The Aguinaldo Masses are in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to be celebrated nine (9) days before Christmas for the perseverance of the nation in faith. In the spirit of the season, one may lawfully use in these Masses the Weekday Lectionary. The GLORIA is sung in these Masses and white vestment is used even on Sunday. (-from the ORDO)

Below are prepared Liturgical guide that contains the readings and prayers proper for each day of the Misa de Aguinaldo. Feel free to download and share these resources. May our celebration of the Misa de Aguinaldo truly prepare us to celebrate the big feast on Christmas Day, the birth of our Savior, the Emmanuel, Jesus.

So that each day, may also have a focus, I have designed an over-all theme for the Misa de Aguinaldo and particular theme for each day. The theme of the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines, GIFTED TO GIVE, is the over-all theme. From this theme comes the inspiration for each day.

There is also a prepared short introduction for each reading that will be useful for further reflection and connection with the theme.

Each file is in PDF form. Click the link to download it.

December 16 : Recognizing our gift and the gifts around us

Is 56:1-3a,6-8 – Foreigners came to believe in God. Through their encounter with the people of God, they too have recognized God’s presence in them. God’s people became a gift to those foreigners leading them to worship God and give thanks to God.
 
Psalm 67:2-3,5,7-8 – The Psalm recognizes God’s authority over all the nations. In this, even those who did not belong to the chosen people of God, they too were blessed because God created everything. This is a confidence in God who gathers everyone, without exception.
 
John 5:33-36 – Jesus recognized the role of his cousin, John the Baptist. John’s life and his presence was a testimony to the truth. He was a burning and true shining lamp for people to see and recognize the true light. John led people to Jesus. John’s life was a gift to people around him. Moreover, more than John the Baptist, the works of Jesus, were the very gifts also of God to us that point us to Jesus, the greatest gift we have.

December 17 : The Gift of our Family and healing of our Family History

Genesis 49:2,8-10 – Jacob called his sons and bestowed the blessing to Judah. The blessing also contains the prophecy of the rise of a King, in the person of David, the very lineage of Jesus claimed in the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 1:1-17 – The Gospel recounts the family tree of Jesus with 42 generations divided into three, that makes it 14. 14 is the equivalent of two 7. Seven is a perfect number in Jewish belief. And the repeated use of 7 means that God works in the human family of Jesus in an absolutely perfect way. The family tree though not perfect but with traces of sins and unfaithfulness, God works within human family to bring healing and life.

December 18 : The Gift of promise being fulfilled: A call to fulfill our commitment

Jeremiah 23:5-8 –  God proclaims his promise to save his people and give them security.

Psalm 72 – God’s promise is fulfilled as the people lived in justice and peace. The faithfulness of God in the covenant is shown on how God rescues the poor and saves and afflicted.

Matthew 1:18-25 – The scandalous pregnancy of Mary must have brought Joseph to confusion. Yet, because of his commitment to Mary and to God, he fulfilled his promise to protect her and the baby. Joseph embraced the Lord’s will because of his confidence in God who is with us.

December 19 : To be surprised with God’s gifts to us

Judges 13:2-7, 24-25 – The birth of Samson was a gift filled with surprises to Manoah and his barren wife.

Psalm 71: 3-4, 5-6, 16-17 – It is a song that expresses the hope for strength from God. It also expresses the spirit that completely puts trust in God and recognizes God even before birth.

Luke 1:5-25 – The announcement of the Birth of John the Baptist caught Zechariah off guard. He was too surprised that he could not believe it. Thus, he argued with the angel and in consequence was made mute because of his unbelief to God’s surprising gift to him.

December 20 : The Gift of Salvation fulfilled through our participation

2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 – The Prophet proclaims the very hope and joyful expectation of the fulfillment of God’s promise. This covenant rests now in that relationship with God as a father.

Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29 – The people at that time endured a great amount of suffering. In their anguish and fear, they recalled the covenant with God and recognized the “everlasting kindness of God.” God is faithful indeed, and God is our father.

Rom 16:25-27 – Paul reminds the Romans of God as the source of strength. And calls obedience to faith through Jesus.

