Catholic Church Readings for January 5, 2021: Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop

Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop

Lectionary: 213

Reading I

1 Jn 4:7-10

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:

God sent his only-begotten Son into the world

so that we might have life through him.

In this is love:

not that we have loved God, but that he loved us

and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

Responsorial Psalm

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

R.    (see 11)  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

and with your justice, the king’s son;

He shall govern your people with justice

and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

The mountains shall yield peace for the people,

and the hills justice.

He shall defend the afflicted among the people,

save the children of the poor.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Justice shall flower in his days,

and profound peace, till the moon be no more.

May he rule from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Alleluia

Lk 4:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor

and to proclaim liberty to captives.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 6:34-44

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. 

Dismiss them so that they can go 

to the surrounding farms and villages

and buy themselves something to eat.” 

He said to them in reply,

“Give them some food yourselves.” 

But they said to him,

“Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food

and give it to them to eat?” 

He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?  Go and see.” 

And when they had found out they said,

“Five loaves and two fish.” 

So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass. 

The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties. 

Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, 

he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples

to set before the people;

he also divided the two fish among them all. 

They all ate and were satisfied. 

And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments

and what was left of the fish. 

Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.

Amen and "Awoman"?????

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver ended a prayer in Congress today with the words "Amen and A-woman". You've got to be kidding me. As has been said before, parody is becoming harder and harder to do.

First of all, Amen has nothing to do with males or men. It means "So Be It" or "Verily" in Hebrew. Just because the three letters M, E, N or M, A, N, appear in sequence does not mean the word refers to males. This is so ridiculous it should not need to even be stated.

To return to the idea that reality can hardly be parodied anymore, the TV show the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actually once made fun of this hyper-virtue-signaling when it comes to gender equality to the point of absurdity. At the end of Judge Banks prayer when he says Amen, his daughter Ashley interjects with A-woman! Of course, the audience laughs at this joke.

But now we are in the year 2021, where these things are happening in real life.

Give me a break!

Who was the Oldest Apostle when he died? (Plus, when and how the other apostles died)

The oldest apostle of Jesus Christ at the time of his death was St. John the Apostle who is said to have died in the year 100 AD. He was born around 6AD and therefore he would have been 93 or 94 years old. This is a very old age even today, but back them all the more. So how did St. John live to such an old age?

St. John is famous among the apostles for not being martyred as all the others were. It wasn't for a lack of trying though! In the year 95, he was taken prisoner at Ephesus and sent to trial in Rome. He was sentenced to death and was put in boiling oil, however he miraculously survived. Apparently though he felt the pain. Because of the miracle, the emperor commuted his sentence to exile on the island of Patmos. This is where he died.

The 10 other apostles plus St. Matthias who replaced Judas were all martyred in the folllowing ways:

St. James the Greater was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa in the year 42 - the first apostle to be martyred.

St. Philip was crucified upside down in Persia in the year 62.

St. James the Lesser was martyred in the year 62 by being thrown from a building in Jerusalem and having his head bashed in with a club.

St. Matthew was martyred in Ethiopia while saying Mass in the year 65.

St. Matthias was killed in Asia Minor near the Caspian Sea in the year 65, either by crucifixion of by being hacked to death.

St. Andrew was crucified in an X shape after being scourged in the year 67.

St. Peter was crucified upside down near the Vatican by Nero in the year 67.

St. Jude (also known as Thaddeus) was clubbed to death in Persia in the year 67.

St. Simon the Zealot was crucified at Edessa in the year 67.

St. Bartholomew was skinned alive in Armenia in the year 72.

St. Thomas was stabbed to death in Mylapore, India in the year 74.

Finally, in the year 100, 26 years after the death of all the other apostles, St. John passed away. St. Robert Bellarmine, a doctor of the Church, indicates St. John was assumed into heaven body and soul which accounts for the fact that we do not have his relics.

I found much of this information here.

Catholic Church Readings for January 4, 2021: Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious

Lectionary: 212

Reading I

1 Jn 3:22–4:6

Beloved:

We receive from him whatever we ask,

because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

And his commandment is this:

we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,

and love one another just as he commanded us.

Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,

and the way we know that he remains in us

is from the Spirit whom he gave us.

