by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 29, 2022 | Evangelium
Friday 30 th december 2022
St. Anysia
The Holy Family
She was a wealthy woman of Salonika, in Thessaly, who used her personal funds to aid the poor. A soldier accosted her in the street and tried to drag her to a pagan sacrifice. Anysia resisted and was killed when the soldier attacked her with his sword.
Entrance Antiphon : Lk 2: 16
The shepherds went in haste, and found Mary and Joseph and the Infant lying in a manger.
Collect
O God, who were pleased to give us the shining example of the Holy Family, graciously grant that we may imitate them in practising the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity, and so, in the joy of your house, delight one day in eternal rewards. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Ecclesiasticus 3:3-7,14-17
The Lord honours the father in his children, and upholds the rights of a mother over her sons. Whoever respects his father is atoning for his sins, he who honours his mother is like someone amassing a fortune. Whoever respects his father will be happy with children of his own, he shall be heard on the day when he prays. Long life comes to him who honours his father, he who sets his mother at ease is showing obedience to the Lord. My son, support your father in his old age, do not grieve him during his life. Even if his mind should fail, show him sympathy, do not despise him in your health and strength; for kindness to a father shall not be forgotten but will serve as reparation for your sins.
Psalm 127:1-5
R/ O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways!
- O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways! By the labour of your hands you shall eat. You will be happy and prosper.
- Your wife like a fruitful vine in the heart of your house; your children like shoots of the olive, around your table.
- Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life!
Gospel Acclamation : Col3:15,16
Alleluia, alleluia! May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts; let the message of Christ find a home with you. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 2:13-15,19-23
After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I called my son out of Egypt. After Herod’s death, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, went back to the land of Israel. But when he learnt that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as ruler of Judaea he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he left for the region of Galilee. There he settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled: ‘He will be called a Nazarene.’
Prayer over the Offerings
We offer you, Lord, the sacrifice of conciliation, humbly asking that, through the intercession of the Virgin Mother of God and Saint Joseph, you may establish our families firmly in your grace and your peace.Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Bar 3: 38
Our God has appeared on the earth, and lived among us.
Prayer after Communion
Bring those you refresh with this heavenly Sacrament, most merciful Father, to imitate constantly the example of the Holy Family, so that, after the trials of this world, we may share their company for ever. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The Holy Family of Nazareth is the model of the Christian family. We can borrow from this family the tools needed to build solid families. Joseph always acted according to instructions he received from God; we too must listen to God in prayer and invite him to dwell in our families and guide us. Like Joseph, parents should strive to protect and provide for their families. Luke tells us in his gospel that Jesus was obedient to his parents; children should do the same, for as Sirach tells us, those who obey their parents obtain long life, reparation for their sins and a treasure of blessings.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 28, 2022 | Evangelium
Thursday 29 th december 2022
St. Thomas Becket
(1118 – 1170)
He was born in London and became a close friend of King Henry II. When he was ordained as archbishop of Canterbury, he underwent an abrupt conversion of life and began to defend the Church’s rights against the king. This led to his assassination in his cathedral on 29 December 1170.
Entrance Antiphon : Jn 3: 16
God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son, so that all who believe in him may not perish, but may have eternal life.
Collect
Almighty and invisible God, who dispersed the darkness of this world by the coming of your light, look, we pray, with serene countenance upon us, that we may acclaim with fitting praise, the greatness of the Nativity of your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : 1John 2:3-11
We can be sure that we know Jesus only by keeping his commandments. Anyone who says, ‘I know him’, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, refusing to admit the truth. But when anyone does obey what he has said, God’s love comes to perfection in him. We can be sure that we are in God only when the one who claims to be living in him is living the same kind of life as Christ lived. My dear people, this is not a new commandment that I am writing to tell you, but an old commandment that you were given from the beginning, the original commandment which was the message brought to you. Yet in another way, what I am writing to you, and what is being carried out in your lives as it was in his, is a new commandment; because the night is over and the real light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the dark. But anyone who loves his brother is living in the light and need not be afraid of stumbling; unlike the man who hates his brother and is in the darkness, not knowing where he is going, because it is too dark to see.
Psalm 96
R/ Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
- O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord all the earth. O sing to the Lord, bless his name.
- Proclaim his help day by day, tell among the nations his glory and his wonders among all the peoples.
- It was the Lord who made the heavens, his are majesty and state and power and splendour in his holy place.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! A light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people Israel. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 2:22-35
When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord – observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. Now in Jerusalem there was a man called Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said: ‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised; because my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared for all the nations to see, a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people Israel.’ As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive our oblation, O Lord, by which is brought about a glorious exchange, that, by offering what you have given, we may merit to receive your very self. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Lk 1: 78
Through the tender mercy of our God, the Dawn from on high will visit us.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that by the power of these holy mysteries, our life may be constantly sustained. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
We can only say we know God if we obey his commandments. Remember what Jesus says in Mt 7:12: “Not everybody who says to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my heavenly Father.” Calling ourselves Christians means little; we have to keep his Word and let it transform our lives. When we keep the Word of God, we become more and more like Jesus, and when we resemble Jesus, we become a sign of contradiction, a sign that is rejected because our way of life lays bare the evil that men do. May God give us the strength and courage to abide by his Word against all odds.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 27, 2022 | Evangelium
Wednesday 28 th december 2022
The Holy Innocents,
Martyrs
The Holy Innocents are the children who were slaughtered at the orders of King Herod, in the hope that by killing every boy born in Bethlehem at the same time as Jesus, he would succeed in killing the new-born King of the Jews.
Entrance Antiphon
The innocents were slaughtered as infants for Christ; spotless, they follow the Lamb and sing for ever: Glory to you, O Lord.
Collect
O God, whom the Holy Innocents confessed and proclaimed on this day, not by speaking but by dying, grant, we pray, that the faith in you which we confess with our lips may also speak through our manner of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : 1 John 1:5-22
This is what we have heard from Jesus Christ, and the message that we are announcing to you: God is light; there is no darkness in him at all. If we say that we are in union with God while we are living in darkness, we are lying because we are not living the truth. But if we live our lives in the light, as he is in the light, we are in union with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we say we have no sin in us, we are deceiving ourselves and refusing to admit the truth; but if we acknowledge our sins, then God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and purify us from everything that is wrong. To say that we have never sinned is to call God a liar and to show that his word is not in us. I am writing this, my children, to stop you sinning; but if anyone should sin, we have our advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, who is just; he is the sacrifice that takes our sins away, and not only ours, but the whole world’s.
Psalm Ps 124
R/ Our life, like a bird, has escaped from the snare of the fowler.
- If the Lord had not been on our side when men rose against us, then would they have swallowed us alive when their anger was kindled.
- Then would the waters have engulfed us, the torrent gone over us; over our head would have swept the raging waters.
- Indeed the snare has been broken and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! We praise you, O God, we acknowledge you to be the Lord. The noble army of martyrs praise you, O Lord. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 2:13-18
After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I called my son out of Egypt. Herod was furious when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men and in Bethlehem and its surrounding district he had all the male children killed who were two years old or under, reckoning by the date he had been careful to ask the wise men. It was then that the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah were fulfilled: A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loudly lamenting: it was Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted because they were no more.
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive, O Lord, we pray, the offerings of your devoted servants, and purify us as we faithfully serve these your mysteries, by which you grant justification even to those who lack understanding. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Rev 14: 4
Behold those redeemed as the first fruits of the human race for God and the Lamb, and who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, O Lord, abundant salvation to your faithful as they receive your holy gifts on the feast day of these your Saints, who, though still unable to profess your Son in speech, were crowned with heavenly grace on account of his birth. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
We have to choose between good and evil, between light and darkness. God is light, and just as light cannot coexist with darkness, we cannot follow God and at the same time indulge in sinful acts. We have to confess our sins, so that Jesus may cleanse us of all wickedness. The forces of darkness will always try to engulf us, just as Herod tried to kill Jesus. The massacre of the innocent children shows that he will stop at nothing to lure us into sin and destroy us. But if we, like Joseph, listen to and follow God’s voice, he will always rescue us from the devil’s snares.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 26, 2022 | Evangelium
Tuesday 27 th december 2022
St. John,
Apostle, Evangelist
- Feast –
- John is involved in many of the central events of Jesus’ life, including the Transfiguration, the Crucifixion, and the discovery of the Resurrection. He is “the disciple whom Jesus loved” and the one to whom Jesus confided the care of his mother Mary. He wrote a Gospel, three Epistles, and the Apocalypse.
