December 21: Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit

Fourth Week of Advent: Love
December 21: Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit (Filipino) - Links & Lyrics Below

Today is the first day of winter, and tonight is the “longest night”. The Christmas season is marked by joy and excitement and for good reason: We celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ to the world. Many celebrate family members coming home, and church family coming together for special services.

 

But the season is also full of pain and grief that many experience and for good reasons. They have known personal loss, even very recently. Or pain lingers from losses suffered long ago. It is not unusual for churches to have a special service on this “longest night” to help hurting people in their struggle with the darkness of grief and despair.

 

A favorite Christmas carol in the Philippines is called Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit. I encourage you to plug that title into a search engine, and if you include “Filipino Choir of Los Angeles” you can get to a public performance. There is obvious delight in the faces and voices of the performers.

 

Here are some of the lyrics:
Christmas has arrived; let us all sing beautiful melodies for in God is love.

Let us all sing while the Earth is quiet; the day has arrived of the infant given by heaven.

Let us all love one another. Let’s follow the golden rule…

God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son; we celebrate that at Christmas. We love because He first loved us, and we are called to love others as we would want them to love us.

People all around are celebrating. And people all around are hurting. There is great pain even at the time of great joy. May God help us to rejoice with those who are happy and to weep with those who hurt.

Pastor Cory Dahl

First Baptist - Sturgeon Bay


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TAGALOG SONG LYRICS

Ang Pasko ay sumapit
Tayo ay mangagsi-awit
Ng magagandang himig
Dahil sa ang Diyos ay pag-ibig.

Nang si Kristo’y isilang
May tatlong haring nagsidalaw
At ang bawa’t isa ay nagsipaghandog
Ng tanging alay.

Bagong Taon ay magbagong-buhay
Nang lumigaya ang ating bayan
Tayo’y magsikap upang makamtan
Natin ang kasaganahan.

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!

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Christmas has arrived
Let us all sing
Beautiful melodies
For in God is love.

When Christ was born
Three kings came to visit
And each of them presented
Unique gifts.

Start a new life at the new year
To bring joy to our people
Let’s strive in order to achieve
prosperity for us all.

Let us all sing
While the Earth is quiet
The day has arrived
Of the infant given by heaven

Let us all love one another
Let’s follow the golden rule
And from now on
Even when it’s not Christmas, let’s share!

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