Holy Day of Obligations 

The world Day of Peace 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Numbers 6:22-27

 Then Yahweh spoke to Mo­ses saying, 

“Speak to Aaron and his sons and say to them: This is how you shall bless the people of Israel; you shall say:  May Yahweh bless you and keep you!  May Yahweh let his face shine on you, and be gracious to you!

 May Yahweh look kindly on you, and give you his peace!  In that way shall they put my name on the people of Israel and I will bless them.”

 

Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8(2a)

May God bless us in his mercy.

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Galatians 4:4-7

 But when the fullness of time came, God sent his Son. He came born of woman and subject to the Law, in order to redeem the subjects of the Law, that we might receive adoption as children of God. And because you are children, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of his Son which cries out: Abba! that is, Father!

 You yourself are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and yours is the inheritance by God’s grace.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Luke 2:16-21

 So they came hurriedly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby lying in the manger. On seeing this they related what they had been told about the child, and all were astonished on hearing the shepherds.

 As for Mary, she treasured all these messages and continually pondered over them.  The shepherds then returned giving glory and praise to God for all they had heard and seen, just as the angels had told them.

 On the eighth day the circumcision of the baby had to be performed; he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

 

Gospel Reflection：

We greet the new year with fecundity as a young woman gives birth to a baby boy. We also welcome this year with bounty as the baby is presented as food, spiritual food for the whole humanity.

Unaware, he blissfully looks at the new world He entered into from the feeding trough of animals. He was born to be food for the world. We also face this new year on the wings of glad tidings that comes to the shepherd on that one holy night when Eternity entered history.

It is night of overwhelming grace. And like Mary, we keep these gifts of fruitfulness, plenty and good news in our hearts. We will continue to ponder on them this whole year, until little by little, we will see the Glory of the Lord that continuously shines on us in all its radiant beauty.

And like the shepherd, may we spend our lives giving glory and praise to our God that continues to astonish us every day of our lives.