Mass Readings for December 28, 2023

1 John 1:5-2:2
Psalms 124:2-5,7-8
Matthew 2:13-18

1 John 1:5-2:2
(5) This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (6) If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and don’t tell the truth. (7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. (8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1) My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. (2) And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.

Psalms 124:2-5,7-8
(2) if it had not been Yahweh who was on our side, when men rose up against us; (3) then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; (4) then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul; (5) then the proud waters would have gone over our soul. (7) Our soul has escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare. The snare is broken, and we have escaped. (8) Our help is in Yahweh’s name, who made heaven and earth.

Matthew 2:13-18
(13) Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” (14) He arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt, (15) and was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (16) Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out, and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men. (17) Then that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, (18) “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; she wouldn’t be comforted, because they are no more.”