Beloved, do not trust every spirit

but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God,

because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

This is how you can know the Spirit of God:

every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh

belongs to God,

and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus

does not belong to God.

This is the spirit of the antichrist

who, as you heard, is to come,

but in fact is already in the world.

You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them,

for the one who is in you

is greater than the one who is in the world.

They belong to the world;

accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world,

and the world listens to them.

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.

Responsorial Psalm

2:7bc-8, 10-12a

R.    (8ab)  I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

The LORD said to me, "You are my Son;

this day I have begotten you.

Ask of me and I will give you

the nations for an inheritance

and the ends of the earth for your possession."

R.    I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

And now, O kings, give heed;

take warning, you rulers of the earth.

Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;

with trembling rejoice.

R.    I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

Alleluia

See Mt 4:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom

and cured every disease among the people.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 4:12-17, 23-25

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,

he withdrew to Galilee. 

He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,

in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,

that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet 

might be fulfilled:

      Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles,

the people who sit in darkness

have seen a great light,

on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death

light has arisen.

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,

"Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand."

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. 

His fame spread to all of Syria,

and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases

and racked with pain,

those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,

and he cured them. 

And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,

and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

Happy Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord January 3, 2021

Prayer on the Epiphany of The Lord:

Father: Christ has appeared among us.

All: Come, let us adore Him.

Mother: The precious gifts which the Magi brought to the

Lord this day are threefold,

and they are signs of divine mysteries.

By gold the power of the King is signified,

by frankincense His great priesthood,

by myrrh the burial of the Lord.

All: The Magi worshipped the Author of our salvation in

the crib,

and of their treasures they brought to Him gifts of

mystic nature.

Youngest Child: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and

to the Holy Ghost.

All: As it was in the beginning,

is now and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

Father: Let us pray. O God,

by the leading of a star Thou didst manifest Thine

only begotten Son

to the Gentiles on this day;

mercifully grant that we who know Thee by faith,

may be brought to contemplate the beauty of Thy

majesty.

Through the same Jesus Christ Thy Son.

All: Alleluia.

The following hymn serves well as a conclusion.

Additional verses may be composed by members of the

family.

The Wise Men tune Jesu Dulcis Memoria

Now there appeared a brilliant Star

Which led the wise Men from afar.

They came and, kneeling down, adored

And offered gifts to Christ, the Lord.

Catholic Readings for Sunday, January 3, 2021: The Epiphany of the Lord

The Epiphany of the Lord

Lectionary: 20

Reading I

Is 60:1-6

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem!  Your light has come,

the glory of the Lord shines upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth,

and thick clouds cover the peoples;

but upon you the LORD shines,

and over you appears his glory.

Nations shall walk by your light,

and kings by your shining radiance.

Raise your eyes and look about;

they all gather and come to you:

your sons come from afar,

and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see,

your heart shall throb and overflow,

for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,

the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.

Caravans of camels shall fill you,

dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;

all from Sheba shall come

bearing gold and frankincense,

and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

R.(cf. 11)  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

and with your justice, the king's son;

He shall govern your people with justice

and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Justice shall flower in his days,

and profound peace, till the moon be no more.

May he rule from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;

the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.

All kings shall pay him homage,

all nations shall serve him.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,

and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.

He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;

the lives of the poor he shall save.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Reading II

Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6

Brothers and sisters:

You have heard of the stewardship of God's grace 

that was given to me for your benefit, 

namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.

It was not made known to people in other generations 

as it has now been revealed

to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 

that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,

and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Alleluia

Mt 2:2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

We saw his star at its rising

and have come to do him homage.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,

in the days of King Herod, 

behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 

"Where is the newborn king of the Jews?

We saw his star at its rising

and have come to do him homage."

When King Herod heard this,

he was greatly troubled, 

and all Jerusalem with him.

Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 

He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, 

for thus it has been written through the prophet:

And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

since from you shall come a ruler,

who is to shepherd my people Israel."

Then Herod called the magi secretly 

and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 

"Go and search diligently for the child.

When you have found him, bring me word, 

that I too may go and do him homage."

After their audience with the king they set out.

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 

until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 

and on entering the house

they saw the child with Mary his mother.

They prostrated themselves and did him homage.

Then they opened their treasures 

and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 

they departed for their country by another way.

