Song: "Old Lang Syne" by Robert Burns in 1788

Song: "Old Lang Syne" by Robert Burns in 1788

English translation

Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot, and old lang syne?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup! and surely I’ll buy mine !

And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne. CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes, and picked the daisies fine;

But we’ve wandered many a weary foot, since auld lang syne. CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream, from morning sun till dine;

But seas between us broad have roared since auld lang syne. CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend! And give us a hand o’ thine!

And we’ll take a right good-will draught, for auld lang syne.

Original

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my jo, for auld lang syne,

we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp! and surely I’ll be mine !

And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne. CHORUS

We twa hae run about the braes, and pu’d the gowans fine;

But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit, sin auld lang syne. CHORUS

We twa hae paidl’d i' the burn, frae morning sun till dine;

But seas between us braid hae roar’d sin auld lang syne. CHORUS

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere! and gie's a hand o’ thine!

And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught, for auld lang syne. 

Photo: Merry Christmas

 

Poem: “Christmas Comes” by Ann Weems

 Christmas comes every time we see God in other persons.

The human and the holy meet in Bethlehem 

or in Times Square, 

for Christmas comes like a golden storm on its way 

to Jerusalem – 

determinedly, inevitably ….

Even now it comes 

in the face of hatred and warring – 

no atrocity too terrible to stop it, 

no Herod strong enough, 

no hurt deep enough, 

no curse shocking enough, 

no disaster shattering enough.

For someone on earth will see the star, 

someone will hear the angel voices, 

someone will run to Bethlehem, 

someone will know peace and goodwill: 

the Christ will be born!

A sign of unity The Epiphany of the Lord 2021

                                                                A sign of unity

The Epiphany of the Lord 2021

January 2, 2022

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Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72; Ephesians 3:2-6; Matthew 2:1-12

 

The feast of Epiphany signifies that God’s plan of salvation is announced and available to the entire world, to the Jew and Gentile alike. Each individual, not a group of people or a class, has to look for the signs that salvation is accessible to each person, and the sign that we look for – the person of Jesus, given to us an infant, and who is the one who will lead all of humankind out of darkness into the light of God’s love. 

 

While salvation, from the very start, was offered to all individuals across the whole world, our Church, as it developed throughout the centuries, began to restrict its notion of who could be saved. Through the deliberations of the Second Vatican Council, the Church righted itself and began in earnest its ecumenical dialogue. 

 

The Catholic Church veered from its ecumenical stance during the Catholic Reformation in the Council of Trent. For nearly five hundred years, the Catholic Church defined itself in opposition to the Protestant churches, excommunicated its members, mostly forbid intermarriage, and would not allow Catholics to associate with a person of a different faith or to step inside a Protestant church. The Decree on Ecumenism at the Council sought to restore unity among the churches, including Eastern Churches and our siblings within the Protestant churches. It also sought greater respect and appreciation with the Jewish and Muslim faiths, and increased dialogue with other traditions. Sincere and genuine dialogue is necessary for increased understanding and acceptance. 

 

Christian unity stands as one of the most important concerns of the Second Vatican Council, and acknowledges that division hurts that unity. Unity has always been one of the prime concerns of the church. Through the Holy Spirit, Catholics and separated siblings can still enjoy communion because we are united by Christ who redeemed the whole world. We have common beliefs and similar roots. It is also a call for humble dialogue and understanding with other faith traditions so that we honor the work of the Spirit in the lives of others as they experience religious liberty. What does our church call us to? Holiness. Other faith traditions call their members to holiness as well, and we have to see ourselves as siblings to one another. 

 

Epiphany reveals the holiness of life to the world. The three sages, who wer not Jews, see the sign, the infant in the manger, and they realized that he was God’s sign of love for the world. The experience called them to deeper holiness, just as our Christmas celebrations call us to holiness. Christ is the sign of the bond that exists between God and humanity, and each person seeking God will find salvation because of the bonds of holiness we share in common. That is the reason we sing: Glory to God and peace to all people of goodwill. 

