By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. (Proverbs 24:3-4)
Then Jesus said to his disciples, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)
He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (Mark 16:15)
Is the Lord Jesus welcomed at your table and are you ready to feast at his table? A Pharisee, after hearing Jesus preach, invited him to dinner, no doubt, because he wanted to hear more from this extraordinary man who spoke the word of God as no one else had done before. It was not unusual for a rabbi to give a teaching over dinner. Jesus, however, did something which offended his host. He did not perform the ceremonial washing of hands before beginning the meal. Did Jesus forget or was he deliberately performing a sign to reveal something to his host? Jesus turned the table on his host by chiding him for uncleanness of heart.
What makes the heart clean and holy?
Which is more important to God - clean hands or a clean mind and heart? Jesus chided the Pharisees for harboring evil thoughts that make us unclean spiritually - such as greed, pride, bitterness, envy, arrogance, and the like. Why does he urge them, and us, to give alms? When we give freely and generously to those in need we express love, compassion, kindness, and mercy. And if the heart is full of love and compassion, then there is no room for envy, greed, bitterness, and the like. Do you allow God's love to transform your heart, mind, and actions toward your neighbor?
Lord Jesus, fill me with your love and increase my thirst for holiness. Cleanse my heart of every evil thought and desire and help me to act kindly and justly and to speak charitably with my neighbor.
Pope John Paul II published the third edition of the Roman Missal in 2002, where he restored the feast The Most Holy Name of Jesus to the liturgical calendar as an optional memorial on the first free day after 1 January, that is 3 January.The Church, having made known to us the Incarnation of the divine Son, now unfolds to us the glories of His Name. We give honour to the Name of Jesus, not because we believe that there is any intrinsic power hidden in the letters composing it, but because the Name of Jesus reminds us of all the blessings we receive through our Holy Redeemer. The name of Jesus Christ, the purest and holiest, the noblest and most indulgent of men, of the God-Man, of sanctity itself, the name of all blessings and of all virtues! In the Name of Jesus we obtain every blessing and grace for time and eternity, for Christ has said: "If you ask the Father anything in my name he will give it you." (John 16:23) Therefore the Church concludes all her prayers by the words: "Through Our Lord Jesus Christ", etc. By we living in hope, believe and trust in the Most Holy Name of JESUS, we have the assurance of our
resurrection and eternal salvation.
Philippians 2:5-11 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Missa In nomine Jesu omne genuflectatur, Caelestium, terrestrium, et infernorum: et omnis lingua contiteatur, quia Dominus Jesus Christus in gloria est Dei Patris. - "In the name of Jesus let every knee bow of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth; and let every tongue confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father."
In the Name of Jesus let every knee bow of those that are in heaven (angels) on earth (men) and under the earth (devils).
....vocatum est nomen Eius Iesus quod vocatum est ab Angelo priusquam in utero conciperetur.....- "His Name was called Jesus, which was called by the Angel before He was conceived in the Womb ...."
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
have mercy on me, a sinner.
@ @ @ @ @ @
Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
V: Lord, have mercy. R: Lord, have mercy.
V: Christ, have mercy. R: Christ, have mercy.
V: Lord, have mercy. R: Lord, have mercy.
V: Jesus, hear us. R: Jesus, graciously hear us.
R: have mercy on us
God, the Father of Heaven, God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, God,
the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, One God, Jesus, Son of the living God,
Jesus, Splendor of the Father, Jesus, Brightness of eternal Light,
Jesus, King of Glory, Jesus, Sun of Justice, Jesus, Son of the
Virgin Mary, Jesus, Most amiable, Jesus, most admirable, Jesus, the
mighty God, Jesus, Father of the world to come, Jesus, angel of great
counsel, Jesus, most powerful, Jesus, most patient, Jesus, most
obedient, Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Jesus, Lover of Chastity,
Jesus, our Lover, Jesus, God of Peace, Jesus, Author of Life,
Jesus, Model of Virtues, Jesus, zealous for souls, Jesus, our God,
Jesus, our Refuge, Jesus, Father of the Poor, Jesus, Treasure of the
Faithful, Jesus, good Shepherd, Jesus, true Light, Jesus, eternal
Wisdom, Jesus, infinite Goodness, Jesus, our Way and our Life,
Jesus, joy of the Angels, Jesus, King of the Patriarchs, Jesus,
Master of the Apostles, Jesus, Teacher of the Evangelists, Jesus,
Strength of Martyrs, Jesus, Light of Confessors, Jesus, Purity of
Virgins, Jesus, Crown of all Saints,
V: Be merciful, R: spare us, O Jesus!
V: Be merciful, R: graciously hear us, O Jesus!
R: deliver us, O Jesus
From all evil, From all sin, From your wrath, From the snares of
the devil, From the spirit of fornication, From everlasting death,
From the neglect of your inspirations, Through the mystery of your holy
Incarnation, Through your Nativity, Through your Infancy, Through
your most divine Life, Through your Labors, Through your Agony and
Passion, Through your Cross and Dereliction, Through your Sufferings,
Through your Death and Burial, Through your Resurrection, Through
your Ascension, Through your Institution of the Most Holy Eucharist,
Through your joys, Through your Glory,
V: Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, R: spare us, O
Jesus!
V: Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, R: graciously hear
us, O Jesus!
V: Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, R: have mercy on us,
O Jesus!
V: Jesus hear us. R: Jesus, graciously hear us.
Let us pray.
O Lord Jesus Christ, you have said, "Ask and you shall
receive; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you";
mercifully attend to our supplications, and grant us the grace of your most
divine love, that we may love you with all our hearts, and in all our words and
actions, and never cease to praise you.
Make us, O Lord, to have a perpetual fear and love of your holy name, for you
never fail to govern those whom you solidly establish in your love. You, who
live and reign forever and ever.
AMEN.
@ @ @ @ @ @
Saint Bernardine's IHS monogram
“Glorious
name, gracious name, name of love and of power! Through you sins are forgiven,
through you enemies are vanquished, through you the sick are freed from their
illness, through you those suffering in trials are made strong and cheerful. You
bring honor to those who believe, you teach those who preach, you give strength
to the toiler, you sustain the weary”
St. Bernardine of Siena
@ @ @ @ @ @
The repetition of the Holy Name throughout the prayer below reminds us of the power of Jesus' Name, at which "every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth"
O Good Jesus
O Good Jesus! O most tender Jesus! O most sweet Jesus! O Jesus, Son of Mary the Virgin, full of mercy and kindness! O sweet Jesus, according to Thy great mercy, have pity on me! O most merciful Jesus, I entreat Thee by that Precious Blood of Thine, which Thou didst will to pour forth for sinners, to wash away all my iniquities, and to look upon me, poor and unworthy as I am, humbly asking pardon of Thee, and invoking this Holy Name of Jesus. O Name of Jesus, sweet Name! Name of Jesus, Name of joy! Name of Jesus, Name of strength! Nay, what meaneth the Name of Jesus but Saviour? Wherefore, O Jesus, by Thine own holy Name, be to me Jesus, and save me. Suffer me not to be lost--me, whom Thou didst create out of nothing. O good Jesus, let not my iniquity destroy what Thy almighty goodness made. O sweet Jesus, recognize what is Thine own, and wipe away from me what is not of Thee! O most kind Jesus, have pity on me while it is the time of pity, and condemn me not when it is the time of judgment. The dead shall not praise Thee, Lord Jesus, nor all those who go down into hell. O most loving Jesus! O Jesus, most longed for by Thine own! O most gentle Jesus! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let me enter into the number of Thine elect. O Jesus, salvation of those who believe in Thee; Jesus, Son of Mary the Virgin, pour into me grace, wisdom, charity, chastity, and humility that I may be able perfectly to love Thee, to enjoy Thee, to serve Thee, and make my boast in Thee, together with all those who invoke Thy name, which is Jesus.
Amen.
@ @ @ @ @ @
Psalms 113:
1 - 8
1
Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the
LORD, praise the name of the LORD!
2
Blessed be the name of the LORD from this
time forth and for evermore!
3
From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the LORD is to be praised!
4
The LORD is high above all nations, and his
glory above the heavens!
5
Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated
on high,
6
who looks far down upon the heavens and the
earth?
7
He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts
the needy from the ash heap,
8
to make them sit with princes, with the
princes of his people.
The special prayer either before or after the Monday evening meal is a selection from Psalm 21, in which we see through the eyes of David the picture of Christ suffering for us on the Cross.
Prayer for Monday of Holy Week Psalm 21:1-12 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, far from my prayer, from the words of my cry? O my God, I cry out by day, and you answer not; by night, and there is no relief for me. Yet you are enthroned in the holy place, O glory of Israel! In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried, and they escaped; in you they trusted, and they were not put to shame. But I am a worm, not a man; the scorn of men, despised by the people. All who see me scoff at me; they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads: "He relied on the Lord; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, if he loves him." You have been my guide since I was first formed, my security at my mother's breast. To you I was committed at birth, from my mother's womb you are my God. Be not far from me, for I am in distress; be near, for I have no one to help me. AMEN.
Prayer for Tuesday of Holy Week Psalm 21:13-22 Many bullocks surround me; the strong bulls of Basan encircle me. They open their mouths against me like ravening and roaring lions. I am like water poured out; all my bones are racked. My heart has become like wax melting away within my bosom. My throat is dried up like baked clay, my tongue cleaves to my jaws; to the dust of death you have brought me down. Indeed, many dogs surround me, a pack of evildoers closes in upon me; They have pierced my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones. They look on and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots. But you, O Lord, be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me. Rescue my soul from the sword, my loneliness from the grip of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth; from the horns of the wild bulls, my wretched life. AMEN.
Prayer for Wednesday of Holy Week Psalm 21:23-32 I will proclaim your name to my brethren: in the midst of the assembly I will praise you; "You who fear the Lord, praise him; all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him; revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not spurned nor disdained the wretched man in his misery Nor did he turn his face away from him, but when he cried out to him, he heard him." So by your gift will I utter praise in the vast assembly; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear him. The lowly shall eat their fill; they who seek the Lord shall praise him: "May your hearts be ever merry!" All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; All the families of the nations shall bow down before him. For dominion is the Lord's and he rules the nations. To him alone shall bow down all who sleep in the earth; Before him shall bend all who go down into the dust. And to him my soul shall live; my descendants shall serve him. Let the coming generation be told of the Lord that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born the justice he has shown. AMEN.
Prayer for Holy Thursday Table Blessing for Holy Thursday It is good to have a special table blessings reflecting the Church's liturgical year. These can be used individually, with the family or in a group. Here is meal blessing for Holy Thursday from Table Blessings: Mealtime Prayers Throughout the Year by Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette. Reading:
Instructing his friends into the divine mysteries, Jesus, the wisdom of God, prepares a table that gives food to the soul, and mingles for the faithful the cup of the wine of life eternal. Let us all, therefore, draw near the mysterious table, with pure souls let us receive the Bread of Life: Let us remain at the master's side, that we may see how he washes the feet of the disciples and wipes them with a towel, and let us do as we have seen him do, washing one another's feet. For such is the commandment that Christ himself gave to his disciples (Byzantine Matins).
Responsory:
Verse:Come, O faithful, let us enjoy the master's hospitality, Response: and partake at the table of immortal life in the upper room.
The Lord's Prayer Blessing
Lord Jesus Christ, in your ardent love for your apostles you desired to share the Passover meal with them on the night before you suffered. During the course of that meal, you instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist where you offered to us your own body and blood as bread and wine to nourish our souls. Send your blessings upon this table and all those who partake of it. Nourish us with the Bread of Life, until the day we are called to the banquet of eternal life. Amen.
Prayer for Good Friday This prayer is designed to be said within the family before a Crucifix on Good Friday. Mother or a child: Jesus lives his entire life for his journey or a child: under the Cross of salvation. St. John's Gospel gives us some of his last words (12:27-33): Now my soul is troubled. And what shall I say! Father, save me from this hour. No, this is why I came to this hour! Father, glorify thy Name. There came therefore a voice from heaven: I have both glorified it, and I will glorify it again. Now is the judgment of the world, now will the prince of the world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all things to myself.Father: He humbled himself becoming obedient unto death, even to death on a Cross. Therefore God also has exalted him and has bestowed upon him the name that is above every name, so that at the Name of Jesus, every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. We adore your Cross, O Lord, and we praise and glorify your holy resurrection Family: because by this sacred wood joy has come into the whole world. Father: Let us pray. We beseech you, O God, look upon this your family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ allowed himself to be betrayed into the hands of wicked men and to undergo the torment of the Cross. In his Name grant our petition. Family: Amen.
Prayer for Holy Saturday This prayer is designed to be said within the family before a Crucifix on Holy Saturday. No candles are lit today. Mother or a child: "May our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who alone by his powerful word governs all things, yet has buried the shame of the Cross and iron bonds, who has broken the bars of the bronze doors and has descended into hell, who has shone with the brightness of a new light on those who were sitting in the shadow of death — may he, the sun of justice, rising from the tomb, shine upon our darkness with the marvelous light of his risen Body." Father: The women sitting at the sepulchre Family: were weeping and lamenting for the Lord. Father: Let us pray. O God, who makes this most holy night illustrious by the glory of the resurrection of our Lord, preserve in the new children of your family the spirit of adoption which you have given, that, renewed in body and soul, they may give you a pure service. This we ask of you through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son. Family: Amen. Father: Let us bless the Lord. Family: Thanks be to God. Father: May the almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless and keep us. Family: Amen.
Prayer for Easter Sunday On Easter morning, before beginning the festivities, the family should share their joy in the Resurrection by praying together. Here is a beautiful little formula, easily understood by children. End it with a hymn, such as the universal favorite, Jesus Christ is Ris'n Today. Father: Christ is risen, Alleluia. Family: He is truly risen, Alleluia. Father: The Lord is risen from the grave, Alleluia. Family: Who hung upon the Cross for us, Alleluia. Father: Let us pray. O God, through Thine only-begotten Son Thou hast overcome death on this day and hast opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; pursue with Thine aid the good resolves Thou hast inspired, and by Thy constant help make them lastingly effective. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who is living and reigning forever and ever. Family: Alleluia, Alleluia. Father: This is the day the Lord has made, Alleluia. Family: Let us be glad and rejoice in it, Alleluia. Father: To God the Father let us sing, to God the Son, our Risen King. Family: And let us equally adore the Spirit, God forever more, Alleluia. Father: Praise the Lord, for He is good, Family: Sing praise to our Lord, for He is gracious, it is fitting to praise Him. Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise with the harp to our God, Who covers the heavens with clouds, who provides rain for the earth; Who makes grain sprout on the mountains and herbs for the service of men; Who gives food to the cattle, and to the young ravens when they cry to In the strength of the steed He delights not, nor is He pleased with the fleshness of men. The Lord is pleased with those who fear Him, and with those who hope for His kindness. Father: Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Salome bought sweet spices that coming they might anoint Jesus. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen. And they said to one another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And looking they saw the stone rolled back, for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe; and they were astonished. Who saith to them: Be not affrighted. You seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here! Behold the place where they laid Him. But go tell His disciples, and Peter, that He goes before you into Galilee where you shall see him, as He told you. (Mark 16:1-7)
They placed Him in a tomb of stone, Dead, all helpless, and alone. But Easter morn, before the light, He rose alive in glory bright!
Family: Alleluia. Christ has Risen. AMEN.
Prayer Source: Family Customs: Easter to Pentecost by Helen McLoughlin, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1956
Prayer Source: Lent and Holy Week in the Home by Emerson and Arlene Hynes, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1977
Prayer Source: Holy Lent by Eileen O'Callaghan, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1975
This feast always occurs on the eighth day of Christmas (Octave of the Nativity). 3 January - Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus Commemorates the circumcision and naming of the child Jesus.
9 May - Ascension of the Lord
Christ's ascension to Heaven after 40 days from his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
15 August - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, marks the death of Mary and the assumption without decay of her body into Heaven.
1 November - All Saints Day
Rememberance and a day to honor all Catholic saints, names and unnamed.
2 November - All Souls Day
Rememberance and a day to honor all Souls of Christian brother and sisters in Christ.
9 November - The Dedication of the ArchBasilica of St. John Lateran
8 December - Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
A day to honor the conception of Mary in Saint Anne's womb, whom will be born without sin.
25 December - Christmas Day (December 25).
Celebrate the birth of the Savior and Messiah Jesus, the Emmanuel.
Moveable
6 January - Epiphany of the Lord
Observe 12 days after Christmas which marks the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, as represented by the Magi, the baptism of Jesus, and the miracle of the wine at the marriage feast at Cana. 13 February - Ash Wednesday
Catholics faithful receive ashes in the sign of the cross on their foreheads, which indicates the beginning of 40 days of Lent. 19 March - Solemnity of St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
24 March - Palm Sunday
Observe on the Sunday before Easter Sunday, which marks Christ entry into Jerusalem.
28 March - Holy Thursday (Holy Week)
Also known as Maundy Thursday. It commemorates the Last Supper and serves as a reminder of the institution of the Eucharist, the priesthood, and the mass.
29 March - Good Friday (Holy Week)
Catholics memorializes Christ's passion and crucifixion. Observation day of fasting and meatless meals.
30 March - Holy Saturday (Holy Week)
Easter Vigil, which begins on Saturday night in preparation for Easter Sunday and a day where new baptized adult brothers and sisters follow Jesus into His house the Church.
31 March - Easter Sunday
Celebrated after the 40 days of Lent. All faithful of the Catholic Church is required to receive the Holy Eucharist at least once during the Easter season.
7 April - Divine Mercy Sunday
April 30, 2000, the day on which the Vatican declared Maria Faustina Kowalska to be St. Faustina is when this feast was first celebrated. Catholic faithful recall Christ's divine mercy. 8 April - The Annunciation of the Lord celebrates the angel Gabriel's appearance and message to the Virgin Mary that the Blessed Virgin had been chosen to be the Mother of Our Lord, and Mary's fiat of her willingness to accept of God's holy plan.
19 May - Pentecost Sunday
Also known as the birthday of the Church. Christ's disciples received the Holy Spirit and started to preach in all the languages used by the crowd present on Pentecost.
26 May - Trinity Sunday
Celebrated on the Sunday after Pentecost Sunday. A solemn observance, it reminds Catholics of the Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all equally God and are inseparable.
30 May -Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of the Lord)
Celebrates the birth of the Eucharist during the Last Supper. Normally will be celebrated on a Sunday. 7 June - Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus 24 June - Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist Celebrates the birth of John the Baptist. 30 June - Solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul, Apostles Feast in honor of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul. 24 November - Solemnity of Christ the King
1 December - First Sunday of Advent
Advent is observe in the period of four Sundays prior to Christmas. Advent is somber period (darkness) much like Lent, where the faithful prepare for the celebration of Christmas, the coming of Christ Jesus the Light of the World.
The Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph are the Holy Family. The Roman Catholic Church, celebrates the liturgical feast of the Holy Family in honor of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and his foster father, Saint Joseph, as a family.
The feast is celebrated on the Sunday that follows Christmas (in the case that Sunday is 1 January, then it is celebrated on 30 December instead).
Prayer Before a Picture of the HolyFamily
O most loving Jesus, Who by Thy surpassing virtues and the example of Thy home life didst hallow the household in which Thou didst choose to live while on earth, mercifully look down upon this family, whose members, humbly prostrate before Thee, implore Thy protection. Remember that we are Thine, bound and consecrated to Thee by a special devotion. Protect us in Thy mercy, deliver us from danger, help us in our necessities, and impart to us strength to persevere always in the imitation of Thy Holy Family, so that, by serving Thee and loving Thee faithfully during this mortal life, we may at length give Thee eternal praise in heaven.
O Mary, dearest Mother, we implore thy assistance, knowing that thy divine Son will hearken to thy petition.
And do thou, most glorious patriarch, St. Joseph, help us with thy powerful patronage, and place our petitions in Mary's hands, that she may offer them to Jesus Christ.
AMEN.
Matthew 2:13-23
The Escape to Egypt
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
The Return to Nazareth
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” 21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Sunday, December 30, 2012 The Holy Family (Feast) First Reading Sirach 3: 2
- 7, 12 - 14
2
For the Lord honored the father above the
children, and he confirmed the right of the mother over her sons.
3
Whoever honors his father atones for sins,
4
and whoever glorifies his mother is like one
who lays up treasure.
5
Whoever honors his father will be gladdened
by his own children, and when he prays he will be heard.
6
Whoever glorifies his father will have long
life, and whoever obeys the Lord will refresh his mother;
7
he will serve his parents as his masters.
12
O son, help your father in his old age, and
do not grieve him as long as he lives;
13
even if he is lacking in understanding, show
forbearance; in all your strength do not despise him.
14
For kindness to a father will not be
forgotten, and against your sins it will be credited to you;
Psalm Psalms 128:
1 - 5
1
Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, who
walks in his ways!
2
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your
hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
3
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
4
Lo, thus shall the man be blessed who fears
the LORD.
5
The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see
the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life!
Second Reading Colossians 3:
12 - 21
12
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and
beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience,
13
forbearing one another and, if one has a
complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you,
so you also must forgive.
14
And above all these put on love, which binds
everything together in perfect harmony.
15
And let the peace of Christ rule in your
hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.
16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do
everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through him.
18
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is
fitting in the Lord.
19
Husbands, love your wives, and do not be
harsh with them.
20
Children, obey your parents in everything,
for this pleases the Lord.
21
Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest
they become discouraged.
Gospel Luke 2: 22
- 40
22
And when the time came for their
purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to
present him to the Lord
23
(as it is written in the law of the Lord,
"Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord")
24
and to offer a sacrifice according to what
is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."
25
Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name
was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation
of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26
And it had been revealed to him by the Holy
Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27
And inspired by the Spirit he came into the
temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according
to the custom of the law,
28
he took him up in his arms and blessed God
and said,
29
"Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart
in peace, according to thy word;
30
for mine eyes have seen thy salvation
31
which thou hast prepared in the presence of
all peoples,
32
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and
for glory to thy people Israel."
33
And his father and his mother marveled at
what was said about him;
34
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his
mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel,
and for a sign that is spoken against
35
(and a sword will pierce through your own
soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed."
36
And there was a prophetess, Anna, the
daughter of Phan'u-el, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having
lived with her husband seven years from her virginity,
37
and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She
did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and
day.
38
And coming up at that very hour she gave
thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of
Jerusalem.
39
And when they had performed everything
according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city,
Nazareth.
40
And the child grew and became strong, filled
with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
