February 7, 2016 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

February 7, 2016
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)


“Go Away From Me LORD, For I Am A Sinful Man.”


Entrance:
1. Lungsod nga Balaan
2. Diha sa Halaran
3. Bayan, Umawit (Borres, Baltazar, Francisco) Pag-aalaala (Francisco)
4. Sing to the Mountains (Dufford) “You have answered my plea.”
5. Come With Praise (Schutte) Prioritize Stanza 3.


First Reading Is 6:1-2a, 3-8
In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above.

They cried one to the other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!
All the earth is filled with his glory!”
At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook
and the house was filled with smoke.

Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.

He touched my mouth with it, and said,
“See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8
R. (1c) In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
when they hear the words of your mouth;
and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD:
“Great is the glory of the LORD.”
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

Second Reading                                                 1 Cor 15:1-11 Or 15:3-8, 11
I am reminding you, brothers and sisters,
of the gospel I preached to you,
which you indeed received and in which you also stand.
Through it you are also being saved,
if you hold fast to the word I preached to you,
unless you believed in vain.
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he was buried;
that he was raised on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
After that, Christ appeared to more
than five hundred brothers at once,
most of whom are still living,
though some have fallen asleep.
After that he appeared to James,
then to all the apostles.
Last of all, as to one born abnormally,
he appeared to me.
For I am the least of the apostles,
not fit to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and his grace to me has not been ineffective.
Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them;
not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me.
Therefore, whether it be I or they,
so we preach and so you believed.

or

Brothers and sisters,
I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he was buried;
that he was raised on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
After that, he appeared to more
than five hundred brothers at once,
most of whom are still living,
though some have fallen asleep.
After that he appeared to James,
then to all the apostles.
Last of all, as to one abnormally born,
he appeared to me.
Therefore, whether it be I or they,
so we preach and so you believed. 

Gospel                                                            Lk 5:1-11
While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening
to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”
Simon said in reply,
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets.”
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.


Homily/Reflection of the Readings
Wow! What powerful readings that we have just heard from the Holy Scriptures. What I mean by powerful is that the readings make us think twice of how we would behave if we suddenly found ourselves in the Divine Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many of us would like to think that if Jesus suddenly appeared to us, we would run towards Him and hug Him. Our words would probably be, "Finally Jesus, I waited so long for You," or "Oh Jesus, I love you."

But these were not the responses of Isaiah, Paul and Peter. The prophet Isaiah viewed himself as a great sinner among sinners, he not being worthy of being in the Divine Presence of Yahweh. [Is. 6:5] Paul, still full of guilt for having persecuted the Holy Catholic Church instituted by Jesus, viewed himself as being unfit of being called an apostle. [1 Cor. 15:9] And Peter, the first Pope, begged Jesus to get away from him because he was a sinful man. [Lk. 5:8]

Are we not also sinners living among sinners? "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." [1 Jn. 1:8] As sinners, are we worthy of being in the Divine Presence of the Lord? Or, should we also fall on our knees and say, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful person!"

Isaiah, Paul and Peter were blessed. They perceived the divinity of the Lord. As the Book of Revelation tells us, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." [Rev. 4:11] These early Church saints perceived that they who were unholy and unworthy of being in the presence of He Who was the Most Holy. Most likely, they asked themselves, "Why me?" "Why do you come to me Lord?" "Can you not find someone else who is more holy than I am?" Knowing what they were, frail creations of God, they humbled themselves before the Lord.

How did the Lord God react to the sincere state of mind and heart of these three children of His? He forgave the sins of each one of them and gave them a mission to fulfill. Isaiah was called to bring the Israelites to repentance. Paul was called to bring others to follow Jesus. Peter was called by Jesus to assist Him in His ministry and to provide leadership to the Holy Catholic Church after the death and glorious Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As history tells us, in each case, the grace of God has not been in vain. Isaiah, Paul and Peter were most grateful to the Lord God for having chosen them and they have made a great effort to answer their calling to the best of their capabilities. This is not to say that they were perfect. Isaiah wished at times that God would have chosen someone else because the people would not listen to him. St. Paul started on the wrong track by persecuting the Christians. St. Peter ran and denied Jesus during the last twenty- four hours of His life. All of them were weak. All of them made mistakes. But, what was most important, all of them had sincere hearts and overcame their weaknesses by placing their complete trust in the Lord God.

Going back to my original question, "How would we behave if we suddenly found ourselves in the Divine Presence of the Lord Jesus?" Many of us can answer that question in absolute truth. You see, Jesus is physically present in the Holy Eucharist and in the Holy Tabernacle. In the past, how have we behaved in His Sacred Presence?

In the physical presence of the Lord, do some of us fall down with our faces to the ground? Do some of us genuflect piously before Him? Do some of us half genuflect as a habit and forget why we are doing it? Do some of us deny ourselves the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist? Or, do some of us pass before the Holy Tabernacle without displaying any honour and respect towards the Lord Jesus? What we have done in the past is but a reflection in the mirror of what we will truly do when we find ourselves in the Sacred Presence of Jesus. If we have never shown honour and respect for the Lord Jesus in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, nor before the Holy Tabernacle, should we behave differently before Him when we will see Him, surely Jesus will call us hypocrites. To avoid being called hypocrites, we must now begin to give the Lord Jesus the honour and respect that He truly deserves.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus, in human form, has been gone for a long time. And we cannot deny that we are weak. Like Isaiah, Paul and Peter, we are not perfect, but we do have sincere hearts. Because Jesus has been gone for a long time, we are tempted to forget about Him. And, by modelling after those who are weaker than we, we are easily influenced to live as though Jesus does not exist.

To ensure that we would never forget Him, over and above the many invisible gifts that have been given to us, Jesus gave us many visible gifts as reminders that He is our Lord and God. He gave us His Holy Church to which we belong as children. He gave us the Church leadership that has handed down the tradition since the days of the incarnation of God on earth. He gave us the Holy Bible as His inspired Word. He gave us the Sacraments. He gave us the Sacramentals. Every generation, He gave us saints to prove to us that it is possible to love and serve Him in all humility. And by the grace of the Heavenly Father and the power of the Holy Spirit, in the Most Holy Name of Jesus, miracles have been manifested as an affirmation that it was God's Divine Will for the saints to be canonized.

Jesus never left us alone. Over and above His physical Divine Presence in the Holy Eucharist, He has given us many visible gifts that can be seen with our eyes. These gifts are the strength of our living faith in the blessed hope that awaits us all.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, by the grace of God, while we are what we are, let not the grace of the Lord towards us be in vain. If we have neglected our salvation, let us start again from where we left off and together, let us move ahead with Jesus so the grace of the heavenly Father may shine brilliantly through us.


Offertory:
1. Gasa sa Gugma (Koro Viannista)
2. Diyutay lang Kini (Koro Viannista)
3. Dios Nia Ko
4. Narito Ako (San Andres) Prioritize stanza 2
5. Mula Sa’Yo (Francisco)
6. Paghahandog ng Sarili
7. Dwelling Place (Foley)
8. Earthen Vessels (Foley)


Communion:
1. Gugma’g Paglaum (Fernandez)
2. Ang Kinabuhing Mahinungdanon
3. Natawag Ko na Ikaw
4. O Hesus, Hilumin Mo (Francisco)
5. Awit ng Paghilom (Aquino)
6. Pagsibol (Aquino)
7. Gabing Kulimlim (Arboleda, Francisco)
8. Far Greater Love (Go, Francisco)
9. God of Silence (Francisco)
10. I Seek You for I Thirst (Valdellon)
11. In Him Alone (Francisco)
12. Lead me Lord (De Pano)
13. Your Heart Today (Francisco)
14. Here I am Lord, swak sa Gospel


Recessional:
1. Kinsa?
2. Ang Tawag
3. Humayo’t Ihayag (Francisco, Catalan, Go)
4. Magpasalamat Kayo sa Panginoon (Ramirez) prioritize stanza 2
5. I Will Sing Forever (Francisco)
6. All My Days (Schutte, Murray)
7. My Heart’s Thanksgiving (Aquino)


Happy Sunday :)

January 31, 2016
4th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C)

“The Manifestation of Divine Love”

HAPPY 5th YEAR ANNIVERSARY. PARANG KAILAN LANG... 5 YEARS NA PALA ANG BLOG KONG ITO... SANA'Y MAIPAGPATULOY KO PA ITO HANGGA'T KAYA KO..... :)

The book that I'm talking about last last week is now available in gumroad.com. I posted a link also in the side bar of this blog.

Entrance:
1.     Diha sa Halaran, swak sa Psalm “Dayga ang Ginoo”
2.     Daygon ta ang Ginoo, swak pa rin sa Psalm “Dagyga ang Ginoo”
3.     Awit ng Pasasalamat (Hontiveros)
4.     Pag-aalaala (Francisco) Prioritize Stanza 2.
5.     All I ask of you (Norbet)
6.     Blest be the Lord (Schutte)

First Reading                  Jer 1:4-5, 17-19
The word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.

But do you gird your loins;
stand up and tell them
all that I command you.
Be not crushed on their account,
as though I would leave you crushed before them;
for it is I this day
who have made you a fortified city,
a pillar of iron, a wall of brass,
against the whole land:
against Judah’s kings and princes,
against its priests and people.
They will fight against you but not prevail over you,
for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm             Ps 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15-17
R. (cf. 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.

