Friday - December 30, 2022
God refuses only the person who does not admit his own weakness; ...The life of a soul who seeks true happiness clearly and indisputably depends on this: that those who seek their joy in God are the ones who give joy to God.
~~St. Raphael Kalinowski
TODAY'S READINGSDecember 30, 2022
Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Lectionary: 17
Reading 1 Sir 3:2-6, 12-14
God sets a father in honor over his children;
a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons.
Whoever honors his father atones for sins,
and preserves himself from them.
When he prays, he is heard;
he stores up riches who reveres his mother.
Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,
and, when he prays, is heard.
Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;
he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.
My son, take care of your father when he is old;
grieve him not as long as he lives.
Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him;
revile him not all the days of his life;
kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
firmly planted against the debt of your sins
—a house raised in justice to you.
Or
Col 3:12-21
Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Wives, be subordinate to your husbands,
as is proper in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives,
and avoid any bitterness toward them.
Children, obey your parents in everything,
for this is pleasing to the Lord.
Fathers, do not provoke your children,
so they may not become discouraged.
Or
Col 3:12-17
Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
R. (cf. 1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the peace of
Christ control your hearts;
let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mt 2:13-15, 19-23
When the magi had departed, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son.
When Herod had died, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream
to Joseph in Egypt and said,
“Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel,
for those who sought the child’s life are dead.”
He rose, took the child and his mother,
and went to the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea
in place of his father Herod,
he was afraid to go back there.
And because he had been warned in a dream,
he departed for the region of Galilee.
He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth,
so that what had been spoken through the prophets
might be fulfilled,
He shall be called a Nazorean.
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The scene in the Gospel reading today takes place when Mary and Joseph carried the baby Jesus into the temple to consecrate his life to God. After his consecration, a Jewish prophetess, named Anna, is moved by the Holy Spirit to recognize that this child is the long awaited Messiah. She rejoices and gives thanks and tells others about his arrival.
Has anyone ever told others that they recognized Jesus in you? When you and I were baptized, we too were consecrated to God, and the Messiah arrived yet again -- in us. We received the life of the Father so that we now belong to his family. We received the Holy Spirit so that we can recognize Jesus like Anna did. And we received Jesus so that we can continue his ministry of redemption in a world that still needs a Messiah.
The verses of our first reading today tell us what it means to belong to the Father. To remain in the family, the word of God has to remain in us. Since Jesus is the Word made flesh (see John 1:14), we must not push him out of our hearts by denying the Word through self-centered decisions and lifestyles. And we must rely on the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to embrace the Word and serve as the word of God in and for the world today.
In order not to divorce ourselves from God's family, we have to know God's will and do it. We have to realize that the enticements of the world are not going to help us in the long run, that they're harmful to our eternal souls and to our eternal relationship with the Holy Family.
Baptism is not a moment in time that guarantees eternal life for us. To continue to reap the benefits of its saving grace, we have to consecrate our lives to God every time the world entices us with something that would draw us away from the Father. Belonging to the Holy Family is a daily decision, sometimes even a moment-by-moment renewal of that decision.
This requires being in a constant state of prayer, communicating with God no matter how busy we are. It means staying awake spiritually.
It means filling our lives with the church family and learning God's will by educating ourselves in scripture and the teachings of the Church.
It means identifying which worldly enticements make us vulnerable to sin and asking the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in holiness.
It means yearning to be purged of our sins, because we truly desire to remain united to God's family forever.
To renew your baptismal graces, you can use this prayer:
"Lord Jesus, help me to live the consecrated life each and every moment. Holy Spirit, make me aware of the times I fail to do this and show me how to re-consecrate my life to You. Loving Father, accept my desire to be consecrated to You, and help me to know how precious and loved I am as your child. Amen!"
Today's Prayer
Lord: Help me to prepare my heart and all my being to grow in the wisdom of Your love and in the plan in which You want me to serve You. Amen.
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The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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