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BLD St. Catharines, District in Process
Bukas Loob sa Diyos Open in Spirit to God
Dec.ember 2009 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 4
6" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means
least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.”]
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O Little Town of Bethlehem
O little town of Bethlehem How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight
For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth
How silently, how silently The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of His heaven. No
ear may his His coming,
But in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive him
still,
The dear Christ enters in.
O holy Child of Bethlehem Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us Our Lord Emmanuel
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Christmas is one if not the busiest time of the year for
travelers. It is a time when family travel from afar to join their
love ones for a joyous reunion. It is a time when people visit all
the big malls in the city and across the border to hunt for
bargains to be found only during the Christmas season. It is also
the time when people
fly to some tropical paradise to escape the harsh and cold
winters in North Amer-ica, or get away from drudgery of every day
life. But is this the reason why we are celebrating Christmas?
Christmas should be the season for journeying back in time with the
Christ-child, from the moment of his conception, the quest for a
birthing place for Jesus, the birth of our Lord, the flight to
Egypt, and Jesus’ presentation in the temple. It is a journey we
must all take each year, so we will not lose sight of the real
meaning and purpose for our celebration, and the person whose
birthday we are celebrating. Christmas according to the Gospel of
Luke is “good news of great joy for all peo-ple”. Jesus, “Emmanuel”
has come to the world to be “God with us” today, to-morrow and
everyday. Let this knowledge nourish and bring joy to our hearts,
our mind and spirit that we might celebrate Jesus eternal presence
in us 24/7. When we are at the manger, standing at the foot of the
Baby Jesus, we are re-minded that at the end of our dark and
difficult journey here on earth, light to be found, there is reason
to rejoice, and there is peace and good-will to look forward to.
The Christ-child knows it all inside out and has gone through the
diffi-cult lives we live. Though born as the Messiah, he came from
humble begin-nings – poor and ordinary. Yet, he was feted like a
king, adored by the angels with heavenly praises, served by the
shepherds and gifted by the Magi with gifts of gold, incense and
myrrh. He was threatened with possible death from the hands of the
jealous Herod, but escaped to Egypt with the intervention of God
through the Magi. In our most trying moments, faith in the Divine
child is all that we need. Let us bring to his feet everything that
is broken in our lives, and for sure Christ will fix it as
promised. As a community of believers, God calls us to reflect on
the life of this helpless, innocent baby lying in the manger, who
became Lord and Savior of all. We are reminded that Jesus came to
this world for all men – even for sinners like us. When we feel
unworthy of our calling as disciples and when we feel we have
nothing to contribute, Christ calls us to look up at the person of
the Baby Jesus - helpless yet carried the world’s destiny in his
hands - healing with his touch, ran-soming us with his love and
life and completing the very work he has began in us.
Christmas Message
“good news of great joy for all people”
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So brothers and sisters in Christ, let us proclaim the true
meaning of Christmas each day in our personal lives and in
community. Let us inspire others to cele-brate Christmas as the
heavenly angels do. Let the Christ child woo us in every way as we
allow him to walk with us in our journey of faith. May you have a
Blessed and Joyful Christmas and a Bright New Year Ahead. In
Christ, Jess & Marilen Angeles (on behalf of DCS Toronto)
We thank all of you for allowing us to serve but most of all …….
“We Thank God For You.” Thessalonians 1:2 May the love that came
that Holy Night fill your days with Love and Joy. Merry Christmas
District Leaders Conference (DLC) BLD St. Catharines (DIP)
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hat are we doing to get ready for the Lord’s coming? Are we
caught up in the hurry and scurry of planning
Christmas parties, putting up Christmas decorations or weaving
in and out of shopping malls trying to get our Christmas shopping
done? And, once again, did we cave in to our children’s “wish list”
into getting them that latest technical gizmo or electronic toy or
brand clothes, so they won’t feel “deprived” because their friends
will surely have them? Or, are we totally lacking in the spirit of
Christmas because of a painful personal situation? Brothers and
sisters, let us not miss out on what Christmas is all about. It is
first and foremost about God’s love and His plan for our salvation.
And if only for that reason, Christmas should become for us a time
of hope and spiritual joy. And Christian joy does not just come
from having “stuff” or the absence of sorrow, pain or trouble, but
from a deep awareness of the presence of Christ within us. Let us
be grounded in the peace and joy of Christ as we accept His
presence every moment of our life. Like the angels who shook heaven
and earth on that first Christmas with their joyful praises of
“Glory to God in the Highest and peace to His people on earth!”
to-day, we are called to make known to all the world that it is
only in Him can true peace be found. As we await His coming, let
our preparation be a source of great blessing and gift for us all.
