My Ecclesial World

January 1, 2006  The Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God / New Year’s Day / World Day of Peace / The Octave Day of Christmas (B) - White or Blue

First Reading: Numbers 6:22-27
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 67 "May God bless us in his mercy."
Second Reading: Galatians 4:4-7
Gospel: Luke 2:16-21

"Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart."
Today, we celebrate the great solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church. She is one of the central figures of the mystery of Christ’s incarnation. Mary is theotokos, the mother of God. Imagine, a mother conceiving a child without undergoing the sexual process. Hence, this is in itself a mystery of God. She is the only mother in the entire world who "conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit." We give her highest honors and reverence because of this dogma.

We see in today’s gospel Mary’s divine motherhood. She is passive. Her role of becoming the mother of God is divine. She treasured all of the events in her heart and pondered on them. Her Magnificat, months before the birth of Christ, speaks of her praise in God. These ejaculations of praise she uttered are now given fulfillment in today’s celebration when Mary kept reflecting of her graciousness as mother of the Redeemer. She remains humble in spite of the glory that she receives being the mother of the Savior of the world. She cannot fathom the sublime mystery that she is experiencing. But because of her faith in God, she goes forth with her child in peace and lives as a Holy Mother, a model for all mothers in this world.

We also conclude today the 8-day long celebration of the Solemnity of Christmas. You see, Christmas is not just a one-day celebration. But Christmas Day is celebrated magnificently as Easter Sunday is, having an 8-day celebration at that point. Christmas does not end here by the way. Christmas stretches until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, celebrated on January 9 this year. With this thought, we thank God for becoming human, for beoming one with us.

Today we also reflect on "In truth, peace," this year’s theme for the World Day of Peace. Let us not forget that at the start of the year, we stand with Mary and pray for peace in this world. We pray for peace in the coming year. We wish for peace for the each and every one. For there could only be peace if we live in the truth of the Gospel.

A Blessed New Year to one and all!!!

N.B. There is no anticipated mass for the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. To fulfill one’s Sunday obligation, he/she has to attend the mass during the day or the New Year’s Eve Midnight Mass. Check your parish bulletins for schedules. God Bless!

Hi guys!!! Here’s the list of assignments and projects that we have for the Christmas break.

CHRISTIAN LIVING
1.    Take-home Quiz
       Due date: January 4, 2006 Wednesday
2.    Project (bond paper-short)
       a.  Search and print out 2-3 images of an offense against the Ninth Commandment.
       b.  Make a moral evaluation based on the teachings of the Church about the chosen offense.
       c.  For privacy, you may place it in a sealed brown envelope.
       Due date: January 4, 2006 Wednesday

ENGLISH
Memorize the following poems:
1.    Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
2.    The Man with the Hoe
Bowed by the weight of centuries he leans
Upon his hoe and gazes on the ground,
The emptiness of ages in his face,
And on his back, the burden of the world.
Who made him dead to rapture and despair,
A thing that grieves not and that never hopes,
Stolid and stunned, a brother to the ox?
Who loosened and let down this brutal jaw?
Whose was the hand that slanted back this brow?
Whose breath blew out the light within this brain?

Is this the Thing the Lord God made and gave
To have dominion over sea and land;
To trace the stars and search the heavens for power;
To feel the passion of Eternity?
Is this the dream He dreamed who shaped the suns
And marked their ways upon the ancient deep?
Down all the caverns of Hell to their last gulf
There is no shape more terrible than this–
More tongued with cries against the world’s blind greed–
More filled with signs and portents for the soul–
More packed with danger to the universe.

What gulfs between him and the seraphim!
Slave of the wheel of labor, what to him
Are Plato and the swing of the Pleiades?
What the long reaches of the peaks of song,
The rift of dawn, the reddening of the rose?
Through this dread shape the suffering ages look;
Time’s tragedy is in that aching stoop;
Through this dread shape humanity betrayed,
Plundered, profaned and disinherited,
Cries protest to the Powers that made the world,
A protest that is also prophecy.

