Daily Reflections

December 3, 2011
GOD’S MANUAL

Filipino Efren Peñaflorida made headlines in 2009 when he was chosen among many others as the CNN Hero of the Year.
Embodying the spirit of Filipino volunteerism, Efren, fondly called “Kuya F,” bested nine other finalists worldwide for his advocacy of free education for the urban poor as an alternative to gang membership and idleness on the streets. He pioneered the idea of a “pushcart classroom.” He and his group would go out every day and, with a wooden pushcart carrying school supplies, go to the poorest of the poor and conduct classes wherever they would find poor children.
In one interview he said, “If the poor children cannot go and even see a classroom because of poverty, I will bring the classroom to them.”
In our first reading Isaiah prophesied about the coming Messiah. Alluding to the mystery of Incarnation, i.e., the Word made flesh, we read in Isaiah: “No longer will your Teacher hide himself, but with your own eyes, you shall see your Teacher.” This is a beautiful analogy from Isaiah. The teacher is no longer distant from his students. The teacher does not only teach with a manual. The teacher himself becomes the manual (from the Latin manus, i.e., hand). A manual is something we can hold, see and touch. A manual is something we can learn from. Isn’t that what the Advent season is all about? Advent calls our attention to the mystery of the Incarnation — God becoming man. The God we cannot see, hear and touch became man that we might see, hear and touch Him. Jesus became man that we might learn how to live our humanity. That is also what Efren Peñaflorida did. The classroom which the poor kids cannot see, touch and feel became a reality with his pushcart classroom. In a very real sense, Efren became the manual of God. He became the hand of God reaching out to the poorest of the poor.
Be God’s gift to others this Christmas. Be the manual of God this Advent season and beyond. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
Is your love visible, tactile, audible? Is God’s love visible, tactile and audible through you?

Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, You are the Father’s manual. I am yours as well. Amen.

St. Eloque, pray for us.