31-DEC-'25, The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas

The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas

Lectionary: 204

Reading I

1 John 2:18-21

Children, it is the last hour; 

and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming,

so now many antichrists have appeared. 

Thus we know this is the last hour. 

They went out from us, but they were not really of our number;

if they had been, they would have remained with us. 

Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number. 

But you have the anointing that comes from the Holy One,

and you all have knowledge. 

I write to you not because you do not know the truth 

but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth.

Responsorial Psalm

96:1-2, 11-12, 13

R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Sing to the LORD a new song;

    sing to the LORD, all you lands.

Sing to the LORD; bless his name;

    announce his salvation, day after day. 

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;

    let the sea and what fills it resound;

    let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!

Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the LORD.

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

The LORD comes,

    he comes to rule the earth.

He shall rule the world with justice

    and the peoples with his constancy.

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Alleluia

John 1:14a, 12a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.

To those who accepted him

he gave power to become the children of God.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word,

    and the Word was with God,

    and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God. 

All things came to be through him,

    and without him nothing came to be.

What came to be through him was life,

    and this life was the light of the human race;

    the light shines in the darkness,

    and the darkness has not overcome it.

A man named John was sent from God.

He came for testimony, to testify to the light, 

so that all might believe through him.

He was not the light,

but came to testify to the light.

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world,

    and the world came to be through him,

    but the world did not know him.

He came to what was his own,

    but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him

    he gave power to become children of God, 

    to those who believe in his name, 

    who were born not by natural generation 

    nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision 

    but of God.

And the Word became flesh

    and made his dwelling among us,

    and we saw his glory,

    the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,

    full of grace and truth.

John testified to him and cried out, saying, 

“This was he of whom I said, 

‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me 

because he existed before me.’”

From his fullness we have all received,

grace in place of grace,

because while the law was given through Moses, 

grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God.

The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, 

has revealed him.

Reflection 1

Catholic Daily Reflections 

Light Dispels Darkness

What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:3–5

What a great image for meditation: “…the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” This line completes the unique approach taken by John’s Gospel to introduce Jesus, the Eternal “Word” Who existed from the beginning and through Whom all things came to be.

Though there is much to meditate on in the first five lines of John’s Gospel, let’s consider that ending line about light and darkness. Within the material world, there is much we can learn about our Divine Lord from the physical phenomenon of light and darkness. If we briefly consider light and darkness from the perspective of physics, we know that the two are not two opposing forces fighting with each other. Rather, darkness is simply the absence of light. Where there is no light, there is darkness. Similarly, heat and cold are the same way. Cold is nothing other than the absence of heat. Introduce heat and the cold disappears.

These basic laws of the physical world also teach us about the spiritual world. Darkness, or evil, is not some powerful force fighting against God; rather, it’s the absence of God. Satan and his demons do not try to impose a dark power of evil on us; rather, they seek to extinguish the presence of God in our lives by getting us to reject God through our choices, thus leaving us in spiritual darkness.

This is a very significant spiritual truth to understand, because where there is spiritual Light, the Light of God’s grace, the darkness of evil is dispelled. This is clearly seen in the line “and the darkness has not overcome it.” Overcoming the evil one is as easy as inviting the Light of Christ into our lives and not allowing fear or sin to turn us from the Light.

Reflect, today, upon the very real spiritual battle that takes place each and every day within your soul. But reflect upon it in the truth of this Gospel passage. The battle is easily won. Invite Christ the Light, and His Divine Presence will quickly and easily replace any darkness within.

Reflection 2

One Bread, One Body 

THE EJECTION OF REJECTION

“He was in the world, and through Him the world was made, yet the world did not know who He was.” —John 1:10

Did you feel rejected in 2024? If so, you’re in good company. Jesus was also rejected. “To His own He came, yet His own did not accept Him” (Jn 1:11). What hurts most is the rejection which comes from those closest to us. For example, wives and husbands reject each other; parents refuse to forgive their children; sons and daughters rebel and break their parents’ hearts (see e.g. Mt 10:36). The psalmist cries: “If an enemy had reviled me, I could have borne it; if he who hates me had vaunted himself against me, I might have hidden from him. But you, my other self, my companion and my bosom friend! You, whose comradeship I enjoyed; at whose side I walked in procession in the house of God!” (Ps 55:13-15)

Even in the Church we can feel rejected by others. But our pain from rejection is almost nothing compared to humanity’s constant rejection of the Lord for thousands of years. No one has been rejected more than Jesus. He understands our pain.

As we end the old year and begin a new one, do two things: forgive and give. First, ask for the power to forgive all the rejections of the past. Second, give yourself to Jesus. He promises: “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me; no one who comes will I ever reject” (Jn 6:37). Let 2025 be the best year of your life.

Prayer: Jesus, don’t let me go to sleep tonight without forgiving everyone who has ever hurt and rejected me (see Eph 4:26-27). I give myself to You. Remind me of this at midnight tonight.

Promise: “But you have the anointing that comes from the Holy One, so that all knowledge is yours.” —1 Jn 2:20

Praise: Pope St. Sylvester I believed in the power of fasting to defeat evil (see Mt 17:21). He declared Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays to be fast days.

Reflection 3

Fr. David COMPTE i Verdaguer

(Manlleu, Barcelona, Spain)

“The Word became flesh”

Today is the last day of the year. Often, mixed feelings —even contradictory ones— can be found in our hearts at this time. It is as though a sample of the different moments we have lived and those we would like to have lived make themselves present in our memories. Today's Gospel can help us pour them out, in order to start the New Year with strength.

“The Word was with God (...). All things came to be through him” (Jn 1:1.3). When taking inventory of the year, it is necessary to think that every day we have lived was a gift. Because of that, and whatever the profit might be, it is necessary to thank God for every minute of the year.

The gift of life is not whole, though. We are needy. Because of that, today's Gospel gives us the key words: “to welcome, to accept”. “And the Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14). Accept God Himself! God, turning into man, puts Himself within our reach. “To welcome,” means to open our doors, to allow Him to enter our lives, to be in our projects, in those acts, which fill our days. To what degree are we welcoming God, letting Him into our lives?

