This Week’s Gospel Message for Sunday, December 8th is from 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!’. . . 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.’”
“John the Baptist does not invoke idyllic scenes when speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees, instead accusing them of insincerity and presumption. He called them to repentance, demanding that they ‘produce good fruit as evidence’ (Matthew 3:8). Repentance means nothing if we do nothing. We are called to bear fruit—in our workplaces, our communities, and our world.” Source: Pastoral Patterns, Winter 2019-2020
DAILY READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Monday Gen 3:9-15, 20; Eph 1:3-6, 11-12; Luke 1:26-38
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – “A feast dedicated to Mary’s conception first appeared in the seventh century and by the twelfth century it was firmly established in England. St. Bernard and St. Thomas Aquinas debated whether Mary could have been born without original sin. In 1854 Pius IX defined the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception as a dogma of faith.” (Source: Living With Christ, December 2019)
Tuesday Isa 40-1:11; Matt 18:12-14
Wednesday Isa 40:25-31; Matt 11:28-30
Thursday Rev 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; Luke 1:39-47
Our Lady of Guadalupe – “Today’s feast commemorates the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin in 1531 at Guadalupe to Juan Diego. She left her image on a cloak that is preserved in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.” (Source: Living With Christ, December 2019)
Friday Isa 48:17-19; Matt 11:16-19
Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr (Memorial) – “Lucy was martyred in the persecution of Emperor Diocletian. During the Middle Ages, people suffering from eye trouble began invoking Lucy’s aid because her name is derived from the Latin word for ‘light’ (lux).” (Source: Living With Christ, December 2019)
Saturday Sir 48:1-4, 9-11; Matt 17:9a, 1-13
Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Memorial) – “Born into poverty, John entered the Carmelites and was ordained. With St. Teresa of Avila, he helped reform his order and create the reformed (Discalced) Carmelites. But his reforms were opposed, and he was imprisoned for almost a year.” (Source: Living With Christ, December 2019)