Daily Readings for January 5, 2018

1ST READING

God is the first to show compassion. As far back as creation, we see compassion as a major aspect of God’s love for us. He banished Adam and Eve from the Garden to ensure that they no longer eat the fruit from the tree of life and death. Having compromised their humanity to sin, God did not want them to be immortalized in this state of sin. He has forgiven us as early as the first sin of Adam and Eve and began to work for our salvation.

1 John 3:11-21

11 Beloved: This is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another, 12 unlike Cain who belonged to the Evil One and slaughtered his brother. Why did he slaughter him? Because his own works were evil, and those of his brother righteous. 13 Do not be amazed, then, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. Whoever does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. 16 The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? 18 Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. 19 Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts before him 20 in whatever our hearts condemn, for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God.

P S A L M

Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 4, 5

R: Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; 2 serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful song. (R) 3 Know that the Lord is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends. (R) 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise; give thanks to him; bless his name. (R) 5 The Lord is good: the Lord, whose kindness endures forever, and his faithfulness, to all generations. (R)

GOSPEL

In today’s Gospel, Jesus also invites Philip and Nathanael to take a look at what the life of a disciple is about. Discipleship is a serious decision to make because we know this entails suffering. It will also make demands on us that may seem unfair. But look at Jesus – was it fair to Him to die on the cross? He chose to suffer for our sake. Let us ask ourselves: How serious am I about following Jesus? Have I thought about the consequences of being His disciple? Am I willing to follow Jesus wherever He leads me?

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

A holy day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, and adore the Lord. Today a great light has come upon the earth.

John 1:43-51

43 Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” 46 But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51 And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Daily Readings for January 4, 2018

1ST READING

Righteousness is possible only by the grace of God working in us. There is nothing we can achieve without the help of God (cf. John 15:6). Let us pray for the grace to always seek His help to live in righteousness and receive the gift of salvation that He gives us through Jesus.

1 John 3:7-10

7 Children, let no one deceive you. The person who acts in righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 Whoever sins belongs to the Devil, because the Devil has sinned from the beginning. Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil. 9 No one who is begotten by God commits sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot sin because he is begotten by God. 10 In this way, the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain; no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God, nor anyone who does not love his brother.

P S A L M

Psalm 98:1, 7-8, 9

R: All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. (R)7 Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell in it; 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy 9 before the Lord. (R) The Lord comes; he comes to rule the earth; He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity. (R)

GOSPEL

Part of discipleship is coming to Jesus and seeing what it means to be His disciple. We must first understand the demands of discipleship before we can follow Jesus. He invites John’s two disciples to take a look at what it means to follow Him. In the Gospels, Jesus explains the meaning of events in terms of discipleship. Are you ready to follow Jesus? Let’s follow Him together.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets: in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.

John 1:35-42

35 John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” 37 The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon. 40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Christ). 42 Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

Daily Readings for January 3, 2018

1ST READING

God knows the difference between holiness and sin. Both are present in us and we must choose on which side we live by. It is a choice with life and death consequences. God is merciful and loving – He is with us as we struggle to be holy. Let us pray for the grace to face this truth and the courage to overcome sin.

1 John 2:29-3:6

29 If you consider that God is righteous, you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness is begotten by him. 3:1 See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 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. 3 Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure. 4 Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him.

P S A L M

Psalm 98:1, 3-4, 5-6

R: All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. (R) 3 All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. 4 Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. (R) 5 Sing praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the Lord. (R)

GOSPEL

In the Gospels, John the Baptist is pictured as a discerning person who knows God’s will for his life. Yet he remained humble in fulfilling his mission. He had the courage to challenge Herod’s immoral marriage despite the conflict and danger to his life. In today’s Gospel, John casts the spotlight on Jesus and downplays his own role in the work of salvation. He chooses God’s will over the human need for acknowledgment.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. To those who accepted him he gave power to become the children of God.

John 1:29-34

29 John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. 30 He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ 31 I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” 32 John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. 33 I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

Daily Readings for January 2, 2018

Memorial of Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and Doctors of the Church

1ST READING

To deny that Jesus Christ is the Messiah is a lie. When it comes to salvation, there is nothing more important than to know through whom it comes from – salvation is given by God the Father through His Son, Jesus. This is a “yes” or “no” issue. Let’s make sure we get it right. But saying “yes” has its consequences. We have to reflect this truth in the way we live.

1 John 2:22-28

22 Beloved: Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son — this is the antichrist. 23 Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life. 26 I write you these things about those who would deceive you. 27 As for you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you, so that you do not need anyone to teach you. But his anointing teaches you about everything that is true and not false; just as it was taught you, remain in him. 28 And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be put to shame by him at his coming.

P S A L M

Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4

R: All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. (R)2 The Lord has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. 3 He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. (R)All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. 4 Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. (R)

GOSPEL

John the Baptist’s role in the work of salvation was to pave the way for Christ’s mission. Today, our role is to make that mission known. We have different roles according to our gifts and talents. We need to discern our role and be faithful to it – this is discipleship. Let us respond to God’s call for us to be His disciples.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

In times past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets: in these last days, he has spoken to us through his Son.

John 1:19-28

19 This is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Christ.” 21 So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” 23 He said: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” 24 Some Pharisees were also sent. 25 They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, 27 the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Daily Readings for January 1, 2018

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God

1ST READING

This passage from the Book of Numbers reminds the Jewish people about complete trust in the Lord. We place our trust on many worldly things — people, systems, money and wealth, fame, and others. However, all these are temporary. Even the people we trust can no longer help us once we face death. Only God spans both this life and the next.

Numbers 6:22-27
22 The Lord said to Moses: 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: 24 The Lord bless you and keep you! 25 The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! 26 The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! 27 So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.”


P S A L M 2

Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8
R: May God bless us in his mercy.

1 [2] May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. 2 [3] So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation. (R) 4 [5] May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity; the nations on the earth you guide. (R) 5 [6] May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you! 7[8] May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him! (R)


2nD READING

God showed us His love by becoming one with us. He stands in solidarity with us through the Incarnation of Jesus. He sent His only Son to redeem us. Man’s redemption is the only reason Jesus became incarnate. Let us remember that He was like us in every way except sin. In His mercy, God forgives our sins and gives us the grace to overcome it.

Galatians 4:4-7
4 Brothers and sisters: When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 As proof that you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then also an heir, through God.


GOSPEL

The shepherds searched for the Child born to Mary. Why is it that Jesus is our last resort when we are desperate and in trouble? Why do we have little faith in Him? This New Year, let us resolve to put Jesus first in our lives. Like the shepherds, let us seek Him first in all things. Let us praise and thank Him for all the good He has given us.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.

Luke 2:16-21
16 The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. 18 All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. 19 And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. 21 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.