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We are reminded in today’s first reading that Jesus our Lord and Saviour took on our human nature to his level. For by His death and Resurrection freed us from sin which was inherent in our fallen nature; by His body, blood, soul and divinity elevated us to His divine nature. This is why we have hope for eternal life with Him through this Holy Communion.

Christ in us, we must make haste to minister to His flock, healing, caring for, casting out evil but most importantly sharing the joy of the Gospel while in prayer and communion with our Lord.

Let me be One with You Lord at all times in every situation. Amen


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First reading
Hebrews 2:14-18 ·

He took to himself descent from Abraham

Since all the children share the same blood and flesh, Christ too shared equally in it, so that by his death he could take away all the power of the devil, who had power over death, and set free all those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it was not the angels that he took to himself; he took to himself descent from Abraham. It was essential that he should in this way become completely like his brothers so that he could be a compassionate and trustworthy high priest of God’s religion, able to atone for human sins. That is, because he has himself been through temptation he is able to help others who are tempted.





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Gospel
Mark 1:29-39

He cast out devils and cured many who were suffering from disease

On leaving the synagogue, Jesus went with James and John straight to the house of Simon and Andrew. Now Simon’s mother-in-law had gone to bed with fever, and they told him about her straightaway. He went to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to wait on them.
    That evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by devils. The whole town came crowding round the door, and he cured many who were suffering from diseases of one kind or another; he also cast out many devils, but he would not allow them to speak, because they knew who he was.
    In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house, and went off to a lonely place and prayed there. Simon and his companions set out in search of him, and when they found him they said, ‘Everybody is looking for you.’ He answered, ‘Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns, so that I can preach there too, because that is why I came.’ And he went all through Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out devils.

Through His suffering, death and Resurrection, our Lord Jesus Christ sanctified us as He glorified God our Heavenly Father. So too by our suffering for His namesake we will glorify the Lord our God.

All authority was given to Him and He had empowered us, God our Father’s sons and daughters to be His priests, prophets and kings. Why are so many of us not exercising or authority to minster to His flock? To heal, to bring about reconciliation, to cast out evil, and lead everyone into the Heavenly inheritance that awaits all believers of Christ Jesus our Lord.

Fresh anointing be upon me lord, so that I may glorify You by my life. Amen

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First reading
Hebrews 2:5-12 ·

The one who sanctifies and the ones who are sanctified are of the same stock

God did not appoint angels to be rulers of the world to come, and that world is what we are talking about. Somewhere there is a passage that shows us this. It runs: What is man that you should spare a thought for him, the son of man that you should care for him? For a short while you made him lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and splendour. You have put him in command of everything. Well then, if he has put him in command of everything, he has left nothing which is not under his command. At present, it is true, we are not able to see that everything has been put under his command, but we do see in Jesus one who was for a short while made lower than the angels and is now crowned with glory and splendour because he submitted to death; by God’s grace he had to experience death for all mankind.
    As it was his purpose to bring a great many of his sons into glory, it was appropriate that God, for whom everything exists and through whom everything exists, should make perfect, through suffering, the leader who would take them to their salvation. For the one who sanctifies, and the ones who are sanctified, are of the same stock; that is why he openly calls them brothers in the text: I shall announce your name to my brothers, praise you in full assembly.



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Gospel
Mark 1:21-28

Unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority

Jesus and his disciples went as far as Capernaum, and as soon as the sabbath came he went to the synagogue and began to teach. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.
    In their synagogue just then there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit and it shouted, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry went out of him. The people were so astonished that they started asking each other what it all meant. ‘Here is a teaching that is new’ they said ‘and with authority behind it: he gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him.’ And his reputation rapidly spread everywhere, through all the surrounding Galilean countryside.

There is no other God, like God our Father who reaches down and offers to have an intimate relationship with all of us. We have full communion with Him through Jesus Christ our Lord. He speaks to our hearts and is ever present to us. His radiant light is upon us!

How can we contain this joy within us? Filled with His peace, love and joy; all of us are called to follow after Him and lead others to the same joy, peace and love to be found only in Him.

Lord Jesus lead us all into Your kingdom. Amen


Saint Hilary, pray for us…


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First reading
Hebrews 1:1-6 ·

God has spoken to us through his Son

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, the Son that he has appointed to inherit everything and through whom he made everything there is. He is the radiant light of God’s glory and the perfect copy of his nature, sustaining the universe by his powerful command; and now that he has destroyed the defilement of sin, he has gone to take his place in heaven at the right hand of divine Majesty. So he is now as far above the angels as the title which he has inherited is higher than their own name.
    God has never said to any angel: You are my Son, today I have become your father; or: I will be a father to him and he a son to me. Again, when he brings the First-Born into the world, he says: Let all the angels of God worship him.



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Gospel
Mark 1:14-20

I will make you into fishers of men

After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come’ he said ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.’
    As he was walking along by the Sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men.’ And at once they left their nets and followed him.
    Going on a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending their nets. He called them at once and, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the men he employed, they went after him.

I struggled with today’s first reading where is says, “Anyone who has been begotten by God

does not sin, because the begotten Son of God protects him, and the Evil One does not touch him.”

Was I not begotten by God since I have sinned on numerous occasions? Was I not protected by the Lord our God?

The answer came to me…FREE WILL

So great is His love for us He gave us free will. To choose to love Him and to choose to live in His grace.

If we prayed to Him for help before we gave in to the Sin at hand He would surely have protected us and depending on the situation even send His Holy Angels to fight for us.

As children of God so loved by Him, how have we become smaller, so then He can grow greater in our loves such that joy will be complete. Are our egos still puffed up thinking we are all we need? Do we see ourselves as greater than others? Wiser, stronger, more powerful, more connected, more influential, and for some Holier than everyone else? It is said that the greatest sin is Pride! And for good reason, though many others would argue that the greatest sin to overcome for them is lust. It does not matter! Choosing ourselves, choosing to Sin is what distances us from our loving God! We lose not only our precious relationship with Him but we lost His protection. Only by turning back to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ shall we be restored, healed and in full communion with our One triune God.

Blessed Mother intercede for us that we may remain steadfast in the love of Your Son Jesus our Lord. Help us that we may never lose our God. Amen

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First reading

1 John 5:14-21 ·

If we ask for anything, he will hear us

We are quite confident that if we ask the Son of God for anything,

and it is in accordance with his will,

he will hear us;

and, knowing that whatever we may ask, he hears us,

we know that we have already been granted what we asked of him.

If anybody sees his brother commit a sin

that is not a deadly sin,

he has only to pray, and God will give life to the sinner

– not those who commit a deadly sin;

for there is a sin that is death,

and I will not say that you must pray about that.

Every kind of wrong-doing is sin,

but not all sin is deadly.

We know that anyone who has been begotten by God

does not sin,

because the begotten Son of God protects him,

and the Evil One does not touch him.

We know that we belong to God,

but the whole world lies in the power of the Evil One.

We know, too, that the Son of God has come,

and has given us the power

to know the true God.

We are in the true God,

as we are in his Son, Jesus Christ.

This is the true God,

this is eternal life.

Children, be on your guard against false gods.

