Daily Readings:
Saints/Martyrs/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: the Fast of the Nativity
St. Nemesius
Feastday: December 19
Martyr of Egypt. He was burned alive in Alexandria, Egypt, during the persecutions under Emperor Trajanus Decius. Nemesius was arrested and scourged and then burned to death. Like Christ, he was executed between two criminals
St. Augustine Moi
Feastday: December 19
1839
One of the martyrs of Vietnam. A Dominican tertiary, Augustine worked as a day laborer. When the persecution of the faith started, he was ordered to trample a crucifix, an act he refused. Augustine's tormentors strangled him for his loyalty to Christ. He was beautified in 1900 and canonized in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.
St. Bernard Valeara
Feastday: December 19
1122
The patron of Teramo, Italy, Bernard was a Benedictine monk at Monte Cassino, appointed the bishop of Teramo in 1115.
St. Thomas De & Companions
Feastday: December 19
1839
Vietnamese martyrs. Thomas was a Vietnamese tailor who entered the Dominicans as a tertiary. Arrested on the charge of giving aid and shelter to foreign missionaries, he was strangled. Four other Catholic Vietnamese died with Thomas. They were canonized in 1988
St. Darius
Feastday: December 19
unknown
Martyr with Zosimus, Paul, and Secundus. They died at Nicaea, Turkey.
St. Dominic Uy
Feastday: December 19
1839
Vietnamese martyr, a tertiary of the Dominican Order. He was strangled at the age of twenty-six. Dominic was beatified in 1900 and canonized in 1988.
Bl. Francis Man
Feastday: December 19
1839
Dominican tertiary, a martyr of Vietnam. Francis was serving as a catechist when arrested. He and four companions were strangled. He was beatified in 1900.
St. Francis Xavier Mau
Feastday: December 19
1839
Martyr of Vietnam. He was a native catechist who was strangled, as were his four companions
St. Fausta
Feastday: December 19
3rd century
The mother of St. Anastasia of Sirmium. Serbia, Yugoslavia. Fausta was a model matron of her era, demonstrating true virtue in raising a saint.
St. Manirus
Feastday: December 19
Bishop and an apostle to Scotland. He evangelized the Highlanders in the northern regions and was revered for his kindness and goodwill.
St. Ribert
Feastday: December 19
790
Revered abbot of the monastery of Saint Oyend, also called Ribarius.
Sts. Meuris & Thea
Feastday: December 19
307
Martyred virgins from Gaza, in Palestine. Meuris died in prison while being tortured. Thea survived the initial tortures but died a short time later. They are believed to be the same as Valentina and Thea. They died in Alexandria, Egypt
Scriptural Readings:
Reading 1, Is 7:10-14
10 Yahweh spoke to Ahaz again and said:
11 Ask Yahweh your God for a sign, either in the depths of Sheol or in the heights above.
12 But Ahaz said, 'I will not ask. I will not put Yahweh to the test.'
13 He then said: Listen now, House of David: are you not satisfied with trying human patience that you should try my God's patience too?
14 The Lord will give you a sign in any case: It is this: the young woman is with child and will give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel.
Gospel, Mt 1:18-24
18 This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
19 Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally.
20 He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit.
21 She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.'
22 Now all this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:
23 Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which means 'God-is-with-us'.
24 When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home;
Reading 2, Rom 1:1-7
1 From Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle,
2 set apart for the service of the gospel that God promised long ago through his prophets in the holy scriptures.
3 This is the gospel concerning his Son who, in terms of human nature
4 was born a descendant of David and who, in terms of the Spirit and of holiness, was designated Son of God in power by resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ, our Lord,
5 through whom we have received grace and our apostolic mission of winning the obedience of faith among all the nations for the honour of his name.
6 You are among these, and by his call you belong to Jesus Christ.
7 To you all, God's beloved in Rome, called to be his holy people. Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Dec 18, 2010 (22 hours ago)
Psalm - Ps 24:1-6
1 On the first day of the week, a psalm for David. The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof: the world, and all they that dwell therein. 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas; and hath prepared it upon the rivers. 3 Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord: or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 The innocent in hands, and clean of heart, who hath not taken his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbour. 5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Saviour. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob
No comments:
Post a Comment