Month: January 2025

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(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Holy Family (II Classis) – Sunday, 12 January 2025 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Preface, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Liturgical Colour : White

Offertory

Luke 2 : 22

Tulerunt Jesum parentes Ejus in Jerusalem, ut sisterent Eum Domino.

English translation

The parents of Jesus carried Him to the Temple, to present Him to the Lord.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Placationis hostiam offerimus Tibi, Domine, suppliciter deprecantes : ut, per intercessionem Deiparae Virginis cum beato Joseph, familias nostras in pace et gratia Tua firmiter constituas. Per eumdem Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

To appease You, o Lord, we offer the Victim of Salvation, humbly beseeching You that, through the prayers of the Virgin Mother of God and of St. Joseph, You would establish our households in Your peace and favour. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

Preface of the Epiphany

Vere dignum et justum est, aequum et salutare, nos Tibi semper et ubique gratias agere : Domine, Sancte Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus : Quia, cum Unigenitus Tuus in substantia nostrae mortalitatis apparuit, nova nos immortalitatis suae luce reparavit.

Et ideo cum Angelis et Archangelis, cum Thronis et Dominationibus cumque omni militia caelestis exercitus hymnum gloriae Tuae canimus, sine fine dicentes :

English translation

It is truly meet and just, right and salutary, that we should always and in all places, give thanks to You, o Holy Lord, Father Almighty, Eternal God, because Your only Begotten Son appearing in our mortal nature had restored it by the shedding upon us of that new and immortal light which is His very own.

And therefore with the Angels and Archangels, with the Thrones and Dominions and with all the array of the heavenly host, we sing a hymn to Your glory and unceasingly repeat :

Communion

Luke 2 : 51

Descendit Jesus cum eis, et venit Nazareth, et erat subditus illis.

English translation

Jesus went down with them, and came to Nazareth and was subject to them.

Post-Communion Prayer

Quos caelestibus reficis sacramentis fac, Domine Jesu, sanctae Familiae Tuae exempla jugiter imitari : ut in hora mortis nostrae, occurrente gloriosa Virgine Matre Tua cum beato Joseph; per Te in aeterna tabernacula recipi mereamur : Qui vivis et regnas in unitate Spiritu Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

May You, o Lord, bring us whom You have refreshed with heavenly mysteries to imitate the example of Your holy Family, that at the hour of our death, with the Virgin Mother and blessed Joseph at hand, we may be received by You into our everlasting home. You who lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Holy Family (II Classis) – Sunday, 12 January 2025 : Holy Gospel

Liturgical Colour : White

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Lucam – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke

Luke 2 : 42-52

Cum factus esset Jesus annorum duodecim, ascendentibus illis Jerosolymam secundum consuetudinem diei festi, consummatisque diebus, cum redirent, remansit Puer Jesus in Jerusalem, et non cognoverunt parentes Ejus.

Existimantes autem illum esse in comitatu, venerunt iter diei, et requirebant eum inter cognatos et notos. Et non invenientes, regressi sunt in Jerusalem, requirentes eum. Et factum est, post triduum invenerunt illum in templo sedentem in medio doctorum, audientem illos et interrogantem eos.

Stupebant autem omnes, qui eum audiebant, super prudentia et responsis Ejus. Et videntes admirati sunt. Et dixit Mater Ejus ad illum : Fili, quid fecisti nobis sic? Ecce, pater Tuus et ego dolentes quaerebamus Te. Et ait ad illos : Quid est, quod me quaerebatis? Nesciebatis, quia in his, quae Patris Mei sunt, oportet Me esse?

Et ipsi non intellexerunt verbum, quod locutus est ad eos. Et descendit cum eis, et venit Nazareth : et erat subditus illis. Et Mater Ejus conservabat omnia verba haec in corde suo. Et Jesus proficiebat sapientia et aetate et gratia apud Deum et homines.

English translation

And when Jesus was twelve years old, they going up into Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast, and having fulfilled the days, when they returned, the Child Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and His parents did not know it.

And thinking that He was in the company, they came a day’s journey, and sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And not finding Him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking Him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found Him in the Temple sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them and asking them questions.

And all who heard Him were astonished at His wisdom and His answers. And seeing Him, they wondered, and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done so to us? Behold Your father and I have sought You sorrowing.” And He said to them, “How is it that you sought Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

And they did not understand the word that He spoke unto them. And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. And His mother kept all these words in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and man.

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(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Holy Family (II Classis) – Sunday, 12 January 2025 : Gradual and Alleluia

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 26 : 4, Isaiah 45 : 15 and Psalm 83 : 5

Unam petii a Domino, hanc requiram : ut inhabitem in domo Domini omnibus diebus vitae meae.

