Sharing the Word

01 January 2013: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

(Liturgical color: White)

Luke 2:16-21

New Year: a new journey with Mary, Mother of God!

It is with great joy that I greet all my internet friends a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2013!

New Year fills our heart with new hopes, inspiring us to reach out for new opportunities, and celebrating the gift of life. But some people also look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits. That is our choice.

The Catholic Church opens the new year by proclaiming Mary as the Mother of God. It was the Council of Ephesus which affirmed in June 431 that our Blessed Mother can rightfully be called Mother of God.

The title of Mary, Mother of God does not mean that Mary is the source of Jesus' divinity. This doctrine is sufficiently explained by competent Church theologians, which you may want to read further. As a student of Philosophy, I believe in this doctrine based on this logical syllogism: if Mary is the mother of Jesus, and if Jesus is God, then Mary is the Mother of God. And of course, as a true Catholic I believe in all the teachings of my Church, which rightfully proclaims Mary, Mother of God.

We honor Mary, Mother of God for her courage and selfishness, her faith and her devotion. As Jesus' mother, she too must have felt afraid at certain moments in her maternal role, like when the child Jesus was lost and found in the temple after three days, and certainly during the agony and death of the grown-up Jesus, but Mary's complete trust in God made her accept the role of a mother to God the Son.

In Luke's gospel for today, the poor shepherds who were the first witnesses of the birth of the Messiah, went in haste to Bethlehem after receiving the Good News from the angel. There they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant Jesus lying in a manger just as what the angel told them. Again in humility and complete obedience to God's will, "Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart."

It is right that we start our spiritual journey in the new year under the loving guidance and protection of Mary, Mother of God, and our mother too. As our mother, "let us entrust to her our hopes and fears, our joys and sorrows as we begin the New Year." Because "mothers are almost always the first to touch our lives."

In Mary we find a perfect model of being christian and disciple of Jesus. Because she was the joy-filled mother of the new born Christ; she was the mother of sorrow cradling her dead Son in the "Pieta"; and she is the Queen-Mother standing at the right hand of the Glorified Lord, which we proclaim in the Fifth Glorious Mystery of the Rosary.

Let us begin our new journey in the Year 2013 with this prayer to Mary, Mother of God:

O Blessed Virgin,
pray to God for us always,
that He may pardon and give us grace;
pray to God for us always,
that He may grant us peace in this life;
pray to God for us always,
that He may reward us with paradise at our death.
Amen.

A Blessed and Prosperous New Year 2013 all. Thank you for a moment with God.

Deo Optimo Maximo

Simbang Gabi in the Philippines

As our Advent pilgrimage draws so near to Christmas Day, Catholics in the Philippines begin their spiritual preparation for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with novena Masses popularly called "Simbang Gabi".

Simbang Gabi or Mass at Dawn is a devotional nine-day novena in honor of the Blessed Mother in preparation for Christmas. It is a tradition with deep roots in the country's religious culture, and one of the longest and most popular among Filipino traditions in the Philippines. Simbang Gabi expresses the faith of Filipinos who hold the belief that God is ever present in human history, in the simple joys and anxieties of life's humblest activities.

This novena Mass begins on December 16 until 24. Catholic churches across the nation start to open their doors shortly before the break of dawn at 4 or 5 in the morning, to welcome the faithful to the Simbang Gabi Mass.

Many urban parishes now celebrate anticipated Simbang Gabi around 8 or 9 in the evening in order to accommodate the needs of people on a great variety of work schedules. Anticipated Simbang Gabi Masses start on December 15 to 23.

Origin

It is said that Simbang Gabi traces its roots in Mexico in 1587.  Here in the Philippines it originated in the early days of Spanish rule. This cherished Christmas custom eventually became a distinct feature of Philippine culture.

Christmas Celebration

The changing of times does not break the preservation of celebrating Simbang Gabi in the Philippines. The tradition continuous to our generation, although the celebration incorporates new ways. For example, there are colorful lights and lanterns that fill every street leading to the churches. Songs of the season are played to warm the hearts. Families, friends and the faithful in general go to the nearest church to attend the nine-day novena Mass. And shortly after Mass families go back home to feast on various delicacies like bibingka, puto bungbong or a drink of salabat or hot chocolate.

