The Epiphany of the Lord ~ 03 January 2015

�Epiphany� comes from the Greek word epiphainen, a verb that means "to shine upon," "to manifest," or �to make known.� The Church celebrates today is the manifestation of our Lord to the whole world; after being made known to the shepherds of Bethlehem He is revealed to the Magi (the three wise men) who have come from the East to adore Him and to bring gifts to the infant King. The magi homage represents the manifestation of the Lord to the Gentiles. The Magi were able to overcome that dangerous moment of darkness before Herod, because they believed the Scriptures, the words of the prophets which indicated that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. And so they fled the darkness and dreariness of the night of the world. They resumed their journey towards Bethlehem and there they once more saw the star, and the gospel tells us that they experienced �a great joy� (Matthew 2:10). he Magi followed faithfully that light which filled their hearts, and they encountered the Lord. In the likeness of the Magi, with our little lights, may we seek the Light and keep the faith.

May the splendor of your majesty, O Lord, we pray, shed its light upon our hearts, that we may pass through the shadows of this world and reach the brightness of our eternal home. 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.

Reading 1

Isaiah 60:1-6
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.


Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king�s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Reading 2
Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship of God�s grace
that was given to me for your benefit,
namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.
It was not made known to people in other generations
as it has now been revealed
to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Alleluia
Matthew 2:2
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel
Matthew 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
�Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.�
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, �In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.�
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star�s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
�Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.�
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God ~ 01 January 2016

On New Year's Day, the octave day of Christmas, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. It is a Holy Day of Obligation as it commemorates the divine motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord and God Jesus Christ. As the Father from all eternity generates the Son in the love of the Holy Spirit, so Mary, in the flesh, generated the same eternal Word by the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ's Birth was made possible by Mary's fiat: "Be it done unto me according to Thy word.". Calling Mary �Mother of God� is the highest honour we can give to her.

On this day, we too remember our own mothers, living and deceased, and to implore the Blessed Virgin�s intercession for them. May the peace of the Lord remain within us, our families and communities and bring us the joy and happiness in the year to come.

Have a Blessed and Happy New Year.

 

O God, who through the fruitful virginity of Blessed Mary bestowed on the human race the grace of eternal salvation, grant, we pray, that we may experience the intercession of her, through whom we were found worthy to receive the author of life, 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.

Reading 1

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


Responsorial Psalm

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


Reading 2

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

Alleluia

Hebrews 1:1-2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;
In these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel

Luke 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.

Prayer to the Passions and Wounds of Jesus

A powerful prayer, works immediately.
To be said, nine consecutive times.



Make the Sign of the Cross every time you say the prayer.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O Great Passion

O Deep Wounds

O Blood Shed in Abundance

O Meekness

O God of Meekness

O Cruel Death

Have Mercy on Me and Grant my Request, 

if it be for my Salvation. 

{mention request}

AMEN.

Publish Immediately. Believe each word of this prayer as you say it and help will be granted.

Selamat Natal & Tahun Baru

Blog Kesaksian Rohani mengucapkan

Selamat Hari Natal & Tahun Baru

Semoga Damai Natal meliputi jiwa kita semua.  Natal bukan saja harus dirayakan oleh Kristen, tapi juga Islam, Budha, Hindu, dan seluruh Umat Manusia. Karena Yesus adalah Juruselamat Dunia.

God Bless You

Page FB:  Yesus Bagi Semua

Be Merciful, rediscover and experience the Mercy of God the Father

Jubilee Year of Mercy

December 8, 2015 � November 20, 2016

�We constantly need to contemplate the mystery of mercy. 

It is a wellspring of joy, serenity, and peace. 

 Our salvation depends on it.�

~ Pope Francis ~

The beginning of the extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy was solemnly marked by the opening of a Holy Door by the Pope in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on 8 December 2015. All other Roman Catholic Churches in Dioceses around the world will open their own Doors of Mercy in communion with the Church of Rome. A door in everyday life has several functions, all repeated by the symbol of the Holy Door:

• it marks the separation between inside and outside, between sin and the order of grace (Mi 7:18-19);
• it permits entry to a new place, in showing mercy and not condemnation (Mt 9:13);
• it provides protection, it provides salvation (Jn 10:7).

