Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 315
Lectionary: 315
Saul took three thousand picked men from all Israel
and went in search of David and his men
in the direction of the wild goat crags.
When he came to the sheepfolds along the way, he found a cave,
which he entered to relieve himself.
David and his men were occupying the inmost recesses of the cave.
David's servants said to him,
"This is the day of which the LORD said to you,
'I will deliver your enemy into your grasp;
do with him as you see fit.'"
So David moved up and stealthily cut off an end of Saul's mantle.
Afterward, however, David regretted that he had cut off
an end of Saul's mantle.
He said to his men,
"The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master,
the LORD's anointed, as to lay a hand on him,
for he is the LORD's anointed."
With these words David restrained his men
and would not permit them to attack Saul.
Saul then left the cave and went on his way.
David also stepped out of the cave, calling to Saul,
"My lord the king!"
When Saul looked back, David bowed to the ground in homage and asked Saul:
"Why do you listen to those who say,
'David is trying to harm you'?
You see for yourself today that the LORD just now delivered you
into my grasp in the cave.
I had some thought of killing you, but I took pity on you instead.
I decided, 'I will not raise a hand against my lord,
for he is the LORD's anointed and a father to me.'
Look here at this end of your mantle which I hold.
Since I cut off an end of your mantle and did not kill you,
see and be convinced that I plan no harm and no rebellion.
I have done you no wrong,
though you are hunting me down to take my life.
The LORD will judge between me and you,
and the LORD will exact justice from you in my case.
I shall not touch you.
The old proverb says, 'From the wicked comes forth wickedness.'
So I will take no action against you.
Against whom are you on campaign, O king of Israel?
Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, or a single flea!
The LORD will be the judge; he will decide between me and you.
May he see this, and take my part,
and grant me justice beyond your reach!"
When David finished saying these things to Saul, Saul answered,
"Is that your voice, my son David?"
And Saul wept aloud.
Saul then said to David: "You are in the right rather than I;
you have treated me generously, while I have done you harm.
Great is the generosity you showed me today,
when the LORD delivered me into your grasp
and you did not kill me.
For if a man meets his enemy, does he send him away unharmed?
May the LORD reward you generously for what you have done this day.
And now, I know that you shall surely be king
and that sovereignty over Israel shall come into your possession."
and went in search of David and his men
in the direction of the wild goat crags.
When he came to the sheepfolds along the way, he found a cave,
which he entered to relieve himself.
David and his men were occupying the inmost recesses of the cave.
David's servants said to him,
"This is the day of which the LORD said to you,
'I will deliver your enemy into your grasp;
do with him as you see fit.'"
So David moved up and stealthily cut off an end of Saul's mantle.
Afterward, however, David regretted that he had cut off
an end of Saul's mantle.
He said to his men,
"The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master,
the LORD's anointed, as to lay a hand on him,
for he is the LORD's anointed."
With these words David restrained his men
and would not permit them to attack Saul.
Saul then left the cave and went on his way.
David also stepped out of the cave, calling to Saul,
"My lord the king!"
When Saul looked back, David bowed to the ground in homage and asked Saul:
"Why do you listen to those who say,
'David is trying to harm you'?
You see for yourself today that the LORD just now delivered you
into my grasp in the cave.
I had some thought of killing you, but I took pity on you instead.
I decided, 'I will not raise a hand against my lord,
for he is the LORD's anointed and a father to me.'
Look here at this end of your mantle which I hold.
Since I cut off an end of your mantle and did not kill you,
see and be convinced that I plan no harm and no rebellion.
I have done you no wrong,
though you are hunting me down to take my life.
The LORD will judge between me and you,
and the LORD will exact justice from you in my case.
I shall not touch you.
The old proverb says, 'From the wicked comes forth wickedness.'
So I will take no action against you.
Against whom are you on campaign, O king of Israel?
Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, or a single flea!
The LORD will be the judge; he will decide between me and you.
May he see this, and take my part,
and grant me justice beyond your reach!"
When David finished saying these things to Saul, Saul answered,
"Is that your voice, my son David?"
And Saul wept aloud.
Saul then said to David: "You are in the right rather than I;
you have treated me generously, while I have done you harm.
Great is the generosity you showed me today,
when the LORD delivered me into your grasp
and you did not kill me.
For if a man meets his enemy, does he send him away unharmed?
May the LORD reward you generously for what you have done this day.
And now, I know that you shall surely be king
and that sovereignty over Israel shall come into your possession."
Responsorial
PsalmPS 57:2, 3-4, 6 AND 11
R. (2a) Have
mercy on me, God, have mercy.
Have mercy on me, O God; have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.
In the shadow of your wings I take refuge,
till harm pass by.
R. Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
I call to God the Most High,
to God, my benefactor.
May he send from heaven and save me;
may he make those a reproach who trample upon me;
may God send his mercy and his faithfulness.
R. Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
above all the earth be your glory!
For your mercy towers to the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the skies.
R. Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
Have mercy on me, O God; have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.
In the shadow of your wings I take refuge,
till harm pass by.
R. Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
I call to God the Most High,
to God, my benefactor.
May he send from heaven and save me;
may he make those a reproach who trample upon me;
may God send his mercy and his faithfulness.
R. Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
above all the earth be your glory!
For your mercy towers to the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the skies.
R. Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
Alleluia2 COR 5:19
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 3:13-19
Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted
and they came to him.
He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,
that they might be with him
and he might send them forth to preach
and to have authority to drive out demons:
He appointed the Twelve:
Simon, whom he named Peter;
James, son of Zebedee,
and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges,
that is, sons of thunder;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus;
Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,
and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
and they came to him.
He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,
that they might be with him
and he might send them forth to preach
and to have authority to drive out demons:
He appointed the Twelve:
Simon, whom he named Peter;
James, son of Zebedee,
and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges,
that is, sons of thunder;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus;
Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,
and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Meditation: "Jesus appointed twelve
to be with him"
What is God's call on your life? When Jesus embarked
on his mission he chose twelve men for the task of preaching the kingdom of God
and healing the sick in the power of that kingdom. In the choice of the twelve,
we see a characteristic feature of God's work: Jesus chose very ordinary
people. They were non-professionals, who had no wealth or position. They were
chosen from the common people who did ordinary things, had no special
education, and no social advantages. Jesus wanted ordinary people who could
take an assignment and do it extraordinarily well. He chose these men, not for
what they were, but for what they would be capable of becoming under his
direction and power.
Jesus calls you to serve him - will you say yes today
and tomorrow?
When the Lord calls us to serve, we must not shrug back because we think that we have little or nothing to offer. The Lord takes what ordinary people, like us, can offer and uses it for greatness in his kingdom. Do you make your life an offering to the Lord and allow him to use you as he sees fit?
When the Lord calls us to serve, we must not shrug back because we think that we have little or nothing to offer. The Lord takes what ordinary people, like us, can offer and uses it for greatness in his kingdom. Do you make your life an offering to the Lord and allow him to use you as he sees fit?
"Lord Jesus, fill me with gratitude and
generosity for all you have done for me. Take my life and all that I have as an
offering of love for you, who are my All."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The renaming of Matthew by Jesus, by
Bede the Venerable, 672-735 A.D.
"We must not pass over the fact that Matthew had
two names, for he was also called Levi, and that name too bears witness to the
grace granted to him. Levi means 'added' (or 'a joining') or 'taken up,'
signifying that he was 'taken up' through being chosen by the Lord, and 'added'
to the number of the apostolic band. Mark and Luke generously chose to use this
name alone, so as to not make glaringly conspicuous his former way of life, for
he was now their companion in the work of the Gospel (Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27). In
setting down the list of the twelve apostles, they simply called him Matthew,
not mentioning Levi (Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15). Matthew himself, on the other hand
(in accord with what is written, 'The just man is the first accuser of himself;
his friend came and searched him out' - Proverbs 18:17), calls himself by his
ordinary name when telling of being called from his tax-collector's place, but
adds pointedly 'the publican' (Matthew 10:3) - 'Thomas,' he says, 'and Matthew
the publican.' In this way he offers to publicans and sinners greater
confidence in securing their salvation." (excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 1.21)
FRIDAY,
JANUARY 19, MARK 3:13-19
Weekday
(1 Samuel 24:3-21; Psalm 57)
Weekday
(1 Samuel 24:3-21; Psalm 57)
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 would concentrate 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 in your Holy Name.
Friday 19
January 2018
St Wulfstan.
1 Samuel
24:321. Psalm 56(57):2-4, 6, 11. Mark 3:13-19.
Have mercy
on me, God, have mercy—Psalm 56(57):2-4, 6, 11.
Have mercy
on me, O God, have mercy on me.
We are reminded of Judas’
closeness to Jesus, chosen as one of the twelve apostles to go out and preach.
Yet Judas, from the first, was also identified as a betrayer. David, too, was conflicted
by the suggestion he do harm to Saul on one hand, and spare him on the other.
David loved Saul, Judas loved Jesus, yet greed and selfishness led both men to
consider betraying their love and friendship.
In our own lives, we may have
harboured jealous thoughts or contemplated unkind acts towards those we love
most. Our conscience might stop us short, as David’s did, before we do any
harm. Or else, like Judas, we regret terribly the harm we ultimately cause.
Loving God, you who know us, lead
us to act honourably and unselfishly, with forgiveness and love in our hearts.
Saint Fabian
Saint of the Day for January 19
(c. 200 – January 20, 250)
Saint Fabian’s Story
Fabian
was a Roman layman who came into the city from his farm one day as clergy and
people were preparing to elect a new pope. Eusebius, a Church historian, says a
dove flew in and settled on the head of Fabian. This sign united the votes of
clergy and laity, and he was chosen unanimously.
He
led the Church for 14 years and died a martyr’s death during the persecution of
Decius in 250 A.D. Saint Cyprian wrote to his successor that Fabian was an
“incomparable” man whose glory in death matched the holiness and purity of his
life.
In
the catacombs of Saint Callistus, the stone that covered Fabian’s grave may
still be seen, broken into four pieces, bearing the Greek words, “Fabian,
bishop, martyr.”
Reflection
We
can go confidently into the future and accept the change that growth demands
only if we have firm roots in the past, in a living tradition. A few pieces of
stone in Rome are a reminder to us that we are bearers of more than 20
centuries of a living tradition of faith and courage in living the life of
Christ and showing it to the world. We have brothers and sisters who have “gone
before us with the sign of faith,” as the First Eucharistic Prayer puts it, to
light the way for us.
LECTIO DIVINA: MARK 3,13-19
Lectio Divina:
Friday, January 19, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Almighty God,
ruler of all things in heaven and on earth,
listen favorably to the prayer of Your people,
and grant us Your peace in our day.
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.
ruler of all things in heaven and on earth,
listen favorably to the prayer of Your people,
and grant us Your peace in our day.
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 3:13-19
Jesus went up the mountain and summoned
those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed Twelve, whom he also
named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to
preach and to have authority to drive out demons: He appointed the Twelve:
Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of
James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip,
Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the
Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
3)Reflection
• The Gospel today describes the acceptance and mission of the twelve apostles. Jesus begins with two disciples to whom He adds two others (Mk 1:16-20). Gradually, the number increased. Luke tells us that He called the 72 disciples so as to go on mission with Him (Lk 10:1).
• Mark 3:13-15: The call for a two-fold mission. Jesus calls whom He wants and they go with Him, they follow Him. Then, “He appointed twelve, to be His companions and to be sent out to proclaim the message, with power to drive out devils.” Jesus calls them for a double purpose, for a two-fold mission: (a) to be with Him, that is, to form the community of which He, Jesus, is the center; (b) to pray and to have power to drive out devils, that is, to announce the Good News and to fight against the power of evil that ruins the life of people and alienates people. Mark says that Jesus went up to the mountain, and, while He was there, He called the disciples. The call means climbing up. In the Bible, to climb the mountain recalls the mountain that Moses climbed when he had the encounter with God (Ex 24:12). Luke says that Jesus went up to the mountain, prayed all night, and the following day He called the disciples. He prayed to God so as to know whom to choose (Lk 6:12-13). After having called them, Jesus makes the election official and creates a more stable group of twelve people in order to give more consistency to the mission and to signify the continuity of God’s project. The twelve apostles of the New Testament are the successors of the twelve tribes of Israel.
