Gospel: Mt. 1: 18-24
23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,"
which means 'God is with us'."
Motivating workers
By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD
Many companies or business would take advantage of the Christmas season not only to improve on their production or sales, but also on boosting the morale of their staff, employees and everyone in the workplace by giving bonuses or gifts or by having a celebration together. The underlying or hidden reason for the season’s festive atmosphere is the great event of the birth of Jesus—God becoming man, or “God is with us”. Yet, it is a very common experience that the reality of God being with us remains normally “hidden” in these joyful celebrations or it is being “covered” by the frills of the exciting moments. Even in big Christmas celebrations—big expenses in terms of time, money and effort—very little is done to make everyone conscious and aware of the abiding presence of God in every minute of our day and in every place of our work.
We could say with great certainty that God’s being with us means He is working with us, He is present when we work and that He is at our side as we do our jobs. God’s presence in our life and work is real even when we are not aware of it. He gives us the strength to bear all the difficulties, provides us the energies to carry on with our jobs even when we don’t feel His divine powers. But, when we give attention to this reality we would certainly feel secure and even strongly motivated to work harder than usual.
The thought of working with someone great or working for him—like a rich and noble employer, a renowned and dependable company, or a famous personality—could normally boost the worker’s ability to perform in an excellent manner. Time and effort spent by the individual or by the company to promote and keep always the spirit of God’s presence in the work and in the workplace would therefore be most profitable for all.
Joseph the midwife
By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS
For today, allow me to divert from our usual work-related reflections to just this very timely one. God at times uses the oddest things to remind us of a truth that is furthest away from our minds. In the bible, He uses the ass of Balaam to speak; if He chooses to use your pet dog, a butterfly, a religious image, or a TV show to move your heart or open your eyes, who are you to question that?—He is God, after all. He can even use a movie if He wishes, as He did with The Nativity.
By its title alone, we know it must be about the birth of Jesus. Of course, the climax of the movie is near the end, when Jesus is born. The newborn babe, still bathed in blood, is shown in the hands of Joseph. That single powerful shot triggered in me a barrage of thoughts which I had never pondered before: Joseph served as the midwife at Jesus’ birth! Remember they were alone at the stable—no inn would receive them? So who helped Mary deliver? Who cut Jesus’ umbilical cord? Who wiped up the baby? Who cleaned the “delivery table”? Who put away the bloody clothes? But what really struck my heart was, the sight of the bloody newborn—because it reminded me of the humanness of Jesus. Just like you and me, he was born of a human mother, in blood and water; so Jesus had a navel, too!
Before that movie I had taken for granted the humanity of Jesus’ birth. Like everybody else I’d been exposed to the nativity scene in Christmas cards, stampitas, belens and paintings through the ages which show a clean and radiant Baby Jesus in a manger, adored by the magi and the shepherds. Then all of a sudden he’s on the movie screen, all covered with blood. He is indeed Emmanuel—God with us!
23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,"
which means 'God is with us'."
Motivating workers
By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD
Many companies or business would take advantage of the Christmas season not only to improve on their production or sales, but also on boosting the morale of their staff, employees and everyone in the workplace by giving bonuses or gifts or by having a celebration together. The underlying or hidden reason for the season’s festive atmosphere is the great event of the birth of Jesus—God becoming man, or “God is with us”. Yet, it is a very common experience that the reality of God being with us remains normally “hidden” in these joyful celebrations or it is being “covered” by the frills of the exciting moments. Even in big Christmas celebrations—big expenses in terms of time, money and effort—very little is done to make everyone conscious and aware of the abiding presence of God in every minute of our day and in every place of our work.
We could say with great certainty that God’s being with us means He is working with us, He is present when we work and that He is at our side as we do our jobs. God’s presence in our life and work is real even when we are not aware of it. He gives us the strength to bear all the difficulties, provides us the energies to carry on with our jobs even when we don’t feel His divine powers. But, when we give attention to this reality we would certainly feel secure and even strongly motivated to work harder than usual.
The thought of working with someone great or working for him—like a rich and noble employer, a renowned and dependable company, or a famous personality—could normally boost the worker’s ability to perform in an excellent manner. Time and effort spent by the individual or by the company to promote and keep always the spirit of God’s presence in the work and in the workplace would therefore be most profitable for all.
Joseph the midwife
By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS
For today, allow me to divert from our usual work-related reflections to just this very timely one. God at times uses the oddest things to remind us of a truth that is furthest away from our minds. In the bible, He uses the ass of Balaam to speak; if He chooses to use your pet dog, a butterfly, a religious image, or a TV show to move your heart or open your eyes, who are you to question that?—He is God, after all. He can even use a movie if He wishes, as He did with The Nativity.
By its title alone, we know it must be about the birth of Jesus. Of course, the climax of the movie is near the end, when Jesus is born. The newborn babe, still bathed in blood, is shown in the hands of Joseph. That single powerful shot triggered in me a barrage of thoughts which I had never pondered before: Joseph served as the midwife at Jesus’ birth! Remember they were alone at the stable—no inn would receive them? So who helped Mary deliver? Who cut Jesus’ umbilical cord? Who wiped up the baby? Who cleaned the “delivery table”? Who put away the bloody clothes? But what really struck my heart was, the sight of the bloody newborn—because it reminded me of the humanness of Jesus. Just like you and me, he was born of a human mother, in blood and water; so Jesus had a navel, too!
Before that movie I had taken for granted the humanity of Jesus’ birth. Like everybody else I’d been exposed to the nativity scene in Christmas cards, stampitas, belens and paintings through the ages which show a clean and radiant Baby Jesus in a manger, adored by the magi and the shepherds. Then all of a sudden he’s on the movie screen, all covered with blood. He is indeed Emmanuel—God with us!
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