DR Squared: Optional Memorial Of Our Lady Of Loreto

First Reading:  Isaiah 7:10-14

And the Lord spoke again to Achaz, saying:  Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height above. And Achaz said: I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord. And he said: Hear ye therefore, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel. 

Responsorial Psalm:  Luke 1:46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55

R.  Luke 1:49

     Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his             name. 

OR 

R.  O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father. 

V.  My soul doth magnify the Lord. 

     And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

V.  Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid;

     for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

     Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me;

     and holy is his name.

V.  And his mercy is from generation unto generations,

     to them that fear him.

     He hath shewed might in his arm:

     he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.

V.  He hath put down the mighty from their seat,

     and hath exalted the humble.

     He hath filled the hungry with good things;

     and the rich he hath sent empty away.

V.  He hath received Israel his servant,

     being mindful of his mercy:

     As he spoke to our fathers,

     to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

Gospel Reading:  Luke 1:26-38

And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end. And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren:  Because no word shall be impossible with God. And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Wednesday Of The Second Week Of Advent (Year II)

First Reading:  Isaiah 40:25-31

And to whom have ye likened me, or made me equal, saith the Holy One? Lift up your eyes on high, and see who hath created these things: who bringeth out their host by number, and calleth them all by their names: by the greatness of his might, and strength, and power, not one of them was missing. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel: My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Knowest thou not, or hast thou not heard? the Lord is the everlasting God, who hath created the ends of the earth: he shall not faint, nor labour, neither is there any searching out of his wisdom. It is he that giveth strength to the weary, and increaseth force and might to them that are not. Youths shall faint, and labour, and young men shall fall by infirmity. But they that hope in the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall take wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 103 (102):1a; V. 1-2, 3-4, 8 and 10

R.  Bless the Lord, O my soul:

V.  Bless the Lord, O my soul:

     and let all that is within me bless his holy name.

     Bless the Lord, O my soul,

     and never forget all he hath done for thee.

V.  Who forgiveth all thy iniquities:

     who healeth all thy diseases.

     Who redeemeth thy life from destruction:

     who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion.

V.  The Lord is compassionate and merciful:

     longsuffering and plenteous in mercy.

     He hath not dealt with us according to our sins:

     nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Optional Memorial Of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin

First Reading:  1 Corinthians 1:26-31

For see your vocation, brethren, that there are not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble:  But the foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise; and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the strong. And the base things of the world, and the things that are contemptible, hath God chosen, and things that are not, that he might bring to nought things that are:  That no flesh should glory in his sight. But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and justice, and sanctification, and redemption:  That, as it is written: He that glorieth, may glory in the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 131 (130):1bcde, 2, 3

R.  (There seems to be no corresponding verse.)

V.  Lord, my heart is not exalted:

     nor are my eyes lofty.

     Neither have I walked in great matters,

     nor in wonderful things above me.

V.  If I was not humbly minded,

     but exalted my soul:

     As a child that is weaned is towards his mother,

     so reward in my soul.

V.  Let Israel hope in the Lord,

     from henceforth now and for ever.

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 11:25-30

At that time Jesus answered and said: I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to the little ones. Yea, Father; for so hath it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me by my Father. And no one knoweth the Son, but the Father: neither doth any one know the Father, but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal him. Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Tuesday Of The Second Week Of Advent (Year II)

First Reading:  Isaiah 40:1-11

Be comforted, be comforted, my people, saith your God. Speak ye to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her: for her evil is come to an end, her iniquity is forgiven: she hath received of the hand of the Lord double for all her sins. The voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough ways plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see, that the mouth of the Lord hath spoken. The voice of one, saying: Cry. And I said: What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the glory thereof as the flower of the field. The grass is withered, and the flower is fallen, because the spirit of the Lord hath blown upon it. Indeed the people is grass:  The grass is withered, and the flower is fallen: but the word of our Lord endureth for ever. Get thee up upon a high mountain, thou that bringest good tidings to Sion: lift up thy voice with strength, thou that bringest good tidings to Jerusalem: lift it up, fear not. Say to the cities of Juda: Behold your God:  Behold the Lord God shall come with strength, and his arm shall rule: Behold his reward is with him and his work is before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather together the lambs with his arm, and shall take them up in his bosom, and he himself shall carry them that are with young.

Responsorial Psalm:  cf. Isaiah 40:10ab; V. Psalm 96:1-2, 3 and 10ac, 11-12, 13

R.  Behold the Lord God shall come with strength,

V.  Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle:

     sing to the Lord, all the earth.

     Sing ye to the Lord and bless his name:

     shew forth his salvation from day to day.

