by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 10, 2022 | Evangelium
Sunday 11 th december 2022
3rd Sunday of Advent, Violet
Psalter III
Entrance Antiphon : Phil 4: 4-5
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.
Collect
O God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s Nativity, enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing. 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 35:1-6,10
Let the wilderness and the dry-lands exult, let the wasteland rejoice and bloom, let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil, let it rejoice and sing for joy. The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it, the splendour of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, the splendour of our God. Strengthen all weary hands, steady all trembling knees and say to all faint hearts, ‘Courage! Do not be afraid. ‘Look, your God is coming, vengeance is coming, the retribution of God; he is coming to save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed, then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy for those the Lord has ransomed shall return. They will come to Zion shouting for joy, everlasting joy on their faces; joy and gladness will go with them and sorrow and lament be ended.
Psalm 145(146):6-10
R/ Come, Lord, and save us.
- It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever, who is just to those who are oppressed. It is he who gives bread to the hungry, the Lord, who sets prisoners free,
- It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind, who raises up those who are bowed down, the Lord, who protects the stranger and upholds the widow and orphan.
- It is the Lord who loves the just but thwarts the path of the wicked. The Lord will reign for ever, Zion’s God, from age to age.
Second reading : James 5:7-10
Be patient, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. Think of a farmer: how patiently he waits for the precious fruit of the ground until it has had the autumn rains and the spring rains! You too have to be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord’s coming will be soon. Do not make complaints against one another, brothers, so as not to be brought to judgement yourselves; the Judge is already to be seen waiting at the gates. For your example, brothers, in submitting with patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation : Is61:1(Lk4:18)
Alleluia, alleluia! The spirit of the Lord has been given to me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 11:2-11
John in his prison had heard what Christ was doing and he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or have we got to wait for someone else?’ Jesus answered, ‘Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor; and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me.’ As the messengers were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the people about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? No? Then what did you go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? Oh no, those who wear fine clothes are to be found in palaces. Then what did you go out for? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet: he is the one of whom scripture says: ‘Look, I am going to send my messenger before you; he will prepare your way before you. ‘I tell you solemnly, of all the children born of women, a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May the sacrifice of our worship, Lord, we pray, be offered to you unceasingly, to complete what was begun in sacred mystery and powerfully accomplish for us your saving work. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Is 35: 4
Say to the faint of heart: Be strong and do not fear. Behold, our God will come, and he will save us.
Prayer after Communion
We implore your mercy, Lord, that this divine sustenance may cleanse us of our faults and prepare us for the coming feasts. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
When Jesus comes into our lives, he brings complete renewal: comfort and peace where there is sorrow, confidence where there is doubt, courage where there is fear, holiness where there is sin. He comes to open our eyes so that we may see and love him in our neighbours, to open our ears to hear his voice and allow it to transform our lives, to lift us up in our difficulties so that we can walk again, to cleanse us of the leprosy of pride and every impurity, to loosen our tongues so we can speak words of peace, consolation and encouragement to everyone. Wherever Jesus is present, there is new life; let us embrace this new life today.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 9, 2022 | Evangelium
Saturday 10 th december 2022
St. Melchiades
(d. 314)
Born in Africa, Melchiades was pope in Rome when the Church obtained its freedom after centuries of persecution. He ordered the construction of many churches and was the first pope to occupy the cathedral of St John Lateran. He was pope for only 3 years.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 79: 4, 2
Come and show us your face, O Lord, who are seated upon the Cherubim, and we will be saved.
Collect
May the splendour of your glory dawn in our hearts, we pray, almighty God, that all shadows of the night may be scattered and we may be shown to be children of light by the advent 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 : Ecclesiasticus 48:1-4. 9-11
The prophet Elijah arose like a fire, his word flaring like a torch. It was he who brought famine on them, and who decimated them in his zeal. By the word of the Lord, he shut up the heavens, he also, three times, brought down fire. How glorious you were in your miracles, Elijah! Has anyone reason to boast as you have? – taken up in the whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses; designated in the prophecies of doom to allay God’s wrath before the fury breaks, to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children, and to restore the tribes of Jacob. Happy shall they be who see you, and those who have fallen asleep in love.
