by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 22, 2021 | Evangelium
23
December
St. John of Kęty (1390 – 1473)
O Emmanuel!
Violet
He was born in Kęty 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: 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.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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: Luke 1:57-66
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
The coming of John the Baptist was announced by the prophet Malachi, who in the first reading speaks of the coming of Elijah. When John was born, it was clear to everyone that he was destined for a great mission. This mission is outlined in the first reading – to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the hearts of children towards their fathers. The message of John the Baptist is that we should turn back to God and learn once again to love him and to love our neighbour. As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth, God’s Word reminds us that on Christmas Day we will not see Jesus physically; he will come to us in the person of our fathers, mothers, children, neighbours – all those people we encounter daily and to whom we usually pay little attention. May Jesus come and give us the grace to see him and love him in all these people.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 21, 2021 | Evangelium
22
December
St. Chaeromon
O Rex gentium!
Violet
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.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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
“My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.” Today, Hannah and Mary teach us a precious lesson on gratitude. God answered Hannah’s request for a son by giving her Samuel, and in thanksgiving she dedicated Samuel to him and sang the hymn of praise which is today’s response to the first reading. God honoured Mary above all women by making her the mother of his Son, and in thanksgiving she sang the Magnificat. Our life as Christians is generally characterised by lots of asking and too little thanksgiving. We ask all the time, and we rarely take time to acknowledge what God has done for us and do something to show our gratitude. Count your blessings and thank God for them every day. Do not only ask God for this or that; ask yourself also, “How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me?” (Ps 115:12)
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 20, 2021 | Evangelium
21
December
St. Peter Canisius, priest, Doctor (1521 – 1597)
O Oriens!
Violet
He was born in Holland in 1521. He studied at Cologne and joined the Society of Jesus: he was ordained priest in 1546. He worked hard to defend and strengthen the Catholic faith both by writing and by preaching. He wrote many books, of which the Catechism is particularly noteworthy. He died at Fribourg in Switzerland on 21 November 1597.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Is 7: 14; 8: 10
The Lord and Ruler will be coming soon, and his name will be called Emmanuel, because he will be called God-with-us.
Collect
Hear in kindness, O Lord, the prayers of your people, that those who rejoice at the coming of your Only Begotten Son in our flesh may, when at last he comes in glory, gain the reward of eternal 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 : Song of Songs 2:8-14
I hear my Beloved. See how he comes leaping on the mountains, bounding over the hills. My Beloved is like a gazelle, like a young stag. See where he stands behind our wall. He looks in at the window, he peers through the lattice. My Beloved lifts up his voice, he says to me, ‘Come then, my love, my lovely one, come. For see, winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth. The season of glad songs has come, the cooing of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree is forming its first figs and the blossoming vines give out their fragrance. Come then, my love, my lovely one, come. My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock, in the coverts of the cliff, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is beautiful.’
Psalm 32(33):2-3,11-12,20-21
R/ Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just, O sing him a song that is new.
1. Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp, with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs. O sing him a song that is new, play loudly, with all your skill.
2. His own designs shall stand for ever, the plans of his heart from age to age. They are happy, whose God is the Lord, the people he has chosen as his own.
3. Our soul is waiting for the Lord. The Lord is our help and our shield. In him do our hearts find joy. We trust in his holy name.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Key of David, who open the gates of the eternal kingdom, come to liberate from prison, the captive who lives in darkness. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 1:39-45
Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Be pleased, O Lord, to accept the offerings of your Church, for in your mercy, you have given them to be offered and by your power, you transform them into the mystery of our salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Lk 1: 45
Blessed are you who have believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.
Prayer after Communion
Lord, may participation in this divine mystery provide enduring protection for your people, so that, being subject to your glorious majesty in dedicated service, they may know abundant health in mind and body. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Mary was blessed among all women because she believed in the promises of God. She became a source of blessing because when she visited Elisabeth, she was filled with the Holy Spirit and her unborn child leapt for joy. When we believe in God, he blesses us and we become channels of his blessings for others. Like the lover in the first reading who yearns for her beloved, let us ask Jesus to come to us today. May he come and strengthen our faith, so that we may always receive his blessings. May he bless all our endeavours and give us the peace and joy that he alone can give. May he help us to live in such a way that those we encounter may experience God and receive God’s blessings through us.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 19, 2021 | Evangelium
20
December
O clavis David!
Blessed Scubilion
(1797 – 1867)
Violet
Born in France in 1797, Jean-Bernard Rousseau felt the call to share his faith and his knowledge with others. He joined the Brothers of the Christian Schools (the de la Salle Brothers) 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. His memorial is celebrated today, the anniversary of the abolition of slavery on the island.