May our Christmas preparations bring us to a powerful
transformation in the way we live each day. We wish you all and
your families a Merry and Blessed Christmas. Come, Lord Jesus,
Maranatha! In Jesus, through Mary Olie and Menchu Ealdama DIP
Shepherds
Getting Ready
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ADVENT CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
“... and the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have
seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only-begotten son, full
of grace and truth.” John 1:14 Beloved Brothers and Sisters in
Christ, For the past fifteen years, we have faithfully gathered
together for our regular community praise and worship, and for the
Eucharistic celebration. With God’s grace, we have experienced a
changed life. Looking back, we are amazed at the way the Lord has
taken our small efforts and expanded them so dramatically. Over the
years, as we witnessed our community grow, reaching more and more
people through our various encounter programs, we have become
convinced that God is blessing us far beyond any of our
expectations. Clearly, we have planted seeds and watered the soil,
but it is God who has given the growth (1 Corinthians 4:7). We
praise and thank God for all of you, dear brothers and sisters who,
over the years have re-mained faithful and continued the generous
giving of your time, tal-ent and resources, to make ours the
welcoming and loving Christian community that it is today. We thank
God for all that He helped us to accomplish, and we ask for His
continuing blessings. During this Advent-Christmas season, we are
reminded that the Christ Child wants to reveal Himself to everyone
of us; that we might see His glory. As we go to confession, we are
encountering Jesus Himself, who is mercy and love incarnate. When
we receive Communion at Mass, we are coming into the presence of
Christ as He transforms the bread and wine into His own body and
blood. We have the blessings of Scriptures that describe Christ’s
glory as it was made manifest before the very eyes of the apostles
over and over again. Cont’d pg4
Poch & Avic Robles Roy & Carmen
MITRA Romy & Minda
Panday
Cip & Emmy Tabios
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Cont’d from p.3 ...DCS message Every time we gather in His Name
for our regular praise and worship and fellowship, we experience
His presence among us. O that we would allow the power of God’s
love to transform us - our inner and outer selves, and will
eventually allow us to live in God’s glory. As we approach
Christmas, let us treasure and draw strength from the most
comforting of His promises, that God is Emmanuel, “God with us.”
His Spirit is with us, and in us, always open to us and loving us.
Let us then open our hearts and minds and yield ourselves to God
that we may become a sign of JOY and PEACE for those whom we
encounter. May the Spirit of Christmas be truly in our hearts
always. Merry Christmas to all of you and your families. From the
District Council of Stewards, Cip & Emmy Tabios (Pastoral) Romy
& Minda Panday (Evangelization) Poch & Avic Robles
(Management)Roy & Carmen Mitra (Formation)
“and the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen
his glory, the glory as of a father’s only-begotten son, full of
grace and truth.” John 1:14 This is the reason for the season.
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When I imagine how a king would look, the image of Jesus as a
King portrayed in the scriptures seems to be completely contrary .
He associated with ordinary people like you and me, sinners, full
of doubt, ambition, and trying to make a living. In contrast,
royalties of our day seem so distant and out of reach. I will never
get near one in my lifetime. So, I am grateful that Jesus, Our
King, is ever close at hand. He is right beside me, knocking on my
hardened heart, inviting me to follow Him and live life according
to His plan. By His grace, He called me to serve Him through the
BLD commu-nity and with my renewed spirit, I found joy in serving
Him. At times, I get distracted with events in my life and I give
excuses and limitations to my service to Him. Yet in His goodness,
our Lord patiently waits and accepts whatever I can offer. I wonder
if I can get away with the same attitude if I am called to serve
the King of Saudi Arabia or Queen Elizabeth. I am sure that just
learning all the protocol on how to behave around them will take me
ages to learn and I will be expected to do as I am told. Af-ter the
teachings I went through in our community, I cannot help but be
convicted by my past attitude towards our Lord when I met with Him
only on the occasional Sunday when I l felt like going to church.
It is with shame that I admit that during those times I did hear
mass, I failed to honour Him , by how late I was, how I was dressed
and how I left right after receiving the Eucharist.
