John was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.

John points his followers towards Jesus, the Lamb of God.

They walk away from John and follow Jesus, with John’s blessing.

Jesus is God’s Word full of life, light, grace and truth.

He relates to ‘all things’ and ‘all people’, is not overcome by evil, gives ‘power to become children of God’.

So at the heart of the universe is this loving relationship.

 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious

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1st Reading: 1 John 3:7-10

My little children,

As faithful Jews, Joseph and Mary did what was prescribed in the Law.

They presented their firstborn male child to God with an offering.

Simeon, as it were, gave them unimaginable news. ” a sword will pierce your own soul.”

alas the pierced side does not only stab the Son but the mother as well. Stabat Mater Dolorosa!

St. Thomas Becket, bishop & martyr

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1 John 2:3-11) 

How can we know

 When asked who he is, John the Baptist replies that he is "the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord.'" 

“Who are you? What is the source of your identity?

Text shows us that John the Baptist was a man who was clear on who he was not and who he was.

He was also clear on who Jesus is. So he was able to point others clearly to Jesus as the only Savior whom they desperately needed.

St. Basil the Great & St. Gregory Nazianzen, bishops & doctors

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1 John 2:22-28

Who is the liar?

St. Stephen was martyred after he boldly witnessed to the mystery of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.

Today’s martyrs, on the other hand, bore witness to the passion of the Christ before it happened.

Even today, when we hear of meaningless persecution and the deaths of so many innocents, the Church as mother weeps.

In a way it was, The Holy Innocents foreshadowed the passion of Christ.

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1 John 1:5-2:2

We heard his message,

Today, as we are being birthed into a new year,

we celebrate the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God!

The use of the word “solemnity”

It is a designation used for certain days within the liturgical (church-based) calendar of the Church.

olemnities are the highest rank of liturgical celebration, higher than feast days or memorials.

By celebrating a solemnity dedicated to Mary’s motherhood, the Church highlights the significance of her role in the life of Christ.

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Numbers 6:22-27

Then Yahweh spoke

 At the crucifixion, Jesus tells his mother, "Woman, here is your son",

and to the Beloved Disciple he says, "Here is your mother."

The "beloved disciple" alone, among the Apostles, remained near Jesus at the foot of the cross on Calvary alongside myrrhbearers and numerous other women.

Following the instruction of Jesus from the Cross, the beloved disciple took Mary, the mother of Jesus, into his care.

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1 John 1:1-4

This is what has been,

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Is normally celebrated on the Sunday after Christmas. This feast developed at the beginning of the 19th century in Canada.

That seeks to portray the Holy Family of Nazareth as the “true model of life”, from which our families can draw inspiration.

In the family of Nazareth, our families, as well as the human family, can learn to allow ourselves to be guided by God’s powerful hand.

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Genesis 15:1-6; 21:1-3 (or Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14)

After this the word of Yahweh

Saint Stephen was a deacon in the early Church at Jerusalem.

Is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity.

The Greek-speaking Hellenistic Jews.

Stephen denounces his listeners as Just as their ancestors had done, resist the Holy Spirit. 

"Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?

They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him."

listeners furious at this humiliation. accusing him of preaching against the Temple and the Mosaic Law.

When dying, prayed for their enemies: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do". – "Lay not this sin to their charge".

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Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59

Stephen, full of grace and power,

Jesus the light of the nations, Simeon tells them that their son Jesus would fulfill the will of the Father.

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.

She never left the temple by worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day,

at that moment she came, began to praise God. to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

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1 John 2:12-17

My dear children,

 Christmas is the only liturgical celebration with four Masses, the Vigil Mass, the Mass during the Night, the Mass at Dawn and the Mass during the Day. The readings are the same for each of these Masses for all three liturgical years.

Night: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Lk 2:1-14).

Dawn: When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place… So they went in haste… Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God (Lk 2:15-20).

Day: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us (Jn. 1:1-18).

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Isaiah 52:7-10

How beautiful