The "Emmanuel Family"

Feast of the Holy Family Dec. 28, 2008 (Lk 2:22-40)

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord", and to offer the sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons", in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.

He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel."

The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted - and you yourself a sword will pierce - so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.

She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

On the Sunday immediately after Christmas, the Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Family into which the baby Jesus was born. The image of the Holy Family is a model of family life for all. It depicts a family wherein God is present and is not cast out of the picture. After all, it is the family of the Emmanuel, "the God-with-us".

Many families in the world today are faced with so many problems and threats to family life. The Holy Family was not alien to these threats. True, God did protect the Holy Family. But He did not shield them with a force field, an all-weather umbrella or any other supernatural protection. The Holy Family had to endure their problems in the natural way. Often, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus are depicted as fleeing from place to place to escape those who threatened the child's life.

Mary and Joseph are both excellent parents. They offered their child in the temple as was required by the law. They treated Jesus as a gift from God. They offered Him back to God and did not prevent Him from fulfilling His mission. This serves as a reminder for parents. Often, they forget that their child is a gift from God. Many infants today are found dead or abandoned. Others are more unfortunate, for they are killed while still inside the womb. Then there are those who are fortunate enough to be welcomed and loved by their parents. But so much so that their parents control wish to control their whole lives. Many parents dictate what they want their child to be in the future. They do not give their child the opportunity to be what God called them to be. They do not offer their child back to God, unlike Mary and Joseph. One can imagine how much more priests we would have right now if some parents didn't hold back their beloved children from their vocation. It's not just in the priesthood, it could be in other courses. Many parents would force their children to take up courses with the sole purpose of earning money or perpetuating the family business, thus preventing their children to be happy and to use their God-given abilities.

Mary and Joseph were never selfish. They shared Jesus to others and offered Him back to God. Imagine how painful it was for Mary to know that a "sword shall pierce her heart" (Lk 2:35). And how much more painful it was to see her son dying on the cross. It was the greatest act of sacrifice for a mother. Why couldn't the parents of those who wish to enter the seminary do this?

As Mary and Joseph are model parents, so their son Jesus is a model for children. Jesus was God and had authority as such. But He chose to be obedient to Mary and Joseph. He probably helped Joseph in carpentry. Jesus was also very obedient to His real Father which is God. In fact, His obedience is the very reason He was born. He obeyed His Father's plan of salvation.

Amidst the threats against family life in our modern times, let us look again to the Holy Family to be our model and source of strength. Let us remember that they too, as a normal human family, had many difficulties. But these were all overcome. The secret of this blessed family is very simple: God was present in them. They are the "Emmanuel Family". They were obedient to the Father's will.

Our family life should be patterned after the Holy Family. We must let God enter the family and reign in it. We should pray and attend Mass as a family. As the popular saying goes, "The family that prays together, stays together." And indeed, it shall not only stay together; it shall be blessed by God.

Welcoming Jesus: A Challenge to Bring Him to Our Neighbor

Fourth Sunday of Advent Dec. 21, 2008 (Lk 1:26-38)

The Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."

But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

"Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

"And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

As we celebrate the last Sunday of Advent, the Gospel invites us to reflect on Mary and on her noble submission to the will of God. The Gospel narrates to us how the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary the news that she was to be the mother of the Son of God and how Mary responded to the announcement.

In the Old Testament, God made a promise to David through the prophet Nathan, saying, "The Lord also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm.... Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever." (2 Sm 7:11-12, 16). Angel Gabriel's announcement is the fulfillment of this promise: "He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." (Lk 1:32-33).

Mary was very much confused with this announcement and had no idea how she could bear a son when she was still a virgin. She also faced a big problem since being found pregnant without a husband could cost her her life. Nevertheless, knowing that the news given her was from God, she humbly accepted God's will. With this great act of saying yes to God, she welcomed Jesus in her womb and in her heart.

As we await Christmas, we are challenged by the Gospel to accept Jesus like Mary did. We should always be ready to accept God's will even if we cannot understand it completely. As a priest from the Ministers of the Infirm said in his homily, we are all called to "magdalang-Jesus" or to "bear Jesus". Indeed, we bear Jesus and bring them to others when we show our love to our neighbor, especially to those in great need.

Let us not be afraid to do God's will even if the consequences threaten our very lives. Let us trust in God for He does not leave us. He guides everyone who travels the path that He prepared for them. He equips us with everything we need to follow him.

