!catholics !christians Happy Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God!

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First Reading

The LORD said to Moses:

"Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:

This is how you shall bless the Israelites.

Say to them:

The LORD bless you and keep you!

The LORD let his face shine upon

you, and be gracious to you!

The LORD look upon you kindly and

give you peace!

So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites,

and I will bless them."

-Numbers 6:22-27

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Responsorial Psalm

R. (2a) May God bless us in his mercy.

May God have pity on us and bless us;

may he let his face shine upon us.

So may your way be known upon earth;

among all nations, your salvation.

R. May God bless us in his mercy.

May the nations be glad and exult

because you rule the peoples in equity;

the nations on the earth you guide.

R. May God bless us in his mercy.

May the peoples praise you, O God;

may all the peoples praise you!

May God bless us,

and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

R. May God bless us in his mercy.

-Psalms 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

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Second Reading

Brothers and sisters:

When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,

born of a woman, born under the law,

to ransom those under the law,

so that we might receive adoption as sons.

As proof that you are sons,

God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,

crying out, "Abba, Father!"

So you are no longer a slave but a son,

and if a son then also an heir, through God.

-Galatians 4:4-7

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Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;

in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

-Hebrews 1:1-2

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Gospel

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,

and the infant lying in the manger.

When they saw this,

they made known the message

that had been told them about this child.

All who heard it were amazed

by what had been told them by the shepherds.

And Mary kept all these things,

reflecting on them in her heart.

Then the shepherds returned,

glorifying and praising God

for all they had heard and seen,

just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,

he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel

before he was conceived in the womb.

-Luke 2:16-21

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A question many Protestants have for Catholics is why do we hold Mary in such high regard; why do we pray to her and honor her as the Queen of Heaven? For one, we believe that she was born without Original Sin and never sinned throughout her life, as a sinful woman would not have been able to bear Jesus as her child. Speaking of bearing Jesus as her child, Mary was literally Jesus' mother. Jesus had to learn to walk and to talk and all the other things young humans must- Mary was there to do so. She had more time with Jesus than anyone else, which makes her exceptionally holy once more. At his Crucifixion, Jesus entrusted Mary into John's care, which shows that He was particularly concerned with her well-being, wanting to ensure she was not left alone after His death. Now, as to why we view her as the Queen to Jesus' King is because in ancient Israel, the queen was the king's mother. If that is the royal structure provided by God for Earth, is it not so strange to believe that God would provide a similar structure for Heaven? As for the topic of praying to Mary, and to other saints for that matter, that is not to put idols before God, but rather to exalt God. How does one raise up He who is already Most High? By lowering oneself. The purpose of praying for saints to intercede on your behalf is to say that you are unworthy of directly asking God for anything, and thus it is wise to ask for the help of someone holier than yourself in making your case. Mary is a very good person to pray to because of her uniquely close relationship with Jesus.

I'll open with my first impressions having given it a reading with my morning tea: It's great! This is by far the most doctrinally clear, Biblically and Traditionally grounded encyclical out of the Pope Francis episcopacy. Not coincidentally, it sticks within a defined theological scope rather than attempting to address hot button social issues (though honestly I wish American Catholics were more keen to submit and obey rather than openly resist). My favorite section is 86-89:

86. Many Jansenists found this difficult to comprehend, for they looked askance on all that was human, affective and corporeal, and so viewed this devotion as distancing us from pure worship of the Most High God. Pius XII described as "false mysticism"[79] the elitist attitude of those groups that saw God as so sublime, separate and distant that they regarded affective expressions of popular piety as dangerous and in need of ecclesiastical oversight.

87. It could be argued that today, in place of Jansenism, we find ourselves before a powerful wave of secularization that seeks to build a world free of God. In our societies, we are also seeing a proliferation of varied forms of religiosity that have nothing to do with a personal relationship with the God of love, but are new manifestations of a disembodied spirituality. I must warn that within the Church too, a baneful Jansenist dualism has re-emerged in new forms. This has gained renewed strength in recent decades, but it is a recrudescence of that Gnosticism which proved so great a spiritual threat in the early centuries of Christianity because it refused to acknowledge the reality of "the salvation of the flesh". For this reason, I turn my gaze to the heart of Christ and I invite all of us to renew our devotion to it. I hope this will also appeal to today's sensitivities and thus help us to confront the dualisms, old and new, to which this devotion offers an effective response.

