Monday of the First week of Advent

Book of Isaiah

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come, The mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say: "Come, let us climb the LORD'S mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths." For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!

Psalms

I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
Prosperity in your buildings.
Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, "Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him,
saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully."
He said to him, "I will come and cure him."
The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven."

St. Barbara(Virgin and Martyr (3rd century))

SAINT BARBARA Virgin and Martyr(3rd century) St. Barbara's pagan father Dioscorus kept her secluded in a lonely tower to make her renounce Jesus. In that forced solitude, St. Barbara gave herself to prayer and study; and secretly received formation and baptism from a priest. When Dioscorus discovered his daughter's activities, he was beside himself with rage. He denounced St. Barbara before a civil tribunal. As punishment, she was horribly tortured and afterward beheaded. Martyrologies state that Dioscorus acted as St. Barbara's executioner. His life was cut short when he was killed by a lightning bolt. God's mercy and St. Barbara's prayers may have ended Dioscorus' life before he could lose his soul.

St. John Damascus(Syrian monk and priest (c. 675-749))

St. John of Damascus Syrian monk and priest(c. 675-749) St. John Damascene has the double honor of being the last of the fathers of the Eastern Church and the greatest of her poets. Little else is known about his life. The account of John of Jerusalem, two hundred years after the Saint's death, contains fact and legend. St. John Damascus' ancestors, according to his biographer, remained Christian though Damascus fell to Islamic armies. They were employed in judicial offices to administer the sultan's Christian subjects. St. John's father used his great wealth to free Christian slaves. After his birth, St. John was baptized, likely by Peter II, Bishop of Damascus. As a young adult, St. John's character and achievements earned him the Saracens' respect. In time, he was compelled to accept an office of higher trust and dignity than his father had held. As the Iconoclastic controversy became more violent, St. John published the first of three treatises on the Veneration Due to Images. They were probably composed when Leo the Isaurian decreed against images in 730. St. John was ordained before publishing the second treatise. The third treatise expanded upon the freedom of expression, in the defense of basic rights. The treatises were disseminated throughout the Christian world. St. John wrote religious poetry: a heritage of the Eastern Church. He also protected the Church's doctrines through publications. He also published apologetics to heretical groups. His three great hymns or "canons" are on Easter, the Ascension, and Saint Thomas' Sunday. His defense of icons, freedom of speech and basic rights madehim the Doctor of Christian Art.

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