Beati, qui habitant in domo Tua, Domine : in saecula saeculorum laudabunt Te.

Alleluja, Alleluja.

Response : Vere Tu es Rex absconditus, Deus Israel Salvator. Alleluja.

English translation

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Blessed are they who dwell in Your house, o Lord, they shall praise You forever and ever.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Response : Truly You are a hidden King, the God of Israel, the Saviour. Alleluia.

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(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Holy Family (II Classis) – Sunday, 12 January 2025 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour : White

Lectio Epistolae Beati Pauli Apostoli ad Colossenses – Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Colossians

Colossians 3 : 12-17

Fratres : Induite vos sicut electi Dei, sancti et dilecti, viscera misericordiae, benignitatem, humilitatem, modestiam, patientiam : supportantes invicem, et donantes vobismetipsis, si quis adversus aliquem habet querelam : sicut et Dominus donavit vobis, ita et vos.

Super omnia autem haec caritatem habete, quod est vinculum perfectionis : et pax Christi exsultet in cordibus vestris, in qua et vocati estis in uno corpore : et grati estote. Verbum Christi habitet in vobis abundanter, in omni sapientia, docentes et commonentes vosmetipsos psalmis, hymnis et canticis spiritualibus, in gratia cantantes in cordibus vestris Deo.

Omne, quodcumque facitis in verbo aut in opere, omnia in Nomine Domini Jesu Christi, gratias agentes Deo et Patri per ipsum.

English translation

Brethren, put you on as the elect of God, holy and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another, even as the Lord had forgiven you, so you should also too.

But above all these things, have charity, which is the bond of perfection, and let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein you are also called in one body, and may you be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in your hearts to God.

All whatsoever you do in word or in work, all things you should do in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Holy Family (II Classis) – Sunday, 12 January 2025 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : White

Introit

Proverbs 23 : 24-25 and Psalm 83 : 2-3

Exsultet gaudio pater Justi, gaudeat Pater tuus et Mater tua, et exsultet quae genuit te.

Quam dilecta tabernacula Tua, Domine virtutum! Concupiscit et deficit anima mea in atria Domini.

Response : Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper : et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Let the father of the Just rejoice greatly, let your father and your mother be joyful, and let she who bore you rejoice.

How lovely are Your tabernacles, o Lord of hosts. My soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord.

Response : Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Collect

Domine Jesu Christe, qui, Mariae et Joseph subditus, domesticam vitam ineffabilibus virtutibus consecrasti : fac nos, utriusque auxilio, Familiae sanctae Tuae exemplis instrui; et consortium consequi sempiternum : Qui vivis et regnas in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who in the days of Your subjection to Mary and Joseph, had consecrated home life by ineffable acts of virtue, by the intercession of Your holy mother and of Your foster father, make us so to profit by the example they with You have set us, that we may be counted as members of Your household forevermore. You Who lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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Saturday, 11 January 2025 : Saturday after the Epiphany (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, and as we approach the end of this current joyful season of Christmas, and as we are soon about to enter into the new season of the Ordinary Time, we are all reminded of our calling and mission in life as Christians, as all those whom the Lord had called and chosen to be His people, that we have the mission and obligation to help one another to reach the Lord and His salvation, to encourage everyone to walk ever more faithfully in the path that He has shown to all of us. As God’s children and His holy people, all of us should always strive to obey the commandments of God and to love one another just as He has always loved us, as His Law and commandments are all about love.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. John the Apostle in which St. John spoke clearly about the salvation which all of us have received from God, and which He has revealed and made clear to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, the One Who has come into our midst and brought us all the promise of eternal life and redemption. And because all of us as Christians have received the revelation, truth and knowledge about God’s salvation and grace, hence, all of us ought to live our lives worthily and embrace the salvation which our Lord has provided most generously for us, being ever mindful of the dangers of sin and evils all around us and in all of our actions, words and deeds so that we do not end up falling again and again into the trap of sin and darkness.

The Lord our Saviour has shown us the path out of the darkness and into the light of His salvation. However, it requires our cooperation and commitment that we may resist the temptations of sin and evil, temptations of worldly pleasures, ambitions and other desires of the world, the desire for the pleasure of the flesh, for fame and renown, for riches and worldly glory, among many other things, all of which may corrupt us and lead us astray in the path towards God and His grace. St. John the Apostle spoke clearly about how sin can lead us to damnation and death, but at the same time, we must have hope with us because the Lord Jesus, our Saviour has brought the forgiveness of sins and the perfect manifestation of God’s love into our midst.