88. I would add that the heart of Christ also frees us from another kind of dualism found in communities and pastors excessively caught up in external activities, structural reforms that have little to do with the Gospel, obsessive reorganization plans, worldly projects, secular ways of thinking and mandatory programmes. The result is often a Christianity stripped of the tender consolations of faith, the joy of serving others, the fervour of personal commitment to mission, the beauty of knowing Christ and the profound gratitude born of the friendship he offers and the ultimate meaning he gives to our lives. This too is the expression of an illusory and disembodied otherworldliness.

89. Once we succumb to these attitudes, so widespread in our day, we tend to lose all desire to be cured of them. This leads me to propose to the whole Church renewed reflection on the love of Christ represented in his Sacred Heart. For there we find the whole Gospel, a synthesis of the truths of our faith, all that we adore and seek in faith, all that responds to our deepest needs.

For our ESL Catholics like @szrotmistrz you can scroll up and find the translation in your local language, including Portuguese, Polish, Spanish etc. Please join me in reading this. For the less interested here is the Vatican News summary.

The text concludes with a prayer, and I ask all !Catholics and !prayerwarriors to join me:

"I ask our Lord Jesus Christ to grant that His Sacred Heart may continue to pour forth the streams of living water that can heal the hurt we have caused, strengthen our ability to love and serve others, and inspire us to journey together towards a just, solidary and fraternal world. Until that day when we will rejoice in celebrating together the banquet of the heavenly kingdom in the presence of the risen Lord, who harmonizes all our differences in the light that radiates perpetually from his open heart. May he be blessed forever" (220).

@JoyceScaryOates @Paragon @carpathianHORRORist you neighbors can't escape me by being outside the ping group. Please read this.

!catholics !christians Happy Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

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First Reading

God sets a father in honor over his children;

a mother's authority he confirms over her sons.

Whoever honors his father atones for sins,

and preserves himself from them.

When he prays, he is heard;

he stores up riches who reveres his mother.

Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,

and, when he prays, is heard.

Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;

he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.

My 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.

-Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14

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Responsorial Psalm

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

Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,

who walks in his ways!

For 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.

Your 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.

Behold, thus is the man blessed

who fears the LORD.

The 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.

-Psalms 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

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Second Reading

Brothers and sisters:

Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,

heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

bearing 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.

And over all these put on love,

that is, the bond of perfection.

And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,

the peace into which you were also called in one body.

And be thankful.

Let 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.

And 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.

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands,

as is proper in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives,

and avoid any bitterness toward them.

Children, obey your parents in everything,

for this is pleasing to the Lord.

Fathers, do not provoke your children,

so they may not become discouraged.

-Colossians 3:12-21

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Second Reading

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Let the peace of Christ control your hearts;

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

-Colossians 3:15a, 16a

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Gospel

Each year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the feast

of Passover,

and when he was twelve years old,

they went up according to festival custom.

After they had completed its days, as they were returning,

the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,

but his parents did not know it.

Thinking that he was in the caravan,

they journeyed for a day

and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,

but not finding him,

they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.

After three days they found him in the temple,

sitting in the midst of the teachers,

listening to them and asking them questions,

and all who heard him were astounded

at his understanding and his answers.

When his parents saw him,

they were astonished,

and 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?"

But they did not understand what he said to them.

He went down with them and came to Nazareth,

and was obedient to them;

and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor

before God and man.

-Luke 2:41-52

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An interesting point my priest made in his homily is that so many Catholic fathers have given up their religious authority within their own family, leaving it up to their wives to educate their children in the faith. How can you expect your wife to be subordinate to you when you willing hand off your responsibilities?

"Grieve him not as long as he lives" is a really good line, as is "Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him." I think it's too easy to forget that people who have gone senile are still people. It's a great burden to have to care for someone who has lost their senses, but how much worse it is to be the one who has lost his senses.

