Monday, December 28, 2009

USCCB - (NAB) - January 3, 2010


USCCB - (NAB) - January 3, 2010: "Gospel
Mt 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way."

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Third Day Mini-retreat

USCCB - NAB - Luke 19:
1
1 He came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
2
Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
3
was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.
4
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.
5
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.'
6
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
7
When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, 'He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.'
8
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, 'Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.'
9
2 And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
10
3 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.'"

I pray this mini-retreat inspires you with God's peace for Christmas.

Mini-retreat day 2 of 3

Pre-Christmas Mini-Three Day-Retreat
USCCB - NAB - Isaiah 43:
1
But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, and formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine.
2
When you pass through the water, I will be with you; in the rivers you shall not drown. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned; the flames shall not consume you.
3
1 For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in return for you.
4
Because you are precious in my eyes and glorious, and because I love you, I give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life.
5
Fear not, for I am with you; from the east I will bring back your descendants, from the west I will gather you.
6
I will say to the north: Give them up! and to the south: Hold not back! Bring back my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth:
7
Everyone who is named as mine, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."

Monday, December 21, 2009

mini-retreat day 1

USCCB - NAB - Psalm 139: "Psalms
Chapter 139
1
1 For the leader. A psalm of David. O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
2
2 you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar.
3
My travels and my rest you mark; with all my ways you are familiar.
4
Even before a word is on my tongue, LORD, you know it all.
5
Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me.
6
Such knowledge is beyond me, far too lofty for me to reach.
7
Where can I hide from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee?
8
If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; if I lie down in Sheol, you are there too.
9
3 If I fly with the wings of dawn and alight beyond the sea,
10
Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand hold me fast.
11
4 If I say, 'Surely darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light' --
12
Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day. Darkness and light are but one.
13
You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb.
14
I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew;
15
5 my bones were not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth.
16
Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to be.
17
How precious to me are your designs, O God; how vast the sum of them!
18
Were I to count, they would outnumber the sands; to finish, I would need eternity."

Friday, December 18, 2009

USCCB - (NAB) - December 20, 2009


USCCB - (NAB) - December 20, 2009: "Gospel
Lk 1:39-45
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,
“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.”"

USCCB - (NAB) - December 13, 2009


USCCB - (NAB) - December 13, 2009: "Gospel
Lk 3:10-18

The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
“Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them,
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages.”
Now the people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people."