Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 314
Lectionary: 314
When David and Saul approached
(on David’s return after slaying the Philistine),
women came out from each of the cities of Israel to meet King Saul,
singing and dancing, with tambourines, joyful songs, and sistrums.
The women played and sang:
(on David’s return after slaying the Philistine),
women came out from each of the cities of Israel to meet King Saul,
singing and dancing, with tambourines, joyful songs, and sistrums.
The women played and sang:
“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”
and David his ten thousands.”
Saul was very angry and resentful
of the song, for he thought:
“They give David ten thousands, but only thousands to me.
All that remains for him is the kingship.”
And from that day on, Saul was jealous of David.
“They give David ten thousands, but only thousands to me.
All that remains for him is the kingship.”
And from that day on, Saul was jealous of David.
Saul discussed his intention of
killing David
with his son Jonathan and with all his servants.
But Saul’s son Jonathan, who was very fond of David, told him:
“My father Saul is trying to kill you.
Therefore, please be on your guard tomorrow morning;
get out of sight and remain in hiding.
I, however, will go out and stand beside my father
in the countryside where you are, and will speak to him about you.
If I learn anything, I will let you know.”
with his son Jonathan and with all his servants.
But Saul’s son Jonathan, who was very fond of David, told him:
“My father Saul is trying to kill you.
Therefore, please be on your guard tomorrow morning;
get out of sight and remain in hiding.
I, however, will go out and stand beside my father
in the countryside where you are, and will speak to him about you.
If I learn anything, I will let you know.”
Jonathan then spoke well of David
to his father Saul, saying to him:
“Let not your majesty sin against his servant David,
for he has committed no offense against you,
but has helped you very much by his deeds.
When he took his life in his hands and slew the Philistine,
and the LORD brought about a great victory
for all Israel through him,
you were glad to see it.
Why, then, should you become guilty of shedding innocent blood
by killing David without cause?”
Saul heeded Jonathan’s plea and swore,
“As the LORD lives, he shall not be killed.”
So Jonathan summoned David and repeated the whole conversation to him.
Jonathan then brought David to Saul, and David served him as before.
“Let not your majesty sin against his servant David,
for he has committed no offense against you,
but has helped you very much by his deeds.
When he took his life in his hands and slew the Philistine,
and the LORD brought about a great victory
for all Israel through him,
you were glad to see it.
Why, then, should you become guilty of shedding innocent blood
by killing David without cause?”
Saul heeded Jonathan’s plea and swore,
“As the LORD lives, he shall not be killed.”
So Jonathan summoned David and repeated the whole conversation to him.
Jonathan then brought David to Saul, and David served him as before.
Responsorial
Psalm56:2-3, 9-10A, 10B-11, 12-13
R. (5b) In God I trust; I
shall not fear.
Have mercy on me, O God, for men trample upon me;
all the day they press their attack against me.
My adversaries trample upon me all the day;
yes, many fight against me.
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
My wanderings you have counted;
my tears are stored in your flask;
are they not recorded in your book?
Then do my enemies turn back,
when I call upon you.
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Have mercy on me, O God, for men trample upon me;
all the day they press their attack against me.
My adversaries trample upon me all the day;
yes, many fight against me.
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
My wanderings you have counted;
my tears are stored in your flask;
are they not recorded in your book?
Then do my enemies turn back,
when I call upon you.
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Alleluia2 TM 1:10
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 3:7-12
Jesus withdrew toward the sea with
his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, “You are the Son of God.”
He warned them sternly not to make him known.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, “You are the Son of God.”
He warned them sternly not to make him known.
For the
readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint Vincent, please go here.
For the
readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint Marianne Cope, please go here.
Meditation: All pressed
upon Jesus to touch him
Is
there anything holding you back from giving yourself to God without fear or
reservation? Jesus offered freedom to everyone who sought him out. Wherever
Jesus went the people came to him because they had heard about all the
wonderful deeds and miracles which he performed. They were hungry for God and
desired healing from their afflictions. In faith they pressed upon
Jesus to touch him. As they did so power came from Jesus and they were
healed. Do you seek to lay hold of Jesus' presence in your life that he may
touch and heal you?
