GOD WILL FREE US FROM THE YOKE OF BONDAGE

MONDAY 2ND WEEK IN ADVENT YEAR C:  THE FEAST OF ST. NICHOLAS

PRAYER BEFORE HOLY MASS  Act of Love before Mass 

O my God, I love Thee with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength and with no other desire than to be inseparably united to Thee. It is through Thy Divine Son that this union is about to be realized within me. In Holy Communion I long to identify myself with Him, that it will no longer be myself, but Him, who lives in me; and when I have received Jesus within myself, then I shall love and be loved by Thee in that same measure, in which I am united to Him. Hasten then, to give me Thy Divine Son, at the hands of Thy priest, that through Jesus, I may unite myself forever to Thee, O God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Readings Lectures Reflection 

Saint Nicholas

First Reading Isaiah 35 :1-10

The return of the redeemed through the desert

Let the wilderness and the dry-lands exult, let the wasteland rejoice and bloom, let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil, let it rejoice and sing for joy. 

The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it, the splendour of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, the splendour of our God.

Strengthen all weary hands, steady all trembling knees and say to all faint hearts, ‘Courage! Do not be afraid. ‘Look, your God is coming, vengeance is coming, the retribution of God; he is coming to save you.’

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed, then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy; for water gushes in the desert, streams in the wasteland, the scorched earth becomes a lake, the parched land springs of water.

The lairs where the jackals used to live become thickets of reed and papyrus... And through it will run a highway undefiled which shall be called the Sacred Way; the unclean may not travel by it, nor fools stray along it.

No lion will be there nor any fierce beast roam about it, but the redeemed will walk there, for those the Lord has ransomed shall return. They will come to Zion shouting for joy, everlasting joy on their faces; joy and gladness will go with them and sorrow and lament be ended.

Responsorial Psalm

Look our God is coming to save us

 

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

See, the king, the Lord of the world, will come.

He will free us from the yoke of our bondage.

Alleluia!

Gospel Luke 5:17-26

'Your sins are forgiven you: get up and walk'

Jesus was teaching one day, and among the audience there were Pharisees and doctors of the Law who had come from every village in Galilee, from Judaea and from Jerusalem. And the Power of the Lord was behind his works of healing. Then some men appeared, carrying on a bed a paralysed man whom they were trying to bring in and lay down in front of him. But as the crowd made it impossible to find a way of getting him in, they went up on to the flat roof and lowered him and his stretcher down through the tiles into the middle of the gathering, in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith he said, ‘My friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ The scribes and the Pharisees began to think this over. ‘Who is this man talking blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ But Jesus, aware of their thoughts, made them this reply, ‘What are these thoughts you have in your hearts? Which of these is easier: to say, “Your sins are forgiven you” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ – he said to the paralysed man – ‘I order you: get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.’ And immediately before their very eyes he got up, picked up what he had been lying on and went home praising God.

 

They were all astounded and praised God, and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today.’

God our Father we see your glory and your splendour in all your creation. We look forward to your coming, and your saving power. Free us Father from every yoke of bondage. Open our eyes, open our ears  may our tongues and lips sing your praise, and exalt your greatness. Fill us with your gladness and joy, may our sorrows come to an end through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ I trust in you. Virgin Mary pray for me. Saint Joseph pray for me. Saint Nicholas pray for me. God's Holy Angels pray come to assistance. My Guardian Angel pray for me, protect me, guide and guard me.

The Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary