Wednesday, January 01, 2014. 

Today's Liturgical Reading by Daily Flash, Goa. 

Feast of Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. 

First Reading : Numbers 6:22-27; Second Reading : Psalms 66[67]:2-3, 5-6, 8; Galatians 4:4-7; Gospel : Luke 2:16-21. [Please share today's Gospel.] 

First Reading : Numbers 6:22-27

The Priestly Benediction

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them,

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.


Second Reading : 

Psalms 67:2-3, 5-6, 8 

that your way may be known upon earth,

your saving power among all nations.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has yielded its increase;

God, our God, has blessed us

Galatians 4:4-7 

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

Gospel : Luke 2:16-21

So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Jesus Is Named

After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Focus : 'But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.' (Luke 2:19) 

Fruit : I can learn from Mother Mary how to cope with life's troubles by trusting in God and keeping His word always alive in my heart. [May the year 2014 bring the peace and joy of the Lord!]

Tuesday, December 31, 2013. 

Today's Liturgical Readings by Daily Flash, Goa. 

Feast of Saint Sylvester I. 

First Reading : 1 John 2:18-21 ; Second Reading : Psalm 95[96]:1-2, 11-13; Gospel : John 1:1-18. [Please share today's Gospel.]

First Reading : 1 John 2:18-21 

The Enemy of Christ

18 My children, the end is near! You were told that the Enemy of Christ would come; and now many enemies of Christ have already appeared, and so we know that the end is near.19 These people really did not belong to our fellowship, and that is why they left us; if they had belonged to our fellowship, they would have stayed with us. But they left so that it might be clear that none of them really belonged to us.

20 But you have had the Holy Spirit poured out on you by Christ, and so all of you know the truth. 21 I write you, then, not because you do not know the truth; instead, it is because you do know it, and you also know that no lie ever comes from the truth.

Psalm 96:1-2, 11-13

God the Supreme King

96 Sing a new song to the Lord!
    Sing to the Lord, all the world!
2 Sing to the Lord, and praise him!
    Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us.

11 Be glad, earth and sky!
    Roar, sea, and every creature in you;
12     be glad, fields, and everything in you!
The trees in the woods will shout for joy
13     when the Lord comes to rule the earth.
He will rule the peoples of the world
    with justice and fairness.

Second Reading : Also read Psalm 95 


Gospel : John 1:1-18

The Word of Life

1 In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 From the very beginning the Word was with God. 3 Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him. 4 The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.

6 God sent his messenger, a man named John, 7 who came to tell people about the light, so that all should hear the message and believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came to tell about the light. 9 This was the real light—the light that comes into the world and shines on all people.

10 The Word was in the world, and though God made the world through him, yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him. 12 Some, however, did receive him and believed in him; so he gave them the right to become God's children. 13 They did not become God's children by natural means, that is, by being born as the children of a human father; God himself was their Father.

14 The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son.

15 John spoke about him. He cried out, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘He comes after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.’”

16 Out of the fullness of his grace he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another. 17 God gave the Law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

Focus: "He himself was not the light; he came to tell about the light." (John 1:8)

Fruit: In my words and actions let me make myself less important and instead let Jesus shine and be seen by everyone I meet today. 

[Let us thank the Lord for many blessings in 2013]

Monday, December 30, 2013. 

Today's Liturgical Reading by Daily Flash, Goa.

First Reading : 1 John 2:12-17 ; Second Reading : Psalm 95[96]:7-10; Gospel : Luke 2:36-40. [Please share today's Gospel.]

First Reading : 1 John 2:12-17 

12 I write to you, my children, because your sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ. 13 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you have defeated the Evil One.

14 I write to you, my children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong; the word of God lives in you, and you have defeated the Evil One.

15 Do not love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you do not love the Father. 16 Everything that belongs to the world—what the sinful self desires, what people see and want, and everything in this world that people are so proud of—none of this comes from the Father; it all comes from the world. 17 The world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever.

Psalm 96:7-10

7 Praise the Lord, all people on earth;
    praise his glory and might.
8 Praise the Lord's glorious name;
    bring an offering and come into his Temple.
9 Bow down before the Holy One when he appears;
    tremble before him, all the earth!

10 Say to all the nations, “The Lord is king!
    The earth is set firmly in place and cannot be moved;
    he will judge the peoples with justice.”

