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Friday, December 30, 2022

† ". . For those who sought the. . . "

egypted
 
mornignofferin

†Saint Quote
"O Holy Family—the Family so closely united to the mystery which we contemplate on the day of the Lord's Birth—guide with your example the families of the whole earth!"
–Pope St. John Paul II

†Today's Meditation
"If you would suffer with patience the adversities and miseries of this life, be a man of prayer. If you would obtain courage and strength to conquer the temptations of the enemy, be a man of prayer. If you would mortify your own will with all its inclinations and appetites, be a man of prayer. If you would know the wiles of Satan and unmask his deceits, be a man of prayer. If you would live in joy and walk pleasantly in the ways of penance, be a man of prayer. If you would banish from you soul the troublesome flies of vain thoughts and cares, be a man of prayer. If you would nourish your soul with the very sap of devotion, and keep it always full of good thoughts and good desires, be a man of prayer. If you would strengthen and keep up your courage in the ways of God, be a man of prayer. In fine, if you would uproot all vices from your soul and plant all virtues in their place, be a man of prayer. It is in prayer that we receive the unction and grace of the Holy Ghost, who teaches all things."
—St. Bonaventure, p. 25-26

†Daily Verse
"No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel."

–Hebrews 12:22-24

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Saint Anysia of Salonika

St. Anysia of Salonika (d. c. 298 A.D.), also known as St. Anysia of Thessalonica, was born to wealthy and pious Christian parents near Thessalonica, Greece. After the death of her parents, while she was still a young lady, Anysia dedicated her life completely to Christ. She made private vows of chastity and poverty, spent her days in fasting and prayer, and gave her wealth to the poor. She lived under the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Maximian, who declared that anyone who met a Christian could kill them without trial. One Sunday while on her way to church, St. Anysia was harassed by a Roman soldier. In one account he attempted to force her to make sacrifice to the pagan sun god. Anysia refused, declared her commitment to Christ, and spat in the soldier's face. Enraged, the soldier ran her through with his sword, winning Anysia the crowns of virginity and martyrdom. Her feast day is December 30.

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Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

When a Sunday does not occur between December 25 and January 1, this feast is celebrated on December 30 with only one reading before the Gospel.

Reading 1 Sir 3:2-6, 12-14

God sets a father in honor over his children;
a mother's authority he confirms over her sons.
Whoever honors his father atones for sins,
and preserves himself from them.
When he prays, he is heard;
he stores up riches who reveres his mother.
Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,
and, when he prays, is heard.
Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;
he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.

My son, take care of your father when he is old;
grieve him not as long as he lives.
Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him;
revile him not all the days of his life;
kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
firmly planted against the debt of your sins
—a house raised in justice to you.
Or Col 3:12-21
Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands,
as is proper in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives,
and avoid any bitterness toward them.
Children, obey your parents in everything,
for this is pleasing to the Lord.
Fathers, do not provoke your children,
so they may not become discouraged.

Or Col 3:12-17

Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R. (cf. 1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.*
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Alleluia Col 3:15a, 16a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the peace of Christ control your hearts;
let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 2:13-15, 19-23

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 had died, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream
to Joseph in Egypt and said,
"Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel,
for those who sought the child's life are dead."
He rose, took the child and his mother,
and went to the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea
in place of his father Herod,
he was afraid to go back there.
And because he had been warned in a dream,
he departed for the region of Galilee.
He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth,
so that what had been spoken through the prophets
might be fulfilled,
He shall be called a Nazorean.


agosp
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DAILY MEDITATION: SIRACH 3:2-6, 12-14
Take care of your father when he is old. (Sirach 3:12

Doesn't today's first reading paint a beautiful picture of family life? Parents eagerly welcome their newborn baby into their hearts and home. They take care of that child's every need until she is able to live on her own. The child, in turn, honors and respects her parents, and when they grow old and become unable to care for themselves, she steps in and cares for them.

Of course, we know that it doesn't always work out that way, often through no fault of our own. But we can still form the circle of love that God desires every time we follow his call to "take care" of one another (Sirach 3:12).

On this feast of the Holy Family, let's consider what it means to take care of our loved ones. Of course, it starts with making sure that they are physically safe and healthy. But it goes far beyond that. "Taking care" means being aware of their feelings and paying attention to how our words and actions affect them. It means being patient when they are slow to learn or unable to do things for themselves. It means doing all we can to share our faith and enable them, whenever possible, to practice theirs. It means telling them how much we appreciate them. It means forbearing when they annoy us and forgiving them when they hurt us. And it means interceding for all their needs.

So take care of your children, your parents, your siblings. Take care of them when they are too young or too old to take care of themselves. Take care of them when they are ill or troubled. Take care of them when it's a delight and when it's a sacrifice.

