Daily Reading for Sunday, December 29th, 2013

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Reading 1, Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14

² for the Lord honours the father above his children and upholds the rights of a mother over her sons.

³ Whoever respects a father expiates sins,

⁴ whoever honours a mother is like someone amassing a fortune.

⁵ Whoever respects a father will in turn be happy with children, the day he prays for help, he will be heard.

⁶ Long life comes to anyone who honours a father, whoever obeys the Lord makes a mother happy.

¹² My child, support your father in his old age, do not grieve him during his life.

¹³ Even if his mind should fail, show him sympathy, do not despise him in your health and strength;

¹⁴ for kindness to a father will not be forgotten but will serve as reparation for your sins.

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

¹ [Song of Ascents] How blessed are all who fear Yahweh, who walk in his ways!

² Your own labours will yield you a living, happy and prosperous will you be.

³ Your wife a fruitful vine in the inner places of your house. Your children round your table like shoots of an olive tree.

⁴ Such are the blessings that fall on those who fear Yahweh.

⁵ May Yahweh bless you from Zion! May you see Jerusalem prosper all the days of your life,

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Gospel, Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

¹³ After they had left, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.'

¹⁴ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt,

¹⁵ where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I called my son out of Egypt.

¹⁹ After Herod's death, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt

²⁰ and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.'

²¹ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, went back to the land of Israel.

²² But when he learnt that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as ruler of Judaea he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the region of Galilee.

²³ There he settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene.

Reading 2, Colossians 3:12-21

¹² As the chosen of God, then, the holy people whom he loves, you are to be clothed in heartfelt compassion, in generosity and humility, gentleness and patience.

¹³ Bear with one another; forgive each other if one of you has a complaint against another. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same.

¹⁴ Over all these clothes, put on love, the perfect bond.

¹⁵ And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together in one body. Always be thankful.

¹⁶ Let the Word of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God;

¹⁷ and whatever you say or do, let it be in the name of the Lord Jesus, in thanksgiving to God the Father through him.

¹⁸ Wives, be subject to your husbands, as you should in the Lord.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be sharp with them.

²⁰ Children, be obedient to your parents always, because that is what will please the Lord.

²¹ Parents, do not irritate your children or they will lose heart.

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