by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jan 2, 2020 | Evangelium
friday 03 JANUARY 2020
The Most Holy Name of Jesus,
St. Genevieve
St. Genevieve was born about the year 422, at Nanterre near Paris. The life of St. Genevieve was one of great austerity, constant prayer, and works of charity. She died in the year 512.
White
Entrance Antiphon : Ps III: 4
A light has risen in the darkness for the upright of heart; the Lord is generous, merciful and just.
Collect
Cast your kindly light upon your faithful, Lord, we pray, and with the splendour of your glory set their hearts ever aflame, that they may never cease to acknowledge their Saviour and may truly hold fast to him. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: 1 John 2:29-3:6
You know that God is righteous –then you must recognise that everyone whose life is righteous has been begotten by him. Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are. Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us. My dear people, we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is that when it is revealed, we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is. Surely, everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ. Anyone who sins at all breaks the law, because to sin is to break the law. Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin, and that in him there is no sin; anyone who lives in God does not sin, and anyone who sins has never seen him or known him.
Psalm 97:1,3-6
R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
- Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm, have brought salvation.
- 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.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! A hallowed day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, worship the Lord, for today a great light has shone down upon the earth. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 1:29-34
Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.” Yes, I have seen, and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive with favour, O Lord, we pray, the offerings of your people, that what they profess with devotion and faith may be theirs through these heavenly mysteries. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: 1 Jn 4: 9
By this the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his Only Begotten Son into the world, so that we might have life through him.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who touch us through our partaking of your Sacrament, work, we pray, the effects of its power in our hearts, that we may be made fit to receive your gift through this very gift itself. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
St. John the Evangelist loves to refer to the followers of Jesus simply as ‘Children of God.’ Imagine if all Christians today would be given the official title of ‘Children of God.’ Our many denominations and titles divide us from each other. It is very encouraging to remember that we are Christians and are therefore to be known as ‘Children of God.’ We are called to be members of one family. Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer, which clearly implies that we are one family because we have one Heavenly Father. The more we can trust God with childlike faith, the more we are acting as true children of God.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jan 1, 2020 | Evangelium
Thursday 02 JANUARY 2020
St Basil the Great (330 – 379),
St Gregory Nazianzen (330 – 389)
Basil became bishop of Caesarea in 370. He fought against the Arians and was generous to the poor. Nazianzen was elected Bishop of Constantinople in 381, where he died on January 25, 389. He is known as “Gregory the Theologian” in honour of his learning and eloquence
Psalter week I
White
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Sir 44: 15, 14
Let the peoples recount the wisdom of the Saints, and let the Church proclaim their praise. Their names will live on and on.
Collect
O God, who were pleased to give light to your Church by the example and teaching of the Bishops Saints Basil and Gregory, grant, we pray, that in humility we may learn your truth and practice it faithfully in charity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
First reading: 1 John 2:22-28
The man who denies that Jesus is the Christ – he is the liar, he is Antichrist; and he is denying the Father as well as the Son, because no one who has the Father can deny the Son, and to acknowledge the Son is to have the Father as well. Keep alive in yourselves what you were taught in the beginning: as long as what you were taught in the beginning is alive in you, you will live in the Son and in the Father; and what is promised to you by his own promise is eternal life. This is all that I am writing to you about the people who are trying to lead you astray. But you have not lost the anointing that he gave you, and you do not need anyone to teach you; the anointing he gave teaches you everything; you are anointed with truth, not with a lie, and as it has taught you, so you must stay in him. Live in Christ, then, my children, so that if he appears, we may have full confidence, and not turn from him in shame at his coming.
Psalm 97:1-4
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.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn 1: 14, 12
Alleluia, alleluia! The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. To all who received him, he gave power to become children of God. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 1: 19-28
This is how John appeared as a witness. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ he not only declared, but he declared quite openly, ‘I am not the Christ.’ ‘Well then,’ they asked ‘are you Elijah?’ ‘I am not’ he said. ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ So they said to him, ‘Who are you? We must take back an answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?’ So John said, ‘I am, as Isaiah prophesied: a voice that cries in the wilderness: Make a straight way for the Lord.’ Now these men had been sent by the Pharisees, and they put this further question to him, ‘Why are you baptising if you are not the Christ, and not Elijah, and not the prophet?’ John replied, ‘I baptise with water; but there stands among you – unknown to you – the one who is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo his sandal-strap.’ This happened at Bethany, on the far side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept this sacrifice from your people, we pray, O Lord, and make what is offered for your glory, in honour of Saints Basil and Gregory, a means to our eternal salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon :
Cf. 1 Cor 1: 23-24
We proclaim Christ crucified; Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Prayer after Communion
May partaking at the heavenly table, almighty God, confirm and increase strength from on high in all who celebrate the feast day of Saints Basil and Gregory, that we may preserve in integrity, the gift of faith, and walk in the path of salvation you trace for us. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
One striking fact about John the Baptist is that he knew and accepted who he was. He knew he was not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor one of the ancient prophets. John was truthful and humble. His role was to prepare the people for the coming of the one whose sandal straps he was unworthy to undo. This makes him an outstanding saint. John was bigger than life in the view of others. But in his own estimation he was simply another of the friends of God. He was only a voice crying out in the wilderness. In this way, he affirms the role of Jesus. When we are honest to ourselves then we become honest to God.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Dec 31, 2019 | Evangelium
Wednesday 01 JANUARY 2020
Solemnity Mary, Mother of God
White
From antiquity, Mary has been called “God-Bearer”. The word in Greek is “Theotokos”. The term was used as part of the popular piety of the early first millennium church.
