Monday, December 28, 2009
WISHING YOU A HOLY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR 2010!
SELAMAT HARI KRISMAS & TAHUN BARU
Sunday, December 20, 2009
December 25, 2009 - The Nativity of the Lord Christmas Mass at Dawn

 Reading 1
Is 62:11-12
See, the LORD proclaims
to the ends of the earth:
say to daughter Zion,
your savior comes!
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
They shall be called the holy people,
the redeemed of the LORD,
and you shall be called “Frequented,” a city that is not  forsaken. 
  Responsorial Psalm
   Ps  97:1, 6, 11-12
 A  light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
  let the many isles be  glad.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
  and all peoples see his  glory.
A  light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
Light dawns for the just;
  and gladness, for the  upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
  and give thanks to his  holy name. A light will shine on us this  day: the Lord is born for us. 
 Reading II
Ti 3:4-7
Beloved:
When the kindness and generous love
of God our savior appeared,
not because of any righteous deeds we had  done
but because of his mercy,
He saved us through the bath of rebirth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us
through Jesus Christ our savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of  eternal life.
 When  the angels went away from them to heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
“Let us go, then, to Bethlehem
to see this thing that has taken place,
which the Lord has made known to us.”
So they went in haste and found Mary and  Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the  shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen, 
December, 24 2009 - The Nativity of the Lord Christmas At the Vigil Mass

 Reading 1
Is 62:1-5
For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,
for Jerusalem’s  sake I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines forth like the  dawn
and her victory like a burning torch. 
Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand  of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall people call you “Forsaken,”
or your land “Desolate,”
but you shall be called “My Delight,”
and your land “Espoused.”
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice  in you.
 Responsorial Psalm
  Ps  89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29
(2a)  For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.   
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.
For  ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Blessed the people who know the joyful  shout;
   in the light of your  countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
   and through your justice  they are exalted.
For  ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
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.
 Reading II
ACTS 13:16-17,  22-25
When Paul reached Antioch in Pisidia and entered the synagogue,
he stood up, motioned with his hand, and  said,
“Fellow Israelites and you others who are  God-fearing, listen.
The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors
and exalted the people during their sojourn  in the
land of Egypt.
With uplifted arm he led them out of it.
Then he removed Saul and raised up David as  king;
of him he testified,
‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man  after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.’
From this man’s descendants God, according  to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a  baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he  would say,
‘What do you suppose that I am?  I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;  I am not worthy to unfasten  the sandals of his feet.’” 
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac,
  Isaac the father of Jacob,
  Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
  Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
  whose mother was Tamar.
  Perez became the father of Hezron,
  Hezron the father of Ram,
  Ram the father of Amminadab.
  Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
  Nahshon the father of Salmon,
  Salmon the father of Boaz,
  whose mother was Rahab.
  Boaz became the father of Obed,
  whose mother was Ruth.
  Obed became the father of Jesse,
  Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon,
  whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
  Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
  Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
  Abijah the father of Asaph.
  Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
  Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
  Joram the father of Uzziah.
  Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
  Jotham the father of Ahaz,
  Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
  Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
  Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
    Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and  his brothers
    at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile,
    Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
    Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
    Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
    Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
    Eliakim the father of Azor,
    Azor the father of Zadok.
    Zadok became the father of Achim,
    Achim the father of Eliud,
    Eliud the father of Eleazar.
    Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
    Matthan the father of Jacob,
    Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of  Mary.
    Of her was born Jesus who is called the  Christ.
Thus the total number of generations
    from Abraham to David
    is fourteen generations;
    from David to the Babylonian exile,
    fourteen generations;
    from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
    fourteen generations. 
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.”
    All this took place to fulfill
    what the Lord had said through the prophet:
    Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear  a son,
    and they shall name him Emmanuel, 
    which means “God is with us.”
    When Joseph awoke,
    he did as the angel of the Lord had  commanded him 
and took his wife into his home.
  He had no relations with her until she bore  a son,
  and he named him Jesus.
or
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.”
  All this took place to fulfill
  what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold,  the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and  they shall name him Emmanuel,
  which means “God is with us.”
  When Joseph awoke,
  he did as the angel of the Lord had  commanded him
  and took his wife into his home.
  He had no relations with her until she bore  a son, 
3rd & 4th Sunday of Advent