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Gospel

John 3:22-30

‘He must grow greater and I must grow smaller: my joy is complete’

Jesus went with his disciples into the Judaean countryside and stayed with them there and baptised. At the same time John was baptising at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water, and people were going there to be baptised. This was before John had been put in prison.

    Now some of John’s disciples had opened a discussion with a Jew about purification, so they went to John and said, ‘Rabbi, the man who was with you on the far side of the Jordan, the man to whom you bore witness, is baptising now; and everyone is going to him.’

    John replied:

‘A man can lay claim

only to what is given him from heaven.

‘You yourselves can bear me out: I said: I myself am not the Christ; I am the one who has been sent in front of him.

‘The bride is only for the bridegroom;

and yet the bridegroom’s friend,

who stands there and listens,

is glad when he hears the bridegroom’s voice.

This same joy I feel, and now it is complete.

He must grow greater, I must grow smaller.’

Is it so hard that we should love one another? Is it easier to love family or friend rather than a stranger? Or for some it may be the reverse!

Perhaps the difficulty in loving anyone or everyone for that matter is because the Lord our God does not dwell in our hearts let alone in our very being. For God is love! If He dwells within us then we shall love as He does! For He is ever present with and in us.

He is especially present with us amidst the storms we might face. But lest we call out to Him, He allows us to weather the storm on our own with His grace upon us.

Perhaps for some, they have kept Him absent from our hearts, minds and soul that they do not even call out to Him. Or even fail to recognise the many miracles that had happened in their lives through His grace.

Lord Jesus be ever present in my life, now and always. Amen


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First reading
1 John 4:11-18 ·

As long as we love one another God’s love will be complete in us


My dear people, since God has loved us so much,
we too should love one another.
No one has ever seen God;
but as long as we love one another God will live in us and his love will be complete in us.
We can know that we are living in Him and he is living in us because he lets us share his Spirit.
We ourselves saw and we testify
that the Father sent his Son
as saviour of the world.
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God lives in him, and he in God.
We ourselves have known and put our faith in God’s love towards ourselves.
God is love and anyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him.

Love will come to its perfection in us when we can face the day of Judgement without fear;
because even in this world
we have become as he is.
In love there can be no fear,
but fear is driven out by perfect love: because to fear is to expect punishment, and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love.





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Gospel
Mark 6:45-52

His disciples saw him walking on the lake

After the five thousand had eaten and were filled, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the crowd away. After saying goodbye to them he went off into the hills to pray. When evening came, the boat was far out on the lake, and he was alone on the land. He could see they were worn out with rowing, for the wind was against them; and about the fourth watch of the night he came towards them, walking on the lake. He was going to pass them by, but when they saw him walking on the lake they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they had all seen him and were terrified. But he at once spoke to them, and said, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind dropped. They were utterly and completely dumbfounded, because they had not seen what the miracle of the loaves meant; their minds were closed.

We are in the 6th day of the new year and had just celebrated Epiphany, where a great light shone in the sky leading everyone to Jesus. Are we that light for Him in this new year?

Lord let me be Your light in the world, to lead everyone to the joy of knowing You, for You are present now and will be for all time! A great light that dispels all darkness! The healing warmth of Your grace embraces each and every one that comes to You in repentance. Let me proclaim with all my breath, that the word made flesh that dwelled among us, is here today as He was yesterday and will be here again tomorrow. The living God, my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, is opening His arms wide to receive You.

Let me bring Your hope Lord in this year of Hope! Let me live in Your empowerment to bring Your Joy to the world. Amen

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First reading

1 John 3:22-4:6

The Son of God has come and given us the power to know the true God

Whatever we ask God,

we shall receive,

because we keep his commandments

and live the kind of life that he wants.

His commandments are these:

that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ

and that we love one another

as he told us to.

Whoever keeps his commandments

lives in God and God lives in him.

We know that he lives in us

by the Spirit that he has given us.

It is not every spirit, my dear people, that you can trust;

test them, to see if they come from God,

there are many false prophets, now, in the world.

You can tell the spirits that come from God by this:

every spirit which acknowledges that Jesus the Christ has come in the flesh

is from God;

but any spirit which will not say this of Jesus

is not from God,

but is the spirit of Antichrist,

whose coming you were warned about.

Well, now he is here, in the world.

Children,

you have already overcome these false prophets,

because you are from God and you have in you

one who is greater than anyone in this world;

as for them, they are of the world,

and so they speak the language of the world

and the world listens to them.

But we are children of God,

and those who know God listen to us;

those who are not of God refuse to listen to us.

This is how we can tell

the spirit of truth from the spirit of falsehood.

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Gospel

Matthew 4:12-17,23-25

The people that lived in darkness have seen a great light

Hearing that John had been arrested, Jesus went back to Galilee, and leaving Nazareth he went and settled in Capernaum, a lakeside town on the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali. In this way the prophecy of Isaiah was to be fulfilled:

‘Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali!

Way of the sea on the far side of Jordan, Galilee of the nations!

The people that lived in darkness has seen a great light; on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death

a light has dawned.’

From that moment Jesus began his preaching with the message, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’

    He went round the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness among the people. His fame spread throughout Syria, and those who were suffering from diseases and painful complaints of one kind or another, the possessed, epileptics, the paralysed, were all brought to him, and he cured them. Large crowds followed him, coming from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judaea and Transjordania.

Why do we allow ourselves to sin? When we know we should remain steadfast and holy as our Heavenly Father is Holy?

Perhaps it is because we did keep our focus on Christ our Lord! We did not dwell on His Word and kept in close to our hearts! We let our minds be idle and turn to fantasy instead of actively serving Him and our brethren!

Shall we not for love of Him, keep our eyes focussed on our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Shall we not embrace His Word keeping in our heart, in our mind and Spirit. Putting our love for Him in action by ministering to our brethren. At the very least we can invite our friends and all who comes our way to ‘Come and See’ and lead them into a possible relationship with Jesus our loving Lord and God.

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First reading

1 John 3:7-10 ·

No-one sins who has been begotten by God

My children, do not let anyone lead you astray:

to live a holy life is to be holy just as he is holy;

to lead a sinful life is to belong to the devil,

since the devil was a sinner from the beginning.

It was to undo all that the devil has done

that the Son of God appeared.

No one who has been begotten by God sins;

because God’s seed remains inside him,

he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God.

In this way we distinguish the children of God

from the children of the devil:

anybody not living a holy life

and not loving his brother

is no child of God’s.

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Gospel

John 1:35-42

‘We have found the Messiah’

As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God.’ Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’ They answered, ‘Rabbi,’ – which means Teacher – ‘where do you live?’ ‘Come and see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour.

    One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ – which means the Christ – and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ – meaning Rock.

Eye has not seen, ear has not heard. How sad indeed for those who do not yet know Jesus!

We dear sisters and brothers in Christ have seen, heard and tasted that the Lord is Good!

We must choose to remain pure, holy and anointed. We must battle sin and temptation daily, always renouncing the works of the enemy.

For we are the chosen ones to bear witness to Christ Jesus our Lord, to testify to Him and through Him we shall lead others to the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the World.

Lead me onward sweet Jesus Amen

 The Most Holy Name of Jesus 

Readings at Mass

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First reading

1 John 2:29-3:6

Everyone must try to be as pure as Christ

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.

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Gospel

John 1:29-34

‘Look: there is the Lamb of God’

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.’

