Our Gospel for Dec 5. Prepare the Way of the Lord.

The Preaching of John the Baptist.

Mt 3:1-12

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in  the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father.’
For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”


Si Juan na Tagapagbawtismo ay Nangaral at Nagbawtismo

Mateo 3:1-12
Nang panahong iyon, dumating si Juan na tagapagbawtismo. Siya ay nangangaral sa ilang ng Judea. Sinabi niya: Magsisi kayo sapagkat malapit na ang paghahari ng langit. Ito ay sapagkat siya ang tinutukoy ni propeta Isaias nang kaniyang sabihin:
      Ang tinig ng isang lalaking sumisigaw sa ilang.
      Sinabi niya: Ihanda ninyo ang daan para sa Panginoon.
      Tuwirin ninyo ang kaniyang mga landas.

 
 Ang damit ni Juan ay yari sa balahibo ng kamelyo at may isang pamigkis na katad sa kaniyang baywang. Ang kaniyang pagkain ay mga balang at pulot-pukyutan. Pumunta sa kaniya ang mga tao mula sa Jerusalem, mula sa buong Judea at sa lahat ng mga dako sa palibot ng Jordan. Pinagsisihan nila ang kanilang mga kasalanan at binabawtismuhan niya sila sa ilog ng Jordan.

 
 Maraming Fariseo at Saduseo ang lumalapit sa kaniyang pagbabawtismo. Nang makita niya sila, sinabi niya: Kayong lahi ng mga ulupong! Sino ang nagbabala sa inyo upang takasan ang malapit nang dumating na galit ng Diyos? Magbunga nga kayo nang karapat-dapat sa pagsisisi. Huwag ninyong ipalagay sa inyong sarili: Si Abraham ang aming ama. Sinasabi ko sa inyo na ang Diyos ay makakalikha ng mga anak ni Abraham mula sa batong ito. Ngayon din ay nakalapat na ang palakol sa ugat ng mga punong-kahoy. Kaya nga, ang bawat punong-kahoy na hindi nagbubunga ng mabuti ay puputulin at ihahagis sa apoy.

 
 Binabawtismuhan ko nga kayo ng tubig sa pagsisisi, ngunit siya na dumarating na kasunod ko ay higit na dakila kaysa sa akin. Hindi ako karapat-dapat magdala ng kaniyang panyapak. Siya ang magbabawtismo sa inyo sa Banal na Espiritu at sa apoy. Hawak na niya ang kaniyang pantahip upang linisin niya nang lubos ang kaniyang giikan. Titipunin niya ang kaniyang trigo sa bangan. Ngunit ang dayami ay susunugin niya sa apoy na hindi namamatay.

Our Gospel for Dec 4. The Compassion of Jesus and the Mission of the Twelve.

Mt 9:35-10:1,5a,6-8

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Then he summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Our Gospel for Dec 3. Be it done to you according to your faith.

The Healing of the Blind.

Mt 9:27-31

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
“Son of David, have pity on us!”
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly,
“See that no one knows about this.”
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

Pinagaling ni Jesus ang Bulag

Mateo 9:27-31
 Nang lisanin ni Jesus ang dakong iyon, sinundan siya ng dalawang lalaking bulag. Sila ay sumisigaw na sinasabi: Ikaw na Anak ni David, mahabag ka sa amin.

 
 Pagpasok niya sa bahay, lumapit ang dalawang lalaki sa kaniya. Sinabi ni Jesus sa kanila: Sumasampalataya ba kayong magagawa ko ito?
   Sinabi nila sa kaniya: Oo, Panginoon.

 
 Nang magkagayon, hinipo niya ang kanilang mga mata at sinabi: Mangyari sa inyo ang ayon sa inyong pananampalataya. Namulat ang kanilang mga mata. Mahigpit na ipinagbilin sa kanila ni Jesus na sinasabi: Huwag ninyong sabihin ito kahit na kanino. Ngunit nang makaalis na sila, ikinalat nila ang nangyari sa buong lupaing iyon.

Our Gospel for Dec 2. The Two Foundations.

Mt 7:21,24-27

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

Ang Matalino at Mangmang na Tagapagpatayo

Mateo 7:21,24-27

Hindi ang bawat isa na nagsasabi sa akin: Panginoon, Panginoon, ay makakapasok sa paghahari ng langit, kundi ang gumagawa ng kalooban ng aking Ama na nasa langit.

Kaya nga, ang sinumang dumirinig sa mga pananalita kong ito at isinasagawa ang mga ito, ay maihahalintulad ko sa isang lalaking matalino na nagtayo ng kaniyang bahay sa ibabaw ng bato. Bumuhos ang ulan at bumaha. Umihip ang malakas na hangin at hinampas ang bahay na iyon, ngunit hindi bumagsak. Ito ay sapagkat itinayo niya iyon sa ibabaw ng bato. Ang bawat isa na dumirinig ng mga pananalita kong ito at hindi isinasagawa ay maihahalintulad ko sa isang lalaking mangmang na nagtayo ng kaniyang bahay sa ibabaw ng buhanginan. Bumuhos ang ulan at bumaha. Umihip ang malakas na hangin at hinampas ang bahay na iyon. Bumagsak ito at lubusang nawasak.

Your boss is not really your boss; your boss is Jesus.

Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT)

"If you want your work to be blessed by God, the first thing you must do is Start working enthusiastically." -Rick Warren

Your boss is not really your boss; your boss is Jesus.

There are two things I want you to see in our verses today.

    * First, it says, "Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people" (Colossians 3:23 NLT). It's easier to be enthusiastic about your job when you turn the focus of your work from "I'm doing this for my boss" or "I'm doing this for a paycheck" to "I'm doing this for the Lord," With that in mind you can do anything - scrape paint, wash dishes, repair a car - and turn it into worship.

    * Second, when you turn your work into worship, you start storing up credits in heaven. Colossians 3:24 says, "Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ" (Colossians 3:24 NLT). As you work for God, you are making eternal deposits in heaven.

"So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV). It doesn't matter if you're rearranging papers or signing bills, any job can become an act of worship if you do it enthusiastically for God.