After forty-four years [1565] the next Spanish expedition under MIGUEL LÓPEZ DE LEGAZPI came. On April 28, 1565, a Spanish mariner Juan de Camus found the SANTO NIÑO statue in a pine box amidst the ruins of a burnt house. The HOLY CHILD summarizes the Catholic belief about Jesus. St. Paul says, ‘But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption’ (Gal. 4:4-5). This passage teaches us the following: (i) God directs the drama of salvation, and had been preparing the stage through time for the main act. (ii) So, at the appointed time, ‘He sent His SON.’ (iii) God is now ‘made flesh,’ lowly (Jn. 1:14); (iv) MARY is God’s chosen of all women; (v) the Son is similarly tested in every way, yet without sin’ (Heb. 4:15). (vi) He was sent ‘to ransom those under the law.’ Another word for ‘ransom’ is ‘REDEEM’ [Latin, re+(d)+emere, to ‘buy back’]. (vii) The net result of His mission is ‘so that we might receive ADOPTION.’ Thus, we become daughters/sons in the SON, the SANTO NIÑO, our model in relating with the Father, Son, and Spirit; and example for our Christian life of faith, hope, and love. Jesus the Child invites us to imitate Him as a child, “Truly I tell you, unless you AGAIN [= ‘change and’] BECOME LIKE CHILDREN, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (v. 3). ‘To become a child again’ means to be trusting, simple, humble, loving and call God “ABBA” once again! Jesus singles out HUMILITY as making us ‘the greatest among those God reigns over’ (v. 4)! What a paradox: the humbler, the better! Jesus reminds us the importance of a child. Whatever is done to a child Jesus considers it done to His own person! Drowning is meet punishment for one who scandalizes a little child who believes in Him! What respect, then, and what love and care we, as parents, as elders, as teachers, as leaders, as society should accord children over whom we exercise influence! Hand of the Sower Catholic Community Salt of the World Evangelistic Resource Mt. 13:37 “...the man who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.
Posted on: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 00:29:38 +0000
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