Scripture Reading
Luke 1:78-79
...because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.
Reflection
On the longest night of the year, the church sings: O Dayspring, come! Zechariah's canticle names the Messiah as sunrise — light breaking over the horizon of human darkness, not because we have earned it, but because of God's "tender mercy." The winter solstice itself becomes a sermon: even now, at the darkest moment, the light is turning.
Prayer for Today
Jesus, the Divine Mercy, I consecrate my entire life, from this day on, to You without reserve. Into Your hands, I abandon my past, my present, and my future. From this day forward, make me a true follower of Your teaching. Let Your Divine Mercy Image protect my home and my family from all the powers of evil in this world today. May all who venerate it never perish, may it be their joy in life, their hope in death, and their glory in eternity. Amen.
God, merciful Father, in your Son, Jesus Christ, You have revealed your love and poured it out upon us in the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. We entrust to You today the destiny of the world and of every man and woman. Bend down to us sinners, heal our weakness, conquer all evil, and grant that all the peoples of the earth may experience Your mercy. In You, the Triune God, may they ever find the source of hope. Eternal Father, by the Passion and Resurrection of Your Son, have mercy on us and upon the whole world!
Amen.
God, merciful Father, in your Son, Jesus Christ, You have revealed your love and poured it out upon us in the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. We entrust to You today the destiny of the world and of every man and woman. Bend down to us sinners, heal our weakness, conquer all evil, and grant that all the peoples of the earth may experience Your mercy. In You, the Triune God, may they ever find the source of hope. Eternal Father, by the Passion and Resurrection of Your Son, have mercy on us and upon the whole world!
Amen.
Amen.