FRIDAY 03 JANUARY 2020

by | Jan 2, 2020 | Evangelium

friday 03 JANUARY 2020

 

The Most Holy Name of Jesus,
St. Genevieve

St. Genevieve was born about the year 422, at Nanterre near Paris. The life of St. Genevieve was one of great austerity, constant prayer, and works of charity. She died in the year 512.

 

White

Entrance Antiphon : Ps III: 4

A light has risen in the darkness for the upright of heart; the Lord is generous, merciful and just.

Collect

Cast your kindly light upon your faithful, Lord, we pray, and with the splendour of your glory set their hearts ever aflame, that they may never cease to acknowledge their Saviour and may truly hold fast to him. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

First reading: 1 John 2:29-3:6

You know that God is righteous –then you must recognise that everyone whose life is righteous has been begotten by him. Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are. Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us. My dear people, we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is that when it is revealed, we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is. Surely, everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ. Anyone who sins at all breaks the law, because to sin is to break the law. Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin, and that in him there is no sin; anyone who lives in God does not sin, and anyone who sins has never seen him or known him.

Psalm 97:1,3-6

R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

  1. Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm, have brought salvation.
  2. All the ends of the earth have seen, the salvation of our God. Shout to the Lord, all the earth, ring out your joy.
  3. Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp, with the sound of music. With trumpets and the sound of the horn, acclaim the King, the Lord.

 

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia! A hallowed day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, worship the Lord, for today a great light has shone down upon the earth. Alleluia!

 

Gospel: John 1:29-34

Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.” Yes, I have seen, and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Receive with favour, O Lord, we pray, the offerings of your people, that what they profess with devotion and faith may be theirs through these heavenly mysteries. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon: 1 Jn 4: 9

By this the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his Only Begotten Son into the world, so that we might have life through him.

 

Prayer after Communion

O God, who touch us through our partaking of your Sacrament, work, we pray, the effects of its power in our hearts, that we may be made fit to receive your gift through this very gift itself. Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

 

Meditation

St. John the Evangelist loves to refer to the followers of Jesus simply as ‘Children of God.’ Imagine if all Christians today would be given the official title of ‘Children of God.’ Our many denominations and titles divide us from each other.  It is very encouraging to remember that we are Christians and are therefore to be known as ‘Children of God.’  We are called to be members of one family.  Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer, which clearly implies that we are one family because we have one Heavenly Father.  The more we can trust God with childlike faith, the more we are acting as true children of God.