By our Baptism we have been anointed in the truth.

We have life, and life to the full because we have Christ Jesus our Lord. Who is the source of all life.

Everything that is of the world is fleeting and will cease to exist. Even their lie that there is no God, and that our faith is man-made.

We who live as Children of God our Father live in confidence in Christ Jesus our Lord. We have never lived as orphans, for we live in the presence of our living Lord and God. We have peace, love and joy in our hearts! And we live not for ourselves but in all things to bring Him Glory. We are sent to make a straight way for our Lord so that all who comes to believe in Him shall likewise have eternal life with Him.

Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, pray for us…

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First reading

1 John 2:22-28 ·

The anointing he gave you teaches you everything

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.

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Gospel

John 1:19-28

‘One is coming after me who existed before me’

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.

Lest we forget, we are children of the light! And we must be in the world as beacons of Christ’s light for all who live in darkness. In today’s Gospel we hear of how innocent babies were killed in the attempt to kill of the Lord of lords, King of kings our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Their little lights were snuffed out prematurely, but they shine ever so brightly in Heaven as witnesses to Him.

Shall our light not shine as bright for Him? Can we not resist the allure of sin which darkens our souls?

Lord redeemer of the world, purify me with Your precious blood that I may be white as snow and an ever bright and radiant light shining for You. Amen

All you Holy Innocents, pray for us…

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First reading

1 John 1:5-2:2 ·

The blood of Jesus Christ purifies us all from sin

This is what we have heard from Jesus Christ,

and the message that we are announcing to you:

God is light; there is no darkness in him at all.

If we say that we are in union with God

while we are living in darkness,

we are lying because we are not living the truth.

But if we live our lives in the light,

as he is in the light,

we are in union with one another,

and the blood of Jesus, his Son,

purifies us from all sin.

If we say we have no sin in us,

we are deceiving ourselves

and refusing to admit the truth;

but if we acknowledge our sins,

then God who is faithful and just

will forgive our sins and purify us

from everything that is wrong.

To say that we have never sinned

is to call God a liar

and to show that his word is not in us.

I am writing this, my children,

to stop you sinning;

but if anyone should sin,

we have our advocate with the Father,

Jesus Christ, who is just;

he is the sacrifice that takes our sins away,

and not only ours,

but the whole world’s.

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Gospel

Matthew 2:13-18

The massacre of the innocents

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.

Herod was furious when he realised that he had been outwitted by the wise men, and in Bethlehem and its surrounding district he had all the male children killed who were two years old or under, reckoning by the date he had been careful to ask the wise men. It was then that the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah were fulfilled:

A voice was heard in Ramah,

sobbing and loudly lamenting:

it was Rachel weeping for her children,

refusing to be comforted because they were no more.

We should have been so fortunate to have seen and touched our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as testified in today’s first reading. But the Gospel should resonate with every living Christian today! For it is a great and personal testimony that we share with the apostle John who only saw the linen cloths and yet fully believed.

While we have not yet seen Christ Jesus our Lord in the full embodiment of His resurrected body, we have most certainly felt His overwhelming and glorious presence. For He is truly present to all His faithful. Most concretely so, in Holy Eucharist. Therefore we must go forth to bear witness to Him, that is to all who’s eyes have not seen and ears have not heard; that our living God is alive and actively seeking to embrace everyone in His love.

Merry 2nd day of Christmas!

Saint John, Apostle, pray for us…

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First reading

1 John 1:1-4 ·

The Word, who is life – this is our subject

Something which has existed since the beginning,

that we have heard,

and we have seen with our own eyes;

that we have watched

and touched with our hands:

the Word, who is life –

this is our subject.

That life was made visible:

we saw it and we are giving our testimony,

telling you of the eternal life

which was with the Father and has been made visible to us.

What we have seen and heard

we are telling you

so that you too may be in union with us,

as we are in union

with the Father

and with his Son Jesus Christ.

We are writing this to you to make our own joy complete.

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Gospel

John 20:2-8

The other disciple saw, and he believed

On the first day of the week Mary of Magdala came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’

    So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in. Simon Peter who was following now came up, went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed.

On this feast day of St Stephen Christ’s first martyr, we have to decide if we are willing to die to ourselves and live our lives for Him, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We may not have to die physical deaths, but can we not die to our insecurities, fears, guilt, shame and whatever else that prevents us from declaring the joy of the Gospel to all we meet.

We can start with a simple Merry Christmas to all we meet this seven days of the Christmas Octave! We can invite someone close to us for a coffee or tea to share how our lives have been changed by our living Lord and God.

In all the challenges we face, let us call on the Holy Spirit; into Your hands Lord I commend my Spirit. Amen

Saint Stephen, pray for us… 

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First reading

Acts 6:8-10,7:54-59 ·

The martyrdom of Stephen

Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people. But then certain people came forward to debate with Stephen, some from Cyrene and Alexandria who were members of the synagogue called the Synagogue of Freedmen, and others from Cilicia and Asia. They found they could not get the better of him because of his wisdom, and because it was the Spirit that prompted what he said. They were infuriated when they heard this, and ground their teeth at him.

    But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. ‘I can see heaven thrown open’ he said ‘and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they all rushed at him, sent him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’

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Gospel

Matthew 10:17-22

The Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Beware of men: they will hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the pagans. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes; because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you.

    ‘Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved.’

This is the day we must prepare Him room in our hearts. A Holy dwelling place for our Lord. For He desires nothing from us but an intimate relationship in His love.

And Zechariah’s prophesy rings true even today for each and everyone of us disciples; of our loving Lord. For we are God our Father’s children; called to be His Prophet, for we shall go before the Lord to prepare the way for Him, to give His people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins; this by the tender mercy of our God who from on high will bring the rising Sun to visit us, to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Let us sing forever of our Lord’s love. Amen alleluia

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First reading
2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12,14,16

Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me

Once David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.’
    But that very night the word of the Lord came to Nathan:
    ‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. And when your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. I will be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does evil, I will punish him with the rod such as men use, with strokes such as mankind gives. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’




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Gospel
Luke 1:67-79

‘You, little child, shall be the prophet of the Most High’

John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:

‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel for he has visited his people, he has come to their rescue
and he has raised up for us a power for salvation in the House of his servant David, even as he proclaimed, by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times, that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us.
Thus he shows mercy to our ancestors, thus he remembers his holy covenant the oath he swore
to our father Abraham that he would grant us, free from fear,
to be delivered from the hands of our enemies, to serve him in holiness and virtue in his presence, all our days.
And you, little child,
you shall be called Prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins;
this by the tender mercy of our God who from on high will bring the rising Sun to visit us, to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace.’

If we truly believed that God is with us then would we behave the way we do? Will we be impatient with our family, friends, colleagues and the strangers in our midst? Will we gossip amongst ourselves? Will we turn to distractions, give in to unholy desires sexual or otherwise? Will we ignore the cries of those in need?

If the Lord our God is truly present with us today turn we must follow after Mary our mother’s loving and generous heart. To be faithful and obedient unto the Lord our God. As we pray ”Be it done Lord according to Your will.” Amen


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First reading
Isaiah 7:10-14 

The maiden is with child

The Lord spoke to Ahaz and said, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.’ ‘No,’ Ahaz answered ‘I will not put the Lord to the test.’
    Then Isaiah said:

‘Listen now, House of David:
are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men
without trying the patience of my God, too?
The Lord himself, therefore,
will give you a sign.
It is this: the maiden is with child
and will soon give birth to a son
whom she will call Immanuel,
a name which means “God-is-with-us.”’