Mary was privileged to bear Jesus in her womb. And she brought Jesus to humanity. As she allowed God to open her womb, let us open our hearts to welcome Jesus and bring him to others. Let us give joy, hope and love to our brethren. Everyone needs to feel Jesus' presence in their lives. Often, suffering and deprivation of the good things in life hinder our neighbors from feeling Jesus. It is, therefore, up to us to bring Jesus to them. Let us remind them that there is a God who is at work in their lives. Let us bring them the joy that only Jesus can cause this Christmas.

Christmas Light: Rejoicing for the Right Reason

Third Sunday of Advent Dec. 14, 2008 (Jn 1:6-8, 19-28)

A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.

And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, "Who are you?" he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, "I am not the Christ."

So they asked him, "What are you then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." So they said to him, "Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?" He said: "I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord, as Isaiah the prophet said." Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The Third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday, a Sunday of joy. The presiders at Mass may wear rose or pink vestments to symbolize joy. We also light today the pink candle of the Advent Wreath.

Advent is a semi-penitential season. Nevertheless, this season invites us to rejoice. We should rejoice always (1 Thes 5:16) even if circumstances call for grief. This is because even if it seems like everything in our life is hopeless, God still gives us reasons to be happy. And this happiness from God is greater than all grief.

In the Gospel, John the Baptist is again presented. He is said to be the one who "came to testify to the light" (Jn 1:8). His identity was questioned. But he never claimed to be anyone other than who he was, the herald of the light. He proclaimed the coming of the one greater than he was. This light to which John gave testimony is from God.

The greatest gift of God is the little baby whose birth we are going to celebrate soon, the light whose coming was heralded by John. God gave Him to us for us to be happy. This happiness is not just because a birth of a child is joyful, for Jesus is no ordinary child. The happiness that God gives to us through the little baby Jesus is eternal happiness. This will be accomplished in the redemptive act of Jesus.

Jesus is the greatest evidence of God's love for us and of God's desire for us to be happy. This gift of love from God is the ultimate cause of our joy this Christmas. We celebrate God the Son whose birth makes our salvation nigh. Jesus laid on the manger is the deep well from which Christmas joy springs. This is something we often forget.

Often, we get too amused with the luminous Christmas lights and decorations around us. They cause us joy as we feast our eyes on them. Amidst this great multitude of lights, John the Baptist points us to the true light, the one who gives us eternal joy. He reminds us that it's not about these electricity-powered lights. It is about the light of the nations who was given by God for our salvation.

This coming Christmas, let us be joyful. But let us remember to rejoice for the right reasons. Let Christ be the center of our celebration. After all, it is HIS birthday!

A Clean Heart is the Greatest Gift

Second Sunday of Advent Dec. 7, 2008 (Mk 1:1-8)

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths."

John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.

John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey.

And this is what he proclaimed: "One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

The Gospel today describes John the Baptist and how he prepared the people for the coming of Christ. He proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He was able to baptize many people, drawing their attention to heavenly things, reminding them of the coming of the Messiah, the one mightier than him.

John the Baptist is an important figure in the Advent Season. He shows us that preparing for Jesus' coming does not require meaningless joy. It does not require decorations whose deeper symbolism we have forgotten, nor attending the Simbang Gabi just because it's fun and challenging to attend Mass in such an unusual hour.

Preparing for Jesus' coming should be a spiritual preparation, as John the Baptist showed us. He did not prepare a feast for Jesus. Instead, he spent his days in the desert, wearing clothes from camel's hair and eating locusts and honey. He proclaimed repentance. Before Jesus comes, we are asked to "prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the wasteland, a highway for our God. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; the rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley." (Is 40:3-4). This signifies a complete change of heart.

The valleys should be filled in. This means that we need to have the things that we ought to have. We need to be good, be "filled in" with virtues and values that a Christian is expected to have.

Every mountain and hill should be made low. This signifies that we should do away with the "mountains of sins" that we have built in our hearts. The Advent Season invites us to return to God, to meet Him in the confessional where He is ready to forgive us through the priest.

If we make so many material preparations for Christmas, we could end up rejoicing for shallow reasons. We will be celebrating parties with our friends and family, eating joyfully and exchanging gifts. We will be lighting Christmas lights and sending Christmas cards. These things are not at all bad. Christmas is a joyful celebration. But oftentimes, our joy comes from these things, not from the good news that Christmas brings. We seem to be forgetting the nature of the celebration. It's Jesus' birthday, for goodness' sake! This should be the ultimate cause of our joy.