Draw
near to Jesus with expectant faith and he will answer
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.) remarked:
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.) remarked:
"It
is by faith that we touch Jesus. And far better to touch him by faith than to
touch or handle him with the hands only and not by faith. It was no great thing
to merely touch him manually. Even his oppressors doubtless touched him when
they apprehended him, bound him, and crucified him, but by their ill-motivated
touch they lost precisely what they were laying hold of. O worldwide church! It
is by touching him faithfully that your 'faith has made you whole' (Isaiah
1:10-18; Matthew 9:22; Mark 5:34; Mark 10:52; Luke 8:48; John 20:29)." (excerpt
from SERMONS, ON EASTER 148)
The
Lord Jesus has power to heal, restore, and make us new
Why did Jesus perform so many countless miracles and signs during his earthly ministry? Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD) wrote that these signs and miracles showed that Jesus was truly God - the eternal Word who was made flesh for our salvation:
Why did Jesus perform so many countless miracles and signs during his earthly ministry? Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD) wrote that these signs and miracles showed that Jesus was truly God - the eternal Word who was made flesh for our salvation:
[Jesus]
performed very many wonderful miracles, rebuking demons, delivering from
incurable diseases whoever drew near to him, and displaying his own most divine
power. He did these works so that both the Jews, who had run together to him,
and those from the country of the Greeks might know that Christ was not some
ordinary man of those in our degree but, on the contrary, God. He honored these
chosen disciples with the dignity of the apostolate. He was the Word that was
made man but retained nevertheless his own glory. "For power went forth
from him and healed all." Christ did not borrow strength from some other
person, but being himself God by nature, even though he had become flesh, he
healed them all, by the demonstration of power over the sick. (COMMENTARY
ON LUKE, HOMILY 25)
Why
did the demons tremble in the presence of Jesus (Mark 3:11)? They recognized
that his power and authority came from heaven and not from earth. But while
they confessed Christ and trembled in his presence, they did not respond in
love.
Receive
God's word with expectant faith, persevering hope, and fervent love
When you read God's word and consider all that Jesus said and did, how do you respond? With indifference, hesitation, or skepticism, or with expectant faith, love, and willing obedience? Ask the Lord Jesus to draw you to himself with increasing faith, fervent love, and eager readiness to do his will.
When you read God's word and consider all that Jesus said and did, how do you respond? With indifference, hesitation, or skepticism, or with expectant faith, love, and willing obedience? Ask the Lord Jesus to draw you to himself with increasing faith, fervent love, and eager readiness to do his will.
"Lord
Jesus Christ, you are the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Inflame my
heart with a burning love for you and with an expectant faith in your saving
power. Set me free from all that hinders me from drawing closer to you."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Faith works by love, by Augustine
of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The
'faith that works by love' (Galatians 5:6), is not the same faith that
demons have. 'For the devils also believe and tremble' (James 2:19) but
do they love? If they had not believed, they would not have said: 'You are the
holy one of God' or 'You are the Son of God' (Mark 3:11-12; Luke 4:34,41).
But if they had loved, they would not have said: 'What have we to do with
you?' (Matthew 8:29; Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28)" (excerpt from Letter 194,
To Sixtus)
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, MARK 3:7-12
(1 Samuel 18:6-9, 19:1-7; Psalm 56)
(1 Samuel 18:6-9, 19:1-7; Psalm 56)
KEY VERSE: "He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him" (v 10).
TO KNOW: After Jesus’ confrontation with the religious leaders in the synagogue, he withdrew to the area around the Sea of Galilee. There he concentrated on the formation of his disciples. As Jesus taught and healed people, he attracted large crowds from many regions: Jerusalem in the south, Tyre and Sidon in the north, Idumea to the east, and even beyond the Jordan River to the west. Jesus was creating a new people of God made up of all peoples. When he encountered some individuals possessed by "unclean spirits" (v 11), they identified him as the "Son of God" (v 11). Ancient people believed that they could gain mastery over a spirit by naming it, and the demons made the effort to ward off God's power. Jesus silenced the demonic attempt to thwart God's plan. By naming the enemy, Jesus had power over them.
TO LOVE: Have I experienced the power of Jesus’ Name in my life?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to pray with confidence in your Holy Name.