Entrance Antiphon
Hail, Holy Mother, who gave birth to the King, who rules heaven and earth forever.
Collect
O God, who through the fruitful virginity of Blessed Mary bestowed on the human race the grace of eternal salvation, grant, we pray, that we may experience the intercession of her, through whom we were found worthy to receive the author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
First Reading: Numbers 6:22-27
The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Say this to Aaron and his sons: “This is how you are to bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.” This is how they are to call down my name on the sons of Israel, and I will bless them.’
Psalm 66:2-3.5.6.8
R/ O God, be gracious and bless us.
- O God, be gracious and bless us, and let your face shed its light upon us. So will your ways be known upon earth, and all nations learn your saving help.
- Let the nations be glad and exult, for you rule the world with justice. With fairness you rule the peoples, you guide the nations on earth.
- Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all peoples praise you. May God still give us his blessing, till the ends of the earth revere him.
Second Reading: Galatians 4:4-7
When the appointed time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law and to enable us to be adopted as sons. The proof that you are sons is that God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts: the Spirit that cries, ‘Abba, Father,’ and it is this that makes you a son, you are not a slave anymore; and if God has made you son, then he has made you heir.
Gospel Acclamation : Hebrews 1:1-2
Alleluia, alleluia! 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. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 2:16-21
The shepherds hurried away to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told. When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.
Prayer over the Offerings
O God, who in your kindness begin all good things and bring them to fulfilment, grant to us, who find joy in the Solemnity of the holy Mother of God, that, just as we glory in the beginnings of your grace, so one day we may rejoice in its completion. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Hebrew 13: 8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and for ever.
Prayer after Communion
We have received this heavenly Sacrament with joy, O Lord: grant, we pray, that it may lead us to eternal life, for we rejoice to proclaim the blessed ever-Virgin Mary Mother of your Son and Mother of the Church. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Today, we celebrate the glorious truth that Mary is the Mother of God. We know that Mary is the Mother of Jesus. We also know that Jesus is both God and Man. She is rightly called the Mother of the God-Man. Mary did not give birth to Jesus as God. She is not God or a goddess. We simply maintain that she was the Mother of Jesus who was both God and Man. Since she is the Mother of the God-Man, she is the Mother of every one of us. We belong to the Church, the family of God. Jesus is the Head of that family. His Mother is our Mother. Without a mother, human life cannot begin. Even Jesus had to have a mother. If every human life begins with a mother, then every phase of life, a New Year, for instance, begins with a mother, the Mother of God. Mary greets us at the beginning of a New Year. She bends over us to take care of us in every way. Mary makes the New Year worthwhile for us.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Dec 30, 2019 | Evangelium
Tuesday 31 December 2019
Psalter Prop
Pope St Sylvester I (d. 335)
He was made Pope in 314 and ruled the Church during the reign of the newly-converted Emperor Constantine. His life has been so accredited with pious legends that very little else is known about him for certain, but his reign as Pope is the eighth longest on record.
White/ Solemnity
Entrance Antiphon: 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
Almighty ever-living God, who in the Nativity of your Son established the beginning and fulfillment of all religion, grant, we pray, that we may be numbered among those who belong to him, in whom is the fullness of human salvation. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: 1 John 2:18-21
Children, these are the last days; you were told that an Antichrist must come, and now several antichrists have already appeared; we know from this that these are the last days. Those rivals of Christ came out of our own number, but they had never really belonged; if they had belonged, they would have stayed with us; but they left us, to prove that not one of them ever belonged to us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and have all received the knowledge. It is not because you do not know the truth that I am writing to you but rather because you know it already and know that no lie can come from the truth.
Psalm 95 (96):1-2, 11-13
R/ Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
1) 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,.
2) 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..
3) With justice he will rule the world, he will judge the peoples with his truth.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! A hallowed day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, worship the Lord, for today a great light has shone down upon the earth. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 1:1-18+
In the beginning was the Word: and 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
O God, who give us the gift of true prayer and of peace, graciously grant that, through this offering, we may do fitting homage to your divine majesty and, by partaking of the sacred mystery, we may be faithfully united in mind and heart. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: 1 Jn 4: 9
God sent his Only Begotten Son into the world, so that we might have life through him.
