Saturday December 28, 2024
HOLY INNOCENTS, Mm (FEAST)
Office: Feast; Proper of Octave, Te Deum
Mass prop. Gloria. Preface (Communicates)
of Christmas
Vestment: Red
Today’s Rosary: The Joyful Mystery
Click HERE for the Previous Catholic Daily Reading
THE HOLY INNOCENTS, Martyrs Feast
The Church remembers the Holy Innocents who died in Bethlehem at the hands of King Herod’s soldiers. The evangelist Matthew composes the story to parallel that of Moses, thus establishing the role of Jesus as the new leader, the one who is to guide God’s people into freedom and salvation.
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
The innocents were slaughtered as infants for Christ; spotless, they follow the Lamb and sing for ever: Glory to you, O Lord.
The Gloria (When indicated this hymn is either sung or said)
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
COLLECT
O God, whom the Holy Innocents confessed and proclaimed on this day, not by speaking but by dying, grant, we pray, that the faith in you which we confess with our lips may also speak through our manner of life. Through our Lord…
FIRST READING
“The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.”
A reading from the first Letter of Saint John (1 John 1:5-2:2)
Beloved: This is the message we have heard from Jesus Christ and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm124:2-3.4-5.7b-8 (R.7ab)
R/. Our life, like a bird, has escaped from the snare of the fowler.
If the Lord had not been on our side
when men rose against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive
when their anger was kindled.” R/.
Then would the waters have engulfed us,
the torrent gone over us;
over our head would have swept the raging waters.” R/.
R/. Our life, like a bird, has escaped from the snare of the fowler.
Indeed, the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth. R/.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia. We praise you, O God; we acclaim you as the Lord; the white-robed army of martyrs sings your praise. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“Herod killed all the male children in Bethlehem.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 2:13-18)
When the Wise Men had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.” Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the Wise Men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the Wise Men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
The Creed (I Believe)
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Celebrant:
By their death, the Holy innocents silently bore witness to Christ. Let us pray that God may give us the grace to remain faithful witnesses to our Lord, Jesus Christ, in every situation of our lives.
FOR THE MINISTERS OF THE CHURCH: that they, like our lord Jesus Christ, may ceaselessly promote the dignity of children and do all within their power to safeguard them from every form of abuse. Let us pray to the Lord.
FOR THOSE IN CIVIL AUTHORITY: that, all over the world, they may put in place effective policies that promote the sanctity of life from the very moment of its conception till its natural end. Let us pray to the Lord.
FOR THOSE WHO SUPPORT ABORTION: that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, they may have a change of heart and recognize that every human life, born or unborn, is an image of God. Let us pray to the Lord.
FOR PARENTS IN OUR WORSHIPPING COMMUNITY: that they may be given the grace to love and care for their children and to be able to bring them up in the way of the Lord. Let us pray to the Lord.
FOR OTHER INTENTIONS: (the sick, church projects or other activities).
FOR THE DEAD, ESPECIALLY MEMBERS OF OUR PARISH COMMUNITY AND FAMILIES: that they may find eternal rest with the Lord. Let us pray to the Lord.
We pray in silence for our private intentions.
Celebrant:
Merciful and gentle father, you are the giver of life. Accept our prayers and grant that, everywhere, the inviolable dignity of every human life may be respected. Through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
Why did God allow the slaughter of those infants? Honestly, I can find no answer. Just as I find no plausible explanation for the death of so many innocent people in our world almost every day. Human beings have always tried to unravel the mystery of innocent suffering. Herod thought that he could do away with the “King” with the power of the sword! A messenger is sent to Joseph instructing him on how to protect his son. Could not God protect His Son in some other way without the family having to flee from the enemy? It must have been a tremendous test of faith for joseph. Thank you, Lord, for giving me to realize that cooperating with God’s plan calls for sacrifice and struggle as it did in the case of Joseph.
PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL
-Lord show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy and at your right hand are pleasures forever more (pray)
-Lord, remove everything within me that prevents me from hearing from you.
-Let every hopeless situation in my life be revived in Jesus name.
-Lord, I believe in what you have said concerning my situation.
Let Us Pray,
Father I release myself from all evil association (if you have involved yourself in unresolved occultism of any kind or have visited ‘witch doctor (S)’, water spirits in search of business success before). O Lord take charge of my life in all thing now and hence forth in Jesus name.