“The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (Jn 1:9). Accepting Jesus means to allow Him to question us. Letting His criteria influence our more intimate thoughts as well as our social and work performance. Let's reconcile our actions to His!

“Through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race” (Jn 1:4). Faith is more, however, than a few criteria. It is our life embedded into Life. It is not only effort —which indeed it is, but above all, it is gift and grace— life received at the heart of the Church, especially through the sacraments. What is the place of the sacraments in my Christian life?

“But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name” (Jn 1:12). What a passionate project for the year that we are about to start!

Prayers

Lord, Jesus, You are the Light Who dispels all darkness. You are the Eternal Word Who answers every question in life. I invite You into my life this day so that Your Divine Presence may fill me, consume me and lead me down the path toward eternal joys. Jesus, I trust in You.

Almighty God and Father of light, your eternal Word leaped down from heaven in the silent watches of the night. Open our hearts to receive his life and increase our vision with the rising of dawn, that our lives may be filled with his glory and his peace.

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 365: The Queen of Mercy

This last reflection is dedicated to the Queen of Mercy, the Most Glorious Mother of God. She, more than any other, was and continues to be a perfect instrument of the Mercy of God. She brought forth Mercy Himself into this world by her fiat, her “Yes,” at the Annunciation. She suffered greatly as she watched her Son suffer such brutality, and offered her motherly love to console His Heart and to win much grace in the world through her sacrifice. She was taken body and soul into Heaven and given the Crown of Glory by her Son, so that from her glorious throne in Heaven, she may continue to lavish Mercy on the world. Seek her prayers, trust in her intercession, consecrate yourself to her motherly care, and know of her perfect love for you. She will never abandon her children and, therefore, she will never abandon you.

Dearest Mother, my Queen, I love you with a profound love and I desire to consecrate myself to your Immaculate Heart. Your heart, dear Mother, is a heart overflowing with the Mercy of Your Son. He has given you all grace and entrusted you with the dispensation of this grace upon the world. May I never doubt your maternal care and intercession. I love you, dear Mother. I give myself entirely to you so that you may bring me to Your Son, Jesus. Mother Mary, my Queen, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

Dear Friends in Christ,

As we journey through life, we often find solace and inspiration in the written word, particularly the sacred scriptures. It has been a privilege to share my daily reflections and prayers with you all for over a decade. Your consistent readership has been a source of encouragement and has fueled my passion for exploring the depths of faith.

As an abundance of reflections and prayers are now readily accessible through various apps and online platforms, I have made the heartfelt decision to discontinue my daily scripture reflections and prayers starting tomorrow January 1, 2025.

As this chapter comes to a close, our journey of faith continues. My blog will remain accessible, and I will continue to share scriptural reflections and faith-related articles whenever possible. I will also keep you updated on new posts through WhatsApp. 

Thank you once again for your unwavering support and for being a part of this spiritual community. May God bless you all abundantly.

With gratitude.

Joy D'Souza 

30-DEC-'24, The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Lectionary: 203

Reading 1

1 John 2:12-17

I am writing to you, children,

because your sins have been forgiven for his name's sake.

I am writing to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men,

because you have conquered the Evil One.

I write to you, children,

because you know the Father.

I write to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

because you are strong and the word of God remains in you,

and you have conquered the Evil One.

Do not love the world or the things of the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world,

sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life,

is not from the Father but is from the world.

Yet the world and its enticement are passing away.

But whoever does the will of God remains forever.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 96:7-8a, 8b-9, 10

R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Give to the LORD, you families of nations,

give to the LORD glory and praise;

give to the LORD the glory due his name!

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Bring gifts, and enter his courts;

worship the LORD in holy attire.

Tremble before him, all the earth.

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Say among the nations: The LORD is king.

He has made the world firm, not to be moved;

he governs the peoples with equity.

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

A holy day has dawned upon us.

Come, you nations, and adore the Lord.

Today a great light has come upon the earth.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Luke 2:36-40

There was a prophetess, Anna,

the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.

She was advanced in years,

having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,

and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.

She never left the temple,

but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.

And coming forward at that very time,

she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child

to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions

of the law of the Lord,

they returned to Galilee,

to their own town of Nazareth.

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;

and the favor of God was upon him.

Reflection 1

Catholic Daily Reflections 

A Unique and Sacred Calling

There was a prophetess, Anna…She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36–38

We all have a unique and sacred calling given to us from God. Each one of us is called to fulfill that calling with generosity and wholehearted commitment. As the famous prayer of Saint John Henry Newman puts it:

God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons…

Anna, the prophetess, was given a very unique, one-of-a-kind mission. When she was young, she was married for seven years. Then after losing her husband, she remained a widow until she was eighty-four. During those decades of her life, the Scripture reveals that “She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.” What an incredible calling from God!

Anna’s unique calling was to be a prophetess. She fulfilled this calling by allowing her whole life to be a symbol of the Christian vocation. Her life was spent in prayer, fasting and, most especially, in anticipation. God called her to wait, year after year, decade after decade, for the one and definitive moment of her life: her encounter with the Christ Child in the Temple.

Anna’s prophetic life tells us that we each must live our lives in such a way that our ultimate goal is to continually prepare for the moment when we meet our divine Lord in the Temple of Heaven. Unlike Anna, most are not called to literal fasting and prayer every day all day within the church buildings. But like Anna, we must all foster an interior life of ongoing prayer and penance, and we must direct all of our actions in life to the praise and glory of God and the salvation of our souls. Though the way this universal vocation is lived out will be unique to each and every person, Anna’s life is nonetheless a symbolic prophecy of every vocation.

Reflect, today, upon how well you imitate this holy woman in your own life. Do you foster an interior life of prayer and penance and daily seek to devote yourself to the glory of God and the salvation of your soul? Evaluate your life this day in light of the wonderful prophetic life of Anna that we are given to ponder.

Reflection 2

One Bread, One Body 

THE FIRST DETACHMENT?

“Have no love for the world, nor the things that the world affords.” —1 John 2:15

In traditional Catholic spirituality, we emphasize the virtue of detachment from the world’s prideful desires, for “the world with its seductions is passing away but the man who does God’s will endures forever” (1 Jn 2:17). Those called to the consecrated life are to be exceptional examples of the detachment from the world which all Christians should have. For example, Anna “was constantly in the temple, worshiping day and night in fasting and prayer” (Lk 2:37).

