Churches of the Day
Pictorial Thought for Today
Dec 19 - St Winnibald (d. 761)
Summary of St Winnibald. Three members of the same Anglo-Saxon family (c/f the image below left) - Ss Willibald (2nd left in the picture below), their sister Walburga (centre) and Winnibald (far right) - together with their maternal uncle St Boniface, played an important part in the evangelising of Germany.
Patrick Duffy tells their story.
A pilgrimage to Rome
Our story begins when Winnibald and his brother Willibald set out with their father from Hampshire, England, on a pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy Land. Their father died at Lucca, but the two brothers, despite dangers and difficulties, continued till they were able to give thanks for their arrival at the shrine of St Peter, Rome.
Winnibald in Germany
Winnibald caught the Roman summer fever and remained in Rome while his brother travelled on eventually reaching to the Holy Land. When Winnibald recovered, he stayed on for seven years in Rome studying before returning to England. After some time, he again set out for Rome, this time with a group of companions. This time in Rome he met his maternal uncle St Boniface, who brought him with him to help in evangelising Germany. Ordained a priest in Thuringia, Winnibald was given charge of seven churches around Erfurt, but the Saxon inhabitants of that area forced him to move south into Bavaria where for some years he set up missions and then went went westward to join Boniface at Mainz.
His brother Willibald bishop of Eichstätt
Meanwhile his brother Willibald, having travelled to Jerusalem and in the Middle East, spent the ten years from 730 to 740 as a monk at Monte Cassino. Pope St Gregory II then sent him to Germany to help his uncle St Boniface, who ordained him a priest and appointed him bishop of Eichstätt.
A Double monastery at Heidenheim
[caption id="attachment_73521" align="alignleft" width="280"]
The glorious interior of St Walburga's convent church in Eichstätt, next to her tomb[/caption]
Willibald asked his brother Winnibald to start up a monastery at Heidenheim and made him its first abbot. This monastery followed the Rule of St Benedict and also became an important centre for the education of clergy. But another source of its fame was that it became the only double monastery among the 8th century foundations in Germany. Walburga, the brothers' sister, came from the double monastery of Wimbourne (Dorset, England) and was the abbess of the female monastery. On her brother's death she assumed full control of the double-monastery of Heidenheim.
Death and Memory
Winnibald had hoped to die as a Benedictine monk in Monte Cassino, but illness prevented him from moving there and so he died at Heidenheim. His biographer was Hugeburc, a nun of Heidenheim, who also wrote the Hodoeporicon, an account, dictated by his brother Willibald, of his travels in Rome, Constantinople, Cyprus, Syria, Jerusalem and Palestine. It was the first travel book by an Anglo-Saxon.
Patrick Duffy tells their story.
A pilgrimage to Rome
Our story begins when Winnibald and his brother Willibald set out with their father from Hampshire, England, on a pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy Land. Their father died at Lucca, but the two brothers, despite dangers and difficulties, continued till they were able to give thanks for their arrival at the shrine of St Peter, Rome.Winnibald in Germany
Winnibald caught the Roman summer fever and remained in Rome while his brother travelled on eventually reaching to the Holy Land. When Winnibald recovered, he stayed on for seven years in Rome studying before returning to England. After some time, he again set out for Rome, this time with a group of companions. This time in Rome he met his maternal uncle St Boniface, who brought him with him to help in evangelising Germany. Ordained a priest in Thuringia, Winnibald was given charge of seven churches around Erfurt, but the Saxon inhabitants of that area forced him to move south into Bavaria where for some years he set up missions and then went went westward to join Boniface at Mainz.
His brother Willibald bishop of Eichstätt
Meanwhile his brother Willibald, having travelled to Jerusalem and in the Middle East, spent the ten years from 730 to 740 as a monk at Monte Cassino. Pope St Gregory II then sent him to Germany to help his uncle St Boniface, who ordained him a priest and appointed him bishop of Eichstätt.
A Double monastery at Heidenheim
[caption id="attachment_73521" align="alignleft" width="280"]
The glorious interior of St Walburga's convent church in Eichstätt, next to her tomb[/caption]Willibald asked his brother Winnibald to start up a monastery at Heidenheim and made him its first abbot. This monastery followed the Rule of St Benedict and also became an important centre for the education of clergy. But another source of its fame was that it became the only double monastery among the 8th century foundations in Germany. Walburga, the brothers' sister, came from the double monastery of Wimbourne (Dorset, England) and was the abbess of the female monastery. On her brother's death she assumed full control of the double-monastery of Heidenheim.
