Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, 1 January 2026

 

Adoration of the Shepherds [London]

Rembrandt [Web Gallery of Art]

The shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger (Luke 2:16).

Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand)

Readings (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: (England & Wales, Scotland, India)  

Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)

Gospel Luke 2:16-21 (English Standard Version, Anglicised)

At that time: The shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Léachtaí i nGaeilge

 

Adoration of the Shepherds [Munich]

Rembrandt [Web Gallery of Art]

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart (Luke 2:19).

In 2002 I spent five months in Glasgow, Scotland, doing mission appeals in different parishes for the Columbans every weekend. One day in a large shopping mall I had need to go to the men's room. It was the cleanest public toilet I had ever seen in my life. The janitor happened to be there and I told him so. His face lit up with a joy I have never forgotten.

One of the themes running through today's Mass is 'light'. The alternative Entrance Antiphon, reflecting both Isaiah and Luke, opens with the words Today a light will shine upon us, for the Lord is born for us. The First Reading, from the Book of Numbers, has the Blessing of Aaron, given to him by the Lord through his brother Moses: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).

This in turn is echoed by the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 66 [67]): May God be gracious and bless us and let his face shed its light upon us.  The Preface furthers the theme of light with these words: For by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit she conceived your Only Begotten Son, and without losing the glory of virginity, brought forth into the world the eternal light, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The magnificent opening of St John's Gospel, read on Christmas Day at the Mass During the Day and also at Mass on the last day of the year, tells us who Jesus is: In the beginning was the Word . . . and the Word was God . . .  In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Many of the great artists have painted the Adoration of the Shepherds. Above are two paintings by Rembrandt, who was a master of light and darkness. In both Mary is presenting her Son to the Shepherds with utter trust. And it is clear that Rembrandt understood that Jesus is the true light, which enlightens everyone, that Mary had brought forth into the world the eternal light, Jesus Christ our Lord.

We see the words of the Entrance Antiphon being fulfilled in both paintings, Today a light will shine upon us, for the Lord is born for us. The faces of Mary, Joseph and the shepherds represent our faces, lit up with the eternal light, Jesus Christ our Lord who came among us through Mary so that, in the words of the Prayer after Communion, it may lead us to eternal life.

The shepherds who visited Jesus, Mary and Joseph were not at the top of the social ladder in Judea and the janitor I met in Glasgow was not on top of the social ladder in Scotland and was probably ignored by most of those he served. I like to think that the day I met him he experienced something of the light of Christ when I thanked him for his work. I know that to this day the Lord has made his face shine upon me whenever I recall that encounter. So often the Lord Jesus makes his face shine upon us through those considered unimportant or not even noticed.

The janitor probably told his wife and family and others about this incident, as I have often spoken about it, and as did the shepherds about their experience. St Luke tells us that all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. St John's Gospel says of St John the Baptist, He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.

We too are called to do the same so that all may come to know and to believe in Jesus Christ. The shepherds were the first to welcome our Saviour into the world and to proclaim him. And, in a real sense, they welcomed Mary and Joseph when they knelt down and worshipped the Child whom Mary presented to them so trustingly and whom she continues to present to us.

God touched Mary through these shepherds and she treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And Jesus invites those of us who, for whatever reason, illness, disability or age, are no longer as active as we used to be, to treasure up, as Mary did, all these things, pondering them in our hearts.

And as we take part in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass we shall be following the shepherds who returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.

Carol of the Bells

I learned only three years ago that Carol of the Bells is of Ukrainian origin. Look at and listen to this delightful rendition of the original Ukrainian carol on the full screen.

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon the people of Ukraine and give them peace.

 

A Great Darkness over Ireland

On the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, 2019 abortion on demand up to 12 weeks became legal in the Republic of Ireland as did abortion at a later stage of pregnancy in certain circumstances. Since then the lives of around 60,000 children have been legally destroyed in their mothers' wombs. This legislation came after the people in a referendum in 2018 voted to change the Constitution to allow for legislation legalising the killing of children in the womb. 

The vast majority of voters and legislators were baptised Christians, most of them Catholics, showing utter tone-deafness to the meaning of Christmas and of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Please ask Mary our Mother to lead the people of Ireland back to her Son who spent the first hours of his life in a manger in Bethlehem.

Rachel's Vineyard is a powerful location for God's healing love for women and men affected by the reality of abortion in their lives.

Away in a Manger

Sung by Libera

Traditional Latin Mass

Octave-Day of the Nativity

The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 1-1-2026 if necessary).

Epistle: Titus 2:11-15. Gospel: Luke 2:21.

Circumcision of Jesus

Blessed Fra Angelico [Web Gallery of Art]

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb (Luke 2:21).

