歡欣! 歡欣!  以色列民，天主聖子就要來臨。

主耶穌！請快來！厄瑪奴耳，天主與我們同在。

 

＊＊＊ 讀經一 ＊＊＊     

索 3:14-18a

熙雍女子，你應歡樂！

聖安博主教聖師  (397年)

＊＊＊ 讀經一 ＊＊＊

依 40:1-11

雅威，你們的天主說：

聖達瑪穌一世教宗 (384年)

＊＊＊ 讀經一 ＊＊＊         

德 48:1-4, 9-11

當時，興起了一位激烈如火的先知厄里亞，

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

Isaiah 40:1-11

 Be comforted, my people, be strengthened, says your God.  peak to the heart of Jerusalem, proclaim to her that her time of bondage is at an end, that her guilt has been paid for, that from the hand of Yahweh

she has received double punishment for all her iniquity.   voice cries, “In the wilderness prepare the way for Yahweh. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

 Every valley will be raised up; every mountain and hill will be laid low.

The stumbling blocks shall become level and the rugged places smooth.  The glory of Yahweh will be revealed, and all mortals together will see it; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.”  A voice says, “Cry.”

and I say, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty as the flower of the field.  The grass withers, the flower wilts, when the breath of Yahweh blows upon it.

 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will forever stand.”  o up onto the high mountain, messenger of Zion, lift up your voice with strength,

fear not to cry aloud when you tell Jerusalem and announce to the cities of Judah: Here is your God!  Here comes your God with might; his strong arm rules for him;

his reward is with him, and here before him is his booty.  Like a shepherd he tends his flock:  he gathers the lambs in his arms, he carries them in his bosom, gently leading those that are with young.

 

 Ps 96:1-2, 3 & 10ac, 11-12, 13

The Lord our God comes with power.

 

  ＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊   

Mt 18:12-14

What do you think of this? If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside, and go to look for the stray one? And I tell you, when he finally finds it, He is more pleased about it, than about the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

It is the same with your Father in heaven. Your Father in heaven your Faher I heaven doesn’t want even one of these little ones to perish.

 

Gospel Reflection：

The lost are of particular importance to God. He does not want to lose them. God stakes His all in pursuit of them. Just as in the gospel today, the shepherd does not hesitate to leave the ninety-nine in pursuit of the lost sheep, so God does mind the cost of one lost soul that needs to be saved.

That is why He did not spare His Only Son to redeem humankind. This extravagant love of God has an icon. It has a concrete manifestation in time. It is the image of His Beloved Son hanging on the Cross during the first Good Friday.

The question is, does God regrets His decision? After all, two thousand years after the sacrifice of His Son, still many in the world are lost and far away from His fold. I guess not. For even if God will have to do it again, the pattern will still be the same. He will not spare any cost just to get the lost one back to safety.

＊＊＊ 讀經一 ＊＊＊       

依 48:17-19

雅威，我們的救贖主，

聖尼各老主教 

＊＊＊ 讀經一 ＊＊＊   

依 35:1-10

曠野和荒地定會快樂，

＊＊＊ 讀經一 ＊＊＊         

依 41:13-20

因為我，雅威，你的天主，

＊＊＊ 讀經一 ＊＊＊       

巴 5:1-9

耶路撒冷！

聖母無玷始胎節日

＊＊＊ 讀經一 ＊＊＊         　

創 3:9-15, 20

亞當吃了樹上的果子以後，

聖若望⋅達瑪森司鐸聖師 (749年)

＊＊＊ 讀經一 ＊＊＊   

依 30:19-21, 23-26

我主上主，以色列的聖者這樣說：