Death and Memory
Winnibald had hoped to die as a Benedictine monk in Monte Cassino, but illness prevented him from moving there and so he died at Heidenheim. His biographer was Hugeburc, a nun of Heidenheim, who also wrote the Hodoeporicon, an account, dictated by his brother Willibald, of his travels in Rome, Constantinople, Cyprus, Syria, Jerusalem and Palestine. It was the first travel book by an Anglo-Saxon.
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Memorable Sayings for Today
Evangelism is not so much about reminding people
about how lost they are, but how much they are loved…
~ Randall Worley ~
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Liturgical Readings for: Friday, 19th December, 2025
The Advent Octave days before Christmas
Day 3 of the pre-Christmas Octave : 19th December. O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse)
Samson and John the Baptist births , God's chosen messengers births are both announced by an angel.
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of Judges 13:2-7. 24-25
The birth of Samson was announced by an angel.
There was a man of Zorah of the tribe of Dan, called Manoah. His wife was barren, she had borne no children. The angel of the Lord appeared to this woman and said to her,'You are barren and have had no child. But from now on take great care. Take no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For you will conceive and bear a son. No razor is to touch his head, for the boy shall be God's Nazirite from his mother's womb. It is he who will begin to rescue Israel from the power of the Philistines.'
Then the woman went and told her husband,
'A man of God has just come to me; his presence was like the presence of the angel of God, he was so majestic. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not reveal his name to me. But he said to me, "You will conceive and bear a son. From now on, take no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For the boy shall be God's Nazirite from his mother's womb to his dying day."'
The woman gave birth to a son and called him Samson. The child grew, and the Lord blessed him; and the spirit of the Lord began to move him.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 70: 3-6, 16-17, Rv v8
Response My lips are filled with your praise,
with your glory all the day long.
1. Be a rock where I can take refuge, a mighty stronghold to save me;
for you are my rock, my stronghold. Free me from the hand of the wicked. Response
2. It is you, O Lord, who are my hope, my trust, 0 Lord, since my youth.
On you I have leaned from my birth, from my mother's womb you have been my help. Response
3. I will declare the Lord's mighty deeds proclaiming your justice, yours alone.
O God, you have taught me from my youth and I proclaim your wonders still. Response
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
O Root of Jesse, set up as a sign to the peoples,
come to save you, and delay no more.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke 1:5-25 Glory to you, O Lord
The birth of John the Baptist was announced by Gabriel.
In the days of King Herod of Judaea there lived a priest called Zechariah who belonged to the Abijah section of the priesthood, and he had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron. Both were worthy in the sight of God, and scrupulously observed all the commandments and observances of the Lord. But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both getting on in years.
Now it was the turn of Zechariah's section to serve, and he was exercising his priestly office before God when it fell to him by lot, as the ritual custom was, to enter the Lord's sanctuary and burn incense there. And at the hour of incense the whole congregation was outside, praying.
Then there appeared to him the angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense.
The sight disturbed Zechariah and he was overcome with fear.
But the angel said to him,
'Zechariah, do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you must name him John. He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must drink no wine, no strong drink.
Even from his mother's womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he will bring back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before him to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the disobedient back to the wisdom that the virtuous have, preparing for the Lord a people fit for him.
Zechariah said to the angel, 'How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years.'
The angel replied,
'I am Gabriel who stand in God's presence, and I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news.
Listen! Since you have not believed my words, which will come true at their appointed time,
you will be silenced and have no power of speech until this has happened.'
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were surprised that he stayed in the sanctuary so long. When he came out he could not speak to them, and they realised that he had received a vision in the sanctuary. But he could only make signs to them and remained dumb.
When his time of service came to an end he returned home.
Some time later his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept to herself. '
The Lord has done this for me' she said 'now that it has pleased him to take away the humiliation I suffered among men.'
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection 19th Dec. Final days of Advent, Luke 1:5-25
We are used to hearing bad news. Most of what passes for news on our news programmes is bad news. What’s wrong with the world always seems more newsworthy than what is right with it. When we do hear good news, we can sometimes become a bit sceptical of it. We wonder if it is really true; we start to look for the downside in it.
