First week in Advent

First Week in Advent

   It is that time of year where we start the new church year and the first week of advent. We use this time to prepare our hearts and soul for the new born christ. The first candle we light is for Hope. Hope is what makes us look beyond what is going on and see what can be coming. It takes away the darkness in our lives and allows that light shine before us so we can see our way out of the darkness. 

   My Hope for this Advent is to come to a deeper understanding of God’s will in the world and especially in my own personal life. It was of God’s will to send His only son on the journey that started on Christmas day and ended 33 years later on Good Friday. I Hope we all come to a deeper understanding so we may be ready to accept Christ in out hearts more, so we can be light of Hope in the world. 

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and may we always have Hope in our hearts. 

First Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 1

Reading 1

IS 2:1-5

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,

saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In days to come,

the mountain of the LORD’s house

shall be established as the highest mountain

and raised above the hills.

All nations shall stream toward it;

many peoples shall come and say:

“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,

to the house of the God of Jacob,

that he may instruct us in his ways,

and we may walk in his paths.”

For from Zion shall go forth instruction,

and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between the nations,

and impose terms on many peoples.

They shall beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks;

one nation shall not raise the sword against another,

nor shall they train for war again.

O house of Jacob, come,

let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Responsorial Psalm

PS 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I rejoiced because they said to me,

“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”

And now we have set foot

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Jerusalem, built as a city

with compact unity.

To it the tribes go up,

the tribes of the LORD.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

According to the decree for Israel,

to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

In it are set up judgment seats,

seats for the house of David.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

May those who love you prosper!

May peace be within your walls,

prosperity in your buildings.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Because of my brothers and friends

I will say, “Peace be within you!”

Because of the house of the LORD, our God,

I will pray for your good.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Reading 2

ROM 13:11-14

Brothers and sisters:

You know the time;

it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.

For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;

the night is advanced, the day is at hand.

Let us then throw off the works of darkness

and put on the armor of light;

let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day,

not in orgies and drunkenness,

not in promiscuity and lust,

not in rivalry and jealousy.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,

and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Gospel

MT 24:37-44

Jesus said to his disciples:

“As it was in the days of Noah,

so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

In those days before the flood,

they were eating and drinking,

marrying and giving in marriage,

up to the day that Noah entered the ark.

They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.

So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.

Two men will be out in the field;

one will be taken, and one will be left. 

Two women will be grinding at the mill;

one will be taken, and one will be left. 

Therefore, stay awake!

For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. 

Be sure of this: if the master of the house

had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,

he would have stayed awake

and not let his house be broken into.

So too, you also must be prepared,

for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle Lectionary: 684

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle

Lectionary: 684

Reading 1

ROM 10:9-18

Brothers and sisters:

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord

and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,

you will be saved.

For one believes with the heart and so is justified,

and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.

The Scripture says,

No one who believes in him will be put to shame.

There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;

the same Lord is Lord of all,

enriching all who call upon him.

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?

And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

And how can they hear without someone to preach?

And how can people preach unless they are sent?

As it is written,

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!

But not everyone has heeded the good news;

for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?

Thus faith comes from what is heard,

and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

But I ask, did they not hear?

Certainly they did; for

Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,

and their words to the ends of the world.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

or:

R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The law of the LORD is perfect,

refreshing the soul;

The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,

giving wisdom to the simple.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

or:

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The precepts of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart;

The command of the LORD is clear,

enlightening the eye.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

or:

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The fear of the LORD is pure,

enduring forever;

The ordinances of the LORD are true,

all of them just.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

or:

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

They are more precious than gold,

than a heap of purest gold;

Sweeter also than syrup

or honey from the comb.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

or:

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Gospel

MT 4:18-22

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,

Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,

casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.

He said to them,

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

At once they left their nets and followed him.

He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,

James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.

He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father 

and followed him.

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 507

Reading 1

DN 7:2-14

In a vision I, Daniel, saw during the night,

the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea,

from which emerged four immense beasts,

each different from the others.

The first was like a lion, but with eagle’s wings.

While I watched, the wings were plucked;

it was raised from the ground to stand on two feet

like a man, and given a human mind. 

The second was like a bear; it was raised up on one side,

and among the teeth in its mouth were three tusks.

It was given the order, “Up, devour much flesh.” 

After this I looked and saw another beast, like a leopard;

on its back were four wings like those of a bird,

and it had four heads.

To this beast dominion was given.

After this, in the visions of the night I saw the fourth beast,

different from all the others,

terrifying, horrible, and of extraordinary strength;

it had great iron teeth with which it devoured and crushed,

and what was left it trampled with its feet.

