Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 118 : 1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44
Blessed are they whose ways are upright, who follow the Law of YHVH.
Explain to me all Your ordinances, and I will meditate on Your wondrous deeds.
I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart upon Your laws.
Give me understanding, that I may observe Your Law with all my heart.
Guide me in obeying Your instructions, for my pleasure lies in them.
May I always keep Your word, forever and ever.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Proverbs 21 : 1-6, 10-13
In the hands of YHVH, the heart of the king is like running water; He directs it wherever He wishes. To the eyes of man all His ways are honest but it is YHVH Who weighs the heart. To do what is upright and just pleases YHVH more than sacrifice.
Haughty looks, proud heart, the light of the wicked is sin. The plans of a hardworking man result in earnings; poverty is for those who act too hastily. To make a fortune by means of deceit is like running after the wind; the end is death.
The soul of the wicked desires nothing but evil; not even his friend is treated with compassion. When the mocker is punished the ignorant man grows wise; when the wise man is instructed he grows in knowledge. The Just One watches the house of the evildoer and hurls the wicked into misfortune.
He who is deaf to the poor man’s cry will not be heard when he himself calls out.
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, which is very much tied with the celebration the day before of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Just as we remember the glory of the Cross of Our Lord and Saviour yesterday, in everything that He had done for our sake, in submitting most humbly to the will of His heavenly Father and bearing His Cross, therefore today we remember the one person who has always remained firm and committed in following her beloved Son, throughout all of His ministry and works, and even to the foot of the Cross, where He hung, suffering and dying for the salvation of the whole world. Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, had endured the worst that a mother would have to do, in seeing, witnessing and experiencing her own Son’s suffering and death.
In the very well-known art work, called the Pieta, crafted and made by the famous Michaelangelo, we see the figure of the sorrowful Mary, Mother of God, holding in her own hands the dead body of her beloved Son, after His mission had been accomplished and completed, as He gave up His Spirit and died on the Cross, to redeem all of mankind, by offering Himself as the perfect and most worthy sacrifice, an offering of His own Most Precious Body and Blood, to be offered and broken on the Altar of the Cross, as the Lamb of God, as well as our Eternal High Priest. Mary watched everything unfolding before her very own eyes, and we can only begin to imagine the kind of sorrow and heartache that she had to experience as she witnessed the sufferings and the trials faced by her Son.
That is why Mary, as Our Lady of Sorrows, has always been so attentive to all of us, having been entrusted with all of us as her own children, and she has become our own Mother, loving and caring for us, even from her heavenly abode. This is what we have heard in our Gospel passage today from the Gospel of St. John, when just before He gave up His Spirit, the Lord Jesus told St. John, His beloved disciple, to take care of His Mother, and then He also told Mary that St. John there was to be like her own son, which was actually a symbolic entrustment of Mary to all of us, represented by St. John, to be our own loving mother. Mary has always therefore loved us all just as how she has loved her Son throughout all of His life in this world.
Why is that, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because Mary herself had witnessed what any mothers should not have seen and witnessed, seeing her own Son’s death, and not just any death, but death in the most humiliating, painful and terrible way, and all of those things happened because her Son willingly took upon Himself all the punishments and consequences that were meant for us, to save us all from the sins and wickedness that we have committed, that we do not end up in eternal damnation in hell, by our disobedience, sins and evils. Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, have shown us all the perfect example of obedience, as we heard in our first reading today, from the Epistle to the Hebrews, that He would become for us, the Source of eternal salvation and life.
Each and every one of us, the children of mankind, have been subjected to sin and death by our disobedience against God, through our refusal to obey God, His Law and commandments. And if not for the enduring and persistent love which God has always shown us, we would have been condemned to an eternity of sufferings and pain, an eternal death in hell, in which we are forever separated from God and His love. But that is not what the Lord wanted to happen to us, because He Who had created us with love, and out of love, wants us to be reconciled with Him once again, and to experience the power of His mercy and forgiveness. Otherwise, if He had not done so, and if He has not intervened through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour we would have been cast out into the eternal darkness and hell, to suffer the whole consequences of our sins and evils.
Thus, Mary, who has experienced the sufferings and struggles that her Son had to endure in saving us from the depth of our wickedness and sins, certainly does not want any of us to suffer the destruction that we have been going towards, especially because her Son had suffered so that we may have new life and hope through Him. That is why Mary kept on interceding for us, guiding and helping us on our way, as she does not want us, her beloved children, to be lost to her, and she still wants us to be reunited with her and her Son, Our Lord and Saviour. That is why, Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, had made so many apparitions, appearances meant to help remind us mankind to turn away from our sins and wickedness, a common theme of her apparitions, and that we should embrace the Lord and His merciful love once again.