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

 

Monday: (1 John 3) We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

 

Tuesday: (1 John 4) Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us.

 

Wednesday: (1 John 4) Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.

 

Thursday: (1 John 4) If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 

 

Friday (1 John 5) Who is the victor of this world? The one who believes in Jesus, who came through water and Blood, and the Spirit testifies to him.   

 

Saturday (1 John 5) We have confidence that if we ask anything according to his will, God hears us.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Matthew 4) He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.

 

Tuesday: (Mark 6) When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already very late.

 

Wednesday (Mark 6) After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray. 

 

Thursday (Luke 4) Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.

 

Friday (Luke 5) It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” 

 

Saturday (John 3) Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing. John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized, for John had not yet been imprisoned.

 

Saints of the Week

 

January 2: Basil the Great and Gregory Nanzianzen, bishops and doctors (fourth century), are two of the four great doctors of the Eastern Church. They are known for their preaching especially against the Arian heretics. Basil began as a hermit before he was named archbishop of Caesarea. He influenced Gregory who eventually became archbishop of Constantinople. Their teachings influenced both the Roman and Eastern Churches.

 

January 3: The Name of Jesus was given to the infant as the angel foretold. In the Mediterranean world, the naming of person stood for the whole person. Humans were given the power to name during the Genesis creation accounts. If one honors the name of the person, they honor the person. The name Jesus means “Yahweh saves.”

 

January 4: Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious (1774-1821), was born into an Episcopalian household where she married and had five children. When her husband died, she became a Catholic and founded a girls’ school in Baltimore. She then founded the Sisters of Charity and began the foundation for the parochial school system in the U.S. She is the first native-born American to be canonized.

 

January 5: John Neumann, bishop (1811-1860), emigrated from Bohemia to New York and joined the Redemptorists in Pittsburgh before being named bishop of Philadelphia. He built many churches in the diocese and placed great emphasis on education as the foundation of faith.

 

January 6: Andre Bessette, religious (1845-1937), was born in Quebec, Canada. He joined the Congregation of the Holy Cross and taught for 40 years at the College of Notre Dame. He cared for the sick and was known as a intercessor for miracles. He built St. Joseph’s Oratory, a popular pilgrimage site in Canada.

 

January 7: Raymond of Penyafort, priest (1175-1275), was trained in philosophy and law and was ordained in 1222 to preach to the Moors and Christians. Though he was appointed bishop of Tarragon, he declined the position. Instead he organized papal decrees into the first form of canon law. He was later elected Master of the Dominican Order. 

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• January 2, 1619: At Rome, John Berchmans and Bartholomew Penneman, his companion scholastic from Belgium, entered the Roman College. 
• January 3, 1816: Fr. General Brzozowski and 25 members of the Society, guarded by soldiers, left St. Petersburg, Russia, having been banished by the civil government. 
• January 4, 1619: The English mission is raised to the status of a province. 
• January 5, 1548: Francis Suarez, one of the greatest theologians of the church, was born at Granada. 
• January 6, 1829: Publication of Pope Leo XII's rescript, declaring the Society to be canonically restored in England. 
• January 7, 1566: Cardinal Ghislieri was elected pope as Pius V. He was a great friend of the Francis Borgia and appointed Salmeron and Toletus as apostolic preachers at the Vatican. He desired to impose the office of choir on the Society and even ordered it. He was canonized as St. Pius V. 
• January 8, 1601: Balthasar Gracian was born. A Spanish Jesuit, he wrote on courtly matters. He is the author of "The Compleat Gentleman" and "The Art of Worldly Wisdom." 

 

Un signo de unidad La Epifanía del Señor 2021

                                                 Un signo de unidad

La Epifanía del Señor 2021

2 de enero de 2022

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Isaías 60: 1-6; Salmo 72; Efesios 3: 2-6; Mateo 2: 1-12

 

La fiesta de la Epifanía significa que el plan de salvación de Dios está anunciado y disponible para todo el mundo, tanto para judíos como para gentiles. Cada individuo, no un grupo de personas o una clase, tiene que buscar las señales de que la salvación es accesible para cada persona, y la señal que buscamos: la persona de Jesús, que se nos ha dado a un niño, y quién es el único. quien sacará a toda la humanidad de las tinieblas a la luz del amor de Dios.

