#at first I drew this as her levitating a fruit and then i was like. what if. bee droid
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Reva and her droid ✨✨✨
#reva sevander#obi wan kenobi spoilers#star wars#my art#at first I drew this as her levitating a fruit and then i was like. what if. bee droid#:D#also yes the two buns is because...... leia parallels...... let me live
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When Things Seem to Go From Bad to Worse
Shabbat Shalom;
SHEMOT (Names)
Exodus 1:1–6:1; Isaiah 27:6–28:13, 29:22–23 (Ashk); Jeremiah 1:1–2:3 (Seph); Romans 12:1–21
“These are the names [ve’eleh shemot] of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family.” (Exodus 1:1)
In last week’s Torah portion (Parasha), the first of the five books of Moses, Genesis (Bereisheet—In the Beginning), ended with the deaths of Jacob and Joseph.
This week, we begin the second book of the Torah, Exodus, called Shemot in Hebrew, which means names.
This Parasha describes the suffering of the Israelites under bondage to the Egyptians, the birth of Moses and his miraculous salvation from out of the Nile River. It also describes his calling to deliver Israel and his encounter with Pharaoh.
Like Moses, Like Yeshua
“The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt.” (Exodus 1:5)
Although only 70 descendants of Jacob (whom God renamed Israel) came into the Land of Egypt at Joseph’s invitation, they soon multiplied into such a great and mighty people that the new pharaoh, who did not know Joseph, felt threatened by them. He feared that the Israelites might join Egypt’s enemies in battles against them.
“The Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.” (Exodus 1:7)
To counter the growing strength of the Israelites, the Egyptians forced them into bitter labor, building store cities for Pharaoh and working the fields.
When they continued to multiply, Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all newborn males. But at least two midwives, Shifrah and Puah, did not comply. God, therefore, supernaturally protected their lives, blessing them with families and multiplying the Israelites even more (Exodus 1:16–21).
So Pharaoh turned to the Egyptians, commanding them to throw all male newborn Hebrews into the Nile River(Exodus 1:22).
The Levite parents of Moses had such great faith that in order to save their son, they defied Pharaoh's order and hid him for the first few months of his life.
But babies grow and, eventually, he could no longer be hidden, so they put him in a basket and set him afloat on the Nile among the reeds.
Even in this desperate circumstance, the protective hand of God was on this boy of destiny. Pharaoh’s daughter spotted the basket. When she saw the Hebrew baby inside, she had pity on him and took him as her own.
Instead of drowning in the Nile or dying at the hands of the Egyptians as the other newborn boys did, Moses was raised in Pharaoh’s palace as a prince of Egypt.
This dramatic account of the infant Moses parallels the life of the infant Yeshua (Jesus), who was sentenced to death by the order of King Herod, among all the other Jewish male infants in Bethlehem.
“When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.” (Matthew 2:16)
Just as Moses was saved by his mother, so was Yeshua saved by the obedience and faith of His earthly father, Joseph, who was warned in a dream to flee to Egypt.
“Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.’ So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.” (Matthew 2:13–14)
What irony that the very place of danger and death for the Hebrew babies in the days of Moses became a place of refuge for Yeshua when He was but a baby!
Egyptian Prince Moses Becomes a Shepherd
Because Pharaoh’s daughter drew the baby from the Nile, she called him Moshe (מֹשֶׁה) from the word moshech, meaning pull or draw.
Moses grew up in the royal Egyptian palace, but it seems that the burdens of his fellow Israelites troubled him.
One day, he saw an Egyptian slave master beating a Hebrew. Even as a young man, Moses felt the calling to deliver his people, but he stepped ahead of God’s timing.
In the process of defending this Israelite slave, Moses killed the Egyptian and fled to Midian to escape Pharaoh’s death decree over him. (Exodus 2:15)
Again in Midian, Moses expressed his calling as a deliverer by saving the daughters of the Priest of Midian who had come to the well where he sat. They wanted to draw water for their flock, but shepherds tried to drive them away. Moses intervened and watered their flocks for them.
The Priest of Midian welcomed Moses to live with him and even gave Moses his daughter, Zipporah, as a wife.
Moses spent the next 40 years shepherding sheep in the land of Midian, a period of time that God used to prepare him to shepherd His people Israel out of Egypt.
Only when the children of Israel cried out to God, did the time come for God to make His move: “And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.” (Exodus 2:24)
The Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses from out of the flame of a bush that burned but was not consumed.
From the midst of this burning bush at the foot of Mount Sinai, God told Moses He had heard the cries of His People and was sending Moses back to Pharaoh in His name and His power on His behalf.
By this point, this prince of Egypt had been so humbled by his lengthy wilderness experience that he seemed to lack confidence when it came to his role as a leader of a nation.
First, Moses asked for the name of the One sending him.
God answered with His name, Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh—אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה. Widely translated as I Am That I Am, the Hebrew grammatical form is actually in the future tense.
Therefore, God’s name is more accurately translated as I Will Be What I Will Be.
The message to Moses is perhaps that God can look after the details of the future. He will be to us whoever and whatever He chooses to be—father, friend, comforter, counselor, or even disciplinarian. We can trust in God’s infinite wisdom to be who we need in our lives at each moment in time.
Even with this assurance, Moses still feels unqualified for the task, especially since he is slow in speech. He begs God to send someone else; therefore, He allowed Aaron, Moses’ brother, to accompany him and act as Moses' spokesperson.
Yet, it is Moses to whom God first revealed His personal name in Scripture.
Moses grabbed hold of the trust placed in him and delivered a command to Pharaoh with the full authority of I AM: “Thus says the Lord, ‘Israel is My firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve Me.”’” (Exodus 4:22–23)
Like Israel, Like Us
There is much we can take from this story of Moses’ progression in becoming a leader.
He was not ready for leadership overnight. Likewise, we may understand that we have a calling on our lives, and this might become evident time and time again. Still, we must wait for that time when the Lord chooses to release us into the fullness of our destiny.
As well, we might also feel incapable of accomplishing anything for the Lord, having lost much of our self-confidence through the trials and tribulations of life.
Whatever our experience, it still remains true that submitting to God’s presence and following His direction is all we need to fulfill the destiny He has assigned to us.
We can also learn from the suffering of the Israelites. Despite the tyranny forced on them by the Egyptians, the People of Israel still grew mighty in number.
Oppressive circumstances cannot prevent God from carrying out His purposes and fulfilling His promises.
We might suffer under some sort of bondage or pain for what seems like a very long time, but we can rest assured that God hears our cries.
He remembers the covenant we have with Him through our Messiah Yeshua, which provides a way out of our spiritual bondage and into our inheritance—if only we accept it.
Though God is true to His promises, we still need to keep crying out to Him for deliverance and waiting in faith and hopeful expectation to move on our behalf in our spiritual and our earthly afflictions.
God is not deaf, nor aloof to our suffering. His arm is not too short to save: “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17)
Let My People Go
Though Moses entered Egypt and delivered God’s message to Pharaoh, nothing changed immediately.
Pharaoh refused to let the Hebrews go.
Moses might have felt like he failed God, but God has a greater plan for even our failures, and they end in glorifying His name.
Through plagues and judgments (called makot in Hebrew, which can also mean beatings), God proved His position as the One True God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that the gods of the Egyptians had no power over Him.
Through these judgments, we also see that whatever a nation or even an individual does to Israel, for good or for evil, God will return it unto them:
“For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; as you have done, it shall be done to you; your reprisal shall return upon your own head.” (Obadiah 1:15; see also Genesis 12:3)
Parasha Shemot does not end with a mighty deliverance but, rather, with the situation becoming worse—if that were even possible. Pharaoh made the Israelites’ labor more difficult by demanding that they find their own straw while also maintaining the same quota of production (Exodus 5:18).
In their bitterness, the Hebrew people turned on Moses and Aaron. Moses responded by turning to the Lord. With raw honesty, Moses asked why He had not delivered His people as He promised.
“Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.” (Exodus 5:22–23)
We might also feel this way when it seems we are doing what God has asked us to do, and things get worse, not better.
How did God respond to Moses?
“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.’” (Exodus 6:1)
Sometimes, when God is preparing to do something great and mighty in our lives, the situation can worsen for a time. As we move toward our destiny, pharaoh represents those who oppress us—even Satan, the spiritual enemy of our souls, who resists our freedom with all his might.
In such circumstances, we should not give up our faith, for in due time we will see God’s mighty hand and outstretched arm deliver us in His perfect way and time.
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
Shabbat Shalom from the Entire Bibles For Israel Family!
"Hear the word of the LORD, you nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: 'He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over His flock like a shepherd.'" (Jeremiah 31:10)
Messianic Bible
Bibles For Israel
P.O. Box 8900
Pueblo, CO 81008
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Cardigan (Wolfstar)
I sat down to write a teeny drabble with two lines from the song Cardigan by Taylor Swift. It quickly spiralled into this. (I really love it though).
Set in the cannon universe, cw for mentions of death, injuries and scars. (Nothing graphic though).
I knew you, dancing in your Levi’s drunk under a streetlight.
“Shh! Pads. you’re gonna get us caught!” Remus half-whispered, his own voice a tad too loud for his own liking but his slightly tipsy state didn’t allow for a lower volume. Sirius spun into him smushing his fingers right up against Remus’ lips, both of them chest to chest under James’ cloak. It was hard to believe the four of them mused to fit under this - now it only just about covered Remus and Sirius even with Remus ducking down to Sirius’ height.
“Come on Moony, you’re ‘Perfect Mister Prefect’,” He said, punctuating each word of the grand title with his index finger poking into Remus; chest. “Even if we do get caught, you can charm our way out of it.”
Remus rolled his eyes, but followed. The passage was dim and the ground was uneven and to be perfectly honest, they hadn’t yet discovered if this particular passage way had been caved in since they last explored it the previous year, but Sirius seemed sure of himself and that was enough for Remus. If Sirius was the one leading, he’d always follow.
“Alright, but I’m late on a transfiguration essay, so if Minnie catches us, you’re on your own. I need to save my charm for that.” He said, his tone stern, but all his reserve melted when Sirius smiled up at him and pressed a victorious kiss to his cheek.
“I take back your title.” Sirius said dramatically, looking at Remus with a smug righteousness. “Apparently ‘Perfect Mister Prefect’ isn’t so perfect after all.”
He pressed his mouth right up next to Remus’ ear just as they stepped out the little secret entrance, ducking under the ivy trellis that hid their little passageway. “It’s a good thing I like bad boys.” Sirius breathed, and Remus couldn’t wait any more, not caring whether the cloak revealed their ankles or not when he pulled Sirius in for a blazing kiss.
“I love you, you know that, right?”
Sirius smirked and kissed him again. “That seems to be the general consensus.”
Remus laughed and took off walking again, tugging the cloak off as soon as they were far enough away from the school, catching hands and spinning under the soft glow of the lamplights illuminating the path to Hogsmeade. Sirius tilted his head back, still spinning, their hands acting as the axis that centred the entire universe.
“I love you too.”
I knew you, hands under my sweatshirt, baby kiss it better.
“Sirius, if you don’t start being more careful, I’m gonna-”
“What?” Sirius teased, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively, looking far too haughty for a man sitting on a countertop, his legs dangling in the air. “What’re you gonna do Re? You gonna punish me?”
Remus pursed his lips to try hide his smile, but gave in, kissing Sirius once briefly.
“No,” He said, pulling up Sirius’ jumper to get a proper look at the gash he had acquired after climbing a tree. Then subsequently falling out of said tree. “But I will send you to Madam Pomfrey and have you try to explain to her that you thought you’d be able to pull off a levitation charm if there was a ‘more extreme sense of urgency’.” He finished, mocking Sirius’ words from earlier.
Sirius just scrunched up his face playfully in retaliation, before breathing in shakily as Remus coated the cut with a liberal amount of salve, watching in fascination as the skin knitted back together.
“There.” He said, straightening up to stand between Sirius’ legs, pulling down his jumper again. “Good as new.”
“Nah ah.” Sirius countered, shaking his head as his legs locked behind Remus’ back, binding them together. “Gotta kiss it better.”
Remus wet his lips, shaking his head in fond disbelief, but leaned in willingly, feeling the hot slide of Sirius’ mouth against his own cooler one.
“All better?” Remus asked, panting slightly as they rested their foreheads together.
Sirius shrugged, hooking his arm more firmly around Remus’ neck. “Close, but not quite better yet.”
Remus huffed a laugh through his nose, but gladly locked their lips together again, the pair fully intertwined as if they had been made for each other.
(And maybe they had. For what else was the moon to do but love the stars?)
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan, under someone’s bed, you put me on and said I was your favourite.
“Sirius?” Re said softly, pushing the door to their dorm open slowly. “Are you here?”
“Yeah,” Came a muffled reply. “I’m here.”
Remus stepped into the room, looking first to Sirius’ bed to find it empty. Remus frowned, looking around to find Sirius curled up on Remus’ own bed, his favourite cardigan folded gently around him.
“Hi sweetheart,” Remus said, voice hushed as he climbed onto the bed next to the other boy, noting the red stained eyes and puffed lips. “What do you need?”
At the words, anything that seemed to be holding Sirius together until that point shattered, the raven haired boy collapsing into Sirius’ arms.
“Re,” He gasped, between his sobs as Remus just pulled him closer. “Why is it possible to love someone who hates you? Isn’t love supposed to be good? If it’s so great, then why the fuck does it hurt so much?”
Remus’ heart clenched. Regulus.
“I don’t know sweetheart,” He murmured, holding Sirius close. “But it makes us who we are.” He cupped Sirius’ face so he could meet the raging stormy eyes. “It’s better to have loved and have lost than to never have loved at all.”
Sirius just blinked at him.
“But for the record,” Remus said, touching their heads together. “I don’t think you’ve lost him. He’s just lost right now. But he’ll find his way back to you.”
Sirius nodded, and slumped against Remus’ chest, no longer crying, just breathing deeply.
“You know Remus Lupin,” He whispered after a while. “I don’t care how long it takes, but I’m gonna marry you someday.”
To kiss in cars, and downtown bars, was all we needed.
“Oh Merlin, they’re snogging again.” Peter commented as he turned his head to spot James and Lily, leaning in for a kiss. Remus, currently with his tongue in Sirius’ mouth heard this, but let Peter discover the other couple in his own time.
“Christ, the pair of you are too. You’re all fuckin at it.” He grumbled. If Remus’ mouth wasn’t already a little preoccupied, he would have laughed. There it was.
“Right, I’m off to find humans capable of holding decent conversation.” Peter muttered and he might have left. He could have stayed and done a jig on the table for all Remus cared, but in this moment, he noticed none of it. What was the poem he had read somewhere? Stars and moths and rinds slanting around fruit. This moment.
You drew stars around my scars and now I’m bleeding.
“Hey, look at this.” Sirius said somewhat excitedly, rolling away from Remus momentarily and returning with a quill and a jar of ink.
Remus eyed him skeptically, his arm tucked under his head as they lounged on his bed, the curtains drawn to create the illusion of their own little oasis.
“I bet I could draw stars on your chest and then your scars could connect them, like in astronomy.”
Remus bit his lip, looking at Sirius’ appraised expression. “I feel like I should say no,” He said slowly, even as he unscrewed the ink. “But go for it.”
Sirius grinned triumphantly and studied Remus for a minute, brushing the quill over his lips as he concentrated. Remus couldn’t help but muse that if Sirius put half as much effort into his schoolwork as he was doing here, he would be top of the class. Finally, Sirius ditched the quill, dipping a finger into the ink directly.
“I don’t want the point of the quill to scratch you.” He explained, after noticing Remus’ raised eyebrow. Something warmed inside Remus’ chest while something cold trickled over the outside. Remus closed his eyes and let himself focus on the slightly ticklish, but mostly soothing sensation of Sirius tracing patterns over his skin.
“Done.” Sirius muttered after a while and Remus opened his eyes, raising his head a little to peer down at himself. He looked like some abstract piece of art, covered in black and blue and red and green, scars shining silver between it all.
“Woah,” He breathed, “That’s pretty cool.”
Sirius grinned, then pointed to a star just over Remus; appendix. “That’s Sirius right there.”
Remus hummed, pursing his lips together, then grabbed a jar of ink, tracing a star a little messily, right over his heart.
“Nah,” He countered, “Sirius is there.”
Sirius rolled his eyes, but came up to press their lips together. In the morning, they both looked like works of art.
But I knew you, stepping on the last train, marked me like a blood stain.
“I can’t believe this is the last time we’ll be taking this train.” James said, the four of them standing in a row on the platform, not yet ready to get on.
“We’ll be back.” Remus said. “Someday, we’ll be back.”
Sirius linked their fingers together. As one, the marauders stepped onto the train.
Mischief Managed.
I knew you, tried to change the ending, Peter losing Wendy.
Remus just stared at the auror.
“Mr Lupin,” The man said gently, playing his hand tenderly on Remus’ arm. Remus didn’t know what his name was. It was probable the man had said it but Remus wasn’t listening. Everything had gone dark. “I realise this must come as a shock.”
Remus wrenched his arm back, shaking his head. “A shock?” He laughed a little manically. “No, you’re wrong.”
“Mr Lupin, we have evidence that Sirius Black was the one to-”
“Well you’re wrong!” Remus yelled. Or maybe he had whispered. It was possible he hadn’t even spoken at all, but the words swirled around and around in his head. “I don’t know how, but you’re wrong. You’re wrong, this isn’t right, you have it all wrong, he would never-”
Remus gasped, pressing a hand to his cracking heart as if it would hold him together. “He would never.” He repeated, his voice breaking, tears streaming down his cheeks. When they had gotten there, he didn’t know, but their presence was suddenly noticeable with the cold rush against Remus’ skin.
“I’m so sorry.” The auror said and then he was gone. And Remus was alone.
Had it always been this way? Remus alone. Remus with friends. Remus with Sirius. Remus alone.
Maybe he had made the entire thing up.
But dreams didn’t leave you feeling like the last kiss you’d ever had was from a dementor, not your true love.
It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. He had said that to Sirius once.
What a fool he had been.
I knew you, leaving like a father, running like water, when you are young they assume you know nothing.
“It is believed this was a plan Mr Black had been staging for quite some time now.” A newspaper read. Remus snorted and threw it in the fire. Sirius couldn’t even plan a week in advance. What they fuck did these people know.
But then, what did Remus know? His love was long lost, Rapunzel in a tower. Remus was no knight.
But he knew in his heart, none of this was true. He knew. He didn't care what anyone else said, they may have known his thoughts, but Remus knew his heart.
But I knew you’d linger like a tattoo kiss.
Sirius’ leather jacket still hung in the cupboard under the stairs. His hair potion, still in the shower. Remus couldn’t bear to see them. He could never throw them away.
I knew you’d haunt all of my what if’s.
Remus should have fought harder for Harry.
He should have, he should have, he should have, he should have.
He should have known better.
What if.
A smirking smile and stormy eyes. Hair held up with a wand. Those same dark strands coiled around Remus’ fingers.
The smell of smoke would hang around this long. Cause I knew everything when I was young.
Remus woke up to James’ scream. Except it couldn’t be James. Unless… Had this all been a dream?
James opened his eyes and suddenly there was Lily. Lily and James and they didn’t know who Remus was.
(Remus had been the first one to hold baby Harry. Before even Sirius. And now he didn’t even know him)
I knew I’d curse you for the longest time.
Remus hated Sirius. Not for being the notorious mass murderer Sirius Black. But for leaving him alone.
Why is it possible to love someone who hates you? Remus wanted to laugh. His question to Sirius now would be this; Why couldn’t he stop loving someone he should hate.
Chasing shadows in the grocery line.
The students all murmured about the Grimm. The paintings gossiped about little else. Even the staff room had a few words on the subject matter. Remus tried not to let his heart flutter.
(But his boy was free. And there was a grim on the loose).
I knew you’d miss me once the thrill expired.
Walking down to Hagrid's hut, Remus thought he saw something rustle in the bushes. He stepped off the path and looked closer, barely even breathing as his heart thundered, but the shadows that had lurked were gone.
And you’d be standing in my front porch light.
“Lie low at Lupins.”
For the first time in twelve years, amber met grey.
“Re,” Sirius croaked, and Remus shattered. He pulled Sirius inside the door quickly, shutting it and reinforcing all of the charms around his little cottage, drawing all the blinds shut and placing a charm around the area so he would know if anyone approached the house before he finally turned, and there he was.
And I knew you’d come back to me.
Not Mass Murderer Sirius Black.
Not even Padfoot.
But Sirius. Remus’ Sirius.
“Re,” Sirius said again, “It’s not true, it’s not true.” He said, repeating the words as he shook his head, eyes filling. “It’s not true, I would never.”
He would never.
Remus shook his head too, pulling Sirius into the tightest hug they ever might have shared.
“I know.” He whispered. “I know.”
You’d come back to me.
Sirius after a few weeks of good food and warmth looked a lot more like the boy Remus had once known, but there was no denying the person with his was now a man. Remus supposed they both were.
You’d come back.
“I love you.” Sirius whispered one night as they were curled under a blanket, Remus reading as Sirius lay on his chest, the position comforting and oh so familiar.
“Do you think you could ever love me again?”
Remus’ heart cracked as he set down his book and curled his fingers gently around Sirius’ jaw, tilting his head so Remus could look into that swirling sea.
“Love you again?” He said, his voice nearly cracking in disbelief. “Pads, how could I love you again when I never stopped?”
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan, under someone’s bed, you put me on and said I was your favourite.
“I can’t believe you still have this.” Sirius whispered, pulling the same cardigan he always stole out of the back of Remus’ drawer.
“It used to smell like you.” Remus admitted. “But I wore it too much, I missed you too much.”
Sirius smiled, shrugging it on, it curling around his shoulders the way he curled into Remus, tilting his head up and pressing his lips against Remus’.
“I can fix that.” He whispered and Remus held him close, taking his time.
(For what else was the moon to do but love the stars?)
#wolfstar#Remus Lupin#Sirius Black#wolfstar oneshot#Marauders#marauders era fanfiction#cannon compliant#wolfstar fic#James Potter#peter pettigrew#Lily Evans#harry potter#cardigan taylor swift#ao3 OpeningMyEyes#wolfstar angst
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Ridikulus Pt 35
Eerily empty Rivendell stretched and between walkways you glanced around unable to shake a bad feeling that even Arwen caught onto stating, “This wing is quite quiet today. Even the horses are silent.”
“I don’t think there are any horses.” You replied following her down another walkway to where you stopped outside an open doorway that a dangling chime was tapped by Arwen and to the sound in front of you appeared Lindir’s sister, a stunning tall brunette no doubt he would look nearly a twin to when he took the gender swap potion. Still too quiet for your liking from the corridor you followed Arwen in her path to guide the sister away leading to another sitting room until a servant came to bring tea for you all.
Stealing the chance while a tray of fruit was being led out after your cup was emptied you asked, “Sorry, but, where is everyone?”
The Elf replied with a subtle bow of his head in catching your eye, “Lord Elrond joined the other Elven forces marching to reinforce Rohan’s borders, Your Majesty.”
“Borders?” A distant clap of thunder however had you standing to hurry to the nearest walkway where your eyes fixed on a sliver of near to black clouds in the horizon. Glancing back to Arwen whose attention was fixed on you a quick shake of your hand had you saying, “I’m sorry, I have to go. We’ll have tea again sometime.”
Lindir’s sister bowed her head with a creeping grin excited on having had a few private moments with you unprovoked. Darting off you shook each of your feet switching your heels to comfortable boots heading for the doorway to Greenwood. The second empty Palace had your heart racing and every hall you checked until you got to the main Royal Gardens that you slid into the doorway of making your boys stand up and Taule turn noticing you. “Where’s Dew Drop?”
Her lips parted and she said, “Thranduil and Legolas took our forces to Gondor.”
You nodded and glanced at the boys with a soft grin, “I’ll be back, don’t worry boys.” You turned mumbling, “I’ll figure this out..” Darting back through the halls to your enchanted doorway into Rohan where you heard the lingering elderly Men on guard shouting up at the looming blackening clouds.
“Your Majesty,” the man on your right drew your focus saying, “King Thengel marched with our forces this morning joined by your Elven forces towards Gondor.”
“Which way is Gondor?” He pointed and turning your head you sent your doorway to your home and with a sharp whistle your broom flew to your side dropping the jaw of the men watching you hop onto the broom and whip off into the direction he pointed to. Wide eyed he stared where you vanished until the questions of those left behind drug him back to the present adding to your mystery.
The faster you flew the darker it got. Until all you could hear was the whipping of the wind and distant voices far below and a glimmer of a large white kingdom you circled getting a clear view of dark specks as far as you could see of a rival army of orcs, goblins, wargs and trolls reaching to a distant city surrounding a volcano. Below you the soldiers marching out of the open gates of the city in silver armor joined the golden and silver armored Elves below lined up on foot and horseback to the side of horseback soldiers in bright colored garb with Rohan’s crest on their chests and mane bearing helmets. Mingled between a large army of Dwarves no doubt from all three connected Dwarf Kingdoms offering as much aid as possible on both foot and on the backs of large armored battle rams and boars.
Onto the edge of the overlook you stood feeling the wind whip harshly tugging your long braid side to side now darkening to a midnight blue. Almost silent under the growing winds heavy doors opened behind you and the Men filing out of it stood wide eyed wondering who the odd strange woman in the distance was. One press of your thumb to your bared forearm once your sleeves were rolled up and eyes lifted to the plumes of smoke crashing into the ground around you revealing your Death Eaters. A mental warning sent as well and clouds of light landed among them revealing a number of Aurors and the Order alongside Alastor summoned by a squeeze of the duck charm you kept safely tucked your pocket.
A reach up brought your hair up into a messy bun and as your hands fell you eyed the plumes of smoke swirling over the army of dark figures marching on Gondor. In your walk closer to the far edge you spotted Thranduil and Glorfindel surrounded by Elrond, Celeborn and the Feanoreans clad in shining armor contrasting the dark storm ordering their soldiers on the plan they had crafted. Armies of Elves, Dwarves and Men behind them and all you could hear was, “This is a death march.” The Death Eater who said it shook his head, “Their numbers won’t make a dent.” It was then you saw Gandalf trying to cast up a light to help fight the near blinding darkness now spreading over the city.
At the first catapult being aimed you shifted your hand summoning your broom stick you hopped on and led the soaring path out over the armies towards the dark foes. A reach back into the holster on your belt freed your wand for you to wave it shifting the giant boulder into snow parting the lips of the forces below as their stomachs clenched seeing the young Queen and mother of four soaring off into battle.
Behind you the broom riding forces and their passengers drew their wands striking their own curses at the catapults and forces beneath them shifting them into clouds of confetti, seeds, piles of snow and other far from dangerous things hindering their hopes of destruction. The teens joined you in dropping vacuum jars enchanted to suck up hundreds of the orcs and goblins until you eyed the flapping figures in the distance. Nine nazgul flew towards you with two burning plumes of ash following after parting your lips. Rapidly they came down upon you and you led the others in shrinking the winged beasts as the others attacked their riders that seemed to vanish on the breeze and destroyed the weapons on their backs.
Avoiding the flaming plumes your eyes landed on the familiar golden head of hair exposed in your path around them. Bound tightly in the smoke Gilderoy Lockhart flopped unconsciously stirring your turn, “Anaticula” you barely had to mentally mumble and the bright glittering yellow disarming curse you fired at the glowing pair wreathed in smoke promptly made them drop straight to the earth while Remus levitated the unconscious Wizard free from their grasp. In a speedy dip you landed between the pair and the armed forces surrounding Gondor behind you through the Wizards continuing onwards towards the distant city with only the twins, Sirius, Remus and Alastor remaining behind to help you if needed.
Releasing your broom it floated behind you while the nearly ten foot tall figures stared down at you angrily. One with flaming red hair and golden eyes, the other with pitch black hair and eyes shifting from purple to green like yours, both in black armor drawing long swords with diamond shaped edges along the black blades. Peering up at the taller of the two with eyes and hair similar to yours you stated, “I bet you’re Melkor.”
Glaring at you angrily his teeth were exposed in his agitated snarl while he growled in Valinorian, “You dare speak to me mewling quim!”
