Year 37 No.
32 Simbang Gabi | Misa de Gallo — White
“H e has helped Israel his
servant, remembering
his mercy, according to his
promise to our fathers, to
Abraham and to his descendants
forever” (Lk 1:54-55). The
passage echoes one of the most
overused words we humans
are guilty of abuse: Promise.
We often hear people say
that promises are made to be
broken. And indeed, for many
this is so. The cliché reminds us
that keeping promises is tough.
There are countless moments of
our life when we feel frustrated
due to our failure to keep our
promises to others and vice
versa.
The readings of today speak
about three essential attributes
of God: faithful (in keeping
promises), committed, and
merciful. The interplay of these
PROMISES,
COMMITMENT,
AND MERCY
attributes is interesting and
meaningful for us. It leads us to
realize that Jesus Christ became
like us and lived with us because
God is an exemplary promise-
keeper. In the First Reading,
Hannah is extremely grateful
that God has heard her prayer
and given her a son: Samuel.
She has waited and hoped.
Now that the Lord has granted
her request, lo and behold, she
gives him back and dedicates
him to God’s service.
God has countless promises,
but the greatest of them all is
love, and this promise of love
is Christ. God’s promise of love
comes with commitment and
mercy. In the history of salvation,
God showed his unconditional
commitment to the Israelites.
God did not leave them in
time of crisis and tribulations
December 22, 2023
by Fr. Brian L. Tayag, SSP
for “merciful and gracious is
the Lord, slow to anger, and
abounding in kindness” (Ps
103:8).
God keeps his promises
because he is a merciful God.
Out of love for us he is faithful.
He does not want to see us suffer
and in pain. His mercy sustains
us to hope and trust that what
he has promised to Abraham,
Moses, and the prophets will
be fulfilled. God has fulfilled
his promise in Christ—his only
begotten Son and the Savior
of the world. God’s promise of
mercy is founded on love. It is
because of God’s love that his
promises are fulfilled, and he
continually fulfills them.
In the Gospel, Mary
heralds God’s greatness, love,
compassion, and mercy, but
above all she praises God for
remembering his “promise of
mercy” to his people by sending
Christ as ransom for our sins.
This means that the waiting and
hoping is over, but the trusting in
God’s promises continues.
Just like God, do we promise
with commitment and mercy,
or are our promises empty—no
commitment, no mercy at all?
As we celebrate the season of
Advent, may we come to realize
that like God, when we make
promises, our hope-giving
words come with commitment
and mercy.
 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 help us 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—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)
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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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 — A s w e m a k e M a r y ’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 shun 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 your
love to all 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 your
grace. We pray: (R)
C—May those who have gone
ahead of us find peace and
eternal happiness sharing in
the joy at 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—Loving Father, listen with
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.
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
(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
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
with you for ever.
All—Amen.
Dismissal
P—Go in peace.
All—Thanks be to God.

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