 

Si bien la salvación, desde el principio, se ofreció a todas las personas en todo el mundo, nuestra Iglesia, a medida que se desarrolló a lo largo de los siglos, comenzó a restringir su noción de quién podía ser salvo. A través de las deliberaciones del Concilio Vaticano II, la Iglesia se enderezó y comenzó en serio su diálogo ecuménico.

 

La Iglesia Católica se desvió de su postura ecuménica durante la Reforma Católica en el Concilio de Trento. Durante casi quinientos años, la Iglesia Católica se definió a sí misma en oposición a las iglesias protestantes, excomulgó a sus miembros, prohibió en su mayoría los matrimonios mixtos y no permitiría a los católicos asociarse con una persona de una fe diferente o entrar en una iglesia protestante. El Decreto sobre el ecumenismo en el Concilio buscó restaurar la unidad entre las iglesias, incluidas las iglesias orientales y nuestros hermanos dentro de las iglesias protestantes. También buscó un mayor respeto y aprecio por las religiones judía y musulmana, y un mayor diálogo con otras tradiciones. Es necesario un diálogo sincero y genuino para una mayor comprensión y aceptación.

 

La unidad de los cristianos se erige como una de las preocupaciones más importantes del Concilio Vaticano II y reconoce que la división daña esa unidad. La unidad siempre ha sido una de las principales preocupaciones de la iglesia. A través del Espíritu Santo, los católicos y los hermanos separados todavía pueden disfrutar de la comunión porque estamos unidos por Cristo que redimió al mundo entero. Tenemos creencias comunes y raíces similares. También es un llamado al diálogo humilde y al entendimiento con otras tradiciones religiosas para que honremos la obra del Espíritu en la vida de los demás mientras experimentan la libertad religiosa. ¿A qué nos llama nuestra iglesia? Santidad. Otras tradiciones religiosas también llaman a sus miembros a la santidad, y tenemos que vernos a nosotros mismos como hermanos los unos de los otros.

 

La epifanía revela la santidad de la vida al mundo. Los tres sabios, que no eran judíos, vieron la señal, el niño en el pesebre, y se dieron cuenta de que él era la señal del amor de Dios por el mundo. La experiencia los llamó a una santidad más profunda, así como nuestras celebraciones navideñas nos llaman a la santidad. Cristo es el signo del vínculo que existe entre Dios y la humanidad, y cada persona que busque a Dios encontrará la salvación gracias a los vínculos de santidad que compartimos en común. Por eso cantamos: Gloria a Dios y paz a todas las personas de buena voluntad.

 

Escritura para la misa diaria

 

Lunes: (1 Juan 3) Somos de Dios, y quien conoce a Dios nos escucha, mientras que quien no es de Dios se niega a escucharnos. Así es como conocemos el espíritu de verdad y el espíritu de engaño.

 

Martes: (1 Juan 4) Amados, amémonos unos a otros, porque el amor es de Dios; todo el que ama es engendrado por Dios y conoce a Dios. Quien no tiene amor, no conoce a Dios, porque Dios es amor. De esta manera se nos reveló el amor de Dios.

 

Miércoles: (1 Juan 4) Amados, si Dios nos amó tanto, también nosotros debemos amarnos unos a otros. Nadie ha visto jamás a Dios. Sin embargo, si nos amamos unos a otros, Dios permanece en nosotros y su amor se perfecciona en nosotros.

 

Jueves: (1 Juan 4) Si alguien dice: “Amo a Dios”, pero odia a su hermano, es un mentiroso; porque el que no ama a un hermano a quien ha visto, no puede amar a Dios a quien no ha visto.

 

Viernes (1 Juan 5) ¿Quién es el vencedor de este mundo? El que cree en Jesús, que vino por agua y sangre, y el Espíritu le da testimonio.   

 

Sábado (1 Juan 5) Tenemos la confianza de que si pedimos algo conforme a su voluntad, Dios nos escucha.

