by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 23, 2022 | Evangelium
Saturday 24 th december 2022
St. Adele
St. Adele was a widow. A daughter of King Dagobert II of Germany, St. Adele became a nun upon the death of her husband. After a devout life filled with good works and communion with God, she passed on to her heavenly reward in 730.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Gal 4: 4
Behold, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son into the world.
Collect
Come quickly, we pray, Lord Jesus, and do not delay, that those who trust in your compassion may find solace and relief in your coming. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First Reading : 2 Samuel 7:1-5. 8-12.14.16
Once David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.’ But that very night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: ‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be a leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. And when your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. I will be a father to him and he a son to me. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever”.
Psalm 88(89):2-5,27,29
R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.
- I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord; through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth. Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever, that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.
- ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant; I will establish your dynasty for ever and set up your throne through all ages.’
- He will say to me: ‘You are my father, my God, the rock who saves me.’ I will keep my love for him always; for him my covenant shall endure.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Morning star, Radiance of eternal light, Sun of justice, come and enlighten those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 1:67-79
John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited his people, he has come to their rescue and he has raised up for us a power for salvation in the House of his servant David, even as he proclaimed, by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times, that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us. Thus he shows mercy to our ancestors, thus he remembers his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham that he would grant us, free from fear, to be delivered from the hands of our enemies, to serve him in holiness and virtue in his presence, all our days. And you, little child, you shall be called Prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him. To give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins; this by the tender mercy of our God who from on high will bring the rising Sun to visit us, to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Graciously make your own, O Lord, the offerings which we bring, that, partaking of them, we be cleansed of our sins and merit to stand ready with pure hearts for the coming in glory of your Son. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Communion Antiphon : Lk 1: 68
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! He has visited his people and redeemed them.
Prayer after Communion
Grant to us who find new vigour, O Lord, in these your wondrous gifts, that, as we prepare to celebrate in adoration the festivities of your Son’s Nativity, so we may possess in gladness his everlasting rewards. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
Through the prophet Nathan, God promised David that his descendants would always reign over Israel. In the Gospel, Zechariah announces that in keeping with this promise, God has raised up a descendant of David to save the Israelites from their enemies and make them a holy people who will serve God. This Saviour is Jesus Christ, whose birth we will celebrate tomorrow. We are the new Israel, and Jesus has come to free us from our enemy, Satan, who leads us into sin, and to teach us how to serve God all the days of our lives. Let us accept Jesus in our lives and allow him to make us children of God, who love and serve him alone.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 22, 2022 | Evangelium
FrIday 23 rd december 2022
O Emmanuel!
St. John of Kęty
(1390 – 1473)
He was born in Kety in the diocese of Kraków in 1390. He became a priest and for many years taught at the University of Kraków; later he became parish priest of Olkusz. He taught and researched in both physics and theology and excelled in holiness and in charity towards his neighbour, in which he was an example to his colleagues and pupils. He died in 1473.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Is 9: 5; Ps 71: 17
A child shall be born for us, and he will be called God, the Almighty; every tribe of the earth shall be blest in him.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, as we see how the Nativity of your Son according to the flesh draws near, we pray that to us, your unworthy servants, mercy may flow from your Word, who chose to become flesh of the Virgin Mary and establish among us his dwelling, Jesus Christ our Lord. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First Reading : Malachi 3:1-4,23-24
The Lord God says this: Look, I am going to send my messenger to prepare a way before me. And the Lord you are seeking will suddenly enter his Temple; and the angel of the covenant whom you are longing for, yes, he is coming, says the Lord of Hosts. Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fullers’ alkali. He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and then they will make the offering to the Lord as it should be made. The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will then be welcomed by the Lord as in former days, as in the years of old. Know that I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before my day comes, that great and terrible day. He shall turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the hearts of children towards their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a curse.
Psalm 24(25):4-5,8-9,10,14
R/ Stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.
- Lord, make me know your ways. Lord, teach me your paths. Make me walk in your truth, and teach me: for you are God my saviour.
- The Lord is good and upright. He shows the path to those who stray, He guides the humble in the right path, He teaches his way to the poor.
- His ways are faithfulness and love for those who keep his covenant and law. The Lord’s friendship is for those who revere him; to them he reveals his covenant.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! King of the peoples and cornerstone of the Church, come and save man, whom you made from the dust of the earth. Alleluia!
Gospel
The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy. Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. ‘No,’ she said ‘he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘But no one in your family has that name’, and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God. All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. ‘What will this child turn out to be?’ they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.