Entrance Antiphon
This is John, who reclined on the Lord’s breast at supper, the blessed Apostle, to whom celestial secrets were revealed and who spread the words of life through all the world.
Collect
O God, who through the blessed Apostle, John have unlocked for us the secrets of your Word, grant, we pray, that we may grasp with proper understanding what he has so marvellously brought to our ears. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : 1 John 1:1-4
Something which has existed since the beginning, that we have heard, and we have seen with our own eyes; that we have watched and touched with our hands: the Word, who is life – this is our subject. That life was made visible: we saw it and we are giving our testimony, telling you of the eternal life which was with the Father and has been made visible to us. What we have seen and heard we are telling you so that you too may be in union with us, as we are in union with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing this to you to make our own joy complete.
Psalm 96:1-2,5-6,11-12
R/ Rejoice, you just, in the Lord.
- The Lord is king, let earth rejoice, let all the coastlands be glad. Cloud and darkness are his raiment; his throne, justice and right.
- The mountains melt like wax before the Lord of all the earth. The skies proclaim his justice; all peoples see his glory.
- Light shines forth for the just and joy for the upright of heart. Rejoice, you just, in the Lord; give glory to his holy name.
Gospel Acclamation : cf.Te Deum
Alleluia, alleluia! We praise you, O God, we acknowledge you to be the Lord. The glorious company of the apostles praise you, O Lord. Alleluia!
Gospel : John 20:2-8
On the first day of the week Mary of Magdala came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’ So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in. Simon Peter who was following now came up, went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed.
Prayer over the Offerings
Sanctify the offerings we have made, O Lord, we pray, and grant that from the banquet of this supper we may draw the hidden wisdom of the eternal Word, just as, from this same source,you revealed it to your Apostle John. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Jn 1: 14, 16
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and from his fullness we have all received.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that the Word made flesh, proclaimed by the blessed Apostle John, may, through this mystery which we have celebrated, ever dwell among us. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Christian life is not just about what we hear or read; it is a personal experience. In his letter, Saint John writes about what he has seen, touched and heard; he talks about Jesus whom he encountered and lived with, and whose empty tomb he saw. His faith was based on his experience of Jesus. It should be the same with us; we must each have a personal encounter with Jesus. This comes through prayer, meditation and application of his Word in our lives. We must discover through practice what it means to dialogue with God, to do what he demands, and to count on him during difficult moments. True witness to Jesus comes from what we have experienced in our own lives.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 25, 2022 | Evangelium
Monday 26 th december 2022
St. Stephen,
the first Martyr
– Feast –
Stephen is the first martyr. He was one of the deacons appointed by the Apostles to organize the distribution of food to the poor. Angry Jews fabricated false charges against him and he was stoned to death. He prayed for his persecutors as he was dying. One of them, Saul of Tarsus, was later converted and became the great missionary, St Paul.
Entrance Antiphon
The gates of heaven were opened for blessed Stephen, who was found to be first among the number of the Martyrs, and therefore is crowned triumphant in heaven.
Collect
Grant, Lord, we pray, that we may imitate what we worship, and so learn to love even our enemies, for we celebrate the heavenly birthday of a man who knew how to pray even for his persecutors. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59
Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people. But then certain people came forward to debate with Stephen, some from Cyrene and Alexandria who were members of the synagogue called the Synagogue of Freedmen, and others from Cilicia and Asia. They found they could not get the better of him because of his wisdom, and because it was the Spirit that prompted what he said. They were infuriated when they heard what he said, and ground their teeth at him. But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. ‘I can see heaven thrown open’ he said ‘and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they all rushed at him, sent him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and said aloud, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’; and with these words he fell asleep. Saul entirely approved of the killing.
Psalm 31
R/ Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
- Be a rock of refuge for me, a mighty stronghold to save me, for you are my rock, my stronghold. For your name’s sake, lead me and guide me
2 Into your hands I commend my spirit. It is you who will redeem me, Lord. As for me, I trust in the Lord: let me be glad and rejoice in your love.
- My life is in your hands, deliver me from the hands of those who hate me. Let your face shine on your servant. Save me in your love.