Second Reading                1 Cor 12:31—13:13 Or 13:4-13
Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy,
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

or

Brothers and sisters:
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

Gospel                         Lk 4:21-30
Jesus began speaking in the synagogue, saying:
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”
He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,
‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say,
‘Do here in your native place
the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”
And he said, “Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built,
to hurl him down headlong.
But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.

Homily/Reflection of the Readings (February 3, 2013)
Welcome my brothers and sisters in Christ to today's celebration of the Holy Mass in remembrance of the infinite goodness and love of the Lord Jesus who has revealed the Heavenly Father to us. Today, progressing through the early development of the Liturgical Calendar, we are celebrating the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. At this stage, our hearts are progressively opening to the manifestation of Divine Love.

During today's First Reading, in the dialogue between Yahweh and the prophet Jeremiah, we heard a perfect example of Divine Love. Some of the Words that the Heavenly Father spoke are very touching. Yahweh said, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you"

In His infinite knowledge, the Almighty Lord God knew Jeremiah before He formed him in the womb of his mother. There is no doubt that before each and everyone of us were formed in the womb of our mothers, the Lord God also knew us.

Then, the Lord God said, "Before you were born, I consecrated you." When studying the biblical history of the term to consecrate something or someone, we learn that it means to set it aside for a Divine service. Consequently, we can conclude that Yahweh had set Jeremiah aside for His prophetic mission to the nations.

While we are not all called to be prophets, by the grace of God, through our Baptism, we also have been set aside for a Divine service. Our Divine calling, as revealed to us through Jesus Christ, is to adore the Lord God, to obey His commandments, to share the good news in all four corners of the world, to serve one another and to shine in love towards others for the glory of God.

When the Lord God told Jeremiah "gird up your loins," He was emphasizing the necessity to be prompt to accomplish the order [1 Kings 18:46] of being a prophet to the nations. To gird up your loins means to be in an immediate state of preparation. [Job 38:3, 40:7]

In the same way, in our calling to serve the Lord Jesus, we must always be in a state of preparation. We must always be prompt to accomplish what God has commanded us to do through Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, "Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." [Mt. 25:13] No one knows which will come first, if the Lord Jesus will return in His glory with His angels at the end of time or if we will be called to appear before the Lord God at the end of this earthly life.

The Apostle Peter said, "Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you." [1 Pet. 5:6-10]

During today's Second Reading, St. Paul was addressing the Corinthians. Based on the content of the First Letter to the Corinthians, it is believed that the faithful were debating as to which gift of God was the greatest. Was it speaking in tongues? Was it the gift of prophecy? Was it understanding the mysteries of God? Or was it faith? In answer to those questions, St. Paul stated that the best gift of God is the gift of love.

The type of love that St. Paul was speaking about is called "agape" in Greek. This is the kind of love that flows to us from God through Jesus Christ. It is creative and unmotivated. It seeks nothing. It is not attracted by goodness because God loves us as sinners in Jesus. As such, we must open ourselves to the Divine love of God to allow it to be active in us. Then and only then will our love towards others always be pure and unmotivated. 

One of the reasons that love is so important is because it is eternal. It will always be with us. The love that we show towards God and our brothers and sisters in Christ, it will be with us for eternity. The manner in which we love one another today in this world, in Heaven, we will be required to continue to manifest this love.

While all the gifts of the Holy Spirit will come to an end, love will not. While our limited knowledge and understanding of things will come to an end, love will persist forever. Why will love persist forever? It is because "God is love." [1 Jn. 4:8] It is because "Love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." [1 Jn. 4:7] "All who obey His Commandments abide in Him, and He abides in them. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit that He has given us." [1 Jn. 3:24]

Some of you may have realized that some versions of the Holy Scripture uses the word "love" while other versions use the word "charity." The word "charity" echoes active love. No Christian actions can be performed without active love. If you are kind to someone, it is because you love the person in Christ. If you are feeding the hungry or clothing the sick, such charitable acts are acts of love. Love is perfected by our charitable acts towards others. What we do to others, we do to Christ.

During today's Gospel Reading, thinking spiritually, we were able to perceive how God manifested His Divine love in a very personal way. Through the incarnation in Jesus Christ, God came to dwell among us. What great love God has for us, that He set aside His divinity, took human form upon Himself, and dwelled in our midst so we may come to know Him as He truly is, holy, perfect, eternal, merciful, forgiving, etc... There are no other like Him.

When God came down from Heaven to dwell upon us, not all accepted the manifestation of His Divine love. As the prophets of the Old Testament were rejected in their hometown, the Lord Jesus also found rejection among His own. In the eyes of the people of His hometown, He did not meet their standards. Because they knew Him since His childhood, He was nothing special to them. How judgmental and blind the human nature can be at times.

In our daily Christian lives, we must always be aware of our thoughts, our words and our actions. Do we misjudge and condemn others as the villagers judged and condemned Jesus? Do we discriminate against others because of their colour, their race, their nationality, their education, their gender, their age or the way they dress? None of these judgments perceive the soul of others, all souls being equal in the eyes of God.