V.  Declare his glory among the Gentiles:

     his wonders among all people.

     Say ye among the Gentiles, the Lord hath reigned.

     (H)e will judge the people with justice.

V.  Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad,

     let the sea be moved, and the fulness thereof:

     The fields and all things that are in them shall be joyful.

     Then shall all the trees of the woods rejoice

V.  Before the face of the Lord, because he cometh:

     because he cometh to judge the earth.

     He shall judge the world with justice,

     and the people with his truth.

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 18:12-14

What think you? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them should go astray: doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountains, and go to seek that which is gone astray? And if it so be that he find it: Amen I say to you, he rejoiceth more for that, than for the ninety-nine that went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father, who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Solemnity Of The Immaculate Conception Of The Blessed Virgin Mary

First Reading:  Genesis 3:9-15, 20

And the Lord God called Adam, and said to him: Where art thou?  10 And he said: I heard thy voice in paradise; and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself. And he said to him: And who hath told thee that thou wast naked, but that thou hast eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat?  12 And Adam said: The woman, whom thou gavest me to be my companion, gave me of the tree, and I did eat.  13 And the Lord God said to the woman: Why hast thou done this? And she answered: The serpent deceived me, and I did eat.  14 And the Lord God said to the serpent: Because thou hast done this thing, thou art cursed among all cattle, and beasts of the earth: upon thy breast shalt thou go, and earth shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.  15 I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel. And Adam called the name of his wife Eve: because she was the mother of all the living.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

R.  Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: because he hath done wonderful things.

V.  Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle:

     because he hath done wonderful things.

     His right hand hath wrought for him salvation,

     and his arm is holy.

V.  The Lord hath made known his salvation:

      he hath revealed his justice in the sight of the Gentiles.

     He hath remembered his mercy and his truth

     toward the house of Israel.

V.  All the ends of the earth have seen

     the salvation of our God.

    Sing joyfully to God, all the earth;

    make melody, rejoice and sing.

Second Reading:  Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ:  As he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and unspotted in his sight in charity. Who hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ unto himself: according to the purpose of his will:  Unto the praise of the glory of his grace, in which he hath graced us in his beloved son. In whom we also are called by lot, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the counsel of his will. That we may be unto the praise of his glory, we who before hoped in Christ:

Gospel Reading:  Luke 1:26-38

And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end. And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren:  Because no word shall be impossible with God. And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

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Originally posted 12/9/2024.

Ora Pro Nobis

As patroness of the United States of America under this title, we are under her care. On this feast day, let us pray for the welfare of our country, that we may continue to be "one nation, under God".

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone that fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly to you, O virgin of virgins, my mother; to you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer them. Amen.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

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Originally posted 12/8/2005.
Re-posted 12/8/2006.

Re-posted 12/8/2009.

Re-posted 12/8/2011.
Re-created with new image 12/8/2015.
Re-posted 12/8/2016.
Re-posted 12/8/2017.

Re-posted 12/8/2018.

Original and re-created posts combined and edited 12/8/2020.

Re-posted 12/8/2021.

Re-posted 12/8/2022.

Re-posted 12/8/2023.

Re-posted 12/9/2024.

DR Squared: Second Sunday of Advent (Year A)

First Reading:  Isaiah 11:1-10

And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of godliness. And he shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge according to the sight of the eyes, nor reprove according to the hearing of the ears. But he shall judge the poor with justice, and shall reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. And justice shall be the girdle of his loins: and faith the girdle of his reins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb: and the leopard shall lie down with the kid: the calf and the lion, and the sheep shall abide together, and a little child shall lead them. The calf and the bear shall feed: their young ones shall rest together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp: and the weaned child shall thrust his hand into the den of the basilisk. They shall not hurt, nor shall they kill in all my holy mountain, for the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the covering waters of the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who standeth for an ensign of the people, him the Gentiles shall beseech, and his sepulchre shall be glorious.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 72 (71):7; V. 1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

R.  In his days shall justice spring up, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away.

V.  Give to the king thy judgment, O God:

     and to the king's son thy justice:

     To judge thy people with justice,

     and thy poor with judgment.

V.  In his days shall justice spring up,

     and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away.

     And he shall rule from sea to sea,

     and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

V.  For he shall deliver the poor from the mighty:

     and the needy that had no helper.

     He shall spare the poor and needy:

     and he shall save the souls of the poor.

V.  Let his name be blessed for evermore:

     his name continueth before the sun.

     And in him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed:

     all nations shall magnify him.

