Pope Francis on December 8 announced a special year dedicated to St. Joseph starting with the announcement and lasting through December 8, 2021, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The special year marks the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as the Patron of the Universal Church.
The Apostolic Penitentiary also issued a decree granting special indulgences for the duration of the special year to celebrate the anniversary and “to perpetuate the entrustment of the whole Church to the powerful patronage of the Custodian of Jesus.” Plenary indulgence offered each Wednesday in this Year of St. Joseph.
In the Bible in a Year podcast, starting January 1st, 2021, Fr. Mike Schmitz walks you through the entire Bible in 365 episodes, providing commentary, reflection, and prayer along the way.
Unlike any other Bible podcast, Ascension’s Bible in a Year Podcast follows a reading plan inspired by The Great Adventure Bible Timeline, a ground-breaking approach to understanding salvation history developed by renowned Catholic Bible teacher Jeff Cavins.
With this podcast, you won’t just read the Bible in a year … you’ll finally understand how all the pieces of the Bible fit together to tell an amazing story that continues in your life today!
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Blessed are we as we enter 2021 beginning with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. On this first day of January, we honor our Blessed Mother, who in her ‘yes’ to God brought about our redemption through her son, Jesus Christ! Let us lean on Mary, our Mother to give us strength and endurance to sustain our faith and live in hope.
We celebrate Christian Unity Week of Prayer from 18-25 January; theme: “Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit” Jn 15;5-9
“Sunday of the Word of God’ instituted on 30 September 2019 by Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter “Aperuit illis” to be held on the third Sunday of Ordinary Time every year. This year, 24 January will be a Sunday dedicated to the celebration, reflection and dissemination of the Word. A fitting example and model is St Jerome “for the great love he had for the Word of God”.
Fr Joachim Tan celebrates his 47th anniversary to the Priesthood on 26 January. As our EA, Klaba wishes to extend our gratitude of thanks for his support and contribution to this biblical ministry. Our joyful wishes and prayers for God’s continous grace and mercy in abundance upon his humble servant. Congratulations, Fr Joachim Tan!!!!!!
"Jesus Christ who came by water and blood, not with water only, but with water and blood; with the Spirit as another witness-since the Spirit is the truth"
- 1Jn 5:6
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Image by Pexels from Pixabay
The First Reading (1 Sam. 3:3–10; 19) speaks about how God called Samuel during the night and how Samuel though frightened had to reveal to Eli, the elderly priest, his fate as he had failed to do what he should have done.
The Second Reading (1 Cor. 6:13–15; 17–20) St. Paul says that a person’s body is holy because it is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel (Jn. 1:35–42) speaks about how Jesus invited the two disciples of John the Baptist to see where he lived when they asked him where he stayed.
God’s call in our lives is linked to a unique mission. The call may come in prayer or in a moment of inspiration at any time in our lives, youth, adulthood or old age. The circumstances of the call may be insignificant, but if a person is attentive to the promptings of the Spirit, he will recognize them. These circumstances could take the form of persons or events which one could easily overlook.
Jesus commissioned the Disciples after the resurrection to go and proclaim the Good News to the whole of creation and the promise of signs that will accompany their mission (Mk. 16:14–18). Their call included a mission to the whole world. St. Paul tells the Corinthians of the gifts one receives for mission (1 Cor. 12:1 – 11). Today’s reading, however, is a stark reminder that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is holiness that will finally make one aware of God’s call.
All of us know of instances in our families, in our jobs, in our ministries where we encounter God. Circumstances that we did not anticipate seem to remind us of God’s call in our lives. Perhaps in the future, we could share our “Had it not been for” moments when we did hear God’s call. These are stories of trust in our ever-faithful God who continues to call us. May we listen and be attentive to the promptings of his Spirit.
Francis Bernard
Church of the Holy Family, Kajang