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27 November 2022 1st Sunday of Advent Parish Church of Saint Virgil, Rattenberg, Austria Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: A(I).First readingIsaiah 2:1-5 ©The Lord gathers all nations together into the eternal peace of God's kingdomThe vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem.In the days to comethe mountain of the Temple of the Lordshall tower above the mountainsand be lifted higher than the hills.All the nations will stream to it,peoples without number will come to it; and they will say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God...

“Come, Let Us Go Up to the Mountain of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:1-5) “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD.” The prophet Isaiah says that this is what many peoples, many nations, will say in the latter days. “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob.” And this is what we say--yes, you and I--this is what we say in these latter days, because this is equivalent to saying, “Come, let us go to church.” Really? Yes, really! Because this now--this place, the church--this is...

Friday 24 December 2021, Christmas Eve Cathedral of Spoleto, Eucharistic chapel Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet.First reading2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12,14,16 ©Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before meOnce David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.’ But that very night the word...

Advent is a time of expectation and preparation for the celebration of Christ's birth. While much Christmas hype is focused on the day itself and the gifts to be purchased and exchanged, Christmas is better thought of as a process, a time to be savored, day by day, week by week, rather than rushed through to the end. Even though we are at the end of Advent (It started on Nov. 28 and ends on Dec. 24.), there is still time to savor the few days left. The joy of Christmas Day comes not simply from the opening of the...

Thursday 23 December 2021 St. John Cantius Parish, Chicago. Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet.First readingMalachi 3:1-4,23-24 ©Before my day comes, I will send you Elijah my prophetThe Lord God says this: Look, I am going to send my messenger to prepare a way before me. And the Lord you are seeking will suddenly enter his Temple; and the angel of the covenant whom you are longing for, yes, he is coming, says the Lord of Hosts. Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s...

Wednesday 22 December 2021 The National Shrine of St Frances Xavier Cabrini Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet.First reading1 Samuel 1:24-28 ©This is the child I prayed for: he is made over to the Lord.When Hannah had weaned the infant Samuel, she took him up with her together with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the temple of the Lord at Shiloh; and the child was with them. They slaughtered the bull and the child’s mother came to Eli. She said, ‘If you please, my lord. As you live, my...

December 21, 2021 Tuesday 21 December 2021 St. Perter Canisius International Catholic Parish, Jakarta Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet.First readingSong of Songs 2:8-14 ©See how my Beloved comes, leaping on the mountainsI hear my Beloved.See how he comesleaping on the mountains,bounding over the hills.My Beloved is like a gazelle,like a young stag.See where he standsbehind our wall.He looks in at the window,he peers through the lattice.My Beloved lifts up his voice,he says to me,‘Come then, my love,my lovely one, come.For see, winter is past,the rains are over and gone.The flowers appear on the earth.The season of glad songs has come,the...

December 20, 2021 Monday 20 December 2021 Basilica di Santa Croce, Torre Del Greco Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet.First readingIsaiah 7:10-14 ©The maiden is with childThe Lord spoke to Ahaz and said, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.’ ‘No,’ Ahaz answered ‘I will not put the Lord to the test.’ Then Isaiah said:‘Listen now, House of David:are you not satisfied with trying the patience of menwithout trying the patience of my God, too?The Lord himself, therefore,will give you a sign.It is this: the maiden...

December 19th, 2021 4th Sunday of Advent The Church of the Annunciation (Hebrew: כנסיית הבשורה‎, Arabic: كنيسة البشارة‎, Greek: Εκκλησία του Ευαγγελισμού της Θεοτόκου, Ekklisía tou Evangelismoú tis Theotókou), sometimes also referred to as the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, Israel Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet First readingMicah 5:1-4 ©He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the LordThe Lord says this:But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,the least of the clans of Judah,out of you will be born for methe one who is to rule over Israel;his origin goes back to the distant past,to the days of old.The Lord...

December 18th, 2021 Memorial of St. Peter Truat St. Peter's Church, Shanghai, People's Republic of China Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet First readingJeremiah 23:5-8 ©I will raise a virtuous Branch for DavidSee, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David,who will reign as true king and be wise,practising honesty and integrity in the land.In his days Judah will be savedand Israel dwell in confidence.And this is the name he will be called:The-Lord-our-integrity.So, then, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when people will...

“The Miracle Moms and Their Baby Boys” (Luke 1:39-45) Two expectant mothers--two miracle mothers, moms who shouldn’t have been--the two mothers meet, and they rejoice in their good fortune. They praise God for the wonderful work he is doing for them and through them. The Holy Spirit has given them faith to believe what God has spoken and what God is doing. And what God is doing will be done by the two babies they are carrying in their womb. Those two boys are going to change the world! They will change your world and turn it right-side up! And...