We must not take this great love and generosity which we have received for granted, as if we are not careful then the allures of sin can lead us astray once again into the path towards damnation and Hell. But the Lord has given us all His providence and protection, the great love which He has shown us through His Son. And since all of us are the beloved children of God, we shall be protected and guided in our paths in life, and God will always be with us, by our side, with His Spirit and Wisdom lighting our path forward. However, we still have to cooperate with what the Lord has given to us, His love and providence so that we will be able to move forward ever closer towards His Light and salvation, towards the eternal joy and true happiness that we can find in Him alone, and not be distracted by the pursuit of false pleasures all around us.

In our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the works of the Lord Jesus and His Herald, St. John the Baptist, who were both working on the people, baptising them and calling them to repent from their sins and return to the Lord. And we heard of how the Lord Jesus at that time was becoming more and more popular, while less and less people were coming to St. John the Baptist. Prior to this, thousands upon thousands of people came flocking to St. John the Baptist, wanting to listen to him and to be baptised by him, and some even thought of him as the Messiah. But he told them all clearly that he was not the Messiah and was merely just the one sent ahead of the Lord to prepare the way for him.

Hence, when some of the disciples of St. John the Baptist told him of the issue, St. John the Baptist humbly said that it was how things were meant to be, that he should decrease and decline in importance and popularity while the Lord became more and more renowned and popular among the people. He had done what he was tasked to do, preparing the path for the Lord’s coming. It was indeed easy for one like St. John the Baptist to seek popularity and support from the people, as some other false Messiahs at that time had tried to do, gaining the support of many people and rising up in rebellion against the Romans, claiming to be the Messiah, only to have their rebellions failed and themselves killed and destroyed, because they did not represent the truth of God.

But St. John the Baptist remained obedient and committed to the mission which he has been entrusted with, resisting the temptations of worldly glory and ambitions, and did what he was tasked to do, to proclaim the Saviour of the world to everyone. And as he did so, he reminded all of us as Christians that we are also tasked and entrusted with the responsibility to proclaim the salvation of God and His truth, His love and hope to everyone whom we encounter daily in our lives. Each and every one of us have been given the opportunities and the grace to reach out to others whom we meet and encounter, interact and work with in our respective lives so that we may show to them the love of God, His truth and Good News through our own exemplary lives and actions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we are all about to enter the Ordinary Time after tomorrow’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, let us all therefore remember always that as Christians we are expected to centre our lives, existence and all of our works on the Lord, and we should always proclaim His truth and love in our community and among all those whom we encounter each day in our lives. Let us all continue to be exemplary and be good inspiration to our fellow brothers and sisters around us, doing our best to live a most Christian living, full of faith and commitment to God, and be the shining beacons of His Good News, light and hope, and show His love manifested through His Son, by our own love for Him and our love for our brethren around us. Amen.

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Saturday, 11 January 2025 : Saturday after the Epiphany (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 3 : 22-30

At that time, Jesus went into the territory of Judea with His disciples. He stayed there with them and baptised. John was also baptising in Aenon, near Salim, where water was plentiful; people came to him and were baptised. This happened before John was put in prison.

Now John’s disciples had been questioned by a Jew about spiritual cleansing, so they came to John and said, “Rabbi, the One Who was with you across the Jordan, and about Whom you spoke favourably, is now baptising, and all are going to Him.”

John answered, “No one can receive anything, except what has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him.’ Only the bridegroom has the bride; but the friend of the bridegroom stands by and listens, and rejoices to hear the bridegroom’s voice. My joy is now full. It is necessary that He increase, but that I decrease.”

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Saturday, 11 January 2025 : Saturday after the Epiphany (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 149 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

Alleluia! Sing to the Lord a new song, sing His praise in the assembly of His saints. Let Israel rejoice in his Maker, let the people of Zion glory in their King!

Let them dance in praise of His Name and make music for Him with harp and timbrel. For the Lord delights in His people; He crowns the lowly with victory.

The saints will exult in triumph; even at night on their couches. Let the praise of God be on their lips, this is the glory of all His saints. Alleluia!

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Saturday, 11 January 2025 : Saturday after the Epiphany (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 John 5 : 14-21

Through the Son of God we are fully confident that whatever we ask, according to His will, He will grant us. If we know that He hears us whenever we ask, we know that we already have what we asked of Him.

If you see your brother committing sin, a sin which does not lead to death, pray for him, and God will give life to your brother. I speak, of course, of the sin which does not lead to death. There is also a sin that leads to death; I do not speak of praying about this. Every kind of wrongdoing is sin, but not all sin leads to death.

