The Feast of Santo Nino (Year C)

The Solemnity of the Holy Child is a feast specially dear to Filipinos. Here we commemorate in a special way, not only the childhood of the Lord, but also the beginnings of evangelization in the Philippines. It should be remembered that when the Augustinian friars began their work in the islands, the image of the Holy Child brought some years before by the group of Magellan was discovered and put under their custory. Today, there is a shrine for that image in Cebu, a temple now called the Basilica of Sto. Nino de Cebu. The image is a reminder of something spiritual. Reflecting on the image in the key of Augustine’s “Totus Christus”, it can serve as a reminder that Catholics in the Philippines should be like an infant that is in continuous longing of the things that only the God can give, as is sung in the Offertory Song of the feast.

We your children O Lord,
hunger for your Word
We are sick and weary
For your wine we thirst
Desolate and sad
We call on your Name
At the end of time with You may we rest.

Relevant Articles

• (Luke 2:41-52) My Father’s Business

Guide to the Reading of the Gospel Text

1. Luke’s narrative of the finding of Jesus in the Temple is a pronouncement story wrapped in an infancy narrative. At the same time, there are elements here that anticipate events in the gospel, especially Jesus’ dialogues with Pharisees, and recalls the prophecy of Simeon about the dagger that will pierce the heart of Mary.

2. Pay attention to the following words, since these have importance in the gospel of Luke:

• Temple
• Jerusalem
• Passover

3. “To be in the father’s house” means “to be about the Father’s business”. At twelve Jewish boys begin to be involved in the family business.

4. The conclusion of the story is relevant to the commandment “Honor your father and your mother.” At the same time, it is an echo of what is said about Samuel, the last of the judges and the prophet who was instrumental in the transition of Israel from a federation of tribes to a monarchy.

Comparing the Readings

The first reading from Isaiah 9 is a classic “Santo Niño theme”. It is an oracle couched in the ritual language of a ceremonial presentation of a king’s heir. The babe who is described in his future role as monarch is presented as the light that gives new hope to those in darkness, like the rising sun at the morn of a new day. The second reading, in a way can be harmonized with the first one. If the oracle in Isaiah 9 is look towards the future, the reading from Ephesians 1 is a retrospective look at what the Christian community has received in Christ. The last verses, (vv. 15-18) can be taken as a special prayer for the Filipino people who have welcomed in their hearts and continue to cherish the image of the kingly babe whom Isaiah called “Prince of Peace.”

The reading from Luke highlights the holy childhood, not only of Jesus, but also of all Christians. For some reason, the Church in the Philippines would like to promote St. Therese of Lisieux’s way of spiritual childhood alongside the devotion to Santo Niño, which isn’t a bad idea at all. The way of spiritual childhood gives emphasis on the trust that one should have on the Father that one knows loves one. This year, however, with the choice of the reading from Luke 2:41-52, emphasis should be placed on the role of children in evangelization and that of the parents in helping their children discover their vocation as God’s children.

Suggestions for the Lesson

The Ordo gives recommendations for the Feast of the Santo Niño as follows:

Today the Pontifical Missionary Work of the Holy Childhood is remembered. Parents and educators should inculcate in the children an active interest and devotion to the missions. Children are told to pray, do good works, and offer sacrifices for the Missions. They are asked to recite one Our Father, Hail Mary with the invocation “St. Francis Xavier, St. Therese of the Child Jesus, pray for us and for all the children of the world.”

A whole catechesis can be devoted to the role of children in the missionary life of the Church as reflected in the above instruction.

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