I ask this because I'm considering the actions of women like Lori Vallow who kill their children before they reach the age of reason so that they can be guaranteed an eternity in paradise. If all children go to heaven, then what's the flaw in the logic? Shouldn't all mothers have as many children as possible and just murder them as infants so she can send as many souls as possible to heaven?

>God doesn't want that!

Sure, I agree. The woman will be darned for murder, but she has guaranteed the salvation of many souls.

>She could have parented her children to be good and saved their souls that way!

No amount of parenting can guarantee a child will turn out a certain way. I was raised Christian and attended a Christian school and here I am, an atheistic adult with no regard for any gods. It seems the only way to guarantee your children will go to heaven is to kill them.

!catholics !christians Merry Christmas! It's been a long day for me, haven't had (or rather, didn't want to because I have better things to do on Christmas) a chance to write this up earlier in the day. I went to the vigil Mass with my family so I'll post those readings.

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First Reading

For Zion's sake I will not be silent,

    for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet,

until her vindication shines forth like the dawn

    and her victory like a burning torch.

Nations shall behold your vindication,

    and all the kings your glory;

you shall be called by a new name

    pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.

You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,

    a royal diadem held by your God.

No more shall people call you "Forsaken,"

    or your land "Desolate,"

but you shall be called "My Delight,"

    and your land "Espoused."

For the LORD delights in you

    and makes your land his spouse.

As a young man marries a virgin,

    your Builder shall marry you;

and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride

    so shall your God rejoice in you.

-Isaiah 62:1-5

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Responsorial Psalm

R. (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

I have sworn to David my servant:

Forever will I confirm your posterity

and establish your throne for all generations.

R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;

in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.

At your name they rejoice all the day,

and through your justice they are exalted.

R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

He shall say of me, "You are my father,

my God, the rock, my savior."

Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,

and my covenant with him stands firm.

R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

-Psalms 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29

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Second Reading

When Paul reached Antioch in Pisidia and entered the synagogue,

he stood up, motioned with his hand, and said,

"Fellow Israelites and you others who are God-fearing, listen.

The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors

and exalted the people during their sojourn in the

land of Egypt.

With uplifted arm he led them out of it.

Then he removed Saul and raised up David as king;

of him he testified,

'I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;

he will carry out my every wish.'

From this man's descendants God, according to his promise,

has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.

John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance

to all the people of Israel;

and as John was completing his course, he would say,

'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.

Behold, one is coming after me;

I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'"

-Acts 13:16-17, 22-25

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Responsorial Psalm

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Tomorrow the wickedness of the earth will be destroyed:

the Savior of the world will reign over us.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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Gospel

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,

the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.

Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,

whose mother was Tamar.

Perez became the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab.

Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

Salmon the father of Boaz,

whose mother was Rahab.

Boaz became the father of Obed,

whose mother was Ruth.

Obed became the father of Jesse,

Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon,

whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.

Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

Abijah the father of Asaph.

Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,

Joram the father of Uzziah.

Uzziah became the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.

Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amos,

Amos the father of Josiah.

Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers

at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile,

Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.

Abiud became the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

Azor the father of Zadok.

Zadok became the father of Achim,

Achim the father of Eliud,

Eliud the father of Eleazar.

Eleazar became the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.

Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Thus the total number of generations

from Abraham to David

is fourteen generations;

from David to the Babylonian exile,

fourteen generations;

from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,

fourteen generations.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,

but before they lived together,

she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.

Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,

yet unwilling to expose her to shame,

decided to divorce her quietly.

Such was his intention when, behold,

the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,

"Joseph, son of David,

do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.

For it is through the Holy Spirit

that this child has been conceived in her.

She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,

because he will save his people from their sins."

All this took place to fulfill

what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

    and they shall name him Emmanuel, 

which means "God is with us."

When Joseph awoke,

he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him

and took his wife into his home.

He had no relations with her until she bore a son,

and he named him Jesus.

-Matthew 1:1-25

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I've drank too much eggnog to attempt writing a sermon lmao

Repent or burn forever to those who don't

Happy birthday Jesus Christ the king of kings

!catholics !christians happy Fourth Sunday of Advent!

