Daily Readings for December 18, 2015

1ST READING

What does it mean to be righteous? It means living one’s life according to what is right. The Hebrew word tzadik means “righteous one.” This is the sort of person the Jews looked to for guidance and leadership, whether spiritual or political. In other words, a leader’s first goals should be to become righteous and worthy of imitation. If a leader’s example of living cannot be followed, then he or she has no right to be a leader at all.

Jeremiah 23:5-8

5 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him: “The Lord our justice.” 7 Therefore, the days will come, says the Lord, when they shall no longer say, “As the Lord lives, who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt”; 8 but rather, “As the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of the house of Israel up from the land of the north” — and from all the lands to which I banished them; they shall again live on their own land.

P S A L M

Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19

R: Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.

1 O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; 2 He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. (R) 12 For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. 13 He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. (R) 18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous deeds. 19 And blessed forever be his glorious name; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. (R)

GOSPEL

Joseph is a righteous man who does not want to cause Mary any more trouble than she already has. It is impossible to believe that Joseph fully understood all that had happened to Mary. But he is also a merciful man given his particular situation. Let us be inspired by Joseph’s response and follow his virtuous example.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

O Leader of the House of Israel, giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai: come to rescue us with your mighty power!

Matthew 1:18-25

18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. 20 Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. 21 She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. 25 He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.

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Daily Readings for December 17, 2015

1ST READING

We do not choose God so much as he chooses us! The priorities and principles that we might have in place to choose leaders may not be the same that God has in his mind. When God chooses someone we will not necessarily be able to make sense of that choice. However, this should not stop us from respecting the leaders we have in our Church - they like us are all imperfect and so will not always do the right thing. One of the constant challenges in life is working with our own imperfect responses to God’s call and also the imperfect responses of others. Let us seek not to judge others but to simply do our best to respond to God’s call as we hear it each and every day. Lord Jesus, grant me a mind and heart to understand your call on my life - may I always do my best to follow where you lead.

Genesis 49:2, 8-10

2 Jacob called his sons and said to them: “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father. 8 “You, Judah, shall your brothers praise — your hand on the neck of your enemies; the sons of your father shall bow down to you. 9 Judah, like a lion’s whelp, you have grown up on prey, my son. He crouches like a lion recumbent, the king of beasts — who would dare rouse him? 10 The scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between his legs, while tribute is brought to him, and he receives the peoples’ homage.

P S A L M

Psalm 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8, 17

R: Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.

1 O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son. 2 He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. (R) 3 The mountains shall yield peace for the people, and the hills justice. 4 He shall defend the afflicted among the people, save the children of the poor. (R) 7 Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. 8 May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. (R) 17 May his name be blessed forever; as long as the sun his name shall remain. In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed; all the nations shall proclaim his happiness. (R)

GOSPEL

Matthew traces the genealogy of Jesus back to Abraham. This shows that Jesus is like Abraham, the father of all the living, only this refers to all men and women who place their faith in the truth of the Gospel. Our challenge is to study the character of Abraham and understand him from a Christian perspective.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge!

Matthew 1:1-17

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4 Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, 6 Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. 7 Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. 8 Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. 9 Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. 11 Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. 12 After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, 15 Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. 17 Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the  Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, fourteen generations.

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Daily Readings for December 16, 2015

1ST READING

One of the greatest challenges that we face in life is to live with integrity. It is easier to know what is good and right than to live it. As Christians, we must always demonstrate our commitment to the Gospel and to the truth. Let us pray that we will always live with integrity. Only then will our words have the power to influence the debates that occur in modern society.

Isaiah 45:6-8, 18, 21-25

6 I am the Lord, there is no other; 7 I form the light, and create the darkness, I make well-being and create woe; I, the Lord, do all these things. 8 Let justice descend, O heavens, like dew from above, like gentle rain let the skies drop it down. Let the earth open and salvation bud forth; let justice also spring up! I, the Lord, have created this. 18 For thus says the Lord, the creator of the heavens, who is God, the designer and maker of the earth who established it, not creating it to be a waste, but designing it to be lived in: I am the Lord, and there is no other. 21 Who announced this from the beginning and foretold it from of old? Was it not I, the Lord, besides whom there is no other God? There is no just and saving God but me. 22 Turn to me and be safe, all you ends of the earth, for I am God; there is no other! 23 By myself I swear, uttering my just decree and my unalterable word: To me every knee shall bend; by me every tongue shall swear, 24 saying, “Only in the Lord are just deeds and power. Before him in shame shall come all who vent their anger against him. 25 In the Lord shall be the vindication and the glory of all the descendants of Israel.”

P S A L M

Psalm 85:9, 10, 11-12, 13-14

R: Let the clouds rain down the just one, and the earth bring forth a Savior.