In today’s gospel reading, the angel Gabriel proclaimed good news to Zechariah; his wife Elizabeth would finally have a son, and a special son who will be great in the sight of the Lord, who will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and who will bring many of the people of Israel beck to the Lord their God. However, Zechariah couldn’t bring himself to believe this good news. It was too good to be true. ‘How can I be sure of this?’ he asked. He couldn’t allow himself to savour this good news and to rejoice in it, as the angel had invited him to do. His failure to hear resulted in an inability to speak. He was silenced and had no power of speech.
Our failure to listen always impacts negatively on what we say and how we say it. Good speaking springs from careful listening. Like Zechariah, we can be slow to hear good news, including the good news of God’s loving initiative towards us through Jesus. We might think that this may be good news for others, but not for me.,Surely. God did not send his Son for me. Yet, as the angel said to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth, ‘Today… a Saviour has been born to you’, and each one of us is included in that ‘you’. We spend our lives learning to listen to this good news, this gospel, absorbing it so that it shapes who we are, what we do, what we say and how we say it.
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Advent reflection Dec.19th, Final Octave Days before Christmas
This reflection is by Fr John Cullen,
‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard’ (Luke 1:13)
1. Martin Luther King (1929–1968) was an activist, spokesperson and leader of the Civil rights Movement from 1958 until he was assassinated. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for promoting racial justice through non-violence and lawful civil disobedience. He was motivated by his Christian beliefs and by Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948).He is our Advent voice today for the excluded and exploited across our world. He is an inspiring champion for the homeless, the undocumented, the low-skilled migrants, all who are 'told' there is no room for them.
(The term ‘low-skilled’ is written into legislation that was recently debated in the British parliament and rushed into law.)
and
And 2. Mahatma Gandhi dressed in a home spun cloth called a dhoti to dress in solidarity with the poor of India in their struggle for freedom and human rights. But we forget that it is those same rejected, low-skilled workers who pick the cotton for the sheets on our bed; it is low-skilled workers who construct our mattresses in factories of dubious work conditions. It is those same low-skilled who stoop for hours in the searing heat of the sun for the tea and coffee that we drink from our cups. Low-skilled workers extract from mines the elements that constitute our mobile phones. It was Mahatma Gandhi who said The ‘An eye for an eye attitude ends up making the whole world blind’.When Gandhi returned to India after twenty turbulent years in South Africa, he decided that ‘Lead kindly Light’ would be the motto of the independence movement.
and also 3. John Henry Newman preached this in a sermon in 1857 that
‘We confess in a God who has the incomprehensible power of even making himself weak
Advent invites us to: a new way of seeing, of living, of relating and a new way of discipleship in the Lord.
Our Advent God is always in solidarity with those who suffer unjustly.
Our Advent God is not contactless, like our credit or debit cards! like so many officious important people!
He is a God who makes contact and connects fully with our human nature.
Our Advent God is not remote controlled, like the technological appliances that we use today.
But always keep in mind
Our Lord is a God who does not sit on a throne,
but was born in abject poverty, died on a sacrificial cross
and was buried in a borrowed tomb.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/
The Gospel Reflection is available with our thanks, from his book Reflections on the Weekday Readings : The Word is near to you, on your lips and in your heart by Fr Martin Hogan of the Dublin Diocese and published by Messenger Publications , c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/
Today's Advent Reflection is by Fr John Cullen, Parish Priest of Ahascraigh, Co Galway, Ireland and former Editor of Intercom Magazine and taken from his booklet, Alert, Aware, Attentive -Advent Reflections, also published by Messenger Publications c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop
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Liturgical Readings for: Friday, 19th December, 2025
CÉAD LÉACHT Sliocht as leabhar Breithiúna 13:2-7. 24-25
Rug an bhean mac agus thug sí an ainm Samsón air.
Bhí fear ó Zorá de threibh Dhán darbh ainm Mánóach, agus bhí a bhean aimrid, gan aon chlann uirthi.
Thaispeáin aingeal an Tiarna é féin don bhean seo agus dúirt sé léi:
“Féach, tá tú aimrid, gan chlann (ach gabhfaidh tú gin agus béarfaidh tú mac). Bí ar d’aire le barr cúraim dá bhrí sin as seo amach, agus ná hól aon fhíon ná aon deoch chrua, agus ná hith aon ní neamhghlan, mar féach, gabhfaidh tú gin agus bearfaidh tú mac. Ná luíodh rásúr ar a cheann mar beidh an mac ina naizíreach do Dhia ó bhroinn a mháthar; eisean a chuirfidh tús le fuascailt Iosrael ó láimh na bhFilistíneach.”
Ansin agus dúirt an bhean lena céile:
“Tháinig giolla ó Dhia chugam agus bhí a ghnúis mar ghnúis aingeal Dé le maorgacht. Níor chuir mé ceist air cárbh as dó, ná níor inis seisean dom cad ab ainm dó. Ach dúirt sé liom:
‘Gabhfaidh tú gin, féach, agus béarfaidh tú mac; ná hól aon fhíon ná aon deoch chrua, dá bhrí sin, agus ná hith aon ní neamhghlan, mar beidh an mac ina naizíreach do Dhia ó lá a shaolaithe go lá a bháis.’”
Rug an bhean mac agus thug sí Samsón air. D’fhás an leanbh, agus chuir an Tiarna a bheannacht air, agus thosaigh spiorad an Tiarna ar é a spreagadh.
Briathar Dé. Buíochas le Dia
Salm le Freagra Sm 70 70: 3-6, 16-17, Rv v8
Freagra Tá mo bhéal lan de do mholadh is de do chlú ar feadh an lae.
I. Bí i do charraig dhídine dom, i do dhún daingean do mo tharrtháil:
óir is tú mo charraig is mo dhún. Fuadaigh me as laimh an urchóidigh. Freagra
2. Óir is leatsa atáim ag feitheamh, a Thiarna; a Thiarna, is tú mo dhóchas ó m'óige.
Is ortsa atá mo sheasamh ó rugadh mé;ó bhroinn mo mháthar ba thú mo dhídean. Freagra
3. Fógróidh mé cumhacht Dé. A Thiarna, foilseoidh mé d'fhíréantachtsa amháin.
Ó m’óige thug tú teagasc dom, a Dhia, is tá do mhíorúiltí a bhfoilsiú agam i gcónaí. Freagra
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Lúcás 1:5-25 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Béarfaidh do bhean Éilís mac duit, agus tabharfaidh tú Eoin mar ainm air.
Bhí, i laethanta Héaróid, rí Iúdáia, sagart darbh ainm Zachairias, de shealaíocht Aibia, agus bean aige d’iníonra Árón, agus Eiliosaibeit ab ainm di. Bhí siad araon fíréanta i bhfianaise Dé, ag tabhairt a saoil gan locht de réir uile aitheanta agus reachta an Tiarna. Agus ní raibh aon chlann acu, mar bhí Éilís aimrid, agus bhí siad araon anonn i mblianta.
Tharla, agus é ag déanamh a ghnó sagairt i láthair Dé, in uain a shealaíochta, gur thit ar a chrann, de réir ghnás na sagartóide, dul isteach i sanctóir an Tiarna chun túis a dhó; agus bhí cuallacht iomlán an phobail amuigh ag guí in am na túise.
Chonacthas dó aingeal ón Tiarna ina sheasamh ar dheis altóir na túise. Agus nuair a chonaic Zachairias é, bhí sé buartha agus tháinig uamhan air. Ach dúirt an t-aingeal leis:
Ná bíodh eagla ort, a Zachairias, óir freagraíodh do ghuí, agus béarfaidh do bhean Éilís mac duit, agus tabharfaidh tú Eoin mar ainm air. Beidh áthas ort agus gairdeas, agús beidh mórán ag déanamh áthais faoina shaolú. Óir beidh sé mór i láthair an Tiarna; fíon ná deoch láidir ní ólfaidh; agus beidh sé líonta den Spiorad Naomh fiú amháin ó bhroinn a mháthar, agus iompóidh sé mórán de chlann Iosrael chun an Tiarna a nDia. Gluaisfidh sé roimhe amach le spiorad agus le cumhacht Éilias, chun croíthe na n-aithreacha a iompú I leith na clainne, agus lucht na heasumhla chun eagna na bhfíréan, chun pobal a dhiongbhála a ullmhú don Tiarna.”Agus dúirt Zachairias leis an aingeal:
“Conas a bheidh a fhios sin agam? Óir táim féin aosta, agus mo bhean anonn i mblianta.”
