CONVERSION OF ST PAUL, APOSTLE, Feast 25th January

St. Paul, named Saul at his circumcision, a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, was born at Tarsus, the capitol of Cilicia. He was a Roman citizen. He was brought up as a strict Jew, and later became a violent persecutor of the Christians. While on his way to Damascus to make new arrests of Christians, he was suddenly converted by a miraculous apparition of Our Lord. From a fierce persecutor he became the great Apostle of the Gentiles. He made three missionary journeys which brought him to the great centers of Asia Minor and southern Europe, and made many converts. Fourteen of his Epistles are found in the New Testament. He was beheaded in Rome in 66, and his body is kept in the Basilica of St. Paul near the Ostian Way.


Mass Readings (from the New American Bible)


First Reading                            Acts of the Apostles 22: 3-16

3  "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.

4

I persecuted this Way to death, binding both men and women and delivering them to prison.

5

Even the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify on my behalf. For from them I even received letters to the brothers and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem in chains for punishment those there as well.

6

"On that journey as I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me.

7

I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'

8

I replied, 'Who are you, sir?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.'

9

My companions saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me.

10

I asked, 'What shall I do, sir?' The Lord answered me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything appointed for you to do.'

11

Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light, I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus.

12

"A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law, and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,

13

came to me and stood there and said, 'Saul, my brother, regain your sight.' And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him.

14

Then he said, 'The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice;

15

for you will be his witness ² before all to what you have seen and heard.

16

Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name.'

This is the Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm Ps 116:1-2. R. Mk 16: 15

R. Go out to the whole world;

      proclaim the Good News

¹ Praise the LORD, all you nations! Give glory, all you peoples!

2

The LORD'S love for us is strong; the LORD is faithful forever. Hallelujah!

GOSPEL according to St Mark 16: 15-18

15  He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.

16

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.

17

These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages.

18

They will pick up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

This is the Gospel of the Lord

Winter at the Cloister

For Unity of Christians 18th - 25th January 2011

“I am the Good Shepherd.  I know my sheep, and mine know me, says the Lord, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.  I give my life for my sheep.” (John 10: 14-15)

Prayer

Lord, pour out upon us the fullness of your mercy and by the power of your Spirit remove divisions among Christians.  

Let your Church rise more clearly as a sign for all the nations that the world may be filled with the light of your Spirit, and believe in Jesus Christ whom you have sent.  May Christians constantly grow in the love of truth.  

May they study and work together for perfect unity among Christians.  Amen

“May they all be one, Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me, says the Lord.”

(John 17: 21)

Ther is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all.” (Ephesians 4:5)

May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body.  (Colossians 3:15)

PSALM 99 (100) – A Psalm of Thanksgiving

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;

Worship the LORD with cries of gladness;

come before him with joyful song.

Know that the LORD is God,

our maker to whom we belong,

whose people we are, God's well-tended flock.

Enter the temple gates with praise,

its courts with thanksgiving.

Give thanks to God, bless his name;

Good indeed is the LORD,

Whose love endures forever,

whose faithfulness lasts through every age.

PSALM 22 (23) – The Lord is my Shepherd

The LORD is my shepherd;

there is nothing I lack.

In green pastures you let me graze;

to safe waters you lead me;

You restore my strength.

You guide me along the right path

for the sake of your name.

Even when I walk through a dark valley,

I fear no harm for you are at my side;

your rod and staff give me courage.

You set a table before me

as my enemies watch;

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Only goodness and love will pursue me all the days of my life;

I will dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

Għall-Għaqda tal-Insara 18 – 25 Jannar

« Jiena r-ragħaj it-tajjeb; jiena nagħraf in-nagħaġ tiegħi, u n-nagħaġ tiegħi jagħrfu lili, bħalma l-Missier jagħraf lili u jiena nagħraf lill-Missier; u għan-nagħaġ tiegħi nagħti ħajti ». (Ġwanni 10 : 14-15)

 TALBA

Mulej Ġesu, awl il-lejl qabel ma mitt għalina, Int tlabt lil-Missier biex id-dixxipli tiegħeK ikunu ħaġa waħda, bħalma Int fil-Missier u l-Missier fiK, agħmel li aħna nħossu b’qalb sogħbiena n-niket tal-infedeltà tal-qsim ta’ bejnietna.

Agħtina d-dawl biex nagħrfu, u l-kuraġġ biex nikkundannaw l-indifferenza moħbija ġo fina, in-nuqqas ta’ fiduċja, u l-ispirtu ta’ kuntrarjeta li hemm bejnietna.

Agħmel li niltaqgħu lkoll fiK, biex minn ruħna u minn xofftejna titla’ bla heda t-talba tiegħek għall-għaqda tal-insara, kif tridha Int u bil-mezzi li trid Int.