A twitch of your brow later you spotted his fiery haired friend chuckling as he extended his sword at you saying, “No blade nor arrow can pierce our flesh. Not with the magic we have drained from that child up there. None could end our reign again.”
In his speech you eased an enchanted set of solid silver chains you normally used for fighting werewolves from the enchanted pouch in your pocket around your wrist mirrored by another for your other wrist that instantly branched out to coat the backs of your hands and fingers. A tilt of your head later they caught your smirk as Melkor stated, “Stand aside!” Angrily his hand jut out wreathed in flames and in his attempt to shoot a ball of flames you watched a duck appear in his open palm parting his lips in shock.
That was your cue, in a jolt forward you swatted Melkor’s sword away while the duck took off in flight and balled up your fist feeling the tensing of the Elves behind you as your intendeds were being restrained from racing out to you by a shielding spell from the Aurors. Heavily your punch landed into his side under the fold in his armor at its weakest spot drawing a pained whining exhale in his drop to his knees making his sword fall from his grip to land hard into the earth. Three steps later towards his advancing friend you jumped up swung your leg over his still extended sword bearing arm, knocking his helmet free in your kick. Folding your leg around his arm, your weight slumping him forward right in the position to crash your forehead into his nose breaking it and covering his face and neck with blood.
Above you the floating Wizards grinned and smirked in your backwards drop to one leg while he dropped his sword that fell heavily to the grass enabling you to sweep his legs out from under him and turn in time to punch Melkor in the face at his reach for his sword. Sauron groaned shifting onto his side with golden eyes glowing beginning to speak in Black Speech causing your hair to stand on end for the chills racking through your body sharply stopping at the sudden appearance of nine black robed and armored figures who all drew their swords encircling you. Sauron hissed at your swiveling inspection of the approaching figures, “Let us watch you writhe in the dirt.”
Melkor just about cackled when his grin dropped at Fred and George landing on either side of you, “Right with you.” Around their hands guards matching yours folded out over their fists eyeing their own three of the nine odd foes.
George said, “I can’t see anything on them passed the cursed blades.”
“Their rings, take their rings.” They nodded and together you charged at the center figure in your trio using the backs of your hand guards to swat away the sword, though in your try to slam into their chest you passed right through them. Exhaling sharply you ducked in time to miss a jab of the second figure’s blade and rolled out of the way from the third then again from the first in a backwards roll placing you straight in front of the bleeding Lords painfully watching you three duck and weave around the nine.
Behind your back Melkor through the throbbing pain in his head blinking through the blood from where your punch had split his skin open he eyed your back and then his sword. Smirking to himself he lifted up and drew back his blade to stab at you only to gasp in shock when you aparated to his side at the mental tip from your father hovering above. A flick of your fingers turned his sword to flowers and in his turn you grabbed a fistful of his hair at the back of his head and kneed him in the face, releasing him to fall to the ground in his gurgling coughs you stated, “Where I’m from it’s considered poor manners to stab someone otherwise distracted.”
Growling loudly Sauron rose up snarling with his sword in hand only to fall back again in your hopping step forward blending into a spinning kick sending him rolling away once your foot collided with his jaw. Landed again your eyes turned to the nine and ignoring Melkor trying to stagger to his feet back to the others you darted ignoring the shouts from the Elves to run away muffled by the Men and Dwarves cheering your efforts so far. Over George’s back in his hunch forward you rolled grabbing the hilt of the sword on the wraith trying to attack him while your three closed in. Shifting in your palm the sword’s curse was broken and in a pulse shifted to a bow and arrow stunning the Elves watching your drop down to notch an arrow that fired off into the wrist of one close to killing Fred.
He caught the then dropped sword from his attacker by the hilt and hacked the hand off one of his trio and quickly snatched the ring he pocketed shriveling the shrieking body to nothing. George caught on taking one of your arrows he charged at another to stab their wrist taking their sword too in your pocketing the ring you jerked off the hand of the one you disarmed. Shrieks and shriveling had you down to six when out of nowhere Melkor had Sauron’s sword again and in a charge at you had you three parting to drop sweeping his legs while George turned that sword to a flopping fish.
Sauron, “Stay down curs!”
On your knees you eyed the group of foes around you watching Melkor and Sauron rising with daggers being drawn out of their belts, smirks from them dimmed when their eyes shifted towards the sparks encircling you and flashing through your now white eyes. Clenching your fist one deep inhale later and your punch slammed hard into the ground halting them in their tracks only to watch you three rise in your draconic spell being uttered. Locking eyes with Melkor a widening of his eyes came in the green apple scent wafting on the breeze growing stronger at the raw power glimpsed for just a moment before right out of that hole a lightning formed whomping willow shot up roaring and ready to fight. Distantly drawing loud cheers from Elrond’s sons knowing what was coming for the group against you, Fred and George.
Panic flooded their hearts in the first sway of the branches while you and the twins darted apart using the violent spark raining slams of each branch colliding in aims to kill the eight trying to both flee and attack you three dove and rolled away from death blows that only angering the tree even more. Above your family watching cheered you on at each skilled dart away and leap onto swinging branches lined you up to steal yet another ring. High atop a reared up branch you caught sight of the Elves open mouthed watching your now apparently kneeling brightly glowing self fired an arrow into the ringed hand of another that in the drop of the branch leapt from to steal the ring off then duck back again in a spin. Straightening up again watching Melkor drop to your foot planting in the back of his knee allowing you a straight shot to his jaw sending him into the dirt again hard while you took hold of another swaying branch.
Climbing trough the tree you and the twins aligned yourselves to take out each and every one of the remaining from the nine, at the eighth you allowed the charm for the tree to dissipate when you called out a bit too sternly, “K!” In a pop he appeared at your side and you asked in a far kinder yet still forced tone, “Dog sock dolls please.” Down to the ground on the shrinking lightning tree you three went with the twins leaping down to amputate the hand of the remaining two wraiths while you darted for the taller bloody pair rushing for the twins.
A swing of your foot had Sauron stumbling and hard you brought your bow up catching Melkor’s arm in it you twisted around his back to release placing him between you and Sauron, who nearly stabbed him in the shoulder, avoiding doing so at the last moment only to have Melkor crash into his chest. Jumping onto his back again you punched Sauron hard in the face and flipped off Melkor’s back, falling hard onto yours when his hand shot up to grab your leg. Right beside you K popped up breaking the Valar’s sneer at your still blood coated face making his diamond edged dagger wielding hand lower slightly.
Yet his eyes snapped back to you at your hands lifting to slice open your palms on said dagger through a smirk at their panicked expressions when the twins had them by their hair. Rolling up to sit you took hold if the dolls shaped like bulldogs now covering with your blood that once on your feet you pressed to their foreheads. Between the warm blood from your open wounds and the thick Draconic you spoke once again their mouths dropped open in silent screams through their wide eyed stares up at your brilliantly glowing self shimmering in spectrums of color to their view unseen to their eyes since leaving Valinor.
The words echoed through flashes of lightning splitting through the sky forcing the wind to whip up loosening your bright blue bun freeing a few curls from your braid to whip across your face helplessly. A few words in the pair gasped while their eyes glowed brightly. Both suffocating to those looking on, rising to their knees to try and clutch at your legs digging painful holes into your thighs at their sharpened finger covers in the snap from K that took their remaining weapons from them.
The bright lights of their Fea being sucked into the dolls caused their bodies to wither and fade on the wind along with the darkened clouds at your blood soaking into the dolls binding them inside turning their stitched eyes to glowing balls in the pair’s usual golden and purple to green hues. At your feet the collapsed piles of armor beside their re-transfigered swords laying a few feet in opposite directions from your group while a second duck waddled curiously in the grass, summoned from a last minute attempt to break free from your efforts by Sauron. Looking up you locked eyes with Fred and George who let out exhausted laughs and came over to you at the dropping of the barrier around the allied forces.
The three of you said in the calming of the winds, “Now, you two will have plenty of time to think about the trouble you’ve caused.” A flinch of a glance over your shoulder brought the cheering forces into view before you looked back again.
With a chuckle Alastor landed in front of you drawing from his pocket a small latched metal cylinder he pressed down that popped open into a round bird cage he eased the door to open for you to nudge the pair inside for them to turn looking at you and the twins battered and bloody from the awe inspiring skirmish. Remus chuckled and turned his head nodding to the charging pair of horses with the Elf Lords on them.
Reaching into your pockets the three of you brought out the nine rings your father produced a jar for asking, “More Horcrux?”
You nodded, “Feels like it. He has more.”
Loudly the horses and Turo neared crossing the field, all struggling to reach you first while Sirius and Remus helped to heal the gashes and bloody noses on Fred and George. Alastor warmly patted you on the back drawing your attention from the panicked Elves saying, “Downright wicked. Lightning Whomping Willow, one for the books right there.”
Weakly you chuckled saying, “Well, had to add a home field advantage somehow against their cursed swords.”
In a few eager strides the horses halted and they all dismounted, straight to your side Maedhros rushed, somehow beating the others, claiming your wrists eyeing your blood coated hands and wrists. The latter he tore his handkerchief in two to bandage both of your bleeding palms until you could see a Healer. In a reach over his arm, once dismounted, Glorfindel drew out his handkerchief wet by his water skin to wipe your forehead and exhale in relief at the lack of any cut there followed by his wiping the blood from the rest of your face as well. A hand eased over your cheek for Thranduil to turn your face inspecting it with a tear filled and stunned gaze before he turned his attention to your still bleeding bandaged hands his folded around for a few silent tearful moments.
Over your shoulder Elros eyed the pair in the cage and asked, “What did you do to them?”
With a giggle you answered, “Oh, just trapped their souls in those sock dolls.”
He raised a brow, “This is normal treatment?”
Alastor answered for you, “Only for those unable to be ever allowed to be free again.”
Elrond, “Free again?”
Remus grinned saying, “For the Wizards that go truly dark we bind their souls in these dolls. They can never free themselves and normally their powers are blocked beforehand, as Jaqi did with her duck charm.”
Maglor, “Duck charm?”
Thranduil eyed Sirius in his fumble into his pockets to draw out a Pheonix Phable he opened and passed to you and grinned seeing that your wounds other than your self inflicted cuts quickly healing as you popped the candy between your lips. Then dropped the wrapper, that morphed into grains for the eager duck at your feet as Remus turned with a dropped of Pheonix Tears he used two drops on your still open palms he shifted the bandages to reveal. Biting your lip you held back a wince in the harsh sting of the now burning wounds in healing itself. Keeping your eyes up watching for Thranduil to look to your palms again. In his speechless inspection he wiped your hands clean mending the handkerchief its owner claimed inspecting it and your palms in awe while Maglor asked you, “Why did you hit them?”
You looked at him and raised a brow, “They drew swords. I’m not allowed to hit them?”
Maedhros, “They drew swords, no one in their right mind would think to punch Sauron and Melkor in the face! Not even our Ada.” That had Fred and George laugh again.
You nodded and replied, “Well I’ve never been noted as the straightest arrow in the bunch on the sanity scale when it comes to picking fights. One thing we Blacks know is how to throw a punch.”
Sirius chuckled leaning in to kiss your forehead, “That’s right Pumpkin. Masterfully done.” He glanced at Remus, “Azkaban then?”
Alastor nodded, “Always worth a shot.”
Celeborn, “Azkaban?”
He looked to you and you replied, “It’s our prison for those who break our laws.”
Maedhros, “You have a prison, for Isitari?”
You nodded, Thorin asked, “What sort of prison would that entail?”
"I would assume like other prisons. Small room. Cold. Dusty. Guarded by creatures that dredge up the worst moments in your life gaining nourishment from your fears and traumatic pasts." For a momentary pause your head tilted slightly at their puzzled and astonished expressions, "Not that terrible all in all. At least from when I was there. Aside from the interrogations that is."
In a glance up to Thranduil and Glorfindel they both eyed your hands as you mentally commanded the metal strips back to your chain bracelets from your fingers allowing them to see your hands fully ensuring you weren’t harmed anymore and were fully cleaned as Maedhros narrowed his gaze at you. “What is that look for?”
“You are children, and you disabled two of the darkest figures in our world.”
With a grin you held back your comment and then eyed the white city as Alastor chuckled turning raising the cage saying to the two, “I hope you enjoy your new home fellas.” Apparating away surrounded by a large group of Aurors to ensure their safe transfer.
On the side Remus raised Gilderoy off his still hovering broom to his feet after a helping of Pheonix Phables and an energy draught saying, “Seems they just drained his energy, and gave him a nasty bump on the noggin.”
“Miss Pear,” the blonde muttered flashing you a delirious wave, “My fellow stunning, smile-,” Into Remus’ chest he drooped passing out again making the later sigh and adjust his hold on the drained Wizard who shouldn’t have gone off alone.
Up at Elrond you looked asking, “How many rings did they have?”
His brows furrowed and Fred lifted the jar in his hand giving it a shake, “Nine more Horcrux.”
George asked, “There many more?”
Elrond answered, “Three for Elves, Nine for the race of Men, Four for the Dwarf Lords and the One Ring.”
Nodding you said, “We’re going to need to talk to the Dwarves then, who has the Elf rings?”
Elrond said, “Your father destroyed Nenya in Galdriel’s possession, I bear Vilya and Lord Cirdan bears Narya.”
Celbrimbor, “Lord Sauron never touched the three rings for our kin.”
Fred and George said, “Just the Dwarves’ then.”
They looked to you and George said, “Four more can’t be hard. Dwarves are shorter.”
Thranduil finally spoke, “Thrain was the last I knew of to bear one of the four, and that was stolen from him by Sauron’s forces.”
Remus said, “We’ll find them, Sirius, a hand please?” He nodded and together they flew Gilderoy off to St Mungo’s to be treated by professionals in case they missed something.
“I should probably get back, I left Arwen and Lindir’s sister at tea.” Still holding your hands Thranduil and Glorfindel guided you aside to have a moment alone with you still looking you over for any signs of pain possibly concealed. “I really am ok.”
Glorfindel said in cupping your cheek, “You are coated in blood.”
“Not my blood, well, more than two thirds isn’t mine.”
Thranduil scoffed, “That is not helpful.” His eyes lifted and looking to his son he stated, “Legolas will escort you back to be healed.”
You scoffed and Glorfindel stated, “With orders to bind you if necessary. Visit the Healers and have this blood washed off you.”
Thranduil stated, “Tauriel ensure there is no escape attempts.”
She nodded and you rolled your eyes turning to the twins lifting your hand to catch the jar tossed your way, “Apparently I’m being sentenced to a bubble bath.”
Fred and George laughed to themselves seeing you led to Legolas’ horse where both Thranduil and Glori claimed lingering kisses they planted on your lips and cast loving gazes at you. Glorfindel stated as Thranduil lifted you off the ground, “We will find you once we return home again.”
Thranduil nodded to his son who hopped on behind you taking the reigns with Tauriel mounting her own horse that sped after his when they took off leaving the others watching you fade into the distance while they decided what to do from here. Turning your head you asked the Prince peering over your shoulder, “I can’t look that bad, to warrant being sent to bathe?”
Legolas chuckled ducking as his horse trotted through the doorway you called feeding into the riding paths in Greenwood he followed to the stables while Tauriel’s horse picked up speed to ride beside his. “You are coated in blood, even without the amount wiped away it is quite alarming.”
“I suppose I am merely used to it.”
Tauriel, “Your battles usually leave you bloody?”
“Yup, nine times out of ten.”
Legolas, “Are you in pain?”
“Well, my face hurts, and my ankle, landed wrong and it’s got a twinge in it. And I’m fairly certain I broke a toe in that kick.”
Tauriel, “We will fill the tub in the King’s chambers and send for the Healers to attend you there.”
Glancing at Legolas you asked, “Is this how it will be every time I get injured?”
Legolas, “Only if you insist on getting injured.”
Scoffing at that you drew out his smirk stating, “I don’t try to get injured, and certainly don’t insist on doing so. However I do seem a magnet for pain. You get injured does he send you off in chains to the Healing ward?”
Legolas nodded, “Yes. Last time I was injured on patrol he removed me from rounds for two years.”
“Wow,” you whispered making him grin as the stables came into view and the few guards left grouped up seeing the blood covering you.
Once there he hopped down passing the reigns to one of the guards and helped you down stating, “Send word to the Healers, Queen Jaqi will be bathing in Ada’s chambers.”
On your feet he guided you to and through the Palace gaining more attention and whispers about your bloody state making Tauriel murmur, “I do have to admit two days is a record time that our Healers have been summoned to aid a resident.”
Smirking up at her you said, “What can I say, it will never be boring living near me.” Making her chuckle along with the Prince.
K ahead of you was readying the King’s ridiculously large tub that while Legolas waited outside you stripped and sank into beginning to scrub from the face down ensuring that the blood all got washed away to K’s dumping the Basilisk Venom he had brought into the jar dissolving the nine rings. Clothes were gathered next and a soft knock drew Tauriel to the door welcoming the Healers inside with your blessing. Out of the tub you lifted yourself and seated beside it you wiggled into your underwear through a warming gust of wind to dry off granting them when you laid back a chance to look you over fully and get to work.
One bandaged toe and several gashes coated in creams later you changed into a fresh pair of jeans and blouse, standing up on your sore wrapped ankle and foot to walk back through the apartment with the duo of assigned guards who grinned to Taule just having put the boys down. Upon seeing you she grinned and came to join you in the hall easing the door shut behind herself to hear, “I just realized we haven’t had an official tea together in a snacks and all way to get to know one another better. If you’re up for it that is.”
Her grin split into a wide smile and she nodded turning to join you into the sitting room where a band of servants had already prepared a tea, snacks and were working on a meal for you. All of which was settled around you on the special chair brought for your comfort with foot stool eased to perfection to support your wrapped ankle.
.
The doors opened revealing Glorfindel and Thranduil walking through with exhausted smiles coated in black and maroon stains over their armor and capes. “Is that blood?” They looked over themselves and nodded, “Why are you covered in blood? When I left the armies were gone!”
Thranduil, “There was another fleet arriving from the river Anduin under Osgiliath.”
Glancing at Glorfindel he chuckled saying, “If it helps Fred and George cleared out the waters East of Gondor and its riverside keep of Osgiliath.”
“It sort of, doesn’t. How many were hurt?”
Thranduil, “Ah, most of their forces fell by our arrows, the blood was mostly from searching Osgiliath.”
Your eyes narrowed at them and Glorfindel chuckled, “We are uninjured. We swear it. Only a few of the Men of Gondor retained injuries from a few hidden orcs.”
Thranduil nodded, “All of which were healed by your kin and their elixirs. Oh, your father asked us to inform you that the Wizard they captured has been mended and returned home.”
Glorfindel’s brows furrowed for a moment as he recited word for word, “No worse for wear. And something about your enchantment still being intact at why they were unable to drain his powers as well.”
Thranduil, “What enchantment could you have laid on him to enable that?”
Wetting your lips you answered, “Oh, um, when Melkor tried to shoot a curse at me and the duck appeared in his palm, that’s the enchantment. Each time he tries to do magic ducks appear.”
Glorfindel’s head tilted, “That, is an odd spell. What purpose could it serve?”
With a sigh you replied, “He had a habit of taking credit of other Wizards achievements and claiming them for himself and wiping their memories. Charlie actually was the one to use the charm on him, I just reminded him of the name. It’s my favorite disabling charm.”
Thranduil, “Why was he not taken to Azkaban then?”
“He’s more vain and prideful than evil. Since the charm he’s actually been quite useful.”
Glorfindel’s hand lowered to your ankle asking, “How is your injury faring?”
“Just twisted it. Nice and rested again, added some numbing cream and about ready to head out for my practice.”
Thranduil, “Practice? What for?”
“Quidditch, Moran has some ideas on a new play we might try out this season. Figured we might try it on my home court instead of troubling the workers repairing our old one from the move prepping it for this next season.”
Glorfindel, “Surely you could reschedule.”
“Don’t worry, spend most of the time on my broom, tomorrow morning is the big full on workout.” A kiss was given to them and each boy in between who huffed seeing you stroll out of the room post kind smile to Taule. Curiously Legolas however guided the others to sneak over to your home to spy on you along with the boys who desperately wanted to get a better idea of what your true role on this team was for this befuddling game marred with violence you so loved.
Changed to your old Puff game pants and a baggy t shirt over fresh socks and your sneakers. Equally as excited the twins grinned joining you back to the broom closet by the door, each one hung miniaturized on a series of hooks on the door with yours glowing sadly drawing a deflating sigh from you, “Oh,” Fred and George’s brooms also lifted the brooms of theirs that expanded in your palms, the growth revealing the cracks in the shafts of the three with yours the largest deeming them unsafe for use.
Fred, “Damn, thought we had another week at least with these.”
George, “Spose we could drop in tomorrow to buy new ones.”
“2001’s should do for now.” You said opening the lid from the case mounted up for spare brooms with three 2001’s spare from the collection purchased by Lucius years prior in case Draco needed a few more from damages or wear and tear. Sure they weren’t brand new as your group had made good use of the old things for family matches but were all the more eager to be let out of their box.
Into the air the bludgers flew and for the Elf Lords looking on the mini game spent battering the enchanted balls between floating dummies on dud brooms while Troy and Moran guided you through your new weaving path following the plan. Play after play hours it all came flooding back and diverting from the new plans to the crowd of cameras on the other side of the gate around your property. Once landed eagerly the boys hurried over and smiled through the brief trip around the pitch they all giggled through and excitedly boasted about on the way to find Em inside to play as you showered and changed before the dinner being prepped. A warning of Easterlings on the borders of Gondor however had Thranduil and his men joining another fleet of Elves to aid in the skirmish. The sight of the forces upon an already bloody field surely did the trick as they turned tail to the first volley of arrows blotting out the sun.
.
For all their desire to keep wrapped around you still in the middle of the night neither Lord was home yet and alone from your bed you rose well before dawn to get ready for a fuller practice. Straight into your closet you went, tugging your shirt off over your head with your bra next. A halter sports bra you pulled your tank top back over again. Next you swapped your shoes and jeans for a pair of knee length sweats you added a pair of running shoes on under. All in either a grey or bright green shade to help with visibility in case the mist came in early today. With a sigh you started working your hair into four braids you pulled up into a looped bun halfway to a full ponytail so it wouldn’t get in the way.
Through your house you trekked and passed through the front door grabbing your black spare Nimbus 2001 broom stick along the way. Out to the group of waiting teens beside Troy and Moran both finishing off their oranges you trotted only to spot Oliver’s sour expression before saying, “The Crimson Trotters stole our training spot.”
You nodded and said, “We could try Greenwood. I’m sure Dew Drop and the Guards won’t mind.”
Fred and George grinned, “Ya, there’s tons of empty forest around their riding grounds.”
Cedric grinned saying, “Either way with how soft he is on you they can’t get too upset. Just a few exercises.” You nodded your head and guided them through your enchanted doorway and led the group through to the riding grounds where you crossed paths with Tauriel on her way back from her patrols.
Her smile spread after a greeting nod to you and you asked, “Hey, we need some space to do some of our training, would we be fine out here?”
She nodded and eyed your brooms and the trunk floating behind Oliver, then met your eyes again, “Of course, would you need any supplies?”
You shook your head, “No, we’ve got it all in the trunk. Thank you though.”
With another nod she stated, “I will leave you to it then and inform others to keep this area clear until you are through with it.” Before you could object she had turned and hurried off back to her next post. Rolling your eyes you could feel the race of your men coming back to see what you were up to. Out in the clearing lit by glowing lanterns flown out from the top pocket on the chest you all sent off your brooms into lines for your groups and then stood around the lid of the chest Oliver kicked open.
Waving your hands you all collected your thirty pound weighted balls and turned back to your brooms where you all dropped to a lunge position and passed the ball under your bent leg. In your rise you would shift the other leg out, drop and repeat only to rise and drop down again for the first leg again for fifty reps. In the distance you could already spot the curious guards who had overheard you were training stealing peeks of the odd routine.
After that move you would plant your feet and drop down into deep squats for ten reps. Then hold upright while you raised the ball up over your heads as steadily as you could ten times before dropping into a pistol squat with one leg planted and the other extending in front of you then you would start again for until you reached fifty each. By the third set more off duty Elves had gathered, trickling over from Greenwood with a few eagerly rushing over from Rivendell and Lothlorien after one of the returning guard had rushed over to alert them to the odd training. The Feanoreans being the first to clamber into the hall to watch with Glorfindel after them while your rounds came to an end and the next set of routines began in the nearing sunrise steadily creeping light into the forest.
The final set was finally reached and you would lower down onto your backs for bicycle twists, holding up your body for a joint count to ten with a pause to raise and press the balls to your chests before going again. The next set ending with the ball between your feet to raise up as high and as many times as you could.
Those ended with a crunch up holding your back and legs bent up off the ground tapping the ball on either side of you. After ten taps you would rest the ball on your joined shins planting foot to foot with partners to lower then rise again in sit ups. Grabbing the ball again your feet would plant and you would raise and lower the ball again over your heads and start again on the twisting crunches. At the end of this at your focused furrow of your brow soft giggles were heard from your boys watching from windows above with Taule behind them smiling at your determination while she spotted Thranduil, who had snuck out of his post skirmish meeting to see what the commotion was.
His first sight of you came at your laying flat then backwards arch upwards into handstands around the ball. Lowering each time then rising to roll the ball to the other hand for the gritted joint count to fifty pushups signaling your drop into a planked position with feet off the ground for ten pushup reps and the ball being passed in between until you were in the handstand again. Awed in the distance they all watched your feet lower to the ground and rise up while you cradled your weighted balls, turning around as a group then darting off into the distance making the Elves gasp at your speed. Five startlingly fast laps gaining the attention of the herd of stags you passed later you were the first back to leap up grabbing hold of your hovering broom one handed.
The ball was lowered to between your feet and you followed alternating reps of one handed raises with high foot raises straight up over your heads. Each one stirring up comments and hushed giggles at your focused expression and reddening of the faces of the guys trying to keep up with you and Oliver. Him being one of the few to try like you to at least keep some semblance of a work out halting a painful return to the new season. Those were followed by planting both hands on the brooms to raise your knees in sideways twists to your shoulders before repeating your pull-ups.
The closeness to the teammates behind you raised brows until your turns to face one another and transfer of the balls to a hand while your legs curled up so you were dangling by the back of your knees. In your crunches up you would trade balls with your partners and drop down straight again repeating the trade. The usefulness of the action far from clear at their lack of any knowledge of quidditch.
Though behind Feanor’s back Ron asked, “What’s going on?” Maedhros nodded his head to the training session before Ron chuckled saying, “Oh if you think the training is something I’m certain you’d be floored by their first match.”
Maedhros, “Match?”
Ron nodded with a grin, “Quidditch. Wicked deadly game. I’ll uh, dig up one of our books on it on my next trip out to tea with my T.”
The Elves blinked at his back when he turned to find his intended in the mess of Elves spying on before they turned to see you all dropping down to your feet again for another set of laps only to start over again. With your final lap in the training complete you all dropped your balls to the ground and plop down onto your backs for a few end stretches halted as your head turned to see your boys circling the weighted ball the three of them failed to lift.
Thranduil crossed to you beside Glorfindel and the boys, all beaming at your hidden strength after having tested the weight of the balls for themselves.
Glorfindel, “Simply marvelous Darling. We cannot wait for your first game.”
Thranduil nodded and eyed your hand you raised and turned over revealing the sheet of herb soaked gauze pressed to it up to your lower knuckles accepting Cedric’s help to your feet, “Been off practice a while, have to leave it on an hour,” you said at their continued glances to your hand. “Helps keep blisters at bay.”
He nodded and moved in claiming a gentle kiss from you, “As long as you are not in pain. We have herbs if you are. Those were quite hefty weights.”
You giggled saying, “Well we have to train hard to be the best.”
Again your brows furrowed making Glorfindel ask, “Are you in pain Dearest?”
“Pain comes with the territory. A bath and I’ll be fine.”
Maedhros, “You do all that for a game?”
You smirked at him replying, “Quidditch is in my blood. Long line of players. It bonds people over vast barriers of culture, language, backgrounds, countries even. It’s more than just a game.”
Amrod, “Hard to imagine a game could do that.”
“Give it some time, you might just warm up to it.” Troy and Moran led the way through your doorway heading home again as Cedric and Oliver went to their own rooms to shower and change before breakfast while you left the dissipating crowds to their whims so you could freshen up.