In modern Western materialism and consumerism, we tend to emphasize attachment. Many of us want to possess a lot of “stuff” to the point that we are often possessed by our possessions. We can even put our possessions ahead of Jesus and walk away from Him in our sad possessiveness (Mk 10:22).

We cannot serve God and mammon, that is, the things of the world (Mt 6:24), for, “if anyone loves the world, the Father’s love has no place in him” (1 Jn 2:15). Tomorrow in the Western world is New Year’s Eve. Traditionally in our society, many people give the first hours and the first fruits of the new year to worldly celebrations. What will you do? Will you start the new year attached to the world and detached from God or attached to God and detached from the world?

Prayer: Father, teach me to relate to the world as Jesus does (see 1 Jn 4:17; Jn 17:16).

Promise: “I address you, young men, for you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one.” —1 Jn 2:14

Praise: An African community prayer group meets faithfully six days each week in the Bronx borough of New York City to offer prayers for the victims of COVID-19.

Reflection 3

Shared from Daily Liturgy

In the Book of Samuel, we see Hanna, mother of Samuel, who found favour in the sight of the Lord when she turned to him in distress. In today’s Gospel we see Anna who also found favour in the sight of the Lord and was blessed to see the Messiah. The priority and purpose of her life was to see the “Saviour” of Israel. She prepared herself to receive the Lord through fasting and prayer and spending the major part of her life in the Temple. Though eighty-four, she never lost hope. In Israel all waited for the Messiah, but only a few could recognize Him. It is not our position or wisdom that helps us to see the Lord, but the purity and the desire of our heart.             

 

Prayers

Lord, I thank You for the powerful witness of the prophetess Anna. May her lifelong devotion to You, a life of continual prayer and sacrifice, be a model and inspiration for me and for all who follow You. I pray that You daily reveal to me the unique way in which I am called to live out my vocation to total dedication to You. Jesus, I trust in You.

Lord Jesus, you alone are my hope and life. May I never cease to place all my trust in your unfailing love and mercy. Fill me with the joy and strength of the Holy Spirit that I may boldly point others to your saving presence and word of eternal life.

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 364: Prayer for the Dying

In regard to your eternal salvation, the hour of your death is so very important. When you pray the “Hail Mary” prayer, you pray specifically for this sacred hour. It is a holy hour. But it is also an hour when the evil one will lash out at you one more time to try to steal your soul for all eternity. It is essential that you spend your life preparing for this sacred hour by your prayers, a life of sacrifice, and a life of charity. But it is also essential that you pray for those who are in their last hour. For some, this is a moment of true spiritual battle. See it as a duty of charity to regularly remember those who are in their last hour in your prayers. They will thank you in Heaven (See Diary #1798). 

Reflect upon your death this day, and especially try to pray the rosary for this moment. Consider, also, making a commitment to pray for those who are dying. Death brings many temptations, such as fear, and is a time when much grace is needed. Pray that every soul, including your own, will enter this hour with confidence and faith, trusting in the abundant Mercy of God.

Lord, I offer You my last hour in this life and pray for all those who will face this moment today. May it be a sweet hour in which we are surrounded by Your angels and saints. May we especially receive the consolation of knowing the prayers of Your dear Mother at this moment. Mother Mary, pray for us, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Jesus, I trust in You.

29-DEC-'24, Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Lectionary: 17

Reading I

Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14

God sets a father in honor over his children;

    a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons.

Whoever honors his father atones for sins,

    and preserves himself from them.

When he prays, he is heard;

    he stores up riches who reveres his mother.

Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,

    and, when he prays, is heard.

Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;

    he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.

My son, take care of your father when he is old;

    grieve him not as long as he lives.

Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him;

    revile him not all the days of his life;

kindness to a father will not be forgotten,

    firmly planted against the debt of your sins

    —a house raised in justice to you.

OR:

1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28

In those days Hannah conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son

whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.

The next time her husband Elkanah was going up

with the rest of his household

to offer the customary sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vows,

Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband,

“Once the child is weaned,

I will take him to appear before the LORD

and to remain there forever;

I will offer him as a perpetual nazirite.”

Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him up with her,

along with a three-year-old bull,

an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,

and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.

After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,

Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:

“Pardon, my lord!

As you live, my lord,

I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.

I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.

Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;

as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”

Hannah left Samuel there.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5.

R. (cf. 1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,

   who walks in his ways!

For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;

   blessed shall you be, and favored.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine

   in the recesses of your home;

your children like olive plants

   around your table.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Behold, thus is the man blessed

   who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion:

   may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

   all the days of your life.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

OR:

Psalm 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10.

R. (cf. 5a) Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!

    My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD.

My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

Happy they who dwell in your house!

    Continually they praise you.

Happy the men whose strength you are!

    Their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage.

R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

O LORD of hosts, hear our prayer;

    hearken, O God of Jacob!

O God, behold our shield,

    and look upon the face of your anointed.

R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

Reading II

Colossians 3:12-21 or 3:12-17

Brothers and sisters:

Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,

heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

bearing with one another and forgiving one another, 

if one has a grievance against another; 

as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

And over all these put on love, 

that is, the bond of perfection.

And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, 

the peace into which you were also called in one body.

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, 

as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, 

singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs 

with gratitude in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do, in word or in deed, 

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks to God the Father through him.  

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, 

as is proper in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives, 

and avoid any bitterness toward them.

Children, obey your parents in everything, 

for this is pleasing to the Lord.

Fathers, do not provoke your children, 

so they may not become discouraged.

OR:

Brothers and sisters:

Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,

heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

bearing with one another and forgiving one another, 

if one has a grievance against another; 

as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

And over all these put on love, 

that is, the bond of perfection.

And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, 

the peace into which you were also called in one body.

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, 

as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, 

singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs 

with gratitude in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do, in word or in deed, 

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks to God the Father through him.  

OR:

1 John 3:1-2, 21-24

Beloved:

See what love the Father has bestowed on us

that we may be called the children of God.