FiK li Int l-Imħabba perfett, agħmel li nsibu t-triq li twassal għall-għaqda fl-obbedjenza tal-fidi, fl-imħabba u s-sewwa tiegħek.  Ammen

“ …nitolbok li jkunu lkoll ħaġa waħda. Kif inti fija, Missier, u jiena fik, ħa jkunu huma wkoll ħaġa waħda fina, biex hekk id-dinja temmen li inti bgħattni.” (Ġwanni 17:21)

“Nħeġġiġkom jien, il-priġunier tal-Mulej, biex timxu sewwa skond is-sejħa li biha kontu msejjħin; billi bl-umiltà kollha, bil-ħlewwa u bis-sabar, taħmlu u tħobbu 'l xulxin.  Ħabirku biex iżżommu spirtu wieħed bir-rabta tas-sliem;  ġisem wieħed u ruħ waħda, l-istess kif kontu msejjħa għal tama waħda;  Mulej wieħed, fidi waħda, magħmudija waħda; Alla wieħed u Missier ta' kulħadd, li hu fuq kulħadd, b'kulħadd u f'kulħadd”. (Efesin 4: 1-6)

“Intom il-magħżulin ta' Alla, il-qaddisin u l-maħbubin tiegħu. Ilbsu mela sentimenti ta' ħniena, tjieba, umiltà, ħlewwa u sabar.  Stabru b'xulxin, u, jekk xi ħadd minnkom ikollu xi jgħid ma' ħaddieħor, aħfru lil xulxin; bħalma l-Mulej ħafer lilkom, hekk agħmlu intom ukoll. U fuq kollox ilbsu l-imħabba, li hi l-qofol tal-perfezzjoni. Ħalli s-sliem ta' Kristu jsaltan fi qlubkom, dak is-sliem li għalih kontu msejjħa biex issiru ġisem wieħed. U ta' dan roddu ħajr lil Alla.  Ħalli l-kelma ta' Kristu tgħammar sħiħa fikom; għallmu bl-għerf kollu u widdbu lil xulxin b'salmi u innijiet u b'għana spiritwali, u b'radd il-ħajr kantaw f'qalbkom innijiet lil Alla. Kull ma tagħmlu jew tgħidu, agħmlu kollox f'isem il-Mulej Ġesù, u roddu ħajr lil Alla l-Missier permezz tiegħu”.  (Kolossin 3: 12 – 17)

Psalm 99 (100) - Sejħa għat-tifħir fit-tempju

Għajjtu bil-ferħ lill-Mulej,

nies kollha ta' l-art,

aqdu bil-ferħ lill-Mulej,

idħlu quddiemu b'għana ferrieħi.

Kunu afu li l-Mulej hu Alla,

hu ħalaqna, u aħna tiegħu,

aħna l-poplu tiegħu u n-nagħaġ tal-mergħa tiegħu.

Idħlu b'għana ta' ħajr mill-bibien tiegħu,

bit-tifħir fil-btieħi tat-tempju tiegħu;

roddulu ħajr u bierku ismu!

Għax twajjeb il-Mulej,

għal dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu;

minn żmien għal żmien il-fedeltà tiegħu.

Psalm 22 (23)  Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi

Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi,

xejn ma jonqosni;

f'mergħat kollha ħdura jqegħedni.

Ħdejn l-ilma, fejn nistrieħ, jeħodni;

hemm hu jrejjaqni.

Imexxini fit-triq tas-sewwa minħabba l-isem tiegħu.

Mqar jekk nimxi f'wied mudlam,

ma nibżax mill-ħsara, għax inti miegħi.

Il-ħatar tiegħek u l-għasluġ tiegħek,

huma jwennsuni.

Int tħejji mejda għalija quddiem l-għedewwa tiegħi.

Biż-żejt tidlikli rasi, u l-kalċi tiegħi tfawwarli.

Miegħi, iva, jimxu t-tjieba u l-ħniena il-jiem kollha ta' ħajti.

U ngħammar f'dar il-Mulej sakemm indum ħaj!

THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

from the Vatican http://www.vatican.vaThat they may become one in your hand (Ezek 37, 17)

Jointly prepared and published byThe Pontifical Council for Christian Unity
The Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches

 

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The search for unity: throughout the year
The traditional period in the northern hemisphere for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is 18-25 January. Those dates were proposed in 1908 by Paul Wattson to cover the days between the feasts of St Peter and St Paul, and therefore have a symbolic significance. In the southern hemisphere where January is a vacation time churches often find other days to celebrate the week of prayer, for example around Pentecost (which was suggested by the Faith and Order movement in 1926), which is also a symbolic date for the unity of the church.

Christmas Crib