Dec 31: Christmas Octave

1 John 2:18-21 / John 1:1-18

Antichrists have appeared; They came from our ranks

 Renegade Christians were spreading heresy within the early Church. Influenced by Gnosticism (which derived its name from the Greek word for “knowledge”), they preached the doctrine that “knowledge” or faith sufficed for salvation. One’s moral conduct had little or nothing to do with it. John identifies these teachers as “antichrists,” “enemies of Christ.”

30th December, Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

1 John 2 : 12-17; Luke 2 : 36-40

Shun the world’s attractions: The world passes; God alone remains.

 

Photographer David Crocket of KOMO-TV, Seattle, was caught at the foot of Mt. St. Helens when it exploded on May 18, 1980. He was nearly buried in the falling ash. Ten hours later he was miraculously spotted, picked up by a helicopter, and rushed to a hospital.

29th December, St. Thomas Becket

1 John 2:3-11 / Luke 2:22-35  

A light for all the nations; The light is shining

 

If we don’t love, we are in darkness. Gnosticism was a thorn in the side of the early Church. This heresy derived its name from the Greek word for “knowledge.” Gnosticism took many twists and is difficult to define.

Epiphany - Jan 03, Shorter Reflection

Jan 1: Mary, Mother of God and New Year

Jan 1: Mary, Mother of God: Stories and Illustrations

 From the Collection of Fr. Tony Kadavil and Others

1: Smiling child and his mother: There is a beautiful little story about a long, tedious train journey, made one Christmas day by some elderly residents of a nursing home who were on their way to a vacation spot.  At one station, a young mother with a small child entered the train.  The child smiled at all the grim faces around him and began moving from one lap to another talking, shouting with joy and chatting with everyone.    Instantly, the grim and silent atmosphere in the train was changed to one of joy and happiness.  Today we remember with joy and gratitude, how Mary and her Divine Son Jesus transformed a hopeless, joyless and sinful world into a place of joy and happiness. 

Dec 28-Jan 2: Christmas Season

Dec 28 Monday (Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs): https://www.franciscanmedia.org/holy-innocents/   Mt 2:13-18: 13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”

New Year: Quotes, Prayers, etc

Here is a collection of assorted quotations, stories and prayers to welcome in the new year.

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What’s in a Name?. . . . . . . . . . . . .Complete Speaker’s Almanac, p. 22
    "Here we are in a month named after the Roman god Janus, an appropriate personification of the start of the new year. This particular Roman god had two faces so that he could look ahead toward the future and back at the past at the same time. As we get rid of an old year and look forward to a new one, we all try to be a little like Janus. We know through experience what we did wrong and what we did right, and hope to do better this year. Some people make ambitious new year’s resolutions; others just take a deep breath and hope for the best.…"

December 28, Monday, Holy Innocents

1 John 1:5 - 2:2 / Matthew 2:13-18

We have been redeemed: Jesus’ blood purifies us.

Advent, 24th December, Thursday

 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16 / Luke 1:67-79 

Nathan prophesies about David: “Your kingdom will last forever. ”