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(24):1-6
R/ Let the Lord enter! He is the king of glory.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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
“Let the Lord enter! He is the king of glory,” says the psalmist today. These words are addressed to you. Let the Lord enter; open the door of your heart and let him in. Let him in, like Mary did. When Angel Gabriel delivered God’s message to her, she accepted it without hesitation and submitted to God’s will: “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me.” She opened her heart and let God in, and God took flesh and dwelled in her womb. Through her faith, God came into the world. Trust in God and have faith, like she did. Accept God into your heart and let him transform your life. Just as Mary accepted the will of God and gave Jesus to the world, let Jesus come and dwell in you and let all those around you receive Jesus through you.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 18, 2021 | Evangelium
19
December
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Psalter IV
O radix Iesse!
Violet
Entrance Antiphon : 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 : Micah 5:1-4
The Lord says this: But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, the least of the clans of Judah, out of you will be born for me the one who is to rule over Israel; his origin goes back to the distant past, to the days of old. The Lord is therefore going to abandon them till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth. Then the remnant of his brothers will come back to the sons of Israel. He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord, with the majesty of the name of his God. They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power to the ends of the land. He himself will be peace.
Psalm 79(80):2-3,15-16,18-19
R/ Lord of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
1. O shepherd of Israel, hear us, shine forth from your cherubim throne. O Lord, rouse up your might, O Lord, come to our help.
2. 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.
3. 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.
Second reading : Hebrews 10:5-10
This is what Christ said, on coming into the world: You who wanted no sacrifice or oblation, prepared a body for me. You took no pleasure in holocausts or sacrifices for sin; then I said, just as I was commanded in the scroll of the book, ‘God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will.’ Notice that he says first: You did not want what the Law lays down as the things to be offered, that is: the sacrifices, the oblations, the holocausts and the sacrifices for sin, and you took no pleasure in them; and then he says: Here I am! I am coming to obey your will. He is abolishing the first sort to replace it with the second. And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of his body made once and for all by Jesus Christ.
Gospel Acclamation: Lk1:38
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the handmaid of the Lord: let what you have said be done to me Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 1:39-45
Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’
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
“God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will.” The second reading tells us that Jesus is coming to do the will of God the Father, is to make us holy through the sacrifice of his life for us. When we receive Jesus in our lives, he transforms us and makes us holy; we then become instruments which he uses to touch the lives of other people and give them joy. This is what he did with Mary in the gospel. Immediately after she had received him in her womb, she became his instrument; he used her to bring joy to Elisabeth and her unborn child. Let us pray like St. Francis of Assisi: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” Let us submit ourselves to the will of God like Jesus himself did, and let us become instruments of God’s peace and joy in our world.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 17, 2021 | Evangelium
18
December
O Adonai!
St. Flannan, Bishop
Violet
He is the patron saint of the diocese of Killaloe and its first bishop. He lived in the seventh century.
Entrance Antiphon
Christ our King is coming, he is the Lamb foretold by John.
Collect
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who are weighed down from of old by slavery beneath the yoke of sin, may be set free by the newness of the long-awaited 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 : Jeremiah 23:5-8
See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David, who will reign as true king and be wise, practising honesty and integrity in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel dwell in confidence. And this is the name he will be called: The-Lord-our-integrity. So, then, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when people will no longer say, “As the Lord lives who brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt!” but, “As the Lord lives who led back and brought home the descendants of the House of Israel out of the land of the North and from all the countries to which he had dispersed them, to live on their own soil.”
Psalm Ps 71:1-2, 12-13, 18-19
R/ In his days justice shall flourish, and peace until the moon fails.
1. O God, give your judgement to the king, to a king’s son your justice, that he may judge your people in justice, and your poor in right judgement.
2. For he shall save the poor when they cry, and the needy who are helpless. He will have pity on the weak, and save the lives of the poor.
3. Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel, who alone works wonders, ever blessed his glorious name. Let his glory fill the earth. Amen! Amen!
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Ruler of the House of Israel, who gave the law to Moses on Sinai, come and save us with outstretched arm. 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 sacrifice to be offered to you, O Lord, make us acceptable to your name, that we may merit for all eternity to be the companions of Christ, by whose Death our own mortality was healed. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Communion Antiphon : Mt 1: 23
His name will be called Emmanuel, which means God-with-us.
Prayer after Communion
May we receive your mercy in the midst of your temple, O Lord, and show fitting honour to the coming solemnities of our redemption. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
We can focus our attention today on the names attributed to the Messiah in today’s gospel: Emmanuel, which means God is with us, and Jesus, which means God saves. These two names contain the essence of what we hope for as we prepare for Christmas. We long for God to come and dwell among us, and we believe that when he comes he will save us from our sins. When God is with us, we have nothing to fear for he is there to guide and protect us. As the psalmist says, “Yahweh is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Ps 26). We long for God to come and free us from all the evil intentions that lead us to sin, and teach us to act with justice, honesty and integrity. We long for you, O Lord Jesus. Come and be with us.
