Pictorial Thought for Today

Pictorial Thought for Today

Dec 5 - St Sabas of Jerusalem (439-522) monk and abbot

Summary : Sabas  monk, abbot, was born in Cappadocia, Asia Minor, and educated at a monastery near his home. He liked monastic life so much that he decided to become a hermit in the Cedron valley near Jerusalem. The 'Laura', or 'complex of hermits' huts around a church which he set up, became an influential foundation and even still houses twenty Eastern Orthodox monks.

Patrick Duffy traces his story.

Early life
St SabasSabas was born in 439 at Mutalasca near Caesarea in Cappadocia (central Turkey today). His parents were pious Christians, but being a soldier, his father had to go to Alexandria and took his wife with him. He left the boy with his wife's brother and his wife, but when they did not treat the boy well, Sabas went to a nearby monastery where the abbot looked after him well and taught him the monastic way.
Sabas decided to become a monk, and when he was eighteen, went to Jerusalem to see the holy places and visit the hermits who lived there. But the abbot Euthymius urged him to live in a community with a life of prayer and manual work. When he was thirty, he allowed him to spend five days each week alone in a cave and come back to the community at the week-end. He helped the monastery by weaving fifty baskets a week from palm fronds.

Mar Saba Monastery, sunrise. West Bank, Occupied Territories (Israel)The desert and the Laura
When Euthymius died, Sabas spent four years alone in the desert near Jericho, where the Cedron brook provided him with water and local people brought him food. Pressed to found a community, he set up a 'laura', or complex of hermits' huts around a central church, at what is now called Mar Saba. When a hundred and fifty monks joined, he reluctantly agreed to be ordained by the Patriarch of Jerusalem at the age of 53. Monks came from as far away as Armenia and Egypt. His mother, now a widow, also came to provide a guest house and two hospitals. In 493 the Patriarch made Sabas archimandrite or leader over all the Palestinian monks.

Visit to Constantinople
I
n 511, a new patriarch sent him with others on a delegation to the emperor Anastasius at Constantinople, but the guard at the door turned him away, thinking he was a beggar. He sat apart and when the emperor read a glowing account of him from the patriarch, and asked where he was, Sabas was admitted and spent the winter there opposing the Monophysite heresy.

Second visit
W
hen he was ninety, Sabas went again to Constantinople on behalf of the new patriarch of Jerusalem, Peter, to protest against a violent oppression by imperial troops of a revolt by Samaritans. The emperor Justinian received him well and offered to endow his monasteries. Sabas declined, but asked for a reduction in taxes for Palestine, a pilgrim hostel in Jerusalem and protection for monks against raiders, to which the emperor agreed.

monasteryDeath and influence
S
abas returned home and appointed his successor and lay down for four days before he died.

His great Laura at Mar Saba overlooking the Kidron valley is still functioning today with about twenty Eastern Orthodox monks. 

The original grave of St Sabas: Now where the monks are buried

____________________________________ 


******************************


Memorable Desert Sayings for Today


 To fast is to banquet with angels
.....Athanasius d 373


The man who is angry, even if he were to rise the dead,
is not acceptable to God.

...Abba Agathon


******************************

Liturgical Readings for: Friday, 5th December, 2025

Friday of the First Week of Advent


The coming Messiah will open the eyes and minds of people through their reading and living of His word.


FIRST READING

A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah       29:17-24
That day the eyes of the blind will see.

The Lord says this:
In a short time, a very short time, shall not Lebanon become fertile land and fertile land turn into forest? The deaf, that day, will hear the words of a book and, after shadow and darkness, the eyes of the blind will see.Jesus heals blindness

But the lowly will rejoice in the Lord even more and the poorest exult in the Holy One of Israel; for tyrants shall be no more, and scoffers vanish, and all be destroyed who are disposed to do evil: those who gossip to incriminate others, those who try at the gate to trip the arbitrator and get the upright man's case dismissed for groundless reasons

Therefore the Lord speaks, the God of the House of Jacob, Abraham's redeemer:
No longer shall Jacob be ashamed, no more shall his face grow pale, for he shall see what my hands have done in his midst, he shall hold my name holy. They will hallow the Holy One of Jacob, stand in awe of the God of Israel.
Erring spirits will learn wisdom and murmurers accept instruction.

The Word of the Lord              Thanks be to God.


Responsorial Psalm            Ps:26
Response                                The Lord is my light and my help.