Prayer over the Offerings
May this oblation, by which divine worship in its fullness has been inaugurated for us, be our perfect reconciliation with you, O Lord, that we may celebrate with minds made pure the Nativity of our Redeemer. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Communion Antiphon : Rv 3: 20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door to me, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.
Prayer after Communion
Grant your peace, O Lord, to those you have nourished with these heavenly gifts, that we may be ready, with lighted lamps, to meet your dearly beloved Son at his coming. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
A prophet is a person called and sent by God to speak on God’s behalf. John the Baptist, whose coming was announced by Malachi in today’s First Reading, was sent to announce God’s message to Israel. We are all prophets by virtue of our baptism. God has chosen us and sent us to proclaim his message to our world. He wants us to promote and reconciliation, and to preach justice and peace in our society. Each day is a new opportunity God gives us to announce his message to the world. At the end of each day, we should ask ourselves: “What have I done to make Jesus known to the world? Did all those I met today encounter Jesus through me?”
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 21, 2022 | Evangelium
Thursday 22 nd december 2022
O Rex gentium!
St. Chaeromon
He was bishop of Nilopolis in Egypt. When the persecution was instituted by Emperor Trajanus Decius, St. Chaeromon was quite elderly. He and several companions fled into the Arabian desert and were never seen again. The bishop and his companions are listed as martyrs.
Entrance Antiphon : Ps 23: 7
O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory!
Collect
O God, who, seeing the human race fallen into death, willed to redeem it by the coming of your Only Begotten Son, grant, we pray, that those who confess his Incarnation with humble fervor may merit his company as their Redeemer. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First Reading : 1 Samuel 1:24-28
When Hannah had weaned Samuel, she took him up with her together with a three-year old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the temple of the Lord at Shiloh; and the child was with them. They slaughtered the bull and the child’s mother came to Eli. She said, ‘If you please, my lord. As you live, my lord, I am the woman, who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. This is the child I prayed for, and the Lord granted me what I asked him. Now I make him over to the Lord for the whole of his life. He is made over to the Lord.’ There she left him, for the Lord.
Canticle: 1 Samuel 2:1,4-8
R/ My heart exults in the Lord my saviour.
- My heart exults in the Lord, I find my strength in my God; my mouth laughs at my enemies as I rejoice in your saving help.
- The bows of the mighty are broken, but the weak are clothed with strength. Those with plenty must labour for bread, but the hungry need work no more. The childless wife has children now but the fruitful wife bears no more.
- It is the Lord who gives life and death, he brings men to the grave and back; it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches. He brings men low and raises them on high.
- He lifts up the lowly from the dust, from the dungheap he raises the poor to set him in the company of princes, to give him a glorious throne. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, on them he has set the world.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Root of Jesse, set up as a sign to the peoples, come to save us and delay no more. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 1:46-56
Mary said: ‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid. Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him. ‘He has shown the power of his arm, he has routed the proud of heart. He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away. He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy – according to the promise he made to our ancestors of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’ Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.
Prayer over the Offerings
Trusting in your compassion, O Lord, we come eagerly with our offerings to your sacred altar, that, through the purifying action of your grace, we may be cleansed by the very mysteries we serve. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Lk 1: 46, 49
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Prayer after Communion
May reception of your Sacrament strengthen us, O Lord, so that we may go out to meet our Saviour with worthy deeds when he comes and merit the rewards of the blessed. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Hannah and Mary expressed their joy and gratitude to God for his goodness to them. God blessed Hannah with a child, and to show her gratitude she dedicated him to God. Today’s psalm is her song of praise to God for his goodness and mercy. In a similar manner, Mary praised God for the marvels he had done for her. These two women show us two things which are often absent from our Christian lives: praise and thanksgiving. Do we take time to praise God for his greatness and majesty? Do we thank him for what he does for us? Do we resolve to serve God more faithfully to show our gratitude to him? May God’s grace transform us into grateful Christians.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 19, 2022 | Evangelium
Tuesday 20 th december 2022
O clavis David!
Blessed Scubilion
(1797 – 1867)
Born in France in 1797, He joined the Brothers of Christian Instruction and was given the name Scubilion. In 1833 he was sent to the Isle of Réunion, where he remained until his death in 1867. In Réunion he was named “the catechist of the slaves” on account of his ministry among them.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Is 11: 1; 40: 5; Lk 3: 6
A branch shall sprout from the root of Jesse, and the glory of the Lord will fill the whole earth, and all flesh will see the salvation of God.