December 17, 2021 Friday of the 3rd week of Advent Saint Lazarus Church, Cyprus Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet.First readingGenesis 49:2,8-10 ©Until he comes, the sceptre will not pass from JudahJacob called his sons and said:‘Gather round, sons of Jacob, and listen;listen to Israel your father.Judah, your brothers shall praise you:you grip your enemies by the neck,your father’s sons shall do you homage,Judah is a lion cub,you climb back, my son, from your kill;like a lion he crouches and lies down,or a lioness: who dare rouse him?The sceptre shall not pass from Judah,nor the mace from between his feet,until he...

December 16th, 2021 Underground Catholic Church in China, People's Republic of China Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet First readingIsaiah 54:1-10 ©With great love I will take you backShout for joy, you barren women who bore no children!Break into cries of joy and gladness, you who were never in labour!For the sons of the forsaken one are more in numberthan the sons of the wedded wife, says the Lord.Widen the space of your tent,stretch out your hangings freely,lengthen your ropes, make your pegs firm;for you will burst out to right and to left.Your race will take possession of the nations,and people...

“A Birth and a Benedictus” (Luke 1:57-80) In this Advent series, we’re looking at the events leading up to the birth of Christ, as they are recorded in the first chapter of Luke. Two weeks ago, we started with the angel Gabriel announcing to Zechariah that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son, that he’s to be named John, and that this son of theirs would go before the Lord to prepare his way. Then last week, Gabriel went to a virgin named Mary and announced that she would give birth to the Messiah, the Christ, and that...

December 15th, 2021 St. Michael's Cathedral, Qingdao, People's Republic of China Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Red First readingIsaiah 45:6-8,18,21-25 ©I, the Lord, shall create deliveranceApart from me, all is nothing.I am the Lord, unrivalled,I form the light and create the dark.I make good fortune and create calamity,it is I, the Lord, who do all this.Send victory like a dew, you heavens,and let the clouds rain it down.Let the earth openfor salvation to spring up.Let deliverance, too, bud forthwhich I, the Lord, shall create.Yes, thus says the Lord,creator of the heavens,who is God,who formed the earth and made it,who set it...

December 14th, 2021 Memorial of St. John of the Cross Church of the Savior, Xishiku Cathedral, Beijing, People's Republic of China Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Red Readings for the feriaReadings for the memorialThese are the readings for the feriaFirst readingZephaniah 3:1-2,9-13 ©All peoples shall invoke the Lord's name and serve himTrouble is coming to the rebellious, the defiled,the tyrannical city!She would never listen to the call,would never learn the lesson;she has never trusted in the Lord,never drawn near to her God.Yes, I will then give the peoples lips that are clean,so that all may invoke the name of the Lordand...

December 13th, 2021 Memorial of St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr St. Lucy's church, Newark, New Jersey Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Red Readings for the feriaReadings for the memorialThese are the readings for the feriaFirst readingNumbers 24:2-7,15-17 ©The oracles of BalaamRaising his eyes Balaam saw Israel, encamped by tribes; the spirit of God came on him and he declaimed his poem. He said:‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,the oracle of the man with far-seeing eyes,the oracle of one who hears the word of God.He sees what Shaddai makes him see,receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened.How fair are...

December 12th, 2021 3rd Sunday of Advent SOur Lady of the Rosary Church, South Carolina Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet First readingZephaniah 3:14-18 ©The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midstShout for joy, daughter of Zion,Israel, shout aloud!Rejoice, exult with all your heart,daughter of Jerusalem!The Lord has repealed your sentence;he has driven your enemies away.The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst;you have no more evil to fear.When that day comes, word will come to Jerusalem:Zion, have no fear,do not let your hands fall limp.The Lord your God is in your midst,a victorious warrior.He will exult...

“What Do You Expect?” (Luke 7:18-28) What you expect and when you expect it will make you either satisfied or disappointed. For example, suppose that for Christmas your true love has promised to give you twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping, ten lords a’leaping, all the way down to three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree. But at the end of the day on December 25 all you’ve received is the partridge. You’re disappointed. You ask yourself, “Did my true love forget about the other stuff? Where are the geese and the maids and...

December 11th, 2021 Memorial of St. Damasus, Pope St. Stephen's chapel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada St. Stephen's hosts the St. Francis de Sales deaf ministry and has done so for the past 103 years Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet First readingEcclesiasticus 48:1-4,9-12 ©The prophet Elijah will come againThe prophet Elijah arose like a fire, his word flaring like a torch.It was he who brought famine on the people, and who decimated them in his zeal.By the word of the Lord, he shut up the heavens, he also, three times, brought down fire.How glorious you were in your miracles, Elijah! Has anyone...