CHURCH OF ST JOSEPH, PLENTONG
避 兰 圣 若 瑟 天 主 堂
LOT 2139, Jalan Bunga Raya,
81750 Plentong, Johor, Malaysia
Tel/Fax: 07-386 3062
Email: stjoseph@ymail.com
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God - Year C 8:00 pm New Year Eve Mass in Multilingual "May the Lord bless all parishioners of St. Joseph, Plentong with the wisdom, energy and strength to pursue their life's dreams! Amen!" Moses Chen, Webmaster.
First Reading NUMBERS 6:22-27 22Yahweh spoke to
Moses and said,
23 'Speak to Aaron and
his sons and say: "This is how you must bless the Israelites. You will
say: 24 May Yahweh bless you
and keep you. 25 May Yahweh let his
face shine on you and be gracious to you. 26 May Yahweh show you
his face and bring you peace." 27 This is how they
must call down my name on the Israelites, and then I shall bless them.'
“The
Word of the Lord”
PSALMS 66:2-3, 5-6, 8
2sing psalms to the
glory of his name, glorify him with your praises,
3say to God, 'How
awesome you are! 'Your achievements are the measure of your power, your enemies
woo your favour, 5Come and see the
marvels of God, his awesome deeds for the children of Adam: 6 he changed the sea
into dry land, they crossed the river on foot. So let us rejoice in him, 8 Nations, bless our
God, let the sound of his praise be heard;
Second Reading GALATIANS 4:4-7
4 but when the
completion of the time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject
of the Law,
5to redeem the
subjects of the Law, so that we could receive adoption as sons. 6As you are sons, God
has sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son crying, 'Abba, Father'; 7 and so you are no
longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir, by God's own act.
“The
Word of the Lord”
Gospel Reading LUKE 2:16-21
16So they hurried away
and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.
17When they saw the
child they repeated what they had been told about him, 18and everyone who
heard it was astonished at what the shepherds said to them. 19As for Mary, she
treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds
went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as
they had been told. 21When the eighth day
came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the
name the angel had given him before his conception.
20Hannah conceived and,
in due course, gave birth to a son, whom she named Samuel, 'since', she said,
'I asked Yahweh for him.'
21 Elkanah, the husband,
went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to Yahweh and to
fulfil his vow. 22 However, Hannah did
not go up, having said to her husband, 'Not before the child has been weaned.
Then I shall bring him and present him before Yahweh and he will stay there for
ever.' 24 When she had weaned
him, she took him up with her, as well as a three-year-old bull, an ephah of
flour and a skin of wine, and took him into the temple of Yahweh at Shiloh; the
child was very young.
25They sacrificed the
bull and led the child to Eli. 26
She said, 'If you please, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who
stood beside you here, praying to Yahweh. 27This is the child for
which I was praying, and Yahweh has granted me what I asked of him. 28Now I make him over
to Yahweh for the whole of his life. He is made over to Yahweh.' They then
worshipped Yahweh there.
“The
Word of the Lord”
PSALMS 84:2-3, 5-6,
9-10
2My whole being yearns
and pines for Yahweh's courts, My heart and my body cry out for joy to the
living God.
3Even the sparrow has
found a home, the swallow a nest to place its young: your altars, Yahweh
Sabaoth, my King and my God.
5 Blessed those who
find their strength in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 6As they pass through
the Valley of the Balsam, they make there a water-hole, and -- a further
blessing -- early rain fills it. 9God, our shield,
look, and see the face of your anointed. 10Better one day in
your courts than a thousand at my own devices, to stand on the threshold of
God's house than to live in the tents of the wicked.
Second Reading 1 JOHN 3:1-2, 21-24 God’s children
1You must see what
great love the Father has lavished on us by letting us be called God's children
-- which is what we are! The reason why the world does not acknowledge us is
that it did not acknowledge him.
2 My dear friends, we
are already God's children, but what we shall be in the future has not yet been
revealed. We are well aware that when he appears we shall be like him, because
we shall see him as he really is.
21My dear friends, if
our own feelings do not condemn us, we can be fearless before God, 22and whatever we ask
we shall receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what is
acceptable to him. 23 His commandment is
this, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and that we
should love one another as he commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his
commandments remains in God, and God in him. And this is the proof that he
remains in us: the Spirit that he has given us.
“The
Word of the Lord”
Gospel Reading LUKE 2:41-52 I must be in my
Father’s house
41Every year his
parents used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover.
