23 December

The Great O Antiphons: “O Emmanuel”
Today the Church celebrates : St. John of Kanty, Priest (1390-1473),  St. Servulus (c. 590)

See commentary below or click here
Homily attributed to Saint Gregory the Wonderworker : “He spoke blessing God”

Book of Malachi 3:1-4.23-24.

Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire, or like the fuller’s lye. He will sit refining and purifying (silver), and he will purify the sons of Levi, Refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD. Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in days of old, as in years gone by. Lo, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, Before the day of the LORD comes, the great and terrible day, To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the land with doom. Lo, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, Before the day of the LORD comes, the great and terrible day.

Psalms 25(24):4-5.8-9.10.14.

Make known to me your ways, LORD; teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. For you I wait all the long day, because of your goodness, LORD.
Good and upright is the LORD, who shows sinners the way,
Guides the humble rightly, and teaches the humble the way.
All the paths of the LORD are faithful love toward those who honor the covenant demands.
The counsel of the LORD belongs to the faithful; the covenant instructs them.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:57-66.

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

Commentary of the day :

Homily attributed to Saint Gregory the Wonderworker (c.213-270), Bishop
Homily on the holy Theophany, 4 ; PG 10, 1181 (©Friends of Henry Ashworth)

“He spoke blessing God”

[John the Baptist said:] «I am the voice, the voice crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord». So I cannot be silent, Lord, in your presence. «I need to be baptized by you, and do You come to me?» (Mt 3,3.14).

At my birth I took away my mother’s barrenness, and while still an infant I healed my father’s dumbness, for you gave me in childhood the gift of working miracles. But when you were born of the Virgin Mary, in the way you willed and in a manner known to you alone, you did not take away her virginity, but while preserving it intact you gave her in addition the name of “mother.” Her virginity did not hinder your birth, nor did your birth destroy her virginity. On the contrary, two opposites, motherhood and virginity, were easily united by you, because the laws of nature have their origin in you.

I am a mere man, sharing in the grace of God, but you are both God and man because of your love for humankind (cf. Wis 1,6).

22 December
1st book of Samuel 1:24-28.
Once he was weaned, she brought him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull, Hannah, his mother, approached Eli
and said: “Pardon, my lord! As you live my lord, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.” She left him there;

1st book of Samuel 2:1.4-5.6-7.8.
And as she worshiped the LORD, she said: “My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory.
The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength.
he well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil. The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes.
“The LORD puts to death and gives life; he casts down to the nether world; he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he also exalts.
He raises the needy from the dust; from the ash heap he lifts up the poor, To seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage. He gives to the vower his vow, and blesses the sleep of the just. “For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he has set the world upon them.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:46-56.
And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
Commentary of the day : Saint Bede the Venerable
“My spirit rejoices in God my savior”

21 December
Book of Zephaniah 3:14-18.
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals. I will remove disaster from among you, so that none may recount your disgrace.

Psalms 33(32):2-3.11-12.20-21.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; on the ten-stringed lyre offer praise.
Sing to God a new song; skillfully play with joyful chant.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever, wise designs through all generations.
Happy the nation whose God is the LORD, the people chosen as his very own.
Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and shield.
For in God our hearts rejoice; in your holy name we trust.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:39-45.
During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
Commentary of the day : Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
“Mary set out… in haste”