Saturday, December 31, 2011

DAILY MASS READING

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

FIRST READING

Numbers 6:22-27

²² The LORD said to Moses, ²³ “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: ²⁴ “‘“The LORD bless you and keep you; ²⁵ the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; ²⁶ the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ ²⁷ “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

PSALM RESPONSE

Psalm 67:2-8

² so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
³ May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.

⁴ May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.
⁵ May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.
⁶ The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.

⁷ May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

SECOND READING

Galatians 4:4-7

⁴ But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. ⁶ Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba Father.” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

GOSPEL

Luke 2:Luke 16-21

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. ²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,

Let us today resolve to listen more to the voice of God, to treasure God's word and ponder it in our hearts just like Mary.

watch?v=9C314X-IVTw&feature=related

Happy New Year 2012

Friday, December 30, 2011

DAILY MASS READING

Saturday, December 31, 2011

The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas

FIRST READIG

1 John 2: 18 – 21

18 Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that it might be plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all know. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and know that no lie is of the truth.

PSALM RESPONSE

Psalms 96: 1 - 2, 11 – 13

1 O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! 2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 12 let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy 13 before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.

GOSPEL

John 1: 1 – 18

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God; 3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light. 9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. 11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. 15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, "This was he of whom I said, `He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'") 16 And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known

Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity.
-- St Therese of Lisieux

Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/inspiration_12dec2011.htm#ixzz1f2YEKC3L

Happy New Year 2010-2011 by ABBA-
httpwww.youtube.comwatchv=RdwMdK5sAac&feature=related

Christmas (The Nativity of the Lord):
Mass is boring

Merry Christmas to all! Today, because we celebrate the birthday God made man, at the Creed, we will genuflect (for those who are able) at the words “and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man.” Holy Mother Church wants us not only to give adoration to God but also to help engrain in our psyche the power that these words hold. Salvation is not communion with some Impersonal Philosophic Divine Essence. It’s not sitting on cloud strumming harp looking at God from a distance. – boring !!!! No wonder people don’t want to go to heaven or come to Mass every week if that is what heaven is like. But salvation is much more wonderful than anything we can ever imagine. Salvation is an intimate and personal relationship with a personal God who loves us more than we can ever know. How many times have you seen “A Charlie Brown Christmas” There is all this commotion about a Christmas tree and Snoopy’s commercialism, but in the end, Linus brings us back to the real meaning of Christmas by quoting Luke’s Gospel story of the Birth of Jesus. It’s a very familiar reading and I wonder how many people, when I began the gospel story, thought I sounded like the teacher in the Charlie Brown cartoons, “Wa Wa Wa Wa Wa.” When we heard the beginning of the Gospel story, did we mentally switch off a little button in our head, been there, heard that I hope the football game is more exciting. What is the major complaint about coming to Mass every week? It’s boring. Well, G.K. Chesterton writes, “A child kicks its legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit, fierce and free, therefore, they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again;” and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough... It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again,” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again,” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike: it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.” Have we taken the Christmas message for granted? The all-powerful, all-knowing, all-merciful God became, through Mary’s Fiat, which is the old Latin word for “Let it be done,” through Mary’s fiat, God became a little embryo that began to grow inside of Mary. In his encyclical on the Eucharist, Bl. Pope John Paul the Great wrote, “At the Annunciation, Mary conceived the Son of God in the physical reality of his body and blood, thus anticipating within herself what to some degree happens sacramentally in every believer who receives, under the signs of bread and wine, the Lord's body and blood. As a result, there is a profound analogy between the Fiat which Mary said in reply to the angel, and the Amen which every believer says when receiving the body of the Lord.” Thus, after the minister says “The Body of Christ,” we should with great faith proclaim “Amen” and receive our God into our mouths. And just as Mary was without sin, when she conceived Jesus in her womb. So too when we, Catholics, receive Jesus in Holy Communion, we must be in a state of grace, free from grave sin, and have fasted one hour, to prepare a place for Jesus to rest in our souls. And yet, this wonderful gift of God made man, this wonderful gift of Emmanuel, “God with us” not only in the Incarnation but also in the Holy Eucharist is something that we celebrate every Sunday. Let us recapture that faith of a little child on the day of their first communion, and figuratively say to the priest at every Mass, “Do it again.” Make present the Body and Blood Soul and Divinity of the living God present among us. This was the great desire of those martyrs who died for the privilege of attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In his encyclical, the Day of the Lord, Pope John Paul II, not only reminded the faithful of the grave obligation to attend Mass every Sunday. But also recalled the martyrs of the ancient Roman Empire who, during the persecution of Diocletian, were banned from attending Mass. Many, however, were courageous enough to defy the imperial decree and accepted death rather than miss the Sunday Eucharist. More recently, during the Reformation in England in the 1500’s, it was illegal to attend Mass and those who did were persecuted but St. Margaret Clitherow hid priests in her home, taught her children to love their Catholic faith, and refused to stop attending Mass. She was martyred on the 25th of March in the year of our Lord 1586. St. Margaret’s three children saw how much their mother’s faith meant her. Her sons, Henry and William, became priests, and her daughter Anne became a nun. Even more recently, I remember a grandmother telling me about her grandchildren who came to visit her after her parents had been stationed in some Arab country where Christianity was not accepted. When the woman told her grandchildren, “Get ready for Church,” they responded to her “Grandma, you can’t say that word.” Persecution of Christians still exists in today’s world. Let us remember the great gift that God has given us this Christmas, in the person of His Son, not only in the manger but also upon this altar, and in our own mouths. Are we willing, like St. Margaret Clitherow, to die for the privilege of attending Mass every Sunday and to accept the Son of God into our bodies as Mary did?