I was considering the ten horns it had,

when suddenly another, a little horn, sprang out of their midst,

and three of the previous horns were torn away to make room for it.

This horn had eyes like a man,

and a mouth that spoke arrogantly.

As I watched,

Thrones were set up 

and the Ancient One took his throne.

His clothing was snow bright,

and the hair on his head as white as wool;

His throne was flames of fire,

with wheels of burning fire.

A surging stream of fire

flowed out from where he sat;

Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,

and myriads upon myriads attended him.

The court was convened, and the books were opened.

I watched, then, from the first of the arrogant words

which the horn spoke, until the beast was slain

and its body thrown into the fire to be burnt up.

The other beasts, which also lost their dominion,

were granted a prolongation of life for a time and a season.

As the visions during the night continued, I saw

One like a son of man coming,

on the clouds of heaven;

When he reached the Ancient One

and was presented before him,

He received dominion, glory, and kingship;

nations and peoples of every language serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that shall not be taken away,

his kingship shall not be destroyed.

Responsorial Psalm

DN 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

“Mountains and hills, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

“Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever."

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

“You springs, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

“Seas and rivers, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

“You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

“All you birds of the air, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

“All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Gospel

LK 21:29-33

Jesus told his disciples a parable.

“Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.

When their buds burst open,

you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;

in the same way, when you see these things happening,

know that the Kingdom of God is near.

Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away

until all these things have taken place.

Heaven and earth will pass away, 

but my words will not pass away.”

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

  I would like to wish you all a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving this year. May you see the blessings in your life and be forever Thankful for all those who have been and are in your life. Remember to Give Thanks to God on this day for all those blessings in your life. 

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and may we always see the blessings in our lives. 

Thanksgiving Day
Lectionary: 943

The following are a selection of the readings that may be chosen for this day.

Reading 1

SIR 50:22-24

And now, bless the God of all,

who has done wondrous things on earth;

Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb,

and fashions them according to his will!

May he grant you joy of heart

and may peace abide among you;

May his goodness toward us endure in Israel

to deliver us in our days.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11

R. (see 1) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.

Every day will I bless you,

and I will praise your name forever and ever.

Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;

his greatness is unsearchable. 

R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.

Generation after generation praises your works

and proclaims your might.

They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty

and tell of your wondrous works. 

R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.

They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds

and declare your greatness.

They publish the fame of your abundant goodness

and joyfully sing of your justice.

R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.

The LORD is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger and of great kindness.

The LORD is good to all

and compassionate toward all his works.

R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.

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. I will praise your name for ever, Lord. 

Reading 2

1 COR 1:3-9

Brothers and sisters:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father

and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always on your account

for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,

that in him you were enriched in every way,

with all discourse and all knowledge,

as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,

so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift

as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He will keep you firm to the end,

irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is faithful,

and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Gospel

LK 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,

he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.

As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him.

They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying,

“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”

And when he saw them, he said,

“Go show yourselves to the priests.”

As they were going they were cleansed. 

And one of them, realizing he had been healed,

returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;

and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. 

He was a Samaritan.

Jesus said in reply,

“Ten were cleansed, were they not?

Where are the other nine? 

Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 

Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;

your faith has saved you.”

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION EVANGELII GAUDIUM

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION EVANGELII GAUDIUM

 Today Pope France released His Apostolic Exhortation entitled " Evangelii Gaudium" The Joy of the Gospel. I have already printed it out and started to read this Exhortation. I encourage all Catholics to read this and to do so with an open mind and heart. Then discuss this as well with others. You can find the link here.   I will be commenting on this over the next few days as I take in all in. 

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and may we learn and continue to grow in faith.

Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 505

Reading 1

DN 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28

King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his lords,

with whom he drank.

Under the influence of the wine,

he ordered the gold and silver vessels

which Nebuchadnezzar, his father,

had taken from the temple in Jerusalem,

to be brought in so that the king, his lords,

his wives and his entertainers might drink from them.

When the gold and silver vessels

taken from the house of God in Jerusalem had been brought in,

and while the king, his lords, his wives and his entertainers

were drinking wine from them,

they praised their gods of gold and silver,

bronze and iron, wood and stone.

Suddenly, opposite the lampstand,

the fingers of a human hand appeared,

writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace.

When the king saw the wrist and hand that wrote, his face blanched;

his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook,

and his knees knocked.

Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the king.

The king asked him, “Are you the Daniel, the Jewish exile,

whom my father, the king, brought from Judah?

I have heard that the Spirit of God is in you,

that you possess brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom.