And so we are.

The reason the world does not know us

is that it did not know him.

Beloved, we are God’s children now;

what we shall be has not yet been revealed.

We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,

for we shall see him as he is.

Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,

we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask,

because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

And his commandment is this:

we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,

and love one another just as he commanded us.

Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,

and the way we know that he remains in us

is from the Spirit he gave us.

Alleluia

Colossians 3:15a, 16a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Let the peace of Christ control your hearts;

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

OR:

Cf. Acts 16:14b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Open our hearts, O Lord,

to listen to the words of your Son.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Luke 2:41-52

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast

of Passover, 

and when he was twelve years old, 

they went up according to festival custom.

After they had completed its days, as they were returning, 

the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, 

but his parents did not know it.

Thinking that he was in the caravan,

they journeyed for a day

and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 

but not finding him,

they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.

After three days they found him in the temple, 

sitting in the midst of the teachers, 

listening to them and asking them questions, 

and all who heard him were astounded 

at his understanding and his answers.

When his parents saw him,

they were astonished, 

and his mother said to him, 

“Son, why have you done this to us?

Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”

And he said to them,

“Why were you looking for me?

Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

But they did not understand what he said to them.

He went down with them and came to Nazareth,

and was obedient to them; 

and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor

before God and man.

Reflection 1

Catholic Daily Reflections 

The Family as a Communion of Love

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. Luke 2:39–40 (Gospel Year B)

Today we honor family life in general by pausing to ponder the particular and beautiful hidden life within the home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In many ways, their daily life together would have been very similar to other families at that time. But in other ways, their life together is entirely unique and provides us with a perfect model for all families.

By God’s providence and design, the family life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph was spoken of in the Scripture very little. We read of the birth of Jesus, the presentation in the Temple, the flight into Egypt and the finding of Jesus in the Temple at age twelve. But other than these stories of their life together, we know very little.

The line from today’s Gospel quoted above does, however, give us some insight worth pondering. First, we see that this family “fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord…” Though this is in reference to Jesus being presented in the Temple, it should also be understood to apply to all aspects of their life together. Family life, just like our individual lives, must be ordered by the laws of our Lord.

The primary law of the Lord regarding family life is that it must share in the very unity and “communion of love” found in the life of the Most Holy Trinity. Each person of the Holy Trinity has perfect respect for the other, gives selflessly to each other without reserve, and receives each person in their totality. It is their love that makes them one and enables them to act together in perfect harmony as a communion of divine Persons. Though Saint Joseph was not immaculate in his nature, the perfection of love did live in his divine Son and in his immaculate wife. This overwhelming gift of their perfect love would have daily drawn him into the perfection of their lives.

Ponder your own closest relationships today. If you are blessed with a close family, ponder them. If not, ponder the persons put into your life who you are called to love with familial love. Who are you to be there for in good times and in bad? Who are you to sacrifice your life for without reserve? Who are you to offer respect, compassion, time, energy, mercy, generosity and every other virtue? And how well do you fulfill this duty of love?

Reflect, today, upon the fact that God wants you to share in a communion of life, not only with the Most Holy Trinity but also with those around you, especially your family. Try to ponder the hidden life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and seek to make their family relationship the model for how you love others. May their perfect communion of love be a model for us all.

Reflection 2

One Bread, One Body 

FROM SEPARATION TO AMAZEMENT

“All who heard Him were amazed.” —Luke 2:47

On the third day after being separated from the twelve-year-old Jesus, the Blessed Mother Mary and St. Joseph found Jesus at the Temple (Lk 2:46). Mary received her Son back into her care for another eighteen years. She and Joseph were among those amazed at Jesus’ answers (Lk 2:47). Mary treasured all of this in her heart (Lk 2:51). 

After occasional separation from her Son during the course of His three-year public ministry, Mary also found Jesus on Mount Calvary, hanging in agony on a cross. She received Him back after He was taken down from the cross (Jn 19:25). Surely she looked at her divine Son and was “amazed at” His humility and love, “so marred was His look beyond that of man” (Is 52:14). After another separation from Jesus when He was buried in the tomb, Mary received her risen Son back on the third day. Scripture does not record the risen Jesus appearing to His mother. However, many saints, mystics, and holy visionaries have written that Jesus appeared to His mother after rising from the dead. As at the Temple twenty-one years previously, the Blessed Mother must have been amazed at Jesus’ answers about His account of His Resurrection.

Today’s feast of the Holy Family is an encouragement for all families, even the most wounded and broken ones. The Holy Family experienced separation, persecution, grief, and death. Yet they focused on faith, hope, and love, and endured all things (see 1 Cor 13:7). Put your family in the hands of the Holy Family. Be amazed at what the Lord will do with and through your family.

Prayer: Father, make many holy families who love and forgive.

Promise: “Those who keep His commandments remain in Him and He in them.” —1 Jn 3:24

Praise: Praise Jesus, Son of the living God! Praise God our “Father from Whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name” (Eph 3:14-15).

Reflection 3

Shared from Daily Liturgy

The Christian family is considered a mini-Church. It is in the family that children are introduced to live with others, accepting, caring, loving, understanding, tolerating, and forgiving each other. As they begin to know and love their earthly parents, they need to be introduced to know and love their heavenly Father, the creator. Together with the academic studies which widen their world of knowledge, they need to grow in the fear of the Lord which is the true wisdom. Mary and Joseph taught their child obedience to and love for God. His parents also set an example before the child by honouring and being obedient to God. Even today we see some extraordinarily talented children and we feel stunned observing them. The hard work of the parents behind this is remarkable. As we train our children to compete with the standards of the world, let us also train them to compete for the Kingdom of God. 

Prayers

Lord, draw me into the life, love and communion that You lived with Your Immaculate Mother and Saint Joseph. I offer You myself, my family and all those to whom I am called to love with a special love. May I imitate Your family love and life in all my relationships. Help me to know how to change and grow so that I may more fully share in Your family life. Jesus, I trust in You.

Lord Jesus, you came to restore us to peace and friendship with the Father in heaven. Where there is division, bring healing and restoration. Where there is strife bring peace and forgiveness. May all families and nations on the earth find peace, harmony, and unity in you, the Prince of Peace and Savior of the world.