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First Reading

Thus says the LORD:

You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah

    too small to be among the clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me

    one who is to be ruler in Israel;

whose origin is from of old,

    from ancient times.

Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time

    when she who is to give birth has borne,

and the rest of his kindred shall return

    to the children of Israel.

He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock

    by the strength of the LORD,

    in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;

and they shall remain, for now his greatness

    shall reach to the ends of the earth;

    he shall be peace.

-Micah 5:1-4a

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Responsorial Psalm

R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

O shepherd of Israel, hearken,

from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.

Rouse your power,

and come to save us.

R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Once again, O LORD of hosts,

look down from heaven, and see;

take care of this vine,

and protect what your right hand has planted

the son of man whom you yourself made strong.

R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

May your help be with the man of your right hand,

with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.

Then we will no more withdraw from you;

give us new life, and we will call upon your name.

R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

-Psalms 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19

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Second Reading

Brothers and sisters:

When Christ came into the world, he said:

"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

    but a body you prepared for me;

in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.

Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll,

behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"

First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings,

holocausts and sin offerings,

you neither desired nor delighted in."

These are offered according to the law.

Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will."

He takes away the first to establish the second.

By this "will," we have been consecrated

through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 10:5-10

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Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.

May it be done to me according to your word.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

-Luke 1:38

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Gospel

Mary set out

and traveled to the hill country in haste

to a town of Judah,

where she entered the house of Zechariah

and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,

the infant leaped in her womb,

and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,

cried out in a loud voice and said,

"Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And how does this happen to me,

that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,

the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

Blessed are you who believed

that what was spoken to you by the Lord

would be fulfilled."

-Luke 1:39-45

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Greetings, Parishioners!

You know what's funny? Catholic priests advising married couples on their issues.

Their priests can't be married?! You guys know they made that shit up, right?

Their spiritual shepherds literally don't frick women and they are all when 10/10 times they are actual cute twinks or worse.

Catholic priests unironically be like "Put me in a box with your child and go away for a half hour.

I've literally never met an Orthodox priest who wasn't married and had kids. If you're neurodivergent enough to ask them for marital advice, they actually know what the frick they're talking about.

WTF is a Catholic priest going to say, pray harder?

OK, this movie is R rated and its just floating in full on youtube on this guys channel. The long short is its by 2

It's filled with stuff about how religion is made up and we should all have a filthy s*x orgy. Seriously, at 1 hour 18:00 minutes in like 2 minutes of some nasty food orgy happens. Not to mention the language like pulp fiction. But it's all in a cutesy cartoon package designed to pull in children and teenagers, from some Jews that have baked their brains on all the weed. I tried to report it, but Im not sure youtube let me do the timestamp right . It would probably help if multiple people tried to get this stupid filth deleted. Do it for Kami-sama please.

!catholics !christians happy Third Sunday of Advent!

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First Reading

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!

    Sing joyfully, O Israel!

Be glad and exult with all your heart,

    O daughter Jerusalem!

The LORD has removed the judgment against you

    he has turned away your enemies;

the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,

    you have no further misfortune to fear.

On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:

    Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!

The LORD, your God, is in your midst,

    a mighty savior;

he will rejoice over you with gladness,

    and renew you in his love,

he will sing joyfully because of you,

    as one sings at festivals.

-Zephaniah 3:14

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Responsorial Psalm

R. (6) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

God indeed is my savior;

I am confident and unafraid.

My strength and my courage is the LORD,

and he has been my savior.

With joy you will draw water

at the fountain of salvation.

R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;

among the nations make known his deeds,

proclaim how exalted is his name.

R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;

let this be known throughout all the earth.

Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,

for great in your midst

is the Holy One of Israel!

R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

-Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6

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Second Reading

Brothers and sisters:

Rejoice in the Lord always.

I shall say it again: rejoice!

Your kindness should be known to all.

The Lord is near.

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,

make your requests known to God.

Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding

will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

-Philippians 4:4-7

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Responsorial Psalm

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring glad tidings to the poor.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

-Isaiah 61:1 (Cited in Luke 4:18

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Gospel

The crowds asked John the Baptist,

"What should we do?"