1. The Lord is my light and my help; Whom shall I fear
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; before whom shall I shrink?        Responsetransformation

2.  There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life,
to savour the sweetness of the Lord, to behold his temple.                       Response

3.  I am sure I shall see the Lord's goodness in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart. Hope in the Lord!                       Response                     
Gospel  Acclamation           Ps 84:8
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy and give us your saving help.
Alleluia!

Or
Alleluia, alleluia
Behold our Lord will come with power and will enlighten
the eyes of his servants.

Alleluia!

GOSPEL

The Lord be with you.                                And with your spirit
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew  9:27-31          Glory to you, O Lord
Two blind men who believe in Jesus are cured.

 As Jesus went on his way two blind men followed him shouting, 'Take pity on us, Son of David'.
And when Jesus reached the house the blind men came up with him and he said to them,
'Do you believe I can do this?'
They said, 'Sir, we do'.
Then he touched their eyes saying, 'Your faith deserves it, so let this be done for you'.
And their sight returned.

Then Jesus sternly warned them, 'Take care that no one learns about this'.
But when they had gone, they talked about him all over the countryside.

The Gospel of the Lord.   Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ


********************
Gospel Reflection          Friday          First Week of Advent        Matthew 9:27–31

It is said in today’s gospel reading that two blind men followed Jesus on his way, shouting after him, ‘Take pity on us, Son of David’. If they were blind, it must have been difficult for them to follow Jesus. It is only when Jesus reached the house to which he was going that he addressed the two blind men, so they must have been following Jesus for some distance. Even though their blindness made following Jesus a real challenge, they persevered until Jesus finally addressed them and healed them of their blindness. There is a sense in which we are all trying to follow Jesus in our blindness. We don’t always see the Lord clearly.

Saint Paul says in one of his letters that now we see as in a mirror, dimly, and it is only beyond this earthly life that we will see the Lord 'face to face'. In this earthly life, we don’t see the Lord as he sees us, or know him as he knows us. There is much about the Lord’s relationship with us and ours with him that remains a mystery to us. Yet, our faith in the Lord gives us some light and we are asked to follow the Lord with the light that we have, imperfect as it is. Even though the Lord did not respond to the prayer of the blind men until he reached the house, he was aware of their presence and their prayer as he went on his way. The Lord is very aware of us as we strive to follow him in the limited light that our faith gives us. He is very aware of our prayer for greater light, and, even if he doesn’t respond to our prayer immediately, our heartfelt prayer will not go unanswered by him. He will eventually respond to our searching faith, as generously as he responded to the prayer of the two blind men.

___________________________________

The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and used with the permission of the publishers.  http://dltbooks.com/
The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from Martin Hogan's  book Reflections on the Weekday Readings : The Word is Near to You, on your lips and in your heart  published by Messenger Publications , c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/



 

 

 
Liturgical Readings for: Friday, 5th December, 2025

CÉAD LÉACHT     


Sliocht as Leabhar Fáidh Íseáia     29:17-24
An lá sin, tiocfaidh radharc i súile na ndall.

S
eo mar a deir an Tiarna:
Achar gairid fós, agus is gairid é, go mbeidh an Liobáin ag tiontú ar ais ina ghairdín,Jesus heals blindness
agus gairdín a áireofar ina choill ar a bhoirbe fáis.
An lá sin, beidh na focail le clos ag bodhair agus leabhar á léamh, agus as lár an dúcháin agus an dorchadais tiocfaidh radharc i súile na ndall.


Beidh gairdeas ar na dearóile as an Tiarna arís,
agus aoibhneas ar dhaoine bochta as Neach Naofa Iosrael,
mar ní ann don aintiarna níos mó, tá críoch le fear na fonóide,
agus tá lucht drochfhuadair á ndísciú go léir: an dream seo a chiontaíonn duine le focal,
a chuireann gaiste i mbealach an bhreithiúin sa gheata, a chuireann cúis chóir ó mhaith le fianaise bhréige.


Dá thairbhe sin, is mar seo a labhraíonn an Tiarna,
Dia theaghlach Iacóib, an té a rinne Abrahám a fhuascailt:
Ní bheidh náire ar Iacób feasta, ní bheidh sé bán san aghaidh níos mó,
óir feicfidh sé saothar mo lámh ina láthair agus déanfaidh sé m’ainmse a naomhú.
Beidh Neach Naofa Iacóib á naomhú, beidh eagla roimh Dhia Iosrael.
Tiocfaidh lucht an mhearbhall intinne chun tuisceana, agus rachaidh lucht manráin le foghlaim.”