Psalm 79
R/ God of hosts, bring us back;let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
- O shepherd of Israel, hear us, shine forth from your cherubim throne. O Lord, rouse up your might, O Lord, come to our help.
- God of hosts, turn again, we implore, look down from heaven and see. Visit this vine and protect it, the vine your right hand has planted.
- May your hand be on the man you have chosen, the man you have given your strength. And we shall never forsake you again: give us life that we may call upon your name.
Gospel Acclamation : Lk 3:4.6
Alleluia, alleluia! Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight. And all mankind shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 17:10-13
As they came down from the mountain the disciples put this question to Jesus, ‘Why do the Scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True,’ he replied; ‘Elijah is to come to see that everything is once more as it should be; however, I tell you that Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him but treated him as they pleased; and the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands.’ The disciples understood then that he had been speaking of John the Baptist.
Prayer over the Offerings
May the sacrifice of our worship, Lord, we pray, be offered to you unceasingly, to complete what was begun in sacred mystery, and powerfully accomplish for us your saving work. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Rv 22: 12
Behold, I am coming soon and my recompense is with me, says the Lord, to bestow a reward according to the deeds of each.
Prayer after Communion
We implore your mercy, Lord, that this divine sustenance may cleanse us of our faults and prepare us for the coming feasts. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
According to Scripture, the prophet Elijah was supposed to return to prepare the people for the day of the Lord. This prophecy was fulfilled by John the Baptist, who came and exhorted the Jews to repent. But the people did not listen to him. Advent is a time for us to seek the face of God. In order to do this we need to listen to God’s message. God speaks to us in Scripture, through our pastors, through our parents and educators, and through every person who invites us to do what is right and abstain from what is wrong. May he give us the grace to listen to his messengers, so that through them his message may penetrate our hearts and transform our lives.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 8, 2022 | Evangelium
Friday 09 th december 2022
St. Juan Diego
Cuauhtlatoatzin
(1474 – 1548)
He was born in 1474 in Mexico. As an adult he embraced Christianity and he and his wife were baptized. In 1531 the Mother of God appeared to him. Through the purity of his faith, his humility and his fervour, a church was built, in honour of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He devoted himself to the care of the sanctuary and the reception of pilgrims until his death in 1548.
Entrance Antiphon
Behold, the Lord will come descending with splendour to visit his people with peace, and he will bestow on them eternal life.
Collect
Grant that your people, we pray, almighty God, may be ever watchful for the coming of your Only Begotten Son, that, as the author of our salvation himself has taught us, we may hasten, alert and with lighted lamps, to meet him when he comes. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Isaiah 48:17-19
Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you, I lead you in the way that you must go. If only you had been alert to my commandments, your happiness would have been like a river, your integrity like the waves of the sea. Your children would have been numbered like the sand, your descendants as many as its grains. Never would your name have been cut off or blotted out before me.
Psalm 1:1-4,6
R/ Anyone who follows you, O Lord, will have the light of life.
- Happy indeed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked; nor lingers in the way of sinners nor sits in the company of scorners, but whose delight is the law of the Lord and who ponders his law day and night.
- He is like a tree that is planted beside the flowing waters, that yields its fruit in due season and whose leaves shall never fade; and all that he does shall prosper.
- Not so are the wicked, not so! For they like winnowed chaff shall be driven away by the wind: for the Lord guards the way of the just but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! See, the king, the Lord of the world, will come. He will free us from the yoke of our bondage. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 11:16-19
Jesus spoke to the crowds: ‘What description can I find for this generation? It is like children shouting to each other as they sit in the market place: “We played the pipes for you, and you wouldn’t dance; we sang dirges, and you wouldn’t be mourners.” ‘For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He is possessed.” The Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet wisdom has been proved right by her actions.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Be pleased, O Lord, with our humble prayers and offerings, and, since we have no merits to plead our cause, come, we pray, to our rescue with the protection of your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Phil 3: 20-21
We await a saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our mortal bodies, to conform with his glorified body.