To manifest Divine love towards others, we must be prepared to make ourselves little so others may be raised. We must be prepared to serve so others may be served. We must be prepared to take the back seat so others may have the front seat. We must be prepared to honour others as we would like to be honoured. We must die in Christ so Christ may shine in others. That is what Divine love is all about.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, this week, let us take time to assess our personal status in the world. Are we gladly serving versus demanding service? Are we humble versus being proud? Are we giving love versus always expecting to receive it? Are we at the giving end of charity versus taking advantage of receiving it? These are holy reflections. May our hearts feed upon them so we may always glorify the Lord God in all things.

Offertory:
1.     O Dios Dawata (Koro Viannista)
2.     Diyutay lang Kini
3.     Ang Tanging Alay Ko
4.     Narito Ako (San Andres) Prioritize Stanza 2.
5.     Narito Ako, Panginoon (Que)
6.     Prayer for Generosity (Arboleda) 
7.     To Be Your Bread (Haas)

Communion:
1.     Ang Kinabuhing Mahinungdanon
2.     Ang Tawo niining Kalibutan
3.     Kini maong Akong Lawas
4.     Awit ng Paghilom (Aquino) 
5.     Kaibigan
6.     Halina, Lumapit sa Akin (Isidro, Que) Best choice.
7.     Hesus ng Aking Buhay (Aquino)
8.     Huwag Kang Mangamba (Pagsanghan, Francisco)
9.     Huwag Limutin (Aquino)
10.   H’wag Mangamba (Francisco)
11.   Far Greater Love (Go, Francisco)
12.   God of Silence (Francisco)
13.   Here I Am, Lord (Schutte)


Recessional:
1.     Ang Atong Tulubagon
2.     Kinsa?
3.     Ang Tawag
4.     Magpasalamat sa Kanya (Ramirez)
5.     O Bayan ng Dios (Aquino)
6.     My Heart’s Thanksgiving (Aquino)

Enjoy and have a nice weekend everyone J

January 24, 2016 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C)

January 24, 2016

3^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C)

National Bible Sunday

“There are many members, yet one body.”

Today is National Bible Sunday. I hope that all of us, even in our own little way can support the different Bible Societies in our country to promote giving a bible in every family. In the Philippines we call it MAY THEY BE ONE project. Please call and coordinate with the officials of different Bible Societies where you are now, and ask them how you can help them. Thank you :)

Please if you have a time (especially to the Filipinos) visit my wattpad account and read my stories for free. Click here : https://www.wattpad.com/user/YGKing

Entrance:

     1.      Kon Magkatigum Ta

     2.     Pag-inambitay

     3.     Pag-aalaala (Francisco) “pagliligtas niya sa atin”

     4.     Halina, Lumapit sa Akin (Isidro, Que)

     5.     Sing to the mountains (Dufford)

     6.     City of God (Schutte)

First Reading                       NEH 8:2-4A, 5-6, 8-10

Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly,
which consisted of men, women,
and those children old enough to understand.
Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate,
he read out of the book from daybreak till midday,
in the presence of the men, the women,
and those children old enough to understand;
and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law.
Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform
that had been made for the occasion.
He opened the scroll
so that all the people might see it
— for he was standing higher up than any of the people —;
and, as he opened it, all the people rose.
Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God,
and all the people, their hands raised high, answered,
“Amen, amen!”
Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD,
their faces to the ground.
Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God,
interpreting it so that all could understand what was read.
Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe
and the Levites who were instructing the people
said to all the people:
“Today is holy to the LORD your God.
Do not be sad, and do not weep”—
for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
He said further: “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks,
and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared;
for today is holy to our LORD.
Do not be saddened this day,
for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!”

Responsorial Psalm                           PS 19:8, 9, 10, 15

R. (cf John 6:63c) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Second Reading                              1 COR 12:12-30

Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Now the body is not a single part, but many.
If a foot should say,
“Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,
“it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.
Or if an ear should say,
“Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body, “
it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?
If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
But as it is, God placed the parts,
each one of them, in the body as he intended.
If they were all one part, where would the body be?
But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you, “
nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.”
Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker
are all the more necessary,
and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable
we surround with greater honor,
and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety,
whereas our more presentable parts do not need this.
But God has so constructed the body
as to give greater honor to a part that is without it,
so that there may be no division in the body,
but that the parts may have the same concern for one another.
If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it;
if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.

Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.
Some people God has designated in the church
to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers;
then, mighty deeds;
then gifts of healing, assistance, administration,
and varieties of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?
Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

Or                          1 COR 12:12-14, 27

Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Now the body is not a single part, but many.
You are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.

Gospel                                         LK 1:1-4; 4:14-21

Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events
that have been fulfilled among us,
just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning
and ministers of the word have handed them down to us,
I too have decided,
after investigating everything accurately anew,
to write it down in an orderly sequence for you,
most excellent Theophilus,
so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings
you have received.

