Wednesday, January 7, 2009

January 11th - Baptism of Our Lord

January 11, 2009

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Reading 1
Is 55:1-11

Thus says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread,
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
As I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of nations,
so shall you summon a nation you knew not,
and nations that knew you not shall run to you,
because of the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.

Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked man his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.

For just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

Responsorial Psalm
Is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Reading II
1 Jn 5:1-9

Beloved:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and blood.
The Spirit is the one who testifies,
and the Spirit is truth.
So there are three that testify,
the Spirit, the water, and the blood,
and the three are of one accord.
If we accept human testimony,
the testimony of God is surely greater.
Now the testimony of God is this,
that he has testified on behalf of his Son.


Gospel
Mk 1:7-11

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Sunday, December 28, 2008


Merry Christmas. Our Lady of Victory's sanctuary was beautifully decorated for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord.






Friday, December 26, 2008

Epiphany of the Lord


Epiphany of the Lord (Transferred from Jan 6) - Jan 4th, 2009
[ Was to be the Feast of The Most Holy Name of Jesus ]

Reading 1


Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,the glory of the Lord shines upon you.See, darkness covers the earth,and thick clouds cover the peoples;but upon you the LORD shines,and over you appears his glory.Nations shall walk by your light,and kings by your shining radiance.Raise your eyes and look about;they all gather and come to you:your sons come from afar,and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
Then you shall be radiant at what you see,your heart shall throb and overflow,for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.Caravans of camels shall fill you,dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;all from Sheba shall comebearing gold and frankincense,and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.




Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,and with your justice, the king’s son;He shall govern your people with justiceand your afflicted ones with judgment.R.

Justice shall flower in his days,and profound peace, till the moon be no more.May he rule from sea to sea,and from the River to the ends of the earth.R.

The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.All kings shall pay him homage,all nations shall serve him.R.

For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;the lives of the poor he shall save.R.





Brothers and sisters:You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealedto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.




When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?We saw his star at its risingand have come to do him homage.”When King Herod heard this,he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet:And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;since from you shall come a ruler,who is to shepherd my people Israel.”Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child.When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.”After their audience with the king they set out.And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the housethey saw the child with Mary his mother.They prostrated themselves and did him homage.Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION January 1st
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

Reading 1
Nm 6:22-27
The LORD said to Moses: “Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites.Say to them:The LORD bless you and keep you!The LORD let his face shine uponyou, and be gracious to you!The LORD look upon you kindly andgive you peace!So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8R. (2a)
May God bless us in his mercy.
May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation.R.
May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity; the nations on the earth you guide.R.
May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you!May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him!R.

Reading II
Gal 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters:When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.As proof that you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then also an heir, through God.

Gospel
Lk 2:16-21
The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,and the infant lying in the manger.When they saw this,they made known the message that had been told them about this child.All who heard it were amazedby what had been told them by the shepherds.And Mary kept all these things,reflecting on them in her heart.Then the shepherds returned,glorifying and praising Godfor all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. When eight days were completed for his circumcision,he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

12/28/08
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Gn 15:1-6; 21:1-3

The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying:“Fear not, Abram!I am your shield;I will make your reward very great.”But Abram said,“O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be,if I keep on being childlessand have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?”Abram continued,“See, you have given me no offspring,and so one of my servants will be my heir.”Then the word of the LORD came to him:“No, that one shall not be your heir;your own issue shall be your heir.”The Lord took Abram outside and said,“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”Abram put his faith in the LORD,who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.The LORD took note of Sarah as he had said he would;he did for her as he had promised.Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age,at the set time that God had stated.Abraham gave the name Isaac to this son of hiswhom Sarah bore him.




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.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home;your children like olive plants around your table.R.

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.





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.orBrothers 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.




When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, They took him up to Jerusalemto 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 ofa 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:“Now, Master, you may let your servant goin peace, according to your word,for my eyes have seen your salvation,which you prepared in sight of all the peoples,a light for revelation to the Gentiles,and glory for 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.”There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.When they had fulfilled all the prescriptionsof the law of the Lord,they returned to Galilee,to their own town of Nazareth.The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.orWhen the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalemto present him to the Lord. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptionsof the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee,to their own town of Nazareth.The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.