Today, 26th of December, we celebrate
Saint Stephen
First Reading: Isaiah 1:10-17
Hear the word of the Lord,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!
What care I for the number of your sacrifices?
says the Lord.
I have had enough of whole-burnt rams
and fat of fatlings;
In the blood of calves, lambs and goats
I find no pleasure.
When you come in to visit me,
who asks these things of you?
Trample my courts no more!
Bring no more worthless offerings;
your incense is loathsome to me.
New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies,
octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear.
Your new moons and festivals I detest;
they weigh me down, I tire of the load.
When you spread out your hands,
I close my eyes to you;
Though you pray the more,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood!
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23
R./ To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold."
R./ To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?"
R./ To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think you that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God."
R./ To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:34—11:1
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one's enemies will be those of his household.
"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
"Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man's reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."
When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.
To be worthy of Jesus
Faith in Jesus is always challenging. Faith could be a battle within ourselves – because our faith would demand us to do away with our selfishness. Faith in God cannot coexist with desires for wealth, power, and pleasure. We may also face situations and people who attempt to dissuade us from our faith. Our workplaces or work schedules may not be suitable for us to practice faith, and in some instances, society or the people in authority could prevent us from practising faith.
In the Gospel reading for today, Jesus cautions us about this struggle. Our belief in Jesus can lead to misunderstandings or rejection within our family and closest circles. Many families today feel the temptation to avoid discussing matters of faith in order to preserve family harmony. Without realizing it, this lack of faith in God is the primary reason for unhappiness and lack of peace in our modern families.
The text discusses the demands of discipleship presented in Matthew’s Gospel, which was written during a time of persecution. The purpose of the Gospel was to encourage persecuted Christians by reminding them to stand firm in their faith in Jesus, regardless of external support, protection, or material security.
In the latter part of the passage (vv. 40-42), an extraordinary pledge is offered to those who receive preachers of the Gospel. «Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me» (v. 40). Not everyone has been endowed with identical qualities and abilities from God. Every genuine believer is summoned to assist those who devote themselves to spreading the Gospel, albeit in varying ways, yet with equal generosity.
Biblie Claret
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
we have accepted your invitation
to follow your Son Jesus, as his disciples.
Let your Spirit give us the wisdom and strength
to take our faith seriously
and to accept our task in life with all its consequences.
Let your Spirit help us to follow your Son
without fear or discouragement,
for we are certain that Jesus will lead us to you,
our loving God, for ever and ever.
Liturgy of the Word
Introduction to the First Reading
One of the themes strong and dear with Isaiah is, that outward cultic practices of religion are of no value to the individual or the community unless their everyday life conforms to the commandments of God, which are the people's response to God.
Introduction to the Gospel
Christ could bring us life and grace because he suffered for us. He could rise because he was crucified and died on a cross. No easy life is promised to his disciples. Suffering and the cross are their share too. In God's plan, this is the way to life. It's not too comfortable, but these are God's terms.
General Intercessions
– That those whom the Lord calls to special ministries in the Church may follow him resolutely; that all of us may unwaveringly commit ourselves to Jesus and to people as Jesus commits himself to us, we pray:
– That the leaders of nations may be committed to the good of their people, in justice and a sprit of service, we pray:
– That our prayers and worship of the Lord may commit us more to the causes we pray for, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
in these gifts of bread and wine,
we bring ourselves before you
and you let your Son give himself to us.
May we learn from him to make ourselves free
for people and for you
and to seek your will in all we do.
May we follow in his trials and in his glory
your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
in this Eucharist you have enlightened us
with the word and wisdom of your Son
and given us his nourishing, strong bread
to follow him without hesitation.
Fill us with the wisdom and power of your Spirit
to go with Jesus without hesitation
through the desert of pain and the cross,
for the sake of bringing his life and joy
to our brothers and sisters in need
and for giving glory to you, now and for ever.
Blessing
Be free. Be true and honest with yourselves, be honest with God and faithful to Jesus and his message, even if it causes conflicts with people dearest to you. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