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me 
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Homily or Reflection of the Readings:

There are many members, yet one Body. [1 Cor. 12:20] Welcome my brothers and sisters in Christ to today's celebration of the Holy Mass in honour of the glorified Lord Jesus.

During the Gospel Reading, we heard Jesus proclaiming, today the year of the Lord's favour as it was written in the Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. [Lk. 4:19, 21] What did Jesus mean by the words that the year of the Lord's favour had been fulfilled? He meant that the long awaited messianic jubilee had finally arrived. The promised messianic salvation had finally arrived. Jesus affirmed that He was the long awaited Messiah that God the Father had promised to His people throughout the days of the Old Testament.

Two thousand years ago, on Pentecost Day in Jerusalem, [Acts 1:4, 2:2] Jesus established the visible Church to which we belong. At the same time, He established the invisible Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven. Both together, the visible Holy Catholic Church and the invisible Kingdom of God compose the Mystical Body of Christ.

The Holy Catholic Church, visible in nature, is part of the Body of Christ because it is composed of members who share in the life of the Risen Christ. The invisible Kingdom of God is also part of the Body of Christ because it is composed of all the saints who have persevered in their living faith in Christ, therefore receiving their just eternal reward and salvation. The visible is our first step; the invisible is our final step. The visible is our journey and blessed hope towards the invisible; the invisible is our eternal joy and peace in the continuous Divine presence of our Lord God and all His heavenly creations.

In His proclamation, Jesus said that He had been anointed to bring good news to the poor, He had been sent to release the captives, for the recovery of sight of the blind and to let the oppressed go free. Literally taken with a worldly approach, these words imply that Jesus had come to bring abundance to those who were poor, to free the slaves and the prisoners, to heal the blind and to stop all worldly oppression. But this was not what Jesus meant.

Embracing a spiritual approach, it becomes clear that the proclamation of the Lord Jesus was to announce the arrival of the Kingdom of God on earth. The Kingdom of God was the good news that Jesus was proclaiming. For the arrival of the Kingdom of God to be fulfilled, it meant the arrival of the promised Messiah. It meant that those who were spiritually blind would be enlightened, now being able to see the way, the truth and the life. It meant that those who were captives of sin, slaves of Satan, would be free, first through the Sacrament of Baptism and then through the Sacrament of Confession so that they could instantly enjoy eternal life after their physical death.

It meant that those who were spiritually poor would finally have a living hope in Christ. We as Gentiles, had we been born prior to the coming of Christ on earth, we would have been spiritually poor. We would have had no living hope of the eternal glory that comes with salvation because we would not have been part of God's chosen people, the Jewish nation. Before our new birth in Christ through the Sacrament of Baptism, we were poor; now, we are spiritually rich.

The way of life [Acts 2:28] that has been made known to us through Jesus Christ requires our humility and our obedience to the Lord God.

As Christians, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, we are commanded to clothe ourselves with humility. [Col. 3:12] Whoever becomes humbles like a child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. [Mt. 18:4] He who humbles himself before the Lord, the Lord shall exalt him. [Jas. 4:10] For God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. [1 Pet. 5:5-6]

As Christians, we are also commanded to obey God's Commandments. Today's First Reading from the Book of Nehemiah tells us how much importance was placed in those days on knowing and obeying the law of Moses. In the days of Nehemiah, anyone who had reached the age of reason and could hear with understanding, he was required to be present and to listen to the reading of the law. I can assure you that there was more than one law. It took from early morning until midday to hear them all while they were being read. That would be equivalent to listening to a three or four hour sermon.

Jesus must have known that some of us Gentiles can be very impatient when it comes to long sermons. So, He summarized the Ten Commandments and the law of Moses into two simple Commandments for us. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first Commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two Commandments hang all the law and the prophets." [Mt. 22:37-40]

Those two laws are for the benefit of the one Body of Christ. Jesus did not say, "You shall love yourself and your ways." He said that with all your might, you shall love God first. Secondly, you shall love your neighbours. Why so much emphasis on love? It is because "God is love. [1 Jn. 4:8] Love is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. [Gal. 5:22] "Love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." [1 Jn. 4:7] "All who obey His Commandments abide in Him, and He abides in them. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit that He has given us." [1 Jn. 3:24]

Today's Second Reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians revealed to us how important it is for the members of the Body of Christ to be united. Each of us has been called to serve the Lord Jesus. While I serve as a priest, you may serve in the choir as a musician or as a singer. Some are called to be Deacons, others as Extra-Ordinary Eucharistic Ministers. Still others may serve as Altar Servers, as Gift Bearers, as Lectors, as Ministers of Hospitality, as Secretary, as Knights of Columbus, etc... And let us not forget those who have the spiritual gifts of healing, speaking in tongues, of interpretation, of leadership, etc... With each calling comes spiritual gifts to equip each and everyone of us for the benefit of the Body.

