Year 34 No.
32 Simbang Gabi | Misa de Gallo — White
Singing
IN THESE
DARK TIMES
by Fr. Angelo Paolo O.
Asprer, SSP
M usic has always played
a crucial role in times of
uncertainty. Throughout history,
it has served as a link for spiritual
healing and social connection
and communality amidst disease,
discord, and desolation.
In ancient times, poets were
commissioned to chant hymns
to end outbreaks and all kinds
of afflictions. In the Book of
Psalms, we have songs of
lament and petitions. Medieval
people marched and sang
prayers to the saints to end the
plague. Cemented in popular
imagination as the soundtrack
of the Christmas Truce in 1914,
Stille Nacht (Silent Night) was
sung by the opposing German
and British soldiers as they
stepped out of their trenches
and shared gestures of good will.
The ceasefire might have been
short-lived, but at its heart, it
symbolized the deep desire for
peace communicated through
music.
The primary place of music is
more apparent than ever during
this COVID-19 pandemic. The
Italians played instruments and
belted out popular and patriotic
songs from their balconies. The
citizens of Wuhan in China
encouraged one another by
chanting “jiayóu” (“Stay strong!”).
Now that we are equipped with
better technology, virtual gigs
and choirs, and online music
festivals are also within reach.
These serve as antidote to the
growing sense of alienation and
isolation among us.
In today’s Gospel, we listen
to the “oldest hymn of Advent.”
Bible scholars opine that Mary’s
Magnificat, coming to us in
Greek, could not be coming from
a Galilean peasant woman. The
evangelist Luke probably made
use of the berakah or Jewish
December 22, 2020
blessing prayer of the Anawim.
The Anawim, who included the
materially poor, sick, oppressed,
orphans and widows, relied solely
on the Lord for salvation. Luke
deemed Mary as the spokesperson
of this group and the lead vocalist
of those who sing God’s mercy.
Several commentators identify
the Magnificat as radical and
revolutionary. Mary stands in the
long tradition of female singers in
the Old Testament who include
Miriam, Deborah, Judith, and, in
the First Reading, Hannah. These
prophetesses exalt God as he
subverts individual and structural
injustices and inhumanity and
heals and liberates their victims
and the little ones. Because of
its daring proclamation, several
countries have forbidden the
canticle from being recited in
liturgy or in public. The song is not
good news to people who are in a
position of selfish comfort, power,
and wealth—or who benefit from
the oppressive systems.
Mary’s Magnificat can well
serve as our best Advent song.
How resolute are we in allowing
God to “show strength,” “scatter”
seeds of hope and healing, “cast
down” those who exclude
and discriminate, “lift up” the
grieving and the desperate, “fill”
the hungry and the jobless, and
“send away” the apathetic and
turncoats? Not soon, but now?
Music is what we need in order
to stay alive and keep going during
these days of crisis. A truly fine
song does not simply comfort or
cure but create mystical stirrings
and moral decisions.
 THE INTRODUCTORY RITES
Entrance Antiphon
(Ps 24 [23]:7)
(Recited when there is no opening song.)
O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors. Let
him enter, the king of glory!
Greeting
(The sign of the cross is made here.)
P — The Lord be with you.
All — And with your spirit.
Introduction
(These [or similar words] may be
used to address the assembly.)
P — Today’s Gospel focuses
on Mary’s song of praise,
the Magnificat. Here Mary
narrates how God intervenes
in the history of mankind. The
Magnificat is not only a song
but a prophetic word and
witness. What the Lord has
done for Mary, he will also do
for all of us, his people. May
our Eucharistic celebration
remind us of all the good
things God has done for us
in our lives, and sing our own
Magnificat. We especially pray
for young people, that in the
midst of the pessimism and
nihilism of the modern world
they too may sing, “My soul
proclaims the greatness of
the Lord!”
Penitential Act
P — Brethren (brothers and
sisters), let us acknowledge
our sins, and so prepare
ourselves to celebrate the
sacred mysteries. (Pause)
P — You were sent to heal
the contrite of heart: Lord,
have mercy.
All — Lord, have mercy.
P — You came to call sinners:
Christ, have mercy.
All — Christ, have mercy.
P — You are seated at the
right hand of the Father to
intercede for us: Lord, have
mercy.
All — Lord, have mercy.
P — M ay a l m i g h t y G o d