Who is Catholic?

This might seem like a simple question. Who is Catholic? Well, as with many issues in the Church it is a multilayered question. It's not a matter of who is or who isn't as such, but rather degrees. I will explain in more detail.

The reason I started thinking about this question is we often hear about "Catholics" as a group in reference to various things such as how they will vote or their beliefs in general. I often wonder, what is the functional definition of a Catholic? What does the Church have to say about this? I don't have all the answers, but I at least have some questions!

Sometimes it seems the term "Catholic" is misused in my opinion. Should a person who does not follow the Catholic faith at all, never goes to Mass, never receives the sacraments and wants to have nothing to do with the Church be called "Catholic"? Seems a little strange to me.

Something I hear often is "I was raised Catholic". It can said in various contexts. Often people will mention this when recounting some aspect of their childhood that was Catholic, whether it be receiving a sacrament or attending Mass, or some other experience such as attending Catholic school.

One trend I see often is how people will preface some "issue" they have with the Church by first declaring their Catholic bona fides. They list off all the ways they believe themselves to be Catholic, such as their attendance in a Catholic school, the fact that they were baptized, confirmed, etc. They will sometimes say "the whole works" in relation to this. Once they believe they have established their credentials, they will then criticize some aspect of the Church, usually something about how the Church must conform more to their personal secular point of view.

This is a very dishonest approach. They should just simply admit that they are no longer Catholic and that they are expressing their view as an outsider. Those who say things like this usually have little to no understanding how the Church actually works, why or how it was established, or any other basic facts. Just because they grew up in a nominally Catholic environment does not make them an expert in Catholicism.

Ultimately the Catholic faith is about growing in grace and virtue and this is accomplished through a life of prayer, penance, and reception of the sacraments. By Grace, we receive the gifts of Faith, Hope, and Charity which are free gifts given by God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Therefore one must have an active faith. It's not a passport that you get stamped and then you are done. It's an ongoing process of purification and ultimately union with God.

That's why I find it so misleading whenever there are headlines about the political candidate supported by "Catholics". Just because you were raised Catholic or your parents made you go to Mass, does not mean you represent what Catholics truly believe.

Can people who never attend Mass and have distanced themselves from the Church be called Catholic? In a sense, I think they can. In fact, Pope Benedict ended the possibility of what's called a "Formal act of defection from the Catholic Church", which was a possibility from 1983 to 2010. During that period of time, by following certain procedures, a baptized member of the Catholic Church could formally leave the Catholic Church. But in 2010, Pope Benedict officially ended this possibility.

You can read more about this here.

Therefore, on one level, a person cannot technically leave the Catholic Church once they are a member. So on that level, they are Catholic.

However, to me, it would seem strange to consider a person who absolutely rejects the Catholic Faith as "Catholic" in the context of finding out the opinion of Catholics. That should seem obvious.

So who is Catholic? I think in our modern era, it's popular for people to think they can be Catholic and yet disagree on whatever issue they choose. We have a very individualistic society and people seem to place themselves on a pedestal. They agree with the Church as long as its convenient. Often people disagree not on theological grounds but on social grounds, things which will restrict their freedom to act as they please in terms of sexuality, food, and other such things. Many people have considerable pride and place themselves above others, even the Church Christ founded.

In reality, I think a Catholic is someone who can say and believe the Creed which is read at Mass. Obviously they must be baptized. A Catholic is someone who prioritizes their relationship with God. They attend Mass at least once a week if possible.

We have an epidemic of cafeteria Catholics. At first some people might say they agree with most things but not everything the Church teaches. We should have compassion for people struggling with some tenets of the Faith. They are on their own journey. However, part of the faith is obedience and humility. These two virtues mean that even if one does not fully understand something or even if something goes against their secular beliefs, they will assent to them out of humility and obedience, realizing that the Church Christ established knows better than them. To me, people who say they believe most things are really just picking and choosing what to believe and they are refusing to be obedient and humble. It's more than just a simple matter of disagreement.

St. Augustine once said:

If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.

When it comes to who's Catholic, it's like concentric circles. On the outer edge are those who are baptized but have rejected their faith, closer are those who consider themselves Catholic but disagree on many issues, closer to the center again are those who believe and affirm what the Church teaches, and on the inner circle are the saints with Jesus Christ. We should try to get as close to the center as possible.

