2022

01 | GPS
January 2, 2022

Somebody said that if the Magi had the GPS device, they would have
arrived at the place of Jesus’ birth on time, and they would have seen
the angels singing, and they would have experienced the Glory of God
in the highest!

***

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Lord’s Epiphany, the

revelation of God’s plan of salvation, not only for Israel, but for all the
nations. God wants to save the whole world. God’s love is inclusive,
generous, and free for all. May we all learn to do likewise.

***

In today’s Gospel (Mt. 2, 1-12), we hear the story of the Magi from the
East who traveled from afar, searching for the Newborn King. God
reveals Himself to us, but we, too, must do our part to search for Him,
diligently like the Magi. We, too, must make the journey to God’s heart.
As it were, we cannot delegate this search to others. This was Herod’s
mistake. He ordered others to “go search diligently for the child” while
he himself stayed in his comfortable palace.

***

Do you go out of your way to seek the presence of the Lord? Do you
take time to pray, to be quiet before His presence, and really listen to
Him? Amid the noise and the haste of this world, don’t forget GPS—
GOD’S PRESENCE IN SILENCE. Please don’t forget this every single
day of 2022, and you will experience peace, serenity, and guidance in
your journey to God’s heart.

***

How does GPS work? How do we find God’s presence in silence? Let us
learn from the Magi the three steps of GPS: “They prostrated
themselves,” i.e., they humbled themselves before the Newborn King;
“They did Him homage,” i.e., they honored and accepted Jesus as their
by: FR. JERRY M. ORBOS, SVD
 2022
Lord and King; “They offered their gifts,” i.e., they gave the love in their
hearts, and the treasures of their hands. GPS works in humble,
obedient, and loving hearts.

***

Yesterday, we celebrated the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God.

She specialized in GPS (GOD’S PRESENCE IN SILENCE), that is why she
remained serene, peaceful, and hopeful through all her pains and
trials.

***

Let us be led by The Star, our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us not be misled by
so-called superstars or wannabe superstars whose light is fleeting and
self-serving. This coming May elections, let us choose leaders who
reflect the light of Jesus Christ, our Superstar.

***

As somebody once said: we do not know what the future holds, but we
know who holds the future in His hands. True. Let this be our
guiding star. There is someone who is bigger and greater than all of us.
There is someone in control, and this someone loves us all. Let this be
our firm and unfailing belief as we start the New Year.

***

It is interesting to note that today’s Gospel ends with the statement that
the Magi did not return to Herod, but went back by another way. Let
us move on, and not go back to our old ways that hamper our
journey to God’s heart.

***

Wishing you a better New Year, in all aspects in Jesus’ name. Amen.

***

A MOMENT WITH THE LORD:

Lord, may we not forget GPS (GOD’S PRESENCE IN SILENCE) so that our
journey to Your heart will be filled with peace. Amen.

by: FR. JERRY M. ORBOS, SVD