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 363: Hearing God Speak

Imagine you were in a crowded room with much noise and someone whispered to you from across the room. You may notice them trying to speak but it would be difficult to hear. This is much like the Voice of God. When God speaks, He whispers. He speaks gently and quietly and only those who are truly recollected throughout the day will notice His Voice and hear what He says. The Lord wants us to eliminate the many distractions of our day, the constant noise of the world and all that drowns out His gentle command of love. Seek to be recollected, silencing the noise of the world, and the Lord’s gentle Voice will become crystal clear (See Diary #1779).

Do you hear God speak to you? If not, what is it that distracts you and competes for your attention? Look into your heart and know that the gentle Voice of God speaks to you day and night. Try to be absolutely attentive to His Voice of perfect love, and follow all that He asks. Ponder His Voice not only today, but always. Build a habit of attentiveness so that you will never miss a word that He says.

Lord, I love You with a burning love and desire to hear You speak to me always. Help me to eliminate the many distractions of life so that nothing will ever compete with Your gentle Voice. Jesus, I trust in You.

28-DEC-'24, Feast of the Holy Innocents

Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

Lectionary: 698

Reading 1

1 John 1:5—2:2

Beloved:

This is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christ

and proclaim to you:

God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.

If we say, "We have fellowship with him,"

while we continue to walk in darkness,

we lie and do not act in truth.

But if we walk in the light as he is in the light,

then we have fellowship with one another,

and the Blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

If we say, "We are without sin,"

we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just

and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.

If we say, "We have not sinned," we make him a liar,

and his word is not in us.

My children, I am writing this to you

so that you may not commit sin.

But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,

Jesus Christ the righteous one.

He is expiation for our sins,

and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8

R. (7) Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.

Had not the LORD been with us—

When men rose up against us,

then would they have swallowed us alive,

When their fury was inflamed against us.

R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.

Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;

The torrent would have swept over us;

over us then would have swept the raging waters.

R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.

Broken was the snare,

and we were freed.

Our help is in the name of the LORD,

who made heaven and earth.

R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

We praise you, O God,

we acclaim you as Lord;

the white robed army of martyrs praise you.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 2:13-18

When the magi had departed, behold,

the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,

"Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,

and stay there until I tell you.

Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."

Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night

and departed for Egypt.

He stayed there until the death of Herod,

that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,

Out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,

he became furious.

He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity

two years old and under,

in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.

Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:

A voice was heard in Ramah,

sobbing and loud lamentation;

Rachel weeping for her children,

and she would not be consoled,

since they were no more.

Reflection 1

Catholic Daily Reflections 

Courage in the Face of Evil

When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Matthew 2:13

The most glorious event ever to take place in our world also filled some with hatred and rage. Herod, who was jealous of his own earthly power, felt greatly threatened by the message shared with him by the Magi. And when the Magi failed to return to Herod to tell him where the Newborn King was located, Herod did the unthinkable. He ordered the slaughter of every boy, two years old and younger, who was in Bethlehem and its vicinity.

Such an act is hard to comprehend. How could the soldiers carry out such an evil plot? Imagine the deep mourning and devastation so many families encountered as a result. How could a civil ruler murder so many innocent children.

Of course, in our day and age, so many civil leaders continue to support the barbaric practice of permitting the slaughter of the innocent within the womb. Thus, in many ways, Herod’s action is not that different from today.

The passage above reveals to us the will of the Father regarding not only the protection of His divine Son but also His divine will for the protection and sanctity of all human life. It was satan who inspired Herod to kill those precious and innocent children so long ago, and it is satan who continues to promote a culture of death and destruction today. What should our response be? We, like Saint Joseph, must see it as our solemn duty to protect the most innocent and vulnerable with unwavering determination. Though this newborn Child was God, and though the Father in Heaven could have protected His Son with a myriad of angels, it was the Father’s will that a man, Saint Joseph, protect His Son. For that reason, we should also hear the Father calling each and every one of us to do all we can to protect the innocent and most vulnerable, especially the child within the womb.

Reflect, today, upon the will of God for your life. In what ways is God calling you to be like Saint Joseph and protect the most innocent and most vulnerable? How are you being called to be a guardian of those entrusted to your care? Certainly on a civil level we must all work to protect the lives of those who are unborn. But every parent, grandparent and all those entrusted with responsibility for another must strive to protect those in their care in countless other ways. We must diligently work to preserve them from the evils in our world and the numerous attacks of the evil one on their lives. Ponder this question today and allow the Lord to speak to you of your duty to imitate the great protector, Saint Joseph.

Reflection 2

One Bread, One Body 

CONFORMED TO CHRIST

Herod “ordered the massacre of all the boys two years old and under in Bethlehem.” —Matthew 2:16

Each baby boy killed that morning over two-thousand years ago in Bethlehem died because he was mistaken for Jesus. The soldiers who killed the Holy Innocents in Bethlehem thought they were killing Christ, or someone who could be Jesus. To the killers, the children were indistinguishable from Christ.

The child-martyrs we call the Holy Innocents are thus a model to us. We are to bear the light of Christ in our lives to such an extent that Jesus will call us “the light of the world” (Mt 5:14). May our lives be conformed to such an astonishing likeness to Jesus (see Rm 8:29, RSV-CE) that the world, in a sense, might confuse us for Christ. This makes us a threat to the world just as Jesus was, and so we risk being persecuted (see 2 Tm 3:12). But “blest are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of slander against you because of” Jesus (Mt 5:11).

“I beg you through the mercy of God to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God’s will, what is good, pleasing and perfect” (Rm 12:1-2). May we, like the Holy Innocents, be “conformed to His death” (Phil 3:10, RNAB) and thus “conform with His glorified body” (Phil 3:21, RNAB). Let us likewise have such childlike innocence that we too are indistinguishable from Jesus.

Prayer: Father, mold me and fashion me into the image of Jesus.

Promise: “Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” —Ps 124:8

Praise: The deaths of the Holy Innocents were not in vain. In God’s mysterious plan, their short lives and tragic deaths continue to bear fruit.

