"God has visited his people and redeemed them. Mary set out and visited Elizabeth. The child leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit."
Our question for today is: Bakit mahilig sa kalyeserye ang Pinoy?
Kalyeserye is a soap opera done in the streets of Metro manila which tells about the adventures of Lola Nidora and Yaya Dub as they visit houses and give them prizes and where the latter evantually falls in love with a guy named Alden. In short, its drama and adventure in the streets as they visit houses.
But do you know the original kalyeserye during my time? It's what we know as “Caroling.” For a growing up kid during my days, this was what we waited for the whole year round. It was those 24 days before Christmas where children ages 8-12 would gather in small groups and would start their evening adventure in the streets without any adult supervision. They would prepare that with percussion instruments from bottle caps stringed together into a tambourine… from tin cans converted into drums.
But why do kids carol? Is it about the money? Is it about the friends? I don’t think so. It was the time of the year we can visit people in their houses. To see where they live, see how they live, in a sense to be actually part of their life even just for a single minute. To be grateful when the house gives some goodies or pennies and keep coming back to that same house knowing for a second helping; And to houses who are less generous, end carols with “Thank you, ang babarat ninyo, thank you”. Ah those days of live and actual visits are now being lost. Before one of our favorite carol was:
“Ang aming bati ay magandang pasko, at naghihintay sa aginaldo nyo. Kung sakali namang di nyo gusto, huwag lang sanang ipahabol sa inyong aso.” It was so polite and interactive literally.
In this age and time, we could run into the temptation of virtual visits.But the fact is, we were not made to be alone. Everyone wants to visit and to be visited.
Today we hear the story of Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth. But since both were pregnant, we could say that Mary brought Jesus to visit his relatives. Mary has shown mercy and compassion by visiting.
Do you know what mercy means? James Keenan has this beautiful definition. Mercy is the willingness to enter the chaos of another. In short mercy is actually visiting the other in his or her situation… no mater how chaotic or miserable.
And yet who am I to visit? I am but a small voice? Listen again to what the prophet Micah is saying to you and me in today’s first reading: Thus says the Lord: You, Bethlehem, too small to be among the great clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of His name; and they shall live secure for his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace. The Son of God who will come to visit his people will come from the least.
A few days back, I did my own caroling yesterday. I visited two of our parishioner neighbors on 139th street. I visited Helen whose husband Albert recently passed away from Cancer. I visited Ralph who is patiently enduring his bout of cancer; he has outlived already the doctor’s prediction… so it might be just a matter of time. But I love these guys… they have been long in this parish and I feel that’s the least I could do. You see I’m inviting us to try to see who are those persons around us whom we could carol and visit just before Christmas, whom we could show compassion to especially those who might really be longing for one.
Last year Pope Francis in a homily said: “God has visited his people” is an expression which is “repeated in the Scripture” They are words which have “special meaning”, different from that of such expressions as “God has spoken to his people” or “God has given the Commandments to his people” or even “God has sent a prophet to his people”.
In the statement “God has visited his people there is something extra, something new”. This phrase can be found in the Scripture; it is written, for example, “In the Old Testament, God visited Naomi in her old age and made her a grandmother through Ruth”. And likewise today, Scripture “tells of Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin: God visited her and made her a mother”. So “when God visits his people, it means that he is present in a special way”.
In the beginning of this Advent, I told people about Jesus’ two comings: - Jesus came in history; that’s Christmas, and Jesus will come in glory at the end of our life…. I realized I should mention a third coming - that is whenever Jesus comes in mystery…. Jesus actually visits us live not virtual so much so that you could touch Him. That happens when that host becomes the body of Chirst and that wine becomes his blood. He becomes actually present here with us… Today he is born among us no longer in history, not yet in majestic glory, but in mystery.
St Therese, the little flower said: “We say that Jesus is the bread that visits us from heaven. But our Lord does not come from heaven everyday just to stay in that golden ciborium or that chalice. He doesn’t even want to just stay inside that little golden house called tabernacle. No the reason he comes down to earth is because… he wants to find another heaven here to visit.”
And do you know where is that heaven here that he wants to visit and stay in? It is in your soul. Will you open your door to Him, receive his visit today during this Mass at the Eucharist?
May God visit us his people and set us free. Let this be our Christmas wish for each other.