He said to them in reply,

"Whoever has two cloaks

should share with the person who has none.

And whoever has food should do likewise."

Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,

"Teacher, what should we do?"

He answered them,

"Stop collecting more than what is prescribed."

Soldiers also asked him,

"And what is it that we should do?"

He told them,

"Do not practice extortion,

do not falsely accuse anyone,

and be satisfied with your wages."

Now the people were filled with expectation,

and all were asking in their hearts

whether John might be the Christ.

John answered them all, saying,

"I am baptizing you with water,

but one mightier than I is coming.

I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor

and to gather the wheat into his barn,

but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

Exhorting them in many other ways,

he preached good news to the people.

-Luke 3:10-18

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"He never passed by a cat without petting it," Perego told CNA.

"Chico was a big reddish cat with a lot of character,"

Journ*lists snapped photos as Pope Benedict stroked the cat's chin and ears. He said: "Aren't you pretty? What's his name? How old is he?"

for those who dont want to give traffic to the NCR:

1911: St. Joan's Alliance founded, works for women's suffrage and women's ordination.

1974: Eleven women ordained Episcopal priests.

1975: First Women's Ordination gathering in Detroit; Women's Ordination Conference founded.

1976: Experts of the Pontifical Biblical Commission determined that there were no scriptural reasons preventing women's ordination.

1976: Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith overturn the commission's judgment, issue Inter Insigniores stating women do not image Jesus.

1978: Second Women's Ordination Conference, held in Baltimore. WOC membership exceeds 3,000; Responding to Inter Insigniores, program heralds: "It's time to lay to rest the heresy that women cannot image Jesus in the priesthood."

1979: Pope John Paul II visits U.S.; WOC members, after all night vigil in Washington; greet pope as he emerges; WOC's Ruth Fitzpatrick, calls out; "Ordain Women!" Mercy Sr. Theresa Kane, then LCWR president, at National Shrine, addresses John Paul, urging him that all church ministries be open to women.

1983: Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith call upon bishops to refuse support to those who defend the priestly ordination of women.

1983: First International Women-Church Conference in 1983 in Chicago

1983: Women-Church Convergence, coalition of feminist non-profit organizations, forms. Women recognize women's ordination is not the primary issue for most women. Focus on broader justice and gender equality issues.

1992: U.S. bishops give up writing pastoral letter after trying nine-year effort.

1992: Ruth Fitzpatrick leads a trip to the Czech Republic to find Ludmila Javorova, one of the women ordained a priest in the underground Catholic Church of Communist Czechoslovakia.

1994: John Paul II Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, stating the subject of women's ordination to the priesthood is no longer open to debate.

1995: WOC celebrates 20th anniversary with Washington conference. Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Diana Hayes, Mary Hunt reject women's ordination, saying it would result in subordination within a patriarchal system. Fiorenza rejects "kyriarchy," interlocking systems of domination and submission.

1995: Three dozen young women meet during WOC conference, forerunner of Young Feminist Network (YFN).

1996: Women's Ordination Worldwide (WOW) forms after women from six nations draw up charter.

2000: WOC celebrates "WOC 2000: If Roman Catholic Women Were Ordained Today" in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

2002: "Illicit" ordinations of seven women as priests on the Danube River between Austria and Germany.

2003: Difference of opinion and strategies grow among women as to ties with Catholic tradition as pathways to ordination splinter. "What is essential to our Catholic identity?" WOC asks.

2006: First "illicit" women ordinations in US.

2006: WOC approves to incorporate anti-racism, diversity and inclusion in WOC programs.

2015: WOC conveys 40th anniversary gathering in Philadelphia one week before Pope Francis visits the city

really doesn't look like the movement has much steam left in it based on those last few entries

!catholics

Gender diversity has been part of the Catholic Church since the very beginning, as saints and key Catholic figures lived as what we would today call nonbinary or trans to mirror a God who supersedes all human constructs. https://t.co/WnH6gmazpv

— U.S. Catholic magazine (@USCatholic) December 7, 2024

@Nightcrawler !nooticers discuss

Would you look at that! pic.twitter.com/oHCf9ZxPX8

— Ciro D 🇮🇹 (@CiroD88) December 11, 2024

!catholics !christians happy Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary! (yes I know I'm late depending on time zones (including my own) but it's been a long day so forgive me)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

First Reading

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,

the LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?"

