On this last day of Simbang Gabi 2012, I'd like to bring the curtains down on my Christmas novena journey as I share my last three major takeaways. It has really been a reflective and spiritually uplifting experience for me as the Lord has personally dealt with me through each mass.
7th day of Simbang Gabi at EDSA Shrine - Major Takeaway - The Lord
encourages to seek two things as evidenced in the Magnificat of Mama Mary:
1) To seek to have depth in our lives - to be able to know our purpose and
meaning of our lives, to know what direction our lives are headed and to have
the foundation of our lives solidly built on the Lord. It is not about the
height (or the desire for people to hold us in high esteem according to the
world's standards) nor width (or the desire to accumulate wealth and have an
abundance of material resources so that people will be envious of your
situation) but a desire to put depth into our lives and, therefore, come to
understand the Lord's will for our lives even more.
2) To seek to have overflowing goodness and possess an overflowing spirit - to
be able to well up with joy like Mama Mary in her Magnificat and to share this
joy with others around us. When Mama Mary expressed her Yes to the Lord and the
Lord blessed her, she was overflowing with joy and gratitude that she could not
contain with in herself so she had to share it with someone like her cousin
Elizabeth. In every circumstance in our lives, regardless whether it is a
blessing or a difficulty, we want to be able to express gratitude to the Lord
for giving us to the opportunity to experience His generosity, His mercy, His
love and His faithfulness.
And so just like Mama Mary, I sing with joy:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
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| blueeyedennis-siempre.blogspot.com |
8th Day
of Simbang Gabi (4th Sunday of Advent) at Ortigas Park - Major Takeaway - We
hear the story of the Visitation again today. This story allows us to reflect
and ask ourselves the following:
1) Do we still have
room in our lives for the Lord or are we too preoccupied by the cares and the
busyness that characterized this world? Can we still take time to come before
the Lord in communion with Him and allow Him to fill our hearts and minds or is
the hustle and bustle around us getting most, if not all, of our attention? The
example of Mama Mary and Elizabeth allow us to see that the Lord was able to
fill their emptiness (referring to their wombs) with fullness of life in the
persons of their soon to be born sons Jesus and John the Baptist. Can we also
empty ourselves so that we can be filled by the encompassing and loving
Presence of the Lord?
2) When we
experience blessings in our lives, are we excited to share these with others
around us or do we just keep them (especially material blessings) to ourselves, for our
own satisfaction? A proverb highlights that a joy shared is a joy doubled or
multiplied. It seems that, with tragedies recently happening like Typhoon Pablo
and the Sandy Hook Elementary School killings, a lot of people aren't
experiencing a lot of joy but the Lord is challenging all those who have
experienced blessings or have the opportunity to reach out and share, to go
beyond themselves and experience their joy and their blessings being doubled or
multiplied as they allow others in need to partake of the goodness they have
received.
As we eagerly await the birth of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the greatest gift, blessing and source of joy we could ever experience,
let us allow the Lord to fill us with His loving Presence and allow the
blessings that come from Him to overflow and be shared to others around us. As
He gave of Himself to others, let us also give of ourselves.
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| blueeyedennis-siempre.blogspot.com |
9th Day of Simbang Gabi at St. Therese, UPLB - Major Takeaway
- Zechariah's Benedictus is a testament of faith in the Lord and communicates a
desire to bless the Lord who has bestowed bountiful blessings on His people.
This includes the blessing of the birth of Zechariah's son, John, who is
concrete proof that the nothing is impossible with the Lord.
In response to the
exceeding goodness of the Lord, Zechariah also blesses his son and conveys his
understanding of how the Lord will use John to be "the voice in the
wilderness" that will prepare the way of the Lord, the Messiah. We also
want to be used by the Lord in the same way as John - to lead others to the
Lord as we share our faith experiences and encourage and inspire others to
share their own faith experiences with others.
This video
challenges us to be more sensitive to others in need around us and realize that
even just one small gesture of sharing, one simple act of kindness can make
such a great impact on the lives of others. :-D
May you experience the joy and hope of the Lord in this blessed Christmas season!
