Churches of the Day
Pictorial Thought for Today
Dec 10th - Our Lady of Loreto -
Summary: Our Lady of Loreto. Pope Francis by his own authority has approved that the optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Loreto should be inscribed in the Roman Calendar for 10 Dec., the day on which her feast falls in Loreto, and celebrated every year for the celebration of the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours.
Tradition
According to tradition, the Holy House of Loreto was carried by angels from Nazareth to the Italian hillside town of Loreto the night of Dec. 9-10 in 1294 after making a three-year stop in Croatia.
Tradition holds that the small house, made of three stone walls, is the place where Mary was born, where she was visited by an angel and conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit, and where the Holy Family later lived.(c/f final paragraph on this page)
The decree said the shrine in Loreto “recalls the mystery of the Incarnation” and helps visitors “meditate both on the words of the angel announcing the Good News and on the words of the Virgin in response to the divine call.” And it has been able to “illustrate powerfully the evangelical virtues of the Holy Family,” Millions of pilgrims flock to Loreto each year to venerate the tiny cottage. It is Italy’s most important and popular Marian shrine. It was one of the shrines St. John Paul II visited the most.
Basilica della Santa Casa (see image right) in Loreto is a Marian shrine which enshrines the little house in which the Blessed Virgin Mary is believed to have lived. Over the past several centuries, people from all parts of the world have travelled to this shrine to pray and seek Our Lady's help. Thousands of miracles attributed to Our Lady have been recorded at Loreto. Many persons who have been canonized, beatified or made venerable by the Church including many popes have visited the Holy House. St. Therese of Lisieux made a momentous pilgrimage before entering the Carmelites, to which she alludes at length in her autobiography. St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Frances Cabrini, Cardinal Newman, St. John Neumann, and St. Francis de Sales, to name but a few, have visited the Holy House.History
The tradition and history of the Holy House goes back to Apostolic times. From the earliest days of Christianity, the little house and the grotto which formed one side of the Holy House have been a place of worship and pilgrimage. Shortly after the year 313, Constantine the Great had a large Basilica built over the Holy House of Nazareth. The Holy House and the grotto formed part of the crypt of the new church. About the year 1090, the Saracens invaded the Holy Land, plundering and destroying many of the shrines sacred to Christians. One of these was the Basilica in Nazareth, but the Holy House and grotto in the crypt were left intact.
When St. Francis of Assisi visited the Holy Land (1219-1220) he prayed at the Holy House. Over and over again the Holy House escaped destruction. In 1291 the crusaders were completely driven out of the Holy Land and it was at this point in history that the Holy House disappeared from Palestine and made its appearance in what is now known as present day Croatia, where a most important shrine was erected, Our Lady of Trsat (Tersatto in Italian pronunciation).
Custodians of the shrine have said the stones of the house were removed from the Holy Land and carried by ship by a member of the Angeli family. The family name is also the Italian word for “angels,” thus being the probable reason for the more popular notion of winged angels flying the house to Italy. Despite the possibility that the house came by way of ship, Our Lady of Loreto is still the patron saint of aviation and air travel.
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Memorable Sayings for Today
I believe in a God bigger than my doubts and fears.
...anonymous
The most incredible thing about miracles is that they happen.
G.K.Chesterton
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Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 15th December, 2024
Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent
Isaiah the prophet utters encouraging words to the formally enslaved Jewish nations that they were liberated.
God was about to lead his people in a new Exodus and the need for a suitable road to be prepared for God to travel on.
Optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Loreto.
Mary conceived Jesus the Head of the Church also accepted us as her extended family.
FIRST READING
A reading from the prophet Isaiah 40:1-11
God consoles his people.
Console my people, console them' says your God.
'Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to herthat her time of service is ended, that her sin is atoned for,
that she has received from the hand of the Lord double punishment for all her crimes.'
A voice cries,
'Prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord
Make a straight highway for our God across the desert.
Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low,
let every cliff become a plain, and the ridges a valley;
then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all mankind shall see it;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.'
A voice commands:
'Cry!'and I answered, 'What shall I cry?' –
'All flesh is grass and its beauty like the wild flower's.
The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on them.
(The grass is without doubt the people.)
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains for ever.'
Go up on a high mountain, joyful messenger to Zion.
Shout with a loud voice, joyful messenger to Jerusalem.
Shout without fear, say to the towns of Judah, 'Here is your God'.
Here is the Lord coming with power, his arm subduing all things to him.
The prize of his victory is with him, his trophies all go before him.
