Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ 8 Sept 2015

Let us celebrate with joyful hearts 

the birth of the Virgin Mary, 

of whom was born the Sun of Justice, 

Christ our Lord.

Happy Birthday, Mother Mary.

The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on the 8 September annually, which is nine months after celebration of her Immaculate Conception as the child of Saints Joachim and Anne on the 8 December. In the birth of Our Lady, we see the Father’s plan for the world’s redemption in action. Our Lady, Mother Mary, who was conceived without original sin and, consequently, born without original sin. God chosen and sent her into the world so that we, too, could have life through her Son, our Lord, Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. She was not doing extraordinary things from the time she was born. But like her Son she lived a very ordinary life in the most extraordinary manner, in complete union with God in the seclusion of her heart.

The birth and early life of the Virgin Mary is not recorded in the books or Gospels of the Bible but this information can be referenced in the Book of James or Protoevangelium of James, written in the second century. Her nativity is a cause for great joy as it is considered the" dawn of our salvation" (birth of salvation) as Pope Paul VI wrote in the document, Marialis Cultus in 1972.

Let us live without sin, 

imitating our mother, 

and giving greater glory to her Son, 

our Lord Jesus Christ.

Impart to your servants, we pray, O Lord, the gift of heavenly grace, that the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin may bring deeper peace to those for whom the birth of her Son was the dawning of salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reading 1

Micah 5:1-4aThe LORD says:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
From you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
Whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
And the rest of his brethren shall return
to the children of Israel.)
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
And they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.

Or

Romans 8:28-30

Brothers and sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 13:6ab, 6c

R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Though I trusted in your mercy,
let my heart rejoice in your salvation.
R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Let me sing of the LORD, “He has been good to me.”
R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;
from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23
The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

Or

Matthew 1:18-23

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

80th NBVM Parish Feast Day Celebrations (1935~2015)

Church of the 

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Butterworth, Penang.

Theme:

Mission Towards Transforming Humanity

80th Parish Feast Day Celebrations

(1935 ~ 2015)

04 Sept 2015 ~ 13 Sept 2015

Address:
3972 Jalan New Ferry,
12100 Butterworth,
Penang, Malaysia.
T: +604 3249635
F: +604 3243067
nbvmpg@yahoo.com

Parish Priest
Rev Victor Louis
T: +6016 4410928

Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist ~ 29 August 2015

We remember and honour the anniversary of Saint John the Baptist martyrdom in today memorial. John the Baptist who was put to death through beheading for speaking the truth.

“Dear brothers and sisters, celebrating the martyrdom of St John the Baptist reminds us too, Christians of this time, that with love for Christ, for his words and for the Truth, we cannot stoop to compromises. The Truth is Truth; there are no compromises. Christian life demands, so to speak, the “martyrdom” of daily fidelity to the Gospel, the courage, that is, to let Christ grow within us and let him be the One who guides our thought and our actions.” 

~ Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience of 29 August 2012 ~

O God, who willed that Saint John the Baptist should go ahead of your Son both in his birth and in his death, grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and justice, we, too, may fight hard for the confession of what you teach. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.

Reading 1

1 Thessalonians 4:9-11

Brothers and sisters:
On the subject of fraternal charity
you have no need for anyone to write you,
for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
Indeed, you do this for all the brothers throughout Macedonia.
Nevertheless we urge you, brothers and sisters, to progress even more,
and to aspire to live a tranquil life,
to mind your own affairs,
and to work with your own hands,
as we instructed you.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 98:1, 7-8, 9
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mark 6:17-29
Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Herodias harboured a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers,
his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee.
Herodias’ own daughter came in
and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
“Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.”
He even swore many things to her,
“I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom.”
She went out and said to her mother,
“What shall I ask for?”
She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”
The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request,
“I want you to give me at once
on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders
to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Fear, love and trust in God by living the Ten Commandments

In following the Ten Commandments we show that we fear, love and trust in God.

Exodus 24:12
The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.”

John 14:15
If you love Me, keep My commandments.

John 15:14
You are my friends if you do what I command you.

Mark 3:35
Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.

The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17)

1. I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me.
Love God more than anyone or anything else; for anything we love more than God becomes our God instead of Him.

2. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
Do not curse, swear, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon His name at times of trouble, worship, praise, and give thanks.

3. Remember to keep holy the LORD'S Day.
God rested on the seventh day after His six days of work when He created the heavens and the earth, therefore God instructed His people not to work and rest on the Sabbath day.

4. Honour your father and your mother.
Do not despise or anger our parents, elders and with higher authority, but honour, serve, obey, love and cherish them.

5. You shall not kill.
No to take someone's life, not only by murdering but also when we anger someone and wish that the person will die.

6. You shall not commit adultery.
Avoid all sexual sins and sexual acts outside of marriage.

7. You shall not steal.
Unjustly taking, using or damaging worldly things belonging to someone else.

8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
Never say anything about another person that isn't true, or gossip about others.

9. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife.
Do not envy (desire) the living forms (of flesh and blood) that belongs to another.

10. You shall not covet your neighbour's goods.
Do not envy (desire) the worldly things (goods) that belongs to another.

Revelation 21:8

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Matthew 19:16-17

Then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Romans 13:9

For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Therefore faithfully keep the Commandments, let us often reflect on them, on the duties they impose upon us, and examine our conscience as to how we observe them, in what points we transgress them, and how we may avoid further transgressions. Let us imitate David, who loved the Commandments, because he loved God; who constantly meditated upon them, in order to be guided and ruled by them. He exclaims: "O how have I loved thy law, O Lord!

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle ~ 24 August 2015

Saint Bartholomew, is one of the least known of the 12 apostles of Jesus. Bartholomew in the first three gospels is the same as the one referred to as Nathaniel who is portrayed as Philip’s friend in John gospel. Bartholomew was a man “in whom there was no guile,” his mind was open to the truth. He went willingly with Philip to see Christ, and recognized the Savior immediately as the Son of God. After the Resurrection, he is believed to have preached in India and with his fellow apostle Jude Thaddeus preached to Armenia. Bartholomew martyred in Albanopolis in Armenia by popular tradition holds that he was flayed alive and crucified, head downward. Therefore, Bartholomew is portrayed as flayed and holding in his hand his own skin.

Strengthen in us, O Lord, the faith, by which the blessed Apostle Bartholomew clung wholeheartedly to your Son, and grant that through the help of his prayers your Church may become for all the nations the sacrament of salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reading 1

Revelation 21:9b-14
The angel spoke to me, saying,
“Come here.
I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God.
It gleamed with the splendour of God.
Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,
like jasper, clear as crystal.
It had a massive, high wall,
with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed
and on which names were inscribed,
the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
There were three gates facing east,
three north, three south, and three west.
The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation,
on which were inscribed the twelve names
of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendour of your Kingdom.

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, 

the glorious splendour of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendour of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, 

the glorious splendour of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, 

the glorious splendour of your Kingdom.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the King of Israel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

John 1:45-51
Philip found Nathanael and told him,
“We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,
and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
But Nathanael said to him,
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Eight Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10)

The Eight Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10) also call by some the Eight Beautiful Attitudes. Jesus Christ gave us the eight Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). These Beatitudes provide a way of life that promises salvation, they also provide peace in the midst of our trials and tribulations on this earth.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Those who, however great their wealth, dignity, learning, etc., acknowledge that in God's sight they are poor, and realize that their riches come from God. Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Mourning for sin is not sadness, for it is not incompatible with spiritual joy. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. (Luke 6:25)

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

The meek are those who bear patiently all the contradictions of life, looking upon them as happening through God's Will or by His permission. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Becoming more humble and pure, more closely united with God and a desire to be more pleasing to God, to make daily progress in doing His will.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

The merciful are those who practice the works of mercy. Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. (Matthew 25:34-35).

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Those who are not in habitual sin are clean of heart, and possess virtue. They will be rewarded with the vision of God in heaven; and even on earth by the great light given them.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

We should also try to reconcile those who are not on good terms with each other.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Those are blessed who suffer for Christ, religion, or some Christian virtue. They will receive an eternal reward. Those who faithfully observe the entire law of God and defend the cause of His Church, procure His glory and save souls.

When I Call on Jesus

But when I call on Jesus

All things are possible

I can mount on wings like eagles and soar

When I call on Jesus

Mountains are gonna fall

'Cause He'll move heaven

And earth to come rescue me when I call

Lord, give me strength, wisdom, and direction

Heavenly Father,

You know every decision I need to make

and every challenge I face.

Please forgive for the times that I try

to figure this life out on my own.

I need You.

I need Your Holy Spirit

to give me strength, wisdom, and direction.

AMEN.

Colours meaning ....

Black

Authority and power.

White

Innocence, purity and in some cases cleanliness and sterility.

Red

Intensity and love.

Blue

Peace and tranquillity and in some cases loneliness, cold and depression.

Green

Nature and wealth.

Yellow

Happiness.

source: Color Psychology