ffircrwWMwr
Monclay December 25 Christmas Is 52:7-10 Heb 1:t-6 or 1:1-5, 9-14 1:1-18 In
An antiphon in the christian breviary states, "The angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary, who was engaged to be married to |oseph" (December 20). Was she married or not when Iesus was conceived?
Tuesday December 26 St. StePhen,
'[he First MartYr Acts 6:8-10;7:54-59
Mt lO:17-22 Wednesday December 27 St. lohtt, Apostle andEvangelist
1Jn 1:1-4 Jn 20:1a,
2-8
Thursday December 28 Tlte
lloly
al
)
Inrlocents,
Martyrs
I In 7:5*2:2 Mt 2:13-18
1_)
c
I
FridaY December 29
FifthDaY intlrc Octave of Christrnas 1 fn 2:3-11
1,,k2:22-35
Saturday
uch of the confusion is due to what constituted marriage at the time of )esus. pregnant through Mary was betrothed to Joseph when she was found to be year, the the power of the Holy Spirit. During the usual betrothal period of a couple woman remained with her family. However, the bond between the known was already as permanent as marriage. That's why Mary was legally as ]oseph's wife, even though they didn't yet live together or have all the rights belonging to a husband and wife. In fact, the arrangement during betrothal was so binding that it could only be terminated in divorce. Moreover, in that patriarchal society, a betrothed woman who had sextlal relations with anyone other than her husband was accused of adultery' Had ]oseph ended this betrothal in disgrace, Mary would have been deprived of marriage father's for the rest of her life ancl dependent on her extended family upon her quietly death. ButJoseph was an upright man who intended to divorce her without publicly stating the reason, in order to spare Mary and her family's reputation. That's when an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him to by the have no fear about taking Mary as his wife, for the child was conceived
Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20).
December 30 Sixth Day tn the Octave of Chrlstmas
Fr. Byron
December
{A
Tlte Holy FarnilY fesus,
of
Mary and losePh
3:2-6, 12-14 ot Gn 15:1-6; 2l:l-3 Col5:12-21 or 3:12-17 or Heb 11:8, l1-12, 17 -19 Lk 2:22- 40 or 2;22, 39 - 40 Sir
dW)04d,Frcm,?opnfrnrd{8'
lives were
poseph and Mary in Bethleheml""were alone' fn a strange land' iurt th* three of ihern. Then, all of a sudden, peopie began 'to appear: shepherds , peoplejust like them who had to Jeave theilr'homes ta find beiter'opportunities for their families' Their aiso affecte d by harsh weather, but by ot'her kinds of hardshlp' toei'
makes us
neighbott*uroruss
u ' ' ...,,t,:J:'g..,,.'r'', :t'.". ,i*'u"',. .. -: . :
,,
31
Wh*n they heard that Jesus had been bor*, they went ta.see him' They became *ulgiU"i....they becan're a {amily to Mary and Joseph, the family of Jesus" fhil * what happens when Jesus co,?les into our lives...Faith brings us closer. It in Bafrado Norte, a srum in paraguay, Jury 1z, z01s
m t-l Lizuori
[:l
(-)ruurc.rnors
A
Radernptotist
CSsR,
Sundaybulletin@ Liguori. org
7ln2:12-17 Lk2:36-40 SundaY
Miller,
Minbtry ChrisrianDoctrnre.lnc.,\,Vasirngton,DC.A11RiglrtsR\rser\ed.'ioor.lerL.igLloriSurda!BttlLetirIs,calls00-315-q52l
or!lsitfigtlariorg'