He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms,
holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps:95
Response Here is our God coming with power.
1. O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord all the earth.
O sing to the Lord, bless his name. Proclaim his help day by day. Response
2. Tell among the nations his glory and his wonders among all the peoples.
Proclaim to the nations: 'God is king.' He will judge the peoples in fairness. Response
3. Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad, let the sea and all within it thunder praise,
let the land and all it bears rejoice, all the trees of the wood shout for joy
at the presence of the Lord for he comes, he comes to rule the earth. Response
4. With justice he will rule the world, he will judge the peoples with his truth. Response
Gospel Acclamation Is 35:4
Alleluia, alleluia!
Come Lord ! Do not delay. Forgive the sins of your people.
Alleluia!
Or
Alleluia, alleluia!
The day of the Lord is near; Look he comes to save us.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 18:12-14 Glory to you, O Lord
God does not wish the little ones to be lost.
Jesus said to his disciples:
'Tell me.
Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays;
will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray?
I tell you solemnly,
if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all.
Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Tuesday, Second Week of Advent Matthew 18:12-14
In the gospel reading Jesus tells a parable about a shepherd who notices when one sheep out of a flock of one hundred goes astray, and who is concerned enough about that one sheep to go searching for it, even though it means leaving the ninety nine unattended. The one, and not just the many, matter to this shepherd. The shepherd is an image of Jesus who is always portrayed in the gospels as engaging not just with crowds but with individuals. In the language of John’s gospel, he is the good shepherd who knows his own by name. The risen Lord relates to us not just as anonymous members of a group but as individuals. He calls each of us by name.
In Matthew’s gospel the parable is not just an image of how Jesus relates to us, but also an image of how we are called to relate to each other. We are to call each other by name; we are to respect the uniqueness of each other, relating to one another as unique and irreplaceable images of God. Meeting with one person has potentially as much value as meeting with a large group. The parable suggests that one individual is as deserving of our attention as a gathering of many.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/
The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from Fr Martin Hogan's book Reflections on the Weekday Readings : The Word is Near to You, on your lips and in your heart published by Messenger Publications c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 15th December, 2024
CÉAD LÉACHT Sliocht as an fáidh Íseáia 40:1-11
Beirigí sólás chuig mo mhuintir.
“Sólás, beirigí sólás chuig mo mhuintir,” a deir bhur nDia.“Labhraigí le croí Iarúsailéim agus fógraígí di go bhfuil aimsir a seirbhíse istigh,
go bhfuil a peaca maite, go bhfuair sí ó láimh an Tiarna pionós faoi dhó ina cionta go léir.”
Tá glór ag fógairt:
“Réitigí cosán san fhásach le haghaidh an Tiarna.
Déanaigí díreach thar an machaire bealach mór dár nDia.
Líontar isteach gach gleann, agus íslítear gach sliabh agus gach cnoc;
déantar achréidh de na hailteanna agus míntír den gharbhchríoch.
Ansin foilseofar glóir an Tiarna agus feicfidh an uile fheoil í in éineacht.
Óir tá béal an Tiarna tar éis labhairt.”
Deir glór:“Glaoigh!” agus deirimse ar ais: “Cad a ghlaofaidh mé?”
– “Tá an uile fheoil mar an féar agus a scéimh ar fad mar bhláth an mhachaire.
Feonn an féar, tréigeann an bláth, nuair a shéideann anáil an Tiarna orthu.
(Is ea, is é an pobal an féar.) Feonn an féar, tréigeann an bláth, ach seasann briathar ár nDé go deo.”
Suas leat ar shliabh ard, a challaire an dea-scéala chuig Síón.
Ardaigh do ghlór go láidir, a challaire an dea-scéala chuig Iarúsailéim.
Ardaigh do ghlór gan eagla, abair le bailte Iúdá: “Seo é bhur nDia.”
Féach an Tiarna Dia ag teacht lena neart, agus a lámh ag smachtú roimhe!
Tá a luach saothair leis ina sheilbh, agus a éadáil ag dul roimhe amach.
Mar a dhéanfadh aoire ag aoireacht a thréada dó, ag bailiú na n-uan chuige ina bhaclainn,
á n-iompar ar chlár a uchta agus ag fosaíocht na gcaorach tórmaigh.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le Freagra Sm 95
Freagra Féach ár nDia ag teacht lena neart.
[caption id="attachment_73808" align="alignright" width="199"]
Insígí a ghlóir i measc na gciníocha[/caption]1. Canaigí amhrein nua don Tiarna; canaigí don Tiarna, a thalamh go léir.
