St Thomas Becket, bishop & martyr6th Day within Christmas Octave : Friday 30th December 20221 Jn. 2:12-17; Ps. 95:7-9,10; Lk. 2:36-40 (Ps. Wk.I) “When peaceful silence lay over all…Your powerful Word leapt down from heaven.” These words are from the Book of Wisdom and our Opening Antiphon today. In the light of Christmas, they bear…
St Thomas Becket, bishop & martyr5th Day within Christmas Octave : Thursday 29th December 20221 Jn. 2:3-1 1; Ps. 95:1-3, 5-6; Lk. 2:22-35 (Ps. Wk. I) For John and his community, faith and love are inseparable. Jesus commanded us to love one another – even laying down our lives for one another. John makes it…
Lord, help me walk in Your lightHOLY INNOCENTS, Martyrs : Wednesday 28th December 20221 Jn. 1:5--2:2; Ps. 123:2-3,4-5,7-8; Mt. 2:13-18 (Ps. Wk. I) We celebrated the Feast of the Birth of Our Lord a few days ago. It marks a significant moment in the history of humanity. Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, has…
Lord, I pray for personal friendship with YouFeast of St John, Apostle & Evangelist : Tuesday 27th December 20221 Jn. 1:1-4; Ps. 96:1-2,5-6,1 1-12; Jn. 20:1a,2-8 (Ps. Wk. I) John did not deal in fantasies or rumours, just reality. And the reality for him and his community was the person of Jesus Christ, who had…
Lord, help me to show mercy to others and to walk the path of peaceSt Stephen, First Martyr : Monday 26th December 2022Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59; Ps 30:3-4,6,8, 16-17; Mt.10:17-22 (Ps. Wk. I) (Psalter proper) Are we good witnesses to Christ in the face of difficulties and challenges of the secular world? In some places of…
Lord, help me to show mercy to others and to walk the path of peaceNATIVITY OF THE LORD (Day Mass) : Sunday 25th December 2022Is. 52:7-10; Ps. 97:1,2-4,5-6; Heb. 1:1-6; Jn. 1:1-18 (or 1-5,9-14) (Psalter proper) The Gospel of John uses poetry to describe Christmas. Poetry has a great capacity to convey layers of meaning…
Lord, help me to show mercy to others and to walk the path of peace4th Week of Advent (A) : Saturday 24th December 20222 Sam 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Ps. 88:2-5,27, 29; Lk 1:67-79 (Ps. Wk. IV) Often people want to do favours for God without really consulting Him. David wanted to build a ‘house’…
St John of Kanty, priest4th Week of Advent (A) : Friday 23rd December 2022Mal. 3:1-4,23-24; Ps. 24:4-5,8-9,10,14; Lk. 1:57-66 (Ps. Wk. IV) Malachi prophesied that God would send a special messenger. This messenger would arrive before the Lord’s return to Hs temple. But this would not be easy for the people, for there was refining…
Lord, may I rejoice in Your greatness daily4th Week of Advent (A) : Thursday 22nd December 20221 Sam. 1:24-28; (R. Ps.) 1 Sam. 2:1,4-5, 6-7,8; Lk. 1:46-56 (Ps. Wk. IV) When Hannah bears her son, she names him Samuel, which means “he who is from God”. When she brings him to the temple, it is…
They are happy, whose God is the Lord4th Week of Advent (A) : Wednesday 21st December 2022Songs 2:8-14 or Zeph. 3:14-18a; Ps. 32:2-3,1 1-12,20-21; Lk. 1:39-45 (Ps. Wk. IV) Zephaniah was a prophet (640-621 B.C.) to the people of Judah who had forsaken God, worshipped idols and lived sinfully. The book’s first two chapters warn…