 

Evangelio: 

Lunes: (Mateo 4) Recorrió toda Galilea, enseñando en sus sinagogas, proclamando el Evangelio del Reino y curando todas las enfermedades y dolencias del pueblo.

 

Martes: (Marcos 6) Cuando Jesús vio la gran multitud, su corazón se compadeció de ellos, porque eran como ovejas sin pastor; y comenzó a enseñarles muchas cosas. Ya era tarde y sus discípulos se le acercaron y le dijeron: “Este es un lugar desierto y ya es muy tarde.

 

Miércoles (Marcos 6) Después de que los cinco mil habían comido y estaban satisfechos, Jesús hizo que sus discípulos subieran a la barca y lo precedieran al otro lado hacia Betsaida, mientras él despedía a la multitud. Y cuando se despidió de ellos, se fue al monte a orar.

 

Jueves (Lucas 4) Jesús regresó a Galilea con el poder del Espíritu, y su noticia se extendió por toda la región. Enseñó en sus sinagogas y fue alabado por todos.

 

Viernes (Lucas 5) Sucedió que había un leproso en uno de los pueblos donde estaba Jesús; y cuando vio a Jesús, se postró, le suplicó y dijo: "Señor, si quieres, puedes limpiarme".

 

Sábado (Juan 3) Jesús y sus discípulos fueron a la región de Judea, donde pasó algún tiempo bautizando con ellos. Juan también estaba bautizando en Enón cerca de Salim, porque allí había agua en abundancia, y la gente iba a ser bautizada, porque Juan aún no había sido encarcelado.

 

Santos de la semana

 

2 de enero: Basilio el Grande y Gregory Nanzianzen, obispos y doctores (siglo IV), son dos de los cuatro grandes doctores de la Iglesia Oriental. Son conocidos por su predicación, especialmente contra los herejes arrianos. Basilio comenzó como ermitaño antes de ser nombrado arzobispo de Cesarea. Influyó en Gregorio, quien finalmente se convirtió en arzobispo de Constantinopla. Sus enseñanzas influyeron tanto en la Iglesia romana como en la oriental.

 

3 de enero: El nombre de Jesús fue dado al infante como lo predijo el ángel. En el mundo mediterráneo, la denominación de persona representaba a la persona en su totalidad. A los humanos se les dio el poder de nombrar durante los relatos de creación del Génesis. Si uno honra el nombre de la persona, honra a la persona. El nombre Jesús significa "Yahvé salva".

 

4 de enero: Elizabeth Ann Seton, religiosa (1774-1821), nació en un hogar episcopal donde se casó y tuvo cinco hijos. Cuando murió su esposo, ella se hizo católica y fundó una escuela para niñas en Baltimore. Luego fundó las Hermanas de la Caridad y comenzó la fundación del sistema escolar parroquial en los Estados Unidos. Es la primera estadounidense nativa en ser canonizada.

 

5 de enero: John Neumann, obispo (1811-1860), emigró de Bohemia a Nueva York y se unió a los Redentoristas en Pittsburgh antes de ser nombrado obispo de Filadelfia. Construyó muchas iglesias en la diócesis y puso gran énfasis en la educación como fundamento de la fe.

 

6 de enero: Andre Bessette, religioso (1845-1937) , nació en Quebec, Canadá. Se unió a la Congregación de la Santa Cruz y enseñó durante 40 años en el Colegio de Notre Dame. Cuidaba a los enfermos y era conocido como intercesor de milagros. Construyó el Oratorio de San José, un lugar de peregrinaje popular en Canadá.

 

7 de enero: Raimundo de Penyafort, sacerdote (1175-1275), se formó en filosofía y derecho y fue ordenado en 1222 para predicar a moros y cristianos. Aunque fue nombrado obispo de Estragón, declinó el cargo. En cambio, organizó los decretos papales en la primera forma de derecho canónico. Posteriormente fue elegido Maestro de la Orden Dominicana.