Canaigí don Tiarna agus molaigí a ainm. Fógraígí a shlánú ó lá go lá. Freagra
2. Insígí a ghlóir i measc na gciníocha agus a éachtaí do na náisiúin uile.
Fógraígí do na ciníocha: 'Tá an Tiarna ina Rí.'
Tabharíaidh sé breith chóir chothrom ar na daoine, Freagra
3. Bíodh áthas ar neamh agus ar talamh; tugadh an mhuir agus a bhfuil inti a nglór;
bíodh lúcháir ar an machaire agus a bhfuil ann; tógadh crainn uile na coille gártha áthais i bhfianaise an Tiarna atá ag teacht atá ag teacht a rialú na cruinne. Freagra
4. Chun an domhan a rialú go cothrom agusfíorbhreith a thabhairt ar na daoine. Freagra
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as an Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Matha 18:12-14 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Ní hé toil bhur nAthar go gcaillfí aon duine amháin de na rudaí beaga seo.
San am sin dúirt Íosa lena dheisceabail:“Cad is dóigh libh? Má bhíonn céad caora ag duine agus aon chaora amháin díobh a dhul amú, nach bhfágfaidh sé an naoi nóchad ar na sléibhte agus dul ag lorg an tseachránaí?
Agus más rud é go bhfaigheann sé í, deirim libh go fírinneach, is mó is cúis áthais leis í ná an naoi nóchad a bhí gan dul amú.
Mar an gcéanna, ní hé toil i láthair bhur nAthar atá ar neamh go gcaillfí aon duine amháin de na rudaí beaga seo.
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 22nd December, 2024
Third Sunday of Advent
Gaudete (Rejoice, be Happy) Sunday
John the Baptist welcomes the coming of Christ and rejoices in being ‘the friend of the bridegroom'
whom he points out is the 'Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world'.
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of the Prophet Zephaniah 3:14-18
The Lord will dance with shouts of joy for you as on a day of festival.
Shout fo
r joy, daughter of Zion, Israel, shout aloud!Rejoice, exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem!
The Lord has repealed your sentence; he has driven your enemies away.
The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst; you have no more evil to fear.
When that day comes, word will come to Jerusalem:
Zion, have no fear, do not let your hands fall limp.
The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior.
He will exult with joy over you, he will renew you by his love;
he will dance with shouts of joy for you as on a day of festival.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
Responsorial Psalm Ps 12
Response Sing and shout for joy for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
1. Truly, God is my salvation, I trust, I shall not fear.
For the Lord is my strength, my song, he became my saviour.
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Response
2. Give thanks to the Lord, give praise to his name!
Make his mighty deeds known to the peoples!
Declare the greatness of his name. Response
3. Sing a psalm to the Lord for he has done glorious deeds,
make them known to all the earth! People of Zion, sing and shout for joy
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. Response
SECOND READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Philippians 4: 4-7
The Lord is very near.
I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord;
I repeat, what I want is your happiness.
Let your tolerance be evident to everyone: the Lord is very near.
There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it,
asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving,
and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand,
will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
Gospel Acclamation Is 61:1
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Spirit of the Lord has been given to me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 3:10-18 Glory to you, O Lord.
What must we do?
When all the people asked John, 'What must we do, then?'
He answered, 'If anyone has two tunics he must share with the man who has none, and the one with something to eat must do the same.'
There were tax collectors too who came for baptism, and these said to him,
'Master, what must we do?'He said to them, 'Exact no more than your rate.'
Some soldiers asked him in their turn, 'What about us? What must we do?'
He said to them, 'No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay!'
A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to think that John might be the Christ, so John declared before them all,
'I baptise you with water, but someone is coming,
someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals;
he will baptise 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 in a fire that will never go out.'
As well as this, there were many other things he said to exhort the people and to announce the Good News to them.
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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For homily resources for this Sunday's Gospel click here: https://www.catholicireland.net/sunday-homily/
Taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published and copyright 1966 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House Inc, and used by permission of the publishers.
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 22nd December, 2024
AN TRÍÚ DOMNACH DEN AIDBHINT
(Domnach Gaudete (bígí lúcháireach)
CÉAD LÉACHT
Sliocht as Leabhar Fáidh Sófania: 3:14-18
Tógfaidh sé gártha áthais ar do shon faoi mar a dhéantar ar lá an tsollúntais.’
“Déan gairdeas, a iníon Shíón; tóg gártha áthais, a Iosrael;
bíodh lúcháir agus gliondar ar do chroí go hiomlán, a iníon Iarúsailéim.