from: romancatholichomilies.blogspot.com

eucharistic miracle of rani john, kerala, india -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpNAjM_aKM4

Thursday, December 29, 2011

DAILY MASS READING

they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

Friday, December 30, 2011

The Holy Family (Feast)

FIRST READING

Sirach 3: 2 - 7, 12 – 14

2 For the Lord honored the father above the children, and he confirmed the right of the mother over her sons. 3 Whoever honors his father atones for sins, 4 and whoever glorifies his mother is like one who lays up treasure. 5 Whoever honors his father will be gladdened by his own children, and when he prays he will be heard. 6 Whoever glorifies his father will have long life, and whoever obeys the Lord will refresh his mother; 7 he will serve his parents as his masters.

12 O son, help your father in his old age, and do not grieve him as long as he lives; 13 even if he is lacking in understanding, show forbearance; in all your strength do not despise him. 14 For kindness to a father will not be forgotten, and against your sins it will be credited to you;

PSALM RESPONSE

Psalms 128: 1 – 5

1 Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! 2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. 4 Lo, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. 5 The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life!

SECOND READING

Colossians 3: 12 – 21

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, 13 forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

GOSPEL

Luke 2: 22, 39 – 40
22 And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

39 And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Mary's viginity and giving birth, and even the Lord's death escaped the notice of the prince of this world; these three mysteries worthy of proclamation were accomplished in God's silence. -- St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Epesius 19:1

Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/inspiration_12dec2011.htm#ixzz1f2XKVjfg


Feast of The Holy Family

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR1ujXx2p-I&feature=related

Merry Christmas, Darling - Karen Carpenter

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

DAILY MASS READING

from:cacina.wordpress.com

Thursday, December 29, 2011

The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

FIRST READING

1 John 2: 3 – 11

3 And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He who says "I know him" but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: 6 he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and in it there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But he who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes

PSALM RESPONSE

Psalms 96: 1 - 3, 5 – 6

1 O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! 2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!

5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols; but the LORD made the heavens. 6 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

GOSPEL

Luke 2: 22 – 35

22 And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; 30 for mine eyes have seen thy salvation 31 which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel." 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; 34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed."

Recall to yourself that our Lord is the beloved Son of the living God; that He is Himself the God of all consolation, the sight of whom forms the beatitude of the angels and elect. And yet, what does He not suffer!

-- St Ignatius Loyola

Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/inspiration_12dec2011.htm#ixzz1f2WbaCpK

Enjoy the Christmas
season
with love
and
thanksgiving!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6bx4IVp1lE&feature=related

Connie Talbot Merry Christmas Everybody

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

DAILY MASS READING

"Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you"

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The Holy Innocents, Martyrs (Feast)

FIRST READING

1 John 1: 5 – 10 ; 2: 1 - 2

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth; 7 but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

PSALM RESPONSE

Psalms 124: 2 - 5, 7 – 8

2 if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us, 3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; 4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; 5 then over us would have gone the raging waters.

7 We have escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! 8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

GOSPEL

Matthew 2: 13 – 18

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called my son." 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more."

Turn yourself round like a piece of clay and say to the Lord: I am clay, and you, Lord, the potter. Make of me what you will.

-- Blessed John of Avila

Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/inspiration_12dec2011.htm#ixzz1f2W9DFpW

Merry Christmas!

JOY TO THE WORLD (with Lyrics) -Boney M
httpwww.youtube.comwatchv=2l-iSHlDFjM&feature=related

Monday, December 26, 2011

DAILY MASS READING

Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb;
he saw the linen cloths lying,

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

St. John, Apostle, Evangelist (Feast)

FIRST READING

1 John 1: 1 – 4

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life -- 2 the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us -- 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing this that our joy may be complete.

PSALM RESPONSE

Psalms 97: 1 - 2, 5 - 6, 11 – 12

1 The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! 2 Clouds and thick darkness are round about him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.

11 Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!

GOSPEL

John 20: 1 – 8

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 3 Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; 5 and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, 7 and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;