First Reading

Book of Jeremiah (Jer 20: 10-13)

The Lord is with me as a dread warrior.

I hear the whisperings of many:

“Terror on every side!
Denounce! let us denounce him!”

All those who were my friends
are on the watch for any misstep of mine.

“Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,
and take our vengeance on him.”

But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.
In their failure they will be put to utter shame,
to lasting, unforgettable confusion.
O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.
Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
For he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked!

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm (Ps 18: 2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7)

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.

My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.

The breakers of death surged round about me,
the destroying floods overwhelmed me;
The cords of the nether world enmeshed me,
the snares of death overtook me.

In my distress I called upon the LORD
and cried out to my God;
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.

Gospel

Glory and praise you to you, O Christ.

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life.

Glory and praise you to you, O Christ.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John (Jn 10: 31-42)

They tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.
Jesus answered them,

“I have shown you many good works from my Father.
For which of these are you trying to stone me?”

The Jews answered him,

“We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.
You, a man, are making yourself God.”

Jesus answered them,

“Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, You are gods’?
If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came,
and Scripture cannot be set aside,
can you say that the one
whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world
blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me;
but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me,
believe the works, so that you may realize and understand
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

Then they tried again to arrest him;
but he escaped from their power.

He went back across the Jordan
to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
Many came to him and said,

“John performed no sign,
but everything John said about this man was true.”

And many there began to believe in him.

— The Gospel of the Lord.

Diocese of Miarinarivo

Pope Francis has accepted the renunciation of the pastoral government of the Diocese of Miarinarivo, presented by H.E. Mgr Jean Claude Randrianarisoa. At the same time, the Supreme Pontiff has appointed H.E. Mgr Marie Fabien Raharilamboniaina, as Apostolic Admnistrator sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the same Diocese.

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Love and Salvation

Christmas is a great joy, because it is the love of God that has come to us, proclaims Fr. Bizimana Innocent, Provincial Superior of the Salesians Don Bosco of Madagascar and Mauritius, presenting his Christmas greetings. Salvation is accomplished, so life is not in danger of disappearing. It is this love and this salvation that we wish to fill our life so that we have peace.

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Zatti, our brother

The short film "Zatti, our brother" (Argentina, 2020) focuses on one of the most difficult episodes of his life. We are in Viedma, in 1941: at the age of 60, Zatti is forced to leave the hospital he has attended for decades. His faith and strength are tested.

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