Day 8:  December 23

Reflection on Luke 1: 57-66

by Roberto M. Concepcion

 

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

Magandang madaling araw po! Dalawang tulog na lang ay Pasko na.

            Today is the eighth day of our traditional Simbang Gabi. In our reading we heard the prophet Malachi prophesying the future coming of die messenger of the Lord while in the Gospel we have listened to the actual birth of John the Baptist, the messenger of the Lord,

            We always hear the question, "What is your name?" Ano'ng pangalan mo? Sino po ba dito ang nabinyagan na? Taas po ang kamay. Sino po, sa inyo ang may pangalan? Itaas po ang kamay. Very good!

            Isa pa pong tanong. Sino po sa inyo ang alam ang ibig sabihin ng kanilang pangalan? Taas po uli ang kilay!

            I remember the story of the parents who are fond of giving their children the name of cars. Unang taon ay pinangalanan nila ang anak nila ng Mercedes. Ang pangalawa nilang anak ay Celeste. Pero ng magkaanak A sila ay di na pumayag ang pari sa pangalan na ibibigay nila sa ikatlo nilang anak. Kasi po, ang pangalan ay‑ Mitsubishi.

            Pero mapilit yung tatay. Pumayag din sa wakas ang pari pero sa isang kundisyon. Imbis na holy water ang gagamitin ay gasolina ang ibubuhos!!

            Let us go back to the question. Do you know the meaning of your name? Meron po ba dito na ang pangalan ay Irene? Ibig pong sabihin ng Irene ay peace o kapayapaan. Benito means good. Alma means young woman. Charis means gift. Roberto means "the one who guides". (You may give other examples) For the Jews, the name of a person is very important because it is synonymous with the role he will be playing in life. The name Jesus means "God saves". Christ means "the Anointed One". John means "God is merciful". Peter means rock and so on.

            Therefore, one should be aware of the meaning of his/her name. If for example, your name is Irene which means peace o kapayapaan pero marami kang kaaway at ikaw ang pinag‑uumpisahan ng kaguluhan or you are a bringer of misery and strife, then there is a contradiction. Either you change your name or you change your attitude to fit your name.

            All of us here have the same name. We are all called Christians. We are followers of Christ. We imitate Christ in words and deeds. (You may elaborate)

            Do our husband, wife, children, neighbors or officemates see Christ in us? Are we worthy of the name? Does our being Christian spell a difference? Are we Christians only by name? (Pause for effect)

            The story is told of a blind woman who is about to cross a busy intersection. A man saw her, held her by the elbow and helped her cross the street. When he was about to leave the woman asked her, "Are you a Christian?" The man said, "Yes. But how did you know that I am a Christian?" The blind woman answered, "That's easy. You have shown it by your kindness".

            As we continue to celebrate the Eucharist, let us ask the grace that our lives would be a mighty witness of the name that we all bear ‑ Christians.