Second Reading:  Romans 15:4-9

For what things soever were written, were written for our learning: that through patience and the comfort of the scriptures, we might have hope. Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of one mind one towards another, according to Jesus Christ: That with one mind, and with one mouth, you may glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive one another, as Christ also hath received you unto the honour of God. For I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. But that the Gentiles are to glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: Therefore will I confess to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and will sing to thy name.

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 3:1-12

And in those days cometh John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea. And saying: Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by Isaias the prophet, saying: A voice of one crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. And the same John had his garment of camels' hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins: and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the country about Jordan:  And were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them: Ye brood of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance. And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father. For I tell you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you in the water unto penance, but he that shall come after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

Advent Wreath--Second Week Of Advent

 

DR Squared: Optional Memorial Of Saint Nicholas, Bishop

First Reading:  Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that king Ozias died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and elevated: and his train filled the temple. Upon it stood the seraphims: the one had six wings, and the other had six wings: with two they covered his face, and with two they covered his feet, and with two they flew. And they cried one to another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God of hosts, all the earth is full of his glory. And the lintels of the doors were moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: Woe is me, because I have held my peace; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people that hath unclean lips, and I have seen with my eyes the King the Lord of hosts. And one of the seraphims flew to me, and in his hand was a live coal, which he had taken with the tongs off the altar. And he touched my mouth, and said: Behold this hath touched thy lips, and thy iniquities shall be taken away, and thy sin shall be cleansed. And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send? and who shall go for us? And I said: Lo, here am I, send me.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 40 (39):8a and 9a; V. 2 and 4, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11

R.  Then said I, Behold I come. That I should do thy will:

V.  With expectation I have waited for the Lord,

     and he was attentive to me.

     And he put a new canticle into my mouth,

     a song to our God.

V.  Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire;

     but thou hast pierced ears for me.

     Burnt offering and sin offering thou didst not require:

     Then said I, Behold I come.

V.  In the head of the book it is written of me

     That I should do thy will:

     O my God, I have desired it,

     and thy law in the midst of my heart.

V.  I have declared thy justice in a great church,

     lo, I will not restrain my lips: O Lord, thou knowest it.

V.  I have not hid thy justice within my heart:

     I have declared thy truth and thy salvation.

     I have not concealed thy mercy

     and thy truth from a great council.

Gospel Reading:  Luke 10:1-9

And after these things the Lord appointed also other seventy-two: and he sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself was to come. And he said to them: The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest. Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes; and salute no man by the way.  5 Into whatsoever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. And in the same house, remain, eating and drinking such things as they have: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house. And into what city soever you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick that are therein, and say to them: The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.

DR Squared: Saturday Of The First Week Of Advent (Year II)

First Reading:  Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26

For the people of Sion shall dwell in Jerusalem: weeping thou shalt not weep, he will surely have pity on thee: at the voice of thy cry, as soon as he shall hear, he will answer thee. And the Lord will give you spare bread, and short water: and will not cause thy teacher to flee away from thee any more, and thy eyes shall see thy teacher. And thy ears shall hear the word of one admonishing thee behind thy back: This is the way, walk ye in it: and go not aside neither to the right hand, nor to the left.   And rain shall be given to thy seed, wheresoever thou shalt sow in the land: and the bread of the corn of the land shall be most plentiful, and fat. The lamb in that day shall feed at large in thy possession:  And thy oxen, and the ass colts that till the ground, shall eat mingled provender as it was winnowed in the floor.  And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every elevated hill rivers of running waters in the day of the slaughter of many, when the tower shall fall. And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days: in the day when the Lord shall bind up the wound of his people, and shall heal the stroke of their wound.

Responsorial Psalm:  cf. Isaiah 30:18d; V. Psalm 147 (146):1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R.  (B)lessed are all they that wait for him.

V.  Praise ye the Lord, because psalm is good:

     to our God be joyful and comely praise.

     The Lord buildeth up Jerusalem:

     he will gather together the dispersed of Israel.

V.  Who healeth the broken of heart,

     and bindeth up their bruises.

     Who telleth the number of the stars:

     and calleth them all by their names.

V.  Great is our Lord, and great is his power:

     and of his wisdom there is no number.

     The Lord lifteth up the meek,

     and bringeth the wicked down even to the ground.

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8

And Jesus went about all the cities, and towns, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease, and every infirmity. And seeing the multitudes, he had compassion on them: because they were distressed, and lying like sheep that have no shepherd. Then he saith to his disciples, The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth labourers into his harvest. And having called his twelve disciples together, he gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of diseases, and all manner of infirmities. These twelve Jesus sent: commanding them, saying:  But go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And going, preach, saying: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils: freely have you received, freely give.

The readings from the USCCB can be found here.