Year 36 No.
31 Simbang Gabi | Misa de Gallo — White
HAVING A
KEEN SIGHT
to Grace
Fr. Ed Colmenares, SJ
H ave you had these
c o n v e r s a t i o n s wh e r e
s o m e o n e p o i n t s o u t h ow
blessed you are and leads
you into reflecting on your
blessedness? We must have
moments like these, and we
may vividly remember them.
Such a remark of a friend or an
acquaintance leads us into a
process of recall and reflection.
I sense that the exchange
between Mary and Elizabeth
in today’s Gospel is such an
experience. The Gospel today
will continue with Mary’s
Magnificat tomorrow. But for
now, let us focus on this initial
scene of Mary’s Visitation.
U p o n h e a r i n g M a r y ’s
greeting, Elizabeth senses the
“blessing” when the infant
l e a p s i n h e r w o m b . Th i s
insight is already a blessing.
Sometimes, unless we sense
that something is a blessing,
we do not notice it. That event,
or thing, or person will simply
pass by unnoticed. In our
lives, we need to have such
“Elizabeths,” whether these
are actual persons or moments
that give us an opportunity
to recognize, reflect on, and
relish our blessings. When we
do these, we make ourselves
more attuned to how God
blesses us so much that we
can also perceive blessings
not just in our lives but in the
lives of others as well. In the
process, we allow ourselves to
be blessings to others.
The blessing of Mary is the
person of Jesus himself. This
visitation becomes a grace-
filled event because of Jesus
who is present to all who are
in that scene. We often think of
blessings as gifts, opportunities,
or virtues, but at the heart of
our faith, the ultimate blessing
is the Lord himself. As one saint
would put it, we hope to look
not just for the consolations
of the Lord but for the Lord of
consolation himself. It is all
about the person, the self-gift,
of Jesus Christ whose coming
December 21, 2022
we celebrate at Christmas.
This includes his whole life,
his ministry, and the paschal
mystery of his passion, death,
and resurrection. So, my dear
friends, when we choose to
be blessed by our Lord, we
are also invited to take on the
pattern of his life so that we
can be blessings to others. This
is very clear.
The encounter brought about
by the Lord’s visitation radically
changes us and calls us to
always bring Christ wherever
we go, just like Mary. Thus, we
ask ourselves, how do our lives
point people to Christ? Do they
see in our actions, our words,
our choices, and our beliefs the
change brought about by an
encounter with the Lord? If we
are not yet sure of our answers
to these questions, maybe we
need time to take stock of how
the Lord has visited us and has
been present in our lives, and
how we have failed to notice
him.

THE INTRODUCTORY RITES
Entrance Antiphon
(Is 45:8)
(Recited when there is no opening song)
Drop down dew from above,
you heavens, and let the clouds
rain down the Just One; let
the earth be opened and bring
forth a Savior.
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—At the Annunciation, Mary
is told by the angel that her
elderly cousin Elizabeth has
conceived. This sign is given
to help Mary believe the
words of the angel. Elizabeth’s
pregnancy shows that “nothing
will be impossible with God.”
Sensitive to God’s will, Mary
immediately leaves to visit
Elizabeth. The meeting of the
two mothers becomes a joyful
hymn of praise to God.
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—May almighty God 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)
Merciful Lord, hear the
prayers of your people, who
celebrate the coming of your
Son in human flesh, that when
he comes again in glory we may
gain the prize of eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord
Jesus Christ, your Son, 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 (Sg 2:8–­14) (Sit)
The Song of Songs reflects God’s love
for his people Israel. Here, the young
woman, who symbolizes the people, is
delighted when the bridegroom, who is
the Lord, comes to visit her.
A reading from the Song of
Songs
HARK! my lover—here he
comes springing across the
mountains, leaping across
the hills. My lover is like a
gazelle or a young stag. Here
he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattices.
My lover speaks; he says to me,
“Arise, my beloved, my dove,
my beautiful one, and come!
For see, the winter is past, the
rains are over and gone. The
flowers appear on the earth,
the time of pruning the vines
has come, and the song of the
dove is heard in our land. The
fig tree puts forth its figs, and
the vines, in bloom, give forth
fragrance. Arise, my beloved,
my beautiful one, and come!
“O my dove in the clefts of
the rock, in the secret recesses
of the cliff, let me see you, let
me hear your voice, for your
voice is sweet, and you are
lovely.”
—The word of the Lord.
All—Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm (Ps 33)
R — Exult, you just, in the
Lord! Sing to him a new song.
 = 80
Mark Alegre