Pt 36
#Thranduil x Reader OC#Glorfindel x Reader OC#HP Crossover#Battle#Sauron#Melkor#Ring Wraiths#Gather the Rings#Lightning Willow#Off to Azkaban#Quidditch Practice
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Twilight Princess: A Knock on Death’s Door
A/N: Zant a strong boi
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The spring was so bright compared to the darkness of the temple.
Link rubbed his eyes, “We’re gonna be soaked for a while.” He shook his hands, tossing off the excess water droplets. They fell sweetly into the spring below.
Iris chuckled, looking down over her own wet clothes, “Who knew that the big bad of an underwater lakebed temple would be a fish monster. It’s such a twist of events.” She twisted the end of her shirt in an attempt to wring out most of the water.
Something shifted- she felt it in the air. Iris turned around with unmatched speed and snapped her fingers, causing the ivy vines to sharpen and cross through the air in front of her. Water droplets flew from her hand and landed on the light green grass below their feet. Link followed her gaze and-
It was Zant. He had simply stepped back, unimpressed with her quick reflexes, “So, it’s you two who have been running around Hyrule.” A wave of his hand and the vines were erased.
Link drew his sword and charged at the Twilight King. What was this rage he felt in his chest? An unmatched anger at what Zant had done to his friends, his home, Midna, hell- even Iris’ suffering fueled his vengeful charge.
“Reckless,” Zant snapped his fingers and Link was suddenly pushed to the side. Sword dropped, he slammed into the rocks. He was breathing, but definitely unconscious. Iris readied an attack, but Zant held up his fist. She suddenly couldn’t breathe, furiously clawing at whatever power tightened around her throat.
The light spirit erupted from the spring, hissing with a violent anger. Zant simply stared at it. An invisible force pushed it back, returning the area to Twilight.
Link was still unconscious as he shifted into his wolf form. Iris, to her surprise, remained a human.
“Midna!” Zant turned his gaze, fist still up. “Did you really think finding these two light-dwellers would help you overthrow me?”
Midna sat beside Link, eyes darting from Iris’ slowing movements to the Usurper in front of her, “You coward! You who do nothing but abuse the power of our tribe!”
“Our tribe?” He laughed so hard Iris dropped to the ground. She coughed and shuddered as Zant continued, “This magic is of MY god, not our weak and disregarded tribe.” The pieces of Fused Shadow were pulled from Midna, “These ancient relics are just that- ancient and useless.” Invisible power pinned Midna to the rocks behind Link. Zant knelt and placed an orange-and-black diamond into Link’s head, “That’ll keep him from screwing up anymore of my plans.”
A ball of maroon power hit Zant’s side, sending him a few steps to the right. He turned, eyes locked on Iris’ glowing arms. Maroon swirls encased them, a matching glow emitting from her eyes.
“Fool!” He levitated off the ground, “I allow you to be a human during these moments and you dare attack me?”
Midna looked shocked, “You didn’t tell me you could do that!” She strained against her invisible trap. “Since when could you do that?!”
“Let us go,” Iris’ voice held an edge.
“Who are you to tell me what to do?” Zant’s irritation was evident. Another snap and Iris knelt to the ground. Black lines of Twilight covered her, trying to turn her back into a panther. She let out a cry of pain.
“Stop it!” Midna kicked her feet, “You’ll kill her!”
Laughter, “You care so much for light-dwellers. Return to the light, then, traitor.” Zant raised the light spirit from the spring, floating Midna directly in front of it.
She screamed. Light pierced all aspects of Midna’s being. Was this it? She had failed her people and Zant was going to rule both the light and the dark.
Maroon slammed into the Twilight King. The light assault on Midna paused as he turned his attention to Iris’ still-struggling body.
“I’ve had enough of you.” Holding out his hand, a sword of twilight emerged. With one swing, blood flowed from Iris’ gut. He raised it again, but a cloud of maroon smoke surrounded the entire spring.
Zant summoned a wind, clearing the area in seconds. Looking around, he realized that all three traitors were gone.
-----
Link awoke in Hyrule field. Taking a few seconds to look around, he realized he was a wolf again. A scent caught his attention- blood.
“Link…” Midna barely whispered from atop his back- how did he completely miss her weight on him? “Iris… she’s…” A limp hand pointed a few yards away to a still figure in the grass.
He was there in seconds, paws gently prodding at Iris’ barely breathing body. Link licked her face, trying to get some form of reaction out of her.
Iris…C’mon Iris!
Her eyes slowly blinked open. Iris moved her head, vision still blurry, and set her gaze on Link, “Hey… it’s okay, Link.”
He whined. She could’ve sworn tears fell from his beastly eyes- could wolves cry? Since when did he care so much about her? Maybe she’d won over his trust and affection after all…
“I can’t understand you in this form…” She winced, placing her palm on her wound. “You… ah… listen. Take Midna to…Zelda… she’ll help.” Blood flooded her shirt and palm, dripping onto the cool night grass beneath her. Everything hurt with a stinging, radiating pain.
Link shook his head, instead biting her shirt and attempting to drag her towards the main road. He could save them both- he had to. Iris can’t die here, right?
“Link…” She placed her free hand on his cheek, thumb stroking his face, “You can’t take me… I’ll slow you down… you’ll lose us both…”
More whines and cries. He released his bite on her shirt and knelt down beside her, laying his head on her chest. Iris stroked his head, scratching behind his ears. She wished she was able to go with him, to be able to tell him everything would be okay.
“Please…” Iris closed her eyes, “You have… to hurry… Zelda will help… go, Link…” her arm lost its strength as she lost consciousness.
-----
Iris awoke to a room she’d never seen before. The walls were wooden with small spots of rot making their way around the room. She attempted to sit up, but was met with a sharp pain in her abdomen.
“Ah, you’re awake!” An old man across the room stood up from his chair, “The guards found you alongside the main road. You’re lucky- had they brought you in later I believe you very well could’ve died.”
“Where am I?” Iris rubbed her head, “My memory’s fuzzy.”
He laughed, “I don’t doubt that. You’re in Castle Town. In Hyrule. You’ve been unconscious for about three days. I’m Doctor Ben, by the way”
“I’m hungry…”
He turned around, “I’ll get you some food. Wait right there!”
Iris waited until the doctor was out of sight, then threw back the blankets. Her abdomen was bandaged, but blood and drainage had seeped through. Placing her hands over them, she summoned her maroon magic.
She didn’t mean to hide her ability from Link and Midna, it’s just that… her maroon had been blocked and inaccessible since the first Twilight appeared. She couldn’t do anything beyond plant manipulation after that. Only when Zant had nearly killed her was it finally usable again. Was it his intentional doing, or was it the Harmony piece working in her? That she’ll never know for sure.
The area where Zant had sliced her was still bruised- and would be for a while- but now at least she could move without further pain. Iris removed the bandages and searched for her clothes. The drawer beside her bed creaked as she opened it.
“You okay over there?” The doctor called out, “Food’s almost ready, so don’t get too fidgety!”
“I’m fine!” Iris called back. Her clothes were in that drawer, thankfully. Someone had washed them and stitched the hole from the attack back together. The stitches felt coarse against her still sore abdomen, but she didn’t mind it much. She had to leave- had to go find him.
“Alright!” The doctor came back in, holding a tray of sandwiches and fruit. “Are you- huh?” The bed was empty, save for a small bag filled with rupees.
-----
The castle was encased in Twilight and no one in town seemed to notice. Iris looked around, the crowd still bustling and moving as if nothing was wrong in their normal mundane lives. The reality of their ignorance hit her like a wall of brick. Didn’t they know that everything was at stake? How could they wander around aimlessly with so much happening around them!
Iris shook her head, “Now’s not the time for those thoughts.” She had one job to do right now- find Link. “Isn’t Telma’s bar around here?” She talked to the air as she ventured down an alleyway. Telma always seems to know what’s happening- maybe she could help.
It began to rain as Iris opened the doors. Light music and the smell of homemade food welcomed her inside. Telma stood up from her place behind the bar.
“Iris!” She came around to the front, “How have you been? Where’s that handsome young man of yours?”
“I actually came here looking for him,” Iris smiled sheepishly, “I’ve been unconscious in the doctor’s place for the past three days. I’ve no idea where Link could be.”
Telma smirked, “Honey, if you’ve been in the infirmary in town then there’s no way that man left the city. I’ve seen how you two interact- he’s not gonna leave you alone for long.” She tilted her head towards the back of the bar where three people sat at a table, “Let me introduce you to some friends of mine. We can get to work while you wait for Link to come back.”
-----
“I’m telling you, I don’t know where that girl went! All she left was a bag of rupees that paid for her stay.” Doctor Ben picked up his quill and resumed writing, “Now, if you don’t mind, I have medical paperwork to fill out!”
Link balled his fists, “Please-“
“No! I can’t help you anymore!” Doctor Ben pointed to the door, “Get out of my facility!”
Link grit his teeth, turning and slamming the door as he left. Thunder roared, and heavy rain began to pour from the sky. Lightning flashed, brightening the surroundings for a brief moment in the overwhelming darkness.
Midna’s shadow form appeared beside him, “Well, this rain’s washing out her scent. There goes that idea.”
Link clutched his chest, “Do witch’s bodies dissolve when they die?”
“You’re so pessimistic!” Midna crossed her arms, “She left rupees behind-“
“We don’t know if they’re even hers-“
“POINT IS,” Midna lightly punched his shoulder, snapping him out of his depression spiral, “She’d injured. She’s probably not too far. Let’s go back to that bar. Telma has eyes everywhere- maybe she knows something?”
-----
Shad, Ashei, and the masked man sat around the table, a large map in the center. It had markings of where certain statues Shad found were located, alongside Ashei’s locations of interest in regard to furthering the Resistance.
“Auru is currently here,” Shad pointed with his quill, “He’s looking at the desert horizon for any suspicious activity.”
Iris stood behind her chair, placing her hands on the back and leaning forward, “Why not simply go into the desert itself? Surely that’s better than looking at it and guessing from the lake.”
Ashei shook her head, “You’re just a witch- you wouldn’t understand our methods.”
“It was a simple question, Ash,” Shad glared at her, “And witches are very useful and have such a rich culture! She deserves respect as a human like any of us do.”
Ashei crossed her arms, looking away, “We’ll revisit this when she’s earned my respect.”
“Respect as in I treat you like an authority or respect as in you treat me like an actual person?” Iris straightened, placing a hand on her hip. “People tend to get those two ideologies confused.”
The mountain woman cursed and drew her dagger, slamming it into the table, “You’re a sarcastic little bitch, aren’t you?”
Flowers and little vines sprouted around the dagger. Ashei’s surprise was evident, and as she let go, vines wrapped around her wrist. Her hand was locked in place.
“I want to use my power to help,” Iris stared into Ashei’s eyes, “There is life and joy in my works. But if you force me, I will defend myself.” The greenery retracted, allowing Ashei to retrieve her hand and dagger. She refused to look Iris in the eye, instead choosing a brilliantly fascinating spot on the stone floor.
The door to the bar slammed open, causing everyone to jump. Telma stomped over, “You better lose that attitude if you’re gonna be in here!” Her anger suddenly stopped and turned into a smirk, “I was wonderin’ when you’d show up again.”
Iris followed Telma’s gaze to find a soaking wet Link at the entrance, “…You’re back!”
“You’re alive…” His voice was barely a whisper, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes, “…You’re alive…” One step. Two. Three and his legs were wobbling.
Iris met him halfway, catching him in an embrace, “It’s okay. Link, I’m okay…”
He could barely believe it. She was bleeding and unconscious as he left her by the road and now she’s alive and breathing. He couldn’t think of anything to say to express this relief inside of him. Was it relief? The past few days had been nothing but despair and numbness as he agonized over the unsure future of Iris’ very existence. So was this relief he felt or just the numbness of his emotions finally hitting him?
“Link, it’s okay,” She whispered in his ear.
He snapped back to reality, realizing how tightly he was holding her, “I…I’m sorry.”
“What?”
“I should’ve come back sooner.” His eyes welled with tears, voice shaking and panicked, “I shouldn’t have left you. You were bleeding so badly and I couldn’t stop it.”
“Link-“
“I drug you to the road- you told me not to but I did anyway. You scared me so much. I couldn’t leave you there. And then you stopped breathing. Iris you weren’t breathing. You weren’t breathing and there was blood everywhere and I… I…” Link closed his eyes, breath ragged as he cried. “I shouldn’t have charged him like that. We could’ve fought him together.”
“No, we couldn’t…” Iris pulled back, looking into his sky blue eyes. She placed her hand on his cheek, “You did everything you had to. I’m still alive, Link. I’m not going anywhere.”
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, “Don’t scare me like that again.”
“I’ll try,” She smiled, puling him back in for another embrace.
#iris#link#twilight princess#oc#legend of zelda#original character#Link's not good with emotions but he's got the spirit
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13th February >> Mass Readings (Except USA)
Saturday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
or
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Saturday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
(Liturgical Colour: Green)
First Reading
Genesis 3:9-24
The expulsion from the Garden of Eden
The Lord God called to the man. ‘Where are you?’ he asked.
‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’
‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’
The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’
Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’
The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’
Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this,
‘Be accursed beyond all cattle,
all wild beasts.
You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust
every day of your life.
I will make you enemies of each other:
you and the woman,
your offspring and her offspring.
It will crush your head
and you will strike its heel.’
To the woman he said:
‘I will multiply your pains in childbearing,
you shall give birth to your children in pain.
Your yearning shall be for your husband,
yet he will lord it over you.’
To the man he said, ‘Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,
‘Accursed be the soil because of you.
With suffering shall you get your food from it
every day of your life.
It shall yield you brambles and thistles,
and you shall eat wild plants.
With sweat on your brow
shall you eat your bread,
until you return to the soil,
as you were taken from it.
For dust you are
and to dust you shall return.’
The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live. The Lord God made clothes out of skins for the man and his wife, and they put them on. Then the Lord God said, ‘See, the man has become like one of us, with his knowledge of good and evil. He must not be allowed to stretch his hand out next and pick from the tree of life also, and eat some and live for ever.’ So the Lord God expelled him from the garden of Eden, to till the soil from which he had been taken. He banished the man, and in front of the garden of Eden he posted the cherubs, and the flame of a flashing sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.
The Word of the Lord
R/ Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 89(90):2-6,12-13
R/ O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
Before the mountains were born
or the earth or the world brought forth,
you are God, without beginning or end.
R/ O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
You turn men back to dust
and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’
To your eyes a thousand years
are like yesterday, come and gone,
no more than a watch in the night.
R/ O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
You sweep men away like a dream,
like the grass which springs up in the morning.
In the morning it springs up and flowers:
by evening it withers and fades.
R/ O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
Make us know the shortness of our life
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever?
Show pity to your servants.
R/ O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
Gospel Acclamation
Matthew 4:4
Alleluia, alleluia!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia!
Gospel
Mark 8:1-10
The feeding of the four thousand
A great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat. So Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat. If I send them off home hungry they will collapse on the way; some have come a great distance.’ His disciples replied, ‘Where could anyone get bread to feed these people in a deserted place like this?’ He asked them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ ‘Seven’ they said. Then he instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them among the crowd. They had a few small fish as well, and over these he said a blessing and ordered them to be distributed also. They ate as much as they wanted, and they collected seven basketfuls of the scraps left over. Now there had been about four thousand people. He sent them away and immediately, getting into the boat with his disciples, went to the region of Dalmanutha.
The Gospel of the Lord
R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Liturgical Colour: White)
(Readings for the memorial)
(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Saturday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)
Either:
First Reading
Genesis 3:9-15,20
The mother of all those who live
After Adam had eaten of the tree the Lord God called to him. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’
Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this,
‘Be accursed beyond all cattle,
all wild beasts.
You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust
every day of your life.
I will make you enemies of each other:
you and the woman,
your offspring and her offspring.
It will crush your head
and you will strike its heel.’
The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live.
OR: --------
First reading
Genesis 12:1-7
All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you
The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.
‘I will bless those who bless you:
I will curse those who slight you.
All the tribes of the earth
shall bless themselves by you.’
So Abram went as the Lord told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had amassed and the people they had acquired in Haran. They set off for the land of Canaan, and arrived there.
Abram passed through the land as far as Shechem’s holy place, the Oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘It is to your descendants that I will give this land.’ So Abram built there an altar for the Lord who had appeared to him.
OR: --------
First reading
2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-11,16
The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House
Once David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.’
But that very night the word of the Lord came to Nathan:
‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’
OR: --------
First reading
1 Chronicles 15:3-4,15-16,16:1-2
They brought in the ark of God and put it inside the tent that David had pitched for it
David gathered all Israel together to bring the ark of God up to the place he had prepared for it. David called together the sons of Aaron and the sons of Levi. And the Levites carried the ark of God with the shafts on their shoulders, as Moses had ordered in accordance with the word of the Lord.
David then told the heads of the Levites to assign duties for their kinsmen as cantors, with their various instruments of music, harps and lyres and cymbals, to play joyful tunes.
They brought the ark of God in and put it inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and they offered holocausts before God, and communion sacrifices. And when David had finished offering holocausts and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.
OR: --------
First reading
Proverbs 8:22-31
Before the earth came into being, Wisdom was born
The Wisdom of God cries aloud:
The Lord created me when his purpose first unfolded,
before the oldest of his works.
From everlasting I was firmly set,
from the beginning, before earth came into being.
The deep was not, when I was born,
there were no springs to gush with water.
Before the mountains were settled,
before the hills, I came to birth;
before he made the earth, the countryside,
or the first grains of the world’s dust.
When he fixed the heavens firm, I was there,
when he drew a ring on the surface of the deep,
when he thickened the clouds above,
when he fixed fast the springs of the deep,
when he assigned the sea its boundaries
– and the waters will not invade the shore –
when he laid down the foundations of the earth,
I was by his side, a master craftsman,
delighting him day after day,
ever at play in his presence,
at play everywhere in his world,
delighting to be with the sons of men.
OR: --------
First reading
Ecclesiasticus 24:1-4,8-12,18-21
From eternity, in the beginning, God created wisdom
Wisdom speaks her own praises,
in the midst of her people she glories in herself.
She opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High,
she glories in herself in the presence of the Mighty One:
‘I came forth from the mouth of the Most High,
and I covered the earth like a mist.
I had my tent in the heights,
and my throne in a pillar of cloud.
Then the creator of all things instructed me,
and he who created me fixed a place for my tent.
He said, “Pitch your tent in Jacob,
make Israel your inheritance.”
From eternity, in the beginning, he created me,
and for eternity I shall remain.
I ministered before him in the holy tabernacle,
and thus was I established on Zion.
In the beloved city he has given me rest,
and in Jerusalem I wield my authority.
I have taken root in a privileged people,
in the Lord’s property, in his inheritance.
Approach me, you who desire me,
and take your fill of my fruits,
for memories of me are sweeter than honey,
inheriting me is sweeter than the honeycomb.
They who eat me will hunger for more,
they who drink me will thirst for more.
Whoever listens to me will never have to blush,
whoever acts as I dictate will never sin.’
OR: --------
First reading
Isaiah 7:10-14,8:10
The maiden is with child
The Lord spoke to Ahaz and said, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.’ ‘No,’ Ahaz answered ‘I will not put the Lord to the test.’
Then Isaiah said:
‘Listen now, House of David:
are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men
without trying the patience of my God, too?
The Lord himself, therefore,
will give you a sign.
It is this: the maiden is with child
and will soon give birth to a son
whom she will call Immanuel,
a name which means “God-is-with-us.”’
OR: --------
First reading
Isaiah 9:1-6
A Son is given to us
The people that walked in darkness
has seen a great light;
on those who live in a land of deep shadow
a light has shone.
You have made their gladness greater,
you have made their joy increase;
they rejoice in your presence
as men rejoice at harvest time,
as men are happy when they are dividing the spoils.
For the yoke that was weighing on him,
the bar across his shoulders,
the rod of his oppressor,
these you break as on the day of Midian.
For all the footgear of battle,
every cloak rolled in blood,
is burnt,
and consumed by fire.
For there is a child born for us,
a son given to us
and dominion is laid on his shoulders;
and this is the name they give him:
Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God,
Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.
OR: --------
First reading
Isaiah 61:9-11
I exult for joy in the Lord
Their race will be famous throughout the nations,
their descendants throughout the peoples.
All who see them will admit
that they are a race whom the Lord has blessed.
‘I exult for joy in the Lord,
my soul rejoices in my God,
for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation,
he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity,
like a bridegroom wearing his wreath,
like a bride adorned in her jewels.
‘For as the earth makes fresh things grow,
as a garden makes seeds spring up,
so will the Lord make both integrity and praise
spring up in the sight of the nations.’
OR: --------
First reading
Micah 5:1-4
He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord
The Lord says this:
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
the least of the clans of Judah,
out of you will be born for me
the one who is to rule over Israel;
his origin goes back to the distant past,
to the days of old.
The Lord is therefore going to abandon them
till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.
Then the remnant of his brothers will come back
to the sons of Israel.
He will stand and feed his flock
with the power of the Lord,
with the majesty of the name of his God.
They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power
to the ends of the land.
He himself will be peace.
OR: --------
First reading
Zechariah 2:14-17
'I am coming', says the Lord
Sing, rejoice,
daughter of Zion;
for I am coming
to dwell in the middle of you
– it is the Lord who speaks.
Many nations will join the Lord,
on that day;
they will become his people.
But he will remain among you,
and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you.
But the Lord will hold Judah
as his portion in the Holy Land,
and again make Jerusalem his very own.
Let all mankind be silent before the Lord!
For he is awaking and is coming from his holy dwelling.
--------
________
EITHER: --------
Responsorial Psalm
1 Samuel 2:1,4-8
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
My heart exults in the Lord.
I find my strength in my God;
my mouth laughs at my enemies
as I rejoice in your saving help.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the weak are clothed with strength.
Those with plenty must labour for bread,
but the hungry need work no more.
The childless wife has children now
but the fruitful wife bears no more.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
It is the Lord who gives life and death,
he brings men to the grave and back;
it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches.
He brings men low and raises them on high.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
He lifts up the lowly from the dust,
from the dungheap he raises the poor
to set him in the company of princes
to give him a glorious throne.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
on them he has set the world.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Judith 13:18a-19
You are the highest honour of our race!
May you be blessed, my daughter, by God Most High,
beyond all women on earth;
and may the Lord God be blessed,
the Creator of heaven and earth.
You are the highest honour of our race!
The trust you have shown
shall not pass from the memories of men,
but shall ever remind them
of the power of God.
You are the highest honour of our race!
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 44(45):11-12,14-17
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words:
forget your own people and your father’s house.
So will the king desire your beauty:
He is your lord, pay homage to him.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
The daughter of the king is clothed with splendour,
her robes embroidered with pearls set in gold.
She is led to the king with her maiden companions.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
They are escorted amid gladness and joy;
they pass within the palace of the king.
Sons shall be yours in place of your fathers:
you will make them princes over all the earth.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 112(113):1-7
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
May the name of the Lord be blessed
both now and for evermore!
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
From the rising of the sun to its setting
praised be the name of the Lord!
High above all nations is the Lord,
above the heavens his glory.
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
Who is like the Lord, our God,
who has risen on high to his throne
yet stoops from the heights to look down,
to look down upon heaven and earth?
From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
from the dungheap he raises the poor
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Luke 1:46-55
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
He looks on his servant in her nothingness;
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me.
Holy his name!
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear him.
He puts forth his arm in strength
and scatters the proud-hearted.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
He casts the mighty from their thrones
and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
He protects Israel, his servant,
remembering his mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his sons for ever.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
--------
________
Gospel Acclamation
cf.Lk1:28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!
Blessed art thou among women.
Alleluia!
Or:
cf.Lk1:45
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who believed
that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.
Alleluia!
Or:
cf.Lk2:19
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed is the Virgin Mary,
who treasured the word of God
and pondered it in her heart.
Alleluia!
Or:
Lk11:28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy are those
who hear the word of God
and keep it.
Alleluia!
Or:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary,
and most worthy of all praise,
for the sun of justice, Christ our God,
was born of you.
Alleluia!
Or:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy is the Virgin Mary,
who, without dying,
won the palm of martyrdom
beneath the cross of the Lord.
Alleluia!
________
EITHER: --------
Gospel
Matthew 1:1-16,18-23
The ancestry and conception of Jesus Christ
A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother,
Perez was the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram was the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother,
Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother,
Obed was the father of Jesse;
and Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Solomon was the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,
Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Azariah,
Azariah was the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah;
and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.
Then the deportation to Babylon took place.
After the deportation to Babylon:
Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud,
Abiud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor was the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud was the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob;
and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary;
of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.
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. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when 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. 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.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 1:18-23
How Jesus Christ came to be born
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. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when 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. 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.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 2:13-15,19-23
The flight into Egypt and the return to Nazareth
After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:
I called my son out of Egypt.
After Herod’s death, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, went back to the land of Israel. But when he learnt that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as ruler of Judaea he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he left for the region of Galilee. There he settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled:
‘He will be called a Nazarene.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 12:46-50
My mother and my brothers are anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven
Jesus was speaking to the crowds when his mother and his brothers appeared; they were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 1:26-38
'I am the handmaid of the Lord'
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 1:39-47
Blessed is she who believed the promise
Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’
And Mary said:
‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:1-14
'In the town of David a saviour has been born to you'
Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. This census – the first – took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his own town to be registered. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and travelled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn.
In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields and took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and singing:
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace to men who enjoy his favour.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:15-19
The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger
Now when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:27-35
'A sword will pierce your soul too'
Prompted by the Spirit Simeon came to the Temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:
‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel.’
As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:41-52
Mary stored up all these things in her heart
Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.
Three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They 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.’
‘Why were you looking for me?’ he replied. ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant.
He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority.
His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and men.
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 11:27-28
'Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!'
As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’
OR: --------
Gospel
John 2:1-11
'My hour has not come yet' - 'Do whatever he tells you'
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the wedding was all finished, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said ‘Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’, and they filled them to the brim. ‘Draw some out now’ he told them ‘and take it to the steward.’ They did this; the steward tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from – only the servants who had drawn the water knew – the steward called the bridegroom and said, ‘People generally serve the best wine first, and keep the cheaper sort till the guests have had plenty to drink; but you have kept the best wine till now.’
This was the first of the signs given by Jesus: it was given at Cana in Galilee. He let his glory be seen, and his disciples believed in him.
OR: --------
Gospel
John 19:25-27
'Woman, this is your son'
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.
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Hi! I hope you're doing well. My prompt for you is newt x leta x theseus summer at the scamanders :)
Thank you so much for sending this in and I’m sorry its taken so long. I’m still trying to work out the dynamic of this trio especially in their younger years. Also, I’m throwing Theseus’ canon age out the window because I find it too unbelievable from the films that he’s older than the rest of the characters let alone THAT much older than them so in this prompt he’s maybe a couple of years older.
Newt’s No Good, Very Bad Day…
Newt burst into the kitchen, slipping slightly as oneleg of his overlong pyjama pants slid under his foot causing him to bang intothe side of the door. He balanced himself with both hands on the doorframe ashis mind and body protested at the abrupt movement considering he had been fastasleep twenty seconds ago before falling out of his bed in a tangle ofblankets.
His sleepy, hazel eyes met Leta’s reproachful, amberones and he bit his lip with a tiny, apologetic smile that tended to acquit himof any wrongdoings. She rolled her eyes but the smile she was trying to biteback, and the small shake of her head, was evidence enough that he was forgivenas she drew her attention back to the stove where she was looking comically outof place holding the handle of a frying pan but with an awkward, unfamiliargrip as though she were holding a paintbrush.
Newt noticed she was still in the pyjama shirt andshorts she had been wearing when he had last bid her goodnight. As she had beensitting cross-legged on the spare bed when he had done so, he only now realisedhow nearly scandalously short they were, far shorter than the apron that hadmost likely been forcefully tied around her. Newt felt his cheeks redden and heswallowed and averted his gaze intently on the plates that were levitating fromthe cupboard to the kitchen table. These intrusive, discourteous thoughts hadseemingly come out of nowhere lately and were only becoming more frequent asthey became older.
