The birth of Jesus, the EMMANUEL "God with us" ~ Gospel of Matthew

Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, 

is born of the Most Holy Virgin Mary 

in the city of Bethlehem.

"May all kings bow down to him 

 and all nations serve him."

~ Psalm 72:11 ~

Herds of camels will cover your land,

young camels of Midian and Ephah.

And all from Sheba will come,

bearing gold and incense

and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.

~ Isaiah 60:6 ~

Matthew 1:18-25
Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an 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 what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.�

22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 �The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel� (which means �God with us�).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

The angel said to shepherds abiding in the field, 

keeping watch over their flock by night, 

Fear not: for, 

behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, 

which shall be to all people. 

For unto you is born this day 

in the city of David a Saviour, 

which is Christ the Lord.

~ Luke 2:8-11 ~

Matthew 2:1-12
The Magi Visit the Messiah

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, �Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.�

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people�s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 �In Bethlehem in Judea,� they replied, �for this is what the prophet has written:

6 ��But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.��

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, �Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.�

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

** magi means wise men or priests who studied the stars.

JESUS, I come before your cross today, I place and surrender all my financial griefs to You, by Your Word I am Healed. AMEN.

JESUS, I come before your cross today to ask for financial blessing and grace to get my life back on right track. My faith keeps me strong even it is smaller than a mustard seed, and I know you will provide for me and the people I love. I do not seek a large sum of money. I do not trouble you for unneeded comforts or luxuries. I only ask for enough money to relieve my financial woes, ease this stress and some extra to get my day to day life back on track. Father at the foot of Christ cross, I place and surrender all my financial griefs to You, and change me Lord for the better in my Life. Give me the means to do your work, and spread your Love. I have only so much to give, if only I were allowed the chance. Lord, I trust in You and Your speedy help I trust. By Your WORD, I am HEALED. In JESUS name I pray, Amen.

Psalm 61:1,8

1 Hear my cry, O God;

listen to my prayer.

8 Then I will ever sing in praise of your name

and fulfill my vows day after day.

We all need help from time to time, 

especially in desperate and pressing times 

and there is no shame in asking for it. 

God will work wonders through his people. 

All Glory. Praise and Thanksgiving 

to Our Father, God in Heaven and on Earth.

To offer a helping hand, follow this link. 

May the Good Lord Bless you 

for Your sincere help a hundred-fold. 

God Bless and Thank You. 

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

The Nativity of the Lord - Christmas (Solemnity) ~ 25 December

JESUS CHRIST is born,

GLORIFY Him.

Let the earth rejoice! The Nativity of the Lord, Christmas is a day of great joy for the church. At the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord (25 March), angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-38), and announce to Mary, the Blessed Virgin that she had been chosen to be the Mother of Our Lord, and Mary's fiat was her willing acceptance of God's holy plan and exactly nine months later comes the Nativity of the Lord, (Christmas, 25 December). Christmas is more than a the birth of Christ Jesus, far more important Christmas acclaims the Incarnation. God chose to become a human being in the person of Jesus,. the advent of messianic salvation. Christ was sent among us in order to save us. Therefore at Christmas day, what we celebrate is that of the ultimate fulfilment of God�s saving purpose begins with the birth of Jesus (the word became flesh), the messianic Saviour. At sundown on 24 December, Advent ends and we begin the Christmas Season, the period between 25 December (Christmas day) and 6 January (Epiphany) has become an occasion for the church to celebrate and give thanks for the arrival of God�s Word made flesh, Jesus the Emmanuel, �God with us" who is the light of God that has come into the world, the light that even death could not extinguish.

The main liturgical colour for the Christmas Season is white, which expresses joy and glory. Gold, which expresses honor and praise, and is sometimes used in place of white. The Catholic church will celebrate five important feast during the Christmas Season which are as follows:

1. The Nativity of the Lord, 25 December is the of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
2. The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, on the first Sunday after Christmas dedicated to each member of the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph of their life together and the celebration focuses on religious family life.
3. Mary, the Holy Mother of God, 1 January is the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. It is a Holy Day of Obligation. However, when it falls on a Saturday or a Monday, the obligation to attend Mass is abrogated (temporarily waive).
4. The Epiphany of the Lord, 6 January celebrates the visit of the three wise men to the Christ Child, signifying the extension of salvation to the Gentiles.
5. The Baptism of the Lord, the Sunday after 6 January commemorates Christ's Baptism by St. John the Baptist.

Wednesday, 25 December, 2013
The Nativity of the Lord - Christmas (Solemnity)

Midnight Mass
Reading 1

Isaiah 9: 1 - 6
1	But there will be no gloom for her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zeb'ulun and the land of Naph'tali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2	The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.
3	Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased its joy; they rejoice before thee as with joy at the harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4	For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as on the day of Mid'ian.
5	For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6	For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Psalm

Psalms 96: 1 - 3, 11 - 13
1	O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!
2	Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3	Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
11	Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12	let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy
13	before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.

Reading 2

Titus 2: 11 - 14
11	For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men,
12	training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world,
13	awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
14	who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

Gospel

Luke 2: 1 - 14
1	In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.
2	This was the first enrollment, when Quirin'i-us was governor of Syria.
3	And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city.
4	And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5	to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
6	And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered.
7	And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8	And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9	And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.
10	And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people;
11	for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12	And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."
13	And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14	"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"

Morning Mass
Reading 1

Isaiah 62: 11 - 12
11	Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, "Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him."
12	And they shall be called The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD; and you shall be called Sought out, a city not forsaken.

Psalm

Psalms 97: 1, 6, 11 - 12
1	The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!
6	The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.
11	Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
12	Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!

