Fr. Jason K. Dy, SJ
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
January 1, 2017
As we begin a new year, let us recite the ancient Hebrew blessing of God for the Israelites from the Book of Numbers (6:24-26):
“The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon you,
and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!”
When the Jewish priest recites this blessing to intercede for his people, the fingers of his both hands are positioned so as to make five spaces resembling the letter Shin (שׁ), an emblem for Shaddai, “Almighty” [God]. In their tradition, God’s blessing radiates through his human agents akin to the promise he made to Abraham: “I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing” (Gen. 12;2). For the people Israel, the blessing, as the Hebrew word Berakah suggests, is also a response to the benevolent God by “falling on one’s knees” in supplication, praise, and oblation.
As Filipino Christians, reciting this ancient blessing is very meaningful not just as we usher another year. It is more so relevant as we begin the year with unresolved and complex sociopolitical issues of the past year that divided the Philippine society. It is a gesture of invoking God’s blessing for our country in this time of conflict, confusion, and uncertainty. It is also our humble stance, like the shepherds who followed the star of Bethlehem and held on to the good news proclaimed by the angels (Luke 2:8-20), to draw graces from the Christ-babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger and to proclaim his peace and justice to our countrymen.
For Pope Francis, the words of this blessing are “words of strength, courage and hope [that will] accompany our journey through the year opening up before us.” The strength of its blessing is as strong as Simeon’s Benedictus. It has the prophetic voice that promises the dawn of God’s mercy and peace from on high, shining on those who dwell in the darkness of brutality and in the shadow of death (Luke 1:78-79). The blessing also elicits the courage of Mary, the Theotokos, as she sung her revolutionary Magnificat to God. Her song points to inversion of the order of things wherein God casts down the mighty from their thrones and uplifts the lowly (Luke 1:52). More so, it has the hope of the psalmist (67:4) who pleads for God’s mercy to rule his people in equity and to guide their nations.
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Being in the octave of Christmas, we recall one significant event of Christmas this year. It was the Christmas mass at the Saint Elias Catholic cathedral in Aleppo’s Old City. Amidst the rubble of the heavily damaged Romanesque cathedral during the five-year war in Syria, the Christian community gathered around the altar at the church’s crossing to celebrate the mystery of the birth of the Prince of Peace. At the main nave, the debris of collapsed ceiling along with the destroyed wooden pews was loosely piled. Near the crossing section, the crude nativity scene made of found wood and metal scraps rummaged from the snow-covered rubble was set-up under a tent-like structure of piled debris embellished with green vines. On top of it, the community placed a yellow electrified glass tube that formed a star comet.
In a land hostile to their faith, the Christian community in Aleppo, Syria is steadfast in their faith. They draw strength from their shared faith in the God who accompanies them in their difficult circumstances. The Church organizes a joint effort to support beleaguered Christians caught in the hostile war between the pro-Assad forces and rebels.
According to Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund:
“As Syria continues to be torn apart by civil war, it is heartening that the Christian community in Aleppo is bearing a united witness in its practical demonstration of the Lord’s care for His people. Let us pray that this display of solidarity will make an impact on the warring factions, and that there may yet be a peaceful solution to this dreadful conflict.” (barnabasfund.org)
The committed faith and charitable works of the Christian community in Aleppo are sacraments of God’s blessing in a world broken by strife, war, and poverty. Invoking God’s blessing is a courageous act of proclaiming God’s power of transforming the world with his mercy and love.
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We hope that we bless each other in God’s name this New Year as we recite the ancient Hebrew blessing. We hope that our faith is steadfast in times of trials and our charitable deeds constant in times of need like the Christian community in Aleppo. Our hope is based on our trust in God’s blessing. According to Pope Francis, God’s blessing is neither based on human frail promises nor in the illusion that the future is always good. It is rather the promise of greatest good we can never imagine being fulfilled in the birth of his Son Jesus. It is also an empowering blessing that animates our spirit to willfully pursue the good of other people despite the difficult and challenging times ahead.