Thursday, December 24, 2015

Jesus at 12 years old listens and asks questions to the teachers who are amazed at His comprehension and replies


December 27, 2015

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Reading 1

2God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother’s authority He confirms over her sons. 3Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and preserves himself from them. When he prays, he is heard; 4He stores up riches who reveres his mother.

5Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children, and, when he prays, is heard. 6Whoever reveres his father will live a long life; he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.

12My son, take care of your father when he is old; grieve him not as long as he lives. Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him; revile him not all the days of his life; kindness to a father will not be forgotten, firmly planted against the debt of your sins - a house raised in justice to you.


20In those days Hannah conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.[1] 21The next time her husband Elkanah was going up with the rest of his household to offer the customary sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vows, 22Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband, “Once the child is weaned, I will take him to appear before the LORD and to remain there forever; I will offer him as a perpetual nazirite.”

24Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.[2]

25After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull, Hannah, his mother, approached Eli 26and said: “Pardon, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD. 27I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request. 28Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.” Hannah left Samuel there.

Responsorial Psalm

R. (compare with verse 1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

1Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in His ways! 2For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in His ways.

3Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like olive plants around your table.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in His ways.

4Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD. 5The LORD bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in His ways.


R. (compare with verse 5a) Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

2How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! 3My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

5Happy they who dwell in your house! Continually they praise you. 6Happy the men whose strength you are! Their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage.

R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

9O LORD of hosts, hear our prayer; hearken, O God of Jacob! 10O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of your anointed.

R. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

Reading 2

12Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

14And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. 15And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful.

16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

17And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

18Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord.[3] 19Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them.

20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.

21Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.


12Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

14And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. 15And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful.

16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

17And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.


1Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. And so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.[4]

2Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.[5]

21Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God 22and receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him.

23And His commandment is this: we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as He commanded us. 24Those who keep His commandments remain in Him, and He in them, and the way we know that He remains in us is from the Spirit He gave us. [6]


R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the peace of Christ control your hearts; let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.


R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

41Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,[7] 42and when He was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. 43After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but His parents did not know it. 

44Thinking that He was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for Him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45but not finding Him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for Him.

46After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, 47and all who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and His answers.

48When His parents saw Him, they were astonished, 49and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And He said to them, “Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”[8]

50But they did not understand what He said to them. 51He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favour before God and man.




Notes on readings:


[1] 1 Samuel 1:20 - Since she had asked: this explanation would be more directly appropriate for the name Saul, which means "asked"; Samuel means "name of God."

[2] 1 Samuel 1:24 - An ephah: a little more than a bushel.

[3] Colossians 3:18 - 4:6 After general recommendations that connect family life and the social condition of slavery with the service of Christ (Colossians 3:18 4:1, Paul requests prayers for himself, especially in view of his imprisonment (Colossians 3:2-3), and recommends friendly relations and meaningful discussions of Christian teaching with outsiders, non-Christians that is, (Colossians 3:5-6) . See the footnote on Ephesians 5:21- 6:9.

[4] 1 John 3:1-3 - The greatest sign of God's love is the gift of his Son (John 3:16) that has made Christians true children of God. This relationship is a present reality and also part of the life to come; true knowledge of God will ultimately be gained, and Christians prepare themselves now by virtuous lives in imitation of the Son.

[5] 1 John 3:2 - When it is revealed: or "when he is revealed" (the subject of the verb could be Christ).

[6] 1 John 3:19-24 - Living a life of faith in Jesus and of Christian love assures us of abiding in God no matter what our feelings may at times tell us. Our obedience gives us confidence in prayer and trust in God's judgment. This obedience includes our belief in Christ and love for one another.

[7] Luke 2:41-52 - This story's concern with an incident from Jesus' youth is unique in the canonical gospel tradition. It presents Jesus in the role of the faithful Jewish boy, raised in the traditions of Israel, and fulfilling all that the law requires. With this episode, the infancy narrative ends just as it began, in the setting of the Jerusalem temple.

[8] Luke 2:49 - I must be in my Father's house: this phrase can also be translated, "I must be about my Father's work." In either translation, Jesus refers to God as his Father. His divine sonship, and his obedience to his heavenly Father's will, take precedence over his ties to his family.

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Dear Humanity,

I personally encourage everyone to emulate JESUS' values on LOVE, FAITH, HOPE
and CHARITY, as the humanity has been a failure; which resulted to the more than two (2) years of pandemic and its after-effects on economy, not only here in the Philippines but worldwide.

And the saddest part of it, is that, it affected the POOREST of the POOR to even extremely be more poorer, in exchange of the affluent to be more richer.

Thank you and may GOD bless you and the whole family to have an enjoyed life's journey at home, Church, schools/universities, corporate commitments, public and places of interest.