O masters, lords and rulers in all lands,
Is this the handiwork you give to God,
This monstrous thing distorted and soul-quenched?
How will you ever straighten up this shape;
Touch it again with immortality;
Give back the upward looking and the light;
Rebuild in it the music and the dream;
Make right the immemorial infamies,
Perfidious wrongs, immedicable woes?

O masters, lords and rulers in all lands,
How will the future reckon with this Man?
How answer his brute question in that hour
When whirlwinds of rebellion shake all shores?
How will it be with kingdoms and with kings–
With those who shaped him to the thing he is–
When this dumb Terror shall rise to judge the world,
After the silence of the centuries?

MATHEMATICS
1.    Chapter Test 11 (Copy and answer, pad paper: p. 486)
       Due Date: January 5, 2006 Thursday
2.    Chapter Test 12 (Copy and answer, pad paper: p. 530)
       Due date: January 9, 2006 Monday
3.    Project - Picture of a building with geometric shapes on purple cartolina (oslo paper size) with haiku/name and place of bldg. at the back (bond paper)
       Due date: January 6, 2006 Friday

SOCIAL SCIENCE
Review for Long Test #2 on Friday, January 6, 2006 (Emergence of France and England as nation-states)

SCIENCE
Research work on air pollution.
1. Define air pollution.
2. Identify and explain the major sources of air pollution.
3. Identify and describe the principal classes of pollutants.
4. Describe the harmful effects of pollution on people, plants, animals and materials.
5. Explain the adverse effects of pollutants.
6. Discuss the level of pollution caused by motor vehicles.
7. Identify air pollutants emitted by industrial plants.
8. Suggest ways to minimize air pollution.
Due date: January 6, 2006 Friday

FILIPINO
1.    Pag-aralan Noli Me Tangere (Kabanata 11-30).
2.    Kabisaduhin ang monologo.

Make the most out of your vacation…Happy New Year to one and all…

December 25, 2005    Christmas - Mass at Midnight (B) - White

The Proclamation of the Birth of Christ
(The Christmas Proclamation is sung at the start of the mass either by the priest-celebrant, a deacon, or a lay.)

The twenty-fifth day of December.
In the five thousand one hundred and ninety-ninth year of the creation of the world from the time when God in the beginning created the heavens and the earth;
the two thousand nine hundred and fifty-seventh year after the flood; the two thousand and fifteenth year from the birth of Abraham;
the one thousand five hundred and tenth year from Moses and the going forth of the people of Israel from Egypt;
the one thousand and thirty-second year from David’s being anointed king;
in the sixty-fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel;
in the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad;
the seven hundred and fifty-second year from the foundation of the city of Rome;
the forty second year of the reign of Octavian Augustus; the whole world being at peace,
in the sixth age of the world,

Jesus Christ the eternal God and Son of the eternal Father,
desiring to sanctify the world by his most merciful coming,
being conceived by the Holy Spirit,
and nine months having passed since his conception,
was born in Bethlehem of Judea of the Virgin Mary,
being made flesh.

The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.

During the singing of the GLORIA, the image of the infant Jesus is processed through the main aisle and the priest presents the new-born child to the congregation. Afterwhich, the image is placed at the Christmas Crib. The Nativity Scene may be blessed during the Gloria.

First Reading: Isaiah 9:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 96 "Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord."
Second Reading: Titus 2:11-14
Gospel: Luke 2:1-14

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."
Tonight, the long waiting for the coming of the Lord is over. Tonight, the covenant of God to humankind is established. Tonight, the plan of God for human salvation, made known through the prophets, is fulfilled. Tonight, in the city of David, Christ is born. Merry Christmas to one and all.
    As the angel announced to Mary nine months ago, "Behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus," the God-become-man has started his existence and relationship with human kind. Working inside the womb of the Blessed Mother, Jesus Christ visited his people. John the Baptist leaped for joy during the visitation, alluding to the joy that the Christ-child brings. Also, the drama of Mary’s Canticle of Praise was made possible by the Holy Spirit working with Christ inside her mother’s womb.
    And after nine months of waiting, inside the darkness of a cave in Bethlehem, Jesus is born of the Virgin Mary. God becomes one like us - not just merely a passing visitor - but truly human like us. Christmas is God’s perfect response to our human condition. Christ’s birth radically renews the world, all peoples, our nation, our families, the very core of our person. God’s gift - Christ - meets and fulfills human needs perfectly.
    Another imagery visible in tonight’s liturgy is the image of light. First is that, the angels, in a form of a light, revealed, in the region where the shepherds are keeping watch over their flocks, the birth of the Savior. The announcement or news of the Savior’s birth is a light in itself. We also see that the angels announced the Savior’s birth, not to the rich and royalty of Israel, but to the poor and lowly in society. Second, we see the light of the star that shone above Christ’s birthplace. This light of the star made possible for people to know and see the dawning of man’s salvation - seen in the babe lying in the manger in the cold of the night. Third, the birth of Christ is light in itself. The birth of Christ, when the world was at peace, proved that God works in mysterious ways. God divests himself of divinity and makes himself small. He humbles himself and accepts that his birth is that among the poor ones of Israel - in the most humble place in the planet, the stable/cave where the animals live. Hence, this event is light in the darkness.
    God’s manifestation of divine light is beautifully woven into the liturgy of Christmas midnight. The opening prayer of tonight’s liturgy introduces us to "Jesus Christ our light…the true light of the world." The first reading begins with the people of Israel "who walked in darkness have seen a great light." The preface of Christmas III further develops the theme of light: "Today in him a new light has dawned upon the world: God has become one with us, and we have become one again with God."
    Jesus is born to us. He is Wonderful-Counselor, God-hero, Father-forever, and Prince of Peace. Let us celebrate our Christmas thanksgiving with grateful hearts, willing to accept Christ in our lives, making ourselves vessels of Christ’s light in the world. A Blessed Christmas to all!!!

N.B. Those who attended the Christmas Mass at Midnight have fulfilled their Sunday obligation. Those who attended the anticipated mass for Christmas should attend any Mass during the Day to fulfill their Sunday obligations.

Daily Reflections for the Misa de Gallo (in Preparation for the celebration of the Birth of Christ)
December 16 - 24, 2005

PART 3: December 22-24

December 22, 2005    The Seventh Day of Misa De Gallo (B) - White

THANKING GOD FOR ALL OF HIS GOODNESS
First Reading: 1 Samuel 1:24-28
Responsorial Psalm: 1 Samuel 2 - "My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior!"
O Antiphon: O King of all nations and keystone of the Church: come and save man, whom you have formed from the dust!
Gospel: Luke 1:46-56

The canticle of Mary — Mary’s song of praise in today’s Gospel is traditionally called the Magnificat, after St. Jerome’s Latin translation which begins: Magnificat anima mea Dominum. It is perhaps the best known and loved of the four canticles in Luke’s infancy narratives.
    Most Bible scholars today hold that the song was not done by Mary. It was clearly composed in Greek, and not a translation of the Hebrew. It is unlikely that such finished poetry could have been composed on the spot by an ordinary Galilean girl. So the canticle is held to have been written by the evangelist Luke to accompany his narratives. But there are lines in the canticle that are awkward when applied to the situation of Mary who is the speaker. So scholars theorize that the canticle was not a pure Lucan composition; he probably got it from the Jewish Christian Anawim, the “poor ones” who relied on the Lord for their salvation. These recognized that in Jesus God has raised them up and saved them according to his promise. Luke sees Mary as their representative and spokesperson and so lets her vocalize their sentiments, retouching the original song to suit Mary’s condition.
    As it stands, the Magnificat echoes Old Testament traditions in which men and women sang praise to God for his mighty deeds in behalf of his people Israel. In style and in thematic parallels, it is similar to the Song of Hannah. Both Mary and Hannah are called “handmaids of the Lord” and both acknowledge that God’s purpose will be achieved through the birth of their respective children.

December 23, 2005    The Eighth Day of Misa De Gallo (B) - White

JOHN THE BAPTIST: GOD IS GRACIOUS
First Reading: Judges 13:2-7,24-25a
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 71 - "Fill me with your praise, and I will sing your glory!"
O Antiphon: O Root of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all his people: come to save us without delay!
Gospel: Luke 1:5-25

"His name is John"
Indeed, “God is gracious.” This is the meaning of the name John. We are told today about the birth of the forerunner of Jesus, John the Baptist. We remember the coming of the Savior and how a special messenger of God had to prepare the hearts of people for the coming of the Savior. But our Savior Jesus came long ago. How much are we living as people who are saved? How much do we enter into God’s plan to save our world? How much do we prepare Jesus’ coming into the hearts of people today?
    Back to Elizabeth and Zechariah and the birth and naming of their child. His name is John as the angel commanded-it is time to obey the Word of God. And in obeying Zechariah’s tongue is loosened and he begins to speak again by praising God. This child is entrusted to them, but from the beginning the hand of the Lord is with him.

Reflection
What is your name? What does it mean (John is beloved of God)? Is it time for you to obey the word of God? And as parents do you remember that your children have been entrusted to you but they must be about God’s work in the world? God’s hand is always with us now.

December 24, 2005    The Ninth Day of Misa De Gallo (B) - White

AS WE STAND AT THE THRESHOLD OF CHRISTMAS, WE GO AND MEET THE LORD
First Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-5,8b-12,14a,16
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89 - "For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord!"
O Antiphon: 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!
Gospel: Luke 1:67-79

Canticle of Zechariah — Like Mary’s Song, the Magnificat, the Canticle of Zechariah is popularly called the Benedictus because of the opening words in the Latin translation: “Benedictus Deus Israhel” — “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel.”
    Bible scholars today credit the origin of the Lucan canticle not to the person named in the narrative (Zechariah) but to Luke himself. As to the origin of the Benedictus, they vary in their opinions. Some hold that it is purely a Lucan composition. Others propose that the hymn originated in the circle of John’s disciples or in an early Jewish Christian community; it was then inserted by Luke to enrich his narrative.
    The Benedictus is a hymn of praise which celebrates the redemption of God through Jesus, the Davidic Messiah. It celebrates the primary virtues of God as a covenant partner: his mercy-kindness in choosing his partners and his fidelity once the covenant had been made. It recapitulates the saving interventions of God in the past.
    It is also a prophecy, as it points to the role of the prophet-precursor: the child John. But like anything else in the Gospel, the real point is Christological: it focuses on the “daybreak (anatol) from on high” in whom God has visited his people and shown his mercy, namely, Jesus Christ, whose ways John will prepare.

Daily Reflections for the Misa de Gallo (in Preparation for the celebration of the Birth of Christ)
December 16 - 24, 2005

PART 2: December 19-21

December 19, 2005    The Fourth Day of Misa De Gallo (B) - White

GOD’S ORDINARY ACTS BRING FORTH EXTRAORDINARY WORKS
First Reading: Judges 13:2-7,24-25a
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 71 - "Fill me with your praise, and I will sing your glory!"
O Antiphon: O Root of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all his people: come to save us without delay!
Gospel: Luke 1:5-25

"So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others."
People chosen by God for a special mission in his plan of salvation are constantly presented in the Bible as chosen and loved before birth, with their birth announced in a special way; they are moved by the Spirit of God; their mission demands sacrifices. Witness the call of Samson in his folkloric saga, or that of John the Baptist. The silence of Zechariah comes probably from the joy of an overwhelming message, too great to be put into words.
    Now we move back further in time to the announcement of John’s birth to Zechariah in the temple. This child too will be heralded by an angel for he is a prophet who will be great in the eyes of the Lord and bring joy and gladness to the people who wait on God. He will open the way for the Spirit to come-a midwife in the realm of the repentant heart! In Israel’s history there is a tradition of angels’ and extraordinary tidings of children that are born out of time, for God’s work that belong to God and the people not their parents. Who do we belong to? What work does God hope that we will do for the people in our world?
    Underlying these vocation stories is that people are weak, that salvation is gratuitously given by God, that barrenness (the barren women) gives way to fertility, that sacrifices are demanded. And so, people are to be moved by the Spirit of God. All this holds true also for us as we are called to prepare the way of the Lord.

