Thursday of the Second week of Advent

Book of Isaiah

I am the LORD, your God, who grasp your right hand; It is I who say to you, "Fear not, I will help you."
Fear not, O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel; I will help you, says the LORD; your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
I will make of you a threshing sledge, sharp, new, and double-edged, To thresh the mountains and crush them, to make the hills like chaff.
When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off and the storm shall scatter them. But you shall rejoice in the LORD, and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain, their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the broad valleys; I will turn the desert into a marshland, and the dry ground into springs of water.
I will plant in the desert the cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive; I will set in the wasteland the cypress, together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know, observe and understand, That the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Psalms

I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew

Jesus said to the crowds: "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.
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force.
All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John.
And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."

St. John of the Cross(Doctor of the Church (1542-1591))

SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS Doctor of the Church (1542-1591) The father of St. John was disowned by his kin for marrying a poor orphan. Born and nurtured in poverty, John had a rich interior world, loved himself in obedience to Christ, and transcended his limits. While pursuing his sacred studies, he became a servant of the poor in the hospital of Medina. At 21, John petitioned to be a lay-brother of the Carmelite friars. He was soon ordained a priest. He would have transferred to the severe Carthusian Order had not St. Teresa persuaded him to remain and help her reform the Order. Thus, John became the first prior of the Barefooted Carmelites. John's reform, though approved by the general, was rejected by the elder friars. They condemned him as a fugitive and apostate; and cast him into prison. John escaped after nine months' suffering at the risk of his life. Twice again, John was shamefully persecuted by his brethren and publicly disgraced. However, his complete abandonment by creatures only deepened his interior peace and devout longing for heaven. A spiritual master, St. John's works, including The Dark Night of the Soul, are classics of Western literature. He intercedes before God: having proven his love in the darkest nights for the King of Kings.

St. Nicasius(Bishop, and his Companions, Martyrs (5th century))

SAINT NICASIUS Archbishop and his Companions Martyrs (5th century) In the fifth century, an army from Germania ravaged a part of Gaul and plundered the city of Rheims. Nicasius, the holy bishop, foretold the invasion. When Abp. Nicasius saw the enemy at the gates and in the streets, he went from door to door warning and encouraging others. While striving to save others' lives, he exposed himself to the swords of the invaders, who harmed him and later beheaded him. Florens, his deacon, and Jocond, his lector, were martyred by his side. His sister Eutropia, a virtuous virgin, fearing that she might be enslaved, called upon God; and was martyred by pagans alongside her friends.

St. Venantius()

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2023 / Catholic Missal of december 2023