Briathar an Tiarna         Buíochas le Dia

Salm le Freagra         Sm 26
Freagra                         Is é an Tiarna mo sholas is mo shlánú.

1. Is é an Tiarna mo sholas is mo shlánú:  cé a chuirfidh eagla orm?
Is é an Tiarna dunaras mo bheatha: cé a chuiríidh ar crith me?              Freagra   transformation

2.
Aon ní amháin a iarraim ar an Tiarna, eilím é seo:
bheith i mo chónaí i dteach an Tiarna fad a bheidh mé beo,
chun go mblaisfinn aoibhneas an Tiarna agus go bhfeicfinn a theampall.  Freagra

3. Creidim go bhfeicfidh mé maitheas an Tiarna i dtír na mbeo.
Fan leis an Tiarna; bí cróga; bíodh do chroí go tréan is fan leis an Tiarna. Freagra

Alleluia        Is 45: 8
Alleluia, alleluia!
A spéartha, fearaigí anuas fíréantacht mar bheadh drúcht ann, ligeadh na néalta anuas í ina báisteach!
Osclaíodh an talamh lena gabháil agus tagadh an slánú aníos ina gheamhar!
Alleluia!


SOISCÉAL   

Go raibh an Tiarna libh.                              Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as an Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh 
Matha  9:27-31           Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Leag sé a lámh ar a súile Agus osclaíodh a súile.

San am sin nuair a bhí Íosa ag imeacht leis as sin, lean beirt dhall é agus iad ag screadach amach:
Déan trócaire orainn, a Mhic Dháiví!”
Agus tháinig na daill chuige nuair a chuaigh sé isteach sa teach.

Dúirt sé leo: An gcreideann sibh gur féidir liom é seo a dhéanamh?”
Dúirt siad: “Creidimid, a Thiarna.”
Ansin, leag sé a lámh ar a súile agus dúirt:
Bíodh agaibh de réir bhur gcreidimh.” Agus osclaíodh a súile.

Agus labhair Íosa go corraiceach leo:
“Aire daoibh! ná bíodh a fhios sin ag duine ar bith.”
Ach ní túisce amuigh iad ná leath siad a cháil ar fud na tíre sin go léir.

Soiscéal an Tiarna.            Moladh duit, a Chriost



AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 7th December, 2025

 


 - 07-12-2025-




Second Sunday of Advent, Cycle A

John the Baptist is a prophetic voice for all ages: his message speaks to us today of conversion as part of the Christian way of living. Conversion calls for us be tolerant of each other and be united in mind and heart.


FIRST READING

A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah          11:1-10
He judges the wretched with integrity.

A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse,  a scion thrusts from his roots: on him the spirit of the Lord rests,
a spirit of wisdom and insight, a spirit of counsel and power, a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
(The fear of the Lord is his breath.)
He does not judge by appearances, last judgement
he gives no verdict on hearsay, but judges the wretched with integrity,
and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land.
His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless, his sentences bring death to the wicked.

Integrity is the loincloth round his waist, faithfulness the belt about his hips.

The wolf lives with the lamb, the panther lies down with the kid,
calf and lion cub feed together with a little boy to lead them.
The cow and the bear make friends, their young lie down together.
The lion eats straw like the ox.
The infant plays over the cobra's hole; into the viper's lair the young child puts his hand. They do no hurt, no harm, on all my holy mountain, for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters swell the sea.

That day, the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples. It will be sought out by the nations and its home will be glorious.

The Word of the Lord    Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm        Ps 71:1-2, 7-8, 12-123, R/v7
Response                         In his days justice shall flourish and peace till the moon fails.

1. O God, give your judgement to the king, to a king's son your justice,
that he may judge your people in justice and your poor in right judgement.    Response

2. In his days justice shall flourish and peace till the moon fails.
He shall rule from sea to sea, from the Great River to earth's bounds.               Response
3. For he shall save the poor when they cry and the needy who are helpless.
He will have pity on the weak and save the lives of the poor.                               Response


4. May his name be blessed for ever and endure like the sun.
Every tribe shall be blessed in him, all nations bless his name.                           Response

SECOND READING

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Romans         15:4-9
Christ is the Saviour of all people.