Newt had been so fixated on the pattern of the tablecloth that he had tuned out completely and missed his mother’s re-entry intothe kitchen and subsequent ‘good morning, dear’.
“Earth to Newt!” his brother waved in amusement as hecame through the front door kicking off his muddy boots so they bounced andfell to the floor in a mess that made Mrs Scamander tut. He was also still inhis pyjamas, as he normally allowed himself to be on Sunday mornings, even ifthat for him only consisted of checkered pants, and a large Quidditch t-shirt.
“Hmm-what?” Newt looked up from the doorway he wasstill standing in, startled out of his daze.
Theseus shook his head with a laugh. “Well, you do abetter job as a door than you do of your chores.”
Leta had frowned at that, her awkward grip tighteningon the pan handle and shooting a scathing look at the older Scamander as shedid to anyone who dared to say anything less than complimentary about Newt inher presence.
“I just ended up repairing the fence myself thismorning. Honestly if they weren’t so attached to you, we’d be chasing escapedHippogriffs every second day.”
Leta smiled at that and looked at Newt warmly and fullof admiration and he tried to form a small laugh but whatever escaped wassomething between a squeak and a snort that he would replay mortifyingly overand over in his head when trying to fall asleep for the next few weeks.
“Sit down, Newton,” his mother urged from the sink andhe fell into the nearest chair before he could come up with any other ridiculousnoises.
“While you were sleeping in…” Mrs Scamander said toher youngest son as he stared at an old copy of Witch Weekly on the table. “…Loleta and I have been going through ‘Witch Weekly’s Twenty Housekeeping Hacks forYoung Witches to Impress Prospective Husbands’.”
Newt winced and cursed himself for sleeping in whileTheseus burst out in laughter and earned a contemptuous look from his motherwho snatched the magazine up and stuffed it into the pocket of her own apron.Newt knew his mother, who had longed for a daughter, would be overly enamoredby Leta and he had, up until this morning, done a fairly good job of steering herout of sight at the mere mention of a hairbrush or petticoat.
“She doesn’t know how to cook pancakes!” the woman said defensively to her sons as if this factalone was scandalous enough, they would understand immediately the importanceof this ordeal.
“Of course not,” Theseus joked, placing a jug ofpumpkin juice and cups on the table. “Elite purebloods don’t eat - they’resustained by pure human souls.”
Newt and Mrs. Scamander’s simultaneous horrifiedsplutters and admonishments were drowned out by each other while Leta suppresseda chuckle.
“I’ve always had house-elves and no one ever taught met-” she said to Mrs. Scamander who tutted.
“Well, that won’t do at all. No harm in a ladyacquiring some basic housekeeping skills. Hogwarts has always been neglectfulon that front.”
Leta didn’t have the heart to tell the kind woman thatthe only lady-like skills her family expected from her were little more thanlaying on her back and producing as many heirs as possible for a man of theirchoosing twice her age until she either died in childbirth or was sufficientlysapped of any youthful beauty and replaced with whichever poor girl was set tofollow her.
Newt immediately sensed her melancholy and stoppedspinning his empty cup to glance up at her in concern. She, in turn, could feelhis anxiety and smiled reassuringly before handing him his plate.
“The first for you, of course. My future husband isburning with jealously.”
“Thank you,” he smiled weakly, not finding it in hisheart to find her joke even the slightest bit amusing despite her playfulness.She stretched as high as her tiny stature would allow to reach the honey on theshelf and set it down beside Newt and squeezed his upper arm in a far morediscreet version of the hug that she’d usually throw herself into each morning.As a testament to how long she’d been in both the Scamander boy’s life, Letawas well versed on their preferences and had no difficulty selecting a lemonfrom the fruit bowl and throwing it perhaps a little too forcefully at Theseus’head. Though, he managed to catch it effortlessly but looked no less offended.“I hope your future husband is an aptKeeper, or a Seeker at the least, or the poor sod’s going to make do without aneye for the rest of his life.”
Mrs. Scamander looked pleased with her work as Leta titteredabout the table setting everything up trying to ignore the concealed laughterof Theseus, and occasionally Newt who couldn’t help himself. They knew this wasjust an overexaggerated show for Mrs. Scamander and there was nothing moreutterly hilarious and nonsensical than Leta Lestrange in a paisley patternedapron and furrowed eyebrows deciding where domestic etiquette dictated thesugar bowl should be placed.
As Leta leaned over him to fill his cup, swatting awayhis mortified attempts to do it himself, Newt poured all his attention intoshoveling pancake into his mouth as enthusiastically as possible in an attemptto absolutely not think about the dip of her neck to her shoulder and todisable his ability to talk so the urge to tell her she looked especiallypretty this morning blossomed into anything other than a pesky, internalthought.
Mrs. Scamander, happy with her morning’s efforts, wentoutside after spotting their neighbours across the road.
“What do you think?” Leta asked quietly and hopefullywhile setting his glass down and Newt was entirely aware of her hair brushinghis shoulder and ear which would normally make him shudder had it been anyoneelse so close but instead, he felt like he could melt into his chair and thatseemed a far scarier feeling.
He swallowed quickly and choked slightly.“Beautiful…b-beautiful pancakes. Really good,” he gave her a thumbs up beforehe could stop himself, but she smiled so bright he thought he might ascend.
She turned away quickly and went back to the stovewhere she seemed far more enthusiastic pouring the batter in, glowing from theencouragement of the only person whose opinion she valued. And then of coursethere was…
“Good god, Lestrange, that’s bloody awful!” Theseusgagged, spitting his first bite out into his napkin and Leta folded her armswith the spatula in her hand looking affronted.
“Newt likes it!”
Theseus chortled before standing up and taking hisglasses out his pyjama pants pocket and cleaning them on his shirt. “Newt wouldeat a bowl of ash if you wished it so.” It seemed he too had then noticedLeta’s nightclothes, or lack thereof, once the clarity of his vision wasrestored. “I think nearly every teenage boy would if you served it to themhalf-naked.”
“I’m in my pyjamas!” she snapped. “And you didn’t eat it!”
“I respect my stomach far too much for that. I mighthave managed it if it had been either burnt or raw…but you have somehow managedboth,” he said stepping over to assess the damaged and Leta frowned down at thefrypan.
Theseus reached from behind her, turning down theswitches. “Merlin, it’s up way too high.”
“Doesn’t that just mean it cooks faster?”
Newt wasn’t sure why but for some reason watching themmade something twist violently in the pit of his stomach and he nearly wincedat the suddenness of it. He didn’t hide it well, or Leta’s instincts were asgood as his were about her, because she noticed immediately, pushing Theseusout the way, with far too much dramatic force, and rushing over to him.
“Great, now I’ve made you sick!” she cried outsnatching the plate away with one hand and pushing his hair back from hisforehead with the other to feel his temperature like she had learned to do withthe baby murtlaps.
Mrs Scamander came back through the door lookingrather cheery and bright and interrupting the scene of Theseus lookingscandalized over being pushed over and Leta practically in Newt’s lap, in aworry, and completely mistaking why his cheeks were so warm under her palms.
“Newt, my darling,” she said to her son. “If you’regoing to vomit, do it quickly and before you get changed. Theseus please gofetch that nice shirt we got for your interview…”
Newt frowned. “Whatfor?”
“My funeral,” Theseus answered, swishing water in hismouth before spitting it out in the sink. “It’s too late for a beazor, littlebrother. Just put me in the ground before Lestrange can pin me up like one ofher beetles.”
“It was for a decomposition observation!” she snappedun-sashing her apron.
“It’s serial killer crafts,” Theseus said as he walkeddown the hall to his bedroom. “And it’s why the other students refused to sharea dormitory with you.”
Mrs Scamander ignored their argument and rinsed her handsbefore carding them through Newt’s hair much to his protest.
“The Prewett’s are back from their trip to Spain forthe rest of the holidays. We thought it might be a nice idea for you andPennilyn to take out the new hippogriff’s so they can stretch their wings…”
“With PennilynPrewett?” Newt scowled in a way that made Leta fail to suppress a snort andchoke on her juice.
Mrs Scamander glowered at the pair of them.
“Yes, Newton. And I will do well to remind you that wework alongside and get along very well with the Prewetts. I expect you to benothing but a perfect gentleman today.”
“He isn’t capable of anything else,” Leta smiledfondly, reaching to squeeze his hand on top of the table.
Newt stared at her for a moment too long.“I-bluh-we-but we-we were supposed to…yes!” he turned triumphantly to hismother. “Leta and I have plans to go and observe the mooncalves today.”
“Mooncalves only come out during a full moon,” Theseussaid walking back, dressed for the day now, and handing his mother a freshlypressed shirt.
“How do youknow that?” Leta took her hand off Newt’s and turned in her chair.
“Urh, it’s a mooncalf. You don’t have to froth at the mouth at the mention of anything fourlegged to understand preschool zoology.”
Leta frowned skeptically.
“…and you and Newt were talking about it through thewalls at 4am this morning,” he mumbled into his cup of tea still clearly annoyedat their interruption of his sleep.
“That’s that then, dear,” Mrs Scamander shoved theshirt at Newt. “Go put this on and then bring me that hair stuff your brotherbought when that muggle girl started working at the teashop down the streetlast year.”
“I think just saying ‘hair lotion’ would have helpedhim out enough,” Theseus muttered as Leta lit up like a Christmas tree and Newttrudged to his room in defeat.
“Poor thing,” Leta sighed after him, curling herfingers around the cup of tea she had barely noticed Theseus put down in frontof her.
“Well, if he had done a little better on his O.W.L’s,she probably wouldn’t be trying to pimp him out to our feed suppliers.”
“Excuse me,” Leta snapped defensively. “He received Acceptable in nearly all his subjectsand I personally don’t think his Astronomy essay was marked correctly. I’vealready sent a strongly worded letter to-”
“Lestrange, one of the few, simple joys in my life whenon break is not having the moral obligation to put out the fires you two start– figuratively and literally. I would be ecstatic to not hear about any plannedshenanigans until well past July. Honestly, some of the schemes I’ve had themisfortune of overhearing during the past week alone are enough to make my haircurl…”
“Figurately, I assume. I wager we would have to blowup the castle to decently contend with your muggle wooing hair gel.”
They both sipped their tea.
Newt came in, sleeves flopping hopelessly despite his half-heartedattempts to roll them up. He looked so deflated with the mornings turn ofevents and Leta tried to smile reassuringly as she stood to help.
She knitted her eyebrows together thoughtfully as shecast a charm that produced a length of thread from the tip of her wand thatdivided into sections and began stitching itself along the hems of the shirt tomake it fit Newt perfectly.
“Volume 10, issue 4 of Witch Weekly,” she answered wryly to his entranced look. “Not quiteyour mothers craftmanship I’m afraid but at least the shirt isn’t wearing youanymore.”
Newt glanced down and touched the delicate, nearlyinvisible stitching on one of the sleeves. It was true that it was a littleless even and straight then the usual tailoring he’d recognise from his schoolshirts and the stitches we’re looped like interlocking L’s.
“After taking out the new hippogriffs, what else doyou and your betrothed have planned for the day?” Leta asked teasingly as shestood on tip toes to fix his collar folded the wrong way.
“She is not my betrothed,”Newt scrunched his nose up and Leta chuckled before sighing endearingly.
“She is verybeautiful,” she mused with an encouraging and hopeful smile up at him. Newt’sshoulders fell and he sat back down in his chair staring at the tableclothglumly. Leta’s gentle encouragement, although good natured, made him feel asthough all the air had left his lungs in place of something far heavier and uncomfortable.
Leta sat beside him slowly, her eyes swimming withconcern but her smile was still bright. “But it’s just this one time and if itis truly awful, at least you trying will appease your mother and hopefully shewon’t be as cross when if she finds out we brou-” she stopped suddenly andglanced over at Theseus who was scraping the mud off his boots. He closed hiseyes and looked up to the ceiling, quietly muttering ‘not til well past July’ again.
Leta took the bottle of hair lotion from Newt’s handand lobbed it to Theseus who, again, caught it expertly but no less accusatory.
“He’ll need it,” Leta winked at Newt who didn’tunderstand the joke. “…and besides,” she messed up his hair from the neatattempt Mrs Scamander had made. “This looks much better.”
Newt couldn’t help but smile back a little. He knewthat Pennilyn had about as much interest in his company as he had hers and evenless interest in hippogriffs or any kind of creatures. Her aversion to gettingdirty and Newt’s aversion to…people in general had hampered any hope of themplaying together as children. They had exchanged polite greetings on the oddand painful occasion they crossed paths during school break and at school, sheavoided him like dragonpox and Leta even more so. He couldn’t help but feelperhaps their morning of forced chore-sharing would potentially be moreunpalatable for her than even himself but she was polite, at least, and thesooner he appeased his mother, the sooner he could get back to Leta and theirplans.
“Newt!” Mrs Scamander exclaimed exasperatedly as shewalked back in. “Now isn’t the time for a tea party! Hurry now, please. Don’tforget to put them back in their enclosure once you are both finished. Anddon’t feel the need to hurry back. I’ve put some sickles in your bag incase youboth go get some hot chocolate.”
Leta went back to her tea to hide her amused smile andNewt began to grow sour with his best friends surprising unhelpfulness.
“Maybe Leta should accompany us,” Newt piped up nottaking his annoyed look off Leta as he spoke and feeling less guilty aboutthrowing her under the best with him after her endless smirking. “Pennilynisn’t as confident with the hippogriffs and I could use the help.”
Mrs Scamander wiped her hands on her apron withoutlooking at him.
Even with her hesitation at such a strange andunlikely companionship early on, she had grown to foster and appreciate thevery close friendship Newt had with Leta Lestrange. She had also grown to loveand care for Leta herself and had witnessed the girl blossom from an ungainly,scabby-kneed child into a strikingly beautiful young woman. She was also notunaware of her son noticing this also.
She had hoped that the two could remain uncomplicatedand peaceful in the fascinating bubble in which they managed to coexist,somehow separate from their two impossibly different worlds. But a bubble is abubble after all, and Mrs Scamander knew such a place, heartbreakingly so,could not exist for the impossible pair once their education finished and they wouldreturn to their respective worlds. This was further complicated by the changeshe had noticed in her son’s heart and she felt it would be kindest, and safestin Leta’s case, to stomp out this budding potential before either child got hurt…orless tolerant relatives were to take notice.
“I was going to ask Loleta to accompany Theseusinto town today for some errands, actually.”
“Well, you could build a whole world from the thingsyou were going to do but, thankfully, we live in this world,” Theseussaid not looking up from his book. “The world in which that doesn’t happen, andTheseus maintains a decent blood pressure and an as good as to be expected underthe circumstances morning.”
Mrs Scamander looked warningly at her eldest son. “Ifyou want either of those things, Theseus, you’ll do what I ask and you’ll do itwith a smile.”
She felt quite safe with this arrangement. Despite thefact that Leta had been a part of Theseus’ life just as long as she had Newt’s,the pair had instead grown to a fond, comfortable dislike of each other. And eventhough she was often horrified by their squabbling, she knew Theseus was theonly person who from the very beginning had never been impressed, disgusted,mystified, or wary of who she was. Mrs Scamander thought Leta could professherself as the great Merlin himself in disguise and Theseus wouldn’t look upfrom his book.
“That’s no problem,” Leta said sweetly to MrsScamander. “Anything to help.”
“You look lovely,” Leta told Newt reassuringlysqueezing his palm hanging by his side. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
“As will I,” Theseus said before turning to his mother.“Hopefully not in several preservation jars in Lestrange’s trunk but if so bethe case know that you brought this upon us.”
Theseus and Leta watched from the kitchen window asNewt stood dejectedly fiddling with his sleeves next to his mother as she chattedanimatedly with another woman who was equally adorned with a quiet and unenthusiasticteenager by her side.
Leta sighed deeply, fiddling with her necklace.
“Good lord, Lestrange, he’s going on a date notheading off to war.”
He’s too good foreither. “There’s little difference to Newt.”
“In that he would fare just as well in either, then Ifear you’re right.”
“Theseus Scamander and admitting that I’m right. Isn’tthat one of the signs of the apocalypse?”
Theseus scoffed. “It couldn’t come fast enough. Getyour coat. Hopefully it hits before we arrive in the main street and thetownspeople can rest peacefully in the blissful unawareness of Leta Lestrange.”
She rolled her eyes, walking to the bedroom to getdressed and yelling loud enough for him to hear. “Apocalypse or not, I willdrag myself, bloody and battered, to glimpse the muggle teashop girl responsiblefor this county’s annual hair product sales.”
“I don’t think it’s your type of place, Lestrange. It’scosy and whimsical with soft music and a lovely assortment of tea. There’s nohopes, dreams, and animal bones on the menu, if you could believe it.”
“I can actually,” Leta said returning to the kitchendressed warmly in her coat, scarf, and boots. “I’m noticing the lack of elitepureblood-friendly cafes in this area. Nary a blood sacrifice Sunday in sight!”
“They favour poetry readings on Sunday nights, I’mafraid. It’s quite unaccommodating.”
“Well, your hometown is getting a grim one-star in myreview for the Sacred 28 Sentinal’s lifestyle section.”
“And right before our Sadistic Blood Purity SpringBig Bash Festival? Have you no heart?” he offered his arm to her as they steppedout on to the slippery pavement.
“For practical purposes yes,” Leta said linking her armswith his. “But you see it’s two sizes smaller than the average wizards.”
“Ah, it’s probably just a defect from the less thanancient incestuous genealogy. You’re not to blame, Lestrange.”
“I’ll remember to remind you of that the next time Isay something inflammatory,” Leta mused. “Surely it can’t be helped, you know, inmy unfortunate condition and all.”
“Well then, I imagine I’ll be reminded several timesbefore we reach the end of this path.”
#fantastic beasts#newt scamander#leta lestrange#theseus scamander#theseus is in a love triangle with peace and quiet tbh#newt/leta#theseus/leta#newleta#theta#theseleta#fantastic beasts the crimes of grindelwald#theseus x leta#newt x leta#pick your ship tbh platonic or romantic its vague#prompt
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A Winter’s Ball
Read on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16614212
Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warning
:
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category:
F/M
Fandom:
The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Relationship:
Harrow/Sarai (The Dragon Prince)
Characters:
Harrow (The Dragon Prince)
Sarai (The Dragon Prince)
Amaya (The Dragon Prince)
Viren (The Dragon Prince)
Language:English
Summary:
The winters ball was a well known event all throughout the human kingdoms. The start of winter often brought much gloom but the winter's ball, held on the first night od winter, was often something to look forward to. If one got a hold of an invitation, they had a chance of meeting the royal family themselves, along with other members of the royal court. Sarai had never gone, and Amaya had been invited as a plus one one year but Sarai had always wanted to go, even if it was in rags.
Grounded??? In all the seventeen and a half years in his life, he had gotten grounded a lot. But this time felt personal. The Winters Ball was tonight and Harrow always attended. It was a thing for him to hit on any girl that would let him, if he didn't do it, then did he really exist?
Or:
How king Harrow and Queen Sarai met.
The winters ball was a well known event all throughout the human kingdoms. The start of winter often brought much gloom but the winter's ball, held on the first night od winter, was often something to look forward to. If one got a hold of an invitation, they had a chance of meeting the royal family themselves, along with other members of the royal court. Sarai had never gone, and Amaya had been invited as a plus one one year but Sarai had always wanted to go, even if it was in rags.
Sarai watched each day for the weeks leading up to the winter's ball for some messenger to stop by. Of course, no one ever stopped unless it was from their grandmother or one of the letters the instructor at the academy sent Amaya about her being a soldier despite her deafness. Nothing to Sarai.
The ball was in two days, but of course nothing of invitations for commoners reached her ears. Of course. Commoners never had a reason to visit the castle.
With a loud sigh, Sarai looked past the road, up to the not-so distant castle on the horizon. "I'm going to that party, even if the elves themselves try to stop me." She said with a determined nod.
"Come on, Viren!" Harrow shouted, looking over the balcony with a bright smile. Next to him rested a bowl of punch, on his shoulder sat his young bird pip, and behind him stood his oldest friend who looked deathly afraid of something. Probably Harrow's father.
"We're going to get in trouble." The nineteen-year-old mage apprentice responded, crossing his arms and looking at the door to the balcony with a fearful scowl.
Harrow only shrugged. "So? What's my father going to do? Send us to the scaffold? Death by firing squad? Or he'll send us to the border and have the elves do it for him." He snorted when Viren's already pale skin went even paler. "Stop worrying, Viren. You're practically invincible when you're with me."
He heard Viren sigh and come closer to the ledge, until he looked at the ground below. His brown hair almost looked blond in the light of the sun. "You're very confident of this, but just remember the word practically. It's the same as if. which means that if your father decided he has had enough of me being involved in your antics in some way, he very well can do whatever the hell wants. And while he may not kill either of us, I do plan to go to the winter's ball for once in my life!"
"Once again, Viren, stop worrying." Harrow repeated in a sing sing voice. Viren drew in a breath, like he was going to respond, but then their target came into view. The high mage himself, Lord Arion. Harrow smirked and got ready to push, but Viren stopped him quickly with a panicked wave.
"No, no way! When you said we'd be pouring juice on someone important, I didn't think-"
"Chill out, Vir. It isn't like he's your actual dad or anything." Harrow chuckled, keeping an eye on the high mage as he got closer to the drop point, followed by two guards. This would be good.
"He's like my father! He'll skin me alive if he finds out I was involved." Harrow was only half listening because Viren's master was only a few steps away...
Harrow laughed as soon as the mage was in place, then shouted "Then I guess you better not be seen!" Before dropping the bowl on top of the three men below.
Except, at the last moment, Viren shouted "Wait!" and tried to reach down and grab the already falling bowl. In his panic, he slipped and fell over the very short stone railing of the balcony.
"VIREN!" Harrow shouted. Pip jumped off his shoulder and tried to dive for Viren but of course Pip could do nothing even if he was full grown. It all seemed to slow down as Viren screamed and fell to the concrete. He stopped midair, though, and Harrow gasped. Viren's screaming halted once he realized that he was no longer falling. Harrow looked past Viren at the men now covered in fruit punch, but specifically at the Lord Arion, who was chanting something with a snarl on his almost gray face, eyes black as night. He gripped something in his hand but Harrow had no clue what it could be. When he stopped chanting, Viren fell safely into a guards arms.
Harrow released a breath he didn't know he had been holding and just took a moment to try to calm his beating heart, but it stopped once again when his eyes locked onto the pitch black ones of the high mage. He was in so much trouble.
Sarai stormed into the room with a loud shout, then walked to her bed and sat down with a pout.
'What happened?' Amaya signed, pausing from the sword she was polishing in an entirely non-threatening way.
'Mom's a fucking asshole.' Sarai huffed, signing back.
Amaya gave her a questioning look before asking 'You got the invitation but mother said no?'
'WE NEVER GOT THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE!'
Amaya gave her a quizzical look before asking 'How is that mom's fault?'
"It just is." Sarai muttered allowed, crossing her arms. Amaya gave a smile, then shook her head. It was obvious, she was ticked off because once again she couldn't go. And she worked so hard to surpass even Amaya in their swordplay class so she could get noticed...
The ball was tonight...
'How is it you're almost eighteen yet your maturity level is akin to a 10 year old?'
Sarai rolled her eyes and gave her sister the middle finger as her response. She began laughing, though, when Amaya gave a dramatic horrified look, then reached for the sword and held it up at Sarai threateningly.
Sarai smiled, but the glint of the sword gave her an idea. She smirked. 'What if we didn't need an invitation?' She asked, already devising a plan.
"Grounded????" Harrow asked. In all the seventeen and a half years in his life, he had gotten grounded a lot. But this time felt personal. The Winters Ball was tonight and Harrow always attended. It was a thing for him to hit on any girl that would let him, if he didn't do it, then did he really exist?
"I warned you," Viren sighed, throwing a ball at the wall and catching it as it bounced back. While Harrow sat in the chair in front of his bed, looking depressed, Viren laid on Harrow's bed, playing around with some magic goo or something on a ball and throwing it while Pip tried to chase it. If Harrow weren't so mad, he would probably want to play with it too because it did seem pretty cool. "You're lucky your father is still allowing us to hang out in here tonight, instead of telling us to separate and 'think about what we've done.' like he used to say when we were younger."
Harrow rolled his eyes and got up, then walked out to the balcony. Viren shouted behind him because, yeah, it was freezing outside, but Harrow ignored him. He looked out at the bridge connecting the cliffs. Already the torches leading from the village closest to the castle were lit, and already people were beginning to climb the mountain in their carrages and on their horses. Harrow groaned and sat on the edge of the balcony, the same spot Viren had fallen from but been stopped by magic.
Magic...
"Hey, Viren, what was that spell the high mage did?" He asked, trying to sound curious.
Viren finally sighed and came outside to answer. "It's a simple levitation spell. You need the feather of a Xadian macaw to do it and you have to know the words, but that's it."
"Isn't Pip a Xadian macaw?"
Viren slowly nodded, clearly beoming suspicious. "... Yes..."
"You know how to do it?" Harrow asked. It was becoming difficult to hide the smile forming because Viren would never agree to do this unless he was already doing it in the first place, but this was his one way ticket to going to the ball.
"As I said, it's relatively simple." Viren shrugged.
Harrow smiled and walked over to where Pip landed, on the perch next to his cage. He smiled and took one of the fallen feathers Pip sometimes dropped, then handed it to Viren, who just stared. "Let's try it."
"What? No!" Viren's attitude changed immediately to a snarl and he shook his head. "No way! Lord Arion grounded me from doing magic!"
"Then what's with the ball?" He took the heavy, stone ball and bounced it, looking at viren pointedly.
"That's... different. Not the same magic."
Harrow sighed, then caught the ball. After a minute, he smirked and accidentally bounced it off the roof and onto the stone walkway below. "Whoops."
"HARROW!" viren shouted. "That was, like, my only thing I could do!"
"Just do the thing with the feather to put me down there and I'll toss the ball back up to you, deal?" Harrow offered his hand to shake with a smirk.
Viren huffed, then looked away, then at the balcony, then at Harrow's outstretched hand. He did this every time he was making a decision. Which meant, Harrow may be in luck. finally, Viren's shoulder's dropped and he sighed. "Okay, but I was not involved in whatever you're planning to do. You climbed off yourself using your own bedsheets and I couldn't stop you." He shook Harrow's hand, meeting the younger man's eyes.
"You got it. now do the thing." Harrow said, climbing onto the edge of the balcony.
Viren sighed, then snapped and lit a fire on his fingers. He set the feather on fire and closed his fist around it, then began chanting quietly. "hsa srehtaef a sa eltneg. won llaf... Jump, Harrow."
And, though Harrow was nervous, Harrow trusted Viren and fell backwards. He felt the wind rush onto his back and blow his dreaded hair as he fell but he was caught only moments after being in the air. It felt like he had hit a tree or something, like an invisible, hard stone slab caught him, and it lowered him to the ground. He touched the ground with his feet first once he was close enough, then stood and smiled up at Viren.
"The ball?" Viren called, holding out a hand. Harrow rolled his eyes, then searched for the ball and bounced it up to the other. Viren looked like he struggled to catch it but did catch it. "I was never involved." Viren reminded before disappearing from Harrow's sight.
Harrow smirked and ran off, not even caring if he was in his normal clothes. He looked good enough.
'this is one of your worst idea.' Amaya signed, gesturing to the blue, kind-of-poofy-but-not-really dress she wore underneath the guard armor she stole from dad.
Sarai smiled and asked 'Worse than pranking Sir Stevenson?'
'Sarai, he was already getting receiving orders from the general.' Amaya pointed out, giving her a look.
'Then why was he still there?' Sarai narrowed her eyes and smiled playfully, challenging Amaya to the same argument they had each time this was brought up.
Amaya didn't take the bait, though, and just stood from where they watched outside the gates where guards were checking for invitations 'My point is, I don't know if this plan will work.'
'of course this plan will work!' Sarai said, sure that it will. She adjusted the helmet of their mother's armor, it was a little too but but it was that or dad's and, well, even Amaya was struggling to keep the overly large armor on, even with their dressed underneath. 'I'll go first, you follow.' She reminded before standing up and turning the corner.
"Hunt!" She shouted to the two guards at the gate, startling them. She had heard the other one say the name so it could make her look friendlier if she sad it too. She jogged up, despite the difficulty because the leggings of the armor over the skirt of the slim dress she chose was constricting.
"My... name isn't Hunt..." One said, looking at an invitation before nodding and letting the carriage pass. "But it is Hunter."
"Whatever. They, they need both of you to help out with, um..." Fuck, she just thought of it. It was at the tip of her tongue... "What was it..." She snapped when she came up with it again. "Right, checking the carriages. Making sure no one brought any weapons. We were sent to take over for you until you got back."
"Really?" The other one asked suspiciously, then looked at Amaya, who smiled and nodded, holding her hands behind her back. "Where's the paper asking for us? With the captain's signature." He asked, holding out a hand.
But Sarai, at least, had planned for this part and she scowled, putting on an annoyed act. "Are you really asking for a paper so your sorry asses can obey an order? Do you know how expensive paper is getting these days?" She crossed her arms. "The captain isn't going to waste a slip just because you two are needed. Now go!" She walked forward and pushed them out of position, towards the way in which she and Amaya just came from.
It seemed her tone had sparked something because both grumbled but left, muttering "Weird recruits..."
"See? Easy." She smiled at Amaya, who rolled her eyes and walked ahead of Sarai.
'Let's just go before they realize the trick.'
Both girls ran into the hall that would lead to the ballroom and courtyard, Amaya leading the way.
Harrow snuck into the ball room, spotting his dad and Lord Arion immediately and decided, also immediately, to avoid them both. If he was caught, he would be in so much trouble. But while one side of his brain figured Hey, I should go back to my room and stay out of trouble the other screamed was YOU AINT IN TROUBLE N'LESS YOU GET CAUGHT and it was obvious which side he listened to the most.
So Harrow stayed on the other side of the ballroom. The music was lovely, dad had selected a new band this year who had an amazing violin player, the drinks amazing, and the ladies were beautiful in their dresses and skirts. Pinks, blues, greens. He only saw a few red dresses scattered through the crowd, though not really any other colors. No one was ever original. All the noblewomen acted polite and often way too modest for Harrow's liking, but it was fun to joke with them and watch them squirm when he mentioned a controversial topic, instead of just complementing them or talking about the weather.
He had been in an interesting conversation with a bright young women who was a little more than drunk though. Maybe fifteen? Apparently she had one too many drinks but she was definitely brighter than the other ladies, even of she was stumbling with each step and slurring every other word.
Because of his fascination with this bright young lady, he didn't keep an eye on his father so imagine his panic when he realized neither the high mage, nor the king were in the same spot as before. He stared wide eyes, then began searching around desperately for either.
"Ssssmethin wrng?" The girl asked, lifting her head because he had been in the middle of dipping her.
"I... gotta go." He said, bringing her to her feet and running.
'Amaya, no.' Sarai laughed, barely being able to sign correctly. Amaya was far too focused more on the man in front of her anyway. Sarai had tried to cool her sister's anger, but Amaya was dead set on showing this guy up. Well, it did serve him right, for saying women should just be respectable and quiet. Specifically in response to Sarai getting in a debate with another man about the best way to kill an elf. Not that either had actually done it. But Sarai won the conversation. Definitely.
Amaya signed to Sarai, expecting the sister to translate. As always "Don't doubt what a lady can do." Sarai said aloud, adding as much of a snarl in her voice as Amaya had currently. It was actually kinda hard considering the circumstances because while she agreed wholeheartedly with her sister, Amaya starting a fight at a royal ball they weren't even supposed to be at was just so Amaya.
"Can she not speak for herself?" One man demanded, but Amaya signed and Sarai just shrugged,
"Her sword can speak for her."
After that, one man challenged Amaya and then a fight started. And for a girl who had never even worn a dress since she was like seven, Amaya did surprisingly well fighting in one. Someone gave them each a sword, actual swords, and she and the first guy went to down. Amaya didn't make the first move, her opponent did, but she met it and dispelled it, then moved out of the way and took a shot at him, which he barely blocked. Then he stepped back and she shot forward, going in for another attack with the ferocity of a Sunfire elf and the speed of a Moonshadow elf.
The fight ended abruptly though when a line was cut from one side of the ballroom to their position and the king and the high mage themselves were approaching. "Enough." The king said in a commanding tone. Amaya, of course, didn't hear him but when she saw her opponent stand down immediately and look behind her with a surprised expression n his face, she turned quickly and she, too, set down her sword.
When Harrow caught sight of his father, he gave a sigh of relief and tired to mosy on past but curse his curiosity, he glanced past his dad to see what te commotion was about but what he saw instead was a beautiful girl with dark, medium length hair and beautiful brown eyes. She was smiling, though she was clearly trying to hide it and it was amazing. She wore an amazing black dress, fitting her form tightly.
Harrow kept walking as he passed the opening. Then her eyes met his and locked and he almost froze. Until he fell over nothing. literally. he had reached the stairs leading down and out of the ballroom. He tumbled over the steps with a shout, rolling until he stopped halfway down.
Sarai stared at the stairs where this absolute idiot fell, surprised. She looked at the king, who had come closer and was speaking to Amaya and the 'gentleman' she had fought with, then with a smirk waved goodbye to her sister and slipped out between the onlookers. She rushed to the stairs and upon locating him came down and asked "Are you okay?" She offered him her hand, and the look he gave her was pure awe and she loved it.
"If say no, will you stay?" He asked slowly, breaking his stunned silence. Sarai couldn't help but giggle a little in response, because he was kinda cute. Something about him, maybe the light stubble on his chin? He grabbed her hand and she smiled.
"C'mon, get up." She said, then pulled him up.
"THAT'S HER!" Someone shouted on the steps below. Sarai followed the sound with wide eyes, freezing when she saw the hunter guy from earlier. "SHE TRICKED US!"
FUCK. "Welp, gotta go!" She said to him, but he didn't let her go, even when she tugged.
"Oh no, this is not a Cinderella story." He said, then got up as guards began climbing the stairs quickly. "Follow me."
Then he dragged her back up the stairs and through the ballroom. from there she lost track but they went through like three corridors before they finally lost the guards.
Harrow was going to be in so much trouble!
He didn't know why he was leading this random girl through the castle and helping her escape when the guards wanted her but he was doing it. And it was working.
After the final clinks of metal armor faded into the distance, Harrow smiled and led her into the courtyard, then to the main gate and let her go. "There you go. You should probably leave before they come back."
"What about you?" She looked confused.
"Can't," Harrow shrugged.
She gave him this look, like she was annoyed but also like over it emotionally an it made Harrow's heart melt. "And why not? Whatever, come on." Now she was the one who took his hand and led him out of the gates and Harrow probably should'v stayed but hey, when a pretty girl takes your hand and says 'Come on' you'd better listen. It's like following a rainbow to reach a pot of gold.
The next morning, Harrow returned to the castle reluctantly when he finally told the mystery girl, named Sarai, who he was ad she told him she would never speak to him again if . He found Viren standing at the gate looking less than amused. "The delinquent prince returns." Viren mumbled, looking way too tired of this crap. He probably was.
"Morning Viren." Harrow greeted brightly, but Viren just rolled his eyes.
"You are in so much trouble. Was it worth it?" He asked
"I don't regret a thing."
"And that's why everyone's invited to the winter's ball each year." King harrow told young Callum and even younger Ezran with a hum. Sarai watched with a smile from the other side of the room, reading her book.
"You left out the part of what happened when we got to my place." She told him, laughing when Callum shouted "MOM!"
"Calm down," Harrow chuckled "She showed me her book collection and I ended up passing out on her bed."
"So when do I come into the picture?" Callum asked, but Sarai cleared her throat and stood up.
"That's a long story, and one for another time."
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EoA Apprection Week - Day 4: Mateo
Today’s the day we get to celebrate our sweet cinnamon-roll-wizard-king! It took me a long time to write this fic (mainly because I had no idea what to write) but I’m finally finished and really happy with how it turned out! Basically it’s a story about how the four types of love (storge, philia, eros, and agape (as they are called in greek)) are evident in Mateo’s life through childhood to adulthood. So, as always, enjoy! xD
“There are four main loves found in the world, each one a unique emotional blend. The first love is Storge (‘store-gae’), or familial love, often a love on which everyone can depend…”
The sun had barely risen over the mountains near Avalor when little Mateo de Alva awoke, excitement quickly taking the place of the drowsiness he felt most mornings. His mom had told him just the night before that she had a surprise planned for him, and he’d spent all night tossing and turning as he speculated on what it could be. He still hadn’t quite figured out exactly what his mother had planned, but he was thrilled all the same, knowing that whatever the surprise was he’d be happy with it. He waited silently in his bed as he listened for the sounds of his mother stirring in the room beside his, and after a few minutes his patience was rewarded when his door creaked open and Rafa de Alva peered inside, smiling at her son.
“I should’ve known you’d already be awake, mi hijo.” Her eyes twinkled affectionately at him as she gestured for him to get up. “Get dressed, and I’ll get us some breakfast.”
Mateo didn’t need to be told twice, and after the two of them had a quick bite to eat they set out into the early morning, the nighttime fog dissipating as the suns powerful rays shone down upon them. They made their way into town, only stopping to wave at a few passerby’s or call out a quick greeting, until they finally came to a stop in front of an old, rundown store, right on the edge of town.
Mateo looked up at his mother, his countenance clearly expressing his confusion. “Is this the surprise?” he asked.
Rafa nodded, and pointed to the weathered sign above the door. “Can you read what that says?”
Mateo squinted at the words, sounding them out as he pieced together their meaning. “Li…bra…ry.” He paused, and then suddenly exclaimed, “Library! This is a library? I’ve never been here before.”
“That’s because it hasn’t been open in several years,” Rafa explained sadly. “Shuriki banned most fictional stories along with dancing and music, but I used to know the man who worked here many years ago, and he gave me the key so that we could go inside.” She walked up to the door and pulled a small bronze key from her skirt pocket. “I know how much you love to read, so I wanted to show you this place.” She opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Mateo to enter first.
The room was dark and smelled of mold and mothballs, but soon Mateo’s eyes adjusted to the light and he saw the room was lined with bookshelves, stacked with more books he’d seen in his life. He gasped aloud, and his mother chuckled beside him.
“I take it you enjoy the surprise?” she asked.
Mateo couldn’t find the words to express how happy he was to see actual books that weren’t the three he’d read over and over again at home, so instead he threw his arms around his mother, hugging her as tightly as he could.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” he finally managed to say, his voice muffled against her shirt.
“You are most certainly welcome,” Rafa replied, returning her sons embrace. “I love you, mi amado.”
Mateo smiled widely. “I love you too.”
“The second love is one of goodwill and friendship, or Philia (‘phil-ee-uh’), as it is so often named…”
Mateo would be the first to admit that he bit off more than he could chew when it came to preparing for the Harvest Festival. He told Luisa that he could handle the decorations, and then when Esteban asked if he would help hang up notices in town saying that the festival would be held in the Palace, he couldn’t bring himself to say no, and then when Elena asked him to help prepare a magic firework show for the end, he immediately agreed, saying it was a great idea. So now he was up to his ears in work, trying to get all the decorations set up in the ballroom while also figuring out a spell that would make fireworks fly into certain formations in the sky, all before heading into town in a few short minutes with Esteban.
“The streamers should go here,” he muttered to himself, levitating the decorations into the air with his tamborita, while his other hand drew ideas of how to enchant the fireworks. “And—oh, maybe the fireworks could take the shape of certain fruits that’re going to be harvested…” He quickly jotted the idea down, and then looked to the window, noting the sun was almost directly above the palace, signaling that it was nearly noon.
I have to hurry, Mateo thought with slight alarm, and accidentally dropped the streamers to the floor, where they became a tangled mess. No, not now, he moaned inwardly, tossing aside his notebook to try and quickly untangle the decorations before him.
He really needed to learn to say no to people, or at least not overbook himself.
He was just about to try ditching the streamers all together and start working on the flower centerpieces Luisa wanted when he heard his name being called from the other side of the ballroom.
No, I’m sorry, but I can’t—please don’t ask me to do anything else! his mind hollered as he turned around to see Naomi and Gabe walking toward him.
“Watcha doing?” Naomi asked, staring at the piles of random decorations scattered throughout the room.
Panicking, Mateo thought. “Trying to finish these decorations for Luisa, but…. it’s not going too well.”
Gabe glanced over at Mateo’s notebook and picked it up with curiosity. “And what’s this? It doesn’t look like a decoration,” he chuckled.
“Oh, that. I’m also trying to work out some enchantments that Elena wanted me to use on the fireworks tonight,” Mateo explained, stuffing the flowers into vases as quick as he could. He was unaware of his friends staring at him in confusion.
“Uh, why the rush? The festival isn’t until tonight y’know,” Naomi pointed out, her expression one of slight concern.
“I promised to meet Esteban at noon and help him hang up notices for the festival throughout town.” He turned to the window again and figured the sun was high in the sky, meaning it was probably noon.
“You don’t have to do everything, you know,” Gabe told him, picking up the tangled mass of streamers and gently unwinding the delicate paper.
“I know, but I promised them all I would do it…” Mateo trailed off with a sigh.
“Well, I have a solution for you.” Naomi took Mateo’s notebook and pressed it into his hands. “You finish the firework thing, since you’re the only one who can, and I’ll go into town with Esteban to deliver notices while Gabe works on the decorations. Okay?”
Mateo felt as though a large weight had just been removed from his shoulders. “Really? You’d do that?”
Naomi scoffed as she threw an arm across Mateo’s shoulders. “Uh, duh. We’re your friends—of course we’d help you.”
Mateo gave them both a grateful smile. “Thank you! I love you guys—you’re the best.” And with a quick wave he dashed off to his workshop, determined to create the best firework show anyone in Avalor had ever seen.
“And Eros (‘air-ohs’) is the love of passion and desire, a true romance that shall not be tamed…”
“What are you thinking about, mi querido?”
Mateo opened his eyes and saw Elena looking down at him, still gently stroking his hair with her fingers.
He shrugged, a small smile playing over his lips. “As of right now? Probably how I never want to move from this spot as long as I live.”
Elena rolled her eyes playfully at his response. “Well, since your head is on my lap I guess that means I’m never moving either.”
“Precisely.”
Elena flicked his ear and laughed when he frowned at her with narrowed eyes. “I think that may be a bit of a problem though, seeing as Isa’s quinceñera is tomorrow and we have to help prepare,” she pointed out.
“Since when are you the practical one?” Mateo joked as he closed his eyes again, the warmth of the sun plus Elena’s gentle touches soothing him.
“It seems you may be rubbing off on me,” Elena replied thoughtfully. “I mean, it’s not like we spend the whole day together or are a couple or anything.”
“Of course not,” Mateo agreed with mock seriousness. “We’re strictly friends, nothing more.”
There was a beat of silence before Elena began laughing, prompting Mateo to open his eyes again just to see her joyful face.
“Do you remember when we tried to convince everyone we were just friends, even though we both already confessed our feelings to each other?” she asked with an amused smile.
Mateo cringed. “Yeah, we were terrible liars. I also remember your abuela practically ordering us to start courting at some point after that.”
“We were such shy, awkward teens back then,” Elena reminisced fondly. “Thankfully we’ve gotten better.”
“No kidding,” Mateo chuckled in response. He looked up at Elena again and couldn’t help but smile. “So…” he began, reaching up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. “What are you thinking about, mi querida?”
Elena hummed softly as she thought. “What am I thinking? How about you guess.”
“I’m going to go out on a limb and say…me.” Mateo winked.
“Well aren’t you a little self-centered,” Elena chided teasingly. “But, alas, you are correct. You know me too well.”
“It’s a skill that I take much pride in,” said Mateo, grinning unabashedly. “But I must ask, what exactly are you thinking about me? Nothing too awful, I hope.”
“Only the worst, undoubtedly,” Elena assured, but then her eyes became soft as she reached down to intertwine their fingers. “Honestly though? I was probably thinking about your sweet smile, or the way your eyes always light up when you see me, or just how lucky I am to have you by my side.”
His heart swelling with emotion, Mateo finally sat up, turning to gently cup her face with his hands. Elena’s eyes fluttered close at his touch, and she turned her head to press a soft kiss to his palm. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, you know that?” she whispered tenderly.
Mateo found that at the moment, no words could describe how much she meant to him too, so he simply leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, quickly loosing himself in their passionate exchange.
“I love you,” he mumbled when they eventually broke for air, silently willing her to understand just how much he cared for her.
Elena seemed to fully comprehend the unspoken implication his words held, for she kissed him again just as fervently, and together they reveled in the bliss that only they could bring each other.
“The final love is a special one only seen in those who are selfless and kind, for Agape (‘ah-gah-peh’) is a universal love, that can be stronger than them all combined…”
The ground shook beneath Mateo’s feet as the ancient Maruvian creature turned around to face him. It was roughly about the size of a large, four story building, and was made of pure, impenetrable marble, making it nearly impossible to defeat. Yet it wasn’t the monster that Avalor was in danger from—it was the malvago controlling it.
“Don’t do this!” Mateo pleaded with the man, raising his weary arms to shoot another spell at the creature to keep it from trampling the houses and shops belonging to the citizens of Avalor. “Why are you trying to destroy the city?”
His mind immediately flashed to Elena and his friends and family, who were all currently helping the people of Avalor find safety while Mateo was keeping the malvago and his monster at bay.
“I will do whatever it takes to find more power,” the malvago announced, his eyes blazing with hunger.
The marble monster swiped its hand at Mateo, to which he managed to avoid by ducking low to the ground. “You won’t have any power if you don’t have a city to rule, so stop destroying it!” Mateo cried in frustration, trying to find a way to get around the large creature so he could duel with the malvago, face-to-face. He tried sending a freezing spell at the Maruvian monster, but the enchantment simply had no effect on it due to its large size.
The malvago began chuckling, shaking his head at Mateo. “Young man, it’s not the city I’m after, it’s the power. The power that belongs to the Scepter of Light!”
Mateo froze as he processed this new information. An idea suddenly popped into his head; it was a bit crazy, and maybe wouldn’t even work, but Mateo was desperate and knew he had to try.
“What if I offered you a different kind of power?” he called. “A power I guarantee you’ve never seen before?”
The malvago frowned, considering his words. “And just what exactly are you offering?”
Mateo swallowed. “The Codex Maru, and every other spell book I have.”
The malvago’s face lit up with surprise. “The Codex Maru? You have it?” He suddenly squinted in confusion, looking at Mateo with mistrust. “Then why would you be willing to give it up?”
Mateo stared hard into the malvago’s eyes. “Because I love this kingdom and everyone in it, and I will not just sit around and watch my home be destroyed,” he stated, meaning the declaration with all of his heart.
The malvago held eye contact with Mateo for a long moment before he gave a curt nod, a grin slowly spreading across his lips. “I’ll accept you offer,” the man said. “Give me the Codex Maru and every other magical thing you possess, and I will leave Avalor forever.” He waved his hand and the marble monster froze, no longer set on rampaging the city.
“Good,” Mateo responded, though his heart was sinking in disappointment.
As he and the malvago made their way to the palace to retrieve the Codex Maru, Mateo couldn’t help but hope that another option would somehow reveal itself to him, yet he knew that when it came down to it, he would gladly give up all his magic and more if it meant protecting the kingdom and people that he loved.
“Each love has a purpose and design, meant to set certain feelings apart, yet it is up to ourselves to decide on the people we take into our heart.”
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The Tales of Old Vilnius
Ašmenos gatvė
- ...and also acrylics in those large jars, - says insatiable Tony, - yeah, all the colors, except maroon. And brushes. No, not these, the ones in the corner. One, two, three, and zero. And maybe... yeah, this palette knife. And that one, too. Wait, what's on that shelf?...
While we are packing everything into our backpacks, a tiny, gray-haired saleslady restlessly rummages the cashbox, like a bird in a feeder, searching for the change from Tony's 200-litai bill.
- I have no change at all, - finally, she sighs. - Maybe you can take this?
She puts a box of colorful chalks on the counter. Not pastel, not even oil crayons, just simple chalk, like the ones we used to write on a blackboard with. And, of course, on asphalt.
Chalks don't interest me, I'm trying to zip the bag, and Tony automatically puts the box in his pocket. The saleslady, assured that the problem is fixed, smiles freely.
- Good, good, - she says as we walk away, - Present it to your kids, they should be happy.
Neither Tony nor I have any children. But we leave this knowledge to ourselves, not to disappoint the tiny gray bird.
Outside the doors, two suns are shining - the sky one, and its reflection in a silver puddle that fills the entire roadside. And wind is blowing, spring-warm and so strong that we promptly give up our right to choose the path and turn, so it hits our backs.
- Sunny wind, - says Tony, and squints, like a pleased cat.
We turn around the corner, to Ašmenos gatvė, and there - who would've known?! - Wind stops. And we instantly remember that we wanted to stop for smoking a long time ago. Even before we stopped by the shop. And now we want it so much, no words could describe the feeling.
While Tony is busy with the cigarette rolling machine and empty tubes, I loiter around, pretending to be in any way helpful. And, naturally, rubberneck at the surroundings, automatically framing all I see - click, click, click.
- Look, - I say, taking a cigarette from Tony, - someone couldn't finish a hopscotch game.
- Not even the game - they couldn't finish the drawing, - he nods in agreement.
The sidewalk is, indeed, divided into squares, but the artist never got a chance to write the numbers. Maybe they were called for lunch, or just got clipped by the ears for damaging public asphalt.
On the other hand, we, two overgrown fools, don't care about the rules. No one will call us for lunch. And it's pretty hard to smack our ears.
Drunk with a sudden (like thirty years ago) and still captivating permissiveness, sunny wind, tobacco smoke and the weight of paints in our bags, I pull the box of chalks from Tony's pocket and squat next to the first square, confident in my intention to write a tremendous number 1. Bright-blue, like the sky in the puddles under our feet, or yellow, like the joyful spring sun, or green, like the future, not yet visible, foliage, or red, like Tony's old coat. However, as I pick up the chalk, all ideas disappear, and, for an unknown reason, I cover the entire square in blue. Not satisfied with the result, I shake out the leftover chalks and begin drawing fishes. Because the blue square is quite indeed the sea. Based on the bright colors of my fishes - the Red Sea. Exampli gratia. Though, in a matter of minutes, the fishes take such weird forms that the sea is clearly gifted to aliens. Let them communicate with these fishes themselves, cause human race, presented by me, gives up.
- Wow! - says Tony.
He already finished his cigarette, and now wants to enter the fight.
The second square Tony confidently shades with green and blue, and I already know that it will be Venice, the one he is so crazy about. Quickly, the colorful houses rise from the water; however, instead of gondolas and motor boats, the landscape suddenly fills with winged creatures, looking both like humans and foxes.
- Mother of God, who are they? - I ask dazedly.
Tony laughs:
- No idea. They came here themselves and decided to be. It's not my place to judge.
- Well, then let my fishes live in their waters, - I say, - They perfectly match to your foxes, I think.
- True, - agrees with me Tony, moving the box so I could also take chalks.
The third and fourth square we paint simultaneously, almost racing. Tony, of course, is the champion on this competition - he is a professional. He gets up, stretches, and observes the results with pleasure.
- Oh wow! What is it? - he asks me.
- A city map, I guess, - I reply uncertainly, setting aside purple chalk, - Right, the map. You know, the one with tour paths for tourists. Every day it is drawn on the city wall. And at night, the rain washes the picture away. Which is why in the morning comes a duty artist and paints a new one. He, of course, doesn't really remember what was on the wall yesterday. To tell you the truth, he doesn't even try to remember, drawing whatever streets he wants. But tourists can still use this map: while the artist draws his lines, the city changes to match them.
- Well, then there should be two artists, - Tony says, - Firstly, the man can't work every day. Secondly, then there is even more changes and chaos. And everyone is happy.
His drawing in the fourth square perfectly matches this statement. On the surface two very pleased winged fox-humans, a bit - as much as it's possible with their fox faces - similar to us, levitate over the city-lake, with large red mugs in their hands.
- They are drinking coffee, no doubt, - I say.
- Naturally. Whatever you look and wherever you live, it can't happen without coffee.
We might as well just go for coffee now - we wanted to, anyway, - but instead Tony begins to roll another cigarette, and I paint the fifth square. Its impossible to stop.
- What is it? - asks Tony, - It's beautiful, but I understand nothing.
- Probably, it's a book. Or rather their version of books. When you continuously fly above water, it's great to have some fun things reflect in it. For example, books with illustrations. It's also better to prepare the texts on the clouds, in the mirrored way, so that they reflect as needed.
- Alright, - Tony nods. He gives me a cigarette, grabs the chalks, and, while I relax, quickly draws flying writers in the sixth square. They carefully cover the clouds in reflected letters.
- Yep, that's exactly how they work, - I nod and begin the seventh square. Toni takes the eighth.
I draw streams of colorful wind above a rich blackness of coastal fruit gardens, and Tony works on the main square of the city, where underwater trees grow - so tall that tired creatures can relax on their branches, expanding high above the waters.
In the ninth square, I draw a bridge, but not between two riversides - between the earth and the sky. Precisely like the Old London Bridge, it is covered in buildings, at least on the visible part. What happens above the clouds? I don't know. It's not my business.
Tony is still drawing, so I roll the cigarettes. After finishing the last, tenth square, he takes the rolling machine and, stunned, freezes looking at the skies. I observe his picture, and, finally, ask:
- So... what is it?
- A map, probably, - Tony smiles, - But not the city map like yours, but how to get there. From here, I mean. In case of an emergency.
- Wow, - I say, peering at the drawing, - wow.
What else can you say?
We sit on the edge of the road and smoke. Honestly, it is a bit cold outside, since our friend wind has returned. While we were drawing, he relaxed, and now he is entirely ready to blow again.
Honestly, we should get our butts off the edge of the cold road and go to the coffeehouse or home. But we are so tired that for now, we can only smoke in the icy sunny wind and blissfully smile, looking at our work.
A girl, about ten years of age, exits the apartment house. A ginger girl in an old red coat, chubby enough to earn a nickname "bomb" or something like that. She has a waist-long ginger braid, round green eyes, straight forehead and such a forceful chin that no one would've wanted to be her hypothetic enemy. In the left hand, she holds a gray knitted hat; she probably took it off just a minute ago. In the right hand, she holds a flat round box, that one could surely use like a bat. Her face almost screams her uncompromising intention to play hopscotch in the squares she, herself, diligently drew before lunch; so they belong to her only; so no one disturbs jumping or laughs at the mistakes.
When she sees my and Tony's pictures, the girl freezes in amazement. For like five seconds, not more. Then she lands her bat on the first square, straight on the head of one of my fishes. And begins to jump.
The girl jumps very delicately. Stands for a long time in each square, preparing and calculating the next move. She tries hard - maybe to save the pictures, or to get perfectly precise movements. She seems to succeed at both.
Reaching the ninth square, the girl freezes and observes the tenth. Finally, instead of jumping, she carefully pushes the bat with her colorful boot towards the edge between the squares.
There, the bat slowly crawls on the edge, and slowly moves farther. There... hell, where is it?
The curvy girl in a red coat stands in the ninth square, on my bridge between the earth and the sky. She confusedly examines the tenth, on which nothing lies, except for Tony's picture. A flat white box couldn't possibly mix with the image. And yet, it's not there.
The girl drops her gray hat on the ground. Automatically puts the end of the braid in her mouth. Thinks. Squats down and observes the picture. Carefully, touches it with her hand. Finally, she stands up and makes a step.
We look at her as if we were enchanted.
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Ms. Powers- Part 20
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10
Part 11 Part 12 Part 13
Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19
AN: God bless y’all, look what’s finally back!!!
You woke up with your legs tangled around Steve’s in bed with the sheets draping over the two of you. The sun had just risen over the ocean covered horizon and was coming through the windows of your room. You tried to move but felt yourself trapped in the arms of Steve. You let yourself get comfortable again against the bed and in his arms and felt like you could drift back to sleep until your stomach growled at you. You went to gently lift up his arm but instead got his grip to tighten as his arms drew you closer into his chest.
“Where are you going,” he mumbled into your hair.
“I’m starving,” you giggled. “I need food.” He tried to press you closer and his movements made his stomach wake up and howl at him. “It sounds like you’re hungry too, Captain.”
He refused to open his eyes, “I’d rather stay like this.”
“Then you stay like it,” you kissed the tip of his nose and forced yourself out of his arms. “I’ll bring you food.” You went to the kitchen and whipped together a couple omelettes and smoothies with the fresh fruit you had gotten while out with Steve yesterday. As you carried the two plates and willed the two drinks to levitate in front of you, you looked down at the ring on your finger. Five days had passed since your engagement and you still looked at the ring like it was something you had never seen; you never got tired of looking at it.
When you walked back into your bedroom you saw the bed void of your fiance. Instead he stood at the railing of the deck just outside of your room with his grey sweatpants lazily hanging from his hips. “Hey hot stuff,” you whistled and set everything out on the deck table. The two of you ate and listened to the waves crash against the shore, enjoying the calming silence and each other’s company.
“When do you want to have the wedding,” he scooted you into his lap.
“I don’t know. What do you think?”
“Maybe the fall? Or winter? I looked good in darker colors,” he smirked.
“That you do.” The two were brought out of your heads when you head your cell phone starting to ring. Both of your heads perked up and looked towards the room.
“Should you get that?”
“No,” you leaned back against him. “I’m sure it’s just Nat or Tony calling trying to be nosy and see what’s going on here.” The ringing stopped after a minute and you two went back to feeling the sun and listening to the waves. Not even half a minute had passed when Steve’s phone started going off next. Tony’s ringtone echoed from the empty house.
Steve scooted you off and groaned as he got up. “Don’t answer it,” you pleaded.
“I’m just making sure it’s nothing important. If he’s just being nosy I’ll hang up.” You watched him walk away and laid back against the couch. You honed your hearing in on him. waiting to hear him tell Tony to mind his own business. Instead you heard him ask what was wrong.
“What’s wrong? What’s going on?....This needs to be done right now?...How many are missing?....Ok, I’ll talk to her….It’s ok.” You propped yourself up onto your forearms and watched him walk back out.
“What’s wrong?”
“It was Tony. Fury asked him to call us back. A group of senior agents have gone missing and he wants us back to base as soon as possible for a briefing and to send us out.”
“How long have they been missing?”
“He didn’t say but he sounded serious. We need to get back, Y/N.” You stood up and wrapped your arms around him.
“Let’s start packing,” you two stood there for a minute savering the last moments of peace before going back to the life of a hero. Eventually you let go of him and went in to back.
******
You landed and stepped back onto base. The sounds of everyone busy training and running around the compound made you strangely feel at home. “Y/N. Steve,” Fury met you at the base of the jet and walked with you hastily to the tall building. “Hope you had a nice vacation.”
“We did,” you told him.
“I can see that,” you saw him looking at your ring finger. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” you both said. The three of you quickly went to the large briefing room and found Tony and Natasha already sitting and waiting.
“Hope you got enough relaxation to get you through the rest of your life,” Tony stood up and gave you a hug and Steve a hand shake. Nat hugged you both before you all sat down at the large table.
“Nice rock you’ve got there,” Nat smiled.
You smiled at your new fiance, “He did good.”
“Alright lovebirds, listen up,” Fury captured the rooms attention. He pulled up an aerial map of a country that they had tracked a terrorist organization to. “We got intel that the terrorist organization we’ve been tracking and disassembling had their base here,” the map zoomed in on what appeared to be a small and empty village.
“Doesn’t look like a strong base,” you commented.
“That’s because it’s underground. We found the entrance and sent out 8 of our best men for recall. We watched a large wave of them roll 3 days ago. By our numbers there were 20 individuals left in the base. Our men were confident they could get the job done. They went in that night for a surprise attack. We lost communication with them 2 minutes into their infiltration of the base.”
“Any word or intel on them since,” Steve asked? Fury shook his head. “What’s the plan then?”
“We need one of our highest agents to scout the area. We need someone to follow information we get so we can find out how to corner these people. And, when the time comes, attack and bring this organization down.”
You sat up and folded your hands on the table, “We’ll go as soon as you need us to.”
“Actually,” Fury looked at Tony and Nat. “Tony can’t go because of the suit. Something like that will easily stand out and we need the element of complete surprise. Plus, we’re worried that they have a signal blocker. We lost contact with our men and we don’t want to have the possibility that the suit drops offline and stops working. Romanoff will have eyes looking for her at any airport, flight zone, any place she might be able to get into the country. These people know what they are doing and if we send her they’ll be onto us and moving their base before we know it.”
“So just send us,” Steve commented.
“Because of the nature of this recall,” Fury said sensitively, “we are only sending one agent. We can’t afford to lose more agents and we can’t afford to be made, so we need this to be all stealth.”
“I’ll go,” you and Steve both said at the same time and looked over at each other.
“On top of everything we have new recruits starting that we could really use you here for, Y/N. I’ll leave you two to discuss it but I need an answer and someone on a plane by tonight.” The three of them left you and Steve in the room and you turned your chair to face him as the door closed. “Steve-”
Steve was up out of his chair and walked to the head of the table before leaning down, “Y/N, this is going to be extremely dangerous. You heard Fury.”
“Exactly. I heard him. We lost 8 of our best without a trace. If it’s that dangerous then, Steve, I should go. I’m a walking powerhouse.”
“I’m a walking supersoldier. I’ve survived decades under ice and I’ve found aliens. I can do this.”
“And so can I,” you rose your voice. “I have been doing this for hundreds of years. This could get you killed, let me do it.”
“This could get you killed. Don’t give me that look,” he commented when you tilted your head at him and made a face. “You died, Y/N. Last major mission like this that we had you died.”
“I came back!”
“That time! You came back that time. We don’t know that it will happen again if you go to far again. I’m not risking you going over there and wasting yourself away.”
“I’m not risking you going over there and getting taken or worse.”
“You need to stay back and train the new recruits Fury has for you.” By his voice you knew what he was going to say.
“Steve-”
“I’m taking the spot, Y/N. I’m telling Fury that I’m take the job.”
“Steve, don’t do this. It’s a suicide mission.”
“You’re needed here. I’m going,” he said sternly. “I’ll be fine.”
“Steve,” you were so angry you nearly shook as he walked towards the door. “We are not done talking about this. Do not walk out that door.” The lights in the room grew brighter and brighter and hummed like they were about to explode.
He looked back at you with a sad but determined look. “I have to suit up and pack. I’ve only got a few hours before the jet leave.” He looked away from you and walked out of the door, leaving you alone in the conference room. You clenched your fists so tight that you could feel your nails cutting into your skin. Your body was shaking from anger at your fiances stupidity and you could feel your power raging in you like a hurricane, they were testing your strength and trying to let themselves loose. Knowing that things could get extremely ugly very quickly you forced yourself to sit down and buried your head in your hands as you took a few deep breaths.
“Director General?” Your head shot up and you looked at the assistant that stood in front of you. “Sorry to interrupt.”
“You’re ok.”
“Mr. Stark and Director Fury asked me to give you these.” He passed you a few thick files. “These are all the information on the new recruits starting tomorrow morning. Mr. Stark asked that you go to him with a list of any and everything that you anticipate needing for training for the next two weeks.”
“Thank you.” You cracked open the first file and started reading.
******
You left Tony with a list of supplies, weapons, and rooms that you needed booked and walked out of the building. You had gone through all the new recruit information and braced yourself for the challenges that would start tomorrow. You decided to walk through the airfield on your to your home but the glimpse of a navy suit caught your attention. Steve was helping load bags onto the jet and you walked towards him.
“Steve?” He looked back to you and you saw his duffle bag in his hands. “Packing up already?”
“I, ugh, was going to go find you in a second. The departure time got moved up.”
“To?”
“We’re leaving as soon as everything is on board and as soon as I said goodbye to you.”
“That’s it? You were going to give me a quick goodbye and head off.”
“I take it you’re still upset about me taking this.” You glanced down at your feet before meeting his glance. “Y/N, it’s my job. I can do this.” He leaned forward and gave you a kiss goodbye. “I’ll see you when I get back, ok?”
“Any word on when that will be?”
“Fury thinks 10 to 14 days.” You nodded slowly. “Hey, while I’m gone why don’t you pick a date?”
“The date of the wedding is usually something a couple picks together, Steve.”
The co-pilot, who was acting as the other agent going with Steve, told Steve they were ready and he gave you a sad look. “ I don’t care what day it is. As long as you and I get married, any day will work for me.”
“Just because that was sweet, doesn’t mean I’m not still mad at you, Rogers. You’re going to hear an earful when you get back.”
“I look forward to it.”
#marvel imagines#marvel imagine#avengers imagines#the avengers imagine#the avengers imagines#avenger imagine#avengers imagine#MS. POWERS#ms.powers#ms. powers story#captain america imagine#captain america imagines
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♠ demon blood | self-para
to loathe - to feel disgust or intense aversion; abhor ;
... thirteenth of january , 1979 ...
Tension filled the cold January night, snowflakes dripping from the jet black sky above Augustus, each one falling down thinner and thinner. A piece of parchment was moving freely in his pockets, the only trace that would be erased immediately after it was done. The pristine man was walking on the pavement leading to the Rookwood manor, a huge estate built from solid rock, the creeping moonlight making the building bloom mysteriously.
His steps echoed in the air, the real Augustus out of its cage. As the bird escaped its prison it grew into a wolf, and then morphed into a tiger. All it took was that piece of parchment for the feline to turn into an unstoppable dragon, breathing fire of r a g e . Just the mere thought of Aldrich made him sick to the stomach. Perhaps the young Rookwood would have bestowed his father with forgiveness, after a lie so cruel, a lie that made him question his existence. But he couldn’t let that happen. How could someone lie to his own son for the reason why his own mother had died? Augustus’s idol, the one who he longed to become, hidden behind a lie to make her seem less tragic, to shroud him from the truth. No, after ten years Augustus was still not over that, and he could never be.
His father had changed him for the greater good,
but his father also had to pay for everything else.
Aldrich tried to lie to him again, to lure him in the mansion with an owl, but Augustus wasn’t going to go out of it without what he had in mind. He entered the mansion, the familiar amethyst light illuminating the corridors, nothing but silence greeting him. Perhaps he is on another planet, poisoned by his potions and drugs, Rookwood thought, making slow steps and greeting the shadows around him with so much as a nod. With each step, something drew a breath – a shadow or two, the candles in the lamps, the ceiling, the floor – until it all started moving with him.
K i l l h i m , they whispered.
Dear Augustus, the letter began repeating itself in his head. Despite your complete ignorance and hate towards me, I must inform you that I am on my dying bed. A smirk crawled on his face, as he started climbing the staircase. Apologizes won’t work with you, that I know. You despise me, you’ve proven that to me, but I have one last, dying wish. Do it for her. Augustus shook his head, hazel locks falling back.
A mad man would think he was doing this for his father... to see him dying away from his own hallucinations for one last time, to give him comfort and solace. However, Augustus was not the one to deceive people that didn’t deserve his attention. The mask was long gone for his father, Aldrich perfectly knew who Augustus was. Now he would know his true feelings about him. Now, Augustus had the chance to tell him everything he had hidden in his chest.
The story was simple. After Augustus’s birth, his mother Alyssa was in a life-threatening condition. In sorrow and worry Aldrich approached drugging potions, the dose of which was too strong, and after his nightly visit he saw her dead through his eyes, while she was very much alive. In his mind, a corpse was moving to hug him, a corpse was talking to him, so he used the killing curse on her, believing he was killing a dead man walking, only to find out it was all in his head. It took him a few Imperio’s to work his way through it and clear the reputation his family had, but Augustus never knew, not until his second year in Hogwarts.
Rookwood almost smashed the door of his father’s bedroom open, welcomed by the very same violet glimmer and a fire cracking in the fireplace. On the soft silk was his dying father, loud but slow breaths audible from miles away. Near the door, a bottle of firewhiskey was standing almost inviting the young one to take a sip, amber liquid quickly finding place in a little glass levitating to Augustus’ hands.
“You are finally fucking dying, huh? Was about time.“ he shook his head, taking a little sip from the alcoholic drink. “Have you ever thought what you... well, did? You know, elaborate on your memories and life choices?“ The old man tried to speak, tried to intervene his words, to forget about their past. Aldrich only wanted to hear ‘I love and forgive you’ from his son’s lips, but such words never tumbled out of Augustus’ throat. “Save your strength.“
Suddenly, a few steps and he closed the distance, the shadows alive following him all around, hissing around me. Fury was in his eyes, all the memories relived. “Do you understand the torture it was for me in Hogwarts? It traumatized me but you never knew that, did you?“ the hazel-haired man threw the burning liquid in his fathers’ eyes, feeling the pain from it but the satisfaction in his heart was better. “I couldn’t sleep. For years. I had her coming to me and beg me to kill you. I had hallucinations, Aldrich. You drove your kid mad.“ The word ‘father’ was one that Augustus had forgotten with the years.
“But here you are on your dying bed, and I have the honors to be with you. Where is your potion? The one you drug yourself with? The one that you tried to keep secret from me?“ he scoffed, shaking his head once more with a smirk on his lips. “You thought I didn’t know? What else? Did you also think I didn’t know you were dead sick?“ Augustus closed the distance between the two men’s faces, hissing and spitting in his father’s face bitter words. “I know everything and you are a lying man. A lying bastard. Perhaps I am who I am now thanks to you... one that lies for his own sake and profit. At least I have grace and brains. You don’t. You are sad and pathetic.“
Augustus slowly stood up, making his way to an armchair close to the bed. His eyes lingered on the silk, violet pillow, almost feeling the softness of it against his fingertips. Aldrich tried to speak, to say something, but the young Rookwood intervened. “I don’t allow you to speak. I don’t want you to even utter a word.“ But his father didn’t listen, instead saying the only thing Augustus didn’t feel towards his father.
“I love you son... f o r g i v e me, please, forgive me.“
And even until his last breath, his father was a fool. To even think Augustus would ever forgive him was stupid and to try and use his death as an excuse was even more hilarious. Most would think this simple lie was nothing, but not for Augustus. Aldrich Rookwood was the reason his mother had died, and the young man hated him because of that, because his father had blamed it on ‘an accident’, because his father had lied to him and the whole pureblooded community. This lie had given him insomnia, it had given him a medical condition, that could ruin his life and reputation. “How dare you manipulate me? Out of all people, Merlin, that letter? Do it for her? If I did it for her, you would’ve been dead long ago. When she first came up to me as a fruit of my fucked up mind, that’s when I would’ve done it for her, you fucking piece of shit.“
Augustus simply took the silk pillow from the armchair, shifting it from his right to his left hand.
“I don’t love you.“ he said, making a step forward to the bed ;
“I certainly don’t give a fuck about you.“ a silent hiss ;
“I l o a t h e you.” he took a final step, standing above his father’s face like a predator ;
“I will never forgive you.“
There were no screams, no breathing and no retaliation. Silk pillow pressing against his nose and mouth tightly, the Unspeakable listened as his father’s heart slowed its rate, until it stopped beating, and his head tilted slightly to the side. Augustus invited the shadows to overtake his heart, as the piece of parchment flew from his pocket to the fireplace, the embers devouring it and turning it into ashes.
Aldrich Rookwood was dead, and Augustus felt nothing but satisfaction.
The dragon turned into a demon.
#&&selfpara#tw: death#tw: parental loss#tw: mental diseases#I CHANGED THE HC I HAD FOR AUG AND HIS FAMILY SITUATION but have this#my rookwood family is so fking fucked and angsty#so yeah#have those 14 paras#enjoy reading!!! <3
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The Church's Year - INSTRUCTION ON THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
The Introit of this day's Mass is the prayer of a soul that trusts in God's powerful and merciful protection:
INTROIT The Lord is the strength of his people, the protector of the salvation of his Anointed: save, O Lord, thy people, and bless Thine inheritance, and rule them for ever. Unto Thee will I cry, O Lord: O my God, be not Thou silent to me; lest if Thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. (Ps. XXVII.) Glory etc.
COLLECT O God of hosts, to whom belongeth all that is perfect: implant in our hearts the love of Thy name, and grant within us an increase of religion, that Thou mayest nourish in us what is good, and by the fervor of our devotion may preserve in us what Thou hast nourished. Through etc.
EPISTLE (Rom. VI. 3-11.) Brethren, All we who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in his death. For we are buried together with him by baptism unto death: that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father so we also may walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin may be destroyed, to the end that we may serve sin no longer. For he that is dead is justified from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also together with Christ. Knowing that Christ, rising again from the dead, dieth now no more, death shall no more have, dominion aver him. For in that he died to sin, he died once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. So do you also reckon that you are dead indeed to sin, but alive unto God, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
EXPLANATION The apostle here teaches that in consequence of our baptism we are made members of Christ's body, and must, therefore, die to sin; as Christ by His death died to physical life, but has risen again, so must we bury sin, by constant renewal of baptismal vows, and by self?mortification rise to a Christian life. As members of Christ's body we should in a spiritual manner imitate Him. As He permitted His body to be nailed to the cross to atone for our sins, so should we crucify our corrupt nature by self-denial, and as He after His Resurrection lives always, because having risen He dieth no more, so we, risen from the death of sin, should lead a pious life conformable to that of Christ.
ASPIRATION I trust, O Lord Jesus, that by the merits of Thy passion I have risen from the death of sin: grant me Thy grace, that as Thou diest no more, so may I die no more by sin, but live for God, according to Thy law.
GOSPEL (Mark. VIII. 1-9.) At that time, When there was a great multitude with Jesus, and had nothing to eat, calling hisdisciples together, he saith to them: I have compassion on the multitude, for behold they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat; and if I shall send them away, fasting, to their ,home, they will faint in the way: for some of them came from afar off. And his disciples answered him: From whence can any one fill them here with bread in the wilderness? And he asked them: How many loaves have ye? Who said: Seven. And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground. And taking the seven loaves, giving thanks, he broke, and gave to his disciples to set before them: and they set them before the people. And they had a few little fishes, and he blessed them, and commanded them to be set before them. And they did eat, and were filled, and they took up that which was left of the fragments, seven baskets: and, they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.
Why did Christ say: I have compassion on the multitude?
Because of His mercy and goodness to man, as well as to prove that which He taught on another occasion, (Matt. VI. 33.) that to those who seek first the kingdom of God and His justice all other things will be added, without asking; for none of the multitude asked Christ for food, and yet He provided for all.
REMARK. The instruction after the gospel for the fourth Sunday in Lent, where a similar miracle is mentioned, may be read to-day.
INSTRUCTION ON BLESSING
And He blessed them. (Mark VIII. 7.)
Seduced by Satan, the first man violated the holy is command of God, and by his sin brought upon himself and his habitation the curse of divine wrath. (Gen. III. 17.) Man was made by God, and therefore subject: to Him, but was himself master of all created things. .After the sin of disobedience, however, all creation revolted against him: the animals fled from him, the fields yielded only thorns and thistles, the herbs became poisonous to him, or refused him their former wholesome power. Innumerable evils followed, all men and even the whole earth suffered from them; the devil drew both into his sphere and made them his servants, and this evil spirit now made use of created ,things to divert man altogether from God and to cause his eternal ruin. But God decreed that man and earth should not remain in this condition: Christ, the Son of God, came upon earth, redeemed it from the bonds of Satan, and gave all men the power to become once more God's children. The devil was conquered by the cross, but not slain; man and the, earth were indeed taken from his dominion, but not from his influence; for he even now, as the apostle Writes, goes about like a roaring lion, seeking ,whom he may devour, (I Peter V. 8.); and as he used the forbidden fruit in paradise to seduce man, he now uses the created things of the earth to tempt man, and, make him his servant. Man and all creation had to be drawn from this pernicious influence, to be liberated from the bondage of corruption and be brought to the freedom of the children of God. (Rom. VIII. 19.) This is done in the Church, to which Christ entrusted the power of binding and loosing, and gave the work of sanctifying through the Holy Ghost, by means of blessing and consecrating. By virtue of the merits of Christ, and with the assistance of the Holy Ghost, the Church, or the priest in her name, therefore blesses and consecrates persons as well as other created things which they are to use, or which she is to apply to the service of God. In this the Church follows the example of Christ and the Apostles. Jesus embraced children and laid His hands upon them, blessing them; (Mark X. 16.) He blessed bread and fishes, the food of thousands; blessed breed and wine at the last supper; (Matt. XXVI. 26.) was recognized by the disciples in the blessing of bread; (Luke XXIV. 30.) blessing the disciples He ascended into heaven; (Luke XXIV. 51.) by His command the apostles wished peace to every house into which they stepped; (Matt. X. 12, 13.) and St. Paul expressly says, that every living thing is sanctified by prayer and the word of God. (I Tim. IV. 5.) Following the example and command of Christ the Church also introduced blessings and benedictions which were prefigured in the Old Law. God commanded the priests to sanctify and to consecrate whatever was to belong to His service, (Levit. VIII.) and the Old Law is full of blessings and consecrations which had to be used by the priests; (Exod. XXIX. 36.; XXX. 25.; XI. 9.) and if persons and things used for God's service were to be blessed, how much more so in the. New Law which in place of the type, contains the reality and truth The testimony of Scripture is confirmed by all the holy Fathers, and by the constant practice of the Church which has received from Christ, the power to bless and to consecrate.
The blessing or benediction of the Church is nothing more than a, prayer of intercession which the priest makes in the name of the Church, that for the sake of Christ (therefore the sign of the cross) and the prayers of the saints, God may give His blessings to a person or thing, and sanctify it. Through consecration, in which besides prayer and the sign of the cross, the anointing with holy oil is used, things required for divine service are separated from all other things and especially sanctified. Thus persons, fruits, bread, wine, houses, ships and fields, are blessed; churches, altars, bells, &c., are consecrated.
What virtue have these blessings?
The chief effects of the blessing of persons are: Preservation or liberation from the influence of Satan; preservation of the soul from his temptations and evil suggestions; reservation of the body and of the property from his ;pernicious malice; forgiveness of venial sins, and strength to suppress concupiscence; curing of sickness and physical evils, whether natural or supernatural; a blessing upon the person and his surroundings; the imparting of the grace of conversion; the advantage of the prayer of the Church and further grace for the remission of temporal and eternal punishment. ? The blessing of things withdraws them from the influence of the devil, so that he can no longer use them as a means of bringing us into sin, but that they rather serve us as a protection against the evil spirits and as a means for our salvation.
Whence do the blessings derive their force?
From the merits of Christ who by His death on the cross vanquished Satan. The Church asks God that He will through these merits and through the intercession of the saints bless a person or thing, and make that which is blessed profitable to us fox both body and soul. Whether or not the effects manifest themselves in the person who receives the blessing, or makes use of the object blessed, depends on his faith and moral condition, as also on the usefulness or profit of the blessing to him. We should not, then, place obstacles in its way by diffidence in God and the prayers of the Church or by a sinful life, but should always be convinced. that these benedictions will serve for our benefit, if according to God's will they are used as the Church intends, as a means to overcome evil, to sanctify ourselves, and to honor God.
Why are salt and water blessed?
This is plainly shown in the prayer the priest says in blessing them; for he asks, in the name of the Church, that God may pour the virtue of His blessing over the water that it may conquer devils, prevent sickness, and that everything which is sprinkled with it, may be preserved from every injury, and that He may bless the salt, so that it may be salutary for the body and soul of all who use it. The salt which Eliseus sprinkled into the unwholesome waters of Jericho healed them, (IV King. II. 20. 21.) and is a type of blessed salt.
Why are the people sprinkled with holy water on Sundays?
To remind the people of the interior purity with which they should come to divine service, and fulfil the duties of their calling; and to exhort them to purify themselves from the stains of sin by tears of sorrow, and repentance. Hence the priest in sprinkling the faithful recites the words of the fiftieth psalm: Asperges me hyssopo, etc. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; to remind them to preserve the purity and innocence procured by the blood of the Lamb of God, and communicated to them in baptism. Finally, the people are sprinkled that the temptations of the devil may depart from them, enabling them to attend with great fervor and with more recollection to the holy service.
What else is to be remembered concerning the use of blessed things?
That they are to be used with faithful confidence for the purpose for which the Church blessed them, and are to be treated with great reverence, because they are blessed by the Church in the name of Jesus, a custom almost as old as Christianity itself. The Christian must not believe that blessed things which he possesses, carries, or uses, will make him holy, for he should always remember that things blessed are only a means of sanctification, and are only effectual when the faithful have the earnest will to die rather than sin, to fight with all fervor against the enemies of their salvation, to follow Christ, and be thereby received into the freedom of the children of God, and into heaven.
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23rd January >> Mass Readings (Except USA)
Saturday, Second Week in Ordinary Time
or
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Saturday, Second Week in Ordinary Time
(Liturgical Colour: Green)
First Reading
Hebrews 9:2-3,11-14
He has entered the sanctuary once and for all through his own blood
There was a tent which comprised two compartments: the first, in which the lamp stand, the table and the presentation loaves were kept, was called the Holy Place; then beyond the second veil, an innermost part which was called the Holy of Holies.
But now Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, which is better than the one made by men’s hands because it is not of this created order; and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves, but his own blood, having won an eternal redemption for us. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer are sprinkled on those who have incurred defilement and they restore the holiness of their outward lives; how much more effectively the blood of Christ, who offered himself as the perfect sacrifice to God through the eternal Spirit, can purify our inner self from dead actions so that we do our service to the living God.
The Word of the Lord
R/ Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 46(47):2-3,6-9
R/ God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
All peoples, clap your hands,
cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,
great king over all the earth.
R/ God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
God goes up with shouts of joy;
the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing praise for God, sing praise,
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
R/ God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
God is king of all the earth,
sing praise with all your skill.
God is king over the nations;
God reigns on his holy throne.
R/ God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Gospel Acclamation
2 Corinthians 5:19
Alleluia, alleluia!
God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.
Alleluia!
Or:
cf. Acts of the Apostles 16:14
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!
Gospel
Mark 3:20-21
Jesus' relatives were convinced he was out of his mind
Jesus went home, and once more such a crowd collected that they could not even have a meal. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind.
The Gospel of the Lord
R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Liturgical Colour: White)
(Readings for the memorial)
(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Saturday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)
________
EITHER: --------
First reading
Genesis 3:9-15,20
The mother of all those who live
After Adam had eaten of the tree the Lord God called to him. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’
Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this,
‘Be accursed beyond all cattle,
all wild beasts.
You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust
every day of your life.
I will make you enemies of each other:
you and the woman,
your offspring and her offspring.
It will crush your head
and you will strike its heel.’
The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live.
OR: --------
First reading
Genesis 12:1-7
All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you
The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.
‘I will bless those who bless you:
I will curse those who slight you.
All the tribes of the earth
shall bless themselves by you.’
So Abram went as the Lord told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had amassed and the people they had acquired in Haran. They set off for the land of Canaan, and arrived there.
Abram passed through the land as far as Shechem’s holy place, the Oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘It is to your descendants that I will give this land.’ So Abram built there an altar for the Lord who had appeared to him.
OR: --------
First reading
2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-11,16
The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House
Once David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.’
But that very night the word of the Lord came to Nathan:
‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’
OR: --------
First reading
1 Chronicles 15:3-4,15-16,16:1-2
They brought in the ark of God and put it inside the tent that David had pitched for it
David gathered all Israel together to bring the ark of God up to the place he had prepared for it. David called together the sons of Aaron and the sons of Levi. And the Levites carried the ark of God with the shafts on their shoulders, as Moses had ordered in accordance with the word of the Lord.
David then told the heads of the Levites to assign duties for their kinsmen as cantors, with their various instruments of music, harps and lyres and cymbals, to play joyful tunes.
They brought the ark of God in and put it inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and they offered holocausts before God, and communion sacrifices. And when David had finished offering holocausts and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.
OR: --------
First reading
Proverbs 8:22-31
Before the earth came into being, Wisdom was born
The Wisdom of God cries aloud:
The Lord created me when his purpose first unfolded,
before the oldest of his works.
From everlasting I was firmly set,
from the beginning, before earth came into being.
The deep was not, when I was born,
there were no springs to gush with water.
Before the mountains were settled,
before the hills, I came to birth;
before he made the earth, the countryside,
or the first grains of the world’s dust.
When he fixed the heavens firm, I was there,
when he drew a ring on the surface of the deep,
when he thickened the clouds above,
when he fixed fast the springs of the deep,
when he assigned the sea its boundaries
– and the waters will not invade the shore –
when he laid down the foundations of the earth,
I was by his side, a master craftsman,
delighting him day after day,
ever at play in his presence,
at play everywhere in his world,
delighting to be with the sons of men.
OR: --------
First reading
Ecclesiasticus 24:1-4,8-12,18-21
From eternity, in the beginning, God created wisdom
Wisdom speaks her own praises,
in the midst of her people she glories in herself.
She opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High,
she glories in herself in the presence of the Mighty One:
‘I came forth from the mouth of the Most High,
and I covered the earth like a mist.
I had my tent in the heights,
and my throne in a pillar of cloud.
Then the creator of all things instructed me,
and he who created me fixed a place for my tent.
He said, “Pitch your tent in Jacob,
make Israel your inheritance.”
From eternity, in the beginning, he created me,
and for eternity I shall remain.
I ministered before him in the holy tabernacle,
and thus was I established on Zion.
In the beloved city he has given me rest,
and in Jerusalem I wield my authority.
I have taken root in a privileged people,
in the Lord’s property, in his inheritance.
Approach me, you who desire me,
and take your fill of my fruits,
for memories of me are sweeter than honey,
inheriting me is sweeter than the honeycomb.
They who eat me will hunger for more,
they who drink me will thirst for more.
Whoever listens to me will never have to blush,
whoever acts as I dictate will never sin.’
OR: --------
First reading
Isaiah 7:10-14,8:10
The maiden is with child
The Lord spoke to Ahaz and said, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.’ ‘No,’ Ahaz answered ‘I will not put the Lord to the test.’
Then Isaiah said:
‘Listen now, House of David:
are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men
without trying the patience of my God, too?
The Lord himself, therefore,
will give you a sign.
It is this: the maiden is with child
and will soon give birth to a son
whom she will call Immanuel,
a name which means “God-is-with-us.”’
OR: --------
First reading
Isaiah 9:1-6
A Son is given to us
The people that walked in darkness
has seen a great light;
on those who live in a land of deep shadow
a light has shone.
You have made their gladness greater,
you have made their joy increase;
they rejoice in your presence
as men rejoice at harvest time,
as men are happy when they are dividing the spoils.
For the yoke that was weighing on him,
the bar across his shoulders,
the rod of his oppressor,
these you break as on the day of Midian.
For all the footgear of battle,
every cloak rolled in blood,
is burnt,
and consumed by fire.
For there is a child born for us,
a son given to us
and dominion is laid on his shoulders;
and this is the name they give him:
Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God,
Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.
OR: --------
First reading
Isaiah 61:9-11
I exult for joy in the Lord
Their race will be famous throughout the nations,
their descendants throughout the peoples.
All who see them will admit
that they are a race whom the Lord has blessed.
‘I exult for joy in the Lord,
my soul rejoices in my God,
for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation,
he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity,
like a bridegroom wearing his wreath,
like a bride adorned in her jewels.
‘For as the earth makes fresh things grow,
as a garden makes seeds spring up,
so will the Lord make both integrity and praise
spring up in the sight of the nations.’
OR: --------
First reading
Micah 5:1-4
He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord
The Lord says this:
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
the least of the clans of Judah,
out of you will be born for me
the one who is to rule over Israel;
his origin goes back to the distant past,
to the days of old.
The Lord is therefore going to abandon them
till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.
Then the remnant of his brothers will come back
to the sons of Israel.
He will stand and feed his flock
with the power of the Lord,
with the majesty of the name of his God.
They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power
to the ends of the land.
He himself will be peace.
OR: --------
First reading
Zechariah 2:14-17
'I am coming', says the Lord
Sing, rejoice,
daughter of Zion;
for I am coming
to dwell in the middle of you
– it is the Lord who speaks.
Many nations will join the Lord,
on that day;
they will become his people.
But he will remain among you,
and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you.
But the Lord will hold Judah
as his portion in the Holy Land,
and again make Jerusalem his very own.
Let all mankind be silent before the Lord!
For he is awaking and is coming from his holy dwelling.
--------
________
EITHER: --------
Responsorial Psalm
1 Samuel 2:1,4-8
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
My heart exults in the Lord.
I find my strength in my God;
my mouth laughs at my enemies
as I rejoice in your saving help.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the weak are clothed with strength.
Those with plenty must labour for bread,
but the hungry need work no more.
The childless wife has children now
but the fruitful wife bears no more.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
It is the Lord who gives life and death,
he brings men to the grave and back;
it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches.
He brings men low and raises them on high.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
He lifts up the lowly from the dust,
from the dungheap he raises the poor
to set him in the company of princes
to give him a glorious throne.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
on them he has set the world.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Judith 13:18a-19
You are the highest honour of our race!
May you be blessed, my daughter, by God Most High,
beyond all women on earth;
and may the Lord God be blessed,
the Creator of heaven and earth.
You are the highest honour of our race!
The trust you have shown
shall not pass from the memories of men,
but shall ever remind them
of the power of God.
You are the highest honour of our race!
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 44(45):11-12,14-17
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words:
forget your own people and your father’s house.
So will the king desire your beauty:
He is your lord, pay homage to him.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
The daughter of the king is clothed with splendour,
her robes embroidered with pearls set in gold.
She is led to the king with her maiden companions.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
They are escorted amid gladness and joy;
they pass within the palace of the king.
Sons shall be yours in place of your fathers:
you will make them princes over all the earth.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 112(113):1-7
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
May the name of the Lord be blessed
both now and for evermore!
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
From the rising of the sun to its setting
praised be the name of the Lord!
High above all nations is the Lord,
above the heavens his glory.
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
Who is like the Lord, our God,
who has risen on high to his throne
yet stoops from the heights to look down,
to look down upon heaven and earth?
From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
from the dungheap he raises the poor
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Luke 1:46-55
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
He looks on his servant in her nothingness;
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me.
Holy his name!
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear him.
He puts forth his arm in strength
and scatters the proud-hearted.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
He casts the mighty from their thrones
and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
He protects Israel, his servant,
remembering his mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his sons for ever.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
--------
________
Gospel Acclamation
cf.Lk1:28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!
Blessed art thou among women.
Alleluia!
Or:
cf.Lk1:45
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who believed
that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.
Alleluia!
Or:
cf.Lk2:19
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed is the Virgin Mary,
who treasured the word of God
and pondered it in her heart.
Alleluia!
Or:
Lk11:28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy are those
who hear the word of God
and keep it.
Alleluia!
Or:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary,
and most worthy of all praise,
for the sun of justice, Christ our God,
was born of you.
Alleluia!
Or:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy is the Virgin Mary,
who, without dying,
won the palm of martyrdom
beneath the cross of the Lord.
Alleluia!
________
EITHER: --------
Gospel
Matthew 1:1-16,18-23
The ancestry and conception of Jesus Christ
A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother,
Perez was the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram was the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother,
Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother,
Obed was the father of Jesse;
and Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Solomon was the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,
Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Azariah,
Azariah was the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah;
and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.
Then the deportation to Babylon took place.
After the deportation to Babylon:
Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud,
Abiud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor was the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud was the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob;
and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary;
of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.
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. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when 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. 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.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 1:18-23
How Jesus Christ came to be born
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. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when 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. 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.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 2:13-15,19-23
The flight into Egypt and the return to Nazareth
After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:
I called my son out of Egypt.
After Herod’s death, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, went back to the land of Israel. But when he learnt that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as ruler of Judaea he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he left for the region of Galilee. There he settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled:
‘He will be called a Nazarene.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 12:46-50
My mother and my brothers are anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven
Jesus was speaking to the crowds when his mother and his brothers appeared; they were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 1:26-38
'I am the handmaid of the Lord'
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 1:39-47
Blessed is she who believed the promise
Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’
And Mary said:
‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:1-14
'In the town of David a saviour has been born to you'
Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. This census – the first – took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his own town to be registered. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and travelled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn.
In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields and took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and singing:
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace to men who enjoy his favour.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:15-19
The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger
Now when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:27-35
'A sword will pierce your soul too'
Prompted by the Spirit Simeon came to the Temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:
‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel.’
As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:41-52
Mary stored up all these things in her heart
Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.
Three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They 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.’
‘Why were you looking for me?’ he replied. ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant.
He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority.
His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and men.
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 11:27-28
'Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!'
As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’
OR: --------
Gospel
John 2:1-11
'My hour has not come yet' - 'Do whatever he tells you'
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the wedding was all finished, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said ‘Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’, and they filled them to the brim. ‘Draw some out now’ he told them ‘and take it to the steward.’ They did this; the steward tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from – only the servants who had drawn the water knew – the steward called the bridegroom and said, ‘People generally serve the best wine first, and keep the cheaper sort till the guests have had plenty to drink; but you have kept the best wine till now.’
This was the first of the signs given by Jesus: it was given at Cana in Galilee. He let his glory be seen, and his disciples believed in him.
OR: --------
Gospel
John 19:25-27
'Woman, this is your son'
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.
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16th January >> Mass Readings (Except USA)
Saturday, First Week in Ordinary Time
or
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
or
Saint Fursa, Abbot and Missionary.
Saturday, First Week in Ordinary Time
(Liturgical Colour: Green)
First Reading
Hebrews 4:12-16
Let us be confident in approaching the throne of grace
The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit, or joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing can hide from him; everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves.
Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.
The Word of the Lord
R/ Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 18(19):8-10,15
R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.
The law of the Lord is perfect,
it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.
R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear,
it gives light to the eyes.
R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.
The fear of the Lord is holy,
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just.
R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.
May the spoken words of my mouth,
the thoughts of my heart,
win favour in your sight, O Lord,
my rescuer, my rock!
R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.
Gospel Acclamation
Psalm 118:36,29
Alleluia, alleluia!
Bend my heart to your will, O Lord,
and teach me your law.
Alleluia!
Or:
Luke 4:17
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives.
Alleluia!
Gospel
Mark 2:13-17
Your light must shine in the sight of men
Jesus went out to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
When Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’
The Gospel of the Lord
R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Liturgical Colour: White)
(Readings for the memorial)
(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Saturday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)
Either:
First Reading
Genesis 3:9-15,20
The mother of all those who live
After Adam had eaten of the tree the Lord God called to him. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’
Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this,
‘Be accursed beyond all cattle,
all wild beasts.
You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust
every day of your life.
I will make you enemies of each other:
you and the woman,
your offspring and her offspring.
It will crush your head
and you will strike its heel.’
The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live.
The Word of the Lord
R/ Thanks be to God.
OR: --------
First reading
Genesis 12:1-7
All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you
The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.
‘I will bless those who bless you:
I will curse those who slight you.
All the tribes of the earth
shall bless themselves by you.’
So Abram went as the Lord told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had amassed and the people they had acquired in Haran. They set off for the land of Canaan, and arrived there.
Abram passed through the land as far as Shechem’s holy place, the Oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘It is to your descendants that I will give this land.’ So Abram built there an altar for the Lord who had appeared to him.
OR: --------
First reading
2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-11,16
The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House
Once David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.’
But that very night the word of the Lord came to Nathan:
‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’
OR: --------
First reading
1 Chronicles 15:3-4,15-16,16:1-2
They brought in the ark of God and put it inside the tent that David had pitched for it
David gathered all Israel together to bring the ark of God up to the place he had prepared for it. David called together the sons of Aaron and the sons of Levi. And the Levites carried the ark of God with the shafts on their shoulders, as Moses had ordered in accordance with the word of the Lord.
David then told the heads of the Levites to assign duties for their kinsmen as cantors, with their various instruments of music, harps and lyres and cymbals, to play joyful tunes.
They brought the ark of God in and put it inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and they offered holocausts before God, and communion sacrifices. And when David had finished offering holocausts and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.
OR: --------
First reading
Proverbs 8:22-31
Before the earth came into being, Wisdom was born
The Wisdom of God cries aloud:
The Lord created me when his purpose first unfolded,
before the oldest of his works.
From everlasting I was firmly set,
from the beginning, before earth came into being.
The deep was not, when I was born,
there were no springs to gush with water.
Before the mountains were settled,
before the hills, I came to birth;
before he made the earth, the countryside,
or the first grains of the world’s dust.
When he fixed the heavens firm, I was there,
when he drew a ring on the surface of the deep,
when he thickened the clouds above,
when he fixed fast the springs of the deep,
when he assigned the sea its boundaries
– and the waters will not invade the shore –
when he laid down the foundations of the earth,
I was by his side, a master craftsman,
delighting him day after day,
ever at play in his presence,
at play everywhere in his world,
delighting to be with the sons of men.
OR: --------
First reading
Ecclesiasticus 24:1-4,8-12,18-21
From eternity, in the beginning, God created wisdom
Wisdom speaks her own praises,
in the midst of her people she glories in herself.
She opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High,
she glories in herself in the presence of the Mighty One:
‘I came forth from the mouth of the Most High,
and I covered the earth like a mist.
I had my tent in the heights,
and my throne in a pillar of cloud.
Then the creator of all things instructed me,
and he who created me fixed a place for my tent.
He said, “Pitch your tent in Jacob,
make Israel your inheritance.”
From eternity, in the beginning, he created me,
and for eternity I shall remain.
I ministered before him in the holy tabernacle,
and thus was I established on Zion.
In the beloved city he has given me rest,
and in Jerusalem I wield my authority.
I have taken root in a privileged people,
in the Lord’s property, in his inheritance.
Approach me, you who desire me,
and take your fill of my fruits,
for memories of me are sweeter than honey,
inheriting me is sweeter than the honeycomb.
They who eat me will hunger for more,
they who drink me will thirst for more.
Whoever listens to me will never have to blush,
whoever acts as I dictate will never sin.’
OR: --------
First reading
Isaiah 7:10-14,8:10
The maiden is with child
The Lord spoke to Ahaz and said, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.’ ‘No,’ Ahaz answered ‘I will not put the Lord to the test.’
Then Isaiah said:
‘Listen now, House of David:
are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men
without trying the patience of my God, too?
The Lord himself, therefore,
will give you a sign.
It is this: the maiden is with child
and will soon give birth to a son
whom she will call Immanuel,
a name which means “God-is-with-us.”’
OR: --------
First reading
Isaiah 9:1-6
A Son is given to us
The people that walked in darkness
has seen a great light;
on those who live in a land of deep shadow
a light has shone.
You have made their gladness greater,
you have made their joy increase;
they rejoice in your presence
as men rejoice at harvest time,
as men are happy when they are dividing the spoils.
For the yoke that was weighing on him,
the bar across his shoulders,
the rod of his oppressor,
these you break as on the day of Midian.
For all the footgear of battle,
every cloak rolled in blood,
is burnt,
and consumed by fire.
For there is a child born for us,
a son given to us
and dominion is laid on his shoulders;
and this is the name they give him:
Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God,
Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.
OR: --------
First reading
Isaiah 61:9-11
I exult for joy in the Lord
Their race will be famous throughout the nations,
their descendants throughout the peoples.
All who see them will admit
that they are a race whom the Lord has blessed.
‘I exult for joy in the Lord,
my soul rejoices in my God,
for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation,
he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity,
like a bridegroom wearing his wreath,
like a bride adorned in her jewels.
‘For as the earth makes fresh things grow,
as a garden makes seeds spring up,
so will the Lord make both integrity and praise
spring up in the sight of the nations.’
OR: --------
First reading
Micah 5:1-4
He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord
The Lord says this:
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
the least of the clans of Judah,
out of you will be born for me
the one who is to rule over Israel;
his origin goes back to the distant past,
to the days of old.
The Lord is therefore going to abandon them
till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.
Then the remnant of his brothers will come back
to the sons of Israel.
He will stand and feed his flock
with the power of the Lord,
with the majesty of the name of his God.
They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power
to the ends of the land.
He himself will be peace.
OR: --------
First reading
Zechariah 2:14-17
'I am coming', says the Lord
Sing, rejoice,
daughter of Zion;
for I am coming
to dwell in the middle of you
– it is the Lord who speaks.
Many nations will join the Lord,
on that day;
they will become his people.
But he will remain among you,
and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you.
But the Lord will hold Judah
as his portion in the Holy Land,
and again make Jerusalem his very own.
Let all mankind be silent before the Lord!
For he is awaking and is coming from his holy dwelling.
--------
________
EITHER: --------
Responsorial Psalm
1 Samuel 2:1,4-8
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
My heart exults in the Lord.
I find my strength in my God;
my mouth laughs at my enemies
as I rejoice in your saving help.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the weak are clothed with strength.
Those with plenty must labour for bread,
but the hungry need work no more.
The childless wife has children now
but the fruitful wife bears no more.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
It is the Lord who gives life and death,
he brings men to the grave and back;
it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches.
He brings men low and raises them on high.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
He lifts up the lowly from the dust,
from the dungheap he raises the poor
to set him in the company of princes
to give him a glorious throne.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
on them he has set the world.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Judith 13:18a-19
You are the highest honour of our race!
May you be blessed, my daughter, by God Most High,
beyond all women on earth;
and may the Lord God be blessed,
the Creator of heaven and earth.
You are the highest honour of our race!
The trust you have shown
shall not pass from the memories of men,
but shall ever remind them
of the power of God.
You are the highest honour of our race!
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 44(45):11-12,14-17
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words:
forget your own people and your father’s house.
So will the king desire your beauty:
He is your lord, pay homage to him.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
The daughter of the king is clothed with splendour,
her robes embroidered with pearls set in gold.
She is led to the king with her maiden companions.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
They are escorted amid gladness and joy;
they pass within the palace of the king.
Sons shall be yours in place of your fathers:
you will make them princes over all the earth.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 112(113):1-7
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
May the name of the Lord be blessed
both now and for evermore!
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
From the rising of the sun to its setting
praised be the name of the Lord!
High above all nations is the Lord,
above the heavens his glory.
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
Who is like the Lord, our God,
who has risen on high to his throne
yet stoops from the heights to look down,
to look down upon heaven and earth?
From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
from the dungheap he raises the poor
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Luke 1:46-55
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
He looks on his servant in her nothingness;
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me.
Holy his name!
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear him.
He puts forth his arm in strength
and scatters the proud-hearted.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
He casts the mighty from their thrones
and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
He protects Israel, his servant,
remembering his mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his sons for ever.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
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________
Gospel Acclamation
cf.Lk1:28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!
Blessed art thou among women.
Alleluia!
Or:
cf.Lk1:45
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who believed
that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.
Alleluia!
Or:
cf.Lk2:19
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed is the Virgin Mary,
who treasured the word of God
and pondered it in her heart.
Alleluia!
Or:
Lk11:28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy are those
who hear the word of God
and keep it.
Alleluia!
Or:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary,
and most worthy of all praise,
for the sun of justice, Christ our God,
was born of you.
Alleluia!
Or:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy is the Virgin Mary,
who, without dying,
won the palm of martyrdom
beneath the cross of the Lord.
Alleluia!
________
EITHER: --------
Gospel
Matthew 1:1-16,18-23
The ancestry and conception of Jesus Christ
A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother,
Perez was the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram was the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother,
Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother,
Obed was the father of Jesse;
and Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Solomon was the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,
Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Azariah,
Azariah was the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah;
and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.
Then the deportation to Babylon took place.
After the deportation to Babylon:
Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud,
Abiud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor was the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud was the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob;
and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary;
of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.
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. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when 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. 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.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 1:18-23
How Jesus Christ came to be born
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. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when 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. 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.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 2:13-15,19-23
The flight into Egypt and the return to Nazareth
After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:
I called my son out of Egypt.
After Herod’s death, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, went back to the land of Israel. But when he learnt that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as ruler of Judaea he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he left for the region of Galilee. There he settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled:
‘He will be called a Nazarene.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 12:46-50
My mother and my brothers are anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven
Jesus was speaking to the crowds when his mother and his brothers appeared; they were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 1:26-38
'I am the handmaid of the Lord'
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 1:39-47
Blessed is she who believed the promise
Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’
And Mary said:
‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:1-14
'In the town of David a saviour has been born to you'
Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. This census – the first – took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his own town to be registered. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and travelled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn.
In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields and took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and singing:
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace to men who enjoy his favour.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:15-19
The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger
Now when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:27-35
'A sword will pierce your soul too'
Prompted by the Spirit Simeon came to the Temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:
‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel.’
As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:41-52
Mary stored up all these things in her heart
Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.
Three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They 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.’
‘Why were you looking for me?’ he replied. ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant.
He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority.
His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and men.
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 11:27-28
'Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!'
As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’
OR: --------
Gospel
John 2:1-11
'My hour has not come yet' - 'Do whatever he tells you'
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the wedding was all finished, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said ‘Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’, and they filled them to the brim. ‘Draw some out now’ he told them ‘and take it to the steward.’ They did this; the steward tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from – only the servants who had drawn the water knew – the steward called the bridegroom and said, ‘People generally serve the best wine first, and keep the cheaper sort till the guests have had plenty to drink; but you have kept the best wine till now.’
This was the first of the signs given by Jesus: it was given at Cana in Galilee. He let his glory be seen, and his disciples believed in him.
OR: --------
Gospel
John 19:25-27
'Woman, this is your son'
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.
The Gospel of the Lord
R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saint Fursa, Abbot and Missionary
(Liturgical Colour: White)
(Readings for the memorial)
(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Saturday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)
Either:
First Reading
Genesis 12:1-4
All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you
The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.
‘I will bless those who bless you:
I will curse those who slight you.
All the tribes of the earth
shall bless themselves by you.’
So Abram went as the Lord told him.
The Word of the Lord
R/ Thanks be to God.
OR: --------
First reading
Leviticus 19:1-2,17-18
You must love your neighbour as yourself
The Lord spoke to Moses; he said: ‘Speak to the whole community of the sons of Israel and say to them:
‘“Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.
‘“You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.”’
OR: --------
First reading
Deuteronomy 6:3-9
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart
Moses said to the people:
‘Listen, Israel, keep and observe these commandments, which will make you prosper and give you great increase, as the Lord the God of your fathers has promised you, giving you a land where milk and honey flow.
‘Listen, Israel: the Lord our God is the one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. Let these words I urge on you today be written on your heart. You shall repeat them to your children and say them over to them whether at rest in your house or walking abroad, at your lying down or at your rising; you shall fasten them on your hand as a sign and on your forehead as a circlet; you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.’
OR: --------
First reading
Deuteronomy 10:8-9
The Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to do him service
Moses said to the people: ‘The Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to stand in the presence of the Lord, to do him service and in his name to pronounce blessing as they still do today. Levi therefore has no share or inheritance with his brothers: the Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord your God told him.’
OR: --------
First reading
1 Kings 19:4-9,11-15
The Lord was not in the wind, or the earthquake, or the fire
Elijah went into the wilderness, a day’s journey, and sitting under a furze bush wished he were dead. ‘O Lord,’ he said ‘I have had enough. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down and went to sleep. But an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked round, and there at his head was a scone baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. But the angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, or the journey will be too long for you.’ So he got up and ate and drank, and strengthened by that food he walked for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
There he went into the cave and spent the night in it. Then he was told, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ Then the Lord himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice came to him, which said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He replied, ‘I am filled with jealous zeal for the Lord of Hosts, because the sons of Israel have deserted you, broken down your altars and put your prophets to the sword. I am the only one left and they want to kill me.’
‘Go,’ the Lord said, ‘go back by the same way to the wilderness of Damascus.’
OR: --------
First reading
1 Kings 19:16,19-21
Elisha leaves the plough to follow Elijah
The Lord said to Elijah, ‘Go, you are to anoint Elisha son of Shaphat, of Abel Meholah, as prophet to succeed you.’
Leaving there, Elijah came on Elisha son of Shaphat as he was ploughing behind twelve yoke of oxen, he himself being with the twelfth. Elijah passed near to him and threw his cloak over him. Elisha left his oxen and ran after Elijah. ‘Let me kiss my father and mother, then I will follow you’ he said. Elijah answered, ‘Go, go back; for have I done anything to you?’ Elisha turned away, took the pair of oxen and slaughtered them. He used the plough for cooking the oxen, then gave to his men, who ate. He then rose, and followed Elijah and became his servant.
OR: --------
First reading
Tobit 8:4-8
A prayer on the wedding night
On their wedding night Tobias rose from the bed, and said to his wife Sarah, ‘Get up, my sister! You and I must pray and petition our Lord to win his grace and his protection.’ She stood up, and they began praying for protection, and this was how he began:
‘You are blessed, O God of our fathers;
blessed, too, is your name
for ever and ever.
Let the heavens bless you
and all things you have made
for evermore.
It was you who created Adam,
you who created Eve his wife
to be his help and support;
and from these two the human race was born.
It was you who said,
“It is not good that the man should be alone;
let us make him a helpmate like himself.”
And so I do not take my sister
for any lustful motive;
I do it in singleness of heart.
Be kind enough to have pity on her and on me
and bring us to old age together.’
OR: --------
First reading
Tobit 12:6-13
Bless God and utter his praise before all the living
Raphael took Tobit and his son Tobias aside and said, ‘Bless God, utter his praise before all the living for all the favours he has given you. Bless and extol his name. Proclaim before all men the deeds of God as they deserve, and never tire of giving him thanks. It is right to keep the secret of a king, yet right to reveal and publish the works of God. Thank him worthily. Do what is good, and no evil can befall you.
‘Prayer with fasting and alms with right conduct are better than riches with iniquity. Better to practise almsgiving than to hoard up gold. Almsgiving saves from death and purges every kind of sin. Those who give alms have their fill of days; those who commit sin and do evil, bring harm on themselves.
‘I am going to tell you the whole truth, hiding nothing from you. I have already told you that it is right to keep the secret of a king, yet right too to reveal in worthy fashion the works of God. So you must know that when you and Sarah were at prayer, it was I who offered your supplications before the glory of the Lord and who read them; so too when you were burying the dead. When you did not hesitate to get up and leave the table to go and bury a dead man, I was sent to test your faith, and at the same time God sent me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah.’
OR: --------
First reading
Judith 8:2-8
The widow Judith was devout and feared God
Judith’s husband Manasseh, of her own tribe and family, had died at the time of barley harvest. He was supervising the men as they bound up the sheaves in the field, when he caught sunstroke and had to take to his bed. He died in Bethulia, his home town, and was buried with his ancestors in the field that lies between Dothan and Balamon. As a widow, Judith stayed inside her home for three years and four months. She had had an upper room built for herself on the roof. She wore sackcloth round her waist and dressed in widow’s weeds. She fasted every day of her widowhood except for the sabbath eve, the sabbath itself, the eve of New Moon, the feast of New Moon and the festival days of the House of Israel. Now, she was very beautiful, charming to see. Her husband Manasseh had left her gold and silver, menservants and maidservants, cattle and lands; and she lived among all her possessions without anyone finding a word to say against her, so devoutly did she fear God.
OR: --------
First reading
Esther 4:17
'I will not bow down to any but you, Lord'
Calling to mind all the wonderful works of the Lord, Mordecai offered this prayer:
‘Lord, Lord, King and Master of all things,
everything is subject to your power,
and there is no-one who can withstand you
in your will to save Israel.
‘Yes, you have made heaven and earth,
and all the marvels that are under heaven.
You are the Lord of all,
and there is none who can resist you, Lord.
‘You know all things:
you know, Lord, you know,
that no insolence, arrogance, vainglory
prompted me to this,
to this refusal to bow down
before proud Haman.
I would readily have kissed his feet
for the safety of Israel.
‘But what I did,
I did rather than place the glory of a man
above the glory of God;
and I will not bow down to any
but to you, Lord:
in so refusing I will not act in pride.
‘Hear my supplication,
have mercy on your heritage,
and turn our grief into rejoicing,
that we may live to hymn your name, Lord.
Do not suffer the mouths
of those who praise you to perish.’
OR: --------
First reading
Proverbs 31:10-13,19-20,30-31
A perfect wife - who can find her?
A perfect wife – who can find her?
She is far beyond the price of pearls.
Her husband’s heart has confidence in her,
from her he will derive no little profit.
Advantage and not hurt she brings him
all the days of her life.
She is always busy with wool and with flax,
she does her work with eager hands.
She sets her hands to the distaff,
her fingers grasp the spindle.
She holds out her hand to the poor,
she opens her arms to the needy.
Charm is deceitful, and beauty empty;
the woman who is wise is the one to praise.
Give her a share in what her hands have worked for,
and let her works tell her praises at the city gates.
OR: --------
First reading
Ecclesiasticus 2:7-13
You who fear the Lord, trust the Lord
You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy;
do not turn aside in case you fall.
You who fear the Lord, trust him,
and you will not be baulked of your reward.
You who fear the Lord hope for good things,
for everlasting happiness and mercy.
Look at the generations of old and see:
who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame?
Or who ever feared him steadfastly and was left forsaken?
Or who ever called out to him, and was ignored?
For the Lord is compassionate and merciful,
he forgives sins, and saves in days of distress.
OR: --------
First reading
Ecclesiasticus 3:19-25
Behave humbly, and you will find favour with the Lord
My son, be gentle in carrying out your business,
and you will be better loved than a lavish giver.
The greater you are, the more you should behave humbly,
and then you will find favour with the Lord;
for great though the power of the Lord is,
he accepts the homage of the humble.
Do not try to understand things that are too difficult for you,
or try to discover what is beyond your powers.
Concentrate on what has been assigned you:
you have no need to worry over mysteries.
Do not meddle with matters that are beyond you:
what you have been taught already exceeds the scope of the human mind.
For many have been misled by their own presumption,
and wrong-headed opinions have warped their ideas.
For lack of eyes you want for light;
if you are without knowledge, do not attempt to convince.
OR: --------
First reading
Ecclesiasticus 26:1-4,13-16
A perfect wife is the joy of her husband
Happy the husband of a really good wife;
the number of her days will be doubled.
A perfect wife is the joy of her husband,
he will live out his years in peace.
A good wife is the best of portions,
reserved for those who fear the Lord:
rich or poor, they will be glad of heart,
cheerful of face, whatever the season.
The grace of a wife will charm her husband,
her accomplishments will make him the stronger.
A silent wife is a gift from the Lord,
no price can be put on a well-trained character.
A modest wife is a boon twice over,
a chaste character cannot be weighed on scales.
Like the sun rising over the mountains of the Lord
is the beauty of a good wife in a well-kept house.
OR: --------
First reading
Isaiah 58:6-11
Then will your light shine like the dawn
Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me
– it is the Lord who speaks –
to break unjust fetters and
undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and break every yoke,
to share your bread with the hungry,
and shelter the homeless poor,
to clothe the man you see to be naked
and not turn from your own kin?
Then will your light shine like the dawn
and your wound be quickly healed over.
Your integrity will go before you
and the glory of the Lord behind you.
Cry, and the Lord will answer;
call, and he will say, ‘I am here.’
If you do away with the yoke,
the clenched fist, the wicked word,
if you give your bread to the hungry,
and relief to the oppressed,
your light will rise in the darkness,
and your shadows become like noon.
The Lord will always guide you,
giving you relief in desert places.
He will give strength to your bones
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water
whose waters never run dry.
OR: --------
First reading
Jeremiah 20:7-9
The word of the Lord has meant insult for me
You have seduced me, Lord, and I have let myself be seduced;
you have overpowered me: you were the stronger.
I am a daily laughing-stock,
everybody’s butt.
Each time I speak the word, I have to howl
and proclaim: ‘Violence and ruin!’
The word of the Lord has meant for me
insult, derision, all day long.
I used to say, ‘I will not think about him,
I will not speak in his name any more.’
Then there seemed to be a fire burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones.
The effort to restrain it wearied me,
I could not bear it.
OR: --------
First reading
Micah 6:6-8
The Lord asks only this: to act justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly
‘With what gift shall I come into the Lord’s presence
and bow down before God on high?
Shall I come with holocausts,
with calves one year old?
Will he be pleased with rams by the thousand,
with libations of oil in torrents?
Must I give my first-born for what I have done wrong,
the fruit of my body for my own sin?’
– What is good has been explained to you, man;
this is what the Lord asks of you:
only this, to act justly,
to love tenderly
and to walk humbly with your God.
OR: --------
First reading
Zephaniah 2:3,3:12-13
In your midst I will leave a humble and lowly people
Seek the Lord,
all you, the humble of the earth,
who obey his commands.
Seek integrity,
seek humility:
you may perhaps find shelter
on the day of the anger of the Lord.
In your midst I will leave
a humble and lowly people,
and those who are left in Israel will seek refuge in the name of the Lord.
They will do no wrong,
will tell no lies;
and the perjured tongue will no longer
be found in their mouths.
But they will be able to graze and rest
with no one to disturb them.
--------
________
EITHER: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 1:1-4,6
His delight is the law of the Lord.
or
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
or
The just will flourish like the palm-tree in the courts of our God.
Happy indeed is the man
who follows not the counsel of the wicked;
nor lingers in the way of sinners
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord
and who ponders his law day and night.
His delight is the law of the Lord.
or
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
or
The just will flourish like the palm-tree in the courts of our God.
He is like a tree that is planted
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper.
His delight is the law of the Lord.
or
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
or
The just will flourish like the palm-tree in the courts of our God.
Not so are the wicked, not so!
For they like winnowed chaff
shall be driven away by the wind:
for the Lord guards the way of the just
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
His delight is the law of the Lord.
or
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
or
The just will flourish like the palm-tree in the courts of our God.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 14(15):2-5
The just will live in the presence of the Lord.
Lord, who shall dwell on your holy mountain?
He who walks without fault;
he who acts with justice
and speaks the truth from his heart;
he who does not slander with his tongue.
The just will live in the presence of the Lord.
He who does no wrong to his brother,
who casts no slur on his neighbour,
who holds the godless in disdain,
but honours those who fear the Lord.
The just will live in the presence of the Lord.
He who keeps his pledge, come what may;
who takes no interest on a loan
and accepts no bribes against the innocent.
Such a man will stand firm for ever.
The just will live in the presence of the Lord.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-8,11
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.
I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God.’
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
it is you yourself who are my prize.
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord ever in my sight:
since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence,
at your right hand happiness for ever.
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 22(23)
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
to revive my drooping spirit.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 33(34):2-11
I will bless the Lord at all times.
or
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise always on my lips;
in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.
The humble shall hear and be glad.
I will bless the Lord at all times.
or
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Glorify the Lord with me.
Together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free.
I will bless the Lord at all times.
or
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This poor man called, the Lord heard him
and rescued him from all his distress.
I will bless the Lord at all times.
or
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
The angel of the Lord is encamped
around those who revere him, to rescue them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
He is happy who seeks refuge in him.
I will bless the Lord at all times.
or
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Revere the Lord, you his saints.
They lack nothing, those who revere him.
Strong lions suffer want and go hungry
but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.
I will bless the Lord at all times.
or
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 102(103):1-4,8-9,13-14,17-18
My soul, give thanks to the Lord.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
and never forget all his blessings.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord.
It is he who forgives all your guilt,
who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
who crowns you with love and compassion.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord.
The Lord is compassion and love,
slow to anger and rich in mercy.
His wrath will come to an end;
he will not be angry for ever.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord.
As a father has compassion on his sons,
the Lord has pity on those who fear him;
for he knows of what we are made,
he remembers that we are dust.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord.
But the love of the Lord is everlasting
upon those who hold him in fear;
his justice reaches out to children’s children
when they keep his covenant in truth,
when they keep his will in their mind.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 111(112):1-9
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Happy the man who fears the Lord,
who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth;
the children of the upright are blessed.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Riches and wealth are in his house;
his justice stands firm for ever.
He is a light in the darkness for the upright:
he is generous, merciful and just.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
The good man takes pity and lends,
he conducts his affairs with honour.
The just man will never waver:
he will be remembered for ever.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
He has no fear of evil news;
with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
With a steadfast heart he will not fear;
he will see the downfall of his foes.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Open-handed, he gives to the poor;
his justice stands firm for ever.
His head will be raised in glory.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 127(128):1-5
O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
O blessed are those who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways!
By the labour of your hands you shall eat.
You will be happy and prosper.
O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
in the heart of your house;
your children like shoots of the olive,
around your table.
O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Indeed thus shall be blessed
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion
all the days of your life!
O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 130(131)
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
O Lord, my heart is not proud
nor haughty my eyes.
I have not gone after things too great
nor marvels beyond me.
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
Truly I have set my soul
in silence and peace.
A weaned child on its mother’s breast,
even so is my soul.
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
both now and forever.
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
--------
________
Gospel Acclamation
Mt5:3
Alleluia, alleluia!
How happy are the poor in spirit:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Alleluia!
Or:
Mt5:6
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
they shall be satisfied.
Alleluia!
Or:
Mt5:8
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Alleluia!
Or:
Mt11:25
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
Or:
Mt23:11,12
Alleluia, alleluia!
The greatest among you must be your servant, says the Lord:
the man who humbles himself will be exalted.
Alleluia!
Or:
Mt11:28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
Alleluia!
Or:
Lk21:36
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stay awake, praying at all times
for the strength to stand with confidence
before the Son of Man.
Alleluia!
Or:
Jn8:12
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life.
Alleluia!
Or:
Jn8:31-32
Alleluia, alleluia!
If you make my word your home
you will indeed be my disciples,
and you will learn the truth, says the Lord.
Alleluia!
Or:
Jn13:34
Alleluia, alleluia!
I give you a new commandment:
love one another just as I have loved you,
says the Lord.
Alleluia!
Or:
Jn14:23
Alleluia, alleluia!
If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him.
Alleluia!
Or:
Jn15:4,5
Alleluia, alleluia!
Make your home in me, as I make mine in you,
says the Lord;
whoever remains in me bears fruit in plenty.
Alleluia!
Or:
Jn15:9,5
Alleluia, alleluia!
Remain in my love, says the Lord;
whoever remains in me, with me in him,
bears fruit in plenty.
Alleluia!
________
EITHER: --------
Gospel
Matthew 5:1-12a
How happy are the poor in spirit
Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
‘How happy are the poor in spirit;
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle:
they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers:
they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 5:13-16
Your light must shine in the sight of men
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.
‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 7:21-27
The wise man built his house on a rock
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?” Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!
‘Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 11:25-30
You have hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children
Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 13:44-46
He sells everything he owns and buys the field
Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.
‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 16:24-27
Anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?
‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 18:1-5
Unless you become like little children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven
The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 19:3-12
Husband and wife are no longer two, but one body
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and to test him they said, ‘Is it against the Law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatever?’ He answered, ‘Have you not read that the creator from the beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man must leave father and mother, and cling to his wife, and the two become one body? They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’
They said to him, ‘Then why did Moses command that a writ of dismissal should be given in cases of divorce?’ ‘It was because you were so unteachable’ he said ‘that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not like this from the beginning. Now I say this to you: the man who divorces his wife – I am not speaking of fornication – and marries another, is guilty of adultery.’
The disciples said to him, ‘If that is how things are between husband and wife, it is not advisable to marry.’ But he replied, ‘It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is granted. There are eunuchs born that way from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs made so by men and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 19:27-29
They will be repaid a hundred times over and inherit eternal life
Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘What about us?’ he said. ‘We have left everything and followed you. What are we to have, then?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I tell you solemnly, when all is made new and the Son of Man sits on his throne of glory, you will yourselves sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will be repaid a hundred times over, and also inherit eternal life.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 22:34-40
The commandments of love
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees they got together and, to disconcert him, one of them put a question, ‘Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ Jesus said, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 25:1-13
The wise and foolish virgins
Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 25:14-30
You have been faithful in small things: come and join in your master's happiness
Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of Heaven is like a man on his way abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out.
‘The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
‘Now a long time after, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made.”
‘His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”
‘Next the man with the two talents came forward. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”
‘Last came forward the man who had the one talent. “Sir,” said he “I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have recovered my capital with interest. So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the five talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 25:14-23
You have been faithful in small things: come and join in your master's happiness
Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of Heaven is like a man on his way abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out.
‘The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
‘Now a long time after, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made.”
‘His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”
‘Next the man with the two talents came forward. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 25:31-46
I was naked and you clothed me; sick, and you visited me
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.
‘Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”
‘Next he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.” Then it will be their turn to ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?” Then he will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”
‘And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 25:31-40
I was naked and you clothed me; sick, and you visited me
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.
‘Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”’
OR: --------
Gospel
Mark 3:31-35
Who are my mother and my brothers? Those that do the will of God
The mother and brothers of Jesus arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, ‘Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you.’ He replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Mark 9:34-37
Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me
The disciples had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So Jesus sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.’ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Mark 10:13-16
It is to such as these little children that the kingdom of God belongs
People were bringing little children to Jesus, for him to touch them. The disciples turned them away, but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.
OR: --------
Gospel
Mark 10:17-30
Give everything you own to the poor, and follow me
Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.’ Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.
Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were more astonished than ever. ‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’
Peter took this up. ‘What about us?’ he asked him. ‘We have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land – not without persecutions – now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Mark 10:17-27
Give everything you own to the poor, and follow me
Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.’ Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.
Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were more astonished than ever. ‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 6:27-38
Love your enemies
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I say this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. To the man who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek too; to the man who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from the man who robs you. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks can you expect? For even sinners do that much. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. Instead, love your enemies and do good, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 9:57-62
'I will follow you wherever you go'
As Jesus and his disciples travelled along they met a man on the road who said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus answered, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’
Another to whom he said, ‘Follow me’, replied, ‘Let me go and bury my father first.’ But he answered, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.’
Another said, ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say goodbye to my people at home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 10:38-42
Martha works; Mary listens
Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 12:32-34
It has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.
‘Sell your possessions and give alms. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 12:35-40
You too must stand ready
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third, but happy those servants if he finds them ready. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 14:25-33
Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple
Great crowds accompanied Jesus on his way and he turned and spoke to them. ‘If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple. Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
‘And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, the onlookers would all start making fun of him and saying, “Here is a man who started to build and was unable to finish.” Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who advanced against him with twenty thousand? If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace. So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.’
OR: --------
Gospel
John 15:1-8
I am the vine, you are the branches
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I am the true vine,
and my Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in me that bears no fruit
he cuts away,
and every branch that does bear fruit
he prunes to make it bear even more.
You are pruned already,
by means of the word that I have spoken to you.
Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.
As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself,
but must remain part of the vine,
neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine,
you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me, with me in him,
bears fruit in plenty;
for cut off from me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers;
these branches are collected and thrown on the fire,
and they are burnt.
If you remain in me
and my words remain in you,
you may ask what you will
and you shall get it.
It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit,
and then you will be my disciples.’
OR: --------
Gospel
John 15:9-17
You are my friends if you do what I command you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments
you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
I have told you this
so that my own joy may be in you
and your joy be complete.
This is my commandment:
love one another, as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know
his master’s business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me:
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
and then the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you
is to love one another.’
OR: --------
Gospel
John 17:20-26
Father, may they be completely one
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:
‘Holy Father,
I pray not only for these,
but for those also
who through their words will believe in me.
May they all be one.
Father, may they be one in us,
as you are in me and I am in you,
so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.
I have given them the glory you gave to me,
that they may be one as we are one.
With me in them and you in me,
may they be so completely one
that the world will realise that it was you who sent me
and that I have loved them as much as you loved me.
Father, I want those you have given me
to be with me where I am,
so that they may always see the glory you have given me
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Father, Righteous One,
the world has not known you,
but I have known you,
and these have known that you have sent me.
I have made your name known to them
and will continue to make it known,
so that the love with which you loved me may be in them,
and so that I may be in them.’
The Gospel of the Lord
R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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28th November >> Mass Readings (Except USA)
Saturday, Thirty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
or
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Saturday, Thirty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
(Liturgical Colour: Green)
First Reading
Apocalypse 22:1-7
The Lord God will shine on them; it will never be night again
The angel showed me, John, the river of life, rising from the throne of God and of the Lamb and flowing crystal-clear down the middle of the city street. On either side of the river were the trees of life, which bear twelve crops of fruit in a year, one in each month, and the leaves of which are the cure for the pagans.
The ban will be lifted. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in its place in the city; his servants will worship him, they will see him face to face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. It will never be night again and they will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will be shining on them. They will reign for ever and ever.
The angel said to me, ‘All that you have written is sure and will come true: the Lord God who gives the spirit to the prophets has sent his angel to reveal to his servants what is soon to take place. Very soon now, I shall be with you again.’ Happy are those who treasure the prophetic message of this book.
The Word of the Lord
R/ Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 94(95):1-7
R/ Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, ring out our joy to the Lord;
hail the rock who saves us.
Let us come before him, giving thanks,
with songs let us hail the Lord.
R/ Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
A mighty God is the Lord,
a great king above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his.
To him belongs the sea, for he made it
and the dry land shaped by his hands.
R/ Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come in; let us bow and bend low;
let us kneel before the God who made us:
for he is our God and we
the people who belong to his pasture,
the flock that is led by his hand.
R/ Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Gospel Acclamation
Matthew 24:42,44
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stay awake and stand ready,
because you do not know the hour
when the Son of Man is coming.
Alleluia!
Or:
Luke 21:36
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stay awake, praying at all times
for the strength to stand with confidence
before the Son of Man.
Alleluia!
Gospel
Luke 21:34-36
That day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’
The Gospel of the Lord
R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Liturgical Colour: White)
(Readings for the memorial)
(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Saturday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)
Either: --------
First Reading
Genesis 3:9-15,20
The mother of all those who live
After Adam had eaten of the tree the Lord God called to him. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’
Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this,
‘Be accursed beyond all cattle,
all wild beasts.
You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust
every day of your life.
I will make you enemies of each other:
you and the woman,
your offspring and her offspring.
It will crush your head
and you will strike its heel.’
The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live.
OR: --------
First reading
Genesis 12:1-7
All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you
The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.
‘I will bless those who bless you:
I will curse those who slight you.
All the tribes of the earth
shall bless themselves by you.’
So Abram went as the Lord told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had amassed and the people they had acquired in Haran. They set off for the land of Canaan, and arrived there.
Abram passed through the land as far as Shechem’s holy place, the Oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘It is to your descendants that I will give this land.’ So Abram built there an altar for the Lord who had appeared to him.
OR: --------
First reading
2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-11,16
The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House
Once David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.’
But that very night the word of the Lord came to Nathan:
‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’
OR: --------
First reading
1 Chronicles 15:3-4,15-16,16:1-2
They brought in the ark of God and put it inside the tent that David had pitched for it
David gathered all Israel together to bring the ark of God up to the place he had prepared for it. David called together the sons of Aaron and the sons of Levi. And the Levites carried the ark of God with the shafts on their shoulders, as Moses had ordered in accordance with the word of the Lord.
David then told the heads of the Levites to assign duties for their kinsmen as cantors, with their various instruments of music, harps and lyres and cymbals, to play joyful tunes.
They brought the ark of God in and put it inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and they offered holocausts before God, and communion sacrifices. And when David had finished offering holocausts and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.
OR: --------
First reading
Proverbs 8:22-31
Before the earth came into being, Wisdom was born
The Wisdom of God cries aloud:
The Lord created me when his purpose first unfolded,
before the oldest of his works.
From everlasting I was firmly set,
from the beginning, before earth came into being.
The deep was not, when I was born,
there were no springs to gush with water.
Before the mountains were settled,
before the hills, I came to birth;
before he made the earth, the countryside,
or the first grains of the world’s dust.
When he fixed the heavens firm, I was there,
when he drew a ring on the surface of the deep,
when he thickened the clouds above,
when he fixed fast the springs of the deep,
when he assigned the sea its boundaries
– and the waters will not invade the shore –
when he laid down the foundations of the earth,
I was by his side, a master craftsman,
delighting him day after day,
ever at play in his presence,
at play everywhere in his world,
delighting to be with the sons of men.
OR: --------
First reading
Ecclesiasticus 24:1-4,8-12,18-21
From eternity, in the beginning, God created wisdom
Wisdom speaks her own praises,
in the midst of her people she glories in herself.
She opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High,
she glories in herself in the presence of the Mighty One:
‘I came forth from the mouth of the Most High,
and I covered the earth like a mist.
I had my tent in the heights,
and my throne in a pillar of cloud.
Then the creator of all things instructed me,
and he who created me fixed a place for my tent.
He said, “Pitch your tent in Jacob,
make Israel your inheritance.”
From eternity, in the beginning, he created me,
and for eternity I shall remain.
I ministered before him in the holy tabernacle,
and thus was I established on Zion.
In the beloved city he has given me rest,
and in Jerusalem I wield my authority.
I have taken root in a privileged people,
in the Lord’s property, in his inheritance.
Approach me, you who desire me,
and take your fill of my fruits,
for memories of me are sweeter than honey,
inheriting me is sweeter than the honeycomb.
They who eat me will hunger for more,
they who drink me will thirst for more.
Whoever listens to me will never have to blush,
whoever acts as I dictate will never sin.’
OR: --------
First reading
Isaiah 7:10-14,8:10
The maiden is with child
The Lord spoke to Ahaz and said, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.’ ‘No,’ Ahaz answered ‘I will not put the Lord to the test.’
Then Isaiah said:
‘Listen now, House of David:
are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men
without trying the patience of my God, too?
The Lord himself, therefore,
will give you a sign.
It is this: the maiden is with child
and will soon give birth to a son
whom she will call Immanuel,
a name which means “God-is-with-us.”’
OR: --------
First reading
Isaiah 9:1-6
A Son is given to us
The people that walked in darkness
has seen a great light;
on those who live in a land of deep shadow
a light has shone.
You have made their gladness greater,
you have made their joy increase;
they rejoice in your presence
as men rejoice at harvest time,
as men are happy when they are dividing the spoils.
For the yoke that was weighing on him,
the bar across his shoulders,
the rod of his oppressor,
these you break as on the day of Midian.
For all the footgear of battle,
every cloak rolled in blood,
is burnt,
and consumed by fire.
For there is a child born for us,
a son given to us
and dominion is laid on his shoulders;
and this is the name they give him:
Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God,
Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.
OR: --------
First reading
Isaiah 61:9-11
I exult for joy in the Lord
Their race will be famous throughout the nations,
their descendants throughout the peoples.
All who see them will admit
that they are a race whom the Lord has blessed.
‘I exult for joy in the Lord,
my soul rejoices in my God,
for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation,
he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity,
like a bridegroom wearing his wreath,
like a bride adorned in her jewels.
‘For as the earth makes fresh things grow,
as a garden makes seeds spring up,
so will the Lord make both integrity and praise
spring up in the sight of the nations.’
OR: --------
First reading
Micah 5:1-4
He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord
The Lord says this:
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
the least of the clans of Judah,
out of you will be born for me
the one who is to rule over Israel;
his origin goes back to the distant past,
to the days of old.
The Lord is therefore going to abandon them
till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.
Then the remnant of his brothers will come back
to the sons of Israel.
He will stand and feed his flock
with the power of the Lord,
with the majesty of the name of his God.
They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power
to the ends of the land.
He himself will be peace.
OR: --------
First reading
Zechariah 2:14-17
'I am coming', says the Lord
Sing, rejoice,
daughter of Zion;
for I am coming
to dwell in the middle of you
– it is the Lord who speaks.
Many nations will join the Lord,
on that day;
they will become his people.
But he will remain among you,
and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you.
But the Lord will hold Judah
as his portion in the Holy Land,
and again make Jerusalem his very own.
Let all mankind be silent before the Lord!
For he is awaking and is coming from his holy dwelling.
--------
________
EITHER: --------
Responsorial Psalm
1 Samuel 2:1,4-8
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
My heart exults in the Lord.
I find my strength in my God;
my mouth laughs at my enemies
as I rejoice in your saving help.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the weak are clothed with strength.
Those with plenty must labour for bread,
but the hungry need work no more.
The childless wife has children now
but the fruitful wife bears no more.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
It is the Lord who gives life and death,
he brings men to the grave and back;
it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches.
He brings men low and raises them on high.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
He lifts up the lowly from the dust,
from the dungheap he raises the poor
to set him in the company of princes
to give him a glorious throne.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
on them he has set the world.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Judith 13:18a-19
You are the highest honour of our race!
May you be blessed, my daughter, by God Most High,
beyond all women on earth;
and may the Lord God be blessed,
the Creator of heaven and earth.
You are the highest honour of our race!
The trust you have shown
shall not pass from the memories of men,
but shall ever remind them
of the power of God.
You are the highest honour of our race!
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 44(45):11-12,14-17
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words:
forget your own people and your father’s house.
So will the king desire your beauty:
He is your lord, pay homage to him.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
The daughter of the king is clothed with splendour,
her robes embroidered with pearls set in gold.
She is led to the king with her maiden companions.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
They are escorted amid gladness and joy;
they pass within the palace of the king.
Sons shall be yours in place of your fathers:
you will make them princes over all the earth.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 112(113):1-7
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
May the name of the Lord be blessed
both now and for evermore!
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
From the rising of the sun to its setting
praised be the name of the Lord!
High above all nations is the Lord,
above the heavens his glory.
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
Who is like the Lord, our God,
who has risen on high to his throne
yet stoops from the heights to look down,
to look down upon heaven and earth?
From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
from the dungheap he raises the poor
May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore!
or
Alleluia!
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm
Luke 1:46-55
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
He looks on his servant in her nothingness;
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me.
Holy his name!
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear him.
He puts forth his arm in strength
and scatters the proud-hearted.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
He casts the mighty from their thrones
and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
He protects Israel, his servant,
remembering his mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his sons for ever.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name!
or
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.
--------
________
Gospel Acclamation
cf.Lk1:28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!
Blessed art thou among women.
Alleluia!
Or:
cf.Lk1:45
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who believed
that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.
Alleluia!
Or:
cf.Lk2:19
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed is the Virgin Mary,
who treasured the word of God
and pondered it in her heart.
Alleluia!
Or:
Lk11:28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy are those
who hear the word of God
and keep it.
Alleluia!
Or:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary,
and most worthy of all praise,
for the sun of justice, Christ our God,
was born of you.
Alleluia!
Or:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy is the Virgin Mary,
who, without dying,
won the palm of martyrdom
beneath the cross of the Lord.
Alleluia!
________
EITHER: --------
Gospel
Matthew 1:1-16,18-23
The ancestry and conception of Jesus Christ
A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother,
Perez was the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram was the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother,
Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother,
Obed was the father of Jesse;
and Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Solomon was the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,
Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Azariah,
Azariah was the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah;
and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.
Then the deportation to Babylon took place.
After the deportation to Babylon:
Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud,
Abiud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor was the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud was the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob;
and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary;
of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.
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. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when 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. 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.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 1:18-23
How Jesus Christ came to be born
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. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when 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. 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.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 2:13-15,19-23
The flight into Egypt and the return to Nazareth
After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:
I called my son out of Egypt.
After Herod’s death, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, went back to the land of Israel. But when he learnt that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as ruler of Judaea he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he left for the region of Galilee. There he settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled:
‘He will be called a Nazarene.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Matthew 12:46-50
My mother and my brothers are anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven
Jesus was speaking to the crowds when his mother and his brothers appeared; they were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 1:26-38
'I am the handmaid of the Lord'
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 1:39-47
Blessed is she who believed the promise
Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’
And Mary said:
‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:1-14
'In the town of David a saviour has been born to you'
Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. This census – the first – took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his own town to be registered. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and travelled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn.
In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields and took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and singing:
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace to men who enjoy his favour.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:15-19
The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger
Now when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:27-35
'A sword will pierce your soul too'
Prompted by the Spirit Simeon came to the Temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:
‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel.’
As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 2:41-52
Mary stored up all these things in her heart
Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.
Three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They 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.’
‘Why were you looking for me?’ he replied. ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant.
He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority.
His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and men.
OR: --------
Gospel
Luke 11:27-28
'Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!'
As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’
OR: --------
Gospel
John 2:1-11
'My hour has not come yet' - 'Do whatever he tells you'
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the wedding was all finished, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said ‘Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’, and they filled them to the brim. ‘Draw some out now’ he told them ‘and take it to the steward.’ They did this; the steward tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from – only the servants who had drawn the water knew – the steward called the bridegroom and said, ‘People generally serve the best wine first, and keep the cheaper sort till the guests have had plenty to drink; but you have kept the best wine till now.’
This was the first of the signs given by Jesus: it was given at Cana in Galilee. He let his glory be seen, and his disciples believed in him.
OR: --------
Gospel
John 19:25-27
'Woman, this is your son'
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.
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