That is why, the phrase of ‘to Jesus through Mary’ is indeed very popular and appropriate, reminding us how Mary is indeed the very sure path for us to follow in our desire to seek the Lord and the redemption in Him. Her great faith and dedication to God, her commitment to the mission and the path that has been entrusted to her are great examples for all of us to follow in our own lives, so that in everything that we do and say, in our every actions and interactions in life, we will always glorify God, and that we will always be obedient to Him and His Law, His commandments and path, in doing what He has called and entrusted to us to do. Let us all no longer be subjected to the tyranny and dominion of sin, evil and death, after everything that the Lord had done for us.
Let us all remind ourselves and one another of the great and ever enduring love which God has for us, and how His blessed Mother, Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, who is also our loving mother, have always loved us and watched over us. Let us all appreciate just how fortunate we are to have been beloved in such a manner, and we should always ever be thankful for all the blessings and love, the grace that we have received from God and His most generous mercy. May the Lord, and His blessed mother, Our Lady of Sorrows, continue to help us in our journey of faith towards the Throne of God’s love and mercy. May God bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
John 19 : 25-27
At that time, near the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister Mary, who was the wife of Cleophas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw the mother, and the disciple whom He loved, He said to the mother, “Woman, this is your son.”
Then He said to the disciple, “This is your mother.” And from that moment the disciple took her to his own home.
Alternative reading
Luke 2 : 33-35
At that time, the father and mother of Jesus wondered at what was said about the Child. Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, His mother, “Know this : your Son is a Sign; a Sign established for the falling and rising of many in Israel, a Sign of contradiction; and a sword will pierce your own soul, so that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.”
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 30 : 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6, 15-16, 20
In You, o YHVH, I take refuge, may I never be disgraced; deliver me in Your justice. Give heed to my plea, and make haste to rescue me.
Be a Rock of refuge for me, a Fortress for my safety. For You are my Rock and my Stronghold, lead me for Your Name’s sake.
Free me from the snare that they have set for me. Indeed You are my Protector. Into Your hands I commend my spirit; You have redeemed me, o YHVH, faithful God.
But I put my trust in You, o YHVH, I said : “You are my God.” My days are in Your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, from those after my skin.
How great is the goodness which You have stored for those who fear You, which You show, for all to see, to those who take refuge in You!
Liturgical Colour : White
Hebrews 5 : 7-9
Christ, in the days of His mortal life, offered His sacrifice with tears and cries. He prayed to Him, Who could save Him from death, and He was heard, because of His humble submission. Although He was Son, He learnt, through suffering, what obedience was, and, once made perfect, He became the Source of eternal salvation, for those who obey Him.
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates together the occasion of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrating the moment when Mary, the Mother of God, was born. This Feast is celebrated exactly nine months after Mary’s Immaculate Conception on the eighth day of December, just like how the celebration of Christmas, the Nativity of Our Lord, is celebrated nine months after the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, when the Lord was conceived in the holy womb of Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit. We celebrate Mary’s birth and rejoice in her because through her, her exemplary life and obedience to God, her commitment to her mission and the desire she had in serving the Lord and in loving her Son, we have received the assurance of God’s salvation through her Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Mary has been specially prepared by God’s grace and power, to be spared and made immaculate, free from the taint and corruption of original sin, as highlighted in the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Hence, when she was conceived, unlike others among mankind, Mary was pure and immaculate, and after nine months, was born of her mother, St. Anne. Both St. Anne and St. Joachim, Mary’s parents, according to Apostolic and Church traditions, were faithful to God and upright, and they were living near the Temple of God, and that was when, according to the Law of Moses, Mary was presented as their firstborn, at the Temple, dedicated and consecrated to God, which gave an indication of the great and very important role that she was to do in the history of the salvation of mankind as the one to be the New Ark of the New Covenant of God.
Mary grew up faithfully and was brought up well by her parents, and remained full of God’s grace, throughout her whole life. She obeyed the Law and the commandments of God, and lived a truly holy and exemplary life, and the Lord sent His salvation to this world through her, just as we have heard in our first reading today of the assurance which God has spoken to His people through the prophet Micah. God reassured the people that His salvation would come through a Woman, that was to be Mary, who would give birth and bring unto this world its salvation, with the coming of the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, through her. Mary became the New Ark of the New Covenant of God, the Ark crafted in perfection and grace by God Himself so that she would be truly worthy to bear the Divine Word of God, Incarnate in the flesh within her.
It was also through Mary, as well as Joseph, her husband, that the Lord Jesus, Son of God and Saviour of the world, was born into the House of David and to the race of Israel, as according to tradition, Mary herself, just like Joseph, belonged to the tribe of Judah and was also descended from King David of Israel. In today’s Gospel passage, we heard of the lineage and genealogy of the Lord being presented to us, highlighting His descent from Abraham all the way to David and from David to Himself, through the lineage of kings and the rightful heirs of the Kingdom of Israel through His foster and legal father, St. Joseph, making Him the Heir of David, the One promised by God to His people and to David himself, that the rule of his house and the Kingdom his house will remain forever, because it is God Himself Who has come to us in the flesh, to take up the Throne and rule over all of His people.
