10th None

Psalm 116

PART ONE

I love you O Lord because you heard my voice;
when I made my supplication.
because you turned your ear to me;
when I called upon your name.
The cords of death entangled me,
and the grip of Sheol laid hold on me;
distress and anguish descended upon me.
Then I called upon the name of the Lord;
'Deliver me O Lord I beseech you.'
Gracious is the Lord and righteous:
truly our God is a God of compassion.
The Lord preserves the simple-hearted:
when I was brought low the Lord saved me.
Be at rest once more O my soul
for the Lord has treated you kindly.
The Lord has saved me from death;
and kept my eyes from tears
and my feet from stumbling.
so that I may walk in the presence of the Lord:
in the land of the living.

PART TWO

I kept my faith, even when I said,
'I am in sore distress':
in my haste I said, 'No one can be trusted.'
How can I repay you O Lord:
for all the good things you have done to me?
I will take up the cup of salvation:
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord:
in the presence of all God's people.
Grievous in the sight of the Lord:
is the death of a faithful servant.
Lord I am your servant,
the child of your maidservant:
you have freed me from my bonds.
I will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving:
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord:
in the presence of all God's people.
in the courts of the Lord's house:
in your midst O Jerusalem.
O praise the Lord.

Gospel Reflection

Jesus, you are the good shepherd,
The Father loves you because you are willing to give your life;
no one takes your life from you;
you give it up of your own free will;
you are the good shepherd.

Jesus is the good shepherd who understands our frailty,
and knows each one of us by name.

Gospel Reading - The wisdom of the east

¹Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in Judea, during the reign of King Herod.

At about that time some astrologers from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, ²“Where is the newborn King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in far-off eastern lands and have come to worship him.”

³King Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, and all Jerusalem was filled with rumors.^a ⁴He called a meeting of the Jewish religious leaders.

“Did the prophets tell us where the Messiah would be born?” he asked.

⁵“Yes, in Bethlehem,” they said, “for this is what the prophet Micah^b wrote:

⁶‘O little town of Bethlehem, you are not just an unimportant Judean village, for a Governor shall rise from you to rule my people Israel.’”

⁷Then Herod sent a private message to the astrologers, asking them to come to see him; at this meeting he found out from them the exact time when they first saw the star. Then he told them, ⁸“Go to Bethlehem and search for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him too!”

⁹After this interview the astrologers started out again. And look! The star appeared to them again, standing over Bethlehem.^c ¹⁰Their joy knew no bounds!

¹¹Entering the house where the baby and Mary, his mother, were, they threw themselves down before him, worshiping. Then they opened their presents and gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

. . . . .Matthew 2:1-11

Literally, “and all Jerusalem with him.”
Implied, see Micah 5:2
Literally, “went before them until it came and stood over where the baby lay.”

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
     hallowed be your name,
     your kingdom come,
     your will be done,
          on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
     as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
     and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
     now and for ever.
Amen.

AFTERNOON TEA/COFFEE BREAK (None)

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