Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 329
Lectionary: 329
In the beginning,
when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said,
“Let there be light,” and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”
Thus evening came, and morning followed–the first day.
Then God said,
“Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body of water from the other.”
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome “the sky.”
Evening came, and morning followed–the second day.
Then God said,
“Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear.”
And so it happened:
the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land “the earth,”
and the basin of the water he called “the sea.”
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
“Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it.”
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth that
bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the third day.
Then God said:
“Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth.”
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the fourth day.
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said,
“Let there be light,” and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”
Thus evening came, and morning followed–the first day.
Then God said,
“Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body of water from the other.”
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome “the sky.”
Evening came, and morning followed–the second day.
Then God said,
“Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear.”
And so it happened:
the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land “the earth,”
and the basin of the water he called “the sea.”
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
“Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it.”
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth that
bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the third day.
Then God said:
“Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth.”
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the fourth day.
Responsorial PsalmPS 104:1-2A, 5-6, 10 AND 12, 24 AND 35C
R. (31b) May the Lord be glad in his works.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation,
not to be moved forever;
With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it;
above the mountains the waters stood.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all—
the earth is full of your creatures;
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation,
not to be moved forever;
With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it;
above the mountains the waters stood.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all—
the earth is full of your creatures;
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
AlleluiaSEE MT 4:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 6:53-56
After making the
crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.
Meditation: "Many
were made well"
Do you recognize the
Lord's presence in your life? The Gospel records that when Jesus disembarked
from the boat the people immediately recognized him. What did they
recognize in Jesus? A prophet, a healer, the Messiah, the Son of God? For sure
they recognized that Jesus had power from God to heal and to make whole bodies,
limbs, minds, and hearts that were beset with disease, affliction, and sin.
What happened when they pressed upon him and touched the fringe of his garment?
They were made well. The Lord Jesus is ever ready to meet our needs
as well. Do you approach him with expectant faith?
Faith is an entirely
free gift which God makes to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Believing
and trusting in God to act in our lives is only possible by the grace and help
of the Holy Spirit who moves the heart and converts it to God. The Holy Spirit
opens the eyes of the mind and helps us to understand, accept, and believe
God's word. How do we grow in faith? By listening to God's word with trust and
submission. Faith also grows through testing and perseverance. The Lord wants
to teach us how to pray in faith for his will for our lives and for the things
he wishes to give us to enable us to follow him faithfully and serve him
generously.
Jesus gave his
disciples the perfect prayer which acknowledges God as our Father who provides
generously for his children. The Lord's prayer teaches us to seek first the
kingdom of God and to pray that God's will be accomplished in our lives. The
Lord in turn, gives us what we need to live each day for his glory. The Lord is
never too distant nor too busy to meet us and to give his blessing. Do you pray
to the Father with confidence that he will show you his will and give you what
you need to follow him? Ask the Lord to increase your faith and gratitude for
his merciful love and provision for your life.
"Lord Jesus, let
my heart sing for joy in your presence. Give me eyes of faith to recognize your
presence and fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may walk in your way of love
and peace."
 Faith and Christ’s Healing Power |
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February 9, 2015. Monday
in the Fifth Week of Ordinary Time
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Mark 6:53-56
After making the crossing, they came to land
at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people
immediately recognized him. They scurried about the surrounding country and
began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Whatever
villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the
marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his
cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.
Introductory Prayer: I believe in your power of healing grace, in
your capacity to heal both physically and spiritually. I come to you in
spiritual illness and weakness, confident in your desire to heal and
strengthen me. I humbly offer you my soul, wounded and aching from the
spiritual cancer of self-love, pride and self-sufficiency. I abandon myself
to your loving mercy. Thank you, Lord, for watching over me and loving me
unconditionally.
Petition: Lord, heal my heart and soul, and help me to
do what I must do to maintain my spiritual health.
1. “People recognized him, and started
hurrying all through the countryside.”For the most part, the people in this Gospel were not
“hurrying throughout the countryside” to invite others to come and seek
forgiveness and spiritual healing from Jesus. They were in haste, yes, but in
haste to bring the sick so that the Lord would heal them from their
physically infirmities. How blind is the human heart that often fears
physical illness more than spiritual infirmities and falling out of God’s
grace! The gravest ills we can suffer are those that come from within us:
“For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft,
false witness, blasphemy. These are what defile a person” (Matthew 15:19-20).
2. “They laid down the sick in the open
spaces, begging him to let them touch even the fringe of his cloak.” Holy men and women throughout the centuries
have firmly believed that “touching” Christ through receiving the sacraments
brings about spiritual healing and redemption. “My heart has been wounded by
many sins,” St. Ambrose used to pray before he celebrated Mass, “my mind and
tongue carelessly left unguarded. Lord of kindness and power, in my lowliness
and need I am turning to you, the fountain of mercy; I am hurrying to you to
be healed; I am taking refuge under your protection. I am longing to meet
you, not as my Judge but as my Savior. Lord, I am not ashamed to show you my
wounds. Only you know how many and how serious my sins are, and though they
could make me fear for my salvation, I am putting my hope in your mercies,
which are beyond count. Look on me with mercy, then, Lord Jesus Christ,
eternal King, God and man, crucified for our sake. I am putting my trust in
you, the fountain that will never stop flowing with merciful love: hear me
and forgive my sins and weaknesses.”
3. “All those who touched him were
cured.” All those who
touched Jesus Christ with the touch of faith were cured: the Canaanite woman,
the blind man, the ten lepers, the man with a withered hand, the paralytic,
Jairus’ daughter, the woman with the hemorrhage, the boy with a demon, the
Gerasene demoniac, the deaf man. All these people in the Gospel had something
in common: it was their faith that allowed the Lord to heal them. The phrase
used in the case of the woman with the hemorrhage is telling: “power had gone
out from him” (Mark 5:30). Faith is one of the most powerful acts of the
human person, since God himself chooses to be moved by it. How strong is my
faith in the power of our Lord Jesus Christ? Do I reach out and touch him in
faith every day? Do I allow him to act in my life through faith? What am I
waiting for?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, you are all powerful and the source of
my salvation and spiritual healing. In this prayer I am reaching out to touch
you in faith, even though I am unworthy and my faith is weak. Heal me, Lord.
Give me the strength to resist the power of evil in my life and to adhere to
your grace and goodness. Lord, I believe; increase my faith.
Resolution: I will offer up short acts of faith in the
Lord throughout the day.
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, MARK 6:53-56
(Genesis 1:1-19; Psalm 104)
(Genesis 1:1-19; Psalm 104)
KEY VERSE: "They laid their sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak" (v 56).
TO KNOW: Jesus' fame had spread throughout the land, so wherever he went, people flocked to him for healing. Picture the excitement when Jesus entered a town or village. Whether at the crossroads or in the marketplace, the people scurried about bringing their sick to him. When Jesus and his disciples arrived by boat at Gennesaret, the crowds gathered again, bringing their sick from far and wide. Their faith was so great that they were healed just by touching the tassel on his cloak (the tassels worn by observant Jews represented the 613 Laws of the Jewish Torah). Though the disciples had seen Jesus' mighty deeds in the wilderness (vs 34-44), at sea (vs 45-51), and now in the villages, they still did not understand the full meaning of these events.
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, help me to have faith in your words and works.
TO SERVE: Do I have more interest in seeing miracles than I have in knowing Jesus?
Monday 9 February 2015
Genesis 1:1-19. May the
Lord be glad in his works—Ps 103(104):1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 24, 35. Mark 6:53-56.
The world God created was
good.
This is the most profound
wisdom of the creation story. All God ever wanted was for humanity to share in
that goodness and to enjoy relationship with God. Every time the people turned
away from God, God called them back. Jesus’ ministry is testament to that call
of God to goodness.