Everything that was written long ago in the scriptures was meant to teach us something about hope from the examples scripture gives of how people who did not give up were helped by God. And may he who helps us when we refuse to give up, help you all to be tolerant with each other, following the example of Christ Jesus, so that united in mind and voice you may give glory to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. creation

It can only be to God's glory, then, for you to treat each other in the same friendly way as Christ treated you.
The reason Christ became the servant of circumcised Jews was not only so that God could faithfully carry out the promises made to the patriarchs, it was also to get the pagans to give glory to God for his mercy, as scripture says in one place:
'For this I shall praise you among the pagans and sing to your name.'

The Word of the Lord            Thanks be to God.

Gospel  Acclamation        Lk 3:4, 6
Alleluia, alleluia!
Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight
and all mankind shall see the salvation of God.

Alleluia!

GOSPEL

The Lord be with you.                    And with your spirit
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew3:1-12        Glory to you, O Lord
Repent for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.

In due course John the Baptist appeared;
he preached in the wilderness of Judaea and this was his message:John the B
'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand'.
This was the man the prophet Isaiah spoke of when he said:
'A voice cries in the wilderness:
Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.'

This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins.

But when he saw a number of Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism he said to them,
'Brood of vipers, who warned you to fly from the retribution that is coming?
But if you are repentant, produce the appropriate fruit, and do not presume to tell yourselves, "We have Abraham for our father", because, I tell you, God can raise children for Abraham from these stones.
Even now the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that any tree which fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire.

I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who follows me is more powerful than I am,
and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing-fan is in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into the barn;
but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.'

The Gospel of the Lord                Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
                                     ********************


The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, 1966 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and used with the permission of the publishers.  http://dltbooks.com/
________________

For homily resources for this Sunday's Gospel click here:  https://www.catholicireland.net/sunday-homily/

_____________
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 7th December, 2025

  - 07-12-2025-



AN DARA DOMHNACH DEN AIDBHINT  Bliain A


CÉAD LÉACHT

Sliocht as Leabhar Íseáia, Faidh      Is 11:1-10
Tugann sé breithiúnas cothrom i leith na ndearóile.


Tá bachlóg ag eascar as bun chrann Ieise, agus gas ag teacht óna fhréamh;
tá spiorad an Tiarna ag lonnú air, spiorad na heagna agus na tuisceana, spiorad na comhairle agus na cumhachta, spiorad an eolais agus eagla an Tiarna. (In eagla an Tiarna is ea tá a dhúil.)

Ní thugann sé breith de réir na cosúlachta, ná ní chuireann tuairim de ar scéal scéil.
Ach déanann sé cóir agus ceart do na dealbha
agus tugann breithiúnas cothrom i leith dearóile na tíre.last judgement
Bata is ea a bhriathar a bhuaileann an t-anduine,
agus gaoth an fhocail uaidh, maraíonn sé an t-urchóideach.


Is í an chóir bréid cheangail a choime,
agus tá an dea-rún ina chrios ar a chorróga.

Tá an mac tíre ina chónaí leis an uan,
an pantar sínte le taobh an mheannáin ghabhair;
tá an gamhain agus an coileán leoin ar marthain in éineacht
agus gasúr óg á mbuachailleacht.
Tá an bhó agus an béar ag snaidhmeadh caradais, agus a gceanna beaga in aon ál le chéile; tá an leon ag ithe cocháin ar nós na mart.
Tá an leanbh cíche ag súgradh faoi phrochóg an chobra, ar phluais na nathrach leagann an naíonán a lámh.
Díth ná dochar ní dhéantar níos mó ar fud mo shléibhe bheannaithe go léir,
óir tá an talamh lán le heolas ar an Tiarna mar a líonann an fharraige leis an lán mara.

Sa lá sin, beidh beangán ó fhréamh Ieise ina sheasamh mar chomhartha do na ciníocha.
Beidh na náisiúin ag dul ina mhuinín agus beidh a áit chónaithe faoi mhaise agus faoi ghlóir.

Briathar Dé.                    Buíochas le Dia

Salm le Freagra         Sm 71:1-2, 7-8, 12-123, R/v7
Freagra                         Bláthóidh síocháin agus fhíréantacht lena linn nó go meathfaidh an ghealach.