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Gospel
Luke 1:26-38

‘I am the handmaid of the Lord’

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.

It is the Lord our God who makes us whole! It is He who removes all shame and humiliation. He hears our prayers and vindicates us. It is He who restores us and empowers us to serve and protect our brethren. To turn hearts back to Him!

Both Samson and John the Baptist were dedicated to our Lord and the Holy Spirit worked wonders to restore God’s people though in different and unimaginable ways. Let us therefore walk steadfast in His presence.

With one voice let us cry out, “My lips are filled with your praise, with your glory all the day long.” Amen

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First reading

Judges 13:2-7,24-25 ·

‘You will conceive and bear a son’

There was a man of Zorah of the tribe of Dan, called Manoah. His wife was barren, she had borne no children. The angel of the Lord appeared to this woman and said to her, ‘You are barren and have had no child. But from now on take great care. Take no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For you will conceive and bear a son. No razor is to touch his head, for the boy shall be God’s nazirite from his mother’s womb. It is he who will begin to rescue Israel from the power of the Philistines.’ Then the woman went and told her husband, ‘A man of God has just come to me; his presence was like the presence of the angel of God, he was so majestic. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not reveal his name to me. But he said to me, “You will conceive and bear a son. From now on, take no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For the boy shall be God’s nazirite from his mother’s womb to his dying day.”’

    The woman gave birth to a son and called him Samson. The child grew, and the Lord blessed him; and the spirit of the Lord began to move him.

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Gospel

Luke 1:5-25

‘Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son’

In the days of King Herod of Judaea there lived a priest called Zechariah who belonged to the Abijah section of the priesthood, and he had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron. Both were worthy in the sight of God, and scrupulously observed all the commandments and observances of the Lord. But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both getting on in years.

    Now it was the turn of Zechariah’s section to serve, and he was exercising his priestly office before God when it fell to him by lot, as the ritual custom was, to enter the Lord’s sanctuary and burn incense there. And at the hour of incense the whole congregation was outside, praying.

    Then there appeared to him the angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense. The sight disturbed Zechariah and he was overcome with fear. But the angel said to him, ‘Zechariah, do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you must name him John. He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must drink no wine, no strong drink. Even from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he will bring back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before him to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the disobedient back to the wisdom that the virtuous have, preparing for the Lord a people fit for him.’

    Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years.’ The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel who stand in God’s presence, and I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. Listen! Since you have not believed my words, which will come true at their appointed time, you will be silenced and have no power of speech until this has happened.’ Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were surprised that he stayed in the sanctuary so long. When he came out he could not speak to them, and they realised that he had received a vision in the sanctuary. But he could only make signs to them, and remained dumb.

    When his time of service came to an end he returned home. Some time later his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept to herself. ‘The Lord has done this for me’ she said ‘now that it has pleased him to take away the humiliation I suffered among men.’

Do you think you are worthy? Did Joseph or Mary think themselves worthy? Yet is the Lord who counted them worthy and now you are worthy, for He has chosen you!

So carry your cross and follow after Him in all His ways. Therefore you must be faithful, obedient and carry on His good works with integrity.

For He is with you not sometimes, but all of the time!

Emmanuel! Amen

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First reading

Jeremiah 23:5-8 ·

I will raise a virtuous Branch for David

See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –

when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David,

who will reign as true king and be wise,

practising honesty and integrity in the land.

In his days Judah will be saved

and Israel dwell in confidence.

And this is the name he will be called:

The-Lord-our-integrity.

So, then, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when people will no longer say, “As the Lord lives who brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt!” but, “As the Lord lives who led back and brought home the descendants of the House of Israel out of the land of the North and from all the countries to which he had dispersed them, to live on their own soil.”

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Gospel

Matthew 1:18-24

How Jesus Christ came to be born

This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son

and they will call him Emmanuel,

a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’ When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.

Our Father’s Will be done now and forever!

In today’s Gospel we see the genealogy of Jesus, in essence it shows us that Jesus was adopted by Joseph into the line of David. And how the sceptre of Judah will eventually be taken up by Him and every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord!

All of God’s promises are fulfilled one way or another. May we be worthy of His promises. Let us Bless His Holy name forever.

Wisdom of the Most High, ordering all things with strength and gentleness, come and teach us the way of truth. Amen

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First reading

Genesis 49:2,8-10 ·

Until he comes, the sceptre will not pass from Judah

Jacob called his sons and said:

‘Gather round, sons of Jacob, and listen;

listen to Israel your father.

Judah, your brothers shall praise you:

you grip your enemies by the neck,

your father’s sons shall do you homage,

Judah is a lion cub,

you climb back, my son, from your kill;

like a lion he crouches and lies down,

or a lioness: who dare rouse him?

The sceptre shall not pass from Judah,

nor the mace from between his feet,

until he come to whom it belongs,

to whom the peoples shall render obedience.’

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Gospel

Matthew 1:1-17

The ancestry of Jesus Christ, the son of David

A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:

Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother,

Perez was the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram was the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother,

Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother,

Obed was the father of Jesse;

and Jesse was the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

Solomon was the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,

Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,

Joram the father of Azariah,

Azariah was the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah;

and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.

Then the deportation to Babylon took place.

After the deportation to Babylon:

Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud,

Abiud the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

Azor was the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Achim,

Achim the father of Eliud,

Eliud was the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob;

and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary;

of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.

The sum of generations is therefore: fourteen from Abraham to David; fourteen from David to the Babylonian deportation; and fourteen from the Babylonian deportation to Christ.

We are His prophets! Yes, we have been given the gift of prophesy, yet do we prophesy over others? Why are we not confident that we can hear the Lord speak to us for the good of others? Is it because we are still far from Him?

Then let this advent journey draw us closer to His bosom! We must renounce the ways of the world that calls to celebrate Christmas while still in advent! How prepared then will we be at Christmas? Do not give in to worldly thoughts of how we should spread the joy of Christmas now! For Christ is already born, has died and is risen! Are we not going against the teachings of Holy Mother Church who in her wisdom has deigned that we prepare our hearts to receive Him anew this Advent? We have cause to rejoice a little for we have just celebrated Gaudete Sunday!

Let us instead submit to the authority of Christ Jesus our Lord and His Church. Amen

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First reading

Numbers 24:2-7,15-17 ·

The oracles of Balaam

Raising his eyes Balaam saw Israel, encamped by tribes; the spirit of God came on him and he declaimed his poem. He said:

‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,

the oracle of the man with far-seeing eyes,

the oracle of one who hears the word of God.

He sees what Shaddai makes him see,

receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened.

How fair are your tents, O Jacob!

How fair your dwellings, Israel!

Like valleys that stretch afar,

like gardens by the banks of a river,

like aloes planted by the Lord,

like cedars beside the waters!

A hero arises from their stock,

he reigns over countless peoples.

His king is greater than Agag,

his majesty is exalted.’

Then Balaam declaimed his poem again. He said:

‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,

the oracle of the man with far-seeing eyes,

the oracle of one who hears the word of God,

of one who knows the knowledge of the Most High.