Relevance

Simbang Gabi is not just a tradition that is celebrated because we need to do so. It provides a significant moment to strengthen relationship among family members. More importantly, it is a time when our faith is intensified. It is the time when we feel the presence of the Lord because it is our spiritual preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day.

The old Spanish name for the Simbang Gabi is actually "Misa de Aguinaldo". The phrase offers some insight into the meaning of Simbang Gabi. In Spanish "aguinaldo" means a gift. So Misa de Aguinaldo suggests a gift for the Child Jesus on his birthday. Because the observance of Simbang Gabi is somewhat a sacrifice of love as it requires dedication, will power and discipline to get out of bed so early while yet fulfilling all of one's daily duties and obligations.

It is good to be able to complete the nine-day novena Masses. Even if we miss some days, the blessing does not depend on the number of Mass attended. What is important is the disposition of the person who makes some sacrifice of waking up early to attend the Simbang Gabi Mass and receive the Lord's blessing.

Church Bells Ring

Let the bells of Simbang Gabi break the pre-dawn silence of the whole land. For the bells of Simbang Gabi offer a message of hope in God, especially at this crucial time when the Catholic Church is under intense attack for defending the gift of life.

Let us hope in God, and pray for peace on earth to people of good will.

Deo Optimo Maximo!

The Advent Wreath

The Advent Season is our preparation for the big event that is Christmas. In Churches and chapels, including most homes and offices, we see a beautiful symbolism of Advent in the Advent Wreath.

The Advent Wreath is part of our long-standing Catholic tradition, which is very much a part of our spiritual preparation for Christmas.

The Advent Wreath is made up of various evergreens in circle, signifying continuous life. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, depicts the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life found only in Christ, the eternal Word of the Father.

The four candles in the Advent Wreath refer to the four weeks of Advent. According to tradition, each week represents one hundred years, to sum up to the four thousand years from the time of Adam and Eve until the birth of the Savior.

Three of the candles are color purple and one is color rose. In particular, the purple candles symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifice, and the good works the faithful undertake at this time in preparation for Christ's birth.

The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, which is also called "Gaudete Sunday", or the Sunday of rejoicing. It is so because the faithful are now at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas Day.

Some modern day adaptation of the Advent Wreath includes a while candle in the middle of the wreath, which represents Christ, the Light of the World. It is lit on Christmas eve.

The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord's first coming into the world and the anticipation of his second coming to judge the living and the dead.

Prayers for the Advent Wreath: (usually at the start of Sunday Mass)

1st Sunday of Advent:

Father, as we begin our Advent pilgrimage, we light a candle of Hope.

Grant us the courage to hope: hope for your presence, hope for your peace, hope for  your promise. Amen.

2nd Sunday of Advent:

Father, as we journey down the Advent road, we re-light the candle of Hope, and we light a candle of Peace.

Grant us the courage to make peace: peace in our hearts, peace in our homes, and peace in our communities. Amen.

3rd Sunday of Advent:

Father, at the height of our Advent walk, we re-light the candles of Hope and Peace, and we light a candle of Joy.

Grant us the courage to experience joy in the hope of the Savior's coming: joy in the face of apathy, joy in the face of sorrow, joy in the face of uncertainty. Amen.

4th Sunday of Advent:

Father, as our Advent pilgrimage draws to a close, we re-light the candles of Hope, Peace, and Joy. And we light a candle of Love.

Grant us the courage to share your love: love for life and all creation, love for sinners and saints, love for the poor and the little ones. We thank you for the hope your Son gives us, for the peace he bestows, for the joy your Spirit pours into our hearts, and for your love that redeems us and shows us the way. Amen.

Christmas Eve: (Suggested prayer)

O God, who made this most sacred night radiant with the splendor of the true light in Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, grant, we pray, that we, who have known the mysteries of his light on earth, may also delight in his gladness in heaven, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

Deo Optimo Maximo!