 

     

      

'Peace be to this house1' Sunday Reflections, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

 

Madonna and Child

Francisco de Zurbarán [Web Gallery of Art]

For thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
    and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip,
    and bounced upon her knees.
13 As one whom his mother comforts,
    so I will comfort you;
    you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

(Isaiah 66:12-13; First Reading)

Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,)

Readings (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland) 

Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)

Gospel Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:1-9 (English Standard Version, Anglicised)

At that time: The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no money bag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace be to this house!” And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the labourer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”

[But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, “Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.” I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.’

The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’ And he said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’]

Léachtaí i nGaeilge

St Justin Martyr 

Theophanes the Cretan [Wikimedia]

The July 2019 issue of Magnificat, a pocket-sized monthly magazine that is a prayer book and Missal that I highly recommend, has this story of St Justin Martyr who died c.165. He was a philosopher who attached himself to philosophical schools in different places. 

One day, while walking along the beach in Ephesus, Justin met an old man who told him of the teachings of the Hebrew prophets and their fufilment in the person of Jesus Christ. 'My spirit was immediately set on fire,' Justin wrote later.

I remember the late Columban Fr Cyril Hally, a New Zealander, pointing out to us in the seminary that when the Apostles went to their different mission fields they found some Christians there before them. Christians who travelled, such as merchants, who spoke about Jesus Christ to those they met and many a spirit was immediately set on fire.

The Legion of Mary: Its Global Mission Part 1

Part 2; Part 3.

Columban Fr Joseph Hogan from Dublin, where the Legion of Mary was born, introduced the movement to China, where it later produced many martyrs. He died in Shanghai on 6 July 1946. And Columban Fr Seán Savage who died on 7 July 1994 is credited with introducing the Legion to Korea. May they both rest in peace.

During some summer vacations in my seminary years I went on Peregrinatio Pro Christo  - Pilgrimage For Christ - with the Legion of Mary. 'PPC', as Legionaries usually call it, was partly inspired by the spirit of Irish monks such as St Columbanus (Columban) and St Columcille (Columba) who left Ireland in the Sixth Century for other countries, Columban to the European mainland and Columba to Iona, Scotland, in the modern Diocese of Argyll and the Isles where I spent two months in parish work during the summer of 2013. I also spent two short periods working there in the summer of 1997 in the Gaelic-speaking islands of Barra and South Uist.

Legionaries go to another country or to another region in their own country for at least a week, usually at the invitation of a particular parish. In 1963 I was in St Anne's Parish, Edge Hill, near the centre of Liverpool, around the time The Beatles, from that city, were becoming world famous. Two years later I was in St Fergus's Parish, Ferguslie, Paisley, very near Glasgow, and in 1966 in Pewsey, a lovely village in rural Wiltshire in England's beautiful West Country. I arrived there on the day England won the World Cup in football against West Germany and watched the game in a cafe in Bristol.

On PPC most of the Legionaries have never met each other before but they establish a close bond very quickly. Instead of a weekly meeting, as they have in their own praesidium, as a branch is called (the Legion takes its terminology from the ancient Roman Legions), they meet daily. Each meeting includes prayers at the beginning, including the Rosary, the middle and the end, a reading from the Handbook, reporting by each member on work done, a short talk or allocutio from the spiritual director, and assignments for the coming week, two hours for senior members.

On PPC this takes place every day, as does the work. And it is usually much longer than two hours. Most of those taking part give up part of their own vacations and pay their own way, though they are usually hosted by local families, just like the 72 in the gospel.

Just like the disciples in today's Gospel, Legionaries work in pairs. They may never work alone. If one doesn't turn up the assigned work can't be done. One of the central works of the Legion of Mary is to visit homes. In Liverpool the parish priest asked us to do a parish census. This served two purposes. It helped the parish update its list but, more importantly, it was an opportunity for personal contact with parishioners, especially with those who had lapsed.

I remember one particular home that I visited with my assigned partner. The parish index card noted that the family who lived there had become quite bitter towards the Church, why, I didn't know. But I felt nervous when I pressed the doorbell. A man opened the door and one of us said that we were from the Legion of Mary and that we were visiting on behalf of the local parish.

Instead of speaking angry words or slamming the door in our faces, the man gave us a big smile and said, 'O, you're from Ireland!' He then told us of vacations that he and his family had spent there and that they had received a warm welcome wherever they went.

I took this as a cue to speak of the hospitality and friendliness of the Irish people as an expression of their Catholic faith. We had a long chat in which the man who had, as I recall, called his wife to meet us, expressed no bitterness at all towards the Church and it was clear when we were leaving that he was very grateful for the visit. As the Gospel today says: Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace be to this house!” And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. 

I don't know if he and his family went back to the Church but he had experienced a welcoming Church through our visit. In a very real way we had done what Jesus had asked the 72 (or 70) to do: Cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you'  The sickness in question wasn't a physical one but a spiritual one.

