The liturgy of the Catholic Church sets aside December 17-24 as special days of preparation immediately preceding December 25, the solemn feast of the birth day of the Lord. As such these days have a peculiar structure all their own punctuated by the so-called "O Antiphons" with gospel readings chosen from the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke and arranged more-or-less chronologically. On the basis of these gospel readings, Old Testament passages have been selected and coordinated with each gospel reading according to a type-anti-type schema.

In the Philippines, this special period within Advent has taken on a particular coloring in that it is subsumed within a string of nine-day Christmas novena masses beginning on December 16 (which is also the beginning of carolling days). The masses are celebrated in the wee hours of the morning (4 AM) and are also called Misa del Gallo, "the mass at cock crow" or, popularly as "Simbang Gabi". Within this series of novena masses, the characteristics of the Roman liturgy for Dec. 17-24 are retained but extended backwards to include December 16. What makes the Simbang Gabi special is the singing of the "Gloria" and the wearing of white vestments in anticipation of Christmas. Thus, the celebration of Christmas in the Philippines actually begins on the 16th of December with a series of masses anticipating the solemnity of Christmas Day.

A meditation on the events directly leading to Christmas

The gospel readings from December 17-24 are arranged more or less chronologically with the readings from Matthew 1:1-25 (December 17-18) given as a kind thematic introduction to the series that climaxes with the birth of Mary’s son in a manger. The purpose of the liturgy is for the Church to meditate on the events that directly lead to the birth of the Messiah. The sequence of the events begin with the annunciation of the good news of John the Baptist’s birth (December 19) going to the census that brings Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, David’s hometown (December 24, Vigil Mass)

The Place of John 5:33-36

For the December 16 reading, John 5:33-36 has a curious place. It shows Jesus in polemics with the Jews who interrogate him on account of his attitude towards the Sabbath. The selection of this passage as an Advent reading is based on verse 35

He (John the Baptist) was a burning and shining lamp,
and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. (John (NAB) 5:35)

The passage, as it is, recalls the reading of the previous Sunday (Year B, Sunday II) where the evangelist describes the way the Baptist considered himself (John 1: 6-8.19-27). The key phrase here is in vv. 6-8

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.

John was light (Jn. 5:35) but he was not the light that shines on all men (Jn. 1:9); rather, he came to testify to the true light. In other words, John was like the moon reflecting the sun’s light and reminding those in the darkness that when the night passes away, there is a day that dawns with its own glorious light. John 5:35, therefore, with its mention of John’s light and — implicitly — the true light, brings to a close relationship the series of readings that lead to the birth of the Baptist on the one hand, and the series for the birth of the Messiah, on the other. Below is an illustration of how Jn. 5:35 does this:

For a bigger illustration of how the individual readings contribute to the purpose of meditating on the mystery of the Incarnation, go here.

Matthew’s Genealogy and the Annunciation to Joseph

In the Church’s lectionary, Matthew 1:1-17 (The Genealogy of Christ) and 1:18-24 (The Annunciation to Joseph) head the series of gospel readings beginning December 17. Remember that the Universal Church begins its special Christmas liturgy on the 17th. Within this schema, the Genealogy and the Annunciation to Joseph cannot be separated since Matthew 1:18-24 is a commentary on verse 17

Jacob was the father of Joseph,
the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.

This is the crucial verse in Matthew’s genealogy: here, the pattern of human fatherhood breaks. Jesus is born of Mary — not Joseph. The legal fatherhood of Joseph, however, the factor that puts Jesus in the lineage of David, is explained in 1:18-24. This latter verse also explains how Mary becomes mother and how Isaiah 7:14 is fulfilled in her motherhood. By putting these two passages at the head of the series of gospel passages that lead to the account of the Lord’s birth, the Church highlights the real intent of the liturgical readings from December 17-24.

The Choice for the Old Testament Readings

The Gospel readings within the series that goes from December 17-24 are the bases for the choice of the readings from the Old Testament. The schema used is that of type and anti-type. A "type" is

A person or thing prefiguring another person or thing. Many of the persons in the Old Testament are "types" of Christ, e.g., Adam (Rom. 5:14); and things in the Old Testament are types of things in the New Testament. Thus, Noah’s Ark is a type of the Church (1 Pet. 3:20 ff.). That which a type prefigures is called the antitype. The fact that a particular person or thing is a type can be known only by revelation, either from Holy Scripture or from tradition.

Thus, the anti-types found in the Gospel readings are determining factors in the choice of the Old Testament reading. In this sense, Mary’s Magnificat, for example, finds its prefiguration in the thanksgiving of Hannah (cf. 1 Sam. 1:24- 28 and 1 Sam 2, the responsorial psalm.) Another example is the reading for December 21¹ Ordinarily, the reading for December 21 is the first part of Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-45). Since this selection presents Mary as the first missionary, anticipating the apostles and the seventy-two presented in Luke’s gospel, the first reading is taken either from Zephaniah 3:14-18 or Song of Songs 2:8-14. Zephaniah 3:14-18 is an oracle of the joy of the last days. The oracle prefigures Mary’s greeting of "Shalom" to Elizabeth, a symbol of the remnant of Israel awaiting the Lord’s day. The choice for the Song of Songs can be recherche for some, but the reason is simple: for the Fathers of the Church, the passage was interpreted as a symbol of the Bride, the Church, announcing the arrival of her Spouse, Christ. It is in this sense that Augustine quotes some of the lines of this selection in his sermons.

The OT Reading for December 16

It must be noted immediately that the OT reading for December 16 — at least according to the Philippine ORDO — is not directly related to the Gospel reading from John 5:33-36. It’s purpose is to underline the universal aspect of the salvation intended by God. Thus the reading from Isaiah 56:1-8 looks forward to the inclusion of the Gentiles to the people of God. Read in a Christmassy-key, it points to the universal effect of the Incarnation. The Second Person of the Trinity took upon himself the whole of humanity at the moment of the Incarnation thereby — in the words of John Paul II — re-expressing them in His own image.

God Incarnate

The Simbang Gabi series of readings lead to the narrative of Jesus’ birth in a manger. With that scene the Church is reminded that in that small package lying in the manger is all the good that humanity hopes for. Wonderment, gratitude, praise and thanksgiving — all these sentiments are intended to be awakened in the faithful as they contemplate the mystery of God made man. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." God’s saloobin — His own interior life, His thoughts, plans, dreams… — is made manifest in the babe lying in a manger. And it was "for our sake, and for the sake of our salvation" that these have come to pass, so that as God became man, we too — in the words of St. Augustine — may become as God².

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1. During the year 2008, December 21 falls on a Sunday and so the readings for that year follow that of the Sunday readings. [↩]
2. The theology behind this is totally biblical: Adam and Eve wanted to be as God and so they sinned; Christ, by obeying unto death, made it possible for men to become as God. [↩]