Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Masses this week:

Sunday 7 January – The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph: Solemn Mass at 11.00am, Rosary and Benediction at 6.00pm
Monday 8 January – Feria: Mass at 6.00pm
Tuesday 9 January – Feria: Mass at 6.00pm
Wednesday 10 January – Feria: Mass at 6.00pm
Thursday 11 January – Feria: Mass at 6.00pm
Friday 12 January – Feria: Mass at 6.00pm
Saturday 13 January – The Baptism of Our Lord: Solemn Mass at 9.00am

All Masses are offered according to the Missale Romanum of 1962

Today’s Mass

Introit (Proverbs 23:24-25)

The father of the Just rejoiceth greatly, let Thy father and Thy mother be joyful, and let her rejoice  that bore thee – (Ps 88:2-3) How lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts! My soul longeth and fainteth for the Courts of the Lord. Glory Be… The father of the Just…

Collect

O Lord Jesus Christ, who, being subject to Mary and Joseph, didst sanctify home life with unspeakable virtues: grant that, by the aid of both, we may be taught by the example of Thy Holy Family, and attain to eternal fellowship with it: Who livest and reignest…

Epistle (Colossians 3:12-17)

Brethren, Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience: Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another: even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also. But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection: And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are called in one body: and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly, in all wisdom: teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in your hearts to God. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Gradual (Ps 26:4)

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. (Ps 83:5)  Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house, O Lord, they shall praise Thee for ever and ever.

Alleluia, alleluia. (Is 45:15) Verily Thou art a hidden King, the God of Israel, the Saviour. Alleluia.

Gospel (Luke 2:42-52)

And when he was twelve years old, they going up into Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast, And having fulfilled the days, when they returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not. And thinking that he was in the company, they came a day’s journey, and sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaintance. And not finding him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his wisdom and his answers. And seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him: Son, why hast thou done so to us? behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said to them: How is it that you sought me? did you not know, that I must be about my father’s business? And they understood not the word that he spoke unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men. —Creed

Offertory (Luke 2:22)

The parents of Jesus carried Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord.

Secret

We offer unto Thee, O Lord, this propitiatory sacrifice, humbly entreating Thee: that through the intercession of the Virgin Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, Thou wouldst firmly establish our families in Thy peace and grace. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ…

Preface of the Epiphany

It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to Thee, holy Lord, Father almighty, eternal God: for when Thine only-begotten Son was manifested in the substance of our mortal flesh, with the new light of  His own immortality He restored us. And therefore with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominations, and with all the hosts of the heavenly army we sing a hymn to Thy glory, evermore saying: — Sanctus.

Communion (Luke 2:51)

Jesus went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them.

Postcommunion

Make us, O Lord Jesus, whom Thou dost refresh with heavenly sacraments, ever to follow the example of Thy Holy Family: that in the hour of our death, the glorious Virgin, Thy Mother with blessed Joseph, may come to our aid, and we may be found worthy to be received by Thee into everlasting tabernacles. Who livest and reignest…

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Thought for the Week

THE Epiphany is a season especially set apart for adoring the glory of Christ. The word may be taken to mean the manifestation of His glory, and leads us to the contemplation of Him as a King upon His throne in the midst of His court, with His servants around Him, and His guards in attendance. At Christmas we commemorate His grace; and in Lent His temptation; and on Good Friday His sufferings and death; and on Easter Day His victory; and on Holy Thursday His return to the Father; and in Advent we anticipate His second coming. And in all of these seasons He does something, or suffers something: but in the Epiphany and the weeks after it, we celebrate Him, not as on His field of battle, or in His solitary retreat, but as an august and glorious King; we view Him as the Object of our worship. Then only, during His  whole earthly history, did He fulfil the type of Solomon, and held (as I may say) a court, and received the homage of His subjects; viz. when He was an infant. His throne was His undefiled Mother’s arms; His chamber of state was a cottage or a cave; the worshippers were the wise men of the East, and they brought presents, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. All around and about Him seemed of earth, except to the eye of faith; one note alone had He of Divinity. As great men of this world are often plainly dressed, and look like other men, all but as having some one costly ornament on their breast or on their brow; so the Son of Mary in His lowly dwelling, and in an infant’s form, was declared to be the Son of God Most High, the Father of Ages, and the Prince of Peace, by His star; a wonderful appearance which had guided the wise men all the way from the East, even unto Bethlehem.

This being the character of this Sacred Season, our services throughout it, as far as they are proper to it, are full of the image of a king in his royal court, of a sovereign surrounded by subjects, of a glorious prince upon a throne. There is no thought of war, or of strife, or of suffering, or of triumph, or of vengeance connected with the Epiphany, but of august majesty, of power, of prosperity, of splendour, of serenity, of benignity. Now, if at any time, it is fit to say, “The Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him.” [Hab. ii. 20.] “The Lord sitteth above the waterflood, and the Lord remaineth a king for ever.” “The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” “O come, let us worship, and fall down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker.” “O magnify the Lord our God, and fall down before His footstool, for He is Holy.” “O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; bring presents, and come into His courts.”

Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman: Sermons by Season – The Season of Epiphany

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On this Feast of the Holy Family, I am pleased to be able to give thanks to Almighty God once again for the safe arrival into this world of my grandchildren, born within two weeks of one another in the lead up to Christmas. Please keep them both in your prayers.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all, slightly late I am afraid, a very happy and peaceful New Year.

‡ Peter