Year 29 No. 41 AMBUHAY ST PAULS MEDIA RESEIMeae7 Feast of the Santo Nifio (C) — White issalette January 17,2016 Towards Christ, Our Head +t is significant that the gospel of salvation arrived in the Philippines with the image of the Santo Nifio. This is indeed “abundant joy and great rejoicing.” The salvation prophesied by Isaiah was to begin in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, the territory of Israel inhabited by semi-pagans, hated by Jews and devastated by war, but will be glorified in the future (cf. Is 8:23). As the child who was born grew to be known as Jesus of Nazareth, “he went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled” (Mt 4:13-14). But how does this salvation that would give us hope of future glory come about? In the Gospel today, we see the twelve-year-old child Jesus leaving his parents to be in his Father’s house. This seems to echo the text from Gn 2:24 that says, “A man leaves his fathet and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.” And Saint Paul comments on this in his Letter to the Ephesians saying, “This is a great mystery, but | speak in reference to Christ and the Church” (5:32). Jesus stays in and clings to his Father's house, his bride, the Church, to do the will of his Father which is to save mankind through passion, death, and resurrection—the mystery we and Our Ho celebrate in the Eucharist. Jesus has united himself to us as to a wife, making himself and us into one body, the Church— he as the head and we his members—sharing his divine glory. He makes us partakers of himself by giving us his Body in the Eucharist. And being one with Jesus, we as a Church also share in his work of saving all humanity. Our devotion to the Santo Nino must lead us to a deeper love for the Eucharist and dedication to the work of salvation. As the Basic Text of the 51% International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) puts it, ‘The Paschal Mystery of [Jesus’] passion, death, and resurrection was to be the central cause of salvation. It was ‘by dying that he has destroyed our death, and by rising that he has restored our life.’ By the mystery of his dying and rising SUNDAY = TV MARIA: pe Christ has indeed become our hope of glory. For the Holy Spirit whom he handed over as he breathed his last on the Cross (cf. Jn 19:30) brought forth “the wondrous sacrament of the whole Church’ so that just as Christ was sent by the Father, so also does he send his Church, the community of his disciples, to continue proclaiming his work of redemption.” Thus, we for instance, as the Church in Asia, join our Lord Jesus Christ in his great work of salvation through a mission in dialogue with peoples and cultures, with religions and religious traditions, with the poor and with the youth, so that the “great light” may spread all over to bring “abundant joy and great rejoicing,” to bring the reign of Christ whose “dominion is vast and forever peaceful.” While the work of salvation starts in this earthly life, it will only find its perfect fulfilment in the next. “The Eucharist is the tension toward the goal, the foretaste of the fullness of joy promised by Christ (cf. Jn 15:11). In a certain sense, it is the anticipation of the final Kingdom, the “pledge of future glory,” in the trustful waiting that “the blessed hope is accomplished and our Savior Jesus Christ may come” (IEC Basic Text). — Most Rev. Jose S. Palma, D.D. Archbishop of Cebu AEs Ree) =a baoH6)0) 2c ki (eam!Bila nasce)) RITES vg Entrance Antiphon [Is 9:6] (Recited when there is no opening song) A child is born for us, a son given to us; dominion is laid on his shoulder, and he shall be called Wonderful- Counselor. Greeting (The sign of the cross is made here) P— The grace ofour Lord Jeus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. All — And with your spirit. Introduction (May be read using these or other similar words) P — The devotion to the Holy Child is the oldest and one of the most popular in the Philippines, and the Holy See has granted us special permission to celebrated the Feast of the Sto. Nifio every third Sunday of January. The feast brings to our attention the mystery of childhood. This means having the open and trusting disposition to accept the Lord’s gifts with gratitude, while seeing ourselves as hunble stewards who serve the Lord in the least of our brothers and sisters. Penitential Act P — Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, (Pause) All — I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, (sivihe your breast) through my fault, through my fault, through my most Srievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God, P — May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. All— Amen. P —Lord, have mercy. All — Lord, have mercy. P— Christ, have mercy. All — Christ, have mercy. P— Lord, have mercy. All— Lord, have mercy. Gloria All — Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore ‘you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, 0 God, almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. Collect P —Letus pray. (Pause) Almighty God, your only Son, begotten from all ages, humbled himself as a child in Nazareth and became subject to Mary and Joseph. Grant that we may learn from his example to embrace your will in all things and, holding fast to the dignity of all, serve our lowly brothers and sisters with open hands and gentle heart. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. All — Amen. Bie eee ick OF THE WORD First Reading (s 9:16) Isaiah prophesies that through the child wha shall bé called Prince of Peace, God will grant peace and rejoicing to his people. A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah THE PEOPLE who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as people make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for flames. Forachildis born tous, ason is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God- Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David's throne, and over his kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever. The zeal ofthe Lorn of hosts will do this! — The word of the Lord. All — Thanks be to God. Responsorial Psalm (Ps 98) R—The Lord is king; let the many isles be glad. D. Purto Eb Cm The Lord is king let the ma-ny isles be glad. 1. Sing to the Lorn anew song,/ for he has done wondrous deeds;/ his right hand has won victory for him,/ his holy arm. (R) 2. The Loxp has made his salvation known:/ in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice./ He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness/ toward the house of Israel, (R) 3. All the ends of the earth have seen/ the salvation by our God./ Sing joyfully to the Lorp, all you lands;/ break into song; sing praise. (R)4. Sing praise to the Lorp with the harp,/ with the harp and melodious song./ With trumpets and the sound of the horn/ sing joyfully before the King, the Lorn. (R) Second Reading (Eph 1:3-6, 15-18) God loves us and has made us his adopted children in Christ. Paul reminds us to live up to our dignity by leading a holy and blameless life. A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. Therefore, I, too, hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and of your love for all the holy ones, do not cease giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones. — The word of the Lord. All — Thanks be to God. Alleluia Jn 1:14, 12) (Stand) All — Alleluia, alleluia. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel (Uk 2:41-52) P —A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke All — Glory to you, O Lord. EACH YEAR Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. ‘After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his. mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man. — The Gospel of the Lord. All — Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. Homily (Sif) Profession of Faith (Stand) All — I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, (At the words that fallow, up to and including and became man, all bow) and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man, For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has, spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Chureh. T confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. Prayer of the Faithful P — On this Feast of the Sto. Nino, let us pray to the Father to make us worthy of being his beloved children. Let us remember in a special way the children of this nation and of the world. We shall pray: R — Hear the prayers of your children, Lord. Cc For the children of the ino nation and all children the world over: may they live in security and warmth, growing up as lovers of peace and committed citizens of their countries. We pray: (R) C —For adults: may they care for all children, show them the beauty of life, and bring them up responsibly; may they never lose the spirit of a child and so live with one another in friendship, freedom, and openness. We pray: (R) C—For the Filipino electorate: may they exercise their right to vote for our leaders, shun vote-buying, give priority to the good of the country over d interests, and see to it that the campaigns and elections be done in a peaceful and credible manner, We pray: (R) C — For our people: may our celebration of the Feast of the Sto. Nino be marked not only by cultural and religious festivities but also by a deepening of faith in Christ who is always attuned to the will of the Father. We pray: (R)C — For the celebration of the International Eucharistic Con- ‘gress: may the celebration and every Eucharist we participate in, strengthen our resolve to always trust in the providence of the Father; like a child trusting to his father. We pray: (R) P — Father, hear the prayers of your children who trust in you. May your Word and the Eucharist be our support and our guide. Give us a childlike disposition, for your kingdom belongs to the litle children. ‘We ask this through Christ our Lord. All — Amen. THE LITURGY OF Base Presentation of the Gifts (Stand) P —Pray, brethren.. — May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church. Prayer over the Offerings P— God our Creator, we offer the gifts of bread and wine to recall the childhood of your only Son. Let our offering become the sacrifice of him who brought forgiveness and peace to the world. Grant this through Jesus Christ our Lord. — Amen. Preface II of the Nativity of the Lord P—The Lord be with you. All — And with your spirit. P — Lift up your hearts. All — We lift them up to the Lord. Pe ue eve thankato the Lord our God. All — It is right and just. P —Itis truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through Christ our Lord. For on the feast of this awe- filled mystery, though invisible inhis own divine nature, he has appeared visibly in ours; and begotten before all ages, he JESUS, THE FACE OF GOD'S MERCY Vear of Mercy Catechesis Fr. James H. Kroeger, MM Preferential Love for the Poor The liturgical reform of Vatican II restored the ancient practice of involving the assembly in offering gifts at Mass; it sanctions “a procession of the faithful in which gifts for the poor may be presented with the bread and wine.” This practice is to manifest the intimate connection between the Eucharist and the Church's mission to care for the needy. The poignant words of Saint John Chrysostom emphasize this “Eucharist-Poor” relationship: “Do you wish to honor the body of Christ? Do not ignore him when he is naked. Do not pay him homage in the temple clad in silk, only then to neglect him outside where he is cold! and ill-clad. He who said: ‘This is my body’ is the same who said: “You saw me hungry and you gave me no food and ‘Whatever you did to the least of my brothers you did also to me’... Eucharistic table is overloaded with golden chalices when your brother is dying of hunger? Start by satisfying his hunger and then with what is {eft you may adorn the altar as well.” Indeed, the Eucharist isto increase, rather than lessen, our sense of responsibility for the needy in the world today, What good is it if the up in himself all s cast down, he might restore unity to all creation and call straying humanity back to the heavenly Kingdom. ‘And so, with all the Angels, we praise you, as in joyful celebration, we acclaim: All— Holy, Holy, Holy... (Knee) Acclamation (Stand) All — Save us, savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free. THE COMMUNION RI The Lord’s Prayer All — Our Father... P —Deliverus, Lord... All — For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever. Invitation to Peace Invitation to Communion (Kneel) P— Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb All — Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. Prayer after Communion (Stand) P —Letus pray. (Pause) Loving Father, you have nourished us at the banquet in honor of the Child born of the Virgin. We pray that we may advance in wisdom and grow daily in faith and works of love, so that we may find favor in your sight. Grant this through Jesus Christ our Lord. All — Amen. THE CONCLUDING ued P — The Lord be with you. All — And with your spirit. Prayer over the People P—Bowdown forthe blessing. May your people receive your holy blessing, O Lord, we pray, and, by that gift, spurn all that would harm them and obtain what they desire. Through Christ our Lord. All — Amen. P — And may almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, (#) and the Holy Spirit. All — Am en. Dismissal P — Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord. — Thanks be to God.