8 [9] I will hear what God proclaims; the Lord — for he proclaims peace to his people. 9 [10] Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him, glory dwelling in our land. (R) 10 [11] Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. 11 [12] Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven. (R) 12 [13] The Lord himself will give his benefits; our land shall yield its increase. 13 [14] Justice shall walk before him, and salvation, along the way of his steps. (R)

GOSPEL

Jesus is true to His identity. His testimony is greater than John’s witness. Jesus’ understanding of His identity is based on His belief that He and the Father are one. This is at the heart of our understanding of the Trinity. Since we are destined to spend eternity with the Trinity, it is good for us to know who God is in His essence. Let us unite our will to the will of God and enter into the mystery of communion with and in Him.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Raise your voice and tell the Good News: Behold, the Lord God comes with power.

Luke 7:18-23

18 At that time, John summoned two of his disciples 19 and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” 20 When the men came to the Lord, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’ ” 21 At that time Jesus cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits; he also granted sight to many who were blind. 22 And Jesus said to them in reply, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. 23 And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

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Daily Readings for December 15, 2015

1ST READING

The cities of the world are rebellious and polluted by sin. No one is exempt from the condemnation of Zephaniah. Everyone is a recipient of the promise of salvation and purification, but only if they surrender to the Lord’s grace available through repentance and conversion. This is the message that God has proclaimed to all generations and remains the same today. We all need the redeeming grace of God.

Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13

1 Thus says the Lord: Woe to the city, rebellious and polluted, to the tyrannical city! 2 She hears no voice, accepts no correction; in the Lord she has not trusted, to her God she has not drawn near. 9 For then I will change and purify the lips of the peoples, that they all may call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one accord; 10 from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia and as far as the recesses of the North, they shall bring me offerings. 11 On that day you need not be ashamed of all your deeds, your rebellious actions against me; for then will I remove from your midst the proud braggarts, and you shall no longer exalt yourself on my holy mountain. 12 But I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord; 13 the remnant of Israel. They shall do no wrong and speak no lies; nor shall there be found in their mouths a deceitful tongue; they shall pasture and couch their flocks with none to disturb them.

P S A L M

Psalm 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19, 23

R: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

1 [2] I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. 2 [3] Let my soul glory in the Lord; the lowly will hear me and be glad. (R) 5 [6] Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. 6 [7] When the poor one called out, the Lord heard, and from all his distress he saved him. (R) 16 [17] The Lord confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. 17 [18] When the just cry out, the Lord hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. (R) 18 [19] The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. 22 [23] The Lord redeems the lives of his servants; no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him. (R)

GOSPEL

The person who does the right thing will be honored over and above the one who says the right thing. Words are easy to come by; actions cost a lot more and require many sacrifices. The sacrifice that Jesus wants from us is to surrender our will to His. He is not asking us to give up the power to make choices, but that we will make them according to God’s will. After all, He has created us and He knows what is the best way for us to be fulfilled.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Come, O Lord, do not delay; forgive the sins of your people.

Matthew 21:28-32

28 Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. 30 The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did his father’s will?” They answered, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before you. 32 When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.”

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Daily Readings for December 14, 2015

1ST READING

Balaam of Beor’s prophecy mentions a star arising from Jacob that will rule the people of Israel. Some of the Fathers of the Church have interpreted this as the star that led the Wise Men to Jesus in His nativity. But the star here refers to the person who is arising from Jacob. This could be a reference to Jesus. Nevertheless, a redemptive figure was expected to rise from the House of Jacob in the future.

Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17

2 When Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe, the spirit of God came upon him, 3 and he gave voice to his oracle: The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eye is true, 4 the utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured, and with eyes unveiled: 5 How goodly are your tents, O Jacob; your encampments, O Israel! 6 They are like gardens beside a stream, like the cedars planted by the Lord. 7 His wells shall yield free-flowing waters, he shall have the sea within reach; his king shall rise higher and his royalty shall be exalted. 15 Then Balaam gave voice to his oracle: The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eye is true, 16 the utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured and with eyes unveiled. 17 I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel.

P S A L M

Psalm 25:4-5, 6- 7, 8-9

R: Teach me your ways, O Lord.

4 Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. (R) 6 Remember that your compassion, O Lord, and your kindness are from of old. 7 In your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O Lord. (R) 8 Good and upright is the Lord; thus he shows sinners the way. 9 He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way. (R)

GOSPEL

We ascribe authority to those who earn it. The days of respecting people who claim to have authority are gone. The Church today has to move on to a more evangelical footing. It has to both proclaim and live the truth. This is the only way that people will listen to what the Church says on issues at hand. Only participative voices will gain the authority to be heard.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Show us, Lord, your love and grant us your salvation.

Matthew 21:23-27

23 When Jesus had come into the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus said to them in reply, “I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Where was John’s baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?” They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd, for they all regard John as a prophet.” 27 So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” He himself said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

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