சனவரி 24 : முதல் வாசகம் இயேசு கிறிஸ்துவை இணைப்பாளராகக் கொண்டிருக்கும் உடன்படிக்கை முந்திய உடன்படிக்கையைவிடச் சிறப்புமிக்கது. எபிரேயருக்கு எழுதப்பட்ட திருமுகத்திலிருந்து வாசகம் 8: 6b-13

 சனவரி 24 :  முதல் வாசகம்

இயேசு கிறிஸ்துவை இணைப்பாளராகக் கொண்டிருக்கும் உடன்படிக்கை முந்திய உடன்படிக்கையைவிடச் சிறப்புமிக்கது.

எபிரேயருக்கு எழுதப்பட்ட திருமுகத்திலிருந்து வாசகம் 8: 6b-13

சகோதரர் சகோதரிகளே,

சீரிய வாக்குறுதிகளின் அடிப்படையில் செய்யப்பட்டு, இயேசு கிறிஸ்துவை இணைப்பாளராகக் கொண்டிருக்கும் உடன்படிக்கை முந்திய உடன்படிக்கையைவிடச் சிறப்புமிக்கது. முதல் உடன்படிக்கை குறையற்றதாய் இருந்திருப்பின், இரண்டாம் உடன்படிக்கைக்கு இடமே இருந்திருக்காது.

ஆனால், கடவுள் அவர்களது குற்றத்தை எடுத்துக் கூறிச் சொன்னது இதுவே: “இதோ, நாள்கள் வருகின்றன. அப்போது இஸ்ரயேல் வீட்டாரோடும் யூதாவின் வீட்டாரோடும் புதிய உடன்படிக்கை ஒன்றைச் செய்துகொள்வேன்” என்கிறார் ஆண்டவர்.

‘எகிப்து நாட்டிலிருந்து அவர்களுடைய மூதாதையரைக் கைப்பிடித்து நடத்தி வந்தபொழுது நான் அவர்களோடு செய்துகொண்ட உடன்படிக்கையைப் போன்று இது இராது. ஏனெனில், நான் அவர்களோடு செய்துகொண்ட உடன்படிக்கையை அவர்கள் மீறிவிட்டார்கள்; நானும் அவர்கள்மீது அக்கறை கொள்ளவில்லை’ என்கிறார் ஆண்டவர்.

‘அந்நாள்களுக்குப் பின் இஸ்ரயேல் வீட்டாரோடு நான் செய்ய இருக்கும் உடன்படிக்கை இதுவே: என் சட்டத்தை உள்ளத்தில் பதிப்பேன்; அதை அவர்களது இதயத்தில் எழுதிவைப்பேன். நான் அவர்களின் கடவுளாய் இருப்பேன்; அவர்கள் என் மக்களாய் இருப்பார்கள்’ என்கிறார் ஆண்டவர். இனிமேல் எவரும் ‘ஆண்டவரை அறிந்துகொள்ளும்’ எனத் தம் அடுத்தவருக்கோ, சகோதரர் சகோதரிகளுக்கோ கற்றுத்தர மாட்டார். ஏனெனில், அவர்களுள் பெரியோர் முதல் சிறியோர் வரை அனைவரும் என்னை அறிந்துகொள்வர். அவர்களது தீச்செயலை நான் இரக்கத்தோடு மன்னித்து விடுவேன். அவர்களுடைய பாவங்களை இனிமேல் நினைவுகூர மாட்டேன்.’

“புதியதோர் உடன்படிக்கை” என்பதால், முன்னையதை அவர் பழையதாக்கிவிட்டார். பழமையானதும் நாள்பட்டதும் விரைவில் மறைய வேண்டியதே.

ஆண்டவரின் அருள்வாக்கு.

January 24th : Gospel He appointed twelve to be his companions A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St.Mark 3:13-19

 January 24th :  Gospel  

He appointed twelve to be his companions

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St.Mark 3:13-19

Jesus went up into the hills and summoned those he wanted. So they came to him and he appointed twelve; they were to be his companions and to be sent out to preach, with power to cast out devils. And so he appointed the Twelve: Simon to whom he gave the name Peter, James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges or ‘Sons of Thunder’; then Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the man who was to betray him.

The Word of the Lord.

January 24th : Responsorial Psalm Psalm 84(85):8,10-14

 January 24th :  Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 84(85):8,10-14 

Mercy and faithfulness have met.

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy

  and give us your saving help.

His help is near for those who fear him

  and his glory will dwell in our land.