CHRIST THE KING Reflection by: Danny Zapata
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Now I wonder how I would respond if I have an audience with the
Pope or, being a golf enthusiast, asked to play with Tiger Woods. I
am sure that my preparation and planning will be at fever pitch and
I will be constantly wondering what to wear. If I am late for my
ap-pointment, will they give me another chance to make up for it?
Why don't I have the same enthusiasm when I have an invitation to
come to a perfect banquet to meet the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords? Why is it that I do not give my best to the Lord and yet
spend lots of time to deciding what to give to my boss or a loved
one? I am cer-tain that if a golf expert teaches me to change my
old swing to this or that, I will try my best to do it, yet I find
it difficult to follow God’s commandment of Love of neighbour and
love of God. I know for sure that I will try not to repeat the same
mistake when playing a round of golf with Tiger Woods yet have no
qualms about repeatedly committing the sins that separate me from
my God. Being a citizen of this country, I am expected to follow a
lot of rules, pay taxes and be law abiding and in return, enjoy all
the benefits the government has to offer. In His compassion, God
sent His only Son to die on the cross as a ransom for my sins. He
gave me the greatest gift I can ever receive in my lifetime, the
gift of salvation and a sure place in His heavenly kingdom. I have
not done nor will be able to do anything to deserve this wonderful
gift so I can only say a humble prayer : Lord Jesus, You love me in
my brokenness, pick me up when I fall, comforted me when I was
sick, lifted me up when I was discour-aged, strengthened me when I
was weary and provided for all my needs generously. For these, I am
forever grateful. Come into my heart and fill me with your mercy
and love as I become your wit-ness to the ends of the earth. Teach
me to live according to your purpose, to love you, honour you and
worship you with all my be-ing the way the King of King deserves.
Amen. Danny Z.
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Behind the Scenes, the Spirit is with Me by Lani S.Lirio (ME #
7/LSS # 9)
hen we watch a show, we are often amazed by how good the
performers are. We talk about how well they danced, sang, or how
well they made us laugh or cry. More often than not, we
don’t really pay attention to what’s happening behind the
scenes. I have been in a lot of behind the scenes production work.
As a student leader in high school, we often organize programs and
activities for the student body. It meant long hours in school, and
weekend meetings to ensure that the work we did was executed well.
We were accountable to our club mod-erator, the principal, and the
student body. As a school teacher back home, I often headed
committees for several academic and non-academic programs. which
was never an easy task. It required extra hours outside of my
normal work hours. It entailed a lot of meetings, brainstorming
sessions, delegation, and headaches! It was a lot of stress, as I
was held accountable to the students, parents, and adminis-trators.
Though it was hard work, it was very rewarding. However, I told
myself I would never get into this kind of work anymore. It’s too
much of a responsibility – high demands with no extra pay! I was
wrong for the Lord had other plans. The Holy Spirit has led me back
to work behind the scenes again. I was “volun-told” to do tasks for
LSS # 11. Initially, I felt trapped. I felt that saying NO was not
an option. But I knew that if I said “yes”,there will be no way
out. I didn't want to be im-mersed in this kind of work. But then
again, how can I say no to God’s call-ing? Preparing for LSS # 11
was indeed like coming up with a production num-ber. You deal with
preparations, schedules, demands, requests, and differ-ent
personalities in the community. But the only difference is, instead
of being accountable to a boss or supervisor; I realized that I was
account-able to the Lord Himself. I have to do a good job, not to
please anyone, but doing the task assigned to me with all my heart
can be my humble of-fering to the Lord. I admit that it’s not easy
to juggle the BLD Community work, and my regular job and motherly
responsibilities. But through the Holy Spirit who worked with me
behind the scenes, I was able to fulfill these duties. It is the
Holy Spirit who gave me the strength and drive to complete my LSS
tasks in spite of the other things that were going on in my
life.
W
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As in any production work, the reward can be fulfilling! During
the bap-tism of the Holy Spirit, I felt the lambs’ pain, sorrow,
joy and healing. See-ing all our new lambs embrace God’s love and
healing mercy, is more than enough reward for the small task that I
have done. Looking back, my tasks during the LSS were not as big,
as the other members in the com-munity. They had bigger
responsibilities than I had, but they never com-plained. I was
humbled by it. Now that we have new members in the community who
were blessed and baptized by the Spirit, our “Production Crew” has
gotten bigger. Some may stay with the community, some may leave,
but it is our hope that they find serving the Lord a fulfilling and
rewarding journey. It is not easy for the bumps ahead are many. But
with the Spirit working with us behind the scenes, every thing will
run smoothly. We are creating a production not only for the BLD
members, but more importantly, we are doing a production for God’s
greater glory. And it is through these activities, that we are able
to serve God and continue being the Salt and Light of the
Earth.
