On this Gaudete Sunday, we are invited to rejoice—not with shallow optimism, but with a joy rooted in this Advent recognition: the Lord is near! Isaiah dares us to imagine deserts in bloom and bodies restored. The Psalm sings of a God who “secures justice for the oppressed… sets captives free… sustains the orphan and the widow” (Ps 146). And Jesus confirms the hour of salvation: “the poor have the good news proclaimed to them” (Mt 11:5). Could there be a more compelling reason to rejoice than this—God’s nearness made visible in mercy and justice? This is our joy, and this is our mission.
Allow me to reflect on this call to rejoice and, by implication, on the invitation to embrace with joy the challenge of a synodal conversion within the national synodal framework—Tinig-Tawag, Tawid-Tanaw, TapakTindig, and Tipan—so that the Church may become ever more Good News for the poor.
Rejoice! The Lord Is Near to the Poor.
We rejoice because God draws near to those who are last, least, and lost. Isaiah announces God’s saving nearness to the frightened and the frail: “Be strong, fear not! Here is your God… he comes to save you” (Is 35:4). Jesus confirms this promise by his deeds: “the blind regain their sight, the lame walk… and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them” (Mt 11:5).
Salvation is not an idea; it is the Lord drawing close to restore dignity and hope. If God draws near to the poor, can we, as the Church, do anything less?
(Tinig-Tawag): Are we truly listening to God by listening to the cries of the poor, the migrants, farmers, fisherfolk, and creation? Joy deepens where the Church cultivates spaces of listening—such as parish circles, barrio visits, and shared discernment—where the poor speak and help shape the agenda. Perhaps our parish could form a small “Tinig Team” to host regular listening moments with those in poverty—letting their voices be heard in our gatherings.
Rejoice! The Kingdom Breaks in as Justice Is Done
We rejoice because the Lord’s reign already breaks in where sight is restored, bodies stand, and communities cross from indifference to conversion. Jesus points to these concrete signs that fulfill the promise of Isaiah. These are personal and social liberations - healing, cleansing, raising, evangelizing - that reveal the breaking in of God’s reign. Good news to the poor looks like access to healing, protection from exploitation, and pathways out of debt and hunger—signs that “God is here… to save you” (Is 35:4) and that in Jesus this saving nearness is already at work among the least (Mt 11:2–6, 11).
(Tawid-Tanaw): The Spirit invites us to cross over from sympathy to structural charity and justice. Imagine our parishes as “Isaiah outposts”: providing legal aid, livelihood support, education scholarships, care for creation, and safe spaces for women and children. From time to time, we might try a simple “Justice Examen” as a community—looking at our budgets and ministries through the lens of the poor, and discerning whether a modest portion could be reoriented toward justice-focused initiatives.
Rejoice! Mercy Walks with Us.
We rejoice because God’s mercy is steadfast. The joy of waiting deepens not in haste but in humble companionship—precisely the path Micah commends: to “love mercy” and “walk humbly with your God” (Mi 6:8).
Mercy is not mere sentiment; it is faithful presence with families in crisis; it is accompaniment of the youth on the margins, the elderly, and those burdened by sin or shame. In this journeying together, the poor encounter Christ’s nearness through the nearness of his Church. Will we walk at the pace of the most vulnerable?
(Tapak-Tindig): We are invited to a pastoral stance that moves at the pace of the vulnerable. Some communities have found it life-giving to form “Mercy Circles” that accompany specific families or sectors over several months offering monthly visits, shared prayer, concrete support, and reflective listening. If this resonates with our parish rhythm, it could be a simple way for mercy to take one step, then another.
Conclusion:
(Tipan): The covenant--Becoming a Synodal Church for the Poor. The call to rejoice is not naïveté; it is recognition. The Lord is near, and the poor are hearing the Good News where the Church listens, does justice, loves mercy, and walks humbly.
Let us rejoice and become the sign we proclaim: deserts bloom, burdens lift, and hope finds a home among the poor. Perhaps this is what it means to be a synodal Church for the poor.
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| Visit to the Bajao Community |
Sulong. Padayon.