 

Esta semana en la historia de los jesuitas

 

· 2 de enero de 1619: En Roma, John Berchmans y Bartholomew Penneman, su compañero escolástico de Bélgica, ingresan en el Colegio Romano.

· 3 de enero de 1816: P. El general Brzozowski y 25 miembros de la Sociedad, custodiados por soldados, abandonaron San Petersburgo, Rusia, después de haber sido desterrados por el gobierno civil.

· 4 de enero de 1619: La misión inglesa es elevada a la categoría de provincia.

· 5 de enero de 1548: Francisco Suárez, uno de los más grandes teólogos de la Iglesia, nace en Granada.

· 6 de enero de 1829: publicación del rescripto del Papa León XII, declarando que la Sociedad será canónicamente restaurada en Inglaterra.

· 7 de enero de 1566: el cardenal Ghislieri fue elegido Papa como Pío V. Era un gran amigo de Francisco Borgia y nombró a Salmeron y Toletus como predicadores apostólicos en el Vaticano. Quiso imponer el oficio de coro a la Sociedad e incluso lo ordenó. Fue canonizado como San Pío V.

· 8 de enero de 1601: Nace Balthasar Gracian. Jesuita español, escribió sobre asuntos cortesanos. Es autor de "El caballero completo" y "El arte de la sabiduría mundana".

Poem: Campion Center's Tree

 

Poem: “The Virgin’s Cradle Hymn” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Sleep, sweet babe! My cares beguiling:

Mother sits beside thee smiling;

Sleep, my darling, tenderly!

If thou sleep not, mother mourneth,

Singing as her wheel she turneth:

Come, soft slumber, balmily! 

Photo: Merry Christmas

 

Poem: "The Silent Seers," by J. Barrie Shepherd

Of all the witnesses 

around the holy manger 

perhaps it was the animals 

who saw best what lay ahead, 

for they had paced the aching roads, 

slept in the wet and hungry fields, 

known the sharp sting of sticks 

and thorns and curses, 

endured the constant bruise 

of burdens not their own, 

the tendency of men to use 

and then discard rather than meet 

and pay the debt of gratitude. 

For them the future also held 

the knacker’s rope, the flayers blade, 

the tearing of their bodies 

for the sparing of the race. 

In the shadows of that stable 

might it be his warmest welcome 

lay within their quiet comprehending gaze?

Photo: Joseph and Jesus

 

Photo: Ignatius said his first mass on Christmas Day

 

Poem: “On the Mystery of the Incarnation” by Denise Levertov

It’s when we face for a moment
the worst our kind can do, and shudder to know
the taint of our own selves, that awe
cracks the mind’s shell and enters the heart:
not to a flower, not to a dolphin,
to no innocent form
but to this creature vainly sure
it and no other is god-like, God
(out of compassion for our ugly
failure to evolve) entrusts,
as guest, as brother, the Word.

Photo: A Photo sent to me from the Kingdom of Jordan

 

Christmas Eve Mass

I have been looking forward to this day with great anticipation this year because Christmas Day is a day of universal joy, and if you are like me, I need that joy right now. As a community, we are sharing our weariness and fatigue, and we are to ask for the grace of perseverance and charity during these trying times. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, the religious order to which I belong, said that when we are in difficult times, we must ask for that which seems counterintuitive, and in this case, we should be asking for the gift of joy.

 

That we are together is a joyous occasion. We need to come together as we are a people who live in hope, and the Scripture that we just heard gives us hope for a child has been born for us, the one who will bring us very near to God, and we will see God’s glory. In the readings, the shepherds learn that this is a sacred moment and see God’s glory and rejoice with the angels. Heaven and earth are united in their song of praise: Glory to God, and peace on earth. This birth is a threshold by which our lives are pulled into God’s divine life, and God delights in our rejoicing.

