Wednesday, January 6 2016 Wednesday after Epiphany

Reading 1 1 Jn 4:11-18

Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another. 
No one has ever seen God. 
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit. 
Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. 
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God. 
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. 
In this is love brought to perfection among us,
that we have confidence on the day of judgment
because as he is, so are we in this world. 
There is no fear in love,
but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 10, 12-13

R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Alleluia See 1 Tm 3:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to you, O Christ, proclaimed to the Gentiles.
Glory to you, O Christ, believed in throughout the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 6:45-52

After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat
and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd. 
And when he had taken leave of them,
he went off to the mountain to pray. 
When it was evening,
the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. 
Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,
for the wind was against them. 
About the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea. 
He meant to pass by them. 
But when they saw him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out. 
They had all seen him and were terrified. 
But at once he spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” 
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. 
They were completely astounded. 
They had not understood the incident of the loaves. 
On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

REFLECTION 

FEAR PREVENTION

"[Jesus] went off to the mountain to pray." –Mark 6:46

In today's Scripture readings, love is not contrasted to hate. Rather, love is contrasted with fear (1 Jn 4:18), and the antidote to fear is prayer. Thus, the Lord teaches us that love increases through a relationship with God. Prayer is a conversation with God, with us doing most of the listening and God doing most of the speaking.

Consider a young man and woman in love. They contemplate marriage. Considerable risks and expenses are involved: one spouse might die prematurely, the expenses of bearing, raising, and educating children, risks of home-ownership, with the ever-present possibilities of illness, robbery, fire, storm damage, and so on. While prudence and responsibility demand attention to these factors, the risks involved are not usually the overriding factor. The love-relationship of the couple overrides the accompanying risks, and the couple decides to marry. They spend more time focusing on their mutual love than on the dangers. Their mutual love overrides their fears.

We are to be in a lifelong love-relationship with the Lord. Even more so than the young couple, it is critically important that we spend prime time loving the Lord, worshipping Him, and listening to Him. We grow to know Him in a deep personal way. We learn to trust Him and rest in Him. Our nourished, committed love for the Lord will drive away our fear. If you are afraid, spend more time in prayer. Rest in Him. Be still before Him, and know He is God and Love (1 Jn 4:8, 16; Ps 46:11).

PRAYER:	Father, greatly increase my love for You.
PROMISE:	"It is I. Do not be afraid!" –Mk 6:50
PRAISE:	St. André prayed with many for healings, and the Lord worked "signs and wonders" through him (cf Acts 5:12).

Tuesday, January 5 2016 Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop

Reading 1 1 Jn 4:7-10

Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only-begotten Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8

R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Alleluia Lk 4:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 6:34-44

When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things. 
By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already very late. 
Dismiss them so that they can go 
to the surrounding farms and villages
and buy themselves something to eat.” 
He said to them in reply,
“Give them some food yourselves.” 
But they said to him,
“Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food
and give it to them to eat?” 
He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” 
And when they had found out they said,
“Five loaves and two fish.” 
So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass. 
The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties. 
Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, 
he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples
to set before the people;
he also divided the two fish among them all. 
They all ate and were satisfied. 
And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments
and what was left of the fish. 
Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.

REFLECTION 

FACTS IT TO ME

Jesus "broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to distribute. He divided the two fish among all of them and they ate until they had their fill." –Mark 6:41-42

In the Christmas season, we celebrate the historical event that God became man and was born in Bethlehem. Christmas should not be about fictitious reindeer, snowmen, and other cartoon characters. Christmas is about the Word of God literally becoming flesh (Jn 1:14). Jesus' birth in a stable at Bethlehem is not just a symbol but a fact.

In today's Gospel reading, we read about another fact: the multiplication of the loaves and the fish. This multiplication is not a midrash but a literal miracle. Jesus did not get people to share their supper; He created their supper out of nothing (cf Heb 11:3). The apostles knew that the people in the crowd did not have food (Mk 6:36). The apostles were of the same culture as the crowd. They knew the habits of these people much better than we do. They knew it would take "two hundred days' wages for bread to feed" the crowd (Mk 6:37). Even if the apostles weren't accountants, it was easy for them to count 5,000 men since "the people took their places in hundreds and fifties" (Mk 6:40, 44). Jesus gave the loaves and fish to the apostles to distribute (Mk 6:41). They could see whether the loaves and fish were being created or merely unpacked. The objective interpretation of this Bible passage for almost two thousand years has been that Jesus did a literal, historical, factual miracle by multiplying the loaves and fish (see Catechism, 1335).

In this Christmas season, believe in miracles literally.

PRAYER:	Father, may I filter my life through Your Word and not vice versa.
PROMISE:	"Love, then, consists in this: not that we have loved God but that He has loved us and has sent His Son as an Offering for our sins." –1 Jn 4:10
PRAISE:	St. John, a missionary to the USA from Bohemia, spread the Faith to Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Monday, January 4 2016 Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious

Reading 1 1 Jn 3:22–4:6

Beloved:
We receive from him whatever we ask,
because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And his commandment is this:
we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,
and the way we know that he remains in us
is from the Spirit whom he gave us.

Beloved, do not trust every spirit
but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God,
because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This is how you can know the Spirit of God:
every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh
belongs to God,
and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus
does not belong to God.
This is the spirit of the antichrist
who, as you heard, is to come,
but in fact is already in the world.
You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them,
for the one who is in you
is greater than the one who is in the world.
They belong to the world;
accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world,
and the world listens to them.
We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us,
while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us.
This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 2:7bc-8, 10-12a

R. (8ab) I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.”
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

Alleluia See Mt 4:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 4:12-17, 23-25

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee. 
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet 
might be fulfilled:

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people. 
His fame spread to all of Syria,
and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases
and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,
and he cured them. 
And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

REFLECTION 

THE DOWN PAYMENT

"And this is how we know that He remains in us: from the Spirit that He gave us." –1 John 3:24

At the Christmas season, we celebrate not only Immanuel, "God with us" but also God within us. "Those who keep His commandments remain in Him and He in them" (1 Jn 3:24; see also 1 Jn 4:16; 5:20; Jn 14:20; 6:56; 17:23). Christ in us is our "hope of glory" (Col 1:27).

However, "perhaps you yourselves do not realize that Christ Jesus is in you" (2 Cor 13:5). "This is how we know that He remains in us: from the Spirit that He gave us" (1 Jn 3:24; 4:13). The Holy Spirit is "the first Payment" (2 Cor 1:22). "He is the Pledge of our inheritance, the first Payment against the full redemption of a people God has made His own, to praise His glory" (Eph 1:14). For example, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Church, the Body of Christ, continues Christ's ministry of healing by curing "the people of every disease and illness" (Mt 4:23). When we see others healed or when we ourselves are healed, this work of the Holy Spirit gives us reason to believe that all God's promises are true – including His promise to live within us.

When we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7), we walk and believe by the light of the Holy Spirit. Come, only true Christmas Spirit! Come, Holy Spirit!

PRAYER:	Father, "I believe! Help my lack of faith!" (Mk 9:24, our transl.)
PROMISE:	"A people living in darkness has seen a great light. On those who inhabit a land overshadowed by death, light has arisen." –Mt 4:16
PRAISE:	St. Elizabeth, the first native-born American to be canonized, was a convert to Catholicism at age thirty. Though she only lived sixteen more years, she walked by faith and led many others to faith in Christ.

Sunday, January 3 2016; The Epiphany of the Lord

Reading 1 Is 60:1-6

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

R. (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Reading 2 Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6

Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace 
that was given to me for your benefit, 
namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.
It was not made known to people in other generations 
as it has now been revealed
to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Alleluia Mt 2:2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod, 
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled, 
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, 
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly 
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word, 
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures 
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 
they departed for their country by another way.

REFLECTION 

HIGH-RISE

"Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you." –Isaiah 60:1

On every Epiphany, the Lord commands us to "rise up in splendor," to put the light of our lives in Christ on the lampstand to give light to all in darkness (see Lk 8:16). We must let our "little light shine" and let the world know the true message of Christmas – that Jesus became a human being, was born, died on a cross, and rose from the dead to save us.

Before we rise up, we must see two things. First, we must see what God has done for us, His glory shining on us (Is 60:2). Then, we must see what sin and Satan have done to the world, for "darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples" (Is 60:2). When we see the grace we've received and the deadly darkness of the world, we know we have the responsibility and the power to rise up. "For God, Who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts, that we in turn might make known the glory of God shining on the face of Christ" (2 Cor 4:6).

To rise, we must see. To see, we must repent. On this greatest day of the Christmas season, let's give Jesus three gifts – not gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but repentance, seeing, and rising. Jesus gave us the gift of His birth. May we give Him the gift of new birth for many in darkness.

PRAYER:	Father, may I lead more people to believe in Jesus in 2016 than in all my other years combined.
PROMISE:	"They prostrated themselves and did Him homage. Then they opened their coffers and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." –Mt 2:11
PRAISE:	Praise the risen Jesus, Life (Jn 14:6), Love (1 Jn 4:16), Light (Jn 8:12), and Lord (Phil 2:11)!

Saturday, January 2 2016 Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church

Reading 1 1 Jn 2:22-28

Beloved:
Who is the liar? 
Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. 
Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist. 
Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father,
but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. 
If what you heard from the beginning remains in you,
then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. 
And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life. 
I write you these things about those who would deceive you. 
As for you,
the anointing that you received from him remains in you,
so that you do not need anyone to teach you. 
But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false; 
just as it taught you, remain in him.

And now, children, remain in him,
so that when he appears we may have confidence
and not be put to shame by him at his coming.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Alleluia Heb 1:1-2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

In times past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets:
in these last days, he has spoken to us through his Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 1:19-28

This is the testimony of John. 
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted,
“I am not the Christ.” 
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?” 
And he said, “I am not.” 
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.” 
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? 
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’
as Isaiah the prophet said.” 
Some Pharisees were also sent. 
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?” 
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” 
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.

REELECTION

"WHAT IS TRUTH?" (see Jn 18:38)

"I have written you these things about those who try to deceive you." –1 John 2:26

"Who is the liar?" (1 Jn 2:22) Satan is "the father of lies...the truth is not in him" (Jn 8:44). Our secular culture believes the lies Satan is constantly feeding them: 

• You won't go to hell; there is no hell. In fact there is no sin. If it feels good, do it. 
• Sexual acts outside of marriage are not a sin; everyone does them. 
• Marriage is not just between one man and one woman and "same-sex" marriage is legal, therefore, it's not sinful and actually it's right. In fact, you are hateful and intolerant to hold any other viewpoint. 
• A fetus is just a blob of tissue – aborting it is no different than cutting off a mole from your skin. 
• It's not a grave sin to skip Mass on Sundays and Holy Days. All of your friends only go on Christmas and Easter. 

There are many similar deceptions, falsehoods, and outright lies.

St. Paul cried when thinking of the "savage wolves" who would deceive his Christian flock (Acts 20:29, 31). Countless martyrs died for the truths that the Church teaches. If these truths were not important, why would people give their lives to defend them? If sin was no big deal, why did Jesus die for our sins?

Jesus, "the Truth" (Jn 14:6), "came into the world...to testify to the truth" (Jn 18:37). Learn what the Catholic Church teaches, for it guards the truth. "The truth will set you free" (Jn 8:32).

PRAYER:	Father, may I act "only for the sake of the truth" (2 Cor 13:8) and thus make straight Your way in the world (Jn 1:23).
PROMISE:	"He Himself made us a promise and the promise is no less than this: eternal life." –1 Jn 2:25
PRAISE:	Sts. Basil and Gregory were hermits who were both led to become great teachers.

Friday, January 1 2016; The Octave Day of Christmas Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

Reading 1 Nm 6:22-27

The LORD said to Moses: 

“Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: 

This is how you shall bless the Israelites.

Say to them:

The LORD bless you and keep you!

The LORD let his face shine upon

you, and be gracious to you!

The LORD look upon you kindly and

give you peace!

So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, 

and I will bless them.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

R. (2a) May God bless us in his mercy.

May God have pity on us and bless us;

may he let his face shine upon us.

So may your way be known upon earth;

among all nations, your salvation.

R. May God bless us in his mercy.

May the nations be glad and exult

because you rule the peoples in equity;

the nations on the earth you guide

R. May God bless us in his mercy.

May the peoples praise you, O God;

may all the peoples praise you!

May God bless us,

and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

R. May God bless us in his mercy.

Reading 2 Gal 4:4-7

Brothers and sisters:

When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,

born of a woman, born under the law, 

to ransom those under the law, 

so that we might receive adoption as sons.