Mercy and faithfulness have met.

Mercy and faithfulness have met;

  justice and peace have embraced.

Faithfulness shall spring from the earth

  and justice look down from heaven.

Mercy and faithfulness have met.

The Lord will make us prosper

  and our earth shall yield its fruit.

Justice shall march before him

  and peace shall follow his steps.

Mercy and faithfulness have met.

Gospel Acclamation 

Alleluia, alleluia!

Through the Good News God called us

to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Alleluia!

January 24th : First Reading The first covenant is already old A reading from the letter to the Hebrews 8: 6-13

 January 24th :  First Reading 

The first covenant is already old

A reading from the letter to the Hebrews 8: 6-13 

We have seen that Christ has been given a ministry of a far higher order, and to the same degree it is a better covenant of which he is the mediator, founded on better promises. If that first covenant had been without a fault, there would have been no need for a second one to replace it. And in fact God does find fault with them; he says:

See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –

when I will establish a new covenant

with the House of Israel and the House of Judah,

but not a covenant like the one I made with their ancestors

on the day I took them by the hand

to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

They abandoned that covenant of mine,

and so I on my side deserted them. It is the Lord who speaks.

No, this is the covenant I will make

with the House of Israel

when those days arrive – it is the Lord who speaks.

I will put my laws into their minds

and write them on their hearts.

Then I will be their God

and they shall be my people.

There will be no further need for neighbour to try to teach neighbour,

or brother to say to brother,

‘Learn to know the Lord.’

No, they will all know me,

the least no less than the greatest,

since I will forgive their iniquities

and never call their sins to mind.

By speaking of a new covenant, he implies that the first one is already old. Now anything old only gets more antiquated until in the end it disappears.

The Word of the Lord.

January 23rd : Gospel He warned them not to make him known as the Son of God A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St.Mark 3:7-12

 January 23rd :  Gospel 

He warned them not to make him known as the Son of God

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St.Mark 3:7-12 

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lakeside, and great crowds from Galilee followed him. From Judaea, Jerusalem, Idumaea, Transjordania and the region of Tyre and Sidon, great numbers who had heard of all he was doing came to him. And he asked his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, to keep him from being crushed. For he had cured so many that all who were afflicted in any way were crowding forward to touch him. And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, would fall down before him and shout, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he warned them strongly not to make him known.

The Word of the Lord.

January 23rd : Responsorial Psalm Psalm 39(40):7-10,17

 January 23rd :  Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 39(40):7-10,17 

Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.

You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings,

  but an open ear.

You do not ask for holocaust and victim.

  Instead, here am I.

Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.

In the scroll of the book it stands written

  that I should do your will.

My God, I delight in your law

  in the depth of my heart.

Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.

Your justice I have proclaimed

  in the great assembly.

My lips I have not sealed;

  you know it, O Lord.

Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.

O let there be rejoicing and gladness

  for all who seek you.

Let them ever say: ‘The Lord is great’,

  who love your saving help.

Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.

Gospel Acclamation cf.Jn6:63,68

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;

you have the message of eternal life.

Alleluia!

anuary 23rd : First Reading He has offered sacrifice once and for all by offering himself A reading from the letter to the Hebrews 7:25-8:6

 January 23rd :  First Reading

He has offered sacrifice once and for all by offering himself

A reading from the letter to the Hebrews 7:25-8:6 

The power of Jesus to save is utterly certain, since he is living for ever to intercede for all who come to God through him.

  To suit us, the ideal high priest would have to be holy, innocent and uncontaminated, beyond the influence of sinners, and raised up above the heavens; one who would not need to offer sacrifices every day, as the other high priests do for their own sins and then for those of the people, because he has done this once and for all by offering himself. The Law appoints high priests who are men subject to weakness; but the promise on oath, which came after the Law, appointed the Son who is made perfect for ever.

  The great point of all that we have said is that we have a high priest of exactly this kind. He has his place at the right of the throne of divine Majesty in the heavens, and he is the minister of the sanctuary and of the true Tent of Meeting which the Lord, and not any man, set up. It is the duty of every high priest to offer gifts and sacrifices, and so this one too must have something to offer. In fact, if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are others who make the offerings laid down by the Law and these only maintain the service of a model or a reflection of the heavenly realities. For Moses, when he had the Tent to build, was warned by God who said: See that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.

  We have seen that he has been given a ministry of a far higher order, and to the same degree it is a better covenant of which he is the mediator, founded on better promises.

The Word of the Lord.