Second Reading : Also read Psalm 95 


Gospel : Luke 2:36-40

36-37 There was a very old prophet, a widow named Anna, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and was now eighty-four years old.She never left the Temple; day and night she worshiped God, fasting and praying. 38 That very same hour she arrived and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God to set Jerusalem free.

The Return to Nazareth

39 When Joseph and Mary had finished doing all that was required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee. 40 The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God's blessings were upon him.

Focus: "She arrived and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child" (Luke 2:38)

Fruit: Let me ask the Holy Spirit to lead me to someone with the message of salvation that Jesus brings today. 

Sunday, December 29, 2013. 

Today's Liturgical Reading by Daily Flash, Goa. 

Feast of Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

First Reading : Sirach 3:3-7, 14-17 [Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14] or 1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28; Second Reading : Psalm 127[128]:1-5; Colossians 3:12-21 or Psalms 83[84]:2-3, 5-6, 9-10; 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24; Gospel : Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 or Luke 2:41-52. [Please share today's Gospel.]

First Reading : Sirach 3:3-7, 14-17 [Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14] 

2 for the Lord has given fathers authority over their children and given children the obligation to obey their mothers. 3 If you respect your father, you can make up for your sins, 4 and if you honor your mother, you are earning great wealth. 5 If you respect your father, one day your own children will make you happy; the Lord will hear your prayers. 6 If you obey the Lord by honoring your father and making your mother happy, you will live a long life. 7 Obey your parents as if you were their slave. 8 Honor your father in everything you do and say, so that you may receive his blessing. 9 When parents give their blessing, they give strength to their children's homes, but when they curse their children, they destroy the very foundations. 

10 Never seek honor for yourself at your father's expense; it is not to your credit if he is dishonored. 11 Your own honor comes from the respect that you show to your father. If children do not honor their mothers, it is their own disgrace. 12 My child, take care of your father when he grows old; give him no cause for worry as long as he lives. 13 Be sympathetic even if his mind fails him; don't look down on him just because you are strong and healthy.14 The Lord will not forget the kindness you show to your father; it will help you make up for your sins. 15 When you are in trouble, the Lord will remember your kindness and will help you; your sins will melt away like frost in warm sunshine. 16 Those who abandon their parents or give them cause for anger may as well be cursing the Lord; they are already under the Lord's curse.

Humility

17 My child, be humble in everything you do, and people will appreciate it more than gifts.

Psalm 128:1-5

The Reward of Obedience to the Lord

128 Happy are those who obey the Lord,
    who live by his commands.

2 Your work will provide for your needs;
    you will be happy and prosperous.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine in your home,
    and your children will be like young olive trees around your table.
4 A man who obeys the Lord
    will surely be blessed like this.

5 May the Lord bless you from Zion!
    May you see Jerusalem prosper
    all the days of your life!

Or 

1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28

20 So it was that she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, and explained, “I asked the Lord for him.”

21 The time came again for Elkanah and his family to go to Shiloh and offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and the special sacrifice he had promised. 22 But this time Hannah did not go. She told her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will take him to the house of the Lord, where he will stay all his life.”

24 After she had weaned him, she took him to Shiloh, taking along a three-year-old bull, a bushel of flour, and a leather bag full of wine. She took Samuel, young as he was, to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. 25 After they had killed the bull, they took the child to Eli.26 Hannah said to him, “Excuse me, sir. Do you remember me? I am the woman you saw standing here, praying to the Lord. 27 I asked him for this child, and he gave me what I asked for. 28 So I am dedicating him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he will belong to the Lord.” Then they worshiped the Lord there.

Psalms 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10;

2     How I want to be there!
    I long to be in the Lord's Temple.
With my whole being I sing for joy
    to the living God.
3 Even the sparrows have built a nest,
    and the swallows have their own home;
they keep their young near your altars,
    Lord Almighty, my king and my God.

5 How happy are those whose strength comes from you,
    who are eager to make the pilgrimage to Mount Zion.
6 As they pass through the dry valley of Baca,
    it becomes a place of springs;
    the autumn rain fills it with pools.

