Immaculate conception event every Christian must know

Excerpts from the homily
December 8, 2016
Solemnity of Immaculate Conception

Sa iyang ikatulong misa niadtong adlawa, gitimbaya ni Yanong Muloy ang mga parokyano sa Immaculate Conception Parish sa Mintal.

Matud pa niya, pinangga sa Pilipino si Mama Mary. “In the Catholic world, we are known as El Pueblo Amante de Maria, ‘People in love with Mary.’ In 1942, the Pope declared that the patroness of the Philippines will be the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.” Dugang niya nga pista sab sa Cathedral sa Zamboanga, Cotabato, Ozamis, ug Manila. “This is the fiesta of the Catholic world, because Mary is part and parcel of our believing…the offer of salvation in Jesus. We take Mary in as part of our believing. We can really feel the devotion of our Blessed Mother, warm, so strong!”

Lakbit-saysay niya mao ang istorya sa Sri Lanka diin 7% ra ang Katoliko, ug kasagaran Buddhists. Sa iyang pag-apil isip delegado sa Federation of Asian Bishops Conference, gi-tour kuno sila sa usa ka shrine, “so famous…the same day today was the bombing of the Pearl Harbor. The Archbishop that time publicly prayed to ask the Lord, to spare Sri Lanka from the Japanese. And so it happened, not one Japanese set foot in Sri Lanka. Ug sa (kalipay), ang arsobispo mipalit ug yuta diin gitukod ang naasoy’ng shrine, Our Lady of Lanka. Our Lady is seen as beautiful protectress of Sri Lanka.”

Ikaduhang istorya mao sa Japan, diin miagi ang nasud sa panahon nga gidili na sa emperor ang pagsulod sa langyaw labi na ang mga misyonero. Apan bag-o pa man kini mahitabo, daghan na ang nabautismuhan isip mga Katoliko. Human ang pipila ka dekada, sa pagtugot na usab sa pagsulod sa Japan, nagpabilin nga naay mga Katoliko sa mga barangays. Gipangutana sila: “Are you Catholics? Are you Christians? You know the Pope? You know the Catholic church? You know the 7 Sacraments?”, ug ang tubag nila, “wala.” Apan sa pagpangutana, “How about this (rosary)? They said, yes! Meaning the only remaining connection with these Catholics in Japan is their prayer to the Lord through the Blessed Mother.”

To Jesus through Mary

“Our faith is enriched because of that added devotion, because of the Mother of our Savior. God today, as we recall this gift of Mary to the church that was prepared by God. The Church offers us a reflection to take home, to feed our hearts.”

Ang unang pagbasa naghatud sa sinugdanan sa plano sa Ginoo. “Genesis story today brings us to the beginning on this wonderful feast of Mary.” Gikan sa pagpakasala ni Adan ug ni Eba, nahilayo ang tawo sa Dios. Gani, “there was a major break in our relationship with God, according to the story in the first reading today. “Among the lessons that are given to us, until today, it says, ‘you and the serpent and your descendants and her descendants will continue to be enemies.’ We who are devotees must be ill at ease with the world, that enmity continues telling us that don’t be comfortable with this world dominated by this serpent. It is alright to be easy in this world.”

“The rhythm of the desire should be the rhythm of the kingdom of God. We have brought to the beginning part ill at ease with each other. But, our original address is in heaven. Jesus is the Way, the Son of God, the Messiah. The Lord prepared Mary in her immaculate conception through God’s love, God’s power. Mary immaculately conceived in the womb of her mother, St. Anne.”

In Ephesus (ancient city in Turkey’s Central Aegean region) today, more people are “venerating Mary to help them to become better Moslems.” We are like Mary, we are not immaculately conceived, but we have our immaculate conception event when we were baptized, so that we may be clean again. We are washed clean, we become immaculate, pure, total, a child of God in baptism. A person is made clean is sensitive to the voice of God. When the angel of God, approached Mary, right away, she said, this the Lord, talking to me. Unta dali pud ta makadungog sa Ginoo karon. She knew with some little questioning that it is the Lord, speaking to her. Kita ingon ana ba?”

In the end, Mary listened to the Lord, “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to your word.” The call of the Lord is for everyone. “Ang original natong kasingkasing, sensitive unta sa Ginoo, so that we can go back to the Lord and hear the Lord. If you are stained from sin, far from being immaculate, the lord will never get tired of you, again, again and again.”

Panapos ni Yanong Muloy sa iyang wali mao kini: “Blessed Mother, help each one of us. Come to his son, closer to him, closer to the Church. Help us to be strong to our faith. Viva Maria!”