Third Sunday of Advent
 Reading 1
Zep 3:14-18a
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against  you
he has turned away your enemies;
the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your  midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
he will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.  
  Responsorial Psalm
   Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
R. (6)  Cry out with joy and gladness:  for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. Cry  out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Cry  out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious  achievement;
let this be known  throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is  the Holy One of Israel!
R. Cry out with joy and gladness:  for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.  
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again:  rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all  understanding
will guard your hearts and  minds in Christ Jesus.
     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.
Fourth Sunday of Advent
 Reading 1
Mi 5:1-4a
Thus says the LORD:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
Therefore the Lord will give them up, until  the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
and the rest of his kindred shall return
to the children of Israel.
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
and they shall remain, for now his  greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace. 
  Responsorial Psalm
   Ps  80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
(4)  Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your  face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine  forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
Lord,  make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has  planted
the son of man whom you yourself made  strong.
Lord,  make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right  hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made  strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon  your name.
Lord, make us turn to you; let  us see your face and we shall be saved. 
Brothers and sisters:
When Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
                       but  a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no  delight.
Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the  scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.’“ 
First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings,
 holocausts and sin offerings,
 you neither desired nor delighted in.”
 These are offered according to the law.
 Then he says, :Behold, I come to do your  will.”
 He takes away the first to establish the  second.
 By this “will,”  we have been consecrated 
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
Friday, December 4, 2009
Second Sunday of Advent
 Reading 1
Bar 5:1-9
Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and  misery;
put on the splendor of glory from God  forever:
wrapped in the cloak of justice from God,
bear on your head the mitre
that displays the glory of the eternal  name.
For God will show all the earth your  splendor:
you will be named by God forever
the peace of justice, the glory of God’s  worship. 
Up, Jerusalem!  stand upon the heights;
  look to the east and see your children
  gathered from the east and the west
  at the word of the Holy One,
  rejoicing that they are remembered by God.
  Led away on foot by their enemies they left  you:
  but God will bring them back to you
  borne aloft in glory as on royal thrones.
  For God has commanded
  that every lofty mountain be made low,
  and that the age-old depths and gorges
  be filled to level ground,
  that Israel may advance secure in the  glory of God.
  The forests and every fragrant kind of tree
  have overshadowed Israel at God’s command;
  for God is leading Israel in joy
  by the light of his glory,
  with his mercy and justice  for company.
   Responsorial Psalm
    Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
 
R. (3)  The Lord has done great things for us; we  are filled with joy.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we  were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
 and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The  Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Then they said among the nations,
   “The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we  are glad indeed.
R.  The  Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
 like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those who sow in tears
 shall reap rejoicing.
R. The  Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Although they go forth weeping,
 carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
 carrying their sheaves. 
 R. The Lord has done great things  for us; we are filled with joy. 
Brothers and sisters:
I pray always with joy in my every prayer  for all of you,
because of your partnership for the gospel
from the first day until now.
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work in you
will continue to complete it
until the day of Christ Jesus.
God is my witness,
how I long for all of you with the  affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer:
that your love may increase ever more and  more
in knowledge and every kind of perception,
to discern what is of value,
so that you may be pure and blameless for  the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ
for the glory and praise of  God.
      Gospel
    Lk 3:1-6
    
    In the fifteenth year of the reign of  Tiberius Caesar,
when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,
and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,
and his brother Philip tetrarch of the  region
of Ituraea and Trachonitis,
and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and  Caiaphas,
the word of God came to John the son of  Zechariah in the desert.
John went throughout the whole region of  the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the  forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the words  of the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made  low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and  all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
  