1. Tabhair do bhreithiúnas, a Dhia, don rí agus d'fhíréantacht do mhac an rí.
Go dtuga sé ceartbhreithiúnas ar a agus cothrom do na bochta.                      Freagra


2. Bláthóidh síocháin agus fhíréantacht lena nó go meathfaidh an ghealach.
Beidh a réimeas ó mhuir go muir, ón Abhainn Mór go críoch na cruinne.    Freagra


3. Óir saorfaidh sé na bochta nuair a ghlaofaidh siad air agus na hainniseoirí gan chúnamh.
Glacfaidh sé trua don duine lag agus sábhálfaidh sé an duine dealbh.          Freagra


4. Go moltar a ainm go brách an fad a bheidh an ghrian ann.
Is tríd a bheannófar gach treibh; beidh gach cine á mholadh.                         Freagra


DARA LÉACHT 

Sliocht as Litir Naomh Pól chuig na Rómhánaigh        15:4-9
SlánaIonn Críost gach aon duine.

creationAbhráithre, gach ar scríobhadh fadó is dár dteagascna a scríobhadh é chun go mbeadh an fhoighne agus an sólás atá le fáil sa scrioptúr ina n-ábhar dóchais againn. Go dtuga Dia na foighne agus an tsóláis daoibhse a bheith báúil le chéile de réir mheon Chríost Íosa  ar shlí go mbeidh sibh d’aontoil agus d’aonghuth ag moladh Dé agus Athair ár dTiarna Íosa Críost.

Bíodh glacadh agaibh le chéile, mar sin, mar a ghlac Críost libh féin chun glóire Dé. Is é atáim a rá gur ar son fírinne Dé a tháinig Críost ag freastal ar lucht an timpeallghearrtha chun na gealltanais a tugadh do na patrarcaí a dhaingniú agus san am céanna chun go dtabharfadh na gintlithe glóir do Dhia ar son a thrócaire, mar atá scríofa:
Molfaidh mé thú dá bhrí sin i measc na náisiún, agus canfaidh mé do d’ainm le duan.”

Briathar an Tiarna                    Buíochas le Dia

Alleluia  Vearsa               Lc 3:4, 6
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Ullmhaigí bóthar an Tiarna, déanaigi díreach a chosáin.
Agus feicfidh an uile cholainn shánú Dé.

Alleluia!


SOISCÉAL     

Go raibh an Tiarna libh.         Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Mhatha3:1-12          Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Déanaigí aithrí mar tá ríocht na bhflaitheas in achmaireacht.


John the BSna laethanta sin, tháinig Eoin Baiste i láthair agus é ag seanmóir i bhfásach Iúdáia:
Déanaigí aithrí,” deireadh sé, “mar tá ríocht na bhflaitheas in achmaireacht.”
Ag tagairt dó seo a bhí an chaint a dúirt Íseáia fáidh:
Glór duine ag éamh san fhásach:
‘Réitígí bóthar an Tiarna, déanaigí díreach a chasáin.’”

Agus Eoin féin, bhí éadach de rón camaill air, agus crios leathair faoina choim, agus is é bia a bhíodh aige, lócaistí agus mil fhiáin. Ansin, bhí na daoine ag teacht amach chuige ó Iarúsailéim agus ó Iúdáia go léir agus ó cheantar uile na hIordáine, agus iad ag fáil bhaiste uaidh in abhainn na hIordáine ag admháil a bpeacaí.

Nuair a chonaic sé mórán de na Fairisínigh agus de na Sadúcaigh ag teacht chun baisteadh chuige, dúirt sé leo:
A sceith na bpéisteanna, cé thug leid daoibhse teitheadh ón díbheirg atá le teacht? Tugaigí, más ea, toradh uaibh is dual don aithrí, agus nárab áil libh a rá libh féin: ‘Tá Abrahám mar athair againn,’ óir deirim libh gur féidir le Dia clann a thógáil d’Abrahám as na clocha seo. Anois féin, tá an tua le fréamh na gcrann, agus gach crann nach dtugann toradh fónta uaidh, gearrfar anuas agus caithfear sa tine é.

Táimse do bhur mbaisteadh le huisce, i gcomhair na haithrí;
ach an té atá ag teacht i mo dhiaidh is treise é ná mise,
agus ní fiú mé a bhróga a bhaint de: baistfidh seisean sibh leis an Spiorad Naomh agus le tine.
Tá a cháiteog ina láimh aige agus déanfaidh sé a láithreán buailte a léirghlanadh;
cruinneoidh sé a chuid arbhair isteach sa scioból, ach dófaidh sé an lóchán le tine dhomhúchta.”

Soiscéal an Tiarna.       Moladh duit, a Chriost



AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart