January 1, 2017 Suggested Songs for the Mass

SONG LINE UP SUGGESTIONS 
January 1, 2017
Solemnity of Mary Mother of God 
(& World Day of Prayer for Peace)

Liturgical Color: White

Readings

1R: Numbers 6:22-27 goes: Moses, the acknowledged author of the Book of Numbers, is told by God to teach Aaron and his sons (who were chosen by God to become His priests) on how they ought to bless the Israelites: ‘Say, “May God bless you and keep you.” 

RP: 67: May God bless us in His mercy.

2R: Galatians 4:4-7: Consequential Ideas: 
1. God sent His Son Who was born of a woman.
2. He lived among us to free us who are enslaved.
3. We thus become adopted children of God.
4. We may thus call God father.
5. As God’s children, we are no longer slaves.

G: Luke 2:16-21 is about the Visit of the Shepherds.
1. Shepherds visit the Savior.
2. After leaving, the shepherds make the message about the arrival of the promised Savior known to others.
3. The eight day old Jesus’ circumcision. 

Important Ideas:
1. Chosenness 
2. God’s blessings 
3. Jesus as sent by the Father for our salvation in fulfillment of His promise 
4. As He is now with us and like us, we are adopted children of the father, 
5. The shepherds and the news about the baby Jesus
6. Mary’s pondering
7. Mary Mother of God
8. January 1 is World Day of Prayer for Peace

Filipino:

E: 
1. Bayan Magsiawit na! (Aquino) “Dakilang biyayang pangako Niya, sumilay na” 
2. Bayan umawit (Borres, Baltazar, Francisco) “Iika’y pinili” 
3. Gumising (Pagsanghan, Francisco)
4. Himig ng Hangin (Arboleda, Agatep)
5. Oyayi (Aquino)
6. Pasko Na (Pagsanghan, Agatep, Arboleda, Francisco)

P of the G: 
1. Narito Ako (San Andres) “Pakikinggan at itatago sa sulok ng puso”
2. Sumasamo kami (Judan) Prioritize Stanza 3: “Sundin ang ‘Yong kalooban” is reminiscent of Mary’s “Let it be done unto me according to Your word.”
3. Kay Gandang Alay in A Time to Fly By Ateneo Boys Choir 


C: Pwede pagpilian:
1. Liwanagan Mo, Jesus (Aquino) “Daigdig ginawang tahanan ng Diyos nating mahal”
2. Pagsibol (Aquino) is good for New Years Day. 
3. Ang Diyos na Sanggol (Hontiveros) 
4. Isang Sanggol (Ramirez) 
5. Villancico 
6. Kapayapaan (Aquino) 
7. Bituin (Aquino)
8. Emmanuel (Gozum, Francisco)
9. E5 if not used as entrance song

2nd Communion songs just in case mahaba ang pila for Communion:
1. Ang Puso Ko’y Nagpupuri (Honti)
2. Noong Paskong Una (Pagsanghan & Francisco) “Si Maria ang ina”
3. Mariang Ina Ko (Pagsanghan & Francisco)
4. Shallom by JMM in Sumibol by Dulaang Sibol
5. E6 if not used as entrance song

R: 
1. Ito ang Bagong Araw (Isidro and Ramirez)
2. Pagmamahal sa Panginoon (Hontiveros)
3. Aba Ginoong Maria “Ina ng Diyos”
4. Pananagutan (Honti) Prioritize Stanza 3. “Tayo’y tinuring ng Panginoon bilang mga anak” 
5. Try natin ang Kahit na Abril ay parang Pasko pa rin.


English:

E: 
1. All the Ends of the Earth (Dufford) “For the Lord of the earth... has come”
2. City of God (Schutte)
3. Glory and Praise to Our God (Schutte) Prioritize Stanza 3. 
4. Lover of us all (also Schutte) “the children of Your loving”
5. The Lord bless you and keep you 
6. Sing a New Song (Schutte) Prioritize Stanza 2.
7. Sing to the Mountains (Dufford)
8. Throughout all time (Haas)
9. A Christmas Praise (Aquino & Agatep) "With Mary's hand on me"
10. Angels we have heard on high. But start from Stanza 2. “Shepherds why this jubilee?”
11. Adeste Fidelis / O Come All Ye Faithful
P of the G: 
1. Dwelling Place (Foley) Prioritize Stanza 3.
2. Earthen Vessels (Foley)
3. Prayer of Rupert Mayer (Francisco). This song may be viewed also as a song of Mary.
4. Take and Receive “Do what Thou wilt command and I obey” is almost similar to Mary’s fiat.
5. Take, Lord, Receive (Foley) Prioritize Stanza 3. “Dispose of it, wholly according to Your will.”

C: Pwedeng pagpilian:
1. Magnificat (Haas) 
2. One more Gift (Francisco)
3. Prayer for Peace (Haas)
4. Shelter Me O God (Hurd & Kingsbury) Prioritize Stanza 2. “As a mother gathers her young beneath her care”
5. Sing of Him (Dufford) Prioritize Stanza 2 “Ponder it deeply”
6. The First Noel. But reserve Stanza 3 for the occasion of the Lord’s Epiphany.

2nd Communion Song just in case mahaba ang pila
1. God rest ye merry Gentlemen
2. God with us (Schutte)
3. Have yourself a merry little Christmas
4. Peace Prayer (Hangad). I don’t understand the lyrics, este the syllables, but I’m fascinated by it. Besides, hindi na Advent, so pwede na ang instrumental solos.
5. Lovely Lady dressed in blue (JMM in Sumibol by Dulaang Sibol) “God was just your little boy”

R:
1. I will sing forever (Francisco) “And a song of gentle mercy and of peace.”
2. Let there be peace on earth (Miller & Jackson)
3. The Work of Christmas (Arboleda)
4. Mother Mary in Ateneo Boys’ Choir A Time to Fly
5. Hail Mary “Mother of God”
6. Mary Immaculate “Mother of God” Best choice.

4th Sunday of Advent (Year A) December 18, 2016

December 18, 2016

4th Sunday of Advent (Year A)

"The Virgin shall conceive and bear a son"

Entrance:

1. Halina, Jesus

2. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Reading 1    IS 7:10-14

The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.

Responsorial Psalm                PS 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.

Reading 2            ROM 1:1-7

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God,
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh,
but established as Son of God in power
according to the Spirit of holiness
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel                   MT 1:18-24

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel, 
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.

Homily

"The virgin shall conceive and bear a son." [Mt. 1:23] Today, celebrating the last Sunday of Advent prior to the Feast of Christmas Day, to some extent, we can associate with the greatest joy of the Blessed Virgin Mary who awaited the coming of Baby Jesus into the world. In six days, we will commemorate the birth of her beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus, God incarnated. For some, the celebration of the incarnation shall begin on Christmas Eve through their participation at the Midnight Mass.

During today's First Reading, [Is. 7:10-14] the Lord God spoke through the great prophet Isaiah. The Lord said to Ahaz, the son of Jotham who succeeded the eleventh king of Israel around 735 B.C., "Ask for a sign of the Lord your God; let it be as far down as Hell or as far up as Heaven." [Is. 7:10-1] Ahaz answered, "I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test." [Is. 7:12]

Why did Ahaz reject God's offer to provide a sign when past signs related to Divine intervention in the history of mankind? To answer that question, it is necessary to understand a bit of the history that was taking place during those days.

The political situation in those days was that king Rezin of Aram and king Pekah of Israel (Ephraim) had joined together to invade Jerusalem. They were threatening to also invade Judah unless Ahaz joined them. Ahaz's advisers urged him to join Jerusalem against Rezin and Pekah. But Isaiah foresaw disaster in that path. Today's First Reading from the Book of Isaiah is the first of five Chapters in which Isaiah attempts to discourage Ahaz from going against Rezin and Pekah while providing him with the Lord's God's encouragement in the present situation.

So why did Ahaz reject God's offer to provide a sign? Most likely it is because Ahaz did not want Isaiah's advice. Although Ahaz would not ask for a sign, God still gave him one. Over 700 years before the event, Isaiah prophesied that through the House of David, a young woman would be with Child and she shall bear a Son, naming Him Immanuel. [Is. 7:13-4]

Did you know that the passages from Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23 have been the center of debates between theologians for centuries? Why? Because in the Old Testament, the inspired Word of God refers to a "young woman." In the New Testament, while it is supposed to be a quote of the first passage, the "young woman" has been replaced with the word "virgin." Therefore, the question is, "Was the virginity of Mary prophesied 700 years before the event?"

When reviewing Isaiah's inspired writings, he does not use the word "virgin." Rather, he uses a word that means a "young woman" of marriageable age, without reference if she would be a virgin or not. There are two possible explanations as to why a change of words may have occurred.

In the first instance, Saint Matthew may have changed the words "young woman" to "virgin" to reveal to the world that the mother of Jesus had experienced a virgin birth.

In the second instance, Saint Matthew may have used an Hebrew translation of the Old Testament that implied a "virgin" versus a "young woman." If this is the case, the hand of the Holy Spirit was at work in this situation. Sometime between the days of Isaiah and the day of the birth of the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit may have guided those who copied the Scriptures from generation to generation and the translators to change the words "young woman" to "virgin" in order to reflect more accurately the manifestation of the power of God that was about to take place through the incarnation.

No matter what the circumstances, the tradition of the Holy Catholic Church has always taught the belief that Mary experienced a virgin birth and that the faithful have joyfully embraced that belief.

Today's Second Reading from the Letter to the Romans [Rom. 1:1-7] affirmed that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, descended from king David [Rom. 1:3] as prophesied through Isaiah. This affirmation is also found in Matthew 1:1 and 2 Timothy 2:8. Furthermore, Our Lord Jesus was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead. [Rom. 1:4]

Through Christ the first disciples received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of the Most Holy Name Jesus. [Rom. 1:5] What does it mean to "bring about the obedience of faith?" That answer is found in the Letter of Paul to the Romans.

"But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!' But not all have obeyed the goodness; for Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed our message?' So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the Word of Christ." [Rom. 10:14-7] Faith begins by "hearing" the Word of God, this followed by a personal commitment to obey the calling of our Lord in submission.

This calling of obedience of faith is a calling to the entire human race. It is a calling to each and everyone of us to feed upon the Word of God for our spiritual growth so that we may go forward to teach and defend the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus.

Today's Reading from the Gospel of Matthew [Mt. 1:18-24] provides us with the circumstances surrounding the virgin birth of Mary. When Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. [Mt. 1:18] When reference is made to Mary being engaged to Joseph, it means that the marriage contract had been drawn up between Joseph, or his parents, and the parents of Mary. According to the Jewish custom, the marriage did not take place until such time as the groom had taken the bride into his house. When doing so, this was referred to having "come together" or "live together."

Had Joseph departed from Mary, this would not have been viewed as a "divorce" in the full sense of the word. While Mary and Joseph were engaged, they had not "come together" as of yet. Equally, pre-marital unchastity was not viewed as "adultery" in the full sense because Mary and Joseph had not "come together" as of yet. As such, Joseph could have quietly retracted the marriage agreement to dismiss Mary by signing a declaration in the presence of witnesses without having to state the reasons in public.

While Joseph was preoccupied with the pregnancy of Mary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. As we all heard, the angel of the Lord told Joseph, the son of David, not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, for the child conceived in her was from the Holy Spirit. [Mt. 1:20] These words indirectly support that the birth of Jesus was a virgin birth.

The angel of the Lord told Joseph that the Son of Mary should be called Jesus because He will save His people. When studying the origin and development of the name Jesus, it is learned that it means "Yahweh is salvation." Therefore it was being revealed that while Jesus would be an agent of salvation for God's people, this would be salvation from their sins and not from worldly enemies or the dangers associated with nature.

All of this took place to fulfill the prophecy that had been spoken through the great prophet Isaiah. "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." [Mt. 1:23]

"When Joseph awoke from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife." [Mt. 1:24] How beautiful are the virtues of obedience and trust in the Lord God! Plentiful are the graces of the Lord upon those who submit themselves to the Divine progressive plan for humanity.

The Lord has come, the Lord is here, and the Lord is coming again. In two days, we will commemorate His coming on earth in human flesh. This moment of worship, a great Feast that unites Heaven and earth, will be one of joy and praise for all the faithful who will gather around the spiritual table of the Lord to receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

Now is the last chance to prepare ourselves for this great moment. Now is the last chance to repent of our sins with a sincerity of heart and to receive the Sacrament of Confession.

As we continue with the celebration of the Holy Mass, let us remember those who have not yet prepared themselves for the coming of the Lord. Let us ask the Spirit of Jesus to implant within their hearts the urgency of being and remaining in a state of grace.

Offertory:

1. Tanging Alay ko

2. Unang Alay

3. Christify

4. Dwelling Place

Communion:

1. Panginoon

2. Oyayi

3. The Face of God

4. God with Us

Recessional:

1. Panginoon Hanggang Kailan

2. The King of Glory

3. Wait for the Lord