 

It is good that we are here in worship, either in person or via live-stream, and that we remain a community connected through our faith. We belong to each other and it is a blessing when family and loved ones gather, or when we connect electronically, because we care for each other, even when we have disturbances or disagree. It is helpful for us to focus upon the positive movements in our lives, and to stay as close as we can in the relationships. These are the moments that give meaning to Christmas because when we fundamentally say ‘yes’ and choose to stay united, the child of hope, the child of light, a spark of God is born for us, and we can settle into the knowledge that deep down God does care for us more than we comprehend. You are worthy of God’s love. You deserve this Day to be one of joy. Just as you are, you are lovable and loved. You are the reason for this Day that we celebrate year after year, just so that you know how deeply God wants your friendship. 

 

I hope you see God’s love through the faces of the church this year. Though we are far from perfect, I hope you know we are trying. I hope you see the joy and hope in the faces of your loved ones when you gather for a meal or conversation. I hope, in your settled times, you let the reality of God’s love permeate your soul, to its very depths, so you know of your profound value and worth to God. I really want you to know that. This is the Christmas message, that God came into our very lives to make God’s self known in a way in which our hearts can be touched. When we realize that, our hearts rejoice like the angels when they burst forth in song: Glory to God in the highest and deep lasting peace to people of goodwill. Merry Christmas, my friends. May your heart feel joy that we are in this together, and that is pretty good.

Photo: St. Joseph

 

Poem: "The Visitation" by Robert Southwell, S.J.

Proclaymed queene and mother of a God,
The light of Earth, the soveraigne of saintes,
With pilgrimm foote upp tyring hills she trodd,
And heavenly stile with handmayds' toyle acquaints:
Her youth to age, her helth to sicke she lends,
Her hart to God, to neighbour hand she bendes.

A prince she is, and mightier prince doth beare,
Yet pompe of princely trayne she would not have;
But doubtles heavenly quires attendant were,
Her child from harme, her self from fall to save:
Worde to the voyce, songe to the tune she bringes,
The voyce her word, the tune her ditye singes.

Eternall lightes inclosed in her breste
Shott out such percing beames of burning love,
That when her voyce her cosen's eares possest
The force thereof did force her babe to move:
With secreet signes the children greete ech other,

But open praise ech leaveth to his mother. 

Our Family The Family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus 2021

                                                            Our Family

The Family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus 2021

December 26, 2021

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predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 ; Psalm 128; Colossians 3:12-21; Luke 2:41-52

 

On this Feast of the Family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, the Gospel reminds us that we belong to and are responsible for one another. Joseph and Mary traveled with their tribe to Jerusalem for the Passover meal, and certainly the tribe looks out each person, and Jesus was at the age to look after younger children who would have strayed. In biblical Jewish terms, Jesus was nearly a man and was learning responsibility for his relatives. While some emphasis is given to the concern of his parents, the greater awareness is that Jesus is choosing his way into adulthood, and he has chosen a life of service to others for the glory of God.

 

A most significant part of this passage is that Jesus returned to Nazareth with Joseph and Mary to learn obedience to them. Why is this important? It was the small details of obedience in daily life that allowed Jesus to understand his gift to us, which is his obedience of faith to God. He would not be able to understand the obedience of faith unless he learned the intricacies of obedience to his parents. It is the obedience of faith of Jesus that saves us; it is not our faith in him, but that he showed obedience to God that allowed God to resurrect him, to affirm all that he did. The act of obedience on the Cross means that we can be called the children of God, adopted into God’s family as beloved ones, because the Christ event was the act that brought us closer to God. God showed us, through the humanity in his Son, that God understood human suffering and wanted to show us compassion.

 

As we experience life, we know that there are no perfect human families, and as often as Christians strive for ideal family life, our awareness of the importance of charity and mercy is what defines Christian family life. Human families exist in many different ways, and what matters is that we are responsible for one another. We take care of each other’s formation and education, we assure essential health-care and make sure each is safe from diseases and afflictions, we include those who are unreconciled and estranged, we welcome those who may be different from us. We practice the care and hospitality that Jesus provides us, and naturally and generously extend it to others. The human family participates in the divine when we love one another with a love beyond all telling. This love will take care of all challenges, and we will always have a home. You will always be in the heart of Jesus, and you belong in our hearts as well. We are family.