December 20, 2005    The Fifth Day of Misa De Gallo (B) - White

GOD’S CREATIVE TOUCH
First Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 24 - "Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory."
O Antiphon: O Key of David. opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Virgin betrothed—In contrast with the annunciation of the Precursor to Zechariah, an old priest with a barren wife, the birth of the Messiah is announced to Mary, a “virgin” (Greek parthenos). “Virgin” refers to a young unmarried woman, one who has not yet experienced sexual intercourse (in Israel, an unmarried woman was expected to be a virgin).
    There is something of an equivocal attitude to virginity in Israel. On the one hand, it is something to be prized, indicating purity and newness. On the other hand, it is also seen as a shame or sadness, indicating incompleteness. Has Mary committed herself to a lifetime of virginity? The fact that she is betrothed to Joseph implies that she looks forward to being a normal wife. That she is a virgin means that she has not yet been taken to Joseph’s home where she would have marital relations with him. That comes with the second part of the marriage ceremony, which is a year after the betrothal. It would seem that up to the time of the annunciation, Mary is not aware of being singularly blessed by God.
    Luke’s annunciation is intended to explain the “Who” and “How” of the Messiah. Jesus as Messiah is both “Son of David” and “Son of God” (see also Rom 1:3). He is a “Son of David” because of Joseph who legally claims him as his son. But he is also “Son of the Most High” because instead of being born through a male agency, he is conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit. The impossibility of conceiving without Mary’s “having relations with a man” is overcome by the creative action of God.

December 21, 2005    The Sixth Day of Misa De Gallo (B) - White

MARY’S GREETING OF PEACE
First Reading: Song of Songs 2:8-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33 - "Cry out with joy in the Lord, you holy ones; sing a new song to him."
O Antiphon: O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law: come to save us, Lord our God!
Gospel: Luke 1:39-45

"Most blessed are you among women"
The Good News of her child to be born puts Mary in mortal danger and she flees to the hill country and shelter with Elizabeth who is also in an unusual predicament: pregnant unexpectedly in her old age. The two are kindred spirits in hope, wonder and awe knowing that their children will change not only their lives drastically but the lives of their nation and history. They recognize each other and Elizabeth’s John recognizes the voice that called him into existence in the Spirit in Mary’s greeting of Shalom. It is all about peace-peace come to earth in flesh and blood. Peace that is the presence of God reconciling all the earth and her children. Peace meeting the truth and blessings fall like rain upon the earth. Are we this presence of peace?

December 18, 2005    The Fourth Sunday of Advent (B) - Violet

First Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89
                "Forever I Will Sing the Goodness of the Lord."
Second Reading: Romans 16:25-27
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
    In the drama of the Annunciation, Mary plays the lead role, with the angel Gabriel in the supporting cast. But for the evangelist Luke, the real protagonist is Jesus himself. All that the angel imparts to Mary, he says in relation to Jesus. She is given privileges and favors to make her worthy of the awesome role as the mother of the Messiah.
    Luke is primarily concerned with telling us who Jesus is: he is the Messiah foretold by the prophets of old. “The Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel” (Is 7:14). It is he, the offspring of David, who will sit on the royal throne and will be a sign of salvation for God’s people.
    Above all, Luke wants us to realize that Jesus is God’s gift of himself to mankind. Jesus is perfectly human, but his humanity comes not from man’s generating power. Rather, he represents a new creation brought about by the initiative and power of God: by “the power of the Most High,” by the “Holy Spirit.” Thus, Jesus is “holy.” He is totally consecrated to God and his saving work.
    Now, where does Mary stand in all of these? As Fr. Nil Guillemette, SJ comments, God could have simply placed Mary before an accomplished fact. He could have sent Gabriel merely to let her know that she has already conceived through the Holy Spirit. But God does not work that way. He prefers to solicit Mary’s free consent regarding her role in God’s plan of salvation. Being a true “handmaid of the Lord,” Mary willingly obliges. One wonders what would have happened had Mary said “no” to the angel.
    Because he truly respects and trusts us, God continues to take “risks” by allowing us the freedom to either realize or spoil his plans. He invites us to actively get involved in the continuous re-forming of our own lives and the world we live in.
    Like Mary, we say “yes” to God’s invitation when we stand up for the rights of everyone and fight against oppressive structures in society. We also say “yes” when we lend a helping hand or a listening ear to neighbors in need. Every single act of love and service that we do for one another is a “yes” to God. Indeed, serving others with love is the best way of celebrating Christmas, the birth of our Messiah, which Mary’s “yes” made possible.