Dúirt an t-aingeal leis á fhreagairt: “Mise Gaibriéil a sheasann i láthair Dé, agus cuireadh mé chun labhartha leat, agus na dea-scéala seo a thabhairt duit. Agus féach, beidh tú i do thost, agus gan ar chumas duit labhairt go dtí an lá a ndéanfar na nithe seo, de bhrí nár chreid tú mo bhriathra a chomhlíonfar ina dtrath féin.”
Bhí an pobal ag feitheamh le Zachairias agus ba ionadh leo é bheith ag déanamh moille sa sanctóir. Ach ar theacht amach dó, ní fhéadfadh sé labhairt leo, agus bhí a fhios acu go raibh fís feicthe sa sanctóir aige. Agus bhí sé ag sméideadh orthu, agus d’fhan balbh. Nuair a bhí laethanta a sheirbhíse críochnaithe, chuaigh sé abhaile.
Agus ina dhiaidh sin, ghabh a bhean, Éilís, gin, agus d’fholaigh í féin ar feadh cúig mhí, ag rá:
“Is mar seo a rinne an Tiarna liom é sna laethanta inar dhearc sé orm chun mo náire i measc daoine a thógáil díom.”
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 21st December, 2025
- 21-12-2025 -
Fourth Sunday of Advent - O Oriens
Our attention this final Week of Advent is directed fully to the coming of Christ in the Christmas mystery.
The Preface calls us to wonder at this great happening, to prepare for Christmas in prayer and praise.
he psalm tells us to purify our hearts, prayer and reconciliation are the tools for these days.
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah 7:10-14
The maiden is with child.
The Lord spoke to Ahaz and said,
'Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above'.
'No,' Ahaz answered 'I will not put the Lord to the test.'
Then Isaiah said:
Listen now, House of David: are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men
without trying the patience of my God, too?
The Lord himself, therefore, will give you a sign.
It is this: the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call 'Emmanuel, ' a name which means “God is with us.”
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1-6 R/v. 7. 10
Response Let the Lord enter! He is the king of glory.
1. The Lord's is the earth and its fullness, the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas; on the waters he made it firm. Response
2. Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart, who desires not worthless things. Response
3. He shall receive blessings from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob. Response
SECOND READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 1:1-7
Jesus Christ, descendant of David, Son of God.
From Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus who has been called to be an apostle, and specially chosen to preach the Good News that God promised long ago through his prophets in the scriptures.
This news is about the Son of God who, according to the human nature he took was a descendant
of David:it is about Jesus Christ our Lord who, in the order of the spirit, the spirit of holiness that was in him, was proclaimed Son of God in all his power through his resurrection from the dead.
Through him we received grace and our apostolic mission to preach the obedience of faith to all pagan nations in honour of his name. You are one of these nations, and by his call belong to Jesus Christ.
To you all, then, who are God's beloved in Rome, called to be saints, may God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send grace and peace.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation Mt 1:23
Alleluia, alleluia!
'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him
Emmanuel, a name which means 'God-is-with-us'.
Alleluia
The Lord be with you And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 1:18-24 Glory to you, O Lord
Jesus is born of Mary who was betrothed to Joseph, son of David.
This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.'
Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him 'Emmanuel,' a name which means 'God-is-with-us'.
When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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For homily resources for this Sunday's Gospel click here: https://www.catholicireland.net/sunday-homily/
Taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published and copyright 1966, by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House Inc, and used by permission of the publishers.
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 21st December, 2025
-21-12- 2025-
AN CEATHRÚ DOMNACH DEN AIDBHINT, Blian A
CÉAD LÉACHT
Sliocht as an Leabhar Íseáia 7:10-14
Ta an óghbhean ag iompar.
Labhair an Tiarna le hÁchaz arís agus dúirt: “Iarr comhartha duit féin ar an Tiarna do Dhia, as duibheagáin Sheól aníos nó thuas in arda na spéartha.”
D’fhreagair Áchaz: “Ní iarrfaidh, níl mé chun dúshlán an Tiarna a thabhairt.”
Ansin dúirt sé:
“Éistigí mar sin, a theaghlach Dháiví, an é nach beag daoibh sárú ar dhaoinego gcaithfidh sibh mo Dhia a shárú ina theannta sin?