Catholic Church Readings for January 3, 2021 The Epiphany of the Lord

The Epiphany of the Lord

Lectionary: 20

Reading I

Is 60:1-6

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem!  Your light has come,

the glory of the Lord shines upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth,

and thick clouds cover the peoples;

but upon you the LORD shines,

and over you appears his glory.

Nations shall walk by your light,

and kings by your shining radiance.

Raise your eyes and look about;

they all gather and come to you:

your sons come from afar,

and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see,

your heart shall throb and overflow,

for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,

the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.

Caravans of camels shall fill you,

dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;

all from Sheba shall come

bearing gold and frankincense,

and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

R.(cf. 11)  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

and with your justice, the king's son;

He shall govern your people with justice

and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Justice shall flower in his days,

and profound peace, till the moon be no more.

May he rule from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;

the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.

All kings shall pay him homage,

all nations shall serve him.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,

and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.

He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;

the lives of the poor he shall save.

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Reading II

Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6

Brothers and sisters:

You have heard of the stewardship of God's grace 

that was given to me for your benefit, 

namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.

It was not made known to people in other generations 

as it has now been revealed

to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 

that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,

and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Alleluia

Mt 2:2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

We saw his star at its rising

and have come to do him homage.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,

in the days of King Herod, 

behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 

"Where is the newborn king of the Jews?

We saw his star at its rising

and have come to do him homage."

When King Herod heard this,

he was greatly troubled, 

and all Jerusalem with him.

Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 

He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, 

for thus it has been written through the prophet:

And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

since from you shall come a ruler,

who is to shepherd my people Israel."

Then Herod called the magi secretly 

and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 

"Go and search diligently for the child.

When you have found him, bring me word, 

that I too may go and do him homage."

After their audience with the king they set out.

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 

until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 

and on entering the house

they saw the child with Mary his mother.

They prostrated themselves and did him homage.

Then they opened their treasures 

and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 

they departed for their country by another way. 

House Chaplain to be a Woman for the First Time

Nancy Pelosi has appointed a woman to be the Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives, making her the first woman to serve in this role.

I was curious about this whole thing so I looked up more information. The last two chaplains have been Catholic priests. Prior to these there had never been a Catholic in this position, the role instead being filled by various types of Protestants, mostly Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist. 52 men have held this position and 0 women.

Since this position has been predominated by Protestants, I guess there is nothing stopping them from naming a woman since many of these denominations have accepted female clergy in their ranks for some time now. Obviously if this was an exclusively Catholic chaplain, it would have to be a man, as only Catholic men can truly be chaplains.

I'm sure she had no other choice really. In this age of political correctness, to appoint a male, especially a white man to this position would be criticized and politicians like her don't want to rock that boat. I know nothing of Margaret Kibben as such so I cannot comment on her qualifications only to say in a Catholic context that only men should be given such roles.

Anyway, just saw that and wanted to point out a few things.

You can get more information from the Wikipedia article here.

Feast Days of Brothers St. Gregory Nazianzus and St. Basil the Great

Happy New Year and Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God! January 1 2021

 

Argentinians Celebrate Ability to Kill Children

Can anyone explain this? There is an explanation, but it's the worst possible one. Argentina just passed a law which legalizes abortion and many people in the streets of Argentina were out celebrating. Not acknowledging a political victory. No, they were outright elated, thrilled, over-the-moon excited. It's sick and grotesque. It's so absurd, that even Not The Bee (a website showcasing real news which seems like it came from the satirical website The Babylon Bee) wrote about it.

We are constantly told that "no one likes abortion" and pro-choicers always like to talk about the fact that abortion is a last resort only used because of various hardships. "It's for the best". Basically, it's seen as a necessary evil. Or so we're told.

So how can anyone explain throngs of people jubilantly celebrating this decision? Who is this excited over the legalization of a necessary evil employed in "hard cases"? Nobody is, which shows that the people pushing for abortion are not being honest.

Abortion advocates do not see abortion as a last resort or something to be avoided. They do not think there must be a difficult situation to justify its use, nor do they see it as a necessary evil. They, in fact, see abortion as a positive good, something to be celebrated on its own. The more abortion, the better. The implications of this are hard to even comprehend.

