How wonderfully and completely loved we are to have Mary, mother of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ as our mother.
For through her, the face of our Lord’s shine most profoundly on us. Through her immaculate heart she guides us to the way of perfection in Him. Through her intercession our hearts, minds and actions are purified and made pleasing to our Lord. She is our mother, do we honour her as we should? Nothing pleases our Blessed Mother more than that we listen to her son’s will for us. And so she is always by our side to help us along the right path.
O Blessed Mother pray for us your children who love you dearly. Amen
First reading
Numbers 6:22-27
They are to call down my name on the sons of Israel, and I will bless them
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.’
Second reading
Galatians 4:4-7
God sent his Son, born of a woman
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 any more; and if God has made you son, then he has made you heir.
Gospel
Luke 2:16-21
The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger
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.
