MASS READINGS & SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Monday - January 02, 2023

Monday - January 02, 2023

The Lord has loved me so much: we must love everyone. We must be compassionate! Seeing the sun, the moon and the stars, I said to myself, 'Who could be the Master of these beautiful things?' I felt a great desire to see him, to know him and to pay him homage.

--St Josephine Bakhita    

January 2, 2023

Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church

Lectionary: 205

 

Reading 1                                                     1 Jn 2:22-28

 

Beloved:

Who is the liar?

Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.

Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.

Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father,

but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

 

Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you.

If what you heard from the beginning remains in you,

then you will remain in the Son and in the Father.

And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.

I write you these things about those who would deceive you.

As for you,

the anointing that you received from him remains in you,

so that you do not need anyone to teach you.

But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false;

just as it taught you, remain in him.

 

And now, children, remain in him,

so that when he appears we may have confidence

and not be put to shame by him at his coming.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                  98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

 

R.    (3cd)  All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

 

Sing to the LORD a new song,

for he has done wondrous deeds;

His right hand has won victory for him,

his holy arm.

R.    All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

 

The LORD has made his salvation known:

in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.

He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness

toward the house of Israel.

R.    All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

 

All the ends of the earth have seen

the salvation by our God.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;

break into song; sing praise.

R.    All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

 

Alleluia                                                                     

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;

in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel                                                                       Jn 1:19-28

 

This is the testimony of John.

When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him

to ask him, “Who are you?”

He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted,

“I am not the Christ.”

So they asked him,

“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”

And he said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.”

So they said to him,

“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?

What do you have to say for yourself?”

He said:

“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,

‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’

as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Some Pharisees were also sent.

They asked him,

“Why then do you baptize

if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”

John answered them,

“I baptize with water;

but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,

the one who is coming after me,

whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”

This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,

where John was baptizing.

 

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The Greatness of Humility

Now that our Christmas Octave is completed, we immediately begin to look toward the future ministry of our Lord. In our Gospel today, Saint John the Baptist is the one who points us to that future ministry of Jesus. He acknowledges his mission to baptize with water is one that is temporary and only a preparation for the One Who is coming after him.

As we saw in several of our Advent readings, Saint John the Baptist is a man of great humility. His admission that he is not worthy to untie even Jesus’ sandal straps is proof of this fact. But ironically, it is this humble admission that makes him so great!

Do you want to be great? Deep down we all do. This desire goes hand in hand with our innate desire for happiness. We want our lives to have meaning and purpose, and we want to make a difference. The question is “How?” How do you do this? How do you achieve true greatness?

From a worldly perspective, greatness can often become synonymous with success, riches, power, admiration from others, etc. But from a divine perspective, greatness is achieved by humbly giving God the greatest glory we can with our lives.

Giving God all the glory has a double effect upon our lives. First, doing so allows us to live in accord with the truth of life. The truth is that God and God alone deserves all our praise and glory. All good things come from God and God alone. Second, humbly giving God all the glory and pointing to the fact that we are unworthy of Him has the reciprocal effect of God reaching down and elevating us to share in His life and His glory.

Reflect, today, upon your calling to imitate the humility of Saint John the Baptist. Never shy away from humbling yourself before the greatness and glory of God. Doing so will not demean you or hamper your greatness. Rather, only in the deepest humility before the glory of God is God able to draw you into the greatness of His very life and mission.

Today’s Prayer

Lord, I give all glory and praise to You and You alone. You are the source of all good; without You I am nothing. Help me to continually humble myself before You so that I may share in the glory and greatness of Your life of grace. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.

 

 

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!”

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD - GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Sunday - January 01, 2023

 

Sunday - January 01, 2023

"So I resolved to change my life, because Jesus had given me clear lights to the effect that I should be religious. I had a good occasion to do this, for we were about to begin the year of 1896. I wrote in a little notebook: "During this new year I resolve to begin a new life. I do not know what will happen to me during this year. But I abandon myself entirely to you, my God. And my aspirations and all my affections will be for You. I feel so weak, dear Jesus, but with Your help I hope and resolve to live a different life, that is, a life closer to You."

 

--ST GEMMA GALGANI

TODAY'S READINGS

January 1, 2023

The Octave Day of Christmas Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

Lectionary: 18

 

Reading 1                                                     Nm 6:22-27

 

The LORD said to Moses: 

“Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: 

This is how you shall bless the Israelites.

Say to them: 

The LORD bless you and keep you! 

The LORD let his face shine upon     

you, and be gracious to you! 

The LORD look upon you kindly and     

give you peace!

So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, 

and I will bless them.”

 

Responsorial Psalm                                  Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

 

R. (2a) May God bless us in his mercy.

 

May God have pity on us and bless us;

may he let his face shine upon us.

So may your way be known upon earth;

among all nations, your salvation.

R. May God bless us in his mercy.

May the nations be glad and exult

because you rule the peoples in equity;

the nations on the earth you guide.

R. May God bless us in his mercy.

May the peoples praise you, O God;

may all the peoples praise you!

