Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God; the Octave Day of Christmas
January 1, 2024
First Reading: Numbers 6:22-27
22 The LORD said to Moses, 23 “Say to Aaron and his sons, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, 24 The LORD bless you and keep you: 25 The LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. 27 So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, [Selah] 2 that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving power among all nations. 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for thou dost judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. [Selah] 5 Let the peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee! 7 God has blessed us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!
Second Reading: Galatians 4:4-7
4 But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir.
16 And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; 18 and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21 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.
Reflection of the Day: “All true children of God have God for their father and Mary for their mother; anyone who does not have Mary for his mother, does not have God for his father.” — St. Louis de Montfort
You must be logged in to post a comment.