have mercy on us, forgive
us our sins, and bring us to
everlasting life.
All — Amen.
Gloria
All — Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace to
people of good will. We praise
you, we bless you, we adore
you, we glorify you, we give
you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King, O
God, almighty Father. Lord
Jesus Christ, Only Begotten
Son, Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father, you take
away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us; you take
away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer; you are
seated at the right hand of
the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy
One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy
Spirit, in the glory of God the
Father. Amen.
Collect
P — Let us pray. (Pause)
All-provident God, when
we were sunk in sin and death
you turned toward us and
rescued us by the incarnation
of your only Son. Grant that we
who acknowledge his coming
with reverent love may also
be one with him, our Lord
and Redeemer, who lives and
reigns with you in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, God, for ever
and ever.
All — Amen.
THE LITURGY
OF THE WORD
First Reading (1 Sm 1:24–28)
(Sit)
Hannah offers her son Samuel
in the service of the Lord. This
act of dedicating her son who will
grow to be a prophet and leader
in Israel is an expression of her
gratitude to God. The Responsorial
Psalm is Hannah’s song to which
Mary’s Magnificat bears a striking
resemblance.
A reading from the first Book
of Samuel
IN THOSE DAYS, Hannah
brought Samuel with her,
along with a three-year-old
bull, an ephah of flour, and a
skin of wine, and presented
him at the temple of the Lord
in Shiloh. After the boy’s father
had sacrificed the young
bull, Hannah, his mother,
approached Eli and said:
“Pardon, my lord! As you live,
my lord, I am the woman who
stood near you here, praying
to the Lord. I prayed for this
child, and the Lord granted my
request. Now I, in turn, give
him to the Lord; as long as he
lives, he shall be dedicated
to the Lord.” She left Samuel
there.
— The word of the Lord.
All — Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm (1 Sm 2)
R — My heart rejoices in the
Lord, my Savior.
Sr. M. C. A. Parco, FSP
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My heart re joi ces in the
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Lord, my Sa vior.
1. “My heart exults in the
Lord,/ my horn is exalted in
my God./ I have swallowed
up my enemies;/ I rejoice in
my victory.” (R)
2. “The bows of the mighty are
broken,/ while the tottering
gird on strength./ The well-fed
hire themselves out for bread,/
while the hungry batten on
spoil./ The barren wife bears
seven sons,/ while the mother
of many languishes.”(R)
3. “The Lord puts to death and
gives life;/ he casts down to
the nether world;/ he raises up
again./ The Lord makes poor
and makes rich,/ he humbles,
he also exalts.” (R)
4. “He raises the needy from
the dust;/ from the dung
heap he lifts up the poor,/ to
seat them with nobles/ and
make a glorious throne their
heritage.” (R)
Alleluia (stand)
All — Alleluia, alleluia. O King
of all nations and keystone of
the Church: come and save
man, whom you formed from
the dust! Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel (Lk 1:46–­56)
P — A reading from the holy
Gospel according to Luke
All — Glory to you, O Lord.
MARY said: “My soul proclaims
the greatness of the Lord; my
spirit rejoices in God my savior,
for he has looked upon his
lowly servant. From this day
all generations will call me
blessed: the Almighty has done
great things for me, and holy
is his Name. He has mercy on
those who fear him in every
generation. He has shown the
strength of his arm, and has
scattered the proud in their
conceit. He has cast down the
mighty from their thrones and
has lifted up the lowly. He has
filled the hungry with good
things, and the rich he has sent
away empty. He has come to
the help of his servant Israel for
he remembered his promise of
mercy, the promise he made to
our fathers, to Abraham and
his children for ever.”
Mary remained with
Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.
— The Gospel of the Lord.
All — Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ.
Homily (Sit)
Prayer of the Faithful
P — As we make Mary’s
Magnificat our own song, let
us pray to the Father that this
coming Christmas we may
proclaim the joy caused by God’s
mercy and power. Mindful of
this, we pray:
R — Hear our prayer, O Lord.
C — May the church strive to
be a Church of the Poor, where
the poor, equal to all others
in Christian dignity, not only
are evangelized but become
evangelizers themselves. We
pray: (R)
C — May those who serve
in public office cast down
the culture of wastefulness,
violence, and corruption; may
they seek the common good
and practice transparency and
accountability in governance.
We pray: (R)
C — May those who work for
justice and serve the weak, the
poor, and the marginalized,
persevere in their work,
knowing that they bring God’s
love among the people. We
pray: (R)
C — May our daily lives be a
proclamation of true joy and
humility as we humbly serve
others and remain open to
God’s grace. We pray: (R)
C — May those who have
gone ahead of us find peace
and eternal happiness sharing
in the joy of the Master’s table.
We pray: (R)
C — Let us pray for the urgent
concerns of our community
and our personal intentions
(pause). We pray: (R)
P — Fa t h e r, l i s t e n w i t h
compassion to the prayer of
your church. May what we
entreat you help us to proclaim
always your mighty deeds with
joy and sincere hearts.
We ask this through Christ
our Lord.
All — Amen.
THE LITURGY OF
THE EUCHARIST
Presentation of the Gifts (Stand)
P — Pray, brethren…
All — May the Lord accept
the sacrifice at your hands
for the praise and glory of his
name, for our good and the
good of all his holy Church.
Prayer over the Offerings
P — With confidence in your
mercy, Lord God, we hasten
to place these gifts on your
holy altar, that your grace
may cleanse us from sin
through the very sacrament
by which we offer you true
worship.
We ask this through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
All — Amen.
Preface II of Advent
P — The Lord be with you.
All — And with your spirit.
P — Lift up your hearts.
All — We lift them up to the
Lord.
P — Let us give thanks to the
Lord our God.
All — It is right and just.
P — It is truly right and just,
our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give
you thanks, Lord, holy Father,
almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.
For all the oracles of the
prophets foretold him, the
Virgin Mother longed for him
with love beyond all telling,
John the Baptist sang of his
coming and proclaimed his
presence when he came.
It is by his gift that already
we rejoice at the mystery of
his Nativity, so that he may
find us watchful in prayer and
exultant in his praise.
And so, with Angels and
Archangels, with Thrones and
Dominions, and with all the
hosts and Powers of heaven,
we sing the hymn of your
glory, as without end we
acclaim:
All — Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
God of hosts. Heaven and
earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in
the name of the Lord. Hosanna
in the highest. (Kneel)
Acclamation (Stand)
All — When we eat this
Bread and drink this Cup, we
proclaim your Death, O Lord,
until you come again.
THE COMMUNION RITE
The Lord’s Prayer
All — Our Father…
P — Deliver us, Lord…
All — For the kingdom, the
power and the glory are yours
now and forever.
Invitation to Peace
Invitation to Communion
(Kneel)
P — Behold the Lamb of
God, behold him who takes
away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to
the supper of the Lamb. THINKING OF WHAT TO GIVE THIS CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR?
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my roof, but only say the
word and my soul shall be
healed.

Communion Antiphon
(Lk 1:46, 49)

My soul proclaims the

greatness of the Lord, for the
Almighty has done great things
for me.

Prayer after Communion

(Stand)

P — Let us pray. (Pause)

Lord God, may our sharing
in your sacrament be for us
a source of strength, so that
when the Savior comes, we
may welcome him with holy
lives and obtain the prize of
unending happiness.
Grant this through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
All — Amen.
THE CONCLUDING RITES
P — The Lord be with you.
All — And with your spirit.

Solemn Blessing

P — Bow down for the blessing.

(Pause)
May your family always
rejoice together, O God, over
the mysteries of redemption
they have celebrated, and grant
its members the perseverance SIMBAHAY
to attain the effects that flow
from them.
Through Christ our Lord.

P — And may the blessing

of almighty God, the Father,
and the Son, (†) and the Holy
Spirit, come down on you and
remain with you for ever.
All — Amen.

Dismissal

P — Go in peace.
All — Thanks be to God.

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