He sees what Shaddai makes him see,

receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened.

I see him – but not in the present,

I behold him – but not close at hand:

a star from Jacob takes the leadership,

a sceptre arises from Israel.’

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Gospel

Matthew 21:23-27

‘I will not tell you my authority for acting like this’

Jesus had gone into the Temple and was teaching, when the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him and said, ‘What authority have you for acting like this? And who gave you this authority?’ ‘And I’ replied Jesus ‘will ask you a question, only one; if you tell me the answer to it, I will then tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism: where did it come from: heaven or man?’ And they argued it out this way among themselves, ‘If we say from heaven, he will retort, “Then why did you refuse to believe him?”; but if we say from man, we have the people to fear, for they all hold that John was a prophet.’ So their reply to Jesus was, ‘We do not know.’ And he retorted, ‘Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.’

Why did the Lord our God send the two most great prophets of all time? I believe with all my heart, that it was for the reason as scripture says; to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children. And most importantly of all to turn the hearts of children of God our Heavenly Father back to Him. For He could not bear to see His children suffering from the devastation and consequence of sin!

So loved He the world that He gave us His only Begotten Son, that whomsoever believes in Him shall have eternal life. So came He the greatest prophet of all! The Word made flesh, to take the sin of the world upon Himself. So that we might have hope of eternal life with Him.

Just as He bore His cross for us, so shall we bear our cross to follow after Him. Amen

Saint John of the Cross, Pray for us…

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First reading

Ecclesiasticus 48:1-4,9-12

The prophet Elijah will come again

The prophet Elijah arose like a fire,

    his word flaring like a torch.

It was he who brought famine on the people,

    and who decimated them in his zeal.

By the word of the Lord, he shut up the heavens,

    he also, three times, brought down fire.

How glorious you were in your miracles, Elijah!

    Has anyone reason to boast as you have?

Taken up in the whirlwind of fire,

    in a chariot with fiery horses;

designated in the prophecies of doom

    to allay God’s wrath before the fury breaks,

to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children,

    and to restore the tribes of Jacob,

Happy shall they be who see you,

    and those who have fallen asleep in love.

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Gospel

Matthew 17:10-13

Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him

As they came down from the mountain the disciples put this question to Jesus, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True;’ he replied ‘Elijah is to come to see that everything is once more as it should be; however, I tell you that Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him but treated him as they pleased; and the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands.’ The disciples understood then that he had been speaking of John the Baptist.

God our Father loves us deeply and only wants the best for us. And when we live out our lives with integrity and faithfulness, then His light shine through us. We are One in Him and He in us. There is no greater joy or happiness than to live in His peace and love.

Even when we are found wanting, He, ways patiently for us to turn back to Him. His Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ seeks us out and calls to us to return to the fold. How great and merciful is our Lord!

So then let us be obedient children and glorify our Heavenly Father with all that we say and do. Amen

Saint Lucy pray for us…


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First reading
Isaiah 48:17-19 ·

If you had been alert to my commandments, your happiness would have been like a river

Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you, I lead you in the way that you must go.
If only you had been alert to my commandments, your happiness would have been like a river, your integrity like the waves of the sea.
Your children would have been numbered like the sand, your descendants as many as its grains.
Never would your name have been cut off or blotted out before me.





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Gospel
Matthew 11:16-19

They heed neither John nor the Son of Man

Jesus spoke to the crowds: ‘What description can I find for this generation? It is like children shouting to each other as they sit in the market place:

“We played the pipes for you,
and you wouldn’t dance;
we sang dirges,
and you wouldn’t be mourners.”

‘For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He is possessed.” The Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet wisdom has been proved right by her actions.’

God our Father loves us deeply and only wants the best for us. And when we live out our lives with integrity and faithfulness, then His light shine through us. We are One in Him and He in us. There is no greater joy or happiness than to live in His peace and love.

Even when we are found wanting, He, ways patiently for us to turn back to Him. His Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ seeks us out and calls to us to return to the fold. How great and merciful is our Lord!

So then let us be obedient children and glorify our Heavenly Father with all that we say and do. Amen

Saint Lucy pray for us…


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First reading
Isaiah 48:17-19 ·

If you had been alert to my commandments, your happiness would have been like a river

Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you, I lead you in the way that you must go.
If only you had been alert to my commandments, your happiness would have been like a river, your integrity like the waves of the sea.
Your children would have been numbered like the sand, your descendants as many as its grains.
Never would your name have been cut off or blotted out before me.





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Gospel
Matthew 11:16-19

They heed neither John nor the Son of Man

Jesus spoke to the crowds: ‘What description can I find for this generation? It is like children shouting to each other as they sit in the market place:

“We played the pipes for you,
and you wouldn’t dance;
we sang dirges,
and you wouldn’t be mourners.”

‘For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He is possessed.” The Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet wisdom has been proved right by her actions.’

When we turn away from the Lord our God, and look to sin and all it’s temptations. Then we start to wither away, body, mind and spirit. The consequence of sin may even extend to our surroundings whether at home or at home.

Heeding the call to return to our Lord either through His prophets, our family, friends even acquaintances, we have hope of full restoration, peace all in His love for us. For our loving Lord reminds us in today’s first reading, that He holds our right hand, that we need not fear for He will help us.

Living now as beloved disciples of His shall we not be His ‘John the Baptists’ His ‘Elijahs’? Calling out for repentance, for reconciliation to the Lord our God. Pointing to the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. For His great glory. Amen


Our Lady of Guadalupe pray for us…


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First reading
Isaiah 41:13-20

I, the Holy One of Israel, am your redeemer


I, the Lord, your God,
I am holding you by the right hand; I tell you, ‘Do not be afraid,
I will help you.’

Do not be afraid, Jacob, poor worm, Israel, puny mite.
I will help you – it is the Lord who speaks – the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer.

See, I turn you into a threshing-sled, new, with doubled teeth; you shall thresh and crush the mountains, and turn the hills to chaff.

You shall winnow them and the wind will blow them away, the gale will scatter them.
But you yourself will rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

The poor and needy ask for water, and there is none, their tongue is parched with thirst.
I, the Lord, will answer them,
I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.

I will make rivers well up on barren heights, and fountains in the midst of valleys; turn the wilderness into a lake, and dry ground into waterspring.

In the wilderness I will put cedar trees, acacias, myrtles, olives.
In the desert I will plant juniper,
plane tree and cypress side by side;

so that men may see and know,
may all observe and understand
that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.


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Gospel
Matthew 11:11-15

A greater than John the Baptist has never been seen

Jesus spoke to the crowds: ‘I tell you solemnly, of all the children born of women, a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. Since John the Baptist came, up to this present time, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by storm. Because it was towards John that all the prophecies of the prophets and of the Law were leading; and he, if you will believe me, is the Elijah who was to return. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen!’

Good out Heavenly is all knowing, loving, gracious,powerful, patient and kind. He sent His Son our loving Lord to save us from our sins.

And He actively seeks out His faithful, to restore our drooping spirit. So that we can rise like eagles to glorify His name.

