For the fourth Simbang Gabi, Rev. Fr. Felix Pacia, MMHC presided over the mass. He stated the two similarities of Elizabeth and Mary. And the two messages for this Simbang Gabi.
In the gospel, Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth in Juda. It is called the meeting of the two pregnant women. Mary conceives Jesus and Elizabeth to John the Baptist.
Fr. Felix quoted from Pope Benedict XVI, "The meeting of the two women is symbolic because it refers to the encounter of the old testament and the new testament." Elizabeth symbolizes the old testament wherein the Israelites are waiting for the Messiah, while Mary symbolizes the new testament that will fulfill the coming of the Messiah.
The first similarity of the women is that they both conformed to God's will. Despite the age of Elizabeth, she still conceived John the Baptist that will prepare the way of the Lord. And Mary is the one who will bear the son of God. The second similarity is that they are both conscious of the blessings of God. They both abide by God's will without hesitation and praise him.
Lastly, the two messages for the fourth simbang gabi are: Let us obey God's will and count our blessings.
Obey God's will. The will of God is that we stay true to our baptismal promise. When we arrive in our homes, let us ponder what good deeds we can do before Christmas. Analyze what are the wrongdoings we need to eradicate and overcome. Because this is a wonderful gift for the Lord.
Count our blessings. We should be like Mary and Elizabeth, conscious of the blessings of God. If we always count our blessings we will always have something to share. As we can see in the news, some of the houses and churches in the Visayas are ruined because of typhoon Odette. However, as we can see, we are blessed since our house can withstand a typhoon have a beautiful and sturdy church. We need to open our eyes. The eyes of our faith that recognize the many blessings of the Lord.
He also shared his experience when they distributed relief goods. He realized that if we help our fellow, we are also blessed.
We are encouraging you, the faithful, to support and participate in the program of the Social Services Ministry "Balik Handog" in its 5th year. Wherein you can get a bag from the office or in the patio of the church to be filled with essential goods that you can offer in the mass. That will be distributed to those who are in need in the upcoming feast of the Holy Family on December 26, 2021.
For more updates and information, visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/OurHolyFamilyPH, Twitter @OurHolyFamilyPH, Instagram @ourholyfamilyph, and Youtube Holy Family Parish Marikina.
Article by Athea Baranda