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Holy Week

Topics for Reflection

(CCC 601-602)

  • The Passion of Jesus shows us the extent of God’s Love for us.
  • The Passion shows us the evil of sin.
  • The Passion of Christ is the price of our redemption.
  • The passion of Christ, suffered once, is made present at the sacrifice of every Holy Mass.

The Scriptures had foretold this divine plan of salvation through the putting to death of “the righteous one, my Servant” as a mystery of universal redemption, that is, as the ransom that would free men from the slavery of sin. Citing a confession of faith that he himself had “received”, St. Paul professes that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures.” In particular Jesus’ redemptive death fulfils Isaiah’s prophecy of the suffering Servant. Indeed Jesus himself explained the meaning of his life and death in the light of God’s suffering Servant. After his Resurrection he gave this interpretation of the Scriptures to the disciples at Emmaus, and then to the apostles. 

“For our sake God made him to be sin”

Consequently, St. Peter can formulate the apostolic faith in the divine plan of salvation in this way: “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers… with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake.” Man’s sins, following on original sin, are punishable by death. By sending his own Son in the form of a slave, in the form of a fallen humanity, on account of sin, God “made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (CCC 601-602)

Readings: 5th Sunday of Lent

Reading I: Is 50:4-7

The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24.

R (2a)  My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
All who see me scoff at me;
            they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads:
“He relied on the LORD; let him deliver him,
            let him rescue him, if he loves him.”
R My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Indeed, many dogs surround me,
            a pack of evildoers closes in upon me;
They have pierced my hands and my feet;
            I can count all my bones.
R My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
They divide my garments among them,
            and for my vesture they cast lots.
But you, O LORD, be not far from me;
            O my help, hasten to aid me.
R My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
I will proclaim your name to my brethren;
            in the midst of the assembly I will praise you:
“You who fear the LORD, praise him;
            all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him;
            revere him, all you descendants of Israel!”
R My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Reading II: Phil 2:6-11

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel

Read it here


Second Sunday of Lent

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”

The lifting up of Jesus on the cross signifies and announces his lifting up by his Ascension into heaven, and indeed begins it. Jesus Christ, the one priest of the new and eternal Covenant, “entered, not into a sanctuary made by human hands. . . but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” There Christ permanently exercises his priesthood, for he “always lives to make intercession” for “those who draw near to God through him”.As “high priest of the good things to come” he is the centre and the principal actor of the liturgy that honours the Father in heaven. 

Henceforth Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father: “By ‘the Father’s right hand’ we understand the glory and honour of divinity, where he who exists as Son of God before all ages, indeed as God, of one being with the Father, is seated bodily after he became incarnate and his flesh was glorified.” 

Being seated at the Father’s right hand signifies the inauguration of the Messiah’s kingdom, the fulfilment of the prophet Daniel’s vision concerning the Son of man: “To him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” After this event the apostles became witnesses of the “kingdom [that] will have no end”.  (CCC 662 – 664)

Readings: 2nd Sunday of Lent

Reading I: Gn 15:5-12, 17-18

The Lord God took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.” Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness. He then said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as a possession.” “O Lord GOD,” he asked, “how am I to know that I shall possess it?” He answered him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” Abram brought him all these, split them in two, and placed each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not cut up. Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram stayed with them. As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him. When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, which passed between those pieces. It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.”

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14.

  1. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
    The LORD is my light and my salvation;
     whom should I fear?
    The LORD is my life’s refuge;
       of whom should I be afraid?
    R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
    Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
       have pity on me, and answer me.
    Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
    R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
    Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
       Hide not your face from me;
    do not in anger repel your servant.
       You are my helper: cast me not off.
    R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
    I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
       in the land of the living.
    Wait for the LORD with courage;
       be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
    R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Reading II: Phil 3:17—4:1

Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and observe those who thus conduct themselves according to the model you have in us. For many, as I have often told you and now tell you even in tears, conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their “shame.” Their minds are occupied with earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord.

Verse Before the Gospel: Cf. Mt 17:5

From the shining cloud the Father’s voice is heard: This is my beloved Son, hear him.

Gospel: Lk 9:28b-36

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying. While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.

Topics for Reflection

(CCC 377, 410, 540)

  • God, Who is entirely beyond our understanding, is made visible in Jesus Christ.
  • The Transfiguration helps us understand the glory of Christ, and our future glory if and when we reach heaven.
  • Jesus Christ, who is true man and true God shows our human nature in glory.
  • The divinity of Christ allows us to see God “face to face”, his humanity allows us to be united to Him.
  • The goal of our Christian life is to be with Christ in heaven.

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Preparation for Lent

Topics for Reflection

CCC 272-274

  • Suffering is a test of our faith.
  • Suffering is a mystery and so is never completely explained.
  • What is St. Paul trying to teach us in 2 Cor. 12:10: “it is when I am weak, then I a strong?” 
  • Through suffering – when united to Christ and His passion –  we can come to better penetrate this mystery.
  • In suffering, God asks us: do you trust me?
  • Saints are made through the crucible of suffering.
  • How can we explain the mystery of suffering in the world?