All Praise and glory be Yours O Lord. Amen

Saint Damasus I, Pray for us…

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First reading
Isaiah 40:25-31

The Lord strengthens the powerless


‘To whom could you liken me
and who could be my equal?’ says the Holy One.
Lift your eyes and look.
Who made these stars if not he who drills them like an army,
calling each one by name?
So mighty is his power, so great his strength, that not one fails to answer.

How can you say, Jacob,
how can you insist, Israel,
‘My destiny is hidden from the Lord, my rights are ignored by my God’?
Did you not know?
Had you not heard?

The Lord is an everlasting God,
he created the boundaries of the earth.
He does not grow tired or weary,
his understanding is beyond fathoming.
He gives strength to the wearied,
he strengthens the powerless.
Young men may grow tired and weary, youths may stumble, but those who hope in the Lord renew their strength, they put out wings like eagles.
They run and do not grow weary,
walk and never tire.





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Gospel
Matthew 11:28-30

My yoke is easy and my burden light

Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

Our Lord is very close to us, He patiently waits for our return. Repentance is the key to allowing His to flow into us like streams of living water. Turning suffering and distress into joy, all in His love. Our loving Lord will come to bind our wounds and restore us to our rightful place; as sons and daughters of God our Heavenly Father.

Then we too shall become like Him, seeking out the lost and the weary. Bringing His healing, peace and joy. Leading them all into His kingdom by our love.

Lord Jesus here I am send me. Amen

Saint Ambrose, pray for us…


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First reading
Isaiah 30:19-21,23-26 ·

The Lord God will be gracious to you and hear your cry

Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
    People of Zion, you will live in Jerusalem and weep no more. He will be gracious to you when he hears your cry; when he hears he will answer. When the Lord has given you the bread of suffering and the water of distress, he who is your teacher will hide no longer, and you will see your teacher with your own eyes. Whether you turn to right or left, your ears will hear these words behind you, ‘This is the way, follow it.’ He will send rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the bread that the ground provides will be rich and nourishing. Your cattle will graze, that day, in wide pastures. Oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat a salted fodder, winnowed with shovel and fork. On every lofty mountain, on every high hill there will be streams and watercourses, on the day of the great slaughter when the strongholds fall. Then moonlight will be bright as sunlight and sunlight itself be seven times brighter – like the light of seven days in one – on the day the Lord dresses the wound of his people and heals the bruises his blows have left.



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Gospel
Matthew 9:35-10:1,5,6-8

The harvest is rich but the labourers are few

Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.
    And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’
    He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows: ‘Go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.’

We are called to the Holy mountain of the Lord. We ascend into His Heavenly domain by our faithfulness, integrity, listening to His Word, His Will for us and acting on them in His love.

Let today be the advent of our lives in the Lord! Built upon the foundation of our rock, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; we shall glorify Him by our words and deeds. Amen


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First reading
Isaiah 26:1-6 ·

Open the gates; let the upright nation come in


That day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city; to guard us he has set wall and rampart about us.
Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in, she, the faithful one whose mind is steadfast, who keeps the peace, because she trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord for ever,
for the Lord is the everlasting Rock; he has brought low those who lived high up in the steep citadel; he brings it down, brings it down to the ground, flings it down in the dust: the feet of the lowly, the footsteps of the poor trample on it.


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Gospel
Matthew 7:21,24-27

The wise man built his house on a rock

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’

In today’s first reading we see a glimpse of the heavenly banquet that awaits us. Where the finest food and drink is served, and all are at peace in His love and grace. No more weeping and mourning, only joy! The Lord is our shepherd there is nothing we shall want.

Even today, our all loving Heavenly Father provides for His faithful children’s needs. We are so Blessed that we do not have to die to have a foretaste of Heaven. Each and everyone of us can partake of the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ Jesus our Lord in Holy Eucharist. We are fed, nourished and made whole! We have new life in Him and are joined in Holy Communion with Him and one another.

Great are You Lord, now and forever. Amen

Saint John Damascene, Pray for us…


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First reading
Isaiah 25:6-10 ·

The Lord will prepare a banquet for every nation


On this mountain,
the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines, of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines.
On this mountain he will remove
the mourning veil covering all peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nations, he will destroy Death for ever.
The Lord will wipe away the tears from every cheek; he will take away his people’s shame everywhere on earth, for the Lord has said so.
That day, it will be said: See, this is our God in whom we hoped for salvation; the Lord is the one in whom we hoped.
We exult and we rejoice that he has saved us; for the hand of the Lord rests on this mountain.


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Gospel
Matthew 15:29-37

The crowds praised the God of Israel

Jesus reached the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and he went up into the hills. He sat there, and large crowds came to him bringing the lame, the crippled, the blind, the dumb and many others; these they put down at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were astonished to see the dumb speaking, the cripples whole again, the lame walking and the blind with their sight, and they praised the God of Israel.
    But Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them off hungry, they might collapse on the way.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Where could we get enough bread in this deserted place to feed such a crowd?’ Jesus said to them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ ‘Seven’ they said ‘and a few small fish.’ Then he instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves and the fish, and he gave thanks and broke them and handed them to the disciples, who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected what was left of the scraps, seven baskets full.

Jesus the prince of Peace had come and His peace still flows upon us in His presence. By following after Him with integrity and faithfulness, His peace flows through us and to all He sends our way. We are invited to live as One in His peace and love.

In today’s Gospel, we are invited into the same intimacy Jesus shares with our Father in Heaven. Happy indeed are we invited to the supper of the lamb. For just as we dwell in Him and His eternal word, He dwells in us. Amen

Saint Francis Xavier, Pray for us…


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First reading
Isaiah 11:1-10 ·

A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse


A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse,
a scion thrusts from his roots:
on him the spirit of the Lord rests, a spirit of wisdom and insight,
a spirit of counsel and power,
a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
(The fear of the Lord is his breath.)
He does not judge by appearances, he gives no verdict on hearsay,
but judges the wretched with integrity, and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land.
His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless, his sentences bring death to the wicked.

Integrity is the loincloth round his waist, faithfulness the belt about his hips.

The wolf lives with the lamb,
the panther lies down with the kid, calf and lion feed together,
with a little boy to lead them.
The cow and the bear make friends, their young lie down together.
The lion eats straw like the ox.
The infant plays over the cobra’s hole; into the viper’s lair
the young child puts his hand.
They do no hurt, no harm,
on all my holy mountain,
for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters swell the sea.

That day, the root of Jesse
shall stand as a signal to the peoples. It will be sought out by the nations and its home will be glorious.


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Gospel
Luke 10:21-24

No-one knows who the Son is except the Father

Filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, Jesus said:
    ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’
    Then turning to his disciples he spoke to them in private, ‘Happy the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’

Just before Advent we celebrated the Solemnity of Christ the King, and now on the first Monday of Advent it is only fitting that we reflect on how we will welcome the coming of our Lord in our midst. We will stand ready in awe and Holy reverence? With great humility and longing, yet trusting that He who has granted us salvation will lead us to greater heights of love with and through Him.

Such was the faith of the first gentile to revere Jesus! He stripped Himself of his own title and authority recognising that Jesus was the Lord of lords, King of kings. Such faith would bring great healing and salvation for everyone under his roof.