Prayer after Communion
Replenished by the food of spiritual nourishment, we humbly beseech you, O Lord, that, through our partaking in this mystery, you may teach us to judge wisely the things of earth and hold firm to the things of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Being a Christian is not fashionable these days. Those who strive to live according to God’s law are mocked, despised and persecuted. Even within the church, many people choose which rules to follow and reject those which are not convenient for them. The usual justification is: God alone will judge; salvation is personal. God’s Word today is clear: those who obey God’s commandments will be blessed. They will succeed where others fail, they will stand firm when others stumble. Let us not be like the people of Jesus’ day, who always found an excuse to ridicule God’s messengers. Let us meditate on God’s Word and obey it, and we will reap the fruits of joy and fulfilment.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 7, 2022 | Evangelium
Thursday 08 th december 2022
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin, a grace that enabled Mary to give a “Yes” to becoming mother of the incarnate God, Jesus. The doctrine was formally defined as a doctrine of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1854.
Entrance Antiphon : Is 61: 10
I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, like a bride adorned with her jewels.
Collect
O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, prepared a worthy dwelling for your Son; grant, we pray, that, as you preserved her from every stain by virtue of the Death of your Son which you foresaw, so, through her intercession, we too may be cleansed and admitted to your presence. 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 : Genesis 3:9-15. 20
After Adam had eaten of the tree the Lord God called to him, ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden.’ he replied. ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked. ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’ Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, ‘Be accursed beyond all cattle, all wild beasts. You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust every day of your life. I will make you enemies of each other: you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. It will crush your head and you will strike its heel.’ The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live.
Psalm 97:1-4
R/ Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders.
- 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.
Second Reading : Ephesians 1:3-6.11-12
Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ. Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ, to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence, determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ for his own kind purposes, to make us praise the glory of his grace, his free gift to us in the Beloved. And it is in him that we were claimed as God’s own, chosen from the beginning, under the predetermined plan of the one who guides all things as he decides by his own will; chosen to be, for his greater glory, the people who would put their hopes in Christ before he came.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee! Blessed art thou among women 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 virgins 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
Graciously accept the saving sacrifice which we offer you, O Lord, on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and grant that, as we profess her, on account of your prevenient grace, to be untouched by any stain of sin, so, through her intercession, we may be delivered from all our faults. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon
Glorious things are spoken of you, O Mary, for from you arose the sun of justice, Christ our God.
Prayer after Communion
May the Sacrament we have received, O Lord our God, heal in us the wounds of that fault from which in a singular way you preserved Blessed Mary in her Immaculate Conception. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Even before he created us, God had willed that we should be his children through Jesus. The devil tried to foil this plan by leading Adam and Eve into sin. But Jesus overcame sin on the cross and reconciled us with God. When we celebrate the Immaculate Conception, we remember the role Mary played in this divine plan of salvation. God chose her to be the new Eve, whose offspring would destroy sin and death, and to prepare her for this mission he covered her with his shadow from the moment of her conception. By preserving Mary from original sin, God has made her a model of the purity he wants us to attain. May her prayers support us in our quest for holiness.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 6, 2022 | Evangelium
Wednesday 07 th december 2022
St. Ambrose of Milan
(340 – 397), Bishop, Doctor
He was born in Trier, Germany, between 337 and 340. Coerced by the people and by the emperor, he was baptized, ordained, and installed as bishop in 374. Ambrose was a key figure in the conversion of St Augustine to Catholicism, impressing Augustine by his intelligence and scholarship. He died on Holy Saturday, 4 April 397.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Sir 15: 5
In the midst of the Church he opened his mouth, and the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding and clothed him in a robe of glory.
Collect
O God, who made the Bishop Saint Ambrose a teacher of the Catholic faith and a model of apostolic courage, raise up in your Church men after your own heart to govern her with courage and wisdom. 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 40:25-31
‘To whom could you liken me and who could be my equal?’ says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look. Who made these stars if not he who drills them like an army, calling each one by name? So mighty is his power, so great his strength, that not one fails to answer. How can you say, Jacob, how can you insist, Israel, ‘My destiny is hidden from the Lord, my rights are ignored by my God’? Did you not know? Had you not heard? The Lord is an everlasting God, he created the boundaries of the earth. He does not grow tired or weary, his understanding is beyond fathoming. He gives strength to the wearied, he strengthens the powerless. Young men may grow tired and weary, youths may stumble, but those who hope in the Lord renew their strength, they put out wings like eagles. They run and do not grow weary, walk and never tire.
Psalm 102:1-4,8,10
R/ My soul, give thanks to the Lord.