The power that emanated
from Jesus brought healing to many. In the midst of a broken world, they
experienced physical restoration. Those who were healed became a sign of God’s
goodness and loving creativity.
Every time we make
confession and receive the words of pardon, we too experience restoration.
Spiritual restoration is God’s gift to us in Jesus—our invitation to
participate in the goodness of God’s creative purpose. We are God’s works: may
God rejoice in us today!
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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The Darkness of Sin
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Without God’s gifts, our nature is dead. Sin is like putting a
block cloth over the dazzling brilliance of the sun, that is, the divine
presence at the heart of existence.
February
9
St. Jerome Emiliani
(1481?-1537)
St. Jerome Emiliani
(1481?-1537)
A careless and irreligious soldier for the city-state of Venice,
Jerome was captured in a skirmish at an outpost town and chained in a dungeon.
In prison Jerome had a lot of time to think, and he gradually learned how to
pray. When he escaped, he returned to Venice where he took charge of the
education of his nephews—and began his own studies for the priesthood.
In the
years after his ordination, events again called Jerome to a decision and a new
lifestyle. Plague and famine swept northern Italy. Jerome began caring for the
sick and feeding the hungry at his own expense. While serving the sick and the
poor, he soon resolved to devote himself and his property solely to others,
particularly to abandoned children. He founded three orphanages, a shelter for
penitent prostitutes and a hospital.
Around
1532 Jerome and two other priests established a congregation, the Clerks
Regular of Somasca, dedicated to the care of orphans and the education of
youth. Jerome died in 1537 from a disease he caught while tending the sick. He
was canonized in 1767. In 1928 Pius Xl named him the patron of orphans and
abandoned children.
Comment:
Very often in our lives it seems to take some kind of “imprisonment” to free us from the shackles of our self-centeredness. When we’re “caught” in some situation we don’t want to be in, we finally come to know the liberating power of Another. Only then can we become another for “the imprisoned” and “the orphaned” all around us.
Very often in our lives it seems to take some kind of “imprisonment” to free us from the shackles of our self-centeredness. When we’re “caught” in some situation we don’t want to be in, we finally come to know the liberating power of Another. Only then can we become another for “the imprisoned” and “the orphaned” all around us.
Quote:
“‘The father of orphans and the defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. God gives a home to the forsaken; he leads forth prisoners to prosperity; only rebels remain in the parched land’ (Psalm 68).... We should not forget the growing number of persons who are often abandoned by their families and by the community: the old, orphans, the sick and all kinds of people who are rejected…. We must be prepared to take on new functions and new duties in every sector of human activity and especially in the sector of world society, if justice is really to be put into practice. Our action is to be directed above all at those men and nations which, because of various forms of oppression and because of the present character of our society, are silent, indeed voiceless, victims of injustice” (Justice in the World, 1971 World Synod of Bishops).
“‘The father of orphans and the defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. God gives a home to the forsaken; he leads forth prisoners to prosperity; only rebels remain in the parched land’ (Psalm 68).... We should not forget the growing number of persons who are often abandoned by their families and by the community: the old, orphans, the sick and all kinds of people who are rejected…. We must be prepared to take on new functions and new duties in every sector of human activity and especially in the sector of world society, if justice is really to be put into practice. Our action is to be directed above all at those men and nations which, because of various forms of oppression and because of the present character of our society, are silent, indeed voiceless, victims of injustice” (Justice in the World, 1971 World Synod of Bishops).
Patron Saint of:
Orphans, abandoned children
Orphans, abandoned children
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 6,53-56
Lectio:
Monday, February 9, 2015
1) Opening prayer
Father,
watch over your family
and keep us safe in your care,
for all our hope is in you.
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.
Father,
watch over your family
and keep us safe in your care,
for all our hope is in you.
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 6,53-56
Having made the crossing, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and moored there.