Collect
O God, eternal majesty, whose ineffable Word the Immaculate Virgin received through the message of an Angel and so became the dwelling-place of divinity, filled with the light of the Holy Spirit, grant, we pray, that by her example, we may, in humility, hold fast to your will. 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 : Isaiah 7:10-14
The Lord spoke to Ahaz and said, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.’ ‘No,’ Ahaz answered ‘I will not put the Lord to the test.’ Then Isaiah said: ‘Listen now, House of David: are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men without trying the patience of my God, too? The Lord himself, therefore, will give you a sign. It is this: the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel, a name which means “God-is-with-us.”’
Psalm 23:1-6
R/ Let the Lord enter! He is the king of glory.
- The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, the world and all its peoples. It is he who set it on the seas; on the waters he made it firm.
- Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place? The man with clean hands and pure heart, who desires not worthless things..
- He shall receive blessings from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him. Such are the men who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Emmanuel, our king and lawgiver, come and save us, Lord our God. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.
Prayer over the Offerings
Look, O Lord, we pray, upon the one sacrifice of your Son, that, by participating in this mystery, we may possess at last the gifts we have awaited and for which our faith bids us hope. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Lk 1: 31
The Angel said to Mary: Behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
Prayer after Communion
Grant divine protection, O Lord, to those you renew with this heavenly gift, that to those who delight in your mysteries, you may give the joy of true peace. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Mary gives us a beautiful example of faith in God and submission to his will. The angel Gabriel told her that she would conceive as a virgin, which was impossible. In addition, she would have to face the wrath of her family, her fiancé and society at large, because it was a scandal for a woman to conceive out of wedlock and nobody was going to believe her story of conception by the power of the Holy Spirit. But she embraced this uncertainty with faith and put her trust in God. Whenever we do not understand what happens to us, and we are filled with uncertainty and doubt, let us remember to trust God and allow him to accomplish his will in our lives like Mary did.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 18, 2022 | Evangelium
Monday 19 th december 2022
O radix Iesse!
St. Nemesius
He was a martyr of Egypt. He was burned alive in Alexandria, Egypt, during the persecutions under Emperor Trajanus Decius. Nemesius was arrested and scourged and then burned to death. Like Christ, he was executed between two criminals.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Heb 10: 37
He who is to come will come and will not delay, and now there will be no fear within our land, for he is our Saviour.
Collect
O God, who through the child-bearing of the holy Virgin graciously revealed the radiance of your glory to the world, grant, we pray, that we may venerate with integrity of faith the mystery of so wondrous an Incarnation and always celebrate it with due reverence. 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 : Judges 13:2-7,24-25
There was a man of Zorah of the tribe of Dan, called Manoah. His wife was barren, she had borne no children. The angel of the Lord appeared to this woman and said to her, ‘You are barren and have had no child. But from now on take great care. Take no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For you will conceive and bear a son. No razor is to touch his head, for the boy shall be God’s nazirite from his mother’s womb. It is he who will begin to rescue Israel from the power of the Philistines.’ Then the woman went and told her husband, ‘A man of God has just come to me; his presence was like the presence of the angel of God, he was so majestic. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not reveal his name to me. But he said to me, “You will conceive and bear a son. From now on, take no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For the boy shall be God’s nazirite from his mother’s womb to his dying day.”’ The woman gave birth to a son and called him Samson. The child grew, and the Lord blessed him; and the spirit of the Lord began to move him.
Responsorial Psalm
R/ My lips are filled with your praise, with your glory all the day long.
- Be a rock where I can take refuge, a mighty stronghold to save me; for you are my rock, my stronghold. Free me from the hand of the wicked.
- It is you, O Lord, who are my hope, my trust, O Lord, since my youth. On you I have leaned from my birth, from my mother’s womb you have been my help.
