Jesus Presented In The Temple

DECEMBER 29, 2021, WEDNESDAY
The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas (White)
Optional Memorial of Saint Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr (Red)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 202

Reading I
1 Jn 2:3-11

Beloved:

The way we may be sure that we know Jesus 

is to keep his commandments. 

Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not keep his commandments

is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

But whoever keeps his word,

the love of God is truly perfected in him. 

This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:

whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked.

Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you

but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. 

The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 

And yet I do write a new commandment to you,

which holds true in him and among you,

for the darkness is passing away,

and the true light is already shining. 

Whoever says he is in the light,

yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness. 

Whoever loves his brother remains in the light,

and there is nothing in him to cause a fall. 

Whoever hates his brother is in darkness;

he walks in darkness

and does not know where he is going

because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Responsorial Psalm
96:1-2a, 2b-3, 5b-6

R.    (11a)  Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Sing to the LORD a new song;

    sing to the LORD, all you lands.

Sing to the LORD; bless his name. 

R.    Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Announce his salvation, day after day.

Tell his glory among the nations;

    among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R.    Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

The LORD made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty go before him;

    praise and grandeur are in his sanctuary.

R.    Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Alleluia
Lk 2:32

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

A light of revelation to the Gentiles

and glory for your people Israel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 2:22-35

When the days were completed for their purification

according to the law of Moses,

the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem

to present him to the Lord,

just as it is written in the law of the Lord,

Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,

and to offer the sacrifice of

a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,

in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. 

This man was righteous and devout,

awaiting the consolation of Israel,

and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit

that he should not see death

before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. 

He came in the Spirit into the temple;

and when the parents brought in the child Jesus

to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,

he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;

your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation

which you prepared in the sight of every people,

a light to reveal you to the nations

and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;

and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,

“Behold, this child is destined

for the fall and rise of many in Israel,

and to be a sign that will be contradicted

(and you yourself a sword will pierce)

so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Simeon was one of those known as The Quiet in the Land, Jews who did not look for a military Messiah, and had no dreams of armies or power, but believed in a life of constant watchfulness and prayer until God should come. There is a double surprise here: the delight of Simeon at being able to welcome the Promised One; and the astonishment of Mary and Joseph at what was being said about said about their boy.

PRAYER:

Lord, may I too open my eyes in grateful amazement when I see your interventions in my life.

Escape To Egypt

DECEMBER 28, 2021, TUESDAY
FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS, MARTYRS (Red)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 698

Reading I
1 Jn 1:5—2:2

Beloved:

This is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christ

and proclaim to you:

God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.

If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” 

while we continue to walk in darkness,

we lie and do not act in truth.

But if we walk in the light as he is in the light,

then we have fellowship with one another,

and the Blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

If we say, “We are without sin,”

we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just 

and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.

If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, 

and his word is not in us.

My children, I am writing this to you

so that you may not commit sin.

But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, 

Jesus Christ the righteous one.

He is expiation for our sins,

and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world. 

Responsorial Psalm
124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8

R.    (7) Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Had not the LORD been with us—

When men rose up against us,

    then would they have swallowed us alive,

When their fury was inflamed against us.

R.    Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;

The torrent would have swept over us;

    over us then would have swept the raging waters.

R.    Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Broken was the snare,

    and we were freed.

Our help is in the name of the LORD,

    who made heaven and earth.

R.    Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Alleluia
See Te Deum

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

We praise you, O God,

we acclaim you as Lord;

the white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 2:13-18

When the magi had departed, behold,

the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,

“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,

and stay there until I tell you.

Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”

Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night

and departed for Egypt.

He stayed there until the death of Herod,

that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,

    Out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,

he became furious.

He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity

two years old and under,

in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.

Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:

    A voice was heard in Ramah,

        sobbing and loud lamentation;

    Rachel weeping for her children,

        and she would not be consoled,

        since they were no more.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Joy at the birth of Christ is short-lived. The cross looms from the outset. He is a hunted child. Mary, Joseph and Jesus must flee the wrath and brutal response of a cruel ruler who has been duped.

In the other hand, King Herod was guilty of a heinous crime. Still, it was part of the plan of God. We recall our own smaller sins, and take comfort in the fact that God is still in charge of everything.

It is heart-breaking to imagine the slaughter of these children, the “Holy Innocents”. But our sense of pain for them can stir us now to do what we can for the suffering children of our world. In this way, the hideous suffering of the Innocents becomes an occasion of grace two thousand years on.

PRAYER:

Lord, you came into this world helpless and poor. You lived among the powerless and the needy and took their part. Make me alive to the sufferings of the innocent. Make me active in their protection, remembering always that whatever I do to ‘the least of these little ones’ I do to you.

The Empty Tomb

DECEMBER 27, 2021, MONDAY
FEAST OF SAINT JOHN, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST 
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 697

Reading I
1 Jn 1:1-4

Beloved:

What was from the beginning,

what we have heard,

what we have seen with our eyes,

what we looked upon

and touched with our hands

concerns the Word of life —

for the life was made visible;

we have seen it and testify to it

and proclaim to you the eternal life

that was with the Father and was made visible to us— 

what we have seen and heard

we proclaim now to you,

so that you too may have fellowship with us;

for our fellowship is with the Father

and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.

Responsorial Psalm
97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12

R.    (12) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;

    let the many isles be glad.

Clouds and darkness are around him,

    justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

R.    Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,

    before the LORD of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim his justice,

    and all peoples see his glory.

R.    Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Light dawns for the just;

    and gladness, for the upright of heart.

Be glad in the LORD, you just,

    and give thanks to his holy name.

R.    Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Alleluia
See Te Deum

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

We praise you, O God,

we acclaim you as Lord;

the glorious company of Apostles praise you.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 20:1a and 2-8

On the first day of the week,

Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter

and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,

“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,

and we do not know where they put him.”

So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.

They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter

and arrived at the tomb first;

he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.

When Simon Peter arrived after him,

he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,

and the cloth that had covered his head,

not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.

Then the other disciple also went in,

the one who had arrived at the tomb first,

and he saw and believed.

GOSPEL REFLECTION: 

"All that glitters is not gold." Don't be fooled by the empty promises of this world. "Seek the things that are above." (Colossians 3:2)

PRAYER: 

Jesus, when I fall into sin, raise me up from the dead.