If everyone said, "I want to be the musician" or "I want to be the Altar Server," we would have a very serious problem. There is a limit as to how many musicians or Altar Servers we can use during the celebration of one Holy Mass. (Optional: That is when Church Committees are very beneficial. In such situations, the pastor can delegate the authority to the Church Committee to resolve the problem.) As such, in His Divine Wisdom, the Holy Spirit has taken care of this potential problem. He made sure that each and everyone of us are equipped with a variety of gifts that would meet the diversity of needs within the living Body of Christ.

All of this tells us that while there are many members, there is but one Body in Christ in which all its member are indispensable. If someone neglects his functions as a member of the Body of Christ, all the members suffer. Why? Because there is something missing. It is like trying to point a direction to someone with a missing index finger. No finger, no pointing!

Some may choose to say, "Well, I am a part-time member. I am busy with my worldly affairs and so I go to Church once a year." To this, Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." [Mt. 6:24]

Another one may say, "I go to Church every Sunday but I do not want to commit myself to anything." To this, the Book of Revelation tells us, "I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold, nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. For you say, 'I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.' You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked." [Rev. 3:15-7]

Now some may not like the previous answers and say, "I quit!" Sorry, but you cannot quit the Body of Christ. You see, when you received the Sacrament of Baptism, you were born again in water and Spirit. [Jn. 3:5] You received your new creation of the godly seed [1 Jn. 3:9] in fulfillment of the promises of the Heavenly Father that are found in the Old Testament. During your admission in the Body of Christ as a new creation, you received as "first instalment," [Eph. 1:13-4; 2 Cor. 1:22, 5:5] the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit for the purpose of your sanctification. 

To quit the Body of Christ, you would have to totally and freely reject the grace of God and the purifying fire of the Holy Spirit. You would have to reject the Advocate that the Father and the Son have sent to sanctify you in Christ.

So belonging to the Body of Christ is not the same as working for a Company. As an employee, if you do not do your job, the employer fires you and replaces you. Then productivity resumes with the new employee. But in the Body of Christ, it is different. If the index finger decides that it will not become actively involved in the ministry of the Church, then I am afraid that the Body of Christ will have to go without a pointing finger.

So you see, when you have a fallen-away Catholic who has shipwrecked and abandoned his living faith in Christ, he is still a Catholic. He still belongs to the Body of Christ. And the Body of Christ shall suffer as long as the faithful members of the Church do not commit themselves to evangelizing in their Parish to ensure that all the members of the Body of Christ are active participants of their local Church. That is what St. Paul was teaching to the Corinthians.

The Body of Christ cannot be divided. No one can say, "There are Catholics and then there are Catholics." For there is one Christ, one Spirit, one faith, one Baptism and one Body. When a small part of the Body of Christ isolates itself from the remaining of the Body, it creates disharmony that can lead to division. Such action is not of the Spirit of Christ.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, this week, with a sincere heart, let us reflect upon our commitment to the Body of Christ. Let us ask ourselves, "Am I actively involved in my Parish?" "Am I making an effort to draw to my Parish those that I know who have shipwrecked in their faith?" Or, "Am I the cause of division within the Body of Christ?"

As we continue the celebration of the Holy Mass, let us pray for one another, that through our Christian Unity, the Body of Christ may come to its fullness so the Lord God may be glorified in all things.

Offertory:

1.      O Dios, Dawata (Koro Viannista)

2.     Uban ning Pan ug Bino (Cubillas)

3.     Panalangin sa Pagiging Bukas Palad (Arboleda, Francisco)

4.     Pag-aalay ng Puso (Nero, Que) “minsan lamang”

5.     Prayer for Generosity (Arboleda) “Teach me”

6.     One Bread, One Body (Foley)

Communion:

1.      Kini Maong Akong Lawas

2.     Kalig-on sa Pagtoo

3.     Natawag ko na Ikaw

4.     Ang Tawo niining kalibutan

5.     O Hesus, Hilumin Mo (Francisco)

6.     Pananatili (Miranda)

7.     Huwag Mangamba (Francisco)

8.     Hiram sa Dios (swak sa 2R)

9.     Panunumpa (Gonzales). This is not a song exclusively for weddings. This could be for holy orders, basta when the apostles are involved.

10.   God of Silence (Francisco)

11.    Lead Me Lord (De Pano)

12.   Teach My Heart

13.   Here I am Lord (Schutte)

Recessional:

1.      Ang Atong Tulubagon

2.     Kinsa?

3.     Humayo’t Ihayag (Francisco-Catalan-Go)

4.     Magpasalamat kayo sa Panginoon (Ramirez) Prioritize Stanza 2. 

            5.     Life Forevermore (Ellerton, Francisco)

            6.     I Will Sing forever (Francisco) “A song of forgiveness” is so 1R.

            7.     Pilgrim’s Theme (Go, Francisco)

Hope, makakatulong ito and those people who always visit my blog, please, please, please, please try to leave a comment on the comment box. Thank you!!!