Something else I realized was that sometimes pro-choicers say the unborn child isn't a baby, it's a clump of cells. Yet again this would not justify this reaction. Would masses of people burst into joy if the government announced that people could now have a mole or a wart removed? Would it cause this kind of emotional reaction? Hardly. At most, it would be a side note on page 14 of the newspaper.

No, they are celebrating because the ability to kill the child within ones womb is of utmost importance in the dominance of extreme feminism. Anyone who stands in the way of these women, even innocent children, are to be destroyed. That is what is at the heart of this.

It's disturbing, scary, and completely immoral. So sad to see.

Readings for Catholic Mass for Wednesday, December 30, 2020

The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Lectionary: 203

Reading 1

1 JN 2:12-17

I am writing to you, children,

because your sins have been forgiven for his name’s sake.

I am writing to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.I am writing to you, young men,

because you have conquered the Evil One.

I write to you, children,

because you know the Father.I write to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

because you are strong and the word of God remains in you,

and you have conquered the Evil One.

Do not love the world or the things of the world. 

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

For all that is in the world,

sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life,

is not from the Father but is from the world. 

Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. 

But whoever does the will of God remains forever.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 96:7-8A, 8B-9, 10

R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Give to the LORD, you families of nations,

give to the LORD glory and praise;

give to the LORD the glory due his name!

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Bring gifts, and enter his courts;

worship the LORD in holy attire.

Tremble before him, all the earth.

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Say among the nations: The LORD is king.

He has made the world firm, not to be moved;

he governs the peoples with equity. 

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

 

Alleluia  

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

A holy day has dawned upon us.

Come, you nations, and adore the Lord.

Today a great light has come upon the earth.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

LK 2:36-40

There was a prophetess, Anna,

the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. 

She was advanced in years,

having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,

and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. 

She never left the temple,

but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. 

And coming forward at that very time,

she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child

to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions

of the law of the Lord,

they returned to Galilee,

to their own town of Nazareth. 

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;

and the favor of God was upon him.

Pope Francis among most admired men to Americans

 

Pope Francis is one of the top ten most admired men to Americans in 2020. Apparently he has been on the list since 2013. Some of the company seems rather contradictory. Not sure what to make of this, but at the very least it means people do not completely hate the Catholic Church, it would seem.

The list can be found here: https://news.gallup.com/poll/328193/donald-trump-michelle-obama-admired-2020.aspx

Apparently Pope John Paul II has been on the list quite a bit also: 29 times since it started in 1946. I mean obviously he would only appear there after he became pope. Higher than him however is Billy Graham who appeared there 61 times. This may have to do with the fact that Billy Graham was a public figure for almost 60 years, whereas the papacy of John Paul II lasted 26 years. So it seems about proportional.

New York and Connecticut win big victory for religious liberty

This isn't something you will see anytime soon in Canada. New York and Connecticut have won the right to remove caps on the number of congregants in churches in the state. I'm not a legal scholar, but the Supreme Court Second Circuit has said that the government cannot arbitrarily restrict the number of congregants by a tiny percentage of small number of people while allowing all sorts of other businesses to remain open. This amounts to discriminatory practices.

The article from which I got this information can be found here.

Feast Day of the Martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket

Today, December 29, is the feast day of St. Thomas Becket who was killed by knights of King Henry II after the king uttered his famous words "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" There are other translations as well.

To summarize, very basically, the king wanted to remove some of the privileges enjoyed by the Church in England. St. Thomas objected to these changes. Although Thomas and the king had been friends for some time, and the king assumed Thomas would support his ambitions, Thomas remained steadfast in supporting the Catholic Church.

After St. Thomas was killed in the cathedral of Canterbury, the king expressed remorse and did public penance. He confessed publicly and then monks and others whipped him.

I found a really good summation of the whole thing here: https://epicpew.com/st-thomas-becket/

Unfortunately the Canterbury Cathedral is no longer under Catholic control. Also, part of the public contrition of King Henry II was to build a shrine to St. Thomas a Becket. In his insane lust for power, Henry VIII, several hundred years later, destroyed the shrine and then put the deceased Becket on trial. What an absolute mockery and sacrilege to such a great man of God.