Optional Memorial of Saint Vincent, deacon and martyr
Vincent is the earliest Spanish martyr whose name is known to us. He was a deacon who, along with his bishop Valerius, was apprehended during a persecution by the governor of Spain, Dacian. It is said that when they were brought to trial, and since Valerius had a speech impediment, Vincent spoke for both, and that his fearless manner so angered the governor that Vincent was tortured and killed, though his aged bishop was only exiled. Vincent was submitted to the fiercest of tortures. His flesh was torn by iron hooks; he was placed on a red hot gridiron and roasted; he was thrown into a dungeon strewn with broken pottery—yet he still survived. At last his friends were allowed to visit him. They prepared a bed for him, and as they laid him on it he died.
Optional Memorial of Saint Marianne Cope, virgin
Marianne Cope, O.S.F. was born in Germany in 1838. Just a year after her birth, her family emigrated to the United States. By the time she reached the eighth grade, her father had become an invalid and she went to work in a factory to support the family. Her father died in 1862, and Marianne pursue a religious life. She became a novitiate of the Sisters of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis. By 1883, she had become the Superior General of her congregation. It was at this time she received a plea for help from leprosy sufferers in Hawaii. Mother Marianne, as she was then known, left Syracuse with six sisters to attend to the sick. She never contracted leprosy herself, which many regarded as a miracle in itself. Eventually, Mother Marianne's work became a burden on her frail body and she was confined to a wheelchair. Despite this limitation, she continued to work tirelessly. Mother Marianne passed away in 1918. She was beautified in 2005 and declared a saint by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.
Thursday 23 January 2020
1 Samuel 18:6-9, 19:1-7. Psalm 55(56):2-3, 9-14. Mark 3:7-12.
In God I trust; I shall not fear – Psalm 55(56):2-3, 9-14.
‘He sternly ordered them not to make him known.’
In God I trust; I shall not fear – Psalm 55(56):2-3, 9-14.
‘He sternly ordered them not to make him known.’
Who is Jesus? Jesus is the healer who cures us of whatever is
afflicting us. We come to him in prayer to be touched by him. He is the Son of
God who casts out from us the unclean spirits of our angers, our bitterness,
our failures to forgive those who have hurt us. He is our priest who, though
sinless, offers his own life for our freedom. He is the tent, the meeting place
with God; in him we are able to call God our Father.
Like Moses, we are called to follow a pattern, the one taught us
by Jesus. In our prayer, we place ourselves before him, confident that ‘his
power to save is utterly certain’, and knowing that he is praying and
interceding for us with his Father.
Lord Jesus, be with us this day. Call forth a response of quiet
attentiveness to your presence.
Saint Marianne Cope
Saint of the Day for January 23
(January 23, 1838 – August 9, 1918)
Saint Marianne Cope’s Story
Though leprosy scared off most people in 19th-century Hawaii,
that disease sparked great generosity in the woman who came to be known as
Mother Marianne of Molokai. Her courage helped tremendously to improve the
lives of its victims in Hawaii, a territory annexed to the United States during
her lifetime (1898).
Mother Marianne’s generosity and courage were celebrated at her
May 14, 2005, beatification in Rome. She was a woman who spoke “the language of
truth and love” to the world, said Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, prefect of
the Congregation for Saints’ Causes. Cardinal Martins, who presided at the
beatification Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, called her life “a wonderful work
of divine grace.” Speaking of her special love for persons suffering from
leprosy, he said, “She saw in them the suffering face of Jesus. Like the Good
Samaritan, she became their mother.”
On January 23, 1838, a daughter was born to Peter and Barbara
Cope of Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany. The girl was named after her mother. Two
years later the Cope family emigrated to the United States and settled in
Utica, New York. Young Barbara worked in a factory until August 1862, when she
went to the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis in Syracuse, New York.
After profession in November of the next year, she began teaching at Assumption
parish school.
Marianne held the post of superior in several places and was
twice the novice mistress of her congregation. A natural leader, three
different times she was superior of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, where
she learned much that would be useful during her years in Hawaii.
Elected provincial in 1877, Mother Marianne was unanimously
re-elected in 1881. Two years later the Hawaiian government was searching for
someone to run the Kakaako Receiving Station for people suspected of having
leprosy. More than 50 religious communities in the United States and Canada
were asked. When the request was put to the Syracuse sisters, 35 of them
volunteered immediately. On October 22, 1883, Mother Marianne and six other sisters
left for Hawaii where they took charge of the Kakaako Receiving Station outside
Honolulu; on the island of Maui they also opened a hospital and a school for
girls.
