2025-01-02 6:15 pm Celebration of the Holy Mass for Thursday in the Christmas Season

Good evening and welcome to the celebration of the Holy Mass for Thursday in the Christmas season. We finished the Octave of Christmas yesterday but the Christmas season, itself, ends with the Baptism of Jesus on January 12th. Today we celebrate the Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen. In our reading from 1st John, we are reminded that we are to abide in the Lord. In other words, we are to take the time to pray, meditate and read/pray with Scripture in order that we can know the heart of God. Our God has given us a great gift in the person of Jesus Christ. Are we greatful for that gift? In our Gospel reading, John the Baptist lets everyone know that he is not the Messiah. In fact, he must decrease and Jesus must increase. His mission was to prepare the way of the Lord. This is a lesson for all of us. We are to make straight the way of the Lord and spend time getting to know who Jesus is for us. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 98: "All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of our God."