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

 

Monday: (Acts 6) Stephen worked great wonders among the people and adversaries debated with him fiercely. They threw hit out of the city, stoned him, and laid him at Saul’s feet.  

 

Tuesday: (1 John) What we heard, and saw with our eyes, what we looked upon, and touched with our hands, concerns the Word of life.

 

Wednesday: (1 John) God is light and in him there is no darkness. We have fellowship with him. Walk in the light as he is in the light.  

 

Thursday: (1 John) We are friends with God if we keep his commandments. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.   

   

Friday (Sirach 3) God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons. Take care of your father when he is old.   

 

Saturday (1 John 2) It is the last hour and the anti-Christ is coming. You have the anointing of the Holy One, and you have all knowledge.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Matthew 10) Jesus said, “Beware of men who will hand you over to their courts and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be led before governors and kings.  

 

Tuesday: (John 20) Magdalene ran to Simon Peter and the Beloved Disciples to tell the news that Jesus has been removed from the tomb. In fear, they ran to see the tomb.

 

Wednesday (Matthew 2) When the magi departed, an angel told Joseph to take his wife and child to Egypt because Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.  

 

Thursday (Luke 2) When the days were completed for the purification, Mary and Joseph brought the child to the Temple, where they met Simeon, a righteous and devoted man.

   

Friday (Matthew 2) When Herod died, an angel told Joseph to return to Israel. “Out of Egypt have I called my son.”

 

Saturday (John 1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came to be through him. A light shines in the darkness.  

 

Saints of the Week

 

December 26: Stephen, the first Martyr (d. 35), was one of the seven original deacons chose to minister to the Greek-speaking Christians. The Jews accused him of blasphemy. Though he was eloquent in his defense, Saul of Tarsus condoned his death sentence. 

 

December 27: John, Apostle and Evangelist (d. 100), was the brother of James and one of the three disciples to be in the inner circle. He left fishing to follow Jesus and was with him at the major events: the transfiguration, raising of Jairus' daughter, and the agony in the garden. He is also thought to be the author of the fourth gospel, three letters, and the Book of Revelation. 

 

December 28: The Holy Innocents (d. 2), were the boys of Bethlehem who were under two years old to be killed by King Herod in an attempt to eliminate the rise of the newborn king as foretold by the astronomers from the east. This event is similar to the rescue of Moses from the Nile by the slaughter of the infant boys by the pharaoh. 

 

December 29: Thomas Becket, bishop and martyr (1118-1170), was the lord chancellor and archbishop of Canterbury in England during the time of King Henry II. When he disagreed with the King over the autonomy of the church and state, he was exiled to France. When he returned, he clashed again with the king who had him murdered in Canterbury Cathedral.  

 

December 30: The Family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, was a feast instituted in 1921. It was originally the 3rd Sunday after Christmas. The Holy Family is often seen in Renaissance paintings - and many of those are of the flight into Egypt. 

 

December 31: Sylvester I, pope (d. 335), served the church shortly after Constantine issued his Edict of Milan in 313 that publicly recognized Christianity as the official religion of the empire and provided it freedom of worship. Large public churches were built by the emperor and other benefactors. Sylvester was alive during the Council of Nicaea but did not attend because of old age.

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• December 26, 1978. The assassination of Gerhard Pieper, a librarian, who was shot to death in Zimbabwe. 
• December 27, 1618. Henry Morse entered the English College at Rome. 
• December 28, 1802. Pope Pius VII allowed Father General Gruber to affiliate the English Jesuits to the Society of Jesus in Russia. 
• December 29, 1886. Publication of the beatification decree of the English martyrs. 
• December 30, 1564. Letter from Pope Pius IV to Daniel, Archbishop of Mayence, deploring the malicious and scurrilous pamphlets published against the Society throughout Germany and desiring him to use his influence against the evil. 
• December 31, 1640. John Francis Regis died. He was a missionary to the towns and villages of the remote mountains of southern France. 

January 1, 1598: Fr. Alphonsus Barréna, surnamed the Apostle of Peru, died. He was the first to carry the faith to the Guaranis and Chiquitos in Paraguay.