In 1888, Mother Marianne and two sisters went to Molokai to open
a home for “unprotected women and girls” there. The Hawaiian government was
quite hesitant to send women for this difficult assignment; they need not have
worried about Mother Marianne! On Molokai she took charge of the home
that Saint Damien de Veuster had established for men and
boys. Mother Marianne changed life on Molokai by introducing cleanliness,
pride, and fun to the colony. Bright scarves and pretty dresses for the women were
part of her approach.
Awarded the Royal Order of Kapiolani by the Hawaiian government
and celebrated in a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, Mother Marianne continued
her work faithfully. Her sisters have attracted vocations among the Hawaiian
people and still work on Molokai.
Mother Marianne died on August 9, 1918 and was beatified in 2005
and canonized seven years later.
Reflection
The government authorities were reluctant to allow Mother
Marianne to be a mother on Molokai. Thirty years of dedication proved their
fears unfounded. God grants gifts regardless of human shortsightedness and
allows those gifts to flower for the sake of the kingdom.
Lectio Divina: Mark 3:7-12
Lectio Divina
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father of heaven and earth,
hear our prayers,
and show us the way to Your peace in the world.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. Amen.
hear our prayers,
and show us the way to Your peace in the world.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 3:7-12
Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number
of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a
large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from
beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. He told his
disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would
not crush him. He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were
pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would
fall down before him and shout, "You are the Son of God." He warned
them sternly not to make him known.
3) Reflection
• The conclusion reached at the end of this fifth conflict (Mk
3: 2 to 6) is that the Good News as it was announced by Jesus said exactly the
opposite of the teaching of the religious authority of the time. This is why,
at the end of the last conflict, it is foreseen that Jesus will not have an
easy life and will be put to death. Death is already appearing on the horizon.
They decide to make Him die (Mk 3:6). Without sincere conversion it is not
possible for people to reach a correct understanding of the Good News.
• A summary of the evangelizing action of Jesus. The verses of today’s Gospel (Mk 3:7-12) are a summary of the activity of Jesus and they highlight an enormous contrast. Earlier, in Mk 2:1 to 3:6, only conflicts were spoken of, including the conflict of life and death between Jesus and the civil and religious authority of Galilee (Mk 3:1-6). Now, in the summary, we have the contrary: an immense popular movement, greater than the movement of John the Baptist, because people come not only from Galilee, but also from Judea, from Jerusalem, from Idumaea, from Transjordan, and even from the pagan region of Tyre and Sidon to encounter Jesus! (Mk 3:7-12). All want to see Him and to touch Him. The people are so numerous that Jesus Himself is concerned. There is a danger of being crushed by the multitude. This is why He asks the disciples to have a boat ready for Him so that the crowd would not crush Him. And from the boat He spoke to the crowds. Especially the excluded and the marginalized who came to Him with their ailments: the sick and those possessed. Those who were not accepted in the society of the time were accepted by Jesus. Here is the contrast: on the one side the religious and civil leaders decided to put Jesus to death (Mk 3:6), and on the other side there was an immense popular movement seeking salvation in Jesus. Who will win?
• The unclean spirits and Jesus. Mark insists very much on the expulsion of the unclean spirits. The first miracle of Jesus is the expulsion of the unclean spirits (Mk 1:25). The first impact caused by Jesus is due to the expulsion of the devil (Mk 1:27). One of the principal causes of Jesus’ clash with the s is the expulsion of the unclean spirits. (Mk 3:22). The first power which the Apostles received when they were sent out on mission was the power to expel demons (Mk 16:17). What does it mean in Mark’s Gospel to drive out or expel evil spirits?
• At the time of Mark the fear of the devil was increasing. Some religions, instead of liberating the people, increased fear and anguish. One of the objectives of the Good News of Jesus is to help people liberate themselves from this fear. The coming of the Kingdom means the coming of a stronger power. Jesus is “the Stronger Man” Who has come to conquer and overcome Satan, the power of evil, and to take way from Satan those imprisoned by fear (Mk 3:27). This is why Mark insists very much on the victory of Jesus over the power of evil, over the devil, over Satan, sin and death. From the beginning to the end, with similar words, Mark repeats the same message: “And Jesus drove out, expelled the impure spirits!” (Mk 1: 26.27,34,39; 3:11-12,15,22,30; 5:1-20; 6:7.13; 7:25-29; 9:25-27,38; 16:9,17). It seems almost a refrain which is repeated! Today, instead of always using the same words, we prefer to use diverse words. We would say, “The power of evil, Satan, which causes so much fear to people - Jesus overcame him, dominated him, conquered him, threw him off the throne, drove him out or expelled him, eliminated him, annihilated him, knocked him down, destroyed him and killed him!” What Mark wants to tell us is this: “Christians are forbidden to be afraid of Satan!” After Jesus rose from the dead, it is madness and a lack of faith to invoke Satan at every moment, as if he still had any power over us. To insist on the power of the devil in order to persuade people to return to Church means to ignore the Good News of the Kingdom. It is a lack of faith in the Resurrection of Jesus!
