Two Courageous Women: Mothers – to – Be on a Great Mission!

 

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FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Micah 5: 1-4
Hebrew 10: 5-10

Psalm 80
Luke 1: 39-45

REFLECTION:
Two Courageous Women: Mothers – to – Be on a Great Mission!

Mary visits Elizabeth. A young vulnerable woman from an obscure town of Nazareth. She runs in haste to a Judean town in the hill country, near Jerusalem where the Temple of God is inorder to minister to Elizabeth her kinswoman. From the margins to the center. Prior to this visitation, two annunciations by the angel Gabriel have occurred. One, to a priest named Zechariah and the other, to a young ordinary woman named Mary. A plain peasant woman being full of grace from God. This remarkable woman responded with great faith and courage despite her seeming vulnerability. Even if she does not fully understand the immensity of her mission, she uttered her FIAT- to bring Christ to the world, to be the mother of the Son of God! Zechariah, a man of stature being a priest who was always in the temple offering prayers and incense regularly has been overwhelmed and terrified! He could not fully believe what he was told, also because of his old age.
The mission unfolds day by day as both “annunciations” were fulfilled through the messenger of God, Gabriel.
In the sixth month, the “visitation” takes place in Judea. Two mothers-to-be. Two great risk-takers about to participate in the fulfillment of the GREAT MISSION of GOD- to bring salvation to a sinful humanity, a sinful world! If not for these two courageous women, God’s plan of salvation could not have materialized. God’s will of fullness of life for all beings could not have been possible if these women did not risk their very lives! God’s sovereign grace is active in human history. But it takes great hope in God’s promise and courage in fulfilling God’s will to realize God’s presence in history.
Women do have an important participation in the fulfillment of God’s promise, realizing these saving acts and mighty deeds of God in our everyday life. Both women were filled with the Holy Spirit so they were able to take up God’s seeming impossible mission. Women from the margins to the center working in haste to minister to other women equally vulnerable because of world threatening situations. Women from the Third world regions come to mind taking up the cudgels to work in solidarity with other women from the First world regions of the globe- marching, rising in protest, linking arms to defend other women suffering and marginalized. Women in solidarity fighting systematic exploitation, environmental degradation, global warming, global trafficking and prostitution, new forms of slavery as domestic abuses of migrant workers, displacement of indigenous women and children due to mining and corporate plantations, ejection and demolition of urban poor communities and continuing landlessness of peasant women.

Two mothers-to-be. Two great missionaries of God. They listened to the voices of other women speaking out, crying out calls for liberation from exploitation and slavery, advocating for climate justice and development justice, resisting imperialist plunder! The fulfillment of God’s promise of new life, fullness of life, the embodiment of God’s reign- came from the outcasts. “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled. . .” Women risking with courage, affirming each other in solidarity to bring about the possibility of liberation brought by the birth of the bringer of Peace and Justice- the Prince of Peace! With women full of compassion in their hearts and filled with God’s Spirit – everything is possible!

Maureen Catabian, RGS

Religious of the Good Shepherd

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Secret of Joy , Tips from John

ZEP 3:14-18A	PHIL 4:4-7
IS 12:2-3, 4, 5-6	Luke 3:10-18

Secret of Joy , Tips from John

Today, we celebrate the third Sunday of Advent.  This is a JOYFUL anticipation of the coming of Jesus. It is a time for joy.  Our joy rests in our hope amidst pain and sorrow.  JOY is not just the absence of mournful moments but a recognition of the wellspring of HOPE within us human being and as a community.

John the Baptist has practical advise for this advent.

1. To General Public : Share
2. To Tax Collectors: Do not collect more than you are required to
3. To Soldiers: Do not extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay

Today’s reading reminds me of the struggles of the Lumad, indigenous people in Mindanao.

They could have been harvesting the golden grains and bountiful vegetables. The young kids could have been reading their books and studying their lessons as they tend the agricultural farm of their school. Women could have been weaving their clothes and enjoying community delight. Young and old could have been practicing their songs and playing their indigenous instruments. The elders and the young could have been dancing the rituals of life and blessings.  They could have been planning and assessing their strength as an organization. They could have been identifying what needs to be done in their community and are planning out the steps where they could ensure that their communities and ancestral domain are protected and defended against plunders.

But militarization and counter-insurgency project Oplan Bayanihan has brought terrors and threats.  Killings and other expressions of human rights violations are ever present. There are no nights without feeling of being endangered as military men in their uniform are roaming around sowing fears and distress.  56 of the Lumads have been killed. Around 4,000 are now in evacuation centers.  Peace and human rights advocates, Lumad leaders, anti-extractive-large-scale mining activists, environmentalists and supporters of Lumad face trumped –up charges.

Lumad parents wish to see their children go to school and learn the ways of knowledge and wisdom. The children dream to become teachers themselves and wanted to help their community.  They are lacking with many things like social services, but they are not wanting with determination to fulfil their dreams. With their sweat and blood, joy and strength, they are persevere and try to achieve their legitimate dreams

But, it seems that they have frustrated the template of structures and system who dominate and conquer, who colonize and exploit.  What the system wants is for them to remain as humble and meek like dove, but not wise like serpent. The system founded in the violence of oppression and exploitation wanted them to be timid, and silent, to be slaves and servile.

The Manilakbayan came to Manila in order for their voices are heard. They want justice on the killings of their beloved ones, they want   to see their communities free from militarization; they want to live a life of freedom and dignity. Their lives in their communities are not easy, but they strive to build their lives and communities.

They teach us so many things :  to trust their dreams and live-out –its- fulfillment; to never give up the fight  for  dignity and right; to  cry out , to shed tears and carry on  what their martyrs and heroes have fought for;  to express their anger, fears,  and challenges  with all authenticity  to sing their songs with honestly,  to dance the music and rhythm of their struggles, joys, and hope.

The practical advise of John are doable.

1. It amazes us of generosity of people who share whatever they have for the Lumad while they were here in Manila. People humbly offered what they can to show their solidarity with them.

The Lumad are sharing their lives in defence of their dignity and life.  They also protect our mountains and forests, rivers and natural resources    from plunderers and big capitalists who extract the wealth of natural world for the sake in the name of profit.

The Lumad are sharing their wisdom even their lives are at risk in doing so.  They are denied of many social and basic services but they   share their unbending will and principle to ensure that the next generation will enjoy the gifts and blessing of natural wealth.  .

2. To Tax Collectors: Do not collect more than you are required to. This is directly addressed to the government. The taxes extracted from the people are too much, and yet there is no return of services especially to the poor. Ibon Foundation reported that from 2010 to 2013, an individual income tax payments grew by 18%, compared to only 13.3% for corporate income taxes. In 2013, the share of individual income taxes to total government revenues was 18.7%, whereas that of corporate income taxes was only 12.9%. It is also lamenting to know that  there are about P780 billion in potential tax revenues from firms especially from large corporations in 2012 yet only P371 billion was actually collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in that year. This means the poor ones and low-income earners are being heavily taxed while the already rich could escape from paying higher taxes.

Taxes must  not  burden of the already poor. And if  levies are collected, they should be translated  in honest  and just social services to the people.   Unfortunately , the taxes extracted from the citizens become the  source  of wealth of the corrupt  and looters  in the government and their business partners.

 

3. To Soldiers: “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.

According to KARAPATAN, there are thousands of displaced persons in different evacuation centers who want to go home, but cannot because the Army and its paramilitary groups occupy their communities, homes, and schools.

Soldiers /armies are the implementers of the order to eradicate the dissents and those who would oppose the platform of corruption, exploitation and oppression.

“I would be the happiest when I would no longer see soldiers in my life,” says an indigenous child who was a victim of mauling, beating of soldiers. He was also swathed with plastic bag, and almost breathless as knife’s blade was on his neck. He survived, yet he would not forget that episode of his life. He thought about untimely dying and has already bid goodbye to his cousin who was a witness of this atrocity.

“What then should we do?” the people asked John. We may ask the same question today, and it is not unlikely that we can hear the same response.  The lines and advise are in the Bible, so Christians must not be angry with activists who speak like John.

The advent candle invites us to welcome the coming of Jesus. The practical, yet strong advise of  John gives us a clue  to a joyful life.

 

Norma P. Dollaga

Deaconess, United Methodist Church