Thus, today as we celebrate this Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we are all reminded of the important role that Mary has in the story of salvation. Not only that through her, the Lord has manifested Himself in the flesh, and dwelling amongst us, but it was also her faith and total commitment to God that allowed all of that to happen. When the Archangel Gabriel came to her at the moment of the Annunciation, to proclaim to her and through that, to all of us, the Good News of God and the long awaited coming of the Messiah, it was Mary’s total obedience to God, her full trust in Him and His power, His plans and all which allowed the Lord’s plans and works to become manifest in this world. It was Mary’s resounding ‘Yes’ to God which brought unto us the salvation of God, in the person of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Now, besides Mary having accepted her role in the plan of God’s salvation, it was also her righteousness, virtues and fullness of grace, as mentioned, which made her to be truly worthy of honour and praise, and why we really rejoice together at the occasion today in memory of her Nativity or birth into this world. With her examples and inspirational life, all of us as Christians, as God’s beloved and holy people should also be inspired and encouraged to follow the Lord and obey His commandments as best as possible, so that we may indeed be truly worthy of God and His grace. We honour Mary because she is the Mother of God, our Lord and Saviour, and also because through her, we can indeed find the clearest, best and surest path to God’s salvation and grace. Through Mary, we can find the best and easiest, most direct path to her Son.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we rejoice today in honour of Mary’s Nativity, let us all once again renew our commitment to God through His mother, the Blessed ever Virgin Mary, whose faith and devotion to her Son, her love for Him and also for all of us, have touched and inspired us to be God’s faithful disciples and followers as well. Let us all be reminded that God has entrusted Mary to us, to be our own Mother, and at the same time, also entrusted us all to her, to be her own children, so that she may guide us all to the right path towards her Son, to the salvation and eternal life promised to all those who are faithful to Him. Let us all not be ignorant anymore of our calling in life, to follow the Lord ever more faithfully in our way of life, and to dedicate ourselves to Him much as Mary herself has loved the Lord and dedicated herself wholly to Him.
May the Lord, our most loving God, Creator and Master, continue to help and guide us in our journey throughout life, and may He empower each and every one of us so that all of us may indeed be ever more faithful in everything we say and do. May all of us commit ourselves to God and His cause, with ever greater desire to love Him wholeheartedly as Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother had done. Holy Mary, Mother of God, whose birth we commemorate and rejoice in today, pray for all of us, your beloved children, that we may continue to live our lives worthy of your Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
Matthew 1 : 1-16, 18-23
This is the account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar), Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron of Aram. Aram was the father of Aminadab, Aminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon.
Salmon was the father of Boaz. His mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed. His mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David, the king. David was the father of Solomon. His mother had been Uriah’s wife. Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Then came the kings : Abijah, Asaph, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah.
Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the deportation to Babylon. After the deportation to Babylon, Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel and Salathiel of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud, Abiud of Eliakim, and Eliakim of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, and Akim the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar of Matthan, and Matthan of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus Who is called the Christ – the Messiah. This is how Jesus Christ was born : Mary His mother had been given to Joseph in marriage, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her.
While he was pondering over this, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a Son. You shall call Him ‘Jesus’ for He will save His people from their sins.”
All this happened in order to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet : The Virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and He will be called Emmanuel, which means God-with-us.
Alternative reading (shorter version)
Matthew 1 : 18-23
This is how Jesus Christ was born : Mary His mother had been given to Joseph in marriage, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her.
While he was pondering over this, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a Son. You shall call Him ‘Jesus’ for He will save His people from their sins.”
All this happened in order to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet : The Virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and He will be called Emmanuel, which means God-with-us.
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 12 : 6ab, 6cd
But I put my trust in Your unfailing love, my heart will rejoice on seeing Your salvation.
I will sing to YHVH, for He has been good to me!
Liturgical Colour : White
Micah 5 : 1-4a
But you, Bethlehem Ephrata, so small that you are hardly named among the clans of Judah; from you shall I raise the One Who is to rule over Israel. For He comes forth from of old, from the ancient times.
YHVH, therefore, will abandon Israel until such time as she, who is to give birth, has given birth. Then the rest of His deported brothers will return to the people of Israel. He will stand, and shepherd His flock with the strength of YHVH, in the glorious Name of YHVH, His God.
They will live safely, while He wins renown to the ends of the earth. He shall be peace.
Alternative reading (Second Reading if this Feast is celebrated as a Solemnity)
Romans 8 : 28-30
We know that in everything, God works for the good of those who love Him, whom He has called, according to His plan. Those whom He knew beforehand, He has also predestined, to be like His Son, similar to Him, so, that, He may be the Firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
And so, those whom God predestined, He called, and those whom He called, He makes righteous, and to those whom He makes righteous, He will give His glory.