May God bless us,

and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

R. May God bless us in his mercy.

 

Reading II                                                                 Gal 4:4-7

 

Brothers and sisters:

When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, 

born of a woman, born under the law, 

to ransom those under the law, 

so that we might receive adoption as sons.

As proof that you are sons, 

God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, 

crying out, “Abba, Father!”

So you are no longer a slave but a son, 

and if a son then also an heir, through God.

 

Alleluia                                                                     

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;

in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel                                                                       Lk 2:16-21

 

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, 

and the infant lying in the manger.

When they saw this, 

they made known the message 

that had been told them about this child.

All who heard it were amazed 

by what had been told them by the shepherds.

And Mary kept all these things, 

reflecting on them in her heart.

Then the shepherds returned, 

glorifying and praising God 

for all they had heard and seen, 

just as it had been told to them. 

 

When eight days were completed for his circumcision, 

he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel 

before he was conceived in the womb.

 

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Reflecting on Our Blessings

Today is a very special opportunity to consecrate the new year to the Mother of Christ. This opens us to her protection and help. She will join us in asking God to make this a year of many blessings.

In the first reading, God teaches Moses how to pass blessings onto others. Today's responsorial psalm includes a request for God to bless us. The second reading describes the greatest blessing we've received: our adoption by God the Father, who has made available to us every blessing under the heavens and in heaven.

The people who heard the testimony of the shepherds in the Gospel reading were amazed. How often are you amazed by the Lord? Awe comes from recognizing the presence of Jesus in everything we see, do, hear, etc. With Jesus, we're even blessed in situations that feel like curses, because he is guiding us through it.

To experience this, we have to keep our eyes on Jesus at all times. Look past the problems: There is the victorious Jesus already working on your behalf! He was born for your sake and gave up his life for you; of course he is also doing everything else that will provide God's goodness to you!

Look past your emotional reactions to hardships: There is the peace of Christ! It's available when you decide to trust in the love and the wisdom of Christ.

Look past the person who is sinning against you: There is Jesus comforting you! He is trying to kiss your wounds and heal your heart. He speaks to you through scripture, through Holy Mass, through perhaps a counselor, and many other ways. This is available when you choose to forgive.

In every situation, keep your eyes on Jesus so that you can see his hand reaching toward you, offering to bless you.

We can learn from Mary how to look past the obvious and see God's hidden blessings. When Mary looked at the shepherds, did she see scruffy, stinky, unkempt strangers barging in? Of course not. She saw numerous blessings.

Look at the scruffy people in your own life -- through Mary's eyes. How many blessings do you see?

Mary the Mother of God our Savior is also our Mother now. She knows you and wants to show you the countless blessings that come from knowing her Son: blessings that await you as you follow Jesus, and blessings you already have because Jesus is at your side right now. Ask for Mary's help in keeping your focus on Jesus throughout the new year.

Today's Prayer

Praised be to You, my Lord, because You gave us Mary as a model of humility and the contemplation of Your wonders so that we gain humble hearts. Amen.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023!  

--------------------------------

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!”

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Saturday - December 31, 2022

 

Saturday - December 31, 2022

“Remember the past with gratitude.  Live the present with enthusiasm.  Look forward to the future with confidence.”

–St. John Paul II

TODAY'S READINGS

December 31, 2022

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 Final Hour

Our Gospel reading for today tells us: "Children, it is the last hour." Okay, so -- what is the "last hour"? When will it finally happen? Or has it happened already?

For more than two millennia, people have been looking for the Second Coming of Christ, expecting it 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? Just look at the rampant immorality that's occurring everywhere. And it's only getting worse! 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 walking alone outside the house. Respect for human life has decreased so much that many now think it's okay to kill an unborn baby minutes before birth. Children are being encouraged to "switch" genders, and psychologists who see the harm in gender-identity crises are not supposed to provide therapy that would help people heal from whatever caused their confusion. And the persecution of Christians is increasing world-wide.

Making matters worse, the devil is even showing up in our Church, causing abuses by priests, coverups by bishops, and confusion and wrong ideas about Church teachings.

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

Year after year, the world keeps becoming more and more demonized. We naturally want Jesus to hurry up and bring us victory over evil by destroying all evil-doers and rapturing us from this terrible world.

The good news is: God is not idle. He's been unfolding a plan. It might actually lead to the Second Coming of Christ in our lifetime, or it might not. Either way, God is going to cover the world with so much Divine Grace that the good will be far greater than the bad. Jesus is victorious over evil!

Meanwhile, we can look for Jesus in what he is doing now and expect him to bring his victory to every situation that we turn over to his care. He delights in making good come from bad.

We are already in the "last hour" that scriptures speak of. It is the "hour" (which from our human perspective is an era, not 60 minutes on the clock) after the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is the era of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to bring Christ's victory into the world. Instead of relying on the Second Coming of Christ to rescue us, we are to be the hands and feet and voice of Jesus overcoming evil in the world today.

The words of John draw 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, 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.

--------------------------------

God Bless You.....



Rosary Family

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