1st Sunday

Is. 63: 16-19; 64: 2-7

I Cor. 1: 3-9
Mk. 13: 33-37
(Cycle B)
 New Year in the
Introduction:
calendar of the
Church and it is
the first day of
this New Year. As
in every
beginning, we
start anew with a
 Introduction:
We go back to the words of that famous
Advent Hymn - "O Come, O Come,
Emmanuel." (Halina O Emmanuel)
Until we can move to the spiritual
space, suggested by this Hymn, we will
not catch the meaning of this Season.
1
"Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel, and
ransom captive Israel that mourns in
lonely exile here, until the Son of God
appear.
(Halina, O Emmanuel, at tubusin ang
Israel. Namimighati siyang lubos,
hinihintay Anak ng Diyos.)
1
The setting of this Hymn is the
phenomenon of kidnaping for
ransom that once in a while has
occupied the news in our Country.
Even in ancient times, the
phenomenon made traveling
quite dangerous.
1
Take the recent
kidnaping of Fr. Chito
Suganob of Marawi as
the situation of the
whole Country of
Israel, God's Chosen
People.
1 Israel is held captive by a group of
invaders as the Maute did in Marawi.
The people are helpless. All they could
do is wait, watch, and hope that
someone might pay for their release.
Is their situation desperate?
Well, yes, for they are at the mercy of
their captors or of the one who might
bail them out for their release.
1
They call on/long for God as
Emmanuel (God with us)
admitting how separate and alien
they are from him and they ask
Him to pay the ransom for their
release from their place of exile.
1
They wait long for their
release until God finally
comes to their aid and
sends His Son to bail
them out.
2
With this background in mind, listen to the
opening lines of our first reading from
Isaiah 63: 16 "You, Lord, are our father,
our redeemer you are named forever.

(Ikaw lamang, Yahweh, ang aming

pag-asa at Amang aasahan; tanging
ikaw lamang yaong nagliligtas nitong
aming buhay.)
2
The best name to call God is
"redeemer" from the Latin verb
redimere (to pay/buy back).
God is the one who can
buy us back from slavery or
aptivity.
2
The best way to understand
this idea is man's addiction,
what theology calls
concupiscence.
2

When one is addicted to alcohol or a person,

drug, fame, money, etc., he is out of control
or in the grip of a power that is stronger and
alien to one's purposes.
2
He cannot even solve the problem by
himself. The more he tries by his own
efforts, the deeper he falls into his
addiction until he admits to his
helplessness and gives himself to a
higher power, God.
2
So, we understand Isaiah's sigh:
" all of us has become unclean
men, all our good deeds are like
polluted rags; we all have
withered like leaves and our guilt
carries us away like the wind."
2
( lahat tayo'y naging marumi sa
harapan ng Diyos; ang mabubuting
gawa nati'y maruruming basahan
ang katulad; nalanta na tayong
lahat gaya ng mga dahon;
tinatangay tayo ng malakas na
hangin ng ating kasamaan.) (64:5)
2
How distant/alien we are
and all our good deeds
are tainted by the
dysfunction of sin.
So, what is the solution?
2
"There is none who calls
upon your name who rouses
himself to cling to you."

(Walang sinumang tumatawag sa pangalan

mo;walang sinumang bumabangon upang
sa iyo'y lumapit.) (64:6)
2

We call upon the name of the

Lord and we cling to him.
That is the Advent space!
3
This is the entire Gospel
preached by Paul. Yes, we are
completely lost, incapable of
doing good but Jesus gave us
with the Divine Love grace
and peace. His life, death,
and rising from death represents
God's unmerited favor to us!
3
"I give thanks to my God always on
your account for the grace of God
bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that
in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and knowledge, as
the testimony to Christ was confirmed
among you, so that you are not lacking
in any spiritual gift as you wait for the
revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ."
3 (Lagi akong nagpapasalamat sa Diyos
dahil sa mga pagpapalang ibinigay niya sa
inyo sa pamamagitan ni Cristo Jesus. Dahil
sa inyong pakikipag-isa kay Cristo, kayo ay
naging masagana sa lahat ng bagay,
maging sa pananalita at sa kaalaman. Ang
katotohanan tungkol kay Cristo ay
pinagtibay sa inyo kaya't hindi kayo
nagkukulang sa anumang pagpapala,
habang hinihintay ninyong bumalik
3
Though we had no money, the
price was paid for us; though
we had no accomplishment,
he took us to himself.
3
So "God is faithful and by him you were
called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord." (Tapat ang Diyos na
tumawag sa inyo upang makipag-isa
sa kanyang Anak na si Jesu-Cristo na
ating Panginoon.) (v.9)
3
That is the Gospel,
the Good News,
God's Word!
CONCLUSION:
We are lost but
have now grace
and peace! That is
the Advent
space we are
meant to move
in!