MASS READINGS & SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Friday - December 31, 2021

Friday - December 31, 2021

December 31, 2021

The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas

Lectionary: 204

 

Reading 1                                                                 1 Jn 2:18-21

 

Children, it is the last hour;

and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming,

so now many antichrists have appeared.

Thus we know this is the last hour.

They went out from us, but they were not really of our number;

if they had been, they would have remained with us.

Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number.

But you have the anointing that comes from the Holy One,

and you all have knowledge.

I write to you not because you do not know the truth

but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                              96:1-2, 11-12, 13

 

R.     (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

 

Sing to the LORD a new song;

    sing to the LORD, all you lands.

Sing to the LORD; bless his name;

    announce his salvation, day after day.

R.    Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;

    let the sea and what fills it resound;

    let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!

Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the LORD.

R.    Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

The LORD comes,

    he comes to rule the earth.

He shall rule the world with justice

    and the peoples with his constancy.

R.    Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

 

Alleluia                                                                     

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.

To those who accepted him

he gave power to become the children of God.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel                                                                       Jn 1:1-18

 

In the beginning was the Word,

    and the Word was with God,

    and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things came to be through him,

    and without him nothing came to be.

What came to be through him was life,

    and this life was the light of the human race;

    the light shines in the darkness,

    and the darkness has not overcome it.

 

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.

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

 

He was in the world,

    and the world came to be through him,

    but the world did not know him.

He came to what was his own,

    but his own people did not accept him.

 

But to those who did accept him

    he gave power to become children of God,

    to those who believe in his name,

    who were born not by natural generation

    nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision

    but of God.

 

And the Word became flesh

    and made his dwelling among us,

    and we saw his glory,

    the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,

    full of grace and truth.

 

John testified to him and cried out, saying,

“This was he of whom I said,

‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me

because he existed before me.’”

From his fullness we have all received,

grace in place of grace,

because while the law was given through Moses,

grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God.

The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side,

has revealed him.

 

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The Question of the Final Hour!

Today's first reading tells us: "Children, it is the last hour." Well, what is the "last hour"? Is it the Second Coming of Christ? When will it finally happen? Or has it happened already?

For more than two millennia, people have been expecting the Second Coming to happen soon, wishing it would happen very soon to rescue our world from evil-doings. It seems like now would be a good time for it, right? Immorality, attacks against the Christian faith, and other evils are increasing. Where is Jesus? When is that "last hour"?

I vaguely remember a time when we could leave home without locking our doors. Now we not only have to lock up everything, we don't even feel safe outside the house. Crime has increased; respect for human life has decreased. More people are unemployed. Fewer families stay together. Fewer men become priests. There are too many scandals in the Church. Terrorists could attack again at any moment. And the earth's changing climate is already disastrous for some people.

Where is Jesus? When is that "last hour"?

History repeats itself; an analysis of historical trends reveals cycles of alternating renewal and deterioration. We are, in fact, at the same part of the cycle as the Great Depression and World War II. This always leads to a period of renewal and rebuilding.

I've studied this phenomenon of historical cycles, and while praying about it I've gained confidence in the belief that God will once again make good come from bad. For example, I believe that we will see an increase of vocations within the next 10 years (the first signs of this have already begun), because the world needs more heroes, and young men will be attracted to the heroic side of the priesthood.

Keep looking for signs of hope and renewal! If we only look at the bad that happens, we easily lose hope. We naturally want Jesus to hurry up and bring us total victory over evil by destroying all evil-doers and rapturing us from this terrible world. Instead, we should look for what Jesus wants to do now -- through us who are his hands and feet and voice -- and expect him to bring his victory to earth by making good come from bad.

Scripturally, the "last hour" means the era of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to change the world by continuing the mission of Christ. Instead of relying on his Second Coming, we are to bring Christ more fully into the world - now!

Today's Gospel reading draws us back to the first hour: "In the beginning was the Word." Jesus is the first and the last Word. As the old year ends and the new year begins, let us ask: "What will I do in the new year to be the Good News of Jesus and renew our world?"

Today's Prayer

Thank You, good Father, because You made me Your child in Jesus Christ due to the huge love You have for all humanity. Amen.

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God Bless You.....

The Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”