Reading 2

Titus 3: 4 - 7
4	but when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
5	he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit,
6	which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7	so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.

Gospel

Luke 2: 15 - 20
15	When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."
16	And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17	And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child;
18	and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
19	But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.
20	And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Day Mass

Reading 1

Isaiah 52: 7 - 10
7	How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."
8	Hark, your watchmen lift up their voice, together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion.
9	Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10	The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

Psalm

Psalms 98: 1 - 6
1	O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.
2	The LORD has made known his victory, he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3	He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4	Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5	Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6	With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!

Reading 2

Hebrews 1: 1 - 6
1	In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets;
2	but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
3	He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4	having become as much superior to angels as the name he has obtained is more excellent than theirs.
5	For to what angel did God ever say, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee"? Or again, "I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son"?
6	And again, when he brings the first-born into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."

Gospel

John 1: 1 - 18
1	In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2	He was in the beginning with God;
3	all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
4	In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5	The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6	There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7	He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.
8	He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
9	The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.
10	He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.
11	He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
12	But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;
13	who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14	And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
15	(John bore witness to him, and cried, "This was he of whom I said, `He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'")
16	And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace.
17	For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18	No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.

OR

John 1: 1 - 5, 9 - 14
1	In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2	He was in the beginning with God;
3	all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
4	In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5	The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
9	The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.
10	He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.
11	He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
12	But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;
13	who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14	And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

St. John of the Cross, Priest, Doctor of the Church (Memorial) ~ 14 December

"With what procrastinations do you wait, 

since from this very moment 

you can love God in your heart?"

~ St. John of the Cross ~

St. John on the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz) was named Juan de Yepes at his bith in June, 1542 and was the Castilian son of a poor silk weaver of Fontiberos, Toledo, Spain.

St. John in 1563 he offered himself as a lay brother to the Carmelite friars, who, however, perceiving his unusual talents, ordained him in 1567 as a Carmelite priest at 25, he met St.Teresa of Jesus (St.Teresa of Avila) at the Carmelite priory of Medina and like her vowed himself to the primitive rule of the Carmelites. John is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up to his name: �of the Cross.� where �Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.� (Mark 8:34), and the Way of the Cross is the story of John�s life. He had a great devotion to Our Lord's Passion and voluntarily sought out humiliations. When Our Lord asked him what reward he would ask for his labors, John answered: "To suffer and to be despised for Thee." In April, 1571, John was appointed rector of a Discalced Carmelite college at the university of Alcal� near Madrid. In September, 1572, John was brought by Teresa to serve for the next five years as a confessor and spiritual director, along with another friar, for the 130 nuns at the Convent of the Incarnation in �vila. One day at some point between 1574 and 1577, while praying in the Monastery of the Incarnation in �vila, in a loft overlooking the sanctuary, John had a vision of the crucified Christ, which led him to create his famous drawing of Christ "from above". In 1641, this drawing was placed in a smallmonstrance and kept in �vila.

St. John died in �beda, Spain on 14 December, 1591, of erysipelas. he was only beatified in 1675 by Pope Clement X, and was canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726. St. John was a great contemplative and spiritual writer. He was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI on 24 August, 1926. He is the patron of contemplative life, mystical theology, mystics, and Spanish poets.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, 

You gave Saint John of the Cross 

the grace of complete self-denial 

and an ardent love for the cross of Christ. 

Grant that by following always in his footsteps 

we may come to the eternal vision of Your glory. 

Amen.

O God, who gave the Priest Saint John
an outstanding dedication to perfect self-denial
and love of the Cross,
grant that, by imitating him closely at all times,
we may come to contemplate eternally your glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Saturday, 14 December, 2013 

St. John of the Cross, Priest, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

Reading

Sirach 48: 1 - 4, 9 - 11
1	Then the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, and his word burned like a torch.
2	He brought a famine upon them, and by his zeal he made them few in number.
3	By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens, and also three times brought down fire.
4	How glorious you were, O Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! And who has the right to boast which you have?
9	You who were taken up by a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with horses of fire;
10	you who are ready at the appointed time, it is written, to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury, to turn the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
11	Blessed are those who saw you, and those who have been adorned in love; for we also shall surely live.

Psalm

Psalms 80: 2 - 3, 15 - 16, 18 - 19
2	before E'phraim and Benjamin and Manas'seh! Stir up thy might, and come to save us!
3	Restore us, O God; let thy face shine, that we may be saved!
15	the stock which thy right hand planted.
16	They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance!
18	Then we will never turn back from thee; give us life, and we will call on thy name!
19	Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! let thy face shine, that we may be saved!

Gospel

Matthew 17: 10 - 13
10	And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Eli'jah must come?"
11	He replied, "Eli'jah does come, and he is to restore all things;
12	but I tell you that Eli'jah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands."
13	Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Mine are the heavens 

and mine is the earth. 

Mine are the nations, 

the just are mine 

and mine the sinners. 

The angels are mine, 

and the Mother of God, 

and all things are mine; 

and God himself is mine 

and for me, 

because Christ is mine 

and all for me. 

What do you ask, then, 

and seek my soul? 

Yours is all of this, 

and all is for you. 

Do not engage your self 

in something less 

or pay heed to the crumbs 

that fall from your Father's table. 

Go forth and exult 

in your Glory! 

Hide yourself in it and rejoice, 

and you will obtain 

the supplications of your heart.

~ St. John of the Cross ~

Christmas is an encounter with JESUS!

Pope Francis reminded us that Christmas is more than a celebration, is an encounter with Jesus!