Abp John Wong giving his homily during Christmas Midnight Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral Dec 24
By Agnes Chai
Dec 26 2020
KOTA KINABALU – No health restrictions can prevent us from being touched by the mystery of the Bethlehem Child’s birth.
Sacred Heart Cathedral reopened just on time for the Christmas Masses after its two-week quarantine order expired. The parish made a decision to seal off the premises when a retired priest living within the Cathedral compound was struck by COVID-19.
Kota Kinabalu prelate, Archbishop John Wong, who celebrated the night-time Mass, referred to as the Midnight Mass, reminded the 50 percent capacity crowd of observing the SOP regulations of donning masks and social distancing for personal safety as much as for the safety of others.
The Mass began with the Proclamation of Jesus’ birth (Gospel), followed by the prelate lifting a cloth and revealing the statue of baby Jesus, which he reverently kissed and blessed with incense.
“Today as you look into the Baby in the Manger, did you see the “Light”, the Son who is born to us – our Saviour and Redeemer, the Anointed One, our Lord and God?” said the prelate in his homily as he celebrated the night-time liturgy.
He wondered if we have encountered God-with-us, the “Emmanuel”, a sign made clear by His birth and coming into the world. What would our response be to his coming to us?
Pointing to the figures of Mary, Zechariah, John the Baptist and Elizabeth, he invited us to reflect on the significance of their role in the glorious event of the birth of Jesus. He helped us to recall that it was by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit that Mary conceived the Child Jesus, that enabled Zechariah to proclaim the greatness of God, that enabled John to leap in Elizabeth’s womb, and that Elizabeth was inspired to cry out in joy.
“Today, it must be the same Spirit who fills our lives and who enables us to proclaim the Christmas Joy, Love and Peace,” underscored the preacher.
The Archbishop maintained that Christmas has become very secular in our day and age, and in many parts of the world, few people take time at Christmas to truly pray and worship God for all that he has done for us.
This Christmas we should all ponder whether the Holy Spirit has overshadowed us and filled us with the grace to point others to the glorious reason for our celebration – to be true messenger of the Most High God.
The prelate reiterated “As we celebrate the birth of Christ today, we too are called (like the Gospel figures) to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can also act as messengers of the Most High God this Christmas.”
Concluding with St Paul’s teaching, Archbishop Wong asserted that “God’s grace has been revealed (at Christmas), and has made salvation possible for the whole human race”, and that what we have to do is “to give up everything that block us from receiving him”.
He underlined that Christ’s Birth/Coming is God’s perfect plan for us, and that God is inviting us to accept his plan “to bless us now and forever” and “to share this blessing to others”.