What's the Rush? Why do People Stop Celebrating Christmas Early?

As usual, the secular world gets it wrong. The world starts celebrating Christmas in November and then stops on December 26. Not only that, the people celebrate something they call "Christmas" but has nothing really to do with Christmas. Let's talk about it.

The Christmas season begins on Christmas Day in the liturgical calendar. Before this, there is Advent, which is a time of preparation for the coming of Christmas. Advent started on Sunday, November 29, 2020 this year and ended on Christmas Eve. But people are impatient. As usual, they want Christ without the Cross. They want the goodies without the purification and preparation beforehand. They want to eat their dessert first.

This is a fundamental misunderstanding of what Christmas is about. The Church has always taught as is spoken in the Old Testament, that there is a time for everything in life. There are good times and bad times, easy times and hard times. Times of joy and times of penance. Without these natural rhythms in life, we are missing something and we can easily become attached to created things without giving due regard to our Creator.

I think we intuitively know this but we choose to ignore it. If you were preparing for a big feast at 5:00pm, would it make sense to have a huge meal at 2:30pm? Of course not, it would ruin the experience of the later meal. Many people love to get up early in the morning, but only if they went to bed on time the prior evening. People want to get in shape, but one must sacrifice some things in order to get there. It's great and joyful to be in good health, but people are not willing to undergo the struggle to get there.

So it is in a spiritual sense. People are unwilling to make any sacrifices or wait. Ironically these sacrifices do not make things worse but much better. If people used Advent for a purification of themselves and their souls, Christmas would be much more fruitful in many ways, especially spiritually. I think that's part of the reason why people abandon Christmas almost as soon as it starts. Nothing is much different. Once the big day comes and goes, they are done observing and are moving on to the next thing. They get neither the purification nor the true joy.

On top of all this, what people call "Christmas" really isn't Christmas at all. People will often say we should remember the "true" meaning of Christmas by which they mean spending time with family and friends. Although this is a joyful aspect of the season, it is not the reason behind it. I suppose at least it's better than thinking Christmas is all about getting gifts.

Christmas is the celebration that God came to earth as a little baby, a child born in a poor situation, but fully God, to bring us salvation. This is such a great miracle, and that is what Christmas is all about.

My plea is that people not stop celebrating Christmas early. It goes until January 10, which is the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord. Keep Christ in Christmas, and keep Mass in Christmas (Christ's Mass) and finally keep Christmas in Christmas.

Readings in the Catholic Church for Mass December 29, 2020

The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Lectionary: 202

Reading 1

1 JN 2:3-11

Beloved:

The way we may be sure that we know Jesus 

is to keep his commandments. 

Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not keep his commandments

is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

But whoever keeps his word,

the love of God is truly perfected in him. 

This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:

whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked.

Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you

but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. 

The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 

And yet I do write a new commandment to you,

which holds true in him and among you,

for the darkness is passing away,

and the true light is already shining. 

Whoever says he is in the light,

yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness. 

Whoever loves his brother remains in the light,

and there is nothing in him to cause a fall. 

Whoever hates his brother is in darkness;

he walks in darkness

and does not know where he is going

because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

 

Responsorial Psalm

PS 96:1-2A, 2B-3, 5B-6

R. (11a)  Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Sing to the LORD a new song;

sing to the LORD, all you lands.

Sing to the LORD; bless his name. 

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Announce his salvation, day after day.

Tell his glory among the nations;

among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

The LORD made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty go before him;

praise and grandeur are in his sanctuary.

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

 

 

Alleluia

LK 2:32

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

A light of revelation to the Gentiles

and glory for your people Israel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

LK 2:22-35

When the days were completed for their purification

according to the law of Moses,

the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem

to present him to the Lord,

just as it is written in the law of the Lord,

Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,

and to offer the sacrifice of

a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,

in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. 

This man was righteous and devout,

awaiting the consolation of Israel,

and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit

that he should not see death

before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. 

He came in the Spirit into the temple;

and when the parents brought in the child Jesus

to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,

he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;

your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation

which you prepared in the sight of every people,

a light to reveal you to the nations

and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;

and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,

“Behold, this child is destined

for the fall and rise of many in Israel,

and to be a sign that will be contradicted

(and you yourself a sword will pierce)

so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”