January 17, 2016 Feast of Sto. Niño 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

January 17, 2016

Feast of Sto. Niño

2^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

Entrance:

1.      Lungsod nga Balaan

2.      Kon Magkatigum Ta

3.      Saulogon ta Karon

4.      Pagmamahal sa Panginoon (Hontiveros)

5.      Halina at Lumapit (Habito)

6.      Magnificat (Haas)

7.      Come with Praise (Schutte)

First  Reading                        IS 62:1-5

For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a burning torch.

Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall people call you “Forsaken, “
or your land “Desolate, “
but you shall be called “My Delight, “
and your land “Espoused.”
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.

Responsorial Psalm                     PS 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10

R. (3) Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Worship the LORD in holy attire.
Tremble before him, all the earth;
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He governs the peoples with equity.
R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Second Reading                        1 COR 12:4-11

Brothers and sisters:
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
there are different workings but the same God
who produces all of them in everyone.
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for some benefit.
To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom;
to another, the expression of knowledge according to the
same Spirit;
to another, faith by the same Spirit;
to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit;
to another, mighty deeds;
to another, prophecy;
to another, discernment of spirits;
to another, varieties of tongues;
to another, interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit produces all of these,
distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.

Gospel                                  JN 2:1-11

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there.
Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.
When the wine ran short,
the mother of Jesus said to him,
“They have no wine.”
And Jesus said to her,
“Woman, how does your concern affect me?
My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servers,
“Do whatever he tells you.”
Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,
each holding twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus told the them,
“Fill the jars with water.”
So they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them,
“Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”
So they took it.
And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,
without knowing where it came from
— although the servers who had drawn the water knew —,
the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,
“Everyone serves good wine first,
and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;
but you have kept the good wine until now.”
Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee
and so revealed his glory,
and his disciples began to believe in him.

Homily and Reflection of the Readings

My brothers and sisters in Christ, welcome to today's celebration of the Holy Mass that commemorates the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Today's Readings from the Holy Scriptures reveal to us that the Lord God rejoices in the Holy Catholic Church that has been instituted on earth by Jesus Christ Himself through the grace of the Heavenly Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. As you will shortly perceive, in the eyes of God, the Holy Catholic Church is the Bride of God.

Today's First Reading was taken from Chapter Sixty-Two of the Book of Isaiah. This particular Chapter has to do with the vindication and salvation of Zion. Zion, a Mount within the Holy City of Jerusalem, had found favour in the eyes of God. The Lord God promised that through His mercy, the past sins of Zion would be absolved. In other words, Zion was about to be justified.

Prior to those days, God had remained silent for a long period of time because of the sins of His disobedient children. Their prayers were no longer being answered. It was as if God no longer existed, as if He had abandoned them.

But, all of a sudden, something happened. God spoke to His people. He said that He would no longer remain silent. Going to the complete opposite, He would no longer rest until such time as His people had been justified as if it was a new beginning. God would no longer rest until the salvation of Jerusalem shined like a burning torch. In other words, He would not rest until it has become obvious to everyone that God's chosen people had been justified and saved.

Now history tells us that the Lord's chosen people had stumbled through the coming of Jesus Christ as God incarnated. As such, it appeared that the final glory of Jerusalem was yet to come. On this subject, St. Paul says, "So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their stumbling salvation has come to the Gentiles..." [Rom. 11:11] "As regards the gospel they are enemies of God for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved for the sake of their ancestors; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." [Rom. 11:28-29]

The stumbling of God's chosen people was all part of the progressive Divine Plan of salvation for the Gentiles. Through them, the grace of God was opened to us.

During the First Reading, it was stated that all the kings would see the glory of Jerusalem and it shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give it. Indeed, the kings and rulers of every nation have seen the glory of Jerusalem. They have come to the knowledge and understanding that Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah, that He triumphantly entered Jerusalem as the King of kings, that He was crucified outside the gates of Jerusalem as the Lamb of God for the salvation of mankind, and that the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost.

All of these events came to pass for the fulfillment of God's promise. Through these events, the invisible Kingdom of God was instituted on earth, having its beginning in Jerusalem. All of these events came to pass so the world would recognize the new name of the Body of Christ on earth, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. For the Holy Catholic Church which has its seat in Rome is the visible reflection of the invisible Body of Christ which has its seat in Jerusalem, its Ruler being Jesus Christ, the King of kings.