Lk 1:26-38 – The words of Mary to the Angel Gabriel, “Let it be done to me according to your word,” was a statement of faith and also a statement of love. As God fulfills the promise, God also asks us to participate in the divine plan.

December 21 : The Gift of Presence

Song 2:8-14 – The Beloved has been visited by the lover. Such imagery portrays the excitement of being graced by the presence of the lover to the one being loved. This proclaims the hope of a new day as God comes, the lover, to his people, the beloved. The presence of the lover invites the beloved to arise from sadness and embrace life.

Psalm 33:2-3,11-12, 20-21 – This recalls the hope and the longing for God. The people waits for God’s coming whose presence is the strength of the people. In that anticipation, joy can be felt, thus, a calling to rejoice and sing praises to God.

Lk 1:39-45 – Knowing that Elizabeth needed help in her pregnancy, Mary came to visit her cousin. That visit revealed how a mere presence of a person brings joy to another. Moreover, what makes this visit more wonderful was the presence of God in the life of Mary. The baby in her womb was God’s presence being gifted to Elizabeth and to her child in the womb who leaped for joy.

December 22 : Gratitude to the Gifts of the Lord

1 Sam 1:24-28 – Hannah had been into humiliation and shame because of being infertile. She could not bear a son which gave her so much anguish. Being the second wife of Elkanah, Hannah was always humiliated by Peninnah, the first wife. Yet, through the prophet Eli, Hannah’s prayers were answered. She bore a son, Samuel. Because of her gratitude to God’s blessing and saving her for humiliation, she dedicated her son to God. In fact, because of this offering, Hannah had been blessed also to have 5 more children after Samuel.

1 Sam 2:1,4-5,6-7,8abc – This expressed the experiences of the people and particularly of Hannah in the first reading. God comes to rescue his people who were oppressed, humiliated and broken. The response, “My heart exults in the Lord my savior,” expressed that deep gratitude to God who is not indifferent to the suffering of the people.

Luke 1:46-56 – The song Mary, like the Psalm, expresses also that deep gratitude to the Lord. God is indeed great for he has done many great things even to the lowly ones. This recalls and recognizes the action of God where the powerful, the arrogant and the corrupt are brought to shame while the lowly, the poor and the hungry are raised and satisfied. Thus, Mary’s song as indeed a song of gratitude to God.

December 23 : God is gracious and fills us with gifts

Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 – In the prophecy from the Book of Malachi, the herald shall lead and gather the people to see God. He will be like a refiner’s fire who will teach and correct the wrong of the people. In this way, this herald will lead the people to repentance to fully welcome the Lord. The birth of this person is not by accident but planned well by God. The life of this person is the message of God to make the people prepare themselves for God’s coming. This is God’s promise which is to be first fulfilled through the participation of humanity, through us.

Psalm 25:4-5ab,8-9,10-14 – The author of the Psalm expressed the desire to be taught by the Lord and to be led to the truth. This is the role of the herald in the first reading and the herald in the Gospel of Luke who teaches, leads and gathers the people to recognize God’s graciousness.

Luke 1:57-66 – The name John literally means, God is Gracious. The birth of John the Baptist is a testimony of God’s graciousness not just to the old couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth but to the whole humanity. The couple is an image of the people who longed to be taught and to be led to God. As John was a gift to his parents, John also points to God’s graciousness who is about to come in its fullness.

December 24 : Unboxing the Gift

2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 – The Prophet proclaims the gift to be given to David. David who thought that he should build a house for God, was promised by the Lord to be given a house that will last forever.  This is the covenant so dear to the people because God is a father.

Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29 – Because of the suffering endured by the people of this time, they longed to that promise of God who shall show an everlasting kindness. What kept them hopeful was their confidence in God’s faithfulness because God is our Father.

Luke 1:67-79 – Zechariah recalls the covenant of God and the fulfillment of the promise of a mighty Savior. In his song, he also recounts how his eyes have seen clearly that promise being unfolded through the birth of his son John. John will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins. John is, indeed, unboxing the gift.