When they disembarked people at once recognised him, and started hurrying all through the countryside and brought the sick on stretchers to wherever they heard he was.
And wherever he went, to village or town or farm, they laid down the sick in the open spaces, begging him to let them touch even the fringe of his cloak. And all those who touched him were saved.
Having made the crossing, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and moored there.
When they disembarked people at once recognised him, and started hurrying all through the countryside and brought the sick on stretchers to wherever they heard he was.
And wherever he went, to village or town or farm, they laid down the sick in the open spaces, begging him to let them touch even the fringe of his cloak. And all those who touched him were saved.
3) Reflection
• The text of today’s Gospel is the final part of the whole passage of Mark 6,45-56 which presents three different themes: a) Jesus goes to the mountain alone to pray (Mk 6, 45-46). b) Immediately after, he walks on the water, goes toward the disciples who are struggling against the waves of the sea (Mk 6, 47-52). 3) Now, in today’s Gospel, when they were already on the shore, the people look for Jesus so that he can cure their sick (Mk 6, 53-56).
• Mark 6, 53-56. The search of the people. “At that time, Jesus and his disciples having made the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. When they disembarked, the people at once recognized him”. The people were numerous looking for Jesus. They came from all parts, bringing their sick. The enthusiasm of the people who look for Jesus and recognizing him follow him is surprising. What impels people to search for Jesus is not only the desire to encounter him, to be with him, but rather the desire to be cured of the sicknesses. “And hurrying all through the countryside they brought the sick on stretchers to wherever they heard he went.
And wherever he went to village or town or farm, they laid down the sick in the open spaces, begging him to let them touch even the fringe of his cloak, and all those who touched him were saved”. The Gospel of Matthew comments and enlightens this fact quoting the figure of the Servant of Yahweh, of whom Isaiah says: “Yet ours were the sufferings he was bearing, ours the sorrows he was carrying”. (Is 53, 4 and Mt 8, 16-17)
• To teach and to cure, to cure and to teach. Right from the beginning of his apostolic activity, Jesus goes through all the villages of Galilee, to speak to the people about the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God (Mk 1, 14-15). There, wherever he finds people to listen to him, he speaks and transmits the Good News of God, he accepts the sick, in all places: in the Synagogues during the celebration of the Word, on Saturday (Mk 1, 21; 3, 1; 6, 2); in the informal meetings in the house of friends (Mk 2, 1.15; 7, 17; 9, 28; 10, 10); walking on the street with the disciples (Mk 2, 23); along the beach, sitting in a boat (Mk 4, 1); in the desert where he took refuge and where people looked for him (Mk 1, 45; 6, 32-34); on the mountain from where he proclaimed the Beatitudes (Mt 5, 1); in the squares of the villages and of the cities, where the people took their sick (Mk 6, 55-56); in the Temple of Jerusalem, on the occasion of pilgrimages, every day without fear (Mk 14, 49)! To cure and to teach, to teach and to cure that is what Jesus did the most (Mk 2, 13; 4, 1-2; 6, 34). This is what he used to do (Mk 10, 1). The people were amazed (Mk 12, 37; 1, 22.27; 11, 18) and they looked for him, as a crowd.
• In the origin of this great enthusiasm of the people was, on the one hand, the person of Jesus who called and attracted and, on the other side, the abandonment in which people lived, they were like sheep without a shepherd (cf. Mk 6,34). In Jesus, everything was revelation of what impelled him from within! He not only spoke of God, but he also revealed him. He communicated something of what he himself lived and experienced. He not only announced the Good News. He himself was a proof, a living witness of the Kingdom. In him was manifested what happens when a human being allows God to reign in his life. What has value, what is important, is not only the words, but also and above all the witness, the concrete gesture. This is the Good News which attracts!