So indeed sisters and brothers in Christ, let us go to the mountain of the Lord! Let us go to God’s house. May He make His home in our hearts now and forever. Amen

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First reading

Isaiah 2:1-5 ·

The Lord gathers all nations together into the eternal peace of God’s kingdom

The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In the days to come

the mountain of the Temple of the Lord

shall tower above the mountains

and be lifted higher than the hills.

All the nations will stream to it,

peoples without number will come to it; and they will say:

    ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

    to the Temple of the God of Jacob

    that he may teach us his ways

    so that we may walk in his paths;

    since the Law will go out from Zion,

    and the oracle of the Lord from Jerusalem.’

He will wield authority over the nations

and adjudicate between many peoples;

these will hammer their swords into ploughshares,

their spears into sickles.

Nation will not lift sword against nation,

there will be no more training for war.

O House of Jacob, come,

let us walk in the light of the Lord.

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Gospel

Matthew 8:5-11

‘I am not worthy to have you under my roof: give the word, and my servant will be healed’

When Jesus went into Capernaum a centurion came up and pleaded with him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘my servant is lying at home paralysed, and in great pain.’ ‘I will come myself and cure him’ said Jesus. The centurion replied, ‘Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my servant will be cured. For I am under authority myself, and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man: Go, and he goes; to another: Come here, and he comes; to my servant: Do this, and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those following him, ‘I tell you solemnly, nowhere in Israel have I found faith like this. And I tell you that many will come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven.’

Why are we so afraid to share the joy of the Gospel? Fear of being asked tough questions, on the mysteries of our faith?

Here is the thing, like the apostles called to follow Jesus, we must be prepared to leave at once! That is a surrender to the will of our Lord trusting fully in His goodness and providence. For we preach only through the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. We share testimonies of the presence of our Risen Lord in our very own lives. How we have been changed from within. We let our Acts of love testify to Christ in us the hope of glory.

Then we shall be fishers of men after the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Saint Andrew, pray for us…



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First reading
Romans 10:9-18 ·

Faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ

If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. When scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
    But they will not ask his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they have heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as scripture says: The footsteps of those who bring good news are a welcome sound. Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ. Let me put the question: is it possible that they did not hear? Indeed they did; in the words of the psalm, their voice has gone out through all the earth, and their message to the ends of the world.


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Gospel
Matthew 4:18-22

‘I will make you fishers of men’

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they left their nets at once and followed him. Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. At once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.

As we draw closer to the first Sunday of Advent, the readings and Gospel point us to consider how each and everyone of us will be judged according to the way in which we had lived.

Some believe that we are already living in times of the New Jerusalem, and they are not altogether wrong. For our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ had already conquered death by His Resurrection. The temple veil had been torn, and we can live in the presence of the Lord our God. But the question for us is, are we in reality living life to the full in Him? We can only do if we have surrendered fully to Him, that is renouncing ourselves; taking up our cross and following after Him. With renewed minds in Christ and living our lives in the Spirit; We seek to be holy as our Heavenly Father is Holy.

In doing so, we truly embrace and proclaim that the eternal word of God reigns in our hearts.

Lord Jesus Your Word is a lamp unto my feet. Amen

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First reading

Apocalypse 20:1-4,11-21:2

The book of life was opened, and the dead were judged

I, John, saw an angel come down from heaven with the key of the Abyss in his hand and an enormous chain. He overpowered the dragon, that primeval serpent which is the devil and Satan, and chained him up for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and shut the entrance and sealed it over him, to make sure he would not deceive the nations again until the thousand years had passed. At the end of that time he must be released, but only for a short while.

    Then I saw some thrones, and I saw those who are given the power to be judges take their seats on them. I saw the souls of all who had been beheaded for having witnessed for Jesus and for having preached God’s word, and those who refused to worship the beast or his statue and would not have the brand-mark on their foreheads or hands; they came to life, and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Then I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. In his presence, earth and sky vanished, leaving no trace. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of his throne, while the book of life was opened, and other books opened which were the record of what they had done in their lives, by which the dead were judged.

    The sea gave up all the dead who were in it; Death and Hades were emptied of the dead that were in them; and every one was judged according to the way in which he had lived. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the burning lake. This burning lake is the second death; and anybody whose name could not be found written in the book of life was thrown into the burning lake.

    Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband.

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Gospel

Luke 21:29-33

My words will never pass away

Jesus told his disciples a parable: ‘Think of the fig tree and indeed every tree. As soon as you see them bud, you know that summer is now near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that the kingdom of God is near. I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’

Throughout the centuries dictators have tried to ‘rule the world’ profaning the ways, the Word and commands of the Lord our God. Our sisters and brothers in Christ have also throughout the centuries been persecuted and many were Martyred! None of the dictators however have overcome the supreme reign of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who has already conquered the World.

We have been greatly and profoundly Blessed, that by His grace we can partake at the wedding feast of the Lamb. Even as we live, we receive His precious body and life giving  blood through Holy Eucharist!

How great indeed is it God! Alleluia! Victory and glory and power to our God. Amen

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First reading
Apocalypse 18:1-2,21-23,19:1-3,9

Babylon the Great has fallen

I, John, saw an angel come down from heaven, with great authority given to him; the earth was lit up with his glory. At the top of his voice he shouted, ‘Babylon has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen, and has become the haunt of devils and a lodging for every foul spirit and dirty, loathsome bird.’ Then a powerful angel picked up a boulder like a great millstone, and as he hurled it into the sea, he said, ‘That is how the great city of Babylon is going to be hurled down, never to be seen again.

Never again in you, Babylon,
will be heard the song of harpists and minstrels,
the music of flute and trumpet;
never again will craftsmen of every skill be found
or the sound of the mill be heard;
never again will shine the light of the lamp,
never again will be heard
the voices of bridegroom and bride.
Your traders were the princes of the earth,
all the nations were under your spell.

After this I seemed to hear the great sound of a huge crowd in heaven, singing, ‘Alleluia! Victory and glory and power to our God! He judges fairly, he punishes justly, and he has condemned the famous prostitute who corrupted the earth with her fornication; he has avenged his servants that she killed.’ They sang again, ‘Alleluia! The smoke of her will go up for ever and ever.’ The angel said, ‘Write this: Happy are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb’, and he added, ‘All the things you have written are true messages from God.’





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Gospel
Luke 21:20-28

There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you must realise that she will soon be laid desolate. Then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains, those inside the city must leave it, and those in country districts must not take refuge in it. For this is the time of vengeance when all that scripture says must be fulfilled. Alas for those with child, or with babies at the breast, when those days come!
    ‘For great misery will descend on the land and wrath on this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive to every pagan country; and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the pagans until the age of the pagans is completely over.
    ‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.’

The victory over death and sin has already been won by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We who have yet to be reunited with Him in Heaven, need not fear. For we have the Holy Spirit to guide us in all matters. Be it speaking or acting in our defence when facing persecution or obstacles.

If we should die for or in Him, we shall rise with Him. For our Lord assures us that our endurance will win us our lives.

Lord find me faithful, now and always. Amen


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First reading
Apocalypse 15:1-4 ·

The victors sang the hymn of Moses and of the Lamb

What I, John, saw in heaven was a great and wonderful sign: seven angels were bringing the seven plagues that are the last of all, because they exhaust the anger of God. I seemed to see a glass lake suffused with fire, and standing by the lake of glass, those who had fought against the beast and won, and against his statue and the number which is his name. They all had harps from God, and they were singing the hymn of Moses, the servant of God, and of the Lamb:

‘How great and wonderful are all your works,
Lord God Almighty;
just and true are all your ways,
King of nations.
Who would not revere and praise your name, O Lord?
You alone are holy,
and all the pagans will come and adore you
for the many acts of justice you have shown.’