Is é an Tiarna féin mar sin a thabharfaidh comhartha daoibh.
Seo, tá an ógbhean ag iompar agus ar tí mac a shaolú,
agus tabharfaidh sí Ímeánuéil mar ainm air. is é sin, “Tá Dia-linn.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le Freagra Sm 23:1-6 R/v. 7. 10
Freagra Tagadh an Tiarna isteach! Is e Rí na glóire é.
I. Leis an Tiarna an chruinne agus a bhfuil inti: an domhan go léir agus a maireann ann.
Is é féin a bhunaigh ar an aigéan é, agus a dhaingnigh ar an bhfarraige íochtarach é. Freagra
2. Cé a rachaidh suas ar chnoc an Tiarna? Cé a bheidh ina sheasamh ar a láthair naofa?
An té a bhfuil lámha gan smál agus croí glan aige, an té ar beag air nithe gan tairbhe. Freagra
3. Beidh beannacht an Tiarna ar an té sin agus luach saothair ó Dhia a shlánaitheoir.
A leithéid siúd a bhíonn á lorg, a bhíonn ar thóir Dhia Iácób. Freagra
DARA LÉACHT
Sliocht as Litir Naomh Pól chuig na Rómhánaigh 1:1-7
Íosa Críost, de shliocht Dháivi, Mac Dé.
Mise Pól, searbhónta Íosa Críost, a bhfuil glaoite air chun bheith ina aspal atá dealaithe amach chun dea-scéal Dé. An dea-scéal seo, a gheall Dia roimh ré trína chuid fáithe sna scríbhinní naofa,
is faoina Mhac féin é, ár dTiarna Íosa Críost. Rugadh eisean sa mhéid gur duine é de shliocht Dháiví: ach sa mhéid gur spiorad na naofachta é tá sé oirnithe i gcumhacht mar Mhac do Dhia ó aiséirí dó ó mhairbh. Is trídsean a fuair mise grásta an aspail chun géillsine an chreidimh a leathadh ar son a ainm i measc na náisiún uile. Orthusan chomh maith tá sibhse a bhfuil glaoite oraibh chun bheith ina sheilbh ag Íosa Críost. Chugaibhse go léir sa Róimh, más ea, a bhfuil grá ag Dia daoibh agus a bhfuil glaoite oraibh chun bheith in bhur bpobal naofa aige, guím grásta agus síocháin ó Dhia ár nAthair agus ón TiarnaÍosa Críost.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia.
Alleluia! Mth 1:23
Alleluia, alleluia!
Beidh an mhaighdean torrach agus béarfaidh si mac agus bhéarfar
Emmanúél mar ainm air -ainm a chiallaionn 'Tá-Dia-linn'.
Alleluia!
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Mhatha 1:18-24 Glóir duit a Thiarna.
Seasfaidh flaitheas Dháivi go daingean i la’thair an Tiarna.
Seo mar a tharla Íosa Críost a shaolú.
Bhí Muire, a mháthair, luaite le Iósaef, agus sula ndearnadar aontíos, fuarthas torrach í ón Spiorad Naomh. Dhuine cóir a fear céile Iósaef, ach níorbh áil leis go dtabharfaí míchlú di, agus chinn sé í a scaoileadh uaidh os íseal. Ag machnamh ar an méid sin dó, áfach, thaispeáin aingeal ón Tiarna é féin do I mbrionglóid agus dúirt:
“A Iósaef, a mhic Dháiví, ná bíodh eagla ort do bhean chéile Muire a thabhairt abhaile leat, óir, an leanbh atá gafa aici, is ón Spiorad Naomh é. Béarfaidh sí mac, agus tabharfaidh tú Íosa mar ainm air, óir slánóidh sé a phobal óna bpeacaí.”
Thit an méid sin go léir amach chun go gcomhlíonfaí a ndúirt an Tiarna tríd an bhfáidh:
“Beidh an mhaighdean torrach agus béarfaidh sí mac
agus tabharfar 'Imeánuéil' mar ainm air”– ainm a chiallaíonn:'Tá Dia linn.'
Dhúisigh Iósaef agus d’éirigh, agus rinne mar d’ordaigh aingeal an Tiarna dó: a bhean a thabhairt abhaile leis. Ach ní raibh cuid aige di nó gur rug sí mac, agus thug sé Íosa mar ainm air.
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
