Catholic Missal of the day: Sunday, December 8 2019
Second Sunday of Advent
Second Sunday of Advent
1. ReadingBook of Isaiah
11,1-10.]On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
]The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
]and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide,
]But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land's afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
]Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
]Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them.
]The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
]The baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair.
]There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea.
]On that day, The root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, The Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.
Psalms
72(71),1-2.7-8.12-13.17.]O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
]He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
]Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
]May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
]For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
And the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
]He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
The lives of the poor he shall save.
]May his name be blessed forever;
As long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
All the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
Letter to the Romans
15,4-9.]Brothers and sisters: Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
]May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus,
]that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
]Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.
]For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs,
]but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: "Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name."
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew
3,1-12.]John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea
](and) saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
]It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: "A voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.'"
]John wore clothing made of camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
]At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him
]and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.
]When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
]Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
]And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
]Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
]I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.
]His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
St. Narcisa de Jesús Martillo Morán(Layperson)
Saint Narcisa de Jesús Martillo Morán (1832-1869) St. Narcisa de Jesús Martillo Morán was born in the hamlet of St. Joseph, Nobol, Daule, Ecuador. The Dominicans had looked after it for almost three hundred years. Her parents, Peter Martillo and Josephine Morán, had a living faith. Peter Martillo was devoted to Saint Hyacinth of Poland and the future Saint Marianna of Jesus. He and Josephine were generous to the Church and raised nine children, of which Narcisa was the sixth. Josephine passed away in 1838 and left Narcisa to be educated by a teacher and an older sister. Narcisa learned to read, write, sing, play the guitar, sew, weave, embroider and cook. Often, her prayer turned into song. Narcisa perceived God's invitation to religious life at an early age, especially on September 16 after receiving confirmation at age 7. She began visiting a small wooded area near her home to pray and turned a small room in her house into a chapel. The tree of Guayabo, near where she prayed, is now a pilgrimage site. Narcisa emulated Saint Marianna of Jesus through penances for the redemption of souls. She united herself to Jesus' salvific life whenever she did chores or worked in the fields. She was thoughtful, joyful and docile to the the Holy Spirit. She was also especially generous and attentive to the poor. She proved to be an excellent catechist to her family and the children of her neighborhood. In January 1852, Narcisa's father passed away. She then moved to Guayaquil and stayed with a well-known family who lived near the cathedral. She stayed there until 1868, except for the months in Cuenca. She moved houses a number of times to protect her privacy and dedicated herself to prayer and penance. Meanwhile, she earned a living through tailoring. She also assisted the poor and the sick while following the advice of her spiritual directors. She began relying more on the will of Jesus instead of her own. She shared ideals and sometimes a house with the Blessed Mercedes of Jesus Molina. With a desire for greater perfection and advised by a Franciscan religious, Narcisa set out in June 1868 for Lima, Perù. She lived as a lay member in the Dominican convent of Patrocinio. The convent was founded in 1688, in the area where Saint John Macias grazed his flock. The Lord favored Narcisa with extraordinary gifts and showed her how pleasing her life was in the midst of trials. Toward the end of September 1869, Narcisa had high fevers. Medical treatments were ineffective, yet she prayed regularly and attended the celebration of the Eucharist daily. She dressed in white on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary on December 8, 1869: the same day Blessed Pius IX opened Vatican Council I. At the end of the day, she took leave of her sisters saying that she was going on a journey.This was taken as a joke because of her jovial and joyful nature. Not long after, one of the sisters noticed a splendor and a fragrance from Narcisa's cell. The community soon discovered that she had passed away. She was only 37. Afterward, it became known that she had made a private vow of perpetual virginity, poverty, obedience, enclosure, eremitical life, fasting on bread and water, daily Communion, confession, mortification and prayer. All these vows she kept faithfully. Narcisa's body remained incorrupt after her death and emitted a wonderful fragrance. There were many graces granted at her resting place. The city of Lima acclaimed her as a saint, as did the people of Guayaquil and Nobol. The Dominican Sisters of Patrocinio guarded the memory of her virtues and her tomb with great veneration until her body, practically incorrupt, was transferred to Guayaquil in 1955.The documents of the diocesan process of canonization were handed over to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in 1964. Pope John Paul II beatified Narcisa on October 25, 1992, and Pope Benedict XVI canonized her on October 12, 2008. On August 22, 1998, they dedicated a shrine in her honor at Nobol where her incorrupt body rests. Devotion to the "Niña Narcisa" shows the spontaneous identification of ordinary people with this courageous and humble woman from the Ecuadorian coast.
St. Patapius(Hermit)
Saint PatapiusHermit St. Patapius founded a monastery in Constantinople. He was a hermit, counselor and spiritual director. Two of his disciples became saints and founded religious institutes. His relics are enshrined near Athens.
Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2019 / Catholic Missal of december 2019
Published: 2026-07-14T18:16:33Z | Modified: 2026-07-14T18:16:33Z