This is a high calling, and we may fail at it sometimes. That's all the more reason to ask Jesus, who experienced family life himself, for the grace to keep forming this circle of love—day by day, week by week, year by year. Let's also ask Mary and Joseph to pray for us. May our care for one another bind us together in the Lord all the days of our lives!

"Father, thank you for the gift of my family. Help me to care for them as you care for me."

Psalm 128:1-5
Matthew 21:13-15, 19-23

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From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful"

Some are entering heaven before others...because they love. I'm often amazed how the Church works...on how few give in Catholic tithings...and how few truly love...yet for the few that do...the church moves forward. I speak

Of sacrifial deep love....not superficial niceties.

psalms

We pray today;
" Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored."

2cents2

In the Gospel today we heard:
"And because he had been warned in a dream,
he departed for the region of Galilee.
He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth,
so that what had been spoken through the prophets
might be fulfilled,
He shall be called a Nazorean."

Ever feel like things, all things happen for a reason? Look at St. Joseph and Blessed Mother Mary....given our Lord and forced to flee in persecution from the onset of the birth of Christ.

And it still happens to one who bears Christ...a persecution. I hate to say it...but statistically and across the world...Christians have been martyred and persucted to the tune of millions within the last century. How does this happen? It happens when people decide not to honor our Father....no more believing in His Word...incarnate. And the liars speak saying that religion is the cause! It is the cause of these liars! They speak absurdity. If we truly did God's will...we would not crucify the Christ....the Word among us.

From Bishop Barron today;
Friends, on this feast of the Holy Family, our Gospel shows us Joseph and Mary's flight into Egypt, pursuing their mission to protect the Christ child. This story prompts me to say something about the Christian family's mission.
The family is, above all, the forum in which both parents and children are able to discern their missions. It is perfectly good, of course, if deep bonds and rich emotions are cultivated within the family, but those relationships and passions must cede to something that is more spiritually focused.
A biblical prioritization of values helps us to see what typically goes wrong with families. When something other than mission is dominant—a son's athletic achievement, a daughter's success at university, etc.—family relationships actually become strained. The paradox is this: precisely in the measure that everyone in the family focuses on God's call for one another, the family becomes more loving and peaceful.
John Paul II admirably summed up what I've been driving at when he spoke of the family as an ecclesiola (a little Church). At its best, he implies, the family is a place where God is worshiped and where the discernment of God's mission is of paramount importance.
.............

Let us not push off religion. I see it. Sports, esteem, work, fads, trends, and all related are made out to be more important. Empty pews...sad news. Less giving thanks. Less honoring our Father and saddening our Mother...in Heaven.
Where is the Holy Family hiding?

.......................†........................
Fear no more...come holy ones ...and show us the Way!
..................................................

adrian

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Hebrews 11:1
[Hebrews 11]

By Faith
11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

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Thursday, December 29, 2022

† ". . this child is destined . . . "

abner
 
mornignofferin

†Saint Quote
"Remember the sufferings of Christ, the storms that were weathered... the crown that came from those sufferings which gave new radiance to the faith... All saints give testimony to the truth that without real effort, no one ever wins the crown."
–St. Thomas Becket

†Today's Meditation
"Let us pass on now to the other question—namely, what you can do to strengthen your resolutions and make them succeed? There is no better mean than to put them into practice. But you say that you are still so weak that, although you often make strong resolutions not to fall into the particular imperfection of which you want to cure yourself, no sooner does the occasion present itself than down you go. Shall I tell you why we are still so weak? It is because we will not abstain from food that does not agree with us. It is as if a person who wished to be free from pains in the stomach were to ask a physician what he should do. The doctor replies, 'Do not eat such and such food, because it brings you pain'; and yet the person will not abstain from it. We do the same. For example, we should like to love reproof, and yet we obstinately cling to our own opinions. That is foolishness. You will never be strong enough to bear reproof courageously while you are nourishing yourself with the food of self-esteem. I wish to keep my soul recollected, and yet I will not restrain all sorts of idle thoughts: the two things are incompatible. Ah! How much I wish that I could be steadfast and regular in my religious exercises; at the same time I wish not to find them so trying—in fact, I want to find the work done for me. That cannot be in this life, for we shall always have to labor."
—St. Francis de Sales, p. 97
From
The Art of Loving God

†Daily Verse
"So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, it is a sin."
–James 4:17

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St. Thomas Becket

St. Thomas Becket (1118-1170), also known as St. Thomas of Canterbury, was the son of a prosperous London merchant. Being a well-educated youth, he was appointed as clerk to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and was later made Archdeacon. In this role he met and became close friends with King Henry II of England. The King promoted Becket to the office of Lord Chancellor, and, when the Archbishop of Canterbury died, made Becket the new Archbishop in 1162, the most powerful ecclesiastical position in all of England. King Henry II supposed that having his close friend in such a position would enable him to enforce his will on the Church. However, in his new role as priest and archbishop, Thomas Becket experienced a religious conversion and transferred his ultimate allegiance to the Church. This led to frequent conflicts over the rights of the Church between the King of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury, resulting in Becket's exile. When Becket returned to England, he was murdered by four knights, the king's lackeys, as he was offering Mass at the Canterbury Cathedral altar on December 29, 1170. St. Thomas Becket's feast day is December 29th.

