There is a Latin saying that says: "res ipsa locuitor" which means "the thing speaks of itself." The image of the Sto. Nino speaks of itself the mysteries involved in the identity of the Child Jesus. Likewise, a Canadian Communication theorist by the name of Marshall McLuhan says: "the medium is the message." The message referred here is the content or the character. Thus, the image of the Santo Nino conveys the message of the feast which we Filipinos celebrate today. The entire spirit of the celebration, the message of the readings, and the faith that we express today are summarized in a tangible and visible manner. There are 7 elements contained in the image of the Santo Nino that provide us the reflection for today.

1) The Child- Jesus is the promised Child who will be the Savior of the world. Through the image of a Child, God became tangible to humankind. He became one among us except sin. In the first reading today, He is introduced by the Prophet Isaiah as the light that has shone in the darkness. We had heard earlier that the prophet said: "the people in darkness has seen a great light." And how is this light revealed? The prophet continues: "a child is born to us, a child is given us." Everytime we look at the image of the Sto. Nino, Jesus is revealed as the light of our life.

2) The Crown- Jesus is revealed as the King of the Universe. The crown on Child's head reminds us of the Kingship of Jesus. This is the reason why any simplified image of the Sto. Nino cannot be acceptable because the crown might be absent. There are many instances in the bible that Jesus is regarded as the "King." The responsorial psalm we had just recited says: "the Lord is King, let the many isles be glad."

3) The Scepter- Jesus has authority and power. The scepter reminds us about the power and authority of Jesus who baptizes, blesses, forgives, and sends us. It was at Jesus' baptism that we had heard the Father saying "this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." This illustrates that the power Jesus' possesses is the power of God.

4) The Orb- Jesus is the universal Savior. He is the Lord of all creation. His salvation that is brought about by His death is for all of humanity. He is holy which the world has to imitate, listen, and do His will. St. Paul in the second reading today reminds us that we are called to "be holy and blameless in God's sight."

5) The Fingers- Jesus is Second Person of the Trinity and Perfectly Human and Divine. The fingers of the Sto. Nino demonstrates two major tenets of the Christian faith. First, the symbol of the Holy Trinity. The three fingers of the Sto. Nino illustrates the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Second, the two natures of Christ. The two remaining fingers reveal the two natures of Christ. He is perfectly human, and perfectly divine.

6) The Red Robe- Jesus is the Savior who died on the Cross. His Blood was the source of forgiveness and redemption. The Cross as well as the martyrdom Jesus experienced was prophesied by His childhood image. The childhood of Jesus can never be separated from His death.

7) The White Cloth- Jesus is the Risen Lord. The inner white garment of the Sto. Nino symbolizes mystery of the resurrection. Thus, the presence of the Paschal Mystery is present in the image of the Sto. Nino. His death can never be separable from His Childhood. The Gospel today speaks of the mystery of the finding of Jesus in the Temple. Jesus was never lost that He has to be pronounced as "found" by Mary and Joseph. He was found in the Temple after three days of search. Thus, the number "three" is indicative of Jesus resurrection.

The readings this Sunday focus on the value of the Word. The Word of God brings us existence and life. In the Book of Genesis, God spoke His Word: “Let there be light; and there was light” (Gen 1:3) God creates things through His Word. The Second Vatican Council speaks of the Word as the source of existence. It says: “God, who through the Word creates all things (see John 1:3) and keeps them in existence, gives men an enduring witness to Himself in created realities (see Rom. 1:19-20).” Yet the Word guides us towards profound Christian living. Let us reflect what the Word of God can do to us.

1) Restoration- God’s Word does not only create but it also restores every person in particular and the entire humanity in general. In the First Reading, Ezra the priest stood up before the Israelite community and read the law of Moses. He “read out of the book from daybreak till midday.” The Israelites were restored to a new community with a new Temple rebuilt due to the destruction done by Nebuchadnezzar during the Babylon exile in 587 BC. All of them responded with a renewed fidelity by shouting “Amen, Amen.” In the same way, Jesus proclaimed about His mission of restoration as he read the passage from the Prophet Isaiah. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

2) Joy- the Spirit of Communion does not end with restoration to health, to freedom, sight, and favor from the Lord but a community of believers in the Lord. Jesus, after reading the passage from the Prophet Isaiah, desired that every restored person be in communion with Him and to rejoice because God is working in them. This is the purpose why Jesus had to say “this passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Besides, in the first reading, Ezra said: “Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep” because communion with the Lord by listening to His Word is the source of strength and joy. Ezra continued to say: “Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!”

3) Communion- Each reading shares their image of what communion with the Lord meant. The path towards communion became their source of grace and blessing. In the first reading, we heard of an assembly. It was the assembly of the people of God which consisted of the people, the priests, and the prophets. God graces people in an assembly. In the second reading, we heard of St. Paul speaking of a body. We are one body in the Lord. Though many parts, we consist only a body in Christ. The grace of healing of relationships can be done if we build the Body of Christ which is the Church through the Word. In the Gospel today, St. Luke introduces a name that entails communion and it is Theophilus. The name speaks of Theo which means God, and Philo which means friend. We become friends of God when we listen, live, and act on God’s Word. Being friends of God is indeed an image of communion.

4) Holiness-The Word of the Lord is the source of holiness among the Israelites. Forgetting the covenant of the Lord caused them to be in exile in Babylon. However, their restoration was done through listening to the Word of God. Ezra the priest stood before the assembly and read the law of Moses from daybreak till midday. The Word of God became their source of holiness by the actions they did after listening to the Word: a) they all shouted “Amen” “Amen” in response to the Word; b) they all raised their hands; c) they bowed down; d) they prostrated themselves before the Word with their faces to the ground. Thus, listening to the Word makes the Israelites holy.