Reflection 3

Shared from Daily Liturgy

In today’s Gospel we see how God protects Jesus when Herod brutally massacred the children of his age. Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ solidarity with Israel. Leaving all that they had in their home town, they had to live like refugees in Egypt. The Son of God had experienced the miserable life of a refugee family: no identity, but poverty, anxious about future, ill-treatment, vulnerability, slavery, injustice and so on. For Joseph and Mary, life with the Son of God was not easy. They endured everything because of the living presence of the “Emmanuel.” Rachel weeps for her descendants in Ramah, where she is buried, because they are taken into exile from there. God heard her cry. A saviour like Moses is born to save her children. Our sufferings are the visible signs of “Emmanuel” in our lives.           

Prayers

Lord, give me insight, wisdom and strength so that I can work in accord with Your will to protect the most innocent from the evils of this world. May I never cower in the face of evil, and may I always fulfill my duty to protect those entrusted to my care. Saint Joseph, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

Lord Jesus, you gave your life for my sake, to redeem me from slavery to sin and death. Help me to carry my cross with joy that I may willingly do your will and not shrink back out of fear or cowardice when trouble besets me.

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 362: Two Hearts of Mercy

Jesus’ Heart is pure Mercy. It’s a fountain of grace pouring out upon the world. This is consoling but there is another heart that must also become a fountain of Mercy, and that is yours. You must become so immersed in the Mercy of the Lord that your heart bursts forth with rivers of grace for others. This is especially how God touches those souls who are lost and do not pray. By you going to them, loving them with great devotion and lavishing the Mercy of God upon them, their hearts meet the Lord’s (See Diary #1777).

Reflect upon your call to be the very Heart of Christ to others. His Heart must beat in yours and His Mercy must become yours. This takes total surrender and requires much personal sacrifice. But if you can allow our Lord to flood your heart with His Mercy, the overflow from your heart will affect countless others.

Lord, please make my heart Your Heart. I give it to You dear Lord to use in this world to touch many lives. May I so humble myself before You that a flood of Mercy flows through me to touch the lives of many. I love You dear Lord, help me to love all Your children with a burning love. Jesus, I trust in You.

27-DEC-'24, Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist

Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist

Lectionary: 697

Reading 1

1 John 1:1-4

Beloved:

What was from the beginning,

what we have heard,

what we have seen with our eyes,

what we looked upon

and touched with our hands

concerns the Word of life —

for the life was made visible;

we have seen it and testify to it

and proclaim to you the eternal life

that was with the Father and was made visible to us—

what we have seen and heard

we proclaim now to you,

so that you too may have fellowship with us;

for our fellowship is with the Father

and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12

R. (12) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;

let the many isles be glad.

Clouds and darkness are around him,

justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,

before the LORD of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim his justice,

and all peoples see his glory.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Light dawns for the just;

and gladness, for the upright of heart.

Be glad in the LORD, you just,

and give thanks to his holy name.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Alleluia See

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

We praise you, O God,

we acclaim you as Lord;

the glorious company of Apostles praise you.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

John 20:1a and 2-8

On the first day of the week,

Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter

and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,

"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,

and we do not know where they put him."

So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.

They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter

and arrived at the tomb first;

he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.

When Simon Peter arrived after him,

he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,

and the cloth that had covered his head,

not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.

Then the other disciple also went in,

the one who had arrived at the tomb first,

and he saw and believed.

Reflection 1

Catholic Daily Reflections 

The Beloved Disciple

On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. John 20:1–3

It’s interesting that Saint John refers to himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved.” Of course, Jesus loved all people. He loved all of the disciples. But in John’s Gospel, this unique title of the beloved disciple is given to John.

Saint John the Apostle may be understood as this beloved disciple for many reasons. First, recall the special closeness and affection John shows Jesus at the Last Supper when John reclined next to Him. Recall, also, that it was John alone who stood at the foot of the Cross with Jesus’ mother and that Jesus entrusted His mother to John and John to His mother. And note in the passage above that it was John who first ran to the empty tomb as soon as Mary Magdalene revealed her discovery to him. Furthermore, many scholars believe John to be the youngest disciple. And as a younger disciple, he may have received special fatherly-like attention from our Lord.

However, John may also be understood as the beloved disciple for another reason. Simply put, this is how John saw himself as he wrote his Gospel account. John may have done so because telling the story of Jesus’ life was deeply personal to him. His own love and affection for his Lord was the central and most consuming passion of his soul. And it appears that as John speaks of Jesus, and of his own encounters with Jesus, John was compelled to prayerfully ponder the holy and spiritual love that Jesus had for him. Thus, it appears that John could not speak of his encounters with our Lord without also identifying the divine love that united them. It’s as if every time his Gospel story spoke of an encounter he had with Jesus, John was overwhelmed by the simple fact that Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, knew him and loved him personally. And so he was compelled to state that fact over and over.

In this case, it’s quite beautiful, on a spiritual level, to ponder John’s soul. He was clearly a man who was deeply touched by God in the Person of Jesus. And after Jesus ascended into Heaven, it appears that John’s holy love for Jesus only grew. As he went forth as an Apostle, preaching about the salvation that comes through his Savior and dear friend, he clearly grew closer to our Lord day by day. When John wrote his Gospel toward the end of his life, his heart was clearly aflame with divine love as he was intensely looking forward to being fully united with his Lord in Heaven.

As we honor this unique and holy Apostle, reflect, today, upon the simple truth that you are also invited to share in the holy and intimate love shared by Jesus and Saint John. Ponder the fact that our Lord also loves you with perfect charity, intimacy and totality. If you can gaze upon the love in the heart of this beloved disciple, then you, too, can share in that love and become a beloved disciple yourself.

Reflection 2

One Bread, One Body 

WHY EVANGELIZE?

“...so that you may share life with us.” —1 John 1:3

One would think St. John the Apostle shared his Gospel so that his hearers would believe in Jesus the Messiah. After all, he testified that this was why he wrote his Gospel (Jn 20:31). Yet John also writes that he testifies to Jesus so that his readers might share fellowship with his own community. The members of John’s community share fellowship with God the Father and God the Son (1 Jn 1:3). Knowing that his readers could experience such communal fellowship would make John’s joy complete (1 Jn 1:4).

This is God’s viewpoint. God greatly desires to have fellowship with us, even to the point of inviting us to share eternal life with Him (Jn 3:16). Jesus spread the Gospel to many, all the while greatly desiring to share the table fellowship of the Eucharistic meal with us (Lk 22:15).

As good as it is to spread the Gospel, it’s also good to want others to share life and fellowship with us (Acts 2:42; 1 Jn 1:3). St. John the Apostle learned this lesson personally. John didn’t want to share fellowship with Samaritans (Lk 9:52-54); he wanted to incinerate them! Jesus corrected him immediately (Lk 9:55). After Pentecost, John actually went to Samaria to pray with these same Samaritans so they could receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17).

We also need to learn John’s lesson. Are there people whom you would like to become believers, but only if they keep their distance from you? Ask the Lord for the grace to love these people as He does.

Prayer: Father, purify my motives so that I may spread Your Good News in the same manner as St. John did.

Promise: “He saw and believed.” —Jn 20:8

Praise: St. John wrote: “God is Love” (1 Jn 4:8, 16).

Reflection 3

Shared from Daily Liturgy

The titles used for John are: the beloved disciple, the disciple whom Jesus loved, and the one who was reclining next to Jesus. There is a special bond between Jesus and this beloved disciple. It is through him that Peter was trying to know the mind of Jesus about the betrayer. Since he is the beloved of Jesus and vice versa, we see him even at the passion and at the foot of the cross. Jesus replaced his absence in the family with his beloved disciple and entrusted his beloved mother to him. He saw the empty tomb and believed at the prediction of Jesus that he would be risen. At the Tiberias appearance, it is this beloved disciple who recognizes Jesus. His deep love for Jesus sticks him close to Jesus always. Am I ready to run for the sake of my faith?   

Prayers

My beloved Lord, the love You bestowed upon the disciple John was perfect in every way. After Your ascension into Heaven, You continued to deepen Your relationship with him, drawing him ever closer to Your Sacred Heart. Please pour forth upon me that same love and draw me into Your Heart so that I, too, will become Your beloved disciple. Saint John, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.

Lord Jesus Christ, you have triumphed over the grave and you have won new life for us. Give me the eyes of faith to see you in your glory. Help me to draw near to you and to grow in the knowledge of your great love and power that sets us free to love and serve you now and forever in your everlasting kingdom.

Prayers

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 361: Sacrifice and Prayer

Though this may be hard to understand and to believe, interior sacrifice united with pure prayer does incredible good for the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the world. In fact, if missionaries did not have the power of holy souls who offered daily interior sacrifices and prayers, their efforts would have little effect. The grace of God is what moves people and this grace is especially won through souls whose sacrifices are: silent, hidden, permeated with love and imbued with prayer. (See Diary #1767).

Reflect upon the fact that you have so very much to offer for the upbuilding of the Kingdom of God through your personal and interior sacrifices. By choosing those things that are difficult, and even repulsive to your feelings, you are able to offer powerful intercession for the good of the Church. There is an incredible amount of spiritual power in this kind of sacrifice. God chooses some special souls to offer this sacrifice in a profound way, but everyone must strive to do so. Reflect upon the opportunities you have right now to embrace some interior struggle. By embracing it and offering it to God, you transform this suffering into grace that prayer and work alone could never achieve.

Lord, help me to understand the power of my interior sacrifices. Help me to know that choosing You and embracing my sufferings for You becomes a powerful source of grace in this world. When this confuses me, dear Lord, help me to put my eyes on You and to know Your most holy Will. Jesus, I trust in You.

26-DEC-'24, Feast of Saint Stephen

Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr

Lectionary: 696

Reading 1

Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59

Stephen, filled with grace and power,

was working great wonders and signs among the people.

Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,

Cyrenians, and Alexandrians,

and people from Cilicia and Asia,

came forward and debated with Stephen,

but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke.

When they heard this, they were infuriated,

and they ground their teeth at him.

But he, filled with the Holy Spirit,

looked up intently to heaven

and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

and he said,

"Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man

standing at the right hand of God."

But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears,

and rushed upon him together.

They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.

The witnesses laid down their cloaks

at the feet of a young man named Saul.

As they were stoning Stephen, he called out

"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 31:3cd-4, 6 and 8ab, 16bc and 17

R. (6) Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

Be my rock of refuge,

a stronghold to give me safety.

You are my rock and my fortress;

for your name's sake you will lead and guide me.

R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

Into your hands I commend my spirit;

you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.

I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy.

R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

Rescue me from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors.

Let your face shine upon your servant;

save me in your kindness.

R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

Alleluia

Psalm 118:26a, 27a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD:

the LORD is God and has given us light.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 10:17-22

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts

and scourge you in their synagogues,

and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake

as a witness before them and the pagans.

When they hand you over,

do not worry about how you are to speak

or what you are to say.

You will be given at that moment what you are to say.

For it will not be you who speak

but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Brother will hand over brother to death,

and the father his child;

children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.

You will be hated by all because of my name,

but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”

Reflection 1

Catholic Daily Reflections 

God’s Promised Inspiration

“When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:19–20

These words of our Lord came to fruition in the life of Saint Stephen, the Church’s first martyr. Saint Stephen was martyred within a couple of years after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven. He was one of seven deacons who the Apostles appointed to assist them in their work of caring for the poor as the Church began to grow.

Stephen was a man of deep faith and was filled with the Holy Spirit. After he was appointed deacon, he began to preach with boldness. Among his listeners were members of the synagogue of Hellenistic Jews. Stephen debated them vigorously and proved himself to be full of wisdom and power, performing many signs and wonders in their midst. But this only led his listeners to become outraged to the point of seeking his death. As a result, they made false claims that Stephen was preaching against the Temple and the Law of Moses.

In the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 7:2–53), Stephen responded by giving a long and detailed speech by which he explained the full truth of Jesus in light of the Old Testament. Stephen concluded by saying, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors.” This infuriated his listeners in the synagogue even more. After this, something truly miraculous happened. Stephen had a vision. He looked up to Heaven and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” He saw his Lord, standing at the right hand of the Father. And it was his proclamation of this vision that finally drove the infuriated crowd to drag him out of the synagogue and city and to stone him to death. Stephen’s story, however, ended in a beautiful and inspired way. As the crowd was stoning him, he spoke two powerful statements. First, he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And then he prayed in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

As mentioned above, the words our Lord speaks in the Gospel today came to fruition in the life of Saint Stephen. First of all, we see that Jesus’ prediction that some of His followers would be handed over to deaths by their own kinsmen came true in the life of Saint Stephen. But Jesus also promised that when this would happen, “You will be given at that moment what you are to say.” And it will be the Spirit of the Father “speaking through you.” And that’s exactly what happened with Saint Stephen. First, he was given a glorious vision of Heaven. Second, he was inspired to fully surrender his spirit over to Jesus. And third, he was inspired to pray for his persecutors and forgive them. These words and actions did not come from Stephen alone. They were the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that when one is persecuted for the sake of the Gospel, the Father will be especially present and give powerful inspiration at the moment of need.

Reflect, today, upon the profound truth that God never abandons us. In fact, when we suffer the most or endure persecution, rejection or any form of mistreatment, God is especially present. Look at your own life and consider those moments that you find most challenging. Pray to Saint Stephen and ask him to pray for you so that you will be open to the inspired words and actions of our Lord when you need them the most.

Reflection 2

One Bread, One Body 

IN THE SPIRIT OF STEPHEN

“They proved no match for the wisdom and spirit with which [Stephen] spoke.” —Acts 6:10

St. Stephen was the first Christian martyr. He “was a man filled with grace and power, who worked great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). His ministry was that of a deacon ordained to distribute daily food supplies to the Jewish widows of Greek ancestry (Acts 6:1). Stephen and six other deacons were appointed to this task so that the apostles could “concentrate on prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). Stephen did carry out his food distribution ministry. In addition, through the Holy Spirit, he also ministered so powerfully in evangelization, signs, and wonders that the enemies of the Church killed Stephen even before the Twelve Apostles.

Jesus warned His disciples and apostles of this coming persecution (Mt 10:16-18). Yet persecution leads to the spread of the Gospel rather than its suppression. The world cannot chain the Word of God (2 Tm 2:9), no matter how hard it tries to suppress or persecute Jesus’ witnesses. “The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians” and of the Church (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 852). Accordingly, Saul, the persecutor of the Church, who witnessed the martyrdom of Stephen, was transformed into a preacher of the faith he tried to destroy (Gal 1:23). Therefore, be a Stephen. Speak up for Jesus. The Lord says to you: “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking and do not be silenced, for I am with you” (Acts 18:9-10).

Prayer: “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim Your praise” (Ps 51:17).

Promise: “For Your name’s sake You will lead and guide me.” —Ps 31:4

Praise: St. Stephen accepted the grace to forgive his murderers and saw Jesus in heaven before his earthly life ended.

Reflection 3

Shared from Daily Liturgy

The next day of the birth of Jesus, the Church keeps the feast of Saint Stephen, who became the first martyr. This reminds us that if one wants to follow Jesus, s/he should be willing and ready to embrace all kinds of persecutions, even death. Stephen was a man “full of grace and power” and he continued the works of the Lord. Saul, in whose presence Stephen was killed, felt that he was doing the will of God by protecting the old Law. The old wineskin could not contain the new wine. However, later, when he received the grace and power of the risen Lord, he was able to hold the new wine in the new wineskin. This transformation helped him to become a powerful emissary for the Lord. Witness of life is more powerful than words.        

Reflection 4

The Servants of the Word

The One Who Endures to the End Will Be Saved

What is the connection between Bethlehem and Calvary - the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and his passion and death on a cross? The very reason the Son of God took on flesh and became a man for our sake was to redeem us from slavery to sin and death and to give us new life as the adopted children of God. The way to glory in the kingdom of God is through the cross. If we want to share in Jesus' glory, then we, too, must take up our cross each day and follow in his footsteps.

The cost of following and serving the Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they followed him. Here Jesus says to his disciples: This is my task for you at its grimmest and worst; do you accept it? This is not the world's way of offering a job. After the defeat at Dunkirk during World War II, Churchill offered his country "blood, toil, sweat, and tears." Suffering for the name of Christ is not the message we prefer to hear when the Lord commissions us in his service. Nonetheless, our privilege is to follow in the footsteps of the Master who laid down his life for us. The Lord gives us sufficient grace to follow him and to bear our cross with courage and hope. Do you know the joy and victory of the cross of Jesus Christ?

Prayers

Most glorious Saint Stephen, please pray for me. Pray for me especially when I experience the heaviest crosses in my life. Pray that I, like you, will be open to God’s inspiration and grace at those times I need it the most. St. Stephen, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

Lord Jesus, your coming in the flesh to ransom us from slavery to sin gives us cause for great rejoicing even in the midst of trials and pain. Help me to patiently and joyfully accept the hardships, adversities, and persecution which come my way in serving you. Strengthen my faith and give me courage that I may not shrink back from doing your will.

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 360: Spiritual Battle

The tempter, satan, is real, but he is no one to fear. You should pay no attention to him. You should not engage his ideas. You should not bargain with him. In the face of temptations you should have courage, trust in the Mercy of God, and hope. Do not become curious about the sins of others, do not talk about them, do not be upset when mistreated, and do not complain. Seek wise counsel from others when confused and listen to their advice, as long as it leaves you at peace and is from the Lord. Have strong convictions and do not worry about the battles of this world. Keep your mind and heart on Jesus and let Him defend you (See Diary #1760).

When you feel the oppression of the evil one, how do you react? Do you allow your feelings to take over and enter into anger, despair and doubt? When a spiritual battle rages within, there is one defense. Put your eyes on Jesus and not on the temptations or evils. Seek out His peace and remain sheltered in His Mercy. Reflect upon how well you do this. If you struggle, then resolve to pray, pray and pray some more.

Lord, You and You alone can fight off the temptations of the evil one. Give me the grace to keep my eyes on You and to trust in Your abundant Mercy. Give me Your peace in times of adversity and courage to face all that I may endure. Jesus, I trust in You.