December 1st : Gospel That day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke 21:25-28,34-36

 December 1st : Gospel

That day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke 21:25-28,34-36 

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.

  ‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’

The Word of the Lord.

December 1st : Second Reading May you be blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. A reading from the first letter of St.Paul to the Thessalonians 3: 12-4:2

 December 1st :  Second Reading

May you be blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

A reading from the first letter of St.Paul to the Thessalonians 3: 12-4:2 

May the Lord be generous in increasing your love and make you love one another and the whole human race as much as we love you. And may he so confirm your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his saints.

  Finally, brothers, we urge you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus to make more and more progress in the kind of life that you are meant to live: the life that God wants, as you learnt from us, and as you are already living it. You have not forgotten the instructions we gave you on the authority of the Lord Jesus.

The Word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation Ps84:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy

and give us your saving help.

Alleluia!

December 1st : Responsorial Psalm Psalm 24(25):4-5,8-9,10,14

 December 1st :  Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 24(25):4-5,8-9,10,14 

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Lord, make me know your ways.

  Lord, teach me your paths.

Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:

  for you are God my saviour.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

The Lord is good and upright.

  He shows the path to those who stray,

He guides the humble in the right path,

  He teaches his way to the poor.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

His ways are faithfulness and love

  for those who keep his covenant and law.

The Lord’s friendship is for those who revere him;

  to them he reveals his covenant.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

December 1st : First Reading I will make a virtuous Branch grow for David. A Reading from the Book of Jeremiah 33: 14-16.

 December 1st : First Reading

I will make a virtuous Branch grow for David.

A Reading from the Book of Jeremiah 33: 14-16.

See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when I am going to fulfil the promise I made to the House of Israel and the House of Judah:

‘In those days and at that time,

I will make a virtuous Branch grow for David,

who shall practise honesty and integrity in the land.

In those days Judah shall be saved

and Israel shall dwell in confidence.

And this is the name the city will be called:

The-Lord-our-integrity.’

The Word of the Lord.

November 30th : Gospel 'I will make you fishers of men' A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St.Matthew 4:18-22

 November 30th :  Gospel 

'I will make you fishers of men'

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St.Matthew 4:18-22 

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they left their nets at once and followed him. Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. At once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.

The Word of the Lord.

November 30th : Responsorial Psalm Psalm 18(19):2-5

 November 30th : Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 18(19):2-5

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

or

Alleluia!

The heavens proclaim the glory of God,

and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.

Day unto day takes up the story

and night unto night makes known the message.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

or

Alleluia!

No speech, no word, no voice is heard

yet their span extends through all the earth,

their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

or

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation Mt4:19

Alleluia, alleluia!

Follow me, says the Lord,

and I will make you into fishers of men.

Alleluia!

November 30th : First reading Faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ A reading from the letter of St.Paul to the Romans 10: 9-18

 November 30th : First reading

Faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ

A reading from the letter of St.Paul to the Romans 10: 9-18

If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. When scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But they will not ask his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they have heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as scripture says: The footsteps of those who bring good news are a welcome sound. Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ. Let me put the question: is it possible that they did not hear? Indeed they did; in the words of the psalm, their voice has gone out through all the earth, and their message to the ends of the world.

The Word of the Lord.