The Father Sends the Son

Jesus’ temptation reveals the way in which the Son of God is Messiah, contrary to the way Satan proposes to him and the way men wish to attribute to him. This is why Christ vanquished the Tempter for us: “For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sinning.” By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert.

“The kingdom of God is at hand” (CCC.540)

The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church’s penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works). (CCC 1438)

Readings: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading I: Sir 27:4-7

When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one’s faults when one speaks. As the test of what the potter molds is in the furnace, so in tribulation is the test of the just. The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does one’s speech disclose the bent of one’s mind. Praise no one before he speaks, for it is then that people are tested.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16

R (cf. 2a) Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
            to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
            and your faithfulness throughout the night.
R Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
            like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
            shall flourish in the courts of our God.
R Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
They shall bear fruit even in old age;
            vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the LORD,
            my rock, in whom there is no wrong.
R Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.

Reading II:1 Cor 15:54-58

Brothers and sisters: When this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about: Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Alleluia: Phil 2:15d, 16a

  1. Alleluia, alleluia.
    Shine like lights in the world
    as you hold on to the word of life.
    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Lk 6:39-45

Jesus told his disciples a parable, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite!  Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye. A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”


Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Topics for Reflection

CCC: 268-271

  • Why, of all the attributes of God, is only His Omnipotence mentioned in the Creed?
  • What does Omnipotence mean?
  • How does God show His omnipotence?
  • God overcame inn Christ our two greatest enemies: sin and death.
  • Because of God’s oneness, all His attributes are identical.
  • God’s omnipotence is the reason we can have absolute trust in Him.
  • In God alone we can trust completely all else will falter
  • Fourth Sunday of Ordinary time: CCC 214-221

What does it mean to say that God is “Almighty”?

God reveals himself as “the strong One, the mighty One” (Psalm 24:8), as the One “to whom nothing is impossible” (Luke 1:37). His omnipotence is universal, mysterious and shows itself in the creation of the world out of nothing and humanity out of love; but above all it shows itself in the Incarnation and the Resurrection of his Son, in the gift of filial adoption and in the forgiveness of sins. For this reason, the Church directs her prayers to the “almighty and eternal God” (“Omnipotens sempiterne Deus…”). (Catechism of the Catholic Church Comp. n. 50)

Readings: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading I: Jer 17:5-8

Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season, but stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth. Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: it fears not the heat when it comes; its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6

R (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
            the counsel of the wicked,
nor walks in the way of sinners,
            nor sits in the company of the insolent,
but delights in the law of the LORD
            and meditates on his law day and night.
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
            planted near running water,
that yields its fruit in due season,
            and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
            they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
            but the way of the wicked vanishes.
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Reading II: 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20

Brothers and sisters: If Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Alleluia: Lk 6:23ab

  1. Alleluia, alleluia.
    Rejoice and be glad;
    your reward will be great in heaven.
    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Lk 6:17, 20-26

Jesus came down with the twelve and stood on a stretch of level ground with a great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon. And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”


4th Sunday of Advent: We All Have a Tender Mother in Mary

“The Virgin Mary most perfectly embodies the obedience of faith. By faith Mary welcomes the tidings and promise brought by the angel Gabriel, believing that “with God nothing will be impossible” and so giving her assent: “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be [done] to me according to your word.” Elizabeth greeted her: “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” It is for this faith that all generations have called Mary blessed. 

 Throughout her life and until her last ordeal when Jesus her son died on the cross, Mary’s faith never wavered. She never ceased to believe in the fulfilment of God’s word. and so the Church venerates in Mary the purest realization of faith.” (CCC 148,149) 

“La Virgen María realiza de la manera más perfecta la obediencia de la fe. En la fe, María acogió el anuncio y la promesa que le traía el ángel Gabriel, creyendo que «nada es imposible para Dios» (Lc 1,37; cf. Gn 18,14) y dando su asentimiento: «He aquí la esclava del Señor; hágase en mí según tu palabra» (Lc 1,38). Isabel la saludó: «¡Dichosa la que ha creído que se cumplirían las cosas que le fueron dichas de parte del Señor!» (Lc 1,45). Por esta fe todas las generaciones la proclamarán bienaventurada (cf. Lc 1,48). Durante toda su vida, y hasta su última prueba (cf. Lc 2,35), cuando Jesús, su hijo, murió en la cruz, su fe no vaciló. María no cesó de creer en el «cumplimiento» de la palabra de Dios. Por todo ello, la Iglesia venera en María la realización más pura de la fe. (CIC 148,149)

Questions for Reflection

  1. Read Chapter 2, Article 3: Sacred Scripture
    1. Christ is the Word
    2. Divine inspiration and Truth of Scripture
    3. Holy Spirit and Scripture
    4. What is the canon of scripture?

3rd Sunday of Advent: December 19, 2021

Questions for Reflection

  1. Read chapter 2, article 2: Transmission of Divine Revelation
    1. What is the Apostolic Tradition?
    2. How are Tradition and the Scriptures related?
    3. What is the Magisterium of the Church?

What is the full and definitive stage of God’s Revelation?