The only thing which we could prepare for Jesus is a place in the manger of our hearts. Even if our hearts are just humble mangers for the Lord, it would mean so much to Him if our hearts were clean, free from sins. He chooses to dwell in our hearts. And we should do Him the favor of preparing our hearts for His coming.

Let us follow the example of John the Baptist, the herald of Christ, who prepared for Jesus' coming with a baptism, an act which nourishes the spirit, not the stomach. Let us make this Christmas more special, not with a red ribbon, but with a proper preparation of our hearts for His coming. Let us also remember that Advent is not only a preparation for Christmas, it is also a reminder of Jesus' second coming. With these in mind, we should be ready. A clean and charitable heart will be our ticket to God's Kingdom and our greatest gift for Jesus' birthday.

Always Put Your Best Foot Forward!

First Sunday of Advent Nov.30, 2008 (Mk 13:33-37)

Jesus said to his disciples: "Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.

"It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: 'Watch!' "

Today, we begin a new liturgical year as we enter the Advent Season. Advent literally means "coming". In this season, the Church invites us to reflect on and be ready for Jesus' Coming. We are reminded of the fact that Jesus came to us in the past. He lived with us and even died for us. Aside from that, we are also reminded that we should be ready for Jesus' return and that the exact time of His return is unknown to us all, except to God, of course.

We Christians are all in waiting. We believe that Jesus will come again to judge us. This act of anticipation is not at all alien to us. We wait for many things in our lives. We wait for the arrival of a visitor. We wait for the birth of a baby. We wait for the results of important exams. We wait for our favorite TV show. We wait for our favorite love team to go steady. We wait for so many things, important or not.

Our Gospel for today appropriately opens the Season of Advent. Today, Jesus invites us not just to wait; he invites us to watch, to be vigilant. We have no idea when Jesus will be coming to judge us. Nevertheless, we are given a task as Christians and also as individuals. Each of us has a special task in this world. As Jesus said, "He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work..." (Mk 13:34). He expects us to be faithful to this work or task until He comes again. He tells us, "May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping." (Mk 13:36).

When we are expecting a critic or supervisor who will check the efficiency of our work, we always put our best foot forward. We make sure that he will see us at our best. This isn't bad. But sometimes, this has a negative bearing. The tendency is that we only give our best when we know that we are going to be evaluated. In the case of Jesus' coming, this kind of attitude will not work. How will we know when to put our best foot forward when we have no idea when He will come to "evaluate" the way we lived our lives? What if He comes when our "best foot" is being rested and our "inferior foot" (If there is such a thing!) is forward?

The solution: We should always put our best foot forward! We shouldn't give our best just because someone will evaluate us. We should always give our best in everything. Applying it in our daily lives and our spiritual lives also: we should be good always. We should live our whole lives as Catholic Christians. Holiness is not a mask that we wear only when inside the Church or when we want to make a good impression. It is a garment that we Christians should feel naked without.

There is wisdom in the words, "Live today as if it were the last day of your life." In the same way, we should always live as if Jesus were going to judge us soon! The Gospel is telling us to be good all the time. But it does not tell us that we should be good just because we might be punished. We should not do good just because we "dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell." (Act of Contrition). We should grow from this reward-and-punishment morality to a more mature one. We should do good because of our faithfulness to and our love for God who is "all-good and deserving of all our love." (Act of Contrition).

Blessed are we if Jesus finds us faithful when He comes again! To end this reflection, let us take a glimpse at a character from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: the lamplighter. This lamplighter is ordered to light his lamp every night and to put it out every morning. The planet where he's staying rotated more rapidly as time went by. Eventually, a day in his planet became as short as a minute. Therefore, he had no time to sleep for he had to light and put out his lamp every single minute. He may be absurd, but he is faithful to his orders! When Jesus, our Master, comes back, how glad will He be if he finds us faithful to the task He left us with!

Jesus, A Different Kind of King

Solemnity of Christ the King Nov. 23, 2008 (Mt 25:31-46)

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Jesus Christ is the Universal King. When He was resurrected, He was glorified by the Father and, in the end of time, He shall assemble and judge all nations. But looking back at Jesus' life here on earth, He appears to be a different kind of king.