Tá an Tiarna tar éis an breithiúnas a bhí ag bagairt ort a thógáil díot
agus do chuid naimhde a thiomáint chun siúil uait.
Tá an Tiarna, rí Iosrael, i do lár agus ní healaí duit eagla an mhí-áidh a bheith ort níos mó.
An lá sin déarfar le Iarúsailéim: ‘Ná bíodh eagla ort, a Shíón; ná lagtar do lámha!
Tá an Tiarna, do Dhia, i do lár mar laoch caithréimeach; déanfaidh sé gairdeas go spleodrach mar gheall ort.
Athnuafaidh sé thú le neart a ghrá; tógfaidh sé gártha áthais ar do shon faoi mar a dhéantar ar lá an tsollúntais.’
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le Freagra Is 12:2-5 fr6 Is 12:2-6
Freagra Gáirigí le háthas agus liúirigí óir
is mór le rá é in bhur measc Neach Naofa Iosrael.”
1. An bhfeiceann sibh, is é Dia mo shlánaithe é, tá muinín agam agus níl mé eaglach níos mó,
óir is é an Tiarna mo neart agus mo cheol, is é mo shlánu é!
agus tarraingeoidh sibh uisce go lúcháireach as toibreacha an tslánaithe. Freagra
2. Túgaigí buíochas don Tiarna, glaoigí air ina ainm!
Fógrágí a éachtaí don phobal, meabhraígí gurb oirirc dá ainm. Freagra
3. Canaigí an Tiarna, óir tá iontais déanta aige! foilsítear iad ar fud an domhain chláir.
Gáirigí le háthas agus le lúcháir, a mhuintir Síón!
óir is mór é i do lár Neach Naofa Isráél. Freagra
DARA LÉACHT
Litir Niamh Pól cuig na chuig na Filipigh 4:4-7
Ní fada uainn an Tiarna.
A bhráithre, bígí lúcháireach i gcónaí sa Tiarna.Deirim arís é: bíodh lúcháir oraibh.
Bíodh bhur gceansacht le feiceáil ag an saol mór mar ní fada uainn an Tiarna.
Ná bígí imníoch faoi rud ar bith ach cibé ní atá in easnamh oraibh
cuirigí in iúl do Dhia é le hurnaí agus guí agus buíochas buan.
Agus sa tslí sin beidh síocháin Dé atá os cionn ár dtuisceana ag cosaint bhur gcroí
agus bhur smaointe in Íosa Críost.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Alleluia Is 61:1
Allelluia Alleluia
Tá Spiorad an Tiarna orm. Chuir sé uaidh mé ag tabhairt an dea-scéil dona bochtáin.
Allelluia Alleluia
SOISCÉAL
Sliocht as an Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Lúcás 3:10-18
Cad tá le déanamh againn ?
San am sin bhí na sluaite ag fiafraí d'Eoin: “Cad tá le déanamh againn, más ea?”
Dúirt sé leo á bhfreagairt:
“An té a bhfuil dhá chóta aige, tugadh sé cóta don té atá ina uireasa,
agus an té a bhfuil rud le hithe aige, déanadh sé a leithéid chéanna.”
Tháinig poibleacánaigh freisin chun baiste a fháil agus dúirt siad leis: “A mháistir, cad tá le déanamh againne?”
Dúirt sé leo:“Gan níos mó a éileamh ná a bhfuil ordaithe daoibh.”
D’fhiafraigh saighdiúirí de, freisin: “Agus cad tá le déanamh againne?”
Agus dúirt sé leo: “Gan éigean a dhéanamh ar dhuine ar bith, ná dearbhú éithigh;
agus sibh a bheith sásta le bhur bpá.”
Ó bhí an pobal ar fionraí, agus cách ag machnamh ina gcroí i dtaobh Eoin,
go mb’fhéidir gurbh é an Críost é, d’fhreagair Eoin á rá leo uile:
“Táimse do bhur mbaisteadh le huisce, ach tá an té ag teacht atá níos treise ná mé, nach fiú mé iall a chuarán a scaoileadh; baistfidh seisean sibh leis an Spiorad Naomh agus le tine.
Tá acháiteog ina láimh aige chun a láithreán a léirghlanadh agus an t-arbhar a chruinniú isteach ina scioból, ach dóifidh sé an lóchán le tine dhomhúchta.”
Agus trína lán nithe eile fós a rá leo á spreagadh, bhí sé ag fógairt an dea-scéil don phobal.
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