Indeed, the Holy Catholic Church has become a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of our God. The Lord God delights in her. The joy of the Lord is in the establishment of His eternal Kingdom. While Satan had the power to seduce our first parents to capture the first Kingdom of God in order to become the Prince of this world, he can no longer harm the new Kingdom that is being established. This Kingdom, the new Jerusalem, populated by the righteous angels and saints, is continuously growing towards the fullness of the glory of God. The new Kingdom cannot be destroyed. It is eternal and spiritual in nature. While the human nature can experience death, the spiritual nature cannot experience it! The eternal joy and peace of the righteous ones is guaranteed by God Himself.

What is the relationship that God promised to have towards His Church. In the Sacred Words of God, the Holy Catholic Church is called to become His spouse. When we consider the sacredness of the Sacrament of marriage, we only begin to perceive the tremendous love and loyalty that God has for us as living members of His Church.

My brothers and sisters, the joy of the Master Builder is in His Church. The joy of the Lord is in us, the living stones who build up the Holy Catholic Church for His eternal glory.

To build up the Bride of Christ, God has sent His Spirit on Pentecost Day. For the common good of all, the Holy Spirit freely distributes gifts to the members of the Body. While there are a number of spiritual manifestations, all come from the one Divine source, the Spirit, the Lord, and the Father. All graces are given primarily for the benefit of the Church.

The spiritual manifestations fall into three categories. These are the gifts, the ministries and the activities. The gifts are attributed to the Holy Spirit who has been sent by the Lord Jesus and the Father. The ministries are attributed to the Lord Jesus, who was sent as God incarnated to minister and to serve. The activities are attributed to God the Father who is the source of all being and activity.

There are nine gifts from the Holy Spirit for the building up of the Holy Catholic Church. These are the utterance of wisdom, the utterance of knowledge and faith. Then there are the gifts of healing, the working of miracles and prophecy. These are followed by the gifts of discerning the spirits, speaking in tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. As the members of the human body exist for the goods of the whole, these gifts are directed to the welfare of the Church.

Today's Reading from the Gospel of John reveals to us one of the events that came to pass to manifest to us that the promise of God the Father was being fulfilled in the fullness of time. A few days ago, we celebrated the Baptism of the Lord Jesus. That special moment, when the voice of God the Father was heard from Heaven and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a Dove, marked the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus Christ on earth.

Up until then, Jesus had not done anything extraordinary to prove His Divinity. But at the Wedding of Cana, it was different. That was when Jesus performed His first public miracle. By transforming the element of water, by changing the water into wine, Jesus Christ proved beyond any doubt that He was God. He executed an act that cannot be matched by any human being.

My Christian brothers and sisters, the Wedding of Cana was prophetic of the celebration of the Holy Mass. During the "Preparation of the Holy Gifts," the celebrant says, "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity." These words remind us of the Wedding of Cana.

Both, the celebration of the Holy Mass and the Wedding of Cana consist of a great Feast during which time the bride and bridegroom are present. Every time we participate in the celebration of the Holy Mass, in spirit, we witness the delight of the Heavenly Father who rejoices in His Bride, the Holy Catholic Church.

If I may also add, the serving of the old wine first and the new wine last, is a progressive symbol of our creation. Because of the disobedience of our first parents, we are all called to experience spiritual death. But, thanks to the Redeeming Blood of Christ, we received a new life. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we died with Christ, we were buried with Christ, and we resurrected with Christ as new creations. The old has passed away, the new has arrived! The former has died, the new creation is a member of the Body of Christ.

The new life that we have received in Christ is of the godly seed. [1 Jn. 3:9] It is no wonder that God rejoices in His Bride of which we are living members. As the Lord God rejoices in His Holy Church, He also rejoices in each and everyone of us. Why? Because, precious in God's sight, and like living stones, we have been called to be built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood. [1 Pet. 2:5]

My brothers and sisters in Christ, this week, let us set aside a few moments here and there so we may reflect upon the blessings that we have received through our Lord Jesus as members of the precious Bride of God. Let us not take for grant the spiritual gifts that have been given to us for the common good of all. Let us reflect upon our active involvement in the Body of Christ and pray that by the grace of God, we may always persevere in our living faith as shining lights.

Offertory:

1. Mugna sa Dios
2. Diyutay Lang Kini
3. Unang Alay (Magnaye)
4. Paghahandog ng Sarili (Arboleda-Francisco)
5. Take our Bread (Wise)
6. Dwelling Place (Foley)

Communion:

1. Ako ang  Kahayag (swak sa first reading)
2. Kini Maong Akong Lawas (Koro Viannista)
3. Hesus na Aking Kapatid (Hontiveros)
4. Halina Lumapit sa Akin (Que, Isidro)
5. Lead Me Lord (de Pano)
6. One More Gift (Francisco)

Recessional:

1. Ang Tawag
2. Tanda ng Kaharian
3. All the ends of the Earth (Dufford)

Sana’y makatulong ito sa inyo…. Hala Bira! Viva Señor Santo Niño!