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The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

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."


agosp
adailycatholic
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Daily Meditation: Luke 2:22-35

. . . awaiting the consolation of Israel. (Luke 2:25)

Have you ever noticed those people at the airport who hold up a sign with someone's name on it? They are waiting for someone whom they have never seen to step off an airplane. But even with the sign, they are still looking at every person and asking themselves, Is he the one? Is she the person I'm waiting for?

That's a little like what Simeon was doing in this passage—only he didn't have a sign. He went to the Temple all the time, looked around at all the people there, and asked the Holy Spirit, Is this one the Messiah?

And then one day he spotted a couple with a baby, and he knew that this child was the consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25).

How did Simeon know? Was it because he was "righteous and devout" (Luke 2:25)? That may have played a part. But more importantly, he was expectant. The Holy Spirit had told Simeon that he would see the Messiah before he died, and Simeon took that promise seriously. So he kept coming to the Temple, asking the Spirit to open his eyes so that he would recognize the Lord when he appeared.

Even though we aren't waiting to see Jesus in the Temple, we can still have this same expectant attitude every day as we wait for him to reveal himself to us. We can look for his peace in an otherwise tumultuous situation. We can try to recognize his hand at work when a door opens to share our faith. Or we can find him present in the kindness of a friend who reaches out to spend time with us. And most important, we can find him in the quiet of our prayer and the joy of our Eucharistic celebrations.

Wherever you find yourself today, try to be like Simeon. Even if you are really busy or confronted with unexpected happenings, keep looking and waiting for Jesus to reveal himself. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and to help you be attentive. And even if you forget and get caught up in the activities of the day, you can always take a minute before bedtime and ask the Lord to show you the ways in which he was present. The more expectant you are in looking and waiting for him, the more you'll see his hand in your life.

"Lord, thank you for helping me to recognize your presence today."

1 John 2:3-11
Psalm 96:1-3, 5-6

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From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"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."

Darkness is passing away. The birth of our Lord is celebrated on the "darkest" day of the year, or just about, meaning something...the birth of the sun, the birth of light, taken from the pagan's celebrations so they would understand the light of Christ, and the light grows forever.

psalms

We pray today;
" Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!"

2cents2

In the Gospel today we heard:
"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."

Why is there so much talk about lights? The prophet in the temple, Simeon, who foretold what this child would be...the end of things as we knew and the new things that are to be. Lights make everything seen, and somethings cannot be seen with natural light, but only with the light of God. Wouldn't you like to see more then? More of what God sees? What does this mean? It is an invitation to see things His way, not our ways. To know His thoughts, and not rely on our own thoughts. To trust in Him, therefore, to have faith, and to love Him.

From Bishop Barron Today:
Friends, today's Gospel tells the story of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple.
The Presentation of Jesus, perfected on the cross, is re-presented every time the Mass is celebrated. The Mass is certainly a festive meal, the moment when God feeds his people with his very Body and Blood; but the Mass is also a sacrifice, for it involves the offering of Jesus' Body and Blood to the Father. _
The Son, bearing the sins of the world, is presented to the Father: "Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever." Does God need this sacrifice? Of course not; God needs nothing. But our salvation is effected through this Presentation, for we are brought back to the Father through the Son._
. . .
Why do I try to go to Holy Mass every day? Because, our Lord is offering Himself in the most special way imagineable, and in this offering, we can offer ourselves united to Him, to God our Father. It is mind boggling how this works, but it is in short, the moment when Heaven meets the earth. Like in incarnation. Like in the birth. Like in the moment we decide to let Him be the light of our world.
In the presentation of the Lord's mystery, it is about the obedience of Mary presenting herself and our Lord, and the fruit of the mystery in the rosary is obedience. We pray that we too can obey God like Mary, and live our life like Jesus.

.......................†........................
Lord, may we learn to love obedience, to fulfill Your words in Your prayer, that it may be done on earth...as it is in Heaven.
..................................................

adrian

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Acts 2:36

[Acts 2]

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

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