Gospel Acclamation : Ps 117: 26. 27
Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; the Lord God is our light. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 10:17-22
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Beware of men: they will hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the pagans. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes; because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you. ‘Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May these offerings of our devotion today, be acceptable to you, we pray, O Lord, for they are prompted by the glorious commemoration of Saint Stephen the Martyr. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Acts 7: 58
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
Prayer after Communion
For the many mercies which surround us we give thanks to you, O Lord, who save us through the Nativity of your Son and gladden us with the celebration of the blessed Martyr Stephen. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Yesterday we thanked God for granting us the dignity of being called his children through Jesus Christ; today God tells us that being his children implies facing persecution. The martyrdom of Stephen shows that as children of God, we do not belong to the world. The way of Christ goes contrary to the way of the world, and consequently the world hates his followers. When we stand up for justice and honesty, and promote peace and unity, we will encounter hostility and rejection. When these moments of trial come, let us not give up or be discouraged; rather, let us remember and hold on to the words of Jesus: “The man who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 24, 2022 | Evangelium
Sunday 25 th december 2022
Christmas Day
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Is 9: 5
A child is born for us, and a son is given to us; his sceptre of power rests upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Messenger of great counsel.
Collect
O God, who wonderfully created the dignity of human nature and still more wonderfully restored it, grant, we pray, that we may share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Isaiah 52:7-10
How beautiful on the mountains, are the feet of one who brings good news, who heralds peace, brings happiness, proclaims salvation, and tells Zion, ‘Your God is king!’ Listen! Your watchmen raise their voices, they shout for joy together, for they see the Lord face to face, as he returns to Zion. Break into shouts of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord is consoling his people, redeeming Jerusalem. The Lord bares his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Psalm 97(98):1-6
R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
- Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation
- The Lord has made known his salvation; has shown his justice to the nations. He has remembered his truth and love for the house of Israel.
- All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout to the Lord all the earth, ring out your joy.
- 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.
Second reading : Hebrews 1:1-6
At various times in the past and in various different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own time the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son, the Son that he has appointed to inherit everything and through whom he made everything there is. He is the radiant light of God’s glory and the perfect copy of his nature, sustaining the universe by his powerful command; and now that he has destroyed the defilement of sin, he has gone to take his place in heaven at the right hand of divine Majesty. So he is now as far above the angels as the title which he has inherited is higher than their own name. God has never said to any angel: You are my Son, today I have become your father, or: I will be a father to him and he a son to me. Again, when he brings the First-born into the world, he says: Let all the angels of God worship him.
Gospel Acclamation : cf.Lk24:32
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 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came to be, not one thing had its being but through him. All that came to be had life in him and that life was the light of men, a light that shines in the dark, a light that darkness could not overpower. A man came, sent by God. His name was John. He came as a witness, as a witness to speak for the light, so that everyone might believe through him. He was not the light, only a witness to speak for the light. The Word was the true light that enlightens all men; and he was coming into the world. He was in the world that had its being through him, and the world did not know him. He came to his own domain and his own people did not accept him. But to all who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to all who believe in the name of him who was born not out of human stock or urge of the flesh or will of man but of God himself. The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. John appears as his witness. He proclaims: ‘This is the one of whom I said: He who comes after me ranks before me because he existed before me.’ Indeed, from his fullness we have, all of us, received- yes, grace in return for grace, since, though the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is nearest to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
Prayer over the Offerings
Make acceptable, O Lord, our oblation on this solemn day, when you manifested the reconciliation that makes us wholly pleasing in your sight and inaugurated for us the fullness of divine worship. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Ps 97: 3
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, O merciful God, that, just as the Saviour of the world, born this day, is the author of divine generation for us, so he may be the giver even of immortality. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. To all who accept him, he gives power to become children of God.” These words of John’s gospel contain the central message of Christmas: God became man so that we may become like God. Jesus took our humanity in order to restore the dignity we lost as a result of sin. The celebration of Christmas is the celebration of the restoration of our dignity as children of God. Thanks to the incarnation, you are no longer an ordinary creature; you are a child of God and an heir of God’s heavenly kingdom. Praise and glorify God, for he has exalted you and given you a share in his divine life; rejoice and be glad.