42 When he was twelve
years old, they went up for the feast as usual. 43 When the days of the
feast were over and they set off home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem
without his parents knowing it. 44 They assumed he was
somewhere in the party, and it was only after a day's journey that they went to
look for him among their relations and acquaintances.
45 When they failed to
find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere. 46 It happened that,
three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers,
listening to them, and asking them questions; 47 and all those who
heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies.
48They were overcome
when they saw him, and his mother said to him, 'My child, why have you done
this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.' 49He replied, 'Why were
you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?' 50 But they did not
understand what he meant. 51He went down with
them then and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother
stored up all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus increased
in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with people.
“The
Gospel of the Lord”
St Joseph Church News
With
effect from January 2013 infant baptism will be conducted on the first Sunday
of the month. The forms and documents are to be submitted seven (7) days before
the date of Baptism to the parish office.
For
January 2013 – Infant Baptism will be on 6th January 2013 after the 8.00am and
12.00 noon Masses.
New Year's Eve Mass
There
will be a Multilingual Mass on 31/12/2012 at 8:00 pm to celebrate the Solemnity
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and to thank God for all the Blessings
showered upon us during the year. All are encourage to join in this Eucharistic
Celebration to thank God and our Blessed Mother. First Friday Devotion
to the Sacred Heart There
will be a First Friday Mass at 8.00pm on 4th January 2013 followed by Adoration.
All are encouraged to join in this devotion to the Sacred Heart as the promises
of Jesus are:
·I
will give them all the graces necessary for their state oflife.
·I
will give peace in their families.
·I
will console them in all their troubles.
·I
will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
·I
will abundantly bless all their undertakings.
·Sinners
shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
·Tepid
souls shall become fervent.
·Fervent
souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
·I
will bless those places wherein the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed
and venerated.
·I
will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
·Persons
who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my Heart.
·In
the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love
will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for
nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my
displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their
secure refuge in that last hour.
Fr. Richard
Anthonysamy, SJ
will be directing the weekend retreat “To
Remember, To Celebrate, To Believe”on January 25th – 27th 2013 at St John
Vianney Retreat House, Majodi. For inquiries please call Francis Soh at
012-7540037 or Julie Chong at 016-6404588. Registration Forms are available at
the Parish office.
Renovatio 2013:
France/Spain/Portugal Journey with our Lady Formation
Director: Sr Margarete Sta Maria FdCC Spiritual
Director: Rev. Fr Ryan Innas Travel
Date: 21st April to 4th May
2013 Closing
Date: 30th November 2012 Limited
places! Call John @ 012-7040948 or email mjdpi@majodi.org
The Catholic Bishops'
Conference
encourages all Christ's Youth Faithful to join The Holy Father, Pope Benedict
XVI and others as Joyful Missionaries on Mission to Go and Make Disciples of
All Nations! (Matt.28:19) by being
witnesses of His Love. Missionary
Week 17 -20 July 2013
World
Youth Day 23-28 July 2013 For
more information please check details from the notice board or you can log on
www.rio2013.com
1 About Zion I will not
be silent, about Jerusalem I shall not rest until saving justice dawns for her
like a bright light and her salvation like a blazing torch.
2The nations will then
see your saving justice, and all kings your glory, and you will be called a new
name which Yahweh's mouth will reveal. 3 You will be a crown
of splendour in Yahweh's hand, a princely diadem in the hand of your God.
4No more will you be
known as 'Forsaken' or your country be known as 'Desolation'; instead, you will
be called 'My Delight is in her' and your country 'The Wedded'; for Yahweh will
take delight in you and your country will have its wedding. 5 Like a young man
marrying a virgin, your rebuilder will wed you, and as the bridegroom rejoices
in his bride, so will your God rejoice in you.
“The
Word of the Lord”
PSALMS 89:4-5, 16-17,
27 & 29
4 I have made your
dynasty firm for ever, built your throne stable age after age.'Pause
5 The heavens praise
your wonders, Yahweh, your constancy in the gathering of your faithful.
16 In your name they
rejoice all day long, by your saving justice they are raised up.
17 You are the flower
of their strength, by your favour our strength is triumphant;
27So I shall make him
my first-born, the highest of earthly kings.
29 I have established
his dynasty for ever, his throne to be as lasting as the heavens.
Second Reading
ACTS 13:16-17, 22-25
16Paul stood up, raised
his hand for silence and began to speak: 'Men of Israel, and fearers of God,
listen!