• A summary of the evangelizing action of Jesus. The verses of today’s Gospel (Mk 3:7-12) are a summary of the activity of Jesus and they highlight an enormous contrast. Earlier, in Mk 2:1 to 3:6, only conflicts were spoken of, including the conflict of life and death between Jesus and the civil and religious authority of Galilee (Mk 3:1-6). Now, in the summary, we have the contrary: an immense popular movement, greater than the movement of John the Baptist, because people come not only from Galilee, but also from Judea, from Jerusalem, from Idumaea, from Transjordan, and even from the pagan region of Tyre and Sidon to encounter Jesus! (Mk 3:7-12). All want to see Him and to touch Him. The people are so numerous that Jesus Himself is concerned. There is a danger of being crushed by the multitude. This is why He asks the disciples to have a boat ready for Him so that the crowd would not crush Him. And from the boat He spoke to the crowds. Especially the excluded and the marginalized who came to Him with their ailments: the sick and those possessed. Those who were not accepted in the society of the time were accepted by Jesus. Here is the contrast: on the one side the religious and civil leaders decided to put Jesus to death (Mk 3:6), and on the other side there was an immense popular movement seeking salvation in Jesus. Who will win?
• The unclean spirits and Jesus. Mark insists very much on the expulsion of the unclean spirits. The first miracle of Jesus is the expulsion of the unclean spirits (Mk 1:25). The first impact caused by Jesus is due to the expulsion of the devil (Mk 1:27). One of the principal causes of Jesus’ clash with the s is the expulsion of the unclean spirits. (Mk 3:22). The first power which the Apostles received when they were sent out on mission was the power to expel demons (Mk 16:17). What does it mean in Mark’s Gospel to drive out or expel evil spirits?
• At the time of Mark the fear of the devil was increasing. Some religions, instead of liberating the people, increased fear and anguish. One of the objectives of the Good News of Jesus is to help people liberate themselves from this fear. The coming of the Kingdom means the coming of a stronger power. Jesus is “the Stronger Man” Who has come to conquer and overcome Satan, the power of evil, and to take way from Satan those imprisoned by fear (Mk 3:27). This is why Mark insists very much on the victory of Jesus over the power of evil, over the devil, over Satan, sin and death. From the beginning to the end, with similar words, Mark repeats the same message: “And Jesus drove out, expelled the impure spirits!” (Mk 1: 26.27,34,39; 3:11-12,15,22,30; 5:1-20; 6:7.13; 7:25-29; 9:25-27,38; 16:9,17). It seems almost a refrain which is repeated! Today, instead of always using the same words, we prefer to use diverse words. We would say, “The power of evil, Satan, which causes so much fear to people - Jesus overcame him, dominated him, conquered him, threw him off the throne, drove him out or expelled him, eliminated him, annihilated him, knocked him down, destroyed him and killed him!” What Mark wants to tell us is this: “Christians are forbidden to be afraid of Satan!” After Jesus rose from the dead, it is madness and a lack of faith to invoke Satan at every moment, as if he still had any power over us. To insist on the power of the devil in order to persuade people to return to Church means to ignore the Good News of the Kingdom. It is a lack of faith in the Resurrection of Jesus!
4) Personal questions
• How do you live your faith in the Resurrection of Jesus? Does
your faith in some way help you to overcome fear?
• To drive away or expel the devil! What do you do in order to neutralize this power in your life?
• To drive away or expel the devil! What do you do in order to neutralize this power in your life?
5) Concluding prayer
Joy and happiness in You to all who seek You!
Let them ceaselessly cry,”'Great is Yahweh”
who love Your saving power. (Ps 40)
Let them ceaselessly cry,”'Great is Yahweh”
who love Your saving power. (Ps 40)
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