Our Gospel for Dec 26. The Flight to Egypt.

Mt 2:13-15, 19-23


When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son. When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream
to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.”
He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee.
He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, He shall be called a Nazorean.

Our Gospel for Dec 25. The Word became Flesh.

John1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth. John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said, ‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.
 
Nagkatawang Tao ang Salita

Juan 1:1-18

Sa pasimula pa ay naroroon na ang Salita. Ang Salita ay sumasa Diyos at ang Salita ay Diyos. Siya ay sumasa Diyos nang pasimula pa.


Ang lahat ng mga bagay ay nilikha sa pamamagitan niya. Kung wala siya ay walang anumang nilikhang bagay na nalikha. Ang buhay ay nasa kaniya at ang buhay ay ang ilaw ng mga tao. Ang ilaw ay nagliwanag sa kadiliman at hindi ito naunawaan ng kadiliman.


May isang lalaking isinugong mula sa Diyos. Ang kaniyang pangalan ay Juan. Siya ay naparitong isang saksi na magpatotoo patungkol sa ilaw upang ang lahat ay sumampalataya sa pamamagitan niya. Hindi siya ang ilaw ngunit siya ay sinugo upang magpatotoo patungkol sa ilaw. Ang tunay na ilaw ay iyong tumatanglaw sa bawat taong pumarito sa sanlibutan.


Siya ay nasa sanlibutan. Ang sanlibutan ay nilikha sa pamamagitan niya at hindi siya nakilala ng sangkatauhan. Siya ay pumunta sa kaniyang sariling mga tao ngunit hindi siya tinanggap ng kaniyang sariling mga tao. Datapuwat ang lahat ng tumanggap sa kaniya ay binigyan niya ng kapamahalaan maging mga anak ng Diyos. Sila ay ang mga sumampalataya sa kaniyang pangalan. Ipinanganak sila hindi sa dugo, ni sa kalooban ng laman, ni sa kalooban ng tao. Sila ay ipinanganak mula sa Diyos.


Nagkatawang-tao ang Salita at nanahang kasama natin. Namasdan namin ang kaniyang kaluwalhatian, ang kaluwalhatian ng bugtong na Anak ng Ama. Ang Salitang ito ay puspos ng biyaya at katotohanan.


Si Juan ay nagpapatotoo patungkol sa kaniya. Siya ay sumigaw at nagsabi: Siya ang aking sinasabi na ang paparitong kasunod ko ay mas higit sa akin sapagkat siya ay una sa akin. Mula sa kaniyang kapuspusan ay tumanggap tayong lahat ng abut-abot na biyaya. Ito ay sapagkat ang kautusan ay ibinigay sa pamamagitan ni Moises. Ang biyaya at ang katotohanan ay dumating sa pamamagitan ni Jesucristo. Walang taong nakakita kailanman sa Diyos. Ang bugtong na Anak na nasa piling ng Ama ang naghayag sa kaniya.

Our Gospel for Dec 24. The Song of Zechariah.

The Canticle of Zechariah.

Luke 1:67-79

Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hand of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Our Gospel for Dec 23. The Birth of John.

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.”

Our Gospel for Dec 22. The Canticle of Mary.

The Song of  Mary

Luke 1:46-56

Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.


Ang Awit ni Maria Lucas 1: 46-56

  Sinabi ni Maria: Dinadakila ng aking kaluluwa ang Panginoon. Ang aking espiritu ay lubos na nagagalak sa Diyos na aking Tagapagligtas. Ito ay sapagkat nilingap niya ang pagpapakumbaba ng kaniyang aliping babae at mula ngayon ay ituturing akong mapalad ng lahat ng salin ng lahi. Ito ay sapagkat ang Makapangyarihan ay gumawa sa akin ng mga dakilang bagay at Banal ang kaniyang pangalan. Ang kaniyang kahabagan ay sa lahat ng saling lahi, sa kanila na may pagkatakot sa kaniya. Nagpakita siya ng lakas sa pamamagitan ng kaniyang mga bisig. Ikinalat niya ang mapagmataas sa haka ng kanilang mga puso. Ibinaba niya ang mga makapangyarihan mula sa kanilang mga trono at itinaas niya ang mga mabababang-loob. Binusog niya ng mabubuting bagay ang mga nagugutom. Ang mga mayaman ay pinaalis niyang walang dala. Tinulungan niya si Israel na kaniyang lingkod bilang ala-ala ng kaniyang kahabagan. Ginawa niya ito ayon sa sinabi niya sa ating mga ninuno, kay Abraham at sa kaniyang lahi magpakailanman.

 
 Si Maria ay nanatiling kasama ni Elisabet ng halos tatlong buwan at pagkatapos nito, umuwi siya sa sarili niyang bahay.