17The God of our nation
Israel chose our ancestors and made our people great when they were living in
Egypt, a land not their own; then by divine power he led them out.
22 he deposed him and
raised up David to be king, whom he attested in these words, "I have found
David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will perform my entire
will."
23To keep his promise,
God has raised up for Israel one of David's descendants, Jesus, as Saviour,
24whose coming was
heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole
people of Israel.
25 Before John ended
his course he said, "I am not the one you imagine me to be; there is
someone coming after me whose sandal I am not fit to undo."
“The
Word of the Lord”
Gospel Reading
MATTHEW 1:1-25
1 Roll of the
genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:
2 Abraham fathered
Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers,
3Judah fathered Perez
and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram,
16 and Jacob fathered
Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.
17The sum of
generations is therefore: fourteen from Abraham to David; fourteen from David
to the Babylonian deportation; and fourteen from the Babylonian deportation to
Christ.
18 This is how Jesus
Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before
they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy
Spirit.
19 Her husband Joseph,
being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her
informally.
20 He had made up his
mind to do this when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your
wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit.
21 She will give birth
to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his
people from their sins.'
22 Now all this took
place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:
23 Look! the virgin is
with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name
which means 'God-is-with-us'.
24When Joseph woke up
he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his
home;
25 he had not had
intercourse with her when she gave birth to a son; and he named him Jesus.
“The
Gospel of the Lord”
Tuesday, December 25,
2012
CHRISTMAS DAY – YEAR C
10:00 amChristmas Day Mass – Multi-lingual
First Reading
ISAIAH 52:7-10
7your country a
desolation, your towns burnt down, your soil, foreigners lay it waste before
your eyes, a desolation like devastation by foreigners.
8 The daughter of Zion
is left like a shanty in a vineyard, like a shed in a cucumber field, like a
city besieged. 9Had Yahweh Sabaoth
not left us a few survivors, we should be like Sodom, we should be the same as
Gomorrah. 10 Hear what Yahweh
says, you rulers of Sodom; listen to what our God teaches, you people of
Gomorrah.
“The
Word of the Lord”
PSALMS 98:1-6
1[Psalm] Sing a new
song to Yahweh, for he has performed wonders, his saving power is in his right
hand and his holy arm.
2 Yahweh has made known
his saving power, revealed his saving justice for the nations to see,
3mindful of his
faithful love and his constancy to the House of Israel. The whole wide world
has seen the saving power of our God. 4 Acclaim Yahweh, all
the earth, burst into shouts of joy! 5Play to Yahweh on the
harp, to the sound of instruments; 6 to the sound of
trumpet and horn, acclaim the presence of the King.
Second Reading HEBREWS 1:1-6
1 At many moments in
the past and by many means, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;
but
2in our time, the
final days, he has spoken to us in the person of his Son, whom he appointed
heir of all things and through whom he made the ages. 3 He is the reflection
of God's glory and bears the impress of God's own being, sustaining all things
by his powerful command; and now that he has purged sins away, he has taken his
seat at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high.
4So he is now as far
above the angels as the title which he has inherited is higher than their own
name. 5 To which of the
angels, then, has God ever said: You are my Son, today I have fathered you, or:
I shall be a father to him and he a son to me? 6 Again, when he brings
the First-born into the world, he says: Let all the angels of God pay him
homage.
“The
Word of the Lord”
Gospel Reading JOHN 1:1-18
1 In the beginning was
the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in
the beginning.
3 Through him all
things came into being, not one thing came into being except through him. 4What has come into
being in him was life, life that was the light of men; 5 and light shines in
darkness, and darkness could not overpower it. 6 A man came, sent by
God. His name was John. 7He came as a witness,
to bear witness to the light, so that everyone might believe through him. 8He was not the light,
he was to bear witness to the light.
9The Word was the real
light that gives light to everyone; he was coming into the world. 10He was in the world
that had come into being through him, and the world did not recognise him. 11 He came to his own
and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to those who did
accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believed in
his name 13who were born not
from human stock or human desire or human will but from God himself. 14 The Word became
flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that he has from the
Father as only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John witnesses to
him. He proclaims: 'This is the one of whom I said: He who comes after me has
passed ahead of me because he existed before me.' 16Indeed, from his
fullness we have, all of us, received -- one gift replacing another, 17for the Law was given
through Moses, grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen
God; it is the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him
known.