9 Bless our king, O God,
    the king you have chosen.

10 One day spent in your Temple
    is better than a thousand anywhere else;
I would rather stand at the gate of the house of my God
    than live in the homes of the wicked

Second Reading : Also read Psalm 127; 

Colossians 3:12-21 

12 You are the people of God; he loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you.14 And to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity. 15 The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make; for it is to this peace that God has called you together in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Christ's message in all its richness must live in your hearts. Teach and instruct one another with all wisdom. Sing psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing to God with thanksgiving in your hearts.17 Everything you do or say, then, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks through him to God the Father.

Personal Relations in the New Life

18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, for that is what you should do as Christians. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, it is your Christian duty to obey your parents always, for that is what pleases God. 21 Parents, do not irritate your children, or they will become discouraged.

OR 

Also read Psalms 83; 

1 John 3:1-2, 21-24; 

Children of God

3 See how much the Father has loved us! His love is so great that we are called God's children—and so, in fact, we are. This is why the world does not know us: it has not known God. 2 My dear friends, we are now God's children, but it is not yet clear what we shall become. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is.

21 And so, my dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have courage in God's presence. 22 We receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23 What he commands is that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as Christ commanded us. 24 Those who obey God's commands live in union with God and God lives in union with them. And because of the Spirit that God has given us we know that God lives in union with us.

Gospel : 

Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 

The Escape to Egypt

13 After they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said, “Herod will be looking for the child in order to kill him. So get up, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you to leave.”

14 Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left during the night for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until Herod died. This was done to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet, “I called my Son out of Egypt.”

The Return from Egypt

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go back to the land of Israel, because those who tried to kill the child are dead.” 21 So Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went back to Israel.

22 But when Joseph heard that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Judea, he was afraid to go there. He was given more instructions in a dream, so he went to the province of Galilee 23 and made his home in a town named Nazareth. And so what the prophets had said came true: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Or 

Luke 2:41-52

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

41 Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual. 43 When the festival was over, they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this; 44 they thought that he was with the group, so they traveled a whole day and then started looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. 46 On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers. 48 His parents were astonished when they saw him, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.”

49 He answered them, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?” 50 But they did not understand his answer.

51 So Jesus went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favor with God and people.

Focus: "Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, for that is what you should do as Christians. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them." (Colossians 3:18-19)

Fruit: Today I will assess whether I have been living up to my promises to my spouse and family.

Saturday, December 28, 2013. 

Today's Liturgical Reading by Daily Flash, Goa. 

Feast of Holy Innocents.

First Reading : 1 John 1:5 - 2:2; Second Reading : Psalm 123[124]:2-5, 7-8; Gospel : Matthew 2:13-18. [Please share today's Gospel.]

First Reading : 1 John 1:5 - 2:2 

God Is Light

5 Now the message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him. 6 If, then, we say that we have fellowship with him, yet at the same time live in the darkness, we are lying both in our words and in our actions. 7 But if we live in the light—just as he is in the light—then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from every sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. 9 But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make a liar out of God, and his word is not in us.

Christ Our Helper

2 I am writing this to you, my children, so that you will not sin; but if anyone does sin, we have someone who pleads with the Father on our behalf—Jesus Christ, the righteous one.2 And Christ himself is the means by which our sins are forgiven, and not our sins only, but also the sins of everyone.

Psalm 124:2-5, 7-8

2 “If the Lord had not been on our side
    when our enemies attacked us,
3 then they would have swallowed us alive
    in their furious anger against us;
4 then the flood would have carried us away,
    the water would have covered us,
5     the raging torrent would have drowned us.”

7 We have escaped like a bird from a hunter's trap;
    the trap is broken, and we are free!
8 Our help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.


Second Reading : Also read Psalm 123 


Gospel : Matthew 2:13-18

The Escape to Egypt

13 After they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said, “Herod will be looking for the child in order to kill him. So get up, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you to leave.” 14 Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left during the night for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until Herod died. This was done to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet, “I called my Son out of Egypt.”

The Killing of the Children

16 When Herod realized that the visitors from the East had tricked him, he was furious. He gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its neighborhood who were two years old and younger—this was done in accordance with what he had learned from the visitors about the time when the star had appeared.

17 In this way what the prophet Jeremiah had said came true:

18 

“A sound is heard in Ramah,

    the sound of bitter weeping.

Rachel is crying for her children;

    she refuses to be comforted,

    for they are dead.”

Focus: "....purify us from all our wrongdoing" (1 John 1:9)

Fruit: Today let me ask the Holy Spirit to convict me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.