Special Philippine Feast
B. Small, Yet Great
Readings:
Is 9:1-6; Eph 1:3-6,
15-18; Ps 97:1,2-3,4-5,5-6; Mt 18:1-5,
10
Commentaries
/ Gospel Reflections from:
Daily
Gospel
•
Sundays
Into Silence
Greeting
(See Second Reading)
Grace and peace to you
from God our Father,
who has made us his children in Christ.
May he let his Spirit grow in you
to give you wisdom and understanding
and may the Lord Jesus be always with you. R/ And also with you.
Introduction
by the Celebrant
A. God Reveals Himself Early
It is only natural that on the feast of a child, the Santo Niño, God's own Son, we think of our own children in relation with the Child Jesus. How do they relate to him? How are they like-and unlike-Jesus? How can they, like Jesus, grow in wisdom and age and in favor both with God and with people? Jesus loves them and we love them. May they keep loving Jesus.
B. Small, But Great
When the Father gave us Jesus as a human child he gave us the promise of a future. This child would grow up in his humanity, identify with us, save us, begin with us God's kingdom of love and peace, and in this way train us for the journey to the future God has prepared for us. Every child born among us, every young person, is in a way a reminder of the future. God begins always anew with us. He does not give up on us. We can grow and go forward. Peace, love, God's kingdom will come and keep growing among us. God's people can remain young. In this spirit let us celebrate the Santo Niño as a child who leads us to our future and helps us grow up.
Penitential
Act
Have we let the Lord grow in us?
Let us examine ourselves before God.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you grew in age and wisdom.
Make us all grow like you:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you grew in favor with God.
Make us please God more and more:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you grew in favor with people:
Make us love one another more:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Lord, take our sins away
and restore the joy of our youth.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening
Prayer
Let us pray,
that we may accept our Lord in our lives
and become more like him
(PAUSE)
Father in heaven,
may we recognize your only Son as God
even in the lowliness of his human nature
and adore him as our mighty Lord
even in the frailty of his childhood.
May we follow him with sincere hearts.
Help us to welcome his kingdom among us
with the eagerness of a child
and to receive the reward promised to the humble.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Scripture Readings
First
Reading Introduction: A Son Is Given to Us
The sign that God saves us is the
birth of a small child who brings us peace, justice and integrity.
The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light.
A light has dawned on those who live in the land of the shadow of death.
You have enlarged the nation; you have increased their joy.
They rejoice before you, as people rejoice at harvest time
as they rejoice in dividing the spoil.
For the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressors, you have broken it as on the day of Midian.
Every warrior's boot that tramped in war, every cloak rolled in blood, will be thrown out for burning, will serve as fuel for the fire.
For a child is born to us, a son is given us; the royal ornament is laid upon his shoulder, and his name is proclaimed: "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
To the increase of his powerful rule in peace, there will be no end.
Vast will be his dominion, he will reign on David's throne and over all his kingdom, to establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time onward and forever.
The zealous love of Yahweh Sabaoth will do this.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 97:1,2-3,3-4,5-6
R. All the ends of the earth
have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
R. All the ends of the earth
have seen the saving power of God.
Cloud and darkness surround the Lord;
justice and right are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him;
everywhere it consumes the foes.
R. All the ends of the earth
have seen the saving power of God.
Fire goes before him;
everywhere it consumes the foes.
Lightning illumines the world;
the earth sees and trembles!
R. All the ends of the earth
have seen the saving power of God.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim God's justice;
all peoples see his glory.
R. All the ends of the earth
have seen the saving power of God.
Second
Reading Introduction: God Has Blessed Us in Jesus
God has chosen us as his children
in Jesus, his Son who became human for us.
Second
Reading: Eph 1:3-6, 15-18
Blessed be God, the Father of Christ Jesus our Lord, who in Christ has blessed us from heaven with every spiritual blessing. God chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and without sin in his presence.
From eternity he destined us in love to be his adopted sons and daughters through Christ Jesus, thus fulfilling his free and generous will.
This goal suited him: that his loving-kindness which he granted us in his Beloved might finally receive all glory and praise.