- My soul, give thanks to the Lord all my being, bless his holy name. My soul, give thanks to the Lord and never forget all his blessings.
- It is he who forgives all your guilt, who heals every one of your ills, who redeems your life from the grave, who crowns you with love and compassion.
- The Lord is compassion and love, slow to anger and rich in mercy. He does not treat us according to our sins nor repay us according to our faults.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Behold, our Lord will come with power and will enlighten the eyes of his servants. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus exclaimed, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’
Prayer over the Offerings
As we celebrate the divine mysteries, O Lord, we pray, may the Holy Spirit fill us with that light of faith by which he constantly enlightened Saint Ambrose for the spreading of your glory. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Ps 1: 2, 3
He who ponders the law of the Lord day and night will yield fruit in due season.
Prayer after Communion
Lead us, who have been strengthened by the power of this Sacrament, O Lord, so to profit from the teaching of Saint Ambrose that, hastening fearlessly along your paths, we may be prepared for the delights of the eternal banquet. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
In times of crisis, God can seem to be far away or absent. “God, are you alive? Do you even exist?” These are questions we tend to ask when things go awry and we see no signs of betterment. Today, God tells us that he is never absent or ignorant. He sees our sufferings and hears our cries of pain. Isaiah addresses words of hope and encouragement to us: those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. Jesus gives us the same message: “Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.” Do not give up on Jesus. When troubles come, turn to him in confidence, and you will find consolation.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 5, 2022 | Evangelium
Tuesday 06 th december 2022
St. Nicholas
He was bishop of Myra, in Lycia (now part of Turkey) and died about the middle of the fourth century. He is the patron saint of pawnbrokers, whose insignia of three golden balls represent the three purses of gold he is said to have given secretly to a poor man who could not afford dowries for his three daughters.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Zec 14: 5, 7
Behold, the Lord will come, and all his holy ones with him; and on that day there will be a great light.
Collect
O God, who have shown forth your salvation to all the ends of the earth, grant, we pray, that we may look forward in joy to the glorious Nativity of Christ. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Isaiah 40:1-11
‘Console my people, console them’ says your God. ‘Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her that her time of service is ended, that her sin is atoned for, that she has received from the hand of the Lord double punishment for all her crimes.’ A voice cries, ‘Prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord. Make a straight highway for our God across the desert. Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low. Let every cliff become a plain, and the ridges a valley; then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all mankind shall see it; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ A voice commands, ‘Cry!’ and I answered, ‘What shall I cry?’” – ‘All flesh is grass and its beauty like the wild flower’s. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on them. (The grass is without doubt the people.) The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains for ever.’ Go up on a high mountain, joyful messenger to Zion. Shout with a loud voice, joyful messenger to Jerusalem. Shout without fear, say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God.’ Here is the Lord coming with power, his arm subduing all things to him. The prize of his victory is with him, his trophies all go before him. He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes.
Psalm 95:1-3,10-13
R/ Here is our God coming with power.
- 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. Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’ He will judge the peoples in fairness.
- Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad, let the sea and all within it thunder praise, let the land and all it bears rejoice, all the trees of the wood shout for joy at the presence of the Lord for he comes, he comes to rule the earth..
- With justice he will rule the world, he will judge the peoples with his truth.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Come, Lord! Do not delay. Forgive the sins of your people. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 18:12-14
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Tell me. Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray? I tell you solemnly, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all. Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Be pleased, O Lord, with our humble prayers and offerings, and since we have no merits to plead our cause, come, we pray, to our rescue with the protection of your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. 2 Tm 4: 8
The Just Judge will bestow a crown of righteousness on those who eagerly await his coming.
Prayer after Communion
Replenished by the food of spiritual nourishment, we humbly beseech you, O Lord, that, through our partaking in this mystery, you may teach us to judge wisely the things of earth, and hold firm to the things of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Our lives are a wilderness characterised by intense activity and the quest to satisfy multiple desires: material success, justice, self-fulfilment and happiness. God wants us to prepare, in this wilderness, a way for him to travel. He wants us to make a place for him in our lives. He desires to come to us because he does not want us to be lost; he knows that the world makes us many offers that can lead us astray, and cannot give us the happiness we seek. Let us turn to him and allow him to renew us. Let us also allow him to use us to reach out to those around us who are lost, in order to bring them back to the fold.