Daily Reflections for the Misa de Gallo (in Preparation for the celebration of the Birth of Christ)
December 16 - 24, 2005

PART 1: December 16-17

December 16, 2005    The First Day of Misa De Gallo (B) - White

LIKE BURNING AND SHINING LAMPS
First Reading: Isaiah 56:1-3,6-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 67 - "O God, let all the nations praise you!"
Gospel: John 5:33-36

A burning and shining lamp—Lamps were used in Palestine before the Israelites conquered the land. They were a fixture of domestic life, used to give light to the house in the evening. They came in varied sizes. Small, hand-held lamps were common. In view of their small capacity, carrying a supply of oil was essential, as we see in Jesus’ parable of the Ten Virgins (Mt 25:3-8). Bigger lamps and lampstands were used to light the Temple of Jerusalem. A seven-branched lampstand called the Menorah was used in the tabernacle.
    Lamps and light are positive images in Scripture. The guidance of parents is a lamp for children (Prv 6:23). The Word of God is extolled as like “a lamp to my feet” (Ps 119:105). At the end of the Bible, lamps are no longer needed because the lamp of the new city “is the Lamb” (Rv 21:23) and “the Lord will be their light” (Rv 22:5).
    Jesus is the light of the world (Jn 8:12), one who overcomes the darkness. But he also tells the disciples that they are the light of the world, emphasizing on allowing their lamps to shine (Mt 5:15).
    Jesus also points to John the Baptist as a “burning and shining lamp.” The Greek word kaiomenos (translated as “burning”) is a passive participle, and is better rendered as “kindled.” This means that the light of the Baptist is an initiative of God who sent John to bear witness to Jesus, the Messiah. The witness of John consists in his fearless exposure of wrongdoing and in his pointing others to Jesus. After this, he fades from the scene because as a lamp he thinks it necessary for Jesus, who is the light, to increase and for himself to decrease (Jn 3:30).
    This Christmas season, we are invited to be like John the Baptist. We are invited to be witnesses to God’s greatest act of salvation - giving us Christ - His Eternal Word made flesh and offered for our salvation. Let us be like burning and shining lamps that guide other people back to the Father.

December 17, 2005    The Second Day of Misa De Gallo (B) - White

OF SAINTS AND SINNERS
First Reading: Genesis 49:2,8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 72 - "Justice shall flourish in his time and fullness of peace forever."
O Antiphon: O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge!
Gospel: Matthew 1:1-17

The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ - A book of genealogy is a representative element of one’s family. This gives us a foretaste of where you came from and what lineage are you in.
    In fulfillment of the prophecies and the plan of salvation, the Lord Jesus comes from the lineage of David, the son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1). We see that Jesus, the Messiah, does not come from a heraldic/royal lineage, instead he is an offspring of an ordinary lineage: made up of saints and sinners. This means that Jesus is born among us, ordinary people, and has come to save us and be one with us.
    As people of the living God, we are invited to welcome Christ in our home, in our hearts, to be vessels of this seed, who is our refuge and strength. Though, we are sinners, Christ will bloom in our hearts, and will stay with us forever.

SANTUARIO DE SAN JOSE PARISH
Buffalo cor. Duke Sts., Greenhills East, Mandaluyong City
Tel Nos. 725-2044, 721-3842
Fax No. 724-4139

SCHEDULE OF LITURGICAL SERVICES FOR THE SEASONS OF ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS

December 16 - 24, 2005          MISA DE GALLO     5:00 a.m.
N.B. From December 16-24, the daily 6:15 a.m. mass is cancelled.

December 24, 2005  Saturday   THE SOLEMNITY OF CHRISTMAS
                                             Mass at Midnight - 10:00 p.m.

