Catholic Missal of the day: Sunday, December 11 2016
Third Sunday of Advent
Third Sunday of Advent
1. ReadingBook of Isaiah
35,1-6.10.]The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
]They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; They will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.
]Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak,
]Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; With divine recompense he comes to save you.
]Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared;
]Then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the dumb will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe.
]Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; They will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.
Psalms
146(145),7-10.]The LORD keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
the LORD sets captives free.
]The LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who were bowed down;
the LORD loves the just.
]The LORD protects strangers.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
]The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
Letter of James
5,7-10.]Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.
]You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand.
]Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another, that you may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
]Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew
11,2-11.]When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ, he sent his disciples to Jesus
]with this question, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?"
]Jesus said to them in reply, "Go and tell John what you hear and see:
]the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
]And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me."
]As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?
]Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces.
]Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
]This is the one about whom it is written: 'Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.'
]Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
St. María Maravillas de Jesús((1891-1974))
SAINT MARÍA MARAVILLAS DE JESÚS (Pidal y Chico de Guzmán)Professed Nun of the Order of Discalced Carmelites (1891-1974) María de las Maravillas was born in Madrid, Spain, on November 4, 1891. She was the daughter of Luis Pidal y Mon, the Marquis of Pidal, and Cristina Chico de Guzmán y Muñoz. Her father was the Spanish Ambassador to the Holy See. She was blessed togrow up in a virtuous Catholic family. María made a vow of chastity at the age of 5 and devoted herself to acts of charity. After reading the works of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Jesus, she felt called to become a Discalced Carmelite. Her father, whom she assisted when he became ill, passed away in 1913. Understandably, her mother was reluctant to accept her entry into a Carmelite monastery. On October 12, 1919, María entered the Discalced Carmelites of El Escorial. Her simple vows were on May 7, 1921. Before a final profession on May 30, 1924, she discerned God's will to found the Carmel of Cerro de los Ángeles. Sr. María's foundation was inaugurated on October 31, 1926, together with three other Carmelites. It was the first in a series of Teresian Carmelite Monasteries that she established. She was not being called to found a new order or to branch off from the Discalced Carmelites. She sought to live deeply and to transmit the spirit and ideals of St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross. On June 28, 1926, the bishop of the Diocese of Madrid-Alcalá appointed Sr. María as the monastery's prioress. In 1933, Mother María established another foundation in Kottayam, India. From there, other foundations began. Mother María's role as prioress would be permanent in the various monasteries she founded: notwithstanding the natural apprehension she feltin accepting positions of responsibility. She was motivated by her love for the Church and for her Carmelite sisters. Mother María was criticized for the poverty of the convents she founded. Some alleged that they were not solid, small in size and unfurnished, with bare walls on which hung Bible verses or writings of the Carmelite saints. She would reply, "It is not our concern to plant a seed, since the Discalced Carmelites have already been founded." During the Spanish Civil War, the nuns of Cerro de los Ángeles lived in an apartment in Madrid. In September 1937, another Carmel in the Batuecas, Salamanca, was founded. In 1939, the monastery of Cerro de los Ángeles was restored. Amid deprivations, Mother María was courageous and happy: edifying and encouraging her daughters. Mother María was a mystery to the sisters closest to her in the sense of interior trials. Only her spiritual directors knew the "dark night of the soul" that she lived throughout her life, which kept her in profound spiritual aridity. Her guide was total abandonment to the will of God. In the following years, foundations were established in other parts of Spain. Mother María also sent nuns to the Carmel of El Escorial and to the venerable Monastery of the Incarnation in Avila. To unite the monasteries founded by her and others, she founded the Association of St. Teresa, which received official approval from the Holy See in 1972. On December 8, 1974, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Mother María received Last Rites. On December 11, surrounded by her community in the Carmel of La Aldehuela, Madrid, she passed away. At the time of her passing, her sisters reported that she kept repeating the phrase, "What happiness to die a Carmelite!" Mother María was beatified on May 10, 1998. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 4, 2003.
St. Damasus I(Pope († 384))
SAINT DAMASUS IPope( 384) St. Damasus established the canonical books of Sacred Scripture and secured the unity of faith. He was the Roman Church's archdeacon in 355 when Pope Liberius was banished to Berda. He accompanied Pope Liberius to Berda, returned to serve the Church and was consecrated pope. St. Damasus prevented schism and upheld apostolic succession when Ursinus attempted to usurp the papacy. Church historians Jerome and Rufinus affirm that St. Damasus was rightfully appointed amidst slander and subterfuge by the losing party. After freeing the Church of schism, St. Damasus began extirpating Arianism in the West and Apollinarianism in the East. He convened several councils and rebuilt the church of St. Laurence in Damaso. His greatest achievement was the Council of Rome in 382 wherein the canonical books of the New Testament were solemnly declared. St. Damasus encouraged Jerome's participation in the Council of Rome. His influence resulted in Jerome translating Sacred Scriptures into their more accurate Latin version from Greek. The Latin Vulgate was the first widely disseminated Bible and may be called the beginning and first source of Scripture. He further maintained the unity of tradition by encouraging the cult of martyrs and by decorating their tombs and sepulchers. St. Damasus is truly what Christ calls the rock on which the Church is built. His works show the necessity and primacy of St. Peter's role in the Church. St. Damasus ensured the papcy's legitimacy, disproved heresies and confirmed the divinely-inspired books of the New Testament amidst forces that attempted to corrupt the Church's teaching. He passed away on December 10, 384, after serving as pope for eighteen years and two months.
Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2016 / Catholic Missal of december 2016
Published: 2026-07-14T18:16:06Z | Modified: 2026-07-14T18:16:06Z