       

G D/F♯

 
E xult, you just, in the

Em D C D
4
      
Lord! Sing to him a

C G
8
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new song
1. Give thanks to the Lord on
the harp;/ with the ten- stringed
lyre chant his praises./ Sing to
him a new song;/ pluck the
strings skillfully, with shouts
of gladness. (R)
2. But the plan of the Lord
stands forever;/ the design
of his heart, through all
generations./ Blessed the
nation whose God is the Lord,/
the people he has chosen for
his own inheritance.(R)
3. Our soul waits for the
Lord,/ who is our help and
our shield,/ for in him our
hearts rejoice;/ in his holy
name we trust. (R)
Alleluia (Stand)
All — Alleluia, alleluia. O
Emmanuel, our King and Giver
of Law: come to save us, Lord
our God! Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel (Lk 1:39–­45)
P—A reading from the holy
Gospel according to Luke
All—Glory to you, O Lord.
MARY set out in those days
and traveled to the hill country
in haste to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house
of Zechariah and greeted
Elizabeth. When Elizabeth
heard Mary’s greeting, the
infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the
Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud
voice and said, “Most blessed
are you among women, and
blessed is the fruit of your
womb. And how does this
happen to me, that the mother
of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound
of your greeting reached my
ears, the infant in my womb
leaped for joy. Blessed are you
who believed that what was
spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
—The Gospel of the Lord.
All—Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ.
Homily (Sit)
Prayer of the Faithful
P —B r e t h r e n , l e t u s a s k
God to help us imitate his
Son’s perfect faithfulness,
obedience, and humility.
He is our King and example
towards fullness of life. In
every prayer, we say:
R—Come and save us, Lord,
our God.
C—Loving God, come and
save your Church so that we
may always remain a channel
of your communion and
salvation.We pray: (R)
C —Loving God, come and
save all public servants as they
render selfless service to our
country. We pray: (R)
C —Loving God, come and
save our heart, mind, and
will, our entire being as we
face the day-to-day struggles
of life. We pray: (R)
C —Loving God, come and
save our departed loved ones
and embrace them into your
eternal communion. We
pray: (R)
C—Let us pray for the urgent
concerns of our community
and our personal intentions
(pause). We pray: (R)
P—God our Father, come and
ready our hearts to welcome
your Son, the Emmanuel, our
King and Way to fullness of
life. We ask this through Jesus
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 —Lord, accept from your
Church these gifts which in
your mercy you have given
us to offer and which by your
power you transform into the
sacrament of our salvation.
Grant 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.
All—Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under
my roof, but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.
Communion Antiphon
(Cf. Is 7:14)
Behold, a Virgin shall con-
ceive and shall bear a son, THINKING OF WHAT TO GIVE THIS CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR?
and his name will be called
Emmanuel. ST PAULS 2023 SEASONAL PRODUCTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE!
Prayer after Communion
(Stand)

P—Let us pray. (Pause)

L o r d , m ay t h e d iv i n e
mysteries we have shared
keep your people safe from
harm, so that, ever faithful to
your service, we may enjoy
salvation of mind and body.
Grant this in the name of
Jesus 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
to attain the effects that flow
from them.
Through Christ our Lord.
All—Amen.
P—And may the blessing of
almighty God, the Father, and
the Son, (†) and the Holy Spirit,
come down on you and remain

SIMBAHAY
with you for ever.
All—Amen.

Dismissal

P—The Mass has been offered.

Go in peace, glorifying the
Lord by your life.
All—Thanks be to God.

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