He answered, "I heard you in the garden;

but I was afraid, because I was naked,

so I hid myself."

Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked?

You have eaten, then,

from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!"

The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me--

she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it."

The LORD God then asked the woman,

"Why did you do such a thing?"

The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it."

Then the LORD God said to the serpent:

"Because you have done this, you shall be banned

from all the animals

and from all the wild creatures;

on your belly shall you crawl,

and dirt shall you eat

all the days of your life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers;

he will strike at your head,

while you strike at his heel."

The man called his wife Eve,

because she became the mother of all the living.

-Genesis 3:9-15, 20

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Responsorial Psalm

R. (1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

Sing to the LORD a new song,

for he has done wondrous deeds;

His right hand has won victory for him,

his holy arm.

R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

The LORD has made his salvation known:

in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.

He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness

toward the house of Israel.

R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

All the ends of the earth have seen

the salvation by our God.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;

break into song; sing praise.

R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

-Psalms 98:1, 2-3ab, 33cd-4.

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Second Reading

Brothers and sisters:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us in Christ

with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,

as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,

to be holy and without blemish before him.

In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,

in accord with the favor of his will,

for the praise of the glory of his grace

that he granted us in the beloved.

In him we were also chosen,

destined in accord with the purpose of the One

who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,

so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,

we who first hoped in Christ.

-Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12

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Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;

blessed are you among women.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

-Luke 1:28

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Gospel

The angel Gabriel was sent from God

to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,

of the house of David,

and the virgin's name was Mary.

And coming to her, he said,

"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."

But she was greatly troubled at what was said

and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her,

"Do not be afraid, Mary,

for you have found favor with God.

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,

and you shall name him Jesus.

He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,

and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,

and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,

and of his Kingdom there will be no end."

But Mary said to the angel,

"How can this be,

since I have no relations with a man?"

And the angel said to her in reply,

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore the child to be born

will be called holy, the Son of God.

And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,

has also conceived a son in her old age,

and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;

for nothing will be impossible for God."

Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.

May it be done to me according to your word."

Then the angel departed from her.

-Luke 1:26-38

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"... for nothing will be impossible for God ..." I read the first few chapter of Romans recently and found that to be an interesting point it makes. The law exists to make sin known, but because all of us are so thoroughly sinful, having true belief in God matters more than strict adherence to the law for salvation. To not murder or steal or covet is good; to truly believe all things are possible through God is great. That's why blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the gravest sin of all, as it is to believe God cannot save you. Mary is so holy because she is so certain in God's plan. Faced with the prospect of being supernaturally impregnated despite being engaged to a man who she doesn't have relations with, she trusts God that good will come through such an outrageous thing.

Sometimes I wish things were as easy as having an angel come down and tell me what God's plan for me really is. Though knowing how well I take orders, perhaps it's for the best I figure it out on my own.

Pope puts Baby Jesus in swaddling keffiyeh at the Vatican pic.twitter.com/uiX4mK1WV6

— Peachy Keenan (@KeenanPeachy) December 7, 2024

!catholics !christians happy Second Sunday of Advent!

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First Reading

Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery;

put on the splendor of glory from God forever:

wrapped in the cloak of justice from God,

bear on your head the mitre

that displays the glory of the eternal name.

For God will show all the earth your splendor:

you will be named by God forever

the peace of justice, the glory of God's worship.

Up, Jerusalem! stand upon the heights;

look to the east and see your children

gathered from the east and the west

at the word of the Holy One,

rejoicing that they are remembered by God.

Led away on foot by their enemies they left you:

but God will bring them back to you

borne aloft in glory as on royal thrones.

For God has commanded

that every lofty mountain be made low,

and that the age-old depths and gorges

be filled to level ground,

that Israel may advance secure in the glory of God.

