The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines through the CBCP

Office of Stewardship, headed by Bishop Broderick Pabillo, provided

messages on Stewardship to be read on Misas de Gallo/Aguinaldo.
Upon the recommendation of Bishop William Antonio, our theme for
the Misa de Gallo/Aguinaldo is about Stewardship. The messages on
Misa de Gallo/Aguinaldo Mass provided by the CBCP may take the
place of the homily. However, this is only an option. You may wish to
make your own homily. The CBCP message on Stewardship may then
be read after communion.

DECEMBER 16, 2023 (National Youth day)

I. THE INTRODUCTORY RITES

Entrance Procession
Announcement of Mass Sponsors/Intentions is made before the Entrance Procession, if
possible.

Sign of the Cross and Greeting

P. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All. Amen.

P. The Lord be with you.

All. And with your spirit.

Introduction
P: Today we begin our traditional Misa de Gallo or Misa de
Aguinaldo or Simbang Gabi as our our immediate spiritual preparation
for the birth of our Savior, God’s greatest gift to humankind. Let us
prepare for Jesus’ coming by heeding the call for repentance, reflecting
on God’s word, and living the Christmas spirit of joy and generosity.
At these Masses in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us pray for the
intercession of the Blessed Mother more intensely for the Filipino
family and for peace in our country.
In this year’s Misa de Gallo/Aguinaldo Mass, the Most Rev. David
William Antonio, through the CBCP Episcopal Commission on
Stewardship, has recommended that we focus our attention on the
theme of Stewardship. In the first day of Misa de Gallo/Aguinaldo
Mass, we will reflect on the Stewardship theme “Called to be
Stewards.”

At the beginning of our Misa de Gallo/Aguinaldo, we start with the

blessing of the Nativity Scene/Christmas Manger/Belen.

Blessing of a Christmas Manger or Nativity Scene

(Book of Blessing #1569)
With hands outstretch, the Priest says the following prayers:
P. God of every nation and people, from the very beginning of
creation you have made manifest your love: when our need for a Savior
was great you sent your Son to be born of the Virgin Mary. To our lives
he brings joy and peace, mercy and love.
Lord, bless all who look upon this manger; may it remind us of the
humble birth of Jesus, and raise up our thoughts to him, who is God-
with-us and Savior of all, and who lives and reigns forever and ever.
All: Amen.
Then the priest sprinkles it with holy water.
The Baby Jesus may NOT be placed in the Belen/Christmas Manger. The Baby Jesus will be
brought in a procession to the Belen/Christmas Manger on Christmas Eve Mass.
The blessing of the Christmas Manger/Nativity Scene takes the place of the Penitential Act.
The Gloria follows immediately.

Gloria

Collect
P. Let us pray. (Pause)
Let your tireless grace accompany us, Lord God,
let it go before us and follow after,
that in union with the Blessed Virgin Mary
we who long for the coming of your Son
may be sustained by your love in this life
and in the life to come.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
you Son, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
All: Amen.

II. THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading (Is. 56:1-3a, 6-8)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

Thus says the Lord: Observe what is right, do what is just; for my
salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed.
Blessed is the man who does this, the son of man who holds to it; who
keeps the Sabbath free from profanation, and his hand from any
evildoing.
Let not the foreigner say, when he would join himself to the Lord, “The
Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”
The foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, ministering to him,
loving the name of the Lord, and becoming his servants-all who keep
the Sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, them I will
bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; their
burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my
house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: Others will
I gather to him besides those already gathered.
The word of the Lord.
All. Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm.(Ps 67: 2-3.5.7-8)

O God, let all the nations praise you!

1. May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine
upon us. So may your way be known upon earth; among all nation
of your salvation. Response:
2. May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in
equity; the nations on the earth you guide. Response:
3. The earth has yielded its fruits; God, our God, has blessed us. May
God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him.
Response:

Gospel (Jn 5: 33-36)

P. The Lord be with you.
All: And with your spirit.

P. A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.

All: Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus said to the Jews: “You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to
the truth. I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this
so that you may be saved. John was a burning and shining lamp, and for
a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony
greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish,
these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent
me.”
P. The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily
Stewardship: Called to be Stewards.
Tayong mga tao ay mga nilalang ng Diyos. We are creatures and God is
our creator. Simpleng katotohanan ito pero maraming mga tao ang
nabubuhay na hindi pinapansin ang naglalang sa kanila. May dahilan
ang Diyos sa paglalang sa tao. Ano kaya iyon? Mabuti na lang at
pinaalam ng Diyos ang kanyang dahilan. Nakalagay ito sa Banal na
Kasulatan, sa Bible. Noong nilikha ng Diyos ang tao, kanyang sinabi:
“Likhain natin ang tao ayon sa ating larawan, ayon sa ating wangis. Sila
ang mamamahala sa mga isda, sa mga ibon sa himpapawid at sa lahat
ng hayop, maging maamo o mailap, malakit o maliit.” (Gen 1:26) Ang
tao ay kawangis ng Diyos. Tayo ang larawan ng Diyos sa mundo.
Sinasalamin natin ang Diyos sa sanghilikha. Ginagawa natin ito sa ating
pangangalaga sa mga nilikha ng Diyos. Hindi tayo ang may-ari. Pero may
pananagutan tayong pamahalaan ang mundo. Ang mga bagay sa
mundo ay nilikha din ng Diyos. Tayong mga tao ang nilagay niya upang
pamahalaan ang mga ito, na ang ibig sabihin ay pangalagaan ang mga
ito. Ganoon din sinabi sa Bible: “Inilagay ng Panginoong Diyos ang tao
sa halamanan ng Eden upang ito’y pagyamanin at pangalagaan.” (Gen
2:15)

Binigyan ng Diyos ng kakayahan at mga talento ang tao upang gamitin

ito, hindi lang para sa kanilang sarili pero para din sa lahat. Kaya
mayroon tayong talino, kalusugan, kagalingan na magsalita,
kayamanan, pananampalataya. Ang mga ito ay hindi lang para sa atin.
Ang mga ito ay para din sa iba. Ginawa tayong katiwala hindi lang ng
mundo kundi gayon din ng ating kapwa. Sinulat ni San Pedro: “Bilang
mabubuting katiwala ng iba’t ibang kaloob ng Diyos, gamitin ninyo ang
kakayahang tinanggap ninyo sa ikapapakinabang ng lahat.” (1 Pet 4:10)
Ito rin ang sinulat ni San Pablo: “Dapat ninyong kilalanin na kami’y mga
lingkod ni Kristo at katiwala ng mga hiwaga ng Diyos. Ang katiwala’y
maging tapat sa kanyang panginoon.” (1 Cor 4:12)

Ang katiwala ay hindi lang isang alipin o utusan. Siya ay may

responsibilidad. Ibinigay ang responsibilidad na ito dahil sa may tiwala
sa kanya ang may-ari. Mataas ang karangalan natin kasi tayo ay
katiwala ng Panginoong Diyos. Ang Diyos na manlilikha at
makapangyarihan ang nagbigay sa atin ng kanyang tiwala. Dahil dito,
malaki ang ating karangalan at ang ating pananagutan. Sana huwag
nating biguin ang tiwala ng Diyos. Kaya sana maging mabuting katiwala
tayo.

Magiging mabuting katiwala tayo kung ginagawa natin ang plano at

gusto ng nagtiwala sa atin. Kaya kailangang alamin natin ang gusto ng
Diyos kung paano pangangalagaan at gamitin ang mga ibinigay niya sa
atin. Malalaman natin ito kung tayo ay may contact sa kanya, kung
palagi nating kinakausap siya at inaalam sa kanya kung ano ang gusto
niya. Kaya para maging mabuting katiwala, tayo ay palaging nagdarasal,
hindi lang nagdarasal upang humingi sa Diyos, kundi nagdarasal upang
alamin ang kalooban siya.

Bilang Diyos na may likha ng lahat, alam na niya ano ang kailangan
natin. Kilalang kilala niya tayo. Bilang nga niya pati ang buhok natin.
Bago pa lumabas sa ating bibig ang ating salita, alam na niya ang ating
sasabihin. Pero hindi natin alam ang kalooban niya. Kaya tayo ay
nagdarasal upang alamin ang kagustuhan niya at hingin ang lakas na
gawin ito.

Maging tapat po tayo kung sino tayo at ano ang balak ng Diyos sa atin.
Ginawa tayo na maging katiwala niya sa mundo. Maging mabuting
katiwala tayo. Gawin natin ang gusto ng nagtitiwala sa atin.
Pamahalaan at gamitin natin ang ipinagkatiwala sa atin ayon sa kanyang
kalooban. Kaya bilang mabubuting katiwala, sikapin natin na palagi
tayong in touch with God. Palagi tayong magdasal upang malaman ang
ipinapagawa niya at mabigyang kakayahang gawin ito.

The Credo is not said.

Universal Prayer
P. As we begin our novena Masses, let us pray to the heavenly
Father that, reflecting the light of the Lord Jesus, we may also become
like lighted lamps for men and women, as John the Baptist was. With
confidence, we pray:
Lord, hear our prayer.

1. May our celebration of Misa de Gallo/Aguinaldo be a realization

that the Lord accompanies us, as a Church, in our journey towards
His Kingdom. May this become an expression of our faith and a
sign of our love and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. We pray:

2. May our government and Church leaders work towards helping

our country rise above the evils of corruption, division, and
violence. We pray:

3. May families, communities, and the whole nation work for

goodwill and reconciliation as we all prepare for the Lord’s coming
with peaceful and joyful hearts. We pray:

4. May every Misa de Gallo/Aguinaldo we participate in fill us with

joy and peace, and that we may share them with every person we
encounter in leisure and in work. We pray:

5. May we become true stewards of the earth’s goods by using

according to God’s plan all the material and spiritual gifts given to
us. We pray:

6. In silence, let us pray for our personal intentions (Pause). We

pray:
P. Lord, fill our hearts with your love. As we prepare for the coming
of your Son as man, lift our minds in watchful hope and in fervent
prayer. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

III. THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

Presentation and Preparation of the Gifts

P. Pray, brethren…
All: May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and
glory of his name, four good and the good of all his holy Church.

Prayer over the Offerings.

P. God our strength,
in you is our hope of salvation.
As we present these gifts,
renew your joy within us
and make us a living sacrifice of praise.
We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord.
All: Amen.

Preface II of Advent (The twofold expectation of Christ)

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 truly right and just.

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 host and powers of heaven,
we sing the hymn of your glory,
as without end we acclaim:

Sanctus

Eucharistic Prayer II

Prayer after Communion

P. Let us pray. (Pause)
O God, we have received in word and sacrament
the One whose coming John the Baptist
so urgently announced.
By the presence of Christ among us,
reform our lives and give us courage
to announce in the world that your kingdom is near.
We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord.
All: Amen.

IV. THE CONCLUDING RITES

Brief announcement is made before the Final Blessing
P. The Lord be with you.
All: And with your spirit.

Prayer over the People

P. Bow down for the blessing. (Pause)
Be gracious to your people, O Lord, and do not withhold
consolation on earth from those you call to strive for heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

P. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son,+ and the
Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.

Dismissal
P. The first day of our Novena Mass is ended. Go and prepare for
Jesus’ coming with fervent hearts.
All: Thanks be to God.
Petrus Simanganensis