December 25, 2005  Sunday     THE SOLEMNITY OF CHRISTMAS DAY
                                            6:15, 7:15, 8:15, 9:15, 10:15, 11:15 a.m.
                                            12:15 nn
                                            6:15, 7:15, 8:15 p.m.
N.B. Those who have attended the Solemn Mass of Christmas Midnight have fulfilled their Sunday Obligation. December 25 is a holy day of obligation. Everyone is obliged to hear mass.

December 30, 2005  Friday      THE FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY
                                            6:15, 7:15 a.m.; 6:15 p.m. (Main Church)
                                            12:15 nn (Holy Family Chapel)

December 31, 2005  Saturday   NEW YEAR’S EVE MASS   9:00 p.m.

January 1, 2006       Sunday      SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
                                             NEW YEAR’S DAY
                                             6:15, 7:15, 8:15, 9:15, 10:15, 11:15 a.m.
                                             12:15 nn
                                             6:15, 7:15, 8:15 p.m.
N.B. Those who have attended the New Year’s Eve Mass have fulfilled their Sunday Obligation. January 1 is a holy day of obligation. Everyone is obliged to hear mass.

HAVE A GRACE-FILLED CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED YEAR TO COME!!!

December 11, 2005    The Third Sunday of Advent (B) - Rose

First Reading: Is 61:1-2a, 10-11
Responsorial Psalm: Lk 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54
                "My soul rejoices in my God."
Second Reading: 1 Thes 5:16-24
Gospel: Jn 1:6-8, 19-28

"I am the voice of one crying out in the desert"

Today we light the rose-colored candle of the advent wreath, symbolic that we are standing at the threshold of our advent preparations and as we welcome Christ in our hearts.

We focus our attention on John the Baptist as witness to Christ’s coming.

(to be continued…)

December 8, 2005  The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (B) - Blue 

The Liturgy for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception uses the story of the Fall in Genesis 3:9-15, 20 as the first reading, suggesting the Mary/Eve comparison. The second reading from Ephesians 1:3-6, 11, 12, speaks of those who are chosen in Christ, emphasizing the "mysterious purpose of God, "Who foresaw the redemption worked in His Son. Those chosen are to be "holy and spotless." The Gospel is the Annunciation account (Luke 1:26-28) relating Mary’s Immaculate Conception to her maternity.

THE 150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROMULGATION OF THE DOGMA OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
(Dec. 8, 1854 to Dec. 8, 2004)
"We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful."

THE 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONCLUSION OF THE SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL
(Dec. 8, 1965 to Dec. 8, 2005)
On December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Council formally concluded, with an outdoor Mass in St. Peter’s Square. Pope Paul VI addressed the whole world, in greeting and invitation. “Is it not perhaps in directing our gaze on this woman who is our humble sister and at the same time our heavenly mother and queen, the spotless and sacred mirror of infinite beauty, that we can terminate the spiritual ascent of the Council…? Is it not here that our post-conciliar work can begin? Does not the beauty of Mary immaculate become for us an inspiring model? A comforting hope?”

"Father, You prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy mother of Your Son."

Today, we celebrate the great Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. This dogma of the Catholic Church presents to us lessons about the Blessed Virgin Mary, as the Mother of God, and as the Mother of the Church:

Mary is beautiful. God presents himself to humanity through beautiful things. True enough, God revealed himself to us through Mary, the most beautiful virgin Mother. Look at her beautiful eyes and see how she loves each and every one of us. Look at her beautiful smile and see how deep her tender touch of love inebriates in our hearts.

Mary is blessed. In his loving plan of salvation, God prepared the Virgin Mary, from her moment of conception, to be the Immaculate Mother of his only-begotten Son. Mary, thus opened the doors for the coming of the Messianic Age. Hence, Mary is blessed by the Lord so much that she affirmed it in her words, "I am the maidservant of the Lord."

Mary is humble. God chooses among those who are lowly and unblemished. Mary is the perfect example of humility in this material world. She invites us to be humble also in our ways.

On this great feast of Our Lady, we invited therefore to be arks of God’s covenants and be blessed like Mary, our Immaculate Mother.