First Reading – 2 Samuel 7:4-5A, 12-14A, 16
“Go, tell my servant David,
‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
It is he who shall build a house for my name.
And I will make his royal throne firm forever.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.’”
R. (37) The son of David will live for ever.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness,
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. The son of David will live for ever.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R. The son of David will live for ever.
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
R. The son of David will live for ever.
Second Reading – Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22
Brothers and sisters:
It was not through the law
that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants
that he would inherit the world,
but through the righteousness that comes from faith.
For this reason, it depends on faith,
so that it may be a gift,
and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants,
not to those who only adhere to the law
but to those who follow the faith of Abraham,
who is the father of all of us, as it is written,
I have made you father of many nations.
He is our father in the sight of God,
in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead
and calls into being what does not exist.
He believed, hoping against hope,
that he would become the father of many nations,
according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be.
That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
Verse Before The Gospel – Psalms 84:5
Blessed are those who dwell in your house, O Lord;
they never cease to praise you.
Gospel – Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24A or (Luke 2:41-51A)
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
OR
Gospel – Luke 2:41-51A
and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them.
Feature Post:
Act of Spiritual Communion
If you are unable to physically receive Holy Communion, especially in the midst of this pandemic, make a solemn recitation of this Prayer for Spiritual Communion by Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori.
In celebration of the 5th Anniversary of The Best Catholic, I decided to discuss this particular topic, which I have not written about before—my Catholic perspective on singleness and finding a spouse. My Reflection offers a list of my advice to Catholic women on what to do while waiting for a spouse, and pointers to consider in defining what a “good man” is. Whether you are a single woman looking for a husband, or you know someone who is, I assure you that you will learn so much from this one of a kind “Honest Guide” that I wrote in the light of the Catholic Faith.
Our aim is to help Catholics strengthen their spiritual life, deepen their understanding of the faith, and intensify their holiness by catechesis and a variety of Catholic information.
TheBestCatholic.com aspires to be an instrument of evangelization.We are all pilgrims of the earth, striving towards salvation.It is our fervent prayer that by God’s grace, we will be “The Best Catholic” we can ever become.
Email Us: [email protected]
- Mass Readings For December 22, 2024 – Fourth Sunday of Advent - December 22, 2024
- Mass Readings For December 21, 2024 – Saturday, Third Week of Advent - December 21, 2024
- Mass Readings For December 20, 2024 – Friday, Third Week of Advent - December 20, 2024
Leave a Reply