First Reading

First Letter of Saint John (1 Jn 2: 29 — 3: 6)

Anyone who abides in him does not sin.

If you consider that God is righteous,
you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness
is begotten by him.
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.
Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness,
for sin is lawlessness.
You know that he was revealed to take away sins,
and in him there is no sin.
No one who remains in him sins;
no one who sins has seen him or known him.

— 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.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.

Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.

Gospel

Alleluia. Alleluia.

The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. To those who accepted him he gave power to become the children of God.

Alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John (Jn 1: 29-34)

Behold, the Lamb of God.

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,

‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’

I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”

John testified further, saying,

“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,

‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

— The Gospel of the Lord.

First Reading

First Letter of Saint John (1 Jn 2: 22-28)

What you heard from the beginning abides in you.

Beloved:
Who is the liar?
Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.
Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.
Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father,
but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you.
If what you heard from the beginning remains in you,
then you will remain in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.
I write you these things about those who would deceive you.
As for you,
the anointing that you received from him remains in you,
so that you do not need anyone to teach you.
But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false;
just as it taught you, remain in him.

And now, children, remain in him,
so that when he appears we may have confidence
and not be put to shame by him at his coming.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 98: 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

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.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.

Gospel

Alleluia. Alleluia.

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

Alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John (Jn 1: 19-28)

He who comes after me.

This is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him
to ask him,

“Who are you?”

He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted,

“I am not the Christ.”

So they asked him,

“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”

And he said,

“I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered,

“No.”

So they said to him,

“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”

He said:

“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’
as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,

“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”

John answered them,

“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”

This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.

— The Gospel of the Lord.

First Reading

Book of Numbers (Nm 6: 22-27)

They shall put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.

The LORD said to Moses:

“Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:
This is how you shall bless the Israelites.
Say to them:

The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and
give you peace!

So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites,
and I will bless them.”

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 67: 2-3, 5, 6, 8

May God bless us in his mercy.

May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.

May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.

May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

Second Reading

Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians (Gal 4: 4-7)

They shall put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.

Brothers and sisters:
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,
born of a woman, born under the law,
to ransom those under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as sons.
As proof that you are sons,
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,
crying out,

“Abba, Father!”

So you are no longer a slave but a son,
and if a son then also an heir, through God.

— The word of the Lord.

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 Luke (Lk 2: 16-21)

They fund Mary and Joseph, and the baby... And at the end of eight days, he was called Jesus.

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.

— The Gospel of the Lord.