The forests and every fragrant kind of tree

have overshadowed Israel at God's command;

for God is leading Israel in joy

by the light of his glory,

with his mercy and justice for company.

-Baruch 5:1-9

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Responsorial Psalm

R. (3) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,

we were like men dreaming.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with rejoicing.

R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Then they said among the nations,

"The LORD has done great things for them."

The LORD has done great things for us;

we are glad indeed.

R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,

like the torrents in the southern desert.

Those who sow in tears

shall reap rejoicing.

R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Although they go forth weeping,

carrying the seed to be sown,

They shall come back rejoicing,

carrying their sheaves.

R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

-Psalms 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6

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Second Reading

Brothers and sisters:

I pray always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,

because of your partnership for the gospel

from the first day until now.

I am confident of this,

that the one who began a good work in you

will continue to complete it

until the day of Christ Jesus.

God is my witness,

how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer:

that your love may increase ever more and more

in knowledge and every kind of perception,

to discern what is of value,

so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

filled with the fruit of righteousness

that comes through Jesus Christ

for the glory and praise of God.

-Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11

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Responsorial Psalm

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths:

all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

-Luke 3:4, 6

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Gospel

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,

when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,

and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,

and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region

of Ituraea and Trachonitis,

and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,

during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,

the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.

John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,

proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:

A voice of one crying out in the desert:

"Prepare the way of the Lord,

    make straight his paths.

Every valley shall be filled

    and every mountain and hill shall be made low.

The winding roads shall be made straight,

    and the rough ways made smooth,

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

-Luke 3:1-6

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

John the Baptist is such an interesting figure, for there to be a prophet so shortly before the coming of the Messiah. I also find it interesting that he's revered as a saint, despite dying before the Crucifixion, similarly to St. Joseph.

I'm protestant but I really want to meet a nice catholic girl named Paris and convert for her. Then I'd constantly say "Paris is worth a mass."

Time for a crusade against junkies!

Bonus tradcaths being grouchy old killjoys

https://old.reddit.com/r/CatholicMemes/comments/1h4mssx/comment/m00vpfu/?context=8

https://old.reddit.com/r/CatholicMemes/comments/1h4mssx/comment/lzzmg5y/?context=8

!catholics !christians happy First Sunday of Advent! I think it's really awesome how for once, "Advent" calendars sold in stores line up with the Liturgical season of Advent.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

First Reading

The days are coming, says the LORD,

when I will fulfill the promise 

I made to the house of Israel and Judah.

In those days, in that time,

I will raise up for David a just shoot ; 

he shall do what is right and just in the land.

In those days Judah shall be safe

and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; 

this is what they shall call her: 

"The LORD our justice."

-Jeremiah 33:14-16

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Responsorial Psalm

R. (1b) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;

teach me your paths,

Guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my savior,

and for you I wait all the day.

R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Good and upright is the LORD;

thus he shows sinners the way.

He guides the humble to justice,

and teaches the humble his way.

R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy

toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,

and his covenant, for their instruction.

R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

-Psalms 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Second Reading

Brothers and sisters:

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love

for one another and for all,

just as we have for you,

so as to strengthen your hearts,

to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father

at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.

Finally, brothers and sisters,

we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,

as you received from us

how you should conduct yourselves to please God

and as you are conducting yourselves

you do so even more.

For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

-1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Responsorial Psalm

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Show us, Lord, your love;

and grant us your salvation.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

-Psalms 85:8

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gospel

Jesus said to his disciples:

"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,

and on earth nations will be in dismay,

perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.

People will die of fright

in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,

for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

And then they will see the Son of Man

coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

But when these signs begin to happen,

stand erect and raise your heads

because your redemption is at hand.

"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy

from carousing and drunkenness

and the anxieties of daily life,

and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.

For that day will assault everyone

who lives on the face of the earth.

Be vigilant at all times

and pray that you have the strength

to escape the tribulations that are imminent

and to stand before the Son of Man."

-Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Since it's Black Friday, we should recognize some black Catholics that are on the way to sainthood.

Also, I saw sneedman post of black queens and I remember this article.