We know, that those born of God do not sin, but the One Who was born of God, protects them, and the evil one does not touch them. We know, that we belong to God, while the whole world lies in evil. We know, that the Son of God has come and has given us power to know the truth. We are in Him Who is true, His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God, and eternal life. My dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

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Friday, 10 January 2025 : Friday after the Epiphany (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all reminded of the love of God which has been made evident, real, tangible and approachable to all of us through His Son, which has been testified by many testimonies and proofs, that the love of God had indeed manifested itself in our midst, dwelling among us, He Who is known as Emmanuel, God Who is with us, living in our presence and walking in our world with us. He has brought us His healing, salvation and liberation so that each and every one of us may have the sure path out of the darkness and into the light of His salvation and grace, as He has promised to us from the very beginning, and which He has indeed fulfilled perfectly through His Son.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. John about the testimony of God’s salvation, which He had mare known and revealed to all of us through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. And by the coming of His Son into this world, God has opened the path to Himself and extended for us all the sure path to eternal life. And St. John mentioned not just one but three testimonies of the truth about the Lord’s coming, in water, in Blood and in Spirit. All these three testimonies affirm the truth about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Whose appearance in our midst have restored the hope that had once been lost to Him, and brought us back to see the light of God and His ever generous love.

Those testimonies of water, Blood and Spirit are the truths presented to us about the Messiah, with the first testimony of water referring to the moment when the Lord was baptised in the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist just as it has been prophesied. The Herald of the Messiah, St. John the Baptist himself recognised the One Whose coming He has been preparing the world for, and as He entered into the water, the Heavens itself opened and the voice of God the Father was heard, revealing that the Son of Man Who was baptised that day was indeed the Son of God as well, further affirmed by the Holy Spirit in the form of a Dove descending down from Heaven to rest upon Him. Truly this testimony showed us all that Jesus Christ is indeed the Divine Word of God incarnate in the flesh.

Then, the testimony of Blood is a reminder for us all of the redemptive mission of Our Lord, as He came into this world ultimately to be the One Who would offer the perfect and only worthy sacrifice and offering for our behalf, as our One True and Eternal High Priest, offering the Body and Blood of the Lamb of God, that is His own Most Precious Body and Blood, which had been broken and outpoured for us from His Cross at Calvary. There is no other Blood worthy enough to save us all from our predicaments and from the power of sin and darkness. That He willingly embraced us all and offered Himself and His life for us, is truly testimony and proof enough of what the Lord has done for us, the reality of what He had given to us, the perfect gift of His love.

Then lastly, the testimony of the Spirit referred not just to the descent of the Holy Spirit at the moment when the Lord Jesus was baptised at the River Jordan, but also referring to the moment when the Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord, at the occasion of Pentecost, fifty days after the Lord has risen from the dead and ten days after He has ascended in glory to Heaven. This coming of the Holy Spirit and the guidance that the Lord has given us all His Church ever since is a fulfilment of everything that the Lord Himself has spoken about sending His Advocate, the Helper, the Holy Spirit upon His Church and all of His disciples and followers, to strengthen and guide us all in our path, showing that whatever He had said, all would indeed come true.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the story of the time when the Lord Jesus encountered a leper who came to Him and asked Him to heal him of his condition which had certainly made his life very difficult. We must understand that at the time of the Lord Jesus, those who have contracted leprosy were considered as unclean and impure, and they had to remain outside the community as outcasts, wandering off in the wilderness until their leprosy had been healed. In fact, what is known leprosy in this case might not have been the same as what is known today as leprosy, but might have been a kind of infection of the skin and the body, which can be easily passed on from one person to another, and can be cured, unlike the leprosy that we are familiar with today.

But regardless of the detail, or which leprosy the man was truly suffering from, the Lord healed him and told him to go to see the priests so that he could be welcomed back to the community. The Lord did not boast about what He had done, and in fact, He wanted those who have been healed by Him to keep quiet about the matter. Yet as we heard from the Gospel passage today, what the Lord had done for His people continued to grow in knowledge and popularity among the people, and many more would come towards Him, seeking His love, healing and forgiveness. And we are all therefore reminded today to remain focused on the Lord and His saving power, and all the love that He has shown us all these while.

Therefore, as we have been reminded through the Scripture passages today, we are all called as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people to continue to proclaim our Lord and Saviour in our world today, reminding everyone whom we encounter of Who it is that we truly serve and believe in, reiterating our fullness of faith and trust in Him and in the salvation and eternal life that He has promised to each and every one of us. Let us all therefore strive to do our best in each and every moments to glorify the Lord by our every actions, words and deeds, in everything that we say and do, in our every interactions with one another so that we may show the truth of God to all the people around us.

May the Lord be with us all, and may He empower each one of us so that we will continue to live worthily in His Holy Presence, and be the worthy bearers and the good and shining beacons of His light and salvation, His truth and love, now and always. Amen.