Readings for January 1, 2023
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
L-Imqaddsa Omm Alla Marija.
Solennità.
Reading 1 NUMBERS 6:22-27
The LORD said to Moses: “Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace! So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
Qari 1 mill-Ktieb tan-Numri 6:22-27
Il-Mulej kellem lil Mosè u qallu: “Kellem lil Aron u lil uliedu u għidilhom: ‘Meta tbierku lil ulied Iżrael, hekk għandkom tgħidulhom: Ibierkek il-Mulej u jħarsek! Jixħet il-Mulej id-dija ta’ wiċċu fuqek, u jurik il-ħniena! Iħares lejk il-Mulej bi mħabba, u jagħtik is-sliem!’. Hekk huma jsejħu ismi fuq ulied Iżrael, u jiena nberikhom”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 67 : 2-3, 5, 6, 8
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
May all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
Salm Responsorjali Salm 66(67):2-3,5,6,8
R/.(2a). Iħenn għalina Alla, u jberikna.
Iħenn għalina Alla, u jberikna;
idawwar għal fuqna d-dija ta’ wiċċu!
Biex jingħarfu fuq l-art triqatek,
fost il-ġnus kollha s-salvazzjoni tiegħek. R/.
Jithennew il-ġnus u jgħannu bil-ferħ,
għax trieġi l-popli bis-sewwa,
u l-ġnus fuq l-art inti tmexxihom. R/.
Ifaħħruk il-popli, o Alla,
ifaħħruk il-popli kollha.
Iberikna Alla, u tibża’ minnu
l-art kollha minn tarf għall-ieħor! R/.
Reading 2 GALATIANS 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters: When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. As proof that you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then also an heir, through God.
Qari 2 mill-Ittra ta’ San Pawl Appostlu lill-Galatin 4:4-7
Ħuti, meta waslet il-milja taż-żmien, Alla bagħat lil Ibnu, imwieled minn mara, imwieled taħt il-Liġi, biex jifdi lil dawk li kienu taħt il-Liġi, biex ikollna l-adozzjoni ta’ wlied. U għax intom ulied, Alla bagħat l-Ispirtu ta’ Ibnu f’qalbna jgħajjat: “Abbà! Missier!”. U hekk m’intix iżjed ilsir, iżda iben: u jekk iben, werriet ukoll bil-grazzja ta’ Alla. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel LUKE 2:16-21
The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Evanġelju Qari skond San Luqa 2:16-21
F’dak iż-żmien, ir-ragħajja marru jgħaġġlu, u sabu lil Marija u lil Ġużeppi, bit-tarbija mimduda f’maxtura. Kif raw dan, bdew jgħarrfu b’kulma kien intqal lilhom dwar dik it-tarbija, u kull min semagħhom baqa’ mistagħġeb b’dak li qalulhom ir-ragħajja. Marija, min-naħa tagħha, baqgħet tgħożż f’qalbha dawn il-ħwejjeġ kollha u taħseb fuqhom bejnha u bejn ruħha. Ir-ragħajja mbagħad reġgħu lura, isebbħu u jfaħħru lil Alla għal kulma kienu raw u semgħu, kif l-anġlu kien qalilhom. Meta wasal it-tmien jum biex lit-tifel jagħmlulu ċ-ċirkonċiżjoni, semmewh Ġesù, bl-isem li kien tah l-anġlu qabel ma tnissel fil-ġuf. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
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Reflection on Sunday's Readings by Fr. Anthony Kadavil
PRAYERFUL NEW YEAR’S GREETINGS & GOD’S BLESSINGS
Thank you for being God’s instrument of blessing in my life by your valuable prayers and encouraging support for my Internet Gospel ministry in the past years. I assure you of my special prayers every day in the New Year 2023 during my Holy Masses. May the Holy Spirit of God continue to empower you and guide you in your ministry and strengthen you in your weakness. May God bless you every day of the New Year!
Introduction:
Since we celebrate the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God on New Year’s Day, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy and Peaceful New Year? I pray that the Lord Jesus and His Mother Mary may enrich your lives during the New Year with an abundance of Divine blessings.
Sunday’s Feast of Mary, the Mother of God (also known as the Theotokos), is a very appropriate way to begin a new year, reminding us to rely on the powerful intercession of our Heavenly Mother. The Church also observes the World Day of Peace on this day and invites us to pray specially for lasting peace in the world throughout the New Year. (You may add an anecdote)
Scripture lessons summarized:
Today’s first reading gives us the beautiful Divine blessing from the book of Numbers for the New Year, and the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 67) begs for that blessing. In the second reading, Paul reminds the Galatians and us that God’s Son has become one of us through Mary and that it is through her son, Jesus that we have become the children of God.
Sunday’s Gospel describes how the shepherds spread to all their neighbors the Good News surrounding the birth of Jesus which the angel had revealed to them, and how Mary treasured “all these things” in her heart. The Gospel also tells us that on the day of Jesus’ Circumcision, the Child received the name Jesus that had been chosen by God Himself.
Traditional belief and Church doctrine:
We honour Mary primarily because God honoured her by choosing her to become the mother of Jesus, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, when He took on human flesh and became man, as stated in the Bible. The angel said to Mary: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His Name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High…” (Lk 1:30-32).
After the Angel had received her consent to become the mother of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary visited Elizabeth. At Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth said,” Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Lk 1:42-43; RSV 2 Catholic) Hence, the Council of Ephesus affirmed in AD 431 that Mary was truly the Mother of God (Theotokos), and in AD 451, the Council of Chalcedon affirmed the Divine Motherhood of Mary as a dogma, an official doctrine of the Holy Catholic Church.
Life messages:
1) Let us strive to be pure and holy like our Heavenly Mother. All mothers want their children to inherit or acquire their good qualities. Hence, let us honor Mary, our Heavenly Mother, by practicing her virtues of trusting Faith, obedience to the word of God, purity and humble, selfless, committed service.
2) Let us make the New Year meaningful by having every day
a) some noble thing to dream,
b) something good to do, and
c) Someone to love, the first-person being Jesus.
3) Let us sanctify every day of the New Year:
a) by offering every morning, all the activities of the day for God’s glory, thus transforming them into prayers,
b) by asking for the anointing and strengthening of the Holy Spirit to do good to others and to avoid evil,
c) by remaining faithful to our family prayers and Bible reading at night,
d) by asking God’s pardon and forgiveness for our sins committed during the day and e) by seeking God’s special protection during the sleep. Before we sleep, let us say, “Good night, Lord,” repeating Jesus’ last words from the cross, “Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit.”
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