As proof that you are sons, 

God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, 

crying out, “Abba, Father!”

So you are no longer a slave but a son, 

and if a son then also an heir, through God.

Alleluia Heb 1:1-2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;

In these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem 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, 

just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,

he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel

before he was conceived in the womb.

REFLECTION

GOD WAS A BABY

"When the designated time had come, God sent forth His Son born of a woman, born under the law, to deliver from the law those who were subjected to it, so that we might receive our status as adopted sons." –Galatians 4:4-5

We began the Christmas season celebrating Jesus' birth. On this eighth day of Christmas, we celebrate His conception, that is, the conception of God. To express the reality of His conception, God's Incarnation, we speak of Mary as the mother of God. This states that God really and permanently became a human being. He did not merely inhabit a human body or appear in the form of a human being. God actually became a human being.

God, in the womb of Mary, was a fetus about the size of a thumbnail. God nursed at Mary's breast. God talked "baby-talk." God had to be taught to walk. In addition to these physical realities of God's becoming human, God spiritually took on our weak human nature. He was born under the law (Gal 4:4). He was like us in all things but sin (Heb 4:15). He was tempted in every way that we are (Heb 4:15). The awesome God, the All-holy One, the great I AM, emptied Himself (see Phil 2:7) to the point that He had to struggle to overcome the little, petty temptations with which all human beings struggle.

Why did God so humiliate Himself and become man? "God is Love" (1 Jn 4:16).

PRAYER:	Father, through this world day of prayer for peace and justice, break through in China as You did in the former Soviet Union.
PROMISE:	"Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart." –Lk 2:19
PRAISE:	Mary, the mother of God, is also our mother. Praise You, Almighty God, for adopting us into Your glorious family! Alleluia.

Thursday, December 31 2015; The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas

Reading 1 

1 Jn 2:18-21

Children, it is the last hour; 
and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming,
so now many antichrists have appeared. 
Thus we know this is the last hour. 
They went out from us, but they were not really of our number;
if they had been, they would have remained with us. 
Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number. 
But you have the anointing that comes from the Holy One,
and you all have knowledge. 
I write to you not because you do not know the truth 
but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth.

Responsorial Psalm PS 96:1-2, 11-12, 13

R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name;
announce his salvation, day after day. 

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the LORD.

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

The LORD comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.

R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Alleluia Jn 1:14a, 12a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.
To those who accepted him
he gave power to become the children of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. 
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light, 
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God, 
to those who believe in his name, 
who were born not by natural generation 
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision 
but of God.

And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son,
full of grace and truth.

John testified to him and cried out, saying, 
“This was he of whom I said, 
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me 
because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses, 
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, 
has revealed him.

REFLECTION

CHRIST AND THE ANTICHRISTS

"Children, it is the final hour." –1 John 2:18

On this last day of the year, the Church declares that God the Father is warning His children that "it is the final hour." Many antichrists have appeared and are appearing (1 Jn 2:18). The ultimate Antichrist may even be alive and close to his temporary takeover of the world (see 2 Thes 2:3ff).

As deceptive and powerful as these antichrists are, we who have given our lives to Jesus have no reason to be afraid. We "have the anointing that comes from the Holy One, so that all knowledge is" ours (1 Jn 2:20). There is One greater in us "than there is in the world" (1 Jn 4:4). In Christ, we have "within" us the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:17), Who is Power from on high (Acts 1:8) and Who guides us to all truth (Jn 16:13).

"Therefore, brothers, stand firm. Hold fast to the traditions you received from us, either by our word or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself...console your hearts and strengthen them for every good work and word" (2 Thes 2:15-16, 17).

End this year totally dedicated to Jesus by accepting Jesus totally – on His terms. He will empower you to become a child of God the Father (Jn 1:12) and fill you with the Holy Spirit. Then you cannot help but have a happy new year.

PRAYER:	Father, by Your grace, I forgive, repent, and obey. May I go into the new year with no unfinished business.
PROMISE:	"My reason for having written you is not that you do not know the truth but that you do, and that no lie has anything in common with the truth." –1 Jn 2:21
PRAISE:	Pope St. Sylvester I led the Church to the Truth through persecutions from outside and divisions within.