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Oct. 26-Nov.5 Ten members of St Catharines BLD Com-munity went
on a Pilgrimage to Rome and Holy Land. Among shown in the photo
gallery are Paz Diaz, Paz Mon-tenegro, Roy and Carmen Mitra; Gerry
and Zeny Ong-cango; Rene and Thelma Ongcanco ; Rey and Mabel
Per-las. Far right is “Abuna” (priest) Fr.Joe from OLA. Among the
highlights of the pilgrimage are the papal au-dience ( Pope
Benedict was arms length from the group ) and Renewal of Marriage
Vows at Cana. Guess who is the “Mudman” of the Dead Sea.
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Mudman!
Fr, Joe Wedding at Cana
Arabian Night
St. Peter’s Basilica
Temple Mount
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"Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the
kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the king-dom of God like a child, will not
enter it." Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his
hands on them. Mark 10 “14-16
Children from our Mark 10 Ministry led by Grace Gumolda wishes
everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!!
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R.J. Mateo
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Remembering the Joy of Christmas Past
By: Irene Gumolda
She brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in
swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger. Luke 2:7
It was Christmas Eve 2008 and I was one of the “Singles” who had
come together at the Pandays’ residence. Kuya Romy and Ate Minda
had invited us to have our Noche Buena with them. We sang and
danced together, ex-changing gifts and love for all…. We took a lot
of pictures, trying to outdo one another with our most striking
poses. At the stroke of midnight, each of the Singles was asked to
make a wish. And one by one, each of us made our wishes known: “to
have world peace”, “to have a house. . . a car”, “good living. . .
good health”, “to get married”, “to have more blessings. . . .” And
as we wished one another a “Merry Christmas”, each of us was
grateful for the blessing of being together, like a true family.
Yes, Christmas 2008 was truly one beautiful Christmas. Seeing the
Singles’ smiling faces that Christ-mas is one I will always
remember. . Now that Christmas 2009 is almost here, I wonder what
new wishes the Sin-gles will have. No matter what it is, as long as
it is for our good, we can trust our Lord Jesus to grant it. And
our gift to Jesus this Christmas is to continue to serve Him, in
whom “ we live and move and have our be-ing” (Acts 17:28).
God bless us everyone!
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Living the Word “And whatever things you ask in prayer,
believing you will re-ceive.’’ Matthew 21:22
“Then you will call upon me and go and pray to me and I will
listen to you.” Jer.29:12 Trusting in the Lord’s promise, Nardo and
Ronnie have been praying unceasingly for a new Kidney for Ronnie.
They have full trust in the Lord that in His time their prayers
will be an-swered. They prayed to the Infant Jesus (POGI) and not
long after Ronnie received her New Kidney and the transplant was
successful. Shown in picture is the Infant Jesus (Pogi) and group
picture with Ronnie and Nardo, Father Manny and friends after the
Thanksgiving Mass.
“Amen I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least
brothers of mine, you did it for me.” Matthew 25:40
BLD Members of St. Catharines raised $1300 to help the flood
victims in the Philippines. This was followed by abun-dant donation
of canned goods and clothes.
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“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with
dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life.” Luke 21
: 34
Quotable Quotes for:
“Behold, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit, the
day of salvation, peace and reconciliation : the great season of
Advent. This is the time eagerly awaited by the patriarchs and
prophets, the time that holy Simeon rejoiced to see. This is the
season that the church has always cele-brated with special
solemnity. We should always observe it with faith and love,
offering praise and thanksgiving to the Father for mercy and love
He has shown us in this mys-
tery.” St. Charles Borromeo
“Each person’s life, each person’s history, is the meet-ing
place God comes to. How satisfying to know one need not go to the
desert to meet Him, need not go to some particular spot in the
world. God is in your hearts.” Archbishop Oscar Romero
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“Hail Mary Full of Grace, the Lord is with you” December 8th is
the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
This dogma was proclaimed in 1854 by Pope Pius IX and it teaches us
that Mary was preserved not only from the stain of the original sin
that we all inherit from Adam and Eve but also from the commission
of any other sin during her entire life. Mary was preserved from
all sin by God the Father in preparation for her bearing His Son
Jesus. God created Mary without blemish and kept pure during her
lifetime. The fullness of grace was in Mary from the very first
moment of her existence, being the future mother of God. She was
ever pure, ever holy and ever immaculate. How fitting it is that
this mystery of Mary’s virgin birth is cele-brated during the Holy
Season of Advent. This is in harmony with the spirit of the church
in the season of expectation . As Mary pre-pared for the birth of
Jesus, we too prepare for His coming. The feast of the Immaculate
Conception tells us that the birth of Jesus is near. Mabel
Perlas-Word Ministry
The Immaculate Conception
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This advent, let us imitate our Mother Mary in her preparation
of the coming of the Messiah. Let us turn down, the frenzy, the
hustle and bustle of Christmas parties and shopping. Instead, let
us replace it with Mary’s contemplation. Even though we are busy
with our preparation for the Christmas festivities, let us try our
best to imitate Mary’s spirit of humility - staying quiet and
behind the scenes, keeping thoughts to Him , while Jesus was
growing in her womb. Let us convey to our family and friends the
messages of advent : 1. Charity for neighbor - practicing corporal
and spiritual works
of mercy. Note that it is in the giving, not the receiving. 2.
Humility is the basis of all virtues. Let us observe and con-
template it from the incarnation, imitating the humility of Mary
and Joseph.
3. Advent is the preparation of the coming of Christ. As we
celebrate the birth of our Lord , let us always stay “Awake” and
prepare for His second coming. Mabel Perlas—Word Ministry
“Blessed Mother, as you carry our Saviour , you were gifted with
intense love. As Jesus was within your womb, may He be within my
heart so that I too may have intense love for God and His peo-ple.
Blessed Mother may your sentiments toward your Son be my
sentiments. ” (excerpt from a prayer by Father J. Pasquini)
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ANG PASKO AY SUMAPIT
Ang Pasko ay sumapit Tayo ay mangagsi-awit Ng magagandang himig
Dahil sa ang Diyos ay pag-ibig Nang si Kristo ay isilang May
tatlong haring nagsidalaw At ang bawat isa Ay nagsipaghandog ng
tanging alay Bagong taon ay magbagong-buhay Nang lumigaya ang ating
bayan Tayo'y magsikap upang makamtan Natin ang kasaganaan Tayo'y
mangagsi-awit Habang ang mundo'y tahimik Ang araw ay sumapit Ng
Sanggol na dulot ng langit Tayo ay magmahalan Ating sundin ang
gintong aral At magbuhat ngayon Kahit hindi Pasko ay magbigayan
Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Prospero Ano y
Felicidad. Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Prospero Ano y
Felicidad. I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas I wanna wish you a
Merry Christmas I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas From the bottom-
of my heart.
I'll be home for Christmas; You can count on me. Please have
snow and mistle-toe And presents on the tree. Christmas Eve will
find me Where the love-light gleams. I'll be home for Christmas If
only in my dreams.
I'll be home for Christmas; You can count on me. Please have
snow and mistletoe And presents on the tree. Christmas Eve will
find me Where the love-light gleams. I'll be home for Christmas If
only in my dreams.
I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS CAROLS
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O Come All Ye Faithful
O Come All Ye Faithful Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Beth-lehem.
Come and behold Him, Born the King of Angels; O come, let us
adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
O Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God's holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let
us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning,
O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let
us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Go Tell It On The Mountain
Go tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain, Our Jesus Christ is born.
When I was a seeker I sought both night and day, I asked the
Lord to help me, And he showed me the way.
Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere, Go tell it on the mountain, Our
Jesus Christ is born.
He made me a watchman
Upon a city wall, And if I am a Christian,
I am the least of all.
Go tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain, Our Jesus Christ is born. Go tell it
on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere, Go tell it on the mountain,
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BLD St. Catharines, District in Process
Bukas Loob sa Diyos Open in Spirit to God
Silent Night
Silent night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin mother and child, Holy infant so tender and
mild,
sleep in Heavenly peace! sleep in Heavenly peace!
Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight; glories stream from Heaven
afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia, Christ, the Saviour, is born!
Christ, the Saviour, is born!
Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, Love's pure light radiant beams from Thy Holy face,
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.
Joy To the World Joy to the world! The Lord is
come: let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the earth! the Saviour reigns:
let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks,
hills and plains repeat the sounding joy.
. He rules the earth with truth and
grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his
righteousnes
and wonders of his love.