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Gospel
Luke 21:12-19

Your endurance will win you your lives

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name – and that will be your opportunity to bear witness. Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.’

Prepare yourselves with the end in mind! For each and everyone of us will eventually die. Will our death according to our faith, be the start of a new beginning in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Or will it be the end, due to our unfaithfulness. The latter is described at the end of today’s first reading.

While the readings today seem bleak, dark even hopeless. It is only so, for those who do not believe and therefore have no relationship with our Lord Jesus who gives us hope in His eternal glory. 

With that joyful hope in our hearts let us strive to be spotless by resisting sin with all our might. So that we may be found worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen


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First reading
Apocalypse 14:14-19 ·

The harvest and the vintage of the earth are ripe

In my vision I, John, saw a white cloud and, sitting on it, one like a son of man with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came out of the sanctuary, and shouted aloud to the one sitting on the cloud, ‘Put your sickle in and reap: harvest time has come and the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ Then the one sitting on the cloud set his sickle to work on the earth, and the earth’s harvest was reaped.
    Another angel, who also carried a sharp sickle, came out of the temple in heaven, and the angel in charge of the fire left the altar and shouted aloud to the one with the sharp sickle, ‘Put your sickle in and cut all the bunches off the vine of the earth; all its grapes are ripe.’ So the angel set his sickle to work on the earth and harvested the whole vintage of the earth and put it into a huge winepress, the winepress of God’s anger.



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Gospel
Luke 21:5-11

The destruction of the Temple foretold

When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said, ‘All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.’ And they put to him this question: ‘Master,’ they said ‘when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?’
    ‘Take care not to be deceived,’ he said ‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon.’ Then he said to them, ‘Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.’

Am I a chosen one of the Lord our God? Am I among His first fruit? Have I resisted sin to the point of shedding blood? Have I lived a life purely out truth?

Have I sacrificed and given my all for His glory?

Lord You look into my heart, accept the offering I give freely for Your glory.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria, pray for us…


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First reading
Apocalypse 14:1-5 ·

The redeemed have Christ and his Father’s name written on their foreheads

In my vision I, John, saw Mount Zion, and standing on it a Lamb who had with him a hundred and forty-four thousand people, all with his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. I heard a sound coming out of the sky like the sound of the ocean or the roar of thunder; it seemed to be the sound of harpists playing their harps. There in front of the throne they were singing a new hymn in the presence of the four animals and the elders, a hymn that could only be learnt by the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the world; they follow the Lamb wherever he goes; they have been redeemed from amongst men to be the first-fruits for God and for the Lamb. They never allowed a lie to pass their lips and no fault can be found in them.

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Gospel
Luke 21:1-4

The widow’s mite

As Jesus looked up, he saw rich people putting their offerings into the treasury; then he happened to notice a poverty-stricken widow putting in two small coins, and he said, ‘I tell you truly, this poor widow has put in more than any of them; for these have all contributed money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in all she had to live on.’

We can be sure that as followers of Christ we will face resistance, challenges even hardship. Again some of us will be called to lay our their lives for Him! And we gladly do so for we know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. And that through Him we will rise to eternal glory with Him.

So let us continue our pilgrim journey with joyful hope of being reunited as One with Him in Heaven. Amen

Saint Clement I, Saint Columbanus, pray for us…

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First reading
Apocalypse 11:4-12 ·

The prophets will die who have been a plague to the world

I, John, heard a voice saying: ‘These, my two witnesses, are the two olive trees and the two lamps that stand before the Lord of the world. Fire can come from their mouths and consume their enemies if anyone tries to harm them; and if anybody does try to harm them he will certainly be killed in this way. They are able to lock up the sky so that it does not rain as long as they are prophesying; they are able to turn water into blood and strike the whole world with any plague as often as they like. When they have completed their witnessing, the beast that comes out of the Abyss is going to make war on them and overcome them and kill them. Their corpses will lie in the main street of the Great City known by the symbolic names Sodom and Egypt, in which their Lord was crucified. Men out of every people, race, language and nation will stare at their corpses, for three-and-a-half days, not letting them be buried, and the people of the world will be glad about it and celebrate the event by giving presents to each other, because these two prophets have been a plague to the people of the world.’
    After the three-and-a-half days, God breathed life into them and they stood up, and everybody who saw it happen was terrified; then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, ‘Come up here’, and while their enemies were watching, they went up to heaven in a cloud.



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Gospel
Luke 20:27-40
In God all men are alive

Some Sadducees – those who say that there is no resurrection – approached Jesus and they put this question to him, ‘Master, we have it from Moses in writing, that if a man’s married brother dies childless, the man must marry the widow to raise up children for his brother. Well then, there were seven brothers. The first, having married a wife, died childless. The second and then the third married the widow. And the same with all seven, they died leaving no children. Finally the woman herself died. Now, at the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife since she had been married to all seven?’
    Jesus replied, ‘The children of this world take wives and husbands, but those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world and in the resurrection from the dead do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels, and being children of the resurrection they are sons of God. And Moses himself implies that the dead rise again, in the passage about the bush where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all men are in fact alive.’
    Some scribes then spoke up. ‘Well put, Master’ they said – because they would not dare to ask him any more questions.

The Word of the Lord is sweet to the taste, for it is filled to the brim with love. Love not as an emotion but the Will of Good for us. His Word convicts us to be purified within, transfigured through our repentance and His grace.  So too, we must pursue fraternal correction of one another in love, to grow in spiritual maturity and holiness. Some of us may even be called to lay down their lives one way or another for His glory.

Church is where we congregate as One, to pray, worship, receive His Holy Word, His will for us. Most of all, His Body, blood, soul and divinity through the sacrament of Holy Eucharist. Every part of Church whether the basement, the rooms, or car park is on Sacred ground. For Church grounds are dedicated to our Lord. Is it not a house prayer regardless of the location on church grounds? Why then would it be alright to allow any lottery of sorts on Hallowed ground? Game of chance involving money? We need to bear in mind that the Lord is present how then should we revere Him?


Saint Cecilia, pray for us…

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First reading
Apocalypse 10:8-11 ·

I was told to swallow the scroll, and to prophesy

I, John, heard the voice I had heard from heaven speaking to me again. ‘Go,’ it said ‘and take that open scroll out of the hand of the angel standing on sea and land.’ I went to the angel and asked him to give me the small scroll, and he said, ‘Take it and eat it; it will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.’ So I took it out of the angel’s hand, and swallowed it; it was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, ‘You are to prophesy again, this time about many different nations and countries and languages and emperors.’



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Gospel
Luke 19:45-48

You have turned God’s house into a robbers’ den

Jesus went into the Temple and began driving out those who were selling. ‘According to scripture,’ he said ‘my house will be a house of prayer. But you have turned it into a robbers’ den.’
    He taught in the Temple every day. The chief priests and the scribes, with the support of the leading citizens, tried to do away with him, but they did not see how they could carry this out because the people as a whole hung on his words.