BY ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO

`SIMBANG GABI 2010’ BARES CHALLENGE TO CATHOLICS: The biggest challenge today to the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines stared on its face dawn of Thursday, December 16, 2010, at the start of its annual “midnight masses” to officially usher in Christmas 2010: how to make Catholics, particularly young Catholics, real followers and believers.

    While Director Nicanor Bartolome, the chief of the Philippine National Police National Capital Regional Office, in a radio interview conceded that almost every Catholic church in Metro Manila were really full because of so many churchgoers that morning, it was evident that many of those who attended the “simbang gabi”, though physically present, were really not involved in the mass.

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    MANY CATHOLICS ATTENDING MASSES NOT PAYING ATTENTION: Many, especially the younger ones who came in groups, bantered and noisily talked all the way, not paying attention to what the officiating priests were doing, not participating at all in the solemn ceremony, not understanding what, really, was going on, or why there were in church in the very first place.

    Watching all of these, I sadly thought then that, many of our countrymen who had to wake up very early to go to church, braving the cold breeze of a December morning for the first dawn mass of Christmas 2010, were there for a host of reasons other than Jesus, the God and Savior. Which is, to say the least, very unfortunate, and a real waste.

    For it is written: “…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead… As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead…” (James 2:17, 26, the Holy Bible).

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FIRST JOYFUL MYSTERY: BIRTH OF JESUS ANNOUNCED BY THE ANGEL GABRIEL: The Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary represent an account of how Jesus Christ started His life here on earth.
 
The first joyful mystery, the Annunciation, is found in Luke 1:26 to 38 of the Holy Bible, where the Angel Gabriel, “who stands in the presence of God”, came to Mary, a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David.

Gabriel told Mary, who was greatly troubled by the angel’s statement that she was highly favored in the eyes of God and that “the Lord is with you”, that she will be with child and give birth to a son, whose name will be Jesus and who will actually be called the Son of the Most High and will be given the throne of King David.

Mary was incredulous, and actually asked the angel how could she give birth when she had not known a man. The angel told her that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and the power of the Most High will overshadow her “so the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

The angel then assured Mary: “For nothing is impossible with God.” In reply, Mary uttered “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.”


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`Simbang Gabi 2010’: hamon sa mga Katoliko


    `SIMBANG GABI 2010’, NAGLABAS NG HAMON SA MGA KATOLIKO: Lumitaw noong Huwebes, Disyembre 16, 2010, sa pagsisimula ng taunang “simbang gabi” para sa Kapaskuhan 2010, ang pinakamalaking hamon sa Simbahang Romano Katoliko sa Pilipinas sa ngayon: kung papaano gagawin ang mga Katoliko, lalo na ang mga kabataan nito, bilang mga tunay na mananampalataya at tagasunod ng Simbahan.

    Bagamat iniulat sa isang panayam sa radyo ni Director Nicanor Bartolome, ang hepe ng Philippine National Police National Capital Regional Office, na punum-puno ang mga simbahan sa Metro Manila noong umagang iyon, maliwanag namang ang mga dumalo sa mga “simbang gabi”, kahit na nandodoon, ay wala namang pakialam sa mga kaganapan sa misa.

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    MARAMING KATOLIKO DI NA NAKIKINIG HABANG NAGSISIMBA: Marami sa mga ito, lalo na ang mga kabataang dumagsa ng grupo-grupo, ang walang pakundangan sa mga walang patid na biruan at maingay na usapan, hindi pumapansin sa ginagawa at sinasabi ng pari, hindi sumasama sa nagaganap na banal na seremonyas, hindi nakakaintindi, kahit na katiting, sa misa, o kung bakit nasa simbahan sila ng mga oras na iyon.

    Habang pinagmamasdan ko ang lahat ng ito, malungkot na sumagi sa aking isip na marami sa ating mga kababayan na gumising ng napakaaga upang tumungo sa simbahan bagamat napakalamig ng simoy ng hangin sa unang simbang gabi ng Pasko 2010, ang nandodoon at dumadalo na hindi na si Jesus, ang Diyos at Tagapagligtas, ang dahilan. Na talaga namang sayang lang.

    Sapagkat nasusulat: “…ang pananampalatayang walang kasamang gawa ay patay…Gaya ng patay ang katawang walang espiritu, gayundin naman, patay ang pananampalatayang walang kasamang gawa…” (Santiago 2:17, 26, Bibliya).

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KAPANGANAKAN NI JESUS, IPINAHAYAG NG ANGHEL: Ang mga Misteryo sa Tuwa ng Banal na Rosaryo ay naglalarawan ng kung papaano inumpisahan ni Jesus ang Kanyang buhay sa mundong ito.

    Ang unang misteryo sa tuwa, ang Pagpapahayag, ay matatagpuan sa Lukas 1:26 hanggang 38 ng Bibliya, na kung saan ang Anghel na si Gabriel “na nakatayo sa harapan ng Diyos” ay nagtungo kay Maria, isang birheng nakatakda ng magpakasal sa isang lalaking ang pangalan ay Joseph, isang apo ni Haring David.

Sinabihan ni Gabriel si Maria na siya ay kalugod-lugod sa Diyos at ang Diyos ay sumasakanya at dahil diyan, si Maria ay maglilihi at magiging ina ng isang batang lalaki, na ang pangalan ay Jesus at tatawaging “Anak ng Kataas-taasan” at siyang mamumuno ng kaharian ni David.

Hindi makapaniwala si Maria, na nagtanong kung papaanong magaganap ang mga sinabi sa kanya gayong wala naman siyang asawa. Ayon kay Gabriel, ang Espiritu Santo ay bababa sa kanya at siya ay lulukuban upang ang “banal na isisilang ay tatawaging Anak ng Diyos.”

Matapos noon, nagsabi ang anghel kay Maria: “Walang imposible sa Diyos.” Sa kanyang sagot, sinabi naman ni Maria: “Ako ay lingkod ng Diyos, maganap nawa sa akin kagaya ng sinabi mo.”

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