Simbang Gabi Mass. Advent. (2016-12-16)

16  December  2016 - FRIDAY

Friday 3^rd Week of Advent, 1st night of Simbang Gabi Novena

[__01]     One morning at the start of a summer vacation trip, I woke up very early – for me anyway – to go to Newark Airport for a flight to North Carolina to visit family.

The plane was scheduled to take off at 6:00 am. Thus, I had to be the airport by 5:00 am, awake and ready to leave before 4:00 am …

Perhaps, you have had such an early morning experience and departure, as I had.

First, when you or I – individually or with a family or group – wake up very early for the preparation and departure, we may think that we are the only ones in the world who are awake. The rest of the house, neighbors, neighborhood is asleep.

Then, we arrive among the trains, planes, and automobiles. Or, we arrive at Newark Airport, we see thousands of people who also have arisen, awaken, very early.

[__02]       In the Gospel, we observe that Jesus is born in the middle of the night to his family, to Mary and Joseph alone. A small party of 3.

          In this Novena of Simbang Gabi, Misa de Gallo, we imitate Mary and Joseph in their anticipation. Coming together at night, or in the style of gathering at morning in the Misa de Gallo, we recognize Jesus as the light which the darkness cannot overcome, the light which darkness, brokenness and injustice shall not overcome. He too shall overcome sin and death and helps us to do the same.  (say more? Give example?)

          We sing, for example, SILENT NIGHT, to proclaim NOT that all is perfectly organized and in place in our own lives ..

          .. but that all is bright because we together in small crowds and large crowds gather round yon virgin mother and child. In God’s presence, and before the Tabernacle, whenever we come for Eucharistic adoration or when we come to meditate on God’s presence in the Tabernacle, all is calm all is bright.

          It is my experience, my suggestion , for example, that a good way for us to pray in silence is NOT to regard SOLITUDE as an escape but as a form of communion and community.

          In silence before Him, God does not rescue us from other people and relationships but helps us to face them, to arise and to be awake to them.

[__03]      When I was in high school, I was commuting back and forth from home to the school which was about five miles away. My classmates, friends and others in hometown were organized into carpools.

          And, our parents would share the driving responsibilities. I was in a carpool of three or four other boys. And, every morning, we would be picked up – or we would go to pick up the others in the carpool.

          The trouble or delay in this scenario depended on the readiness of the person to be picked up, to be transported.   The “good ones” were waiting outside before the car arrived, even if it were cold.

          Others waited inside. And, some would cause us to delay until they walked out to the car. I was kind of embarrassed to realize at some point during my high school years that I kept everyone waiting.

          That is, I was awake “officially” and semi-conscious (physically) but I was still drowsy. And, sometimes, I would fall asleep waiting for the car to arrive. But nobody said anything, at least not right away.  Maybe, they were tired too.

          Then, one day, I commented on how long it took one of my classmates to exit his house and get to the car. I was told, in words to the effect… “it takes one to know one, Ferry.”

[__04]      The experience of waking up to Christ, to his mercy, to his love is a personal, individual choice.

          Yet, this choice also brings us into closer contact and communion with others, with God’s plan.

[__05]       Our prayers, our meditations before God are good and beneficial because they help us to recognize God is the one who first loved us, first called us.

          Thus we return love to God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit knowing we are loved by Him.

          We call upon and ask for help in prayer because we know that he first called us.  We also know that he knows what we are going to say and ask for. Nevertheless, we ask.   Lots of people – those most intimate to us – often know what we are going to say before we say it. Neverthless, it is beneficial and strengthening to ask and to be asked.

          Knowing that God loves us and knowing that God calls us, we also know that he has given us responsibilities, even work to do, but at Christmas, he also simply asks us to rest in his presence. He gives us grace and rest, light in the darkness.     [__fin__]