Jesus was born in a manger, not in a palace or even somewhere fitting for humans. He was visited by lowly shepherds and wise pagan men, not by Jewish religious leaders and political giants. He was crowned with thorns and adorned with wounds, not with a gold crown and with precious stones. He was exalted on a cross, not on a throne. He was mocked and was considered a criminal, an enemy of the state and of religion. Jesus is very different from what we consider a powerful king. He Himself confirmed this when He said, "My Kingdom is not of this world." (Jn 18:36).

Jesus is a king who comes to us, His people. He is a king who is loving enough to dwell among us, becoming like us in all things but sin. He is a king who, wanting to save us, extended His hands and allowed them to be pierced by nails and be crucified. He "did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mk 10:45).

Because He obeyed the will of the Father, He was resurrected and glorified. After forty days, He ascended into heaven, leaving behind a cloud of witnesses with a world-shaking story of Divine love. He is destined to come back and judge all nations, as our Gospel shows us.

It is noteworthy that Jesus, as the Gospel tells us, will not judge us according to worldly achievements. Neither will He judge us according to how much we know God. He will judge us according to our actions. He identifies Himself with the poor and those in great need.

Non-Catholics argue that faith alone is enough for us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Our Gospel for today proves otherwise. The failure to translate into action our faith and love brings condemnation. What is faith if it is not accompanied by good deeds? Many people claim to be Christians but are indifferent to the poor, not even remembering them in their prayers. Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of my heavenly Father." (Mt 7:21). Saint James reminds us that "faith, if without works, is dead." (Jas 2:17).

Let us, therefore, be obedient to our King. Let us live according to His will and we will be happy - eternally happy. His Kingdom has come to us, although not entirely. It is up to us, His people and brethren, to build His Kingdom here on earth. Let love for each other, especially for the poor, be the foundation of this Kingdom.

God's Gifts, Our Responsibilities

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Nov. 16, 2008 (Mt. 25:14-30)

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one - to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

“Immediately, the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.

“After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’

“Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’

“Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’

“His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did nor plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ ”

God gave each of us something with which we could make ourselves fruitful. Even the poorest of the poor have been blessed by God. The most common of His gifts to man are life, reason, health and, of course, talents. The talents referred to in this parable means a large amount of money. It is a denomination. Nevertheless, the symbolism of the talents entrusted to the servants may as well be the talents, abilities and other God-given gifts we have.

Just like the servants in the parable, we, too are expected to do something with everything God gave us. We are expected to make ourselves useful. We are supposed to make use of our God-given abilities to help ourselves and others reach our ultimate goal - the Kingdom of God. God's Kingdom requires "good fruits" from us. And we are blessed that God already gave us the "seeds" we can use to make "good fruits". We should not fear because there is nothing to lose. We should be more afraid of the certainty of punishment that will fall on us if we refuse to do anything. The lazy servant in the parable didn't do anything wrong. But he did not do anything right also. He did not do what he was expected to do. His is the sin of omission.

We are Catholic Christians and we are gifted with faith in God. This faith, as non-Catholics often argue, is enough for salvation. Does that mean that, secured by faith, we are only supposed to wait idly for the coming of our Lord? By no means! Our Lord Jesus, in today's parable, tells us that we, as Christians, are supposed to actively anticipate His second coming. It's like the Master is saying, "Make yourself useful while I'm gone."

As I already mentioned, we all have something we need to make fruitful. We are all given many, but different talents and abilities. We are given lots of time in our life. Are we going to just spend a whole lifetime living in fear and, therefore, laziness? Or are we going to live life making full use of our abilities, not being afraid because we are confident in God's help and, therefore, bearing much fruit? We shouldn't be afraid for every mission God gives us is given according to our ability. The popular notion that God doesn't give us challenges that we couldn't overcome holds much truth. So we cannot use any alibi before God.

God, unlike the master in the parable, doesn't abandon us, His servants. He doesn't just leave us with talents without any clue as to what to do with them. Instead, He goes the extra mile and even guides us as we live our lives. When God wills for you to do something, He will guide you the whole journey through, as we witness in the story of the patriarchs in the Old Testament. He will arm us with everything we need, and even accompany us. Therefore, we are obliged to live as God wants us to live, making ourselves fruitful. It is up to us to use our God-given gifts for our development and for us to finally hear God's words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy." (Mt 25:21).