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| "The Massacre of the Innocents" -- by James Tissot |
FIRST
READING: 1 John
1: 5 -- 2:
2
5
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that
God is light and in him is no darkness at all.
6
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we
lie and do not live according to the truth;
7
but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses
us from all sin.
8
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not
in us.
9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our
sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not
in us.
1
My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin;
but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous;
2
and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also
for the sins of the whole world.
PSALM:
Psalms 124:
2 - 5, 7 - 8
2
if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up
against us,
3
then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was
kindled against us;
4
then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone
over us;
5
then over us would have gone the raging waters.
7
We have escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is
broken, and we have escaped!
8
Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
GOSPEL:
Matthew 2:
13 - 18
13
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to
Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his
mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for
Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."
14
And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed
to Egypt,
15
and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what
the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called
my son."
16
Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was
in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in
Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under,
according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men.
17
Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18
"A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because
they were no more."
