Zechariah's Song (DAY 09 OF SIMBANG GABI/MISA DE GALLO READINGS - YEAR C)

DECEMBER 23-24, 2021 THURSDAY (Anticipated) / FRIDAY (Mass at Dawn)*
*Friday of the Fourth Week of Advent - MASS IN THE MORNING (Violet)
Ninth Day of Simbang Gabi/Misa De Gallo (White)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
RDGS: 2 SM 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16/ PS 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
GOSPEL: LK 1:67-79
Lectionary: 200

Reading I
2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16

When King David was settled in his palace,

and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,

he said to Nathan the prophet,

“Here I am living in a house of cedar,

while the ark of God dwells in a tent!” 

Nathan answered the king,

“Go, do whatever you have in mind,

for the LORD is with you.” 

But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:

“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:

Should you build me a house to dwell in?

“‘It was I who took you from the pasture

and from the care of the flock

to be commander of my people Israel. 

I have been with you wherever you went,

and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. 

And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. 

I will fix a place for my people Israel;

I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place

without further disturbance.

Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,

since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.

I will give you rest from all your enemies. 

The LORD also reveals to you

that he will establish a house for you. 

And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,

I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,

and I will make his Kingdom firm.

I will be a father to him,

and he shall be a son to me.

Your house and your Kingdom shall endure forever before me;

your throne shall stand firm forever.’”

Responsorial Psalm
89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29

R.    (2)  For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;

    through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.

For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;

    in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

R.    For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

    I have sworn to David my servant:

Forever will I confirm your posterity

    and establish your throne for all generations.”

R.    For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,

    my God, the rock, my savior.’

Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,

    and my covenant with him stands firm.”

R.    For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

O Radiant Dawn,

splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:

come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 1:67-79

Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:

    “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

        for he has come to his people and set them free.

    He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,

        born of the house of his servant David.

    Through his prophets he promised of old

        that he would save us from our enemies,

        from the hands of all who hate us.

    He promised to show mercy to our fathers

        and to remember his holy covenant.

    This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

        to set us free from the hand of our enemies,

        free to worship him without fear,

        holy and righteous in his sight

            all the days of our life.

    You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,

        for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

        to give his people knowledge of salvation

        by the forgiveness of their sins.

    In the tender compassion of our God

        the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

        to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,

        and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Zechariah, released from his silence, bursts forth in profound praise, proclaiming the activity of God at work in our world’s history. The saviour is coming! His own son will act as witness and light-bearer to the loving kindness and mercy of the great and holy one.

Zechariah is profoundly aware of his heritage, seeing Gods action in the past as having promise for the future. I draw encouragement from my own story, allowing God to bless me with hope and confidence in continuing blessing.

PRAYER:

Lord, as I move into Christmas Eve, remind me again of how mercy is the dominant theme of how you walk with us. You are forever tender towards me. Help me to grow daily in the awareness of your mercy and tenderness, constantly at work in my life.

Birth Of Saint John The Baptist (DAY 08 OF SIMBANG GABI/MISA DE GALLO READINGS - YEAR C)

DECEMBER 22-23, 2021 WEDNESDAY (Anticipated) / THURSDAY (Mass at Dawn)*
*Thursday of the Fourth Week of Advent (Violet)
Eighth Day of Simbang Gabi/Misa De Gallo (White)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
RDGS: MAL 3:1-4, 23-24/ PS 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10, 14
GOSPEL: LK 1:57-66
Lectionary: 199
 

Reading I
Mal 3:1-4, 23-24

    Thus says the Lord GOD:

Lo, I am sending my messenger

    to prepare the way before me;

And suddenly there will come to the temple

    the LORD whom you seek,

And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.

    Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.

But who will endure the day of his coming?

    And who can stand when he appears?

For he is like the refiner’s fire,

    or like the fuller’s lye.

He will sit refining and purifying silver,

    and he will purify the sons of Levi,

Refining them like gold or like silver

    that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.

Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem

    will please the LORD,

    as in the days of old, as in years gone by.

Lo, I will send you

    Elijah, the prophet,

Before the day of the LORD comes,

    the great and terrible day,

To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,

    and the hearts of the children to their fathers,

Lest I come and strike

    the land with doom.

Responsorial Psalm
25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14

R.    (see Luke 21:28)  Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;

    teach me your paths,

Guide me in your truth and teach me,

    for you are God my savior.

R.    Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

Good and upright is the LORD;

    thus he shows sinners the way.

He guides the humble to justice,

    he teaches the humble his way.

R.    Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy

    toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,

    and his covenant, for their instruction.

R.    Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

O King of all nations and keystone of the Church;

come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 1:57-66

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child

she gave birth to a son. 

Her neighbors and relatives heard

that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,

and they rejoiced with her. 

When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,

they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,

but his mother said in reply,

“No. He will be called John.” 

But they answered her,

“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” 

So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. 

He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”

and all were amazed.

Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,

and he spoke blessing God.

Then fear came upon all their neighbors,

     and all these matters were discussed

throughout the hill country of Judea.

All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,

“What, then, will this child be?

For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

The name (‘John’) of this child to come tells us, in its original meaning, that God has shown special favor. The Lord is shaping a new future for humanity and the new-born’s call will be to announce to all, that this is just what is happening.

Zechariah and Elizabeth have been blessed with this new life in their declining years. And through the miracle of the unexpected birth, and of the binding and loosing of Zechariah’s tongue, the people realize that here God is taking a very direct hand in events - they know that they are on the threshold of mystery.

PRAYER:

Lord, Praise, amazement and joy are hallmarks of a life rooted in you. Fill me with these gifts. Enable me to be a tracer of your grace in my life and to lift up my voice in joyful thanksgiving.

Mary's Song Of Praise (DAY 07 OF SIMBANG GABI/MISA DE GALLO READINGS - YEAR C)

DECEMBER 21-22, 2021 TUESDAY (Anticipated) / WEDNESDAY (Mass at Dawn)*
*Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent (Violet)
Seventh Day of Simbang Gabi/Misa De Gallo (White)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
RDGS: 1 SM 1:24-28/ 1 SM 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8
GOSPEL: LK 1:46-56
Lectionary: 198

Reading I
1 Sm 1:24-28

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.

Responsorial Psalm
1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8

R. (see 1a) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“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. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“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. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“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. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“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. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:

come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 1:46-56

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.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Mary’s ‘Yes’ to God is generous and absolute. It is good to reflect on the difference between her response and that of Adam and Eve who were reluctant to trust in God. There is a freedom and a joy that comes from saying Yes. We make a commitment to what God asks, and trust the rest to God.

Mary is a figure of hope for all of us who journey in faith. Even though she didn’t know where that journey would take her, she trusted that God knew.

PRAYER:

Lord, give me Mary’s confidence and generosity of spirit. I ask not just to listen to your voice and do your will, but to do it joyfully and fearlessly. Let me answer your call with an exultant ‘Yes!’ because I know that my journey into the unknown will be made radiant by your transfiguring presence.