Prayer after Communion
May your people, O Lord, whom you guide and sustain in many ways, experience, both now and in the future, the remedies which you bestow, that, with the needed solace of things that pass away, they may strive with ever deepened trust for things eternal. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Today, the last day of the year, is a good day to take stock of the year now ending and to make resolutions for the year about to begin. This is the right moment to reflect on our actions over the past year and see if we have been, like John the Baptist, a light to others, or have been a source of darkness for them. We ask God for pardon for whatever sin of commission or of omission we might have committed, especially our failure to love one another and to share what we received freely from God with the poor and the needy around us. Let us make good use of the graces God has in store for us during this new year. Whenever we meet challenges, may we turn them into victories by turning to God always and starting anew with a good confession. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Dec 29, 2019 | Evangelium
Monday 30 December 2019
Psalter Prop
St. Anysia
Martyr of Greece. 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.
White/ Solemnity
Entrance Antiphon: Wis 18: 14-15
When a profound silence covered all things and night was in the middle of its course, your all-powerful Word, O Lord, bounded from heaven’s royal throne.
Collect
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that the newness of the Nativity in the flesh of your Only Begotten Son may set us free, for ancient servitude holds us bound beneath the yoke of sin. 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 2:12-17
I am writing to you, my own children, whose sins have already been forgiven through his name; I am writing to you, fathers, who have come to know the one who has existed since the beginning; I am writing to you, young men, who have already overcome the Evil One; I have written to you, children, because you already know the Father; I have written to you, fathers, because you have come to know the one who has existed since the beginning; I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and God’s word has made its home in you, and you have overcome the Evil One. You must not love this passing world or anything that is in the world. The love of the Father cannot be in any man who loves the world, because nothing the world has to offer – the sensual body, the lustful eye, pride in possessions – could ever come from the Father but only from the world; and the world, with all it craves for, is coming to an end; but anyone who does the will of God remains for ever.
Psalm 95 (96):7-10
R/ Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
1) Give the Lord, you families of peoples, give the Lord glory and power; give the Lord the glory of his name.
2) Bring an offering and enter his courts, worship the Lord in his temple. O earth, tremble before him.
3) Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’ The world he made firm in its place; he will judge the peoples in fairness.
Gospel Acclamation: Heb 1:1-2
Alleluia, alleluia! 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. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 2:36-40
There was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem. When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive with favour, O Lord, we pray, the offerings of your people, that what they profess with devotion and faith may be theirs through these heavenly mysteries. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Jn 1: 16
From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who touch us through our partaking of your Sacrament, work, we pray, the effects of its power in our hearts, that we may be made fit to receive your gift through this very gift itself. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The birth of our Lord is revealed by three kinds of witnesses in three different ways. First, there are the shepherds, who are the first to hear of the birth of the Redeemer from the angel. Then there are the Three Wise men from the East, the Magi, who follow a star to Bethlehem; it is they who announce to an astonished king and his court the birth of the Messiah. Third, we have Simeon, the righteous and devout man, and the prophetess Anna, whom the Holy Spirit lead to the Lord. All these witnesses, no matter how insignificant their lives may seem in human eyes, become instruments the Holy Spirit uses to make Christ known to the world. In his plan of redemption God sometimes uses simple souls to do much good to mankind.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Dec 28, 2019 | Evangelium
Sunday 29 December 2019
THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY and JOSEPH: Feast
Psalter Prop
St Thomas Becket (1118 – 1170)
White/ Solemnity
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 (128):1-5
R/ O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways!
1) 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.
2) Your wife will be like a fruitful vine in the heart of your house; your children like shoots of the olive, around your table.
3) Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life!
Second reading: Colossians 3:12-21
You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful. Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God; and never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, give way to your husbands, as you should in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and treat them with gentleness. Children, be obedient to your parents always, because that is what will please the Lord. Parents, never drive your children to resentment or you will make them feel frustrated.
Gospel Acclamation: Col 3:15, 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 prophet Hosea (11:1) speaks of a child who comes out of Egypt and is a son of God. This prediction finds fulfillment in Jesus Christ, whose parents, as we hear in the Gospel, take him to Egypt to shield him from Herod’s murderous anger. He is brought back to the land of Israel when Herod dies. But then Herod is succeeded by his son, Archelaus, who is even crueler than his father. Joseph, the model of a father, is again instructed to take Mary his wife and their son Jesus to the tiny and insignificant village of Nazareth. We pray for fathers of families who, like Saint Joseph, strive to protect their families from the cruelty of temporal rulers. Saint Joseph, foster father of Jesus, may you help the fathers of our families to protect their own families with the same resolve as you protected your holy family of Nazareth. Amen.