Our faith is a precious gift from God that must be shared. Otherwise it will die. In the gospel the 72 are given a specific mission. That is what happens on PPC. But we're on mission all the time and we may never know how we lead others to the faith. 

The young future martyr Justin learned of Jesus Christ from an old man he met while walking on a beach. 

Whether we're 'on duty' as missionaries, as the 72 were and as I was on PPC, or 'off duty' the lives we lead can truly remind others that the kingdom of God has come near to you. The people that the Liverpool family met in Ireland, bus drivers and conductors, waiters, waitresses, newspaper vendors, so many others, probably weren't aware that they were gentle reminders of God's love to them. When we honestly try to follow Jesus despite our sinfulness and weakness we can take heart in the words he spoke to the 72 as they reported what had happened during their mission, rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

The Legion of Mary, an international body, welcomes new members to continue the work that Jesus gave to the 72 disciples.

The Our Father in Ukrainian

His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of Kyiv, leads Greek Catholic pilgrims from Ukraine in singing the Our Father in St Peter's on 28 June.

Traditional Latin Mass

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 07-06-2025 if necessary).

Epistle: Romans 8:18-23. Gospel: Luke 5:1-11.

Miraculous Draught of Fishes

Raphael [Web Gallery of Art]

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord' (Luke 5:8; Gospel).

'The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good.' Sunday Reflections, 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Regina Pacis - Queen of Peace

University of Bonn [Wikipedia; photo]

Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for peace in Ukraine.

Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) 

Readings (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland) 

Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)

Gospel Luke 6:39-45 (English Standard Version, Anglicised)

At that time: Jesus told his disciples a parable: ‘Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye”, when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

‘For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.’

Léachtaí i nGaeilge

Peach Tree in Blossom

Vincent van Gogh [Web Gallery of Art]

I have used this story before on Sunday Reflections. I heard it from the late Fr Giuseppe Raviolo SJ, an Italian Jesuit who worked in Mindanao, Philippines, for many years and was one of the founders, in 1985, of St John Vianney Theological Seminary in Cagayan de Oro City there. About 45 years ago he and I and some other priests were on a team together giving a directed retreat to seminarians. We stayed in a dormitory that was far from being 'Five Star'. He reminded me very much of St Pope John XXIII in girth and in personality and was always a delight to be with. I feel a great sense of gratitude to God for having known this wonderful man who lived his priesthood so joyfully.

Fr Giuseppe Raviolo SJ 

[Source]

During the Vietnam War Father Joe, as we called him, had been rector of the major seminary in Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, when it was capital of the then South Vietnam. When the North Vietnamese army moved into Saigon the soldiers were divided into groups of three with a standing order that if any of the three tried to surrender the others were to kill him. One particular group of three found themselves surrounded by soldiers either of the American army or the army of South Vietnam, I forget which. One of them ran forward and surrendered and his two comrades did not shoot him. They two were captured. 

Later the other two asked the soldier who had surrendered why he had taken such a risk. He told them that he knew they were Christians and would not shoot. This man was a Buddhist and his two companions were Catholics. These two had discussed the order to kill and had decided that it would be wrong to do so. As Catholic Christians they saw that as murder. These were soldiers of a Communist army, without any chaplains.

Clearly they had been well formed as followers of Jesus despite living under a Communist regime that restricted the activities of the Church. Vietnam has a long history of persecution with figures of between 100,000 and 300,000 martyrs being given. The second-century theologian Tertullian wrote, The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church. Jesus says to us in today's gospel, No good tree bears bad fruit. The two Catholic Vietnamese soldiers were the fruit of the tree produced by the seed that was the countless martyrs among their ancestors.

And their Buddhist companion showed that he understood Jesus who said, The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good. He put his life in the hands of his two companions because he knew they were Christians. Would anyone do the same with me simply because I am a Christian?

I see some of the words of Pope Benedict XVI in his Angelus reflection in 2007 on last Sunday's gospel being lived out in the incident involving the three North Vietnamese soldiers: One then understands that for Christians, non-violence is not merely tactical behaviour but a person's way of being, the attitude of one who is so convinced of God's love and power that he is not afraid to tackle evil with the weapons of love and truth alone. 

The way of being of those two Catholic soldiers as followers of Jesus was evident to their Buddhist comrade. Is my way of being as a follower of Jesus evident to those around me? 

The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good. 

The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good. 

The Sorrowful Mother, Страдальна Мати

Ukrainian Lenten Hymn

Lent

Lent begins on Wednesday 5 March. For the people of Ukraine it has begun in a very real sense three years ago. Pope Francis asked us that year to make Ash Wednesday a day of prayer and fasting for Ukraine. There seems to be movement towards peace as I write this.

It is a day of fasting and abstinence every year. The Pope has asked us to focus through that on the urgency of the situation in Ukraine where the majority of people are Christian, mostly Orthodox. About ten per cent are Catholics, most of them members of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

You will find the rules for fasting and abstinence here. The rule about abstinence on Fridays during Lent may vary from one country to another.

These rules are not an expression of legalism but a call to generosity and to share in the fasting and abstinence of Jesus himself during his forty days in the desert.

Traditional Latin Mass

Quinquagesima Sunday 

The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 03-02-2025 if necessary).

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.  Gospel: Luke 18:31-43.

Christ Healing the Blind

Nicolas Colombel [Web Gallery of Art]

And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' He said, 'Lord, let me receive my sight (Luke 18:40-41; Gospel).

Mary 'brought forth into the world the eternal light, Jesus Christ our Lord.' Sunday Reflections, Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

 

Adoration of the Shepherds [London]

Rembrandt [Web Gallery of Art]

And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger (Luke 2:16).

Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)

Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)

Gospel Luke 2:16-21 (English Standard Version Anglicised: India)  

And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Léachtaí i nGaeilge 

Adoration of the Shepherds [Munich]

Rembrandt [Web Gallery of Art]

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart (Luke 2:19).

In 2002 I was assigned for five months in Glasgow, Scotland, doing mission appeals in different parishes for the Columbans every weekend. One day in a large shopping mall I had need to go to the men's room. It was the cleanest public toilet I had ever seen in my life. The janitor happened to be there and I told him so. His face lit up with a joy I have never forgotten.

One of the themes running through today's Mass is 'light'. The alternative Entrance Antiphon, reflecting both Isaiah and Luke, opens with the words Today a light will shine upon us, for the Lord is born for us. The First Reading, from the Book of Numbers, has the Blessing of Aaron, given to him by the Lord through his brother Moses: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).

This in turn is echoed by the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 66 [67]): God, be gracious and bless us and let your face shed its light upon us. The Preface furthers the theme of light with these words: For by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit she conceived your Only Begotten Son, and without losing the glory of virginity, brought forth into the world the eternal light, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The magnificent opening of St John's Gospel, read on Christmas Day at the Mass During the Day and also at Mass on the last day of the year, tells us who Jesus is: In the beginning was the Word . . . and the Word was God . . .  In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Many of the great artists have painted the Adoration of the Shepherds. Above are two paintings by Rembrandt, who was a master of light and darkness. In both Mary is presenting her Son to the Shepherds with utter trust. And it is clear that Rembrandt understood that Jesus is the true light, which enlightens everyone, that Mary had brought forth into the world the eternal light, Jesus Christ our Lord.

We see the words of the Entrance Antiphon being fulfilled in both paintings, Today a light will shine upon us, for the Lord is born for us. The faces of Mary, Joseph and the shepherds represent our faces, lit up with the eternal light, Jesus Christ our Lord who came among us through Mary so that, in the words of the Prayer after Communion, it may lead us to eternal life.

The shepherds who visited Jesus, Mary and Joseph were not at the top of the social ladder in Judea and the janitor I met in Glasgow was not on top of the social ladder in Scotland and was probably ignored by most of those he served. I like to think that the day I met him he experienced something of the light of Christ when I thanked him for his work. I know that to this day the Lord has made his face shine upon me whenever I recall that encounter. So often the Lord Jesus makes his face shine upon us through those considered unimportant or not even noticed.

The janitor probably told his wife and family and others about it, as I have often done, and as did the shepherds about their experience. St Luke tells us that all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. St John's Gospel says of St John the Baptist, He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.

We too are called to do the same so that all may come to know and to believe in Jesus Christ. The shepherds were the first to welcome our Saviour into the world and to proclaim him. And, in a real sense, they welcomed Mary and Joseph when they knelt down and worshipped the Child whom Mary presented to them so trustingly and whom she continues to present to us.

God touched Mary through these shepherds and she treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And Jesus invites those of us who, for whatever reason, illness, disability or age, are no longer as active as we used to be, to treasure up, as Mary did, all these things, pondering them in our hearts.

And as we take part in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass this weekend we shall be following the shepherds who returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.

May we pray in a special way at Mass for Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI who constantly reminded us that our faith as Christians is in a Person, Our Lord Jesus Christ, God who became Man, the One the shepherds adored in Bethlehem.

Carol of the Bells

I never knew until this Christmas that Carol of the Bells is of Ukrainian origin. Look at and listen to this delightful rendition of the original Ukrainian carol on the full screen.

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon the people of Ukraine and give them peace.

 

Traditional Latin Mass

Octave-Day of the Nativity

The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 1-1-2023 if necessary).

Epistle: Titus 2:11-15. Gospel: Luke 2:21.

Circumcision of Jesus

Blessed Fra Angelico [Web Gallery of Art]

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb (Luke 2:21).