First Reading

First Letter of Saint John (1 Jn 3: 7-10)

He cannot sin because he is born of God.

Children, let no one deceive you.
The person who acts in righteousness is righteous,
just as he is righteous.
Whoever sins belongs to the Devil,
because the Devil has sinned from the beginning.
Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil.
No one who is begotten by God commits sin,
because God’s seed remains in him;
he cannot sin because he is begotten by God.
In this way,
the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain;
no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God,
nor anyone who does not love his brother.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 98: 1, 3cd-4, 5-6

All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.

Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy before the LORD.

The LORD comes;
he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.

Gospel

Alleluia. Alleluia.

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets: in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.

Alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John (Jn 1: 35-42)

We have found the Messiah.

John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,

“Behold, the Lamb of God.”

The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,

“What are you looking for?”

They said to him,

“Rabbi”
(which translated means Teacher),
“where are you staying?”

He said to them,

“Come, and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,

“We have found the Messiah,”
which is translated Christ.

Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,

“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas,”
which is translated Peter.

— The Gospel of the Lord.

Message from the Bishops at the end of the Pilgrimage

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, You who have come in such large numbers to take part in this national pilgrimage, as well as all of you who are following it from home through the media. We, the bishops of Madagascar, would like to express our deep gratitude to you for having responded to our invitation and for having brought this jubilee initiated by Pope Francis to life spiritually. With you, we take up Mary's song: ‘My soul exalts the Lord’ and we repeat with her: ‘What shall I repay the Lord for all the good he has done me?’....

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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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