I have heard that you can interpret dreams and solve difficulties;

if you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means,

you shall be clothed in purple,

wear a gold collar about your neck,

and be third in the government of the kingdom.”

Daniel answered the king:

“You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else;

but the writing I will read for you, O king,

and tell you what it means.

You have rebelled against the Lord of heaven.

You had the vessels of his temple brought before you,

so that you and your nobles, your wives and your entertainers,

might drink wine from them;

and you praised the gods of silver and gold,

bronze and iron, wood and stone,

that neither see nor hear nor have intelligence.

But the God in whose hand is your life breath

and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify.

By him were the wrist and hand sent, and the writing set down.

“This is the writing that was inscribed:

MENE, TEKEL, and PERES.

These words mean:

MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it;

TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;

PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Responsorial Psalm

DN 3:62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67

R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Sun and moon, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Stars of heaven, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Every shower and dew, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“All you winds, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Fire and heat, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Cold and chill, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Gospel

LK 21:12-19

Jesus said to the crowd:

“They will seize and persecute you,

they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,

and they will have you led before kings and governors

because of my name.

It will lead to your giving testimony.

Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,

for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking

that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.

You will even be handed over by parents,

brothers, relatives, and friends,

and they will put some of you to death.

You will be hated by all because of my name,

but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.

By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 504

Reading 1

DN 2:31-45

Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar:

“In your vision, O king, you saw a statue,

very large and exceedingly bright,

terrifying in appearance as it stood before you.

The head of the statue was pure gold,

its chest and arms were silver,

its belly and thighs bronze, the legs iron,

its feet partly iron and partly tile.

While you looked at the statue,

a stone which was hewn from a mountain

without a hand being put to it,

struck its iron and tile feet, breaking them in pieces.

The iron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold all crumbled at once,

fine as the chaff on the threshing floor in summer,

and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace.

But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain

and filled the whole earth.

“This was the dream;

the interpretation we shall also give in the king’s presence.

You, O king, are the king of kings;

to you the God of heaven

has given dominion and strength, power and glory;

men, wild beasts, and birds of the air, wherever they may dwell,

he has handed over to you, making you ruler over them all;

you are the head of gold.

Another kingdom shall take your place, inferior to yours,

then a third kingdom, of bronze,

which shall rule over the whole earth.

There shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron;

it shall break in pieces and subdue all these others,

just as iron breaks in pieces and crushes everything else.

The feet and toes you saw, partly of potter’s tile and partly of iron,

mean that it shall be a divided kingdom,

but yet have some of the hardness of iron.

As you saw the iron mixed with clay tile,

and the toes partly iron and partly tile,

the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.

The iron mixed with clay tile

means that they shall seal their alliances by intermarriage,

but they shall not stay united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

In the lifetime of those kings

the God of heaven will set up a kingdom

that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people;

rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms

and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever.

That is the meaning of the stone you saw hewn from the mountain

without a hand being put to it,

which broke in pieces the tile, iron, bronze, silver, and gold.

The great God has revealed to the king what shall be in the future;

this is exactly what you dreamed, and its meaning is sure.”

Responsorial Psalm

DN 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61

R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord,

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord,

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“You heavens, bless the Lord,

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord,

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Gospel

LK 21:5-11

While some people were speaking about

how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,

Jesus said, “All that you see here–

the days will come when there will not be left

a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Then they asked him,

“Teacher, when will this happen?

And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” 

He answered,

“See that you not be deceived,

for many will come in my name, saying,

‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ 

Do not follow them! 

When you hear of wars and insurrections,

do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,

but it will not immediately be the end.” 

Then he said to them,

“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 

There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues

from place to place;

and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”

Overwhelmed

Overwhelmed

  This for me can not be any truer as of late.  It seems for me that I am just spinning my wheels and not gaining any ground and in reality seems to be going backwards. In part I know its because this is a hard time of year for me. This is when I miss people the most and with the holidays and my mothers birthday in a few weeks it makes it easier for stress and sadness to take hold. 

   It is harder to sit down and find that quiet time when you are stressed and not feeling that “warm fuzzies” in your life. This is not an excuse but just the reality of the life before me. Today I spent over three hours in adoration and had a full range of thoughts and emotions. I also got some time to focus on some reading that I wanted to get done. Those things do make the other feelings less and with that life seems to get back in line with what I want to do. 

   Life is not easy but I know that the life I am living right now is what I need to be living so I can become more of who I am to become and that the troubles, pain and sorrows of today will not last. It is in these times that it becomes more clear that God has always been there. That Jesus has always been at my side. That the Holy Spirit has tried to set the light before me. That my Guardian Angel never gave up. These are the relationships that have always been there, even when I gave up on them, they lasted and sustained me until I saw their loving touch in my life. 