I have been told of your faith and your affection towards all the believers, so I always give thanks to God, remembering you in my prayers.
May the God of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Father of Glory, reveal himself to you and give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, that you may know him. May he enlighten your inner vision, that you may appreciate the things we hope for, since we were called by God. May you know how great is the inheritance, the glory, God sets apart for his saints.
Gospel
Introduction: Jesus Grew Up As a Human Person
When Jesus grew up, he asserted his
independence as a person to take up the mission for which the Father had
sent him.
Gospel
Reading: Matthew
18:1-5,10
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
Then Jesus called a little child, set the child in the midst of the disciples, and said, "I assure you that unless you change and become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes lowly like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whoever receives such a child in my name receives me.
See that you do not despise any of these little ones, for I tell you: their angels in heaven continually see the face of my heavenly Father.
Jesus had always preached that unless we are child-like, we cannot enter the Kingdom of God. The Gospel is overflowing with passages considering us as children of the Father. And we Filipinos have always been fond of children-for they always evoke hope, joy, peace and love! Besides, one can only have a pure, innocent, contrite heart if one is a child.
Amidst the troubles plaguing the world, may we allow the "child" in us to rule our hearts and minds-so that in our own little, child-like ways, we can truly bear witness to the Gospel of the Son of the Father.
General
Intercessions
As God's sons and daughters we entrust ourselves to him and we pray: R/ Lord, we are in your hands.
- Lord, give us the courage to put ourselves into your hands, for we know that you love us. And so we pray: R/ Lord, we are in your hands.
- Lord, give us the simplicity to enjoy all your good gifts that you shower on us in life, especially the love we can receive and give one another. And so we pray: R/ Lord, we live in your hands.
- Lord, give us the spontaneity to be honest and truthful with ourselves and with people. And so we pray: R/ Lord, we live in your hands.
- Lord, give us words of encouragement to lift up the hearts of those who doubt, of those who have lost self-confidence, of those who despair of the future. And so we pray: R/ Lord, we live in your hands.
- Lord, give us a warm love for children and all that is little and brittle, that we may help them to grow as free and responsible persons. And so we pray: R/ Lord, we live in your hands.
- Lord, give to our communities a spirit of welcome and service, that together we may build up a Church in which Jesus is alive. And so we pray: R/ Lord, we live in your hands.
Lord our God, let love and trust for your Son be the mark of all of us, and may it lead us to you, our living God, now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer
over the Gifts
God our Father,
with joyful hearts and living faith
we celebrate, today, the mysteries
of the childhood of your Son,
who became one of us.
May this sacrifice,
by which we can give you proper worship,
fully reconcile us to you.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction
to the Eucharistic Prayer
We now thank the Father wholeheartedly that he became close to us by giving us his Son Jesus as a child. He grew up with people and we want to grow up with him.
Introduction
to the Lord's Prayer
With Jesus we pray our prayer of trust
to our Father in heaven: R/ Our Father...
Deliver
Us
Deliver us, Lord, from all our fears
and give us peace and joy.
Keep us from doing evil
and fill us with the freedom
of Jesus, your Son.
Help us to become mature in our faith
and to be attentive to all that is little,
as we prepare for the full coming among us
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation
to Communion
This is Jesus, the Son of God
who became one of us
to make us sons and daughters of the Father.
Happy are we to receive him
and to grow in his life. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer
after Communion
God our Father,
in this eucharist you have satisfied our hunger.
With your Son, born of the Virgin Mary,
may we always seek your will,
grow in age, wisdom and grace,
and be aware that we are pleasing to you.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
In this eucharist we have honored Jesus
as the Santo Niño, God's Son as a child.
God's Son was born as a baby
but he did not remain a child;
he became an adult,
a full-grown man, who saved us
by his own responsible decisions and commitment.
It is like this adult we have to become,
his life we have to live,
his justice and love and generosity
we have to share with those around us.
That you may become a blessing to all,
may God bless you for this task:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go now in the peace of Christ
to love and serve God in people. R/ Thanks be to God.
Claretian Publications MACAU