- I will declare the Lord’s mighty deeds proclaiming your justice, yours alone. O God, you have taught me from my youth and I proclaim your wonders still.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Root of Jesse, set up as a sign to the peoples, come to save us, and delay no more. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 1:5-25
In the days of King Herod of Judaea there lived a priest called Zechariah who belonged to the Abijah section of the priesthood, and he had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron. Both were worthy in the sight of God, and scrupulously observed all the commandments and observances of the Lord. But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both getting on in years. Now it was the turn of Zechariah’s section to serve, and he was exercising his priestly office before God when it fell to him by lot, as the ritual custom was, to enter the Lord’s sanctuary and burn incense there. And at the hour of incense the whole congregation was outside, praying. Then there appeared to him the angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense. The sight disturbed Zechariah and he was overcome with fear. But the angel said to him, ‘Zechariah, do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you must name him John. He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must drink no wine, no strong drink. Even from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he will bring back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before him to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the disobedient back to the wisdom that the virtuous have, preparing for the Lord a people fit for him.’ Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years.’ The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel who stand in God’s presence, and I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. Listen! Since you have not believed my words, which will come true at their appointed time, you will be silenced and have no power of speech until this has happened.’ Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were surprised that he stayed in the sanctuary so long. When he came out he could not speak to them, and they realised that he had received a vision in the sanctuary. But he could only make signs to them, and remained dumb. When his time of service came to an end he returned home. Some time later his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept to herself. ‘The Lord has done this for me’ she said ‘now that it has pleased him to take away the humiliation I suffered among men.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Look with favour, we pray, O Lord, on the offerings we lay upon your altars, that what we bring despite our weakness may be sanctified by your power. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Lk 1: 78-79
The Dawn from on high will visit us, guiding our feet in the way of peace.
Prayer after Communion
As we give thanks, almighty God, for these gifts you have bestowed, graciously arouse in us, we pray, the desire for those yet to come, that we may welcome the Nativity of our Saviour and honour it with minds made pure. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Consecration is an important theme in today’s readings. To consecrate is to set apart for a special reason or task. Samson and John were consecrated to God and this consecration obliged them and their mothers to live in a particular way. When we were baptised, we were consecrated to God; we were set apart for his service. This is a fact we often forget; we do not belong to ourselves, for God bought us for a price which was the blood of his Son Jesus. We belong to God, and so we must live in a particular way, abstaining from sin and doing his will. As St. Paul advises, we must use our bodies and faculties for the glory of God.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 17, 2022 | Evangelium
Sunday 18 th december 2022
4th Sunday of Advent,
Psalter IV
O Adonai!
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Is 45: 8
Drop down dew from above, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down the Just One; let the earth be opened and bring forth a Saviour.
Collect
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Isaiah 7:10-14
The Lord spoke to Ahaz and said, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.’ ‘No,’ Ahaz answered ‘I will not put the Lord to the test.’ Then Isaiah said: ‘Listen now, House of David: are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men without trying the patience of my God, too? The Lord himself, therefore, will give you a sign. It is this: the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel, a name which means “God-is-with-us.”’
Psalm 23:1-6
R/ Let the Lord enter! He is the king of glory.
- The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, the world and all its peoples. It is he who set it on the seas; on the waters he made it firm.
- Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place? The man with clean hands and pure heart, who desires not worthless things..
- He shall receive blessings from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him. Such are the men who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Second reading
From Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus who has been called to be an apostle, and specially chosen to preach the Good News that God promised long ago through his prophets in the scriptures. This news is about the Son of God who, according to the human nature he took was a descendant of David: it is about Jesus Christ our Lord who, in the order of the spirit, the spirit of holiness that was in him, was proclaimed Son of God in all his power through his resurrection from the dead. Through him we received grace and our apostolic mission to preach the obedience of faith to all pagan nations in honour of his name. You are one of these nations, and by his call belong to Jesus Christ. To you all, then, who are God’s beloved in Rome, called to be saints, may God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send grace and peace.
Gospel Acclamation : Mt 1:23
Alleluia, alleluia! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us’. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 1:18-24
This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’ When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.
Prayer over the Offerings
May the Holy Spirit, O Lord, sanctify these gifts laid upon your altar, just as he filled with his power the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Is 7: 14
Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son; and his name will be called Emmanuel.
Prayer after Communion
Having received this pledge of eternal redemption, we pray, almighty God, that, as the feast day of our salvation draws ever nearer, so we may press forward all the more eagerly to the worthy celebration of the mystery of your Son’s Nativity. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
Jesus is Emmanuel, God-with-us. Through him God comes to meet us and dwell among us. He comes to be our companion and to journey with us through life. He is the Son of God, endowed with power, and as his name indicates (Jesus means “God saves”), he comes to save us from our sins. He comes to liberate us from all the vices of our human condition and to give us new life, a life lived in communion with God. Let Jesus enter into your heart, for his the King of glory. Let him come and purify your heart and make you a new creature, a child of God. Let the Lord enter; he is the King of glory.