   We have to remember that even when we feel the darkness settling in, that the sun will always rise and with that the chance to see the joys in life. 

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and may those relationships always remind you of who and what you are and are to become. 

Monday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 503

Reading 1

DN 1:1-6, 8-20

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came

and laid siege to Jerusalem.

The Lord handed over to him Jehoiakim, king of Judah,

and some of the vessels of the temple of God;

he carried them off to the land of Shinar,

and placed the vessels in the temple treasury of his god.

The king told Ashpenaz, his chief chamberlain,

to bring in some of the children of Israel of royal blood

and of the nobility, young men without any defect,

handsome, intelligent and wise,

quick to learn, and prudent in judgment,

such as could take their place in the king’s palace;

they were to be taught the language and literature of the Chaldeans;

after three years’ training they were to enter the king’s service.

The king allotted them a daily portion of food and wine

from the royal table.

Among these were men of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah,

Mishael, and Azariah.

But Daniel was resolved not to defile himself

with the king’s food or wine;

so he begged the chief chamberlain to spare him this defilement.

Though God had given Daniel the favor and sympathy

of the chief chamberlain, he nevertheless said to Daniel,

“I am afraid of my lord the king;

it is he who allotted your food and drink.

If he sees that you look wretched

by comparison with the other young men of your age,

you will endanger my life with the king.”

Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief chamberlain

had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah,

Mishael, and Azariah,

“Please test your servants for ten days.

Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.

Then see how we look in comparison with the other young men

who eat from the royal table,

and treat your servants according to what you see.”

He acceded to this request, and tested them for ten days;

after ten days they looked healthier and better fed

than any of the young men who ate from the royal table.

So the steward continued to take away

the food and wine they were to receive, and gave them vegetables.

To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency

in all literature and science,

and to Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams.

At the end of the time the king had specified for their preparation,

the chief chamberlain brought them before Nebuchadnezzar.

When the king had spoken with all of them,

none was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah,

Mishael, and Azariah;

and so they entered the king’s service.

In any question of wisdom or prudence which the king put to them,

he found them ten times better

than all the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom.

Responsorial Psalm

DN 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!

“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;

And blessed is your holy and glorious name,

praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”

R. Glory and praise for ever!

“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,

praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.”

R. Glory and praise for ever!

“Blessed are you on the throne of your Kingdom,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”

R. Glory and praise for ever!

“Blessed are you who look into the depths

from your throne upon the cherubim,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”

R. Glory and praise for ever!

“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,

praiseworthy and glorious forever.”

R. Glory and praise for ever!

Gospel

LK 21:1-4

When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people

putting their offerings into the treasury

and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.

He said, “I tell you truly,

this poor widow put in more than all the rest;

for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,

but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Lectionary: 162

Reading 1

2 SM 5:1-3

In those days, all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said:

"Here we are, your bone and your flesh. 

In days past, when Saul was our king,

it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back. 

And the LORD said to you,

'You shall shepherd my people Israel

and shall be commander of Israel.'" 

When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron,

King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD,

and they anointed him king of Israel.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5

R. (cf. 1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I rejoiced because they said to me,

"We will go up to the house of the LORD."

And now we have set foot

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Jerusalem, built as a city

with compact unity.

To it the tribes go up,

the tribes of the LORD.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

According to the decree for Israel,

to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

In it are set up judgment seats,

seats for the house of David.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Reading 2

COL 1:12-20

Brothers and sisters:

Let us give thanks to the Father,

who has made you fit to share

in the inheritance of the holy ones in light. 

He delivered us from the power of darkness

and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn of all creation.

For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,

the visible and the invisible,

whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;

all things were created through him and for him.

He is before all things,

and in him all things hold together.

He is the head of the body, the church.

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,

that in all things he himself might be preeminent.

For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,

and through him to reconcile all things for him,

making peace by the blood of his cross

through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Gospel

LK 23:35-43

The rulers sneered at Jesus and said,

"He saved others, let him save himself

if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God." 

Even the soldiers jeered at him. 

As they approached to offer him wine they called out,

"If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." 

Above him there was an inscription that read,

"This is the King of the Jews."

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,

"Are you not the Christ?

Save yourself and us." 

The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,

"Have you no fear of God,

for you are subject to the same condemnation?

And indeed, we have been condemned justly,

for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,

but this man has done nothing criminal."

Then he said,

"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

He replied to him,

"Amen, I say to you,

today you will be with me in Paradise."