Jesus said: �I am the gate� (Jn 10:7). There is only one way that opens wide the entrance into the life of communion with God: this is Jesus, the one and absolute way to salvation. To him alone can the words of the Psalmist be applied in full truth: �This is the Lord�s own gate: where the just may enter� (Ps 117:20).

The Holy Door reminds the faithful of their responsibility when crossing the threshold:

• It is a decision which implies the freedom to choose, and at the same time the courage to abandon something, to leave something behind (cf. Mt 13, 44-46)
• Passing through this door means professing that Jesus Christ is Lord, in strengthening our faith in Him to embrace the new life He has given us. This is what Pope John Paul II had announced to the world on the day of his election: �Open wide the doors to Christ�.

The Church has received the mission of showing all people this loving face of God, manifested in Jesus Christ. Pope Francis has commissioned on Catholics around the world as individuals and as a Church �to be a witness of mercy� by reflecting on and practising the spiritual and corporal works of mercy during the year-long extraordinary Jubilee year of Mercy. By being merciful in acts of love, kindness and generosity, we will discover God and experience His mercy. It is a time for forgiveness and reconciliation. Faced with God's mercy, the challenge is not in the difficulty, but in the fact of freely making an act by which we mark our detachment from sin and our desire to be with God. To each one of us, Our Lord Jesus reveals the over-abundance of God�s love, not only does God love me but he wants to find my lost dignity. God does not condemn me in my wrongdoings nor ostracise me in what I have suffered. It is now time for each of us to be merciful towards others, to help them get up, it�s now their turn to get back on their feet.

Indulgence

To obtain the indulgence, one must be in a state of grace and have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin. One must receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, receive Holy Communion, pray for the intentions of the Holy Father and pass through the Door of Mercy. The prayer for the intentions of the Pope is left to the choice of the faithful, but an �Our Father� or a �Hail Mary� are suggested.

It is recommended, but not necessary, that these rites be completed on the same day: they may also be carried out over several days.

In addition, the faithful must perform one of the following works,

Works of Piety: for instance, a pilgrimage to a sanctuary, or again an act of piety (Way of the Cross, Rosary, Eucharistic adoration, etc.),

Works of Mercy: for instance, visit brothers and sisters who are in need or are in difficulty (the sick, the imprisoned, elderly people living alone, disabled people, etc.), as if making a pilgrimage to Christ present in them, or support, by a significant contribution, works of a religious or social nature (for the benefit of abandoned children, young people in trouble, the elderly in need, foreigners in various countries seeking better living conditions).

Acts of penance: for example, for at least one whole day, abstain from unnecessary consumption (smoking, alcohol, etc.), or fast and donate a proportionate sum of money to the poor.

One can receive an indulgence for oneself or the faithful departed, but not for another living person: it is up to that person to do what is necessary to free himself or herself from sin. Neither God nor anyone else can be a substitute for one�s own free will. To do something to obtain an indulgence is not a calculated act, but ultimately an act of trust in the absolute Mercy of God.

�In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, God forgives our sins, which he truly blots out; and yet sin leaves a negative effect on the way we think and act. But the mercy of God is stronger even than this. It becomes indulgence on the part of the Father who, through the Bride of Christ, his Church, reaches the pardoned sinner and frees him from every residue left by the consequences of sin, enabling him to act with charity, to grow in love rather than to fall back into sin�.

Official hymn for the Jubilee of Mercy

Pope Francis' Jubilee explained

Penang Diocese Year of Mercy Message in English

By Rt Rev Bishop Sebastian Francis, Bishop of Penang Diocese

Penang Diocese Year of Mercy Message in Tamil

By Rt Rev Bishop Sebastian Francis, Bishop of Penang Diocese

Penang Diocese Year of Mercy Message in Bahasa Malaysia

By Rt Rev Bishop Sebastian Francis, Bishop of Penang Diocese

Penang Diocese Year of Mercy Message in Mandarin

By Rt Rev Bishop Sebastian Francis, Bishop of Penang Diocese

Official link to Vatican Jubilee of Mercy site