The full and definitive stage of God’s revelation is accomplished in his Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, the mediator and fullness of Revelation. He, being the only-begotten Son of God made man, is the perfect and definitive Word of the Father. In the sending of the Son and the gift of the Spirit, Revelation is now fully complete, although the faith of the Church must gradually grasp its full significance over the course of centuries.

“In giving us his Son, his only and definitive Word, God spoke everything to us at once in this sole Word, and he has no more to say.” (Saint John of the Cross)

¿Cuál es la plena y definitiva etapa de la Revelación de Dios?

“La plena y definitiva etapa de la Revelación de Dios es la que Él mismo llevó a cabo en su Verbo encarnado, Jesucristo, mediador y plenitud de la Revelación. En cuanto Hijo Unigénito de Dios hecho hombre, Él es la Palabra perfecta y definitiva del Padre. Con la venida del Hijo y el don del Espíritu, la Revelación ya se ha cumplido plenamente, aunque la fe de la Iglesia deberá comprender gradualmente todo su alcance a lo largo de los siglos.

«Porque en darnos, como nos dio a su Hijo, que es una Palabra suya, que no tiene otra, todo nos lo habló junto y de una vez en esta sola Palabra, y no tiene más que hablar» “(San Juan de la Cruz) (Comp. CIC n. 9)

Readings: Third Sunday of Advent

Reading I: Zep 3:14-18a 

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgment against you he has turned away your enemies; the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.

Responsorial Psalm: Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6. 

  1. (6)  Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
    God indeed is my savior;
     I am confident and unafraid.
    My strength and my courage is the LORD,
     and he has been my savior.
    With joy you will draw water
        at the fountain of salvation.
    R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
    Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
        among the nations make known his deeds,
    proclaim how exalted is his name.
    R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
    Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
        let this be known throughout all the earth.
    Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
        for great in your midst
        is the Holy One of Israel!

    R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Reading II: Phil 4:4-7 

Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding  will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Alleluia: Is 61:1 (cited in Lk 4:18) 

  1. Alleluia, alleluia.
    The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
    to bring glad tidings to the poor.
    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Lk 3:10-18 

The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”

Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn,  but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.


Second Sunday of Advent: December 5, 2021

Questions for Reflection

  1. Read Chapter 2, article 1: God comes to meet Man
    1. What is it that God reveals to man?
    2. What are the stages of Revelation?
    3. What does it mean to say that Jesus is the mediator and fulness of all revelation?

“God himself, in creating man in his own image, has written upon his heart the desire to see him. Even if this desire is often ignored, God never ceases to draw man to himself because only in God will he find and live the fullness of truth and happiness for which he never stops searching. By nature and by vocation, therefore, man is a religious being, capable of entering into communion with God. This intimate and vital bond with God confers on man his fundamental dignity.” (Comp. CCC n. 2)

«Tú eres grande, Señor, y muy digno de alabanza (Â…). Nos has hecho para ti y nuestro corazón está inquieto mientras no descansa en ti» (San Agustín).

¿Por qué late en el hombre el deseo de Dios? 

Dios mismo, al crear al hombre a su propia imagen, inscribió en el corazón de éste el deseo de verlo. Aunque el hombre a menudo ignore tal deseo, Dios no cesa de atraerlo hacia sí, para que viva y encuentre en Él aquella plenitud de verdad y felicidad a la que aspira sin descanso. En consecuencia, el hombre, por naturaleza y vocación, es un ser esencialmente religioso, capaz de entrar en comunión con Dios. Esta íntima y vital relación con Dios otorga al hombre su dignidad fundamental. (Comp. CIC n. 2)

Readings: Second Sunday of Advent

Reading I: Bar 5:1-9

Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever: wrapped in the cloak of justice from God, bear on your head the mitre that displays the glory of the eternal name. For God will show all the earth your splendor: you will be named by God forever the peace of justice, the glory of God’s worship.

Up, Jerusalem! stand upon the heights; look to the east and see your children gathered from the east and the west at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that they are remembered by God. Led away on foot by their enemies they left you: but God will bring them back to you borne aloft in glory as on royal thrones. For God has commanded that every lofty mountain be made low, and that the age-old depths and gorges be filled to level ground, that Israel may advance secure in the glory of God. The forests and every fragrant kind of tree have overshadowed Israel at God’s command; for God is leading Israel in joy by the light of his glory, with his mercy and justice for company.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6.

  1. (3)  The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
    When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
    we were like men dreaming.
    Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with rejoicing.
    R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
    Then they said among the nations,
    “The LORD has done great things for them.”
    The LORD has done great things for us;
    we are glad indeed.
    R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
    Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
    like the torrents in the southern desert.
    Those who sow in tears
    shall reap rejoicing.
    R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
    Although they go forth weeping,
    carrying the seed to be sown,
    They shall come back rejoicing,
    carrying their sheaves.
    R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Reading II: Phil 1:4-6, 8-11

Brothers and sisters: I pray always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, because of your partnership for the gospel  from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

Alleluia: Lk 3:4, 6

  1. Alleluia, alleluia.
    Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths:
    all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Lk 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”


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