• The text of today’s Gospel is the final part of the whole passage of Mark 6,45-56 which presents three different themes: a) Jesus goes to the mountain alone to pray (Mk 6, 45-46). b) Immediately after, he walks on the water, goes toward the disciples who are struggling against the waves of the sea (Mk 6, 47-52). 3) Now, in today’s Gospel, when they were already on the shore, the people look for Jesus so that he can cure their sick (Mk 6, 53-56).
• Mark 6, 53-56. The search of the people. “At that time, Jesus and his disciples having made the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. When they disembarked, the people at once recognized him”. The people were numerous looking for Jesus. They came from all parts, bringing their sick. The enthusiasm of the people who look for Jesus and recognizing him follow him is surprising. What impels people to search for Jesus is not only the desire to encounter him, to be with him, but rather the desire to be cured of the sicknesses. “And hurrying all through the countryside they brought the sick on stretchers to wherever they heard he went.
And wherever he went to village or town or farm, they laid down the sick in the open spaces, begging him to let them touch even the fringe of his cloak, and all those who touched him were saved”. The Gospel of Matthew comments and enlightens this fact quoting the figure of the Servant of Yahweh, of whom Isaiah says: “Yet ours were the sufferings he was bearing, ours the sorrows he was carrying”. (Is 53, 4 and Mt 8, 16-17)
• To teach and to cure, to cure and to teach. Right from the beginning of his apostolic activity, Jesus goes through all the villages of Galilee, to speak to the people about the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God (Mk 1, 14-15). There, wherever he finds people to listen to him, he speaks and transmits the Good News of God, he accepts the sick, in all places: in the Synagogues during the celebration of the Word, on Saturday (Mk 1, 21; 3, 1; 6, 2); in the informal meetings in the house of friends (Mk 2, 1.15; 7, 17; 9, 28; 10, 10); walking on the street with the disciples (Mk 2, 23); along the beach, sitting in a boat (Mk 4, 1); in the desert where he took refuge and where people looked for him (Mk 1, 45; 6, 32-34); on the mountain from where he proclaimed the Beatitudes (Mt 5, 1); in the squares of the villages and of the cities, where the people took their sick (Mk 6, 55-56); in the Temple of Jerusalem, on the occasion of pilgrimages, every day without fear (Mk 14, 49)! To cure and to teach, to teach and to cure that is what Jesus did the most (Mk 2, 13; 4, 1-2; 6, 34). This is what he used to do (Mk 10, 1). The people were amazed (Mk 12, 37; 1, 22.27; 11, 18) and they looked for him, as a crowd.
• In the origin of this great enthusiasm of the people was, on the one hand, the person of Jesus who called and attracted and, on the other side, the abandonment in which people lived, they were like sheep without a shepherd (cf. Mk 6,34). In Jesus, everything was revelation of what impelled him from within! He not only spoke of God, but he also revealed him. He communicated something of what he himself lived and experienced. He not only announced the Good News. He himself was a proof, a living witness of the Kingdom. In him was manifested what happens when a human being allows God to reign in his life. What has value, what is important, is not only the words, but also and above all the witness, the concrete gesture. This is the Good News which attracts!
4) Personal questions
• The enthusiasm of the people of Jesus, looking for the sense of life and a solution for their ills. Where does this exist today? Does in exist in you, does it exist in others?
• What attracts is the loving attitude of Jesus toward the poor and the abandoned. And I, how do I deal with the persons excluded by society?
• The enthusiasm of the people of Jesus, looking for the sense of life and a solution for their ills. Where does this exist today? Does in exist in you, does it exist in others?
• What attracts is the loving attitude of Jesus toward the poor and the abandoned. And I, how do I deal with the persons excluded by society?
5) Concluding prayer
How countless are your works, Yahweh,
all of them made so wisely!
The earth is full of your creatures.
Bless Yahweh, my soul. (Ps 104,24.35)
How countless are your works, Yahweh,
all of them made so wisely!
The earth is full of your creatures.
Bless Yahweh, my soul. (Ps 104,24.35)
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