• Thus, the first community of the New Testament comes into being, a model community, which gradually grows around Jesus during the three years of His public activity. At the beginning they are only four (Mk 1:16-20). Shortly afterwards the community increases as the mission is developing, extending into the towns and villages of Galilee. There is a time when they do not even have the time to eat or to rest (Mk 3:2). This is why Jesus was concerned with giving the disciples some rest (Mk 6:31) and to increase the number of missionaries (Lk 10:1). In this way, Jesus tries to maintain the two-fold objective of the call: to be with Him and to go on mission. The community which is formed in this way around Jesus has three characteristics which belong to His nature: it is a forming, missionary community, and is inserted among the poor of Galilee.
• Mark 3:16-19: The list of names of the twelve apostles. Immediately after, Mark gives the names of the twelve: Simon to whom He gave the name of Peter; James and John the sons of Zebedee, to whom He gave the name of Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the man who was to betray Him. The majority of these names come from the Old Testament. For example, Simon is the name of one of the sons of the patriarch Jacob (Gn 29:33). James is the same as Jacob (Gn 25: 26). Judas is the name of the other son of Jacob (Gn 35:23). Matthew also bore the name of Levi (Mk 2:14), who was the other son of Jacob (Gn 35:23). Of the twelve apostles, seven have a name that comes from the time of the patriarchs. Two have the name of Simon; two are called James; two Judas; one Levi. There is only one who has a Greek name: Philip. It would be like in a family where all have names of ancient times and only one has a modern name. This reveals the desire that people have to remake history from the beginning! It is worthwhile to think about the names which we give our children today. Like the apostles, each one of us is called by God by our name.
3)Reflection
• The Gospel today describes the acceptance and mission of the twelve apostles. Jesus begins with two disciples to whom He adds two others (Mk 1:16-20). Gradually, the number increased. Luke tells us that He called the 72 disciples so as to go on mission with Him (Lk 10:1).
• Mark 3:13-15: The call for a two-fold mission. Jesus calls whom He wants and they go with Him, they follow Him. Then, “He appointed twelve, to be His companions and to be sent out to proclaim the message, with power to drive out devils.” Jesus calls them for a double purpose, for a two-fold mission: (a) to be with Him, that is, to form the community of which He, Jesus, is the center; (b) to pray and to have power to drive out devils, that is, to announce the Good News and to fight against the power of evil that ruins the life of people and alienates people. Mark says that Jesus went up to the mountain, and, while He was there, He called the disciples. The call means climbing up. In the Bible, to climb the mountain recalls the mountain that Moses climbed when he had the encounter with God (Ex 24:12). Luke says that Jesus went up to the mountain, prayed all night, and the following day He called the disciples. He prayed to God so as to know whom to choose (Lk 6:12-13). After having called them, Jesus makes the election official and creates a more stable group of twelve people in order to give more consistency to the mission and to signify the continuity of God’s project. The twelve apostles of the New Testament are the successors of the twelve tribes of Israel.
• Thus, the first community of the New Testament comes into being, a model community, which gradually grows around Jesus during the three years of His public activity. At the beginning they are only four (Mk 1:16-20). Shortly afterwards the community increases as the mission is developing, extending into the towns and villages of Galilee. There is a time when they do not even have the time to eat or to rest (Mk 3:2). This is why Jesus was concerned with giving the disciples some rest (Mk 6:31) and to increase the number of missionaries (Lk 10:1). In this way, Jesus tries to maintain the two-fold objective of the call: to be with Him and to go on mission. The community which is formed in this way around Jesus has three characteristics which belong to His nature: it is a forming, missionary community, and is inserted among the poor of Galilee.
• Mark 3:16-19: The list of names of the twelve apostles. Immediately after, Mark gives the names of the twelve: Simon to whom He gave the name of Peter; James and John the sons of Zebedee, to whom He gave the name of Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the man who was to betray Him. The majority of these names come from the Old Testament. For example, Simon is the name of one of the sons of the patriarch Jacob (Gn 29:33). James is the same as Jacob (Gn 25: 26). Judas is the name of the other son of Jacob (Gn 35:23). Matthew also bore the name of Levi (Mk 2:14), who was the other son of Jacob (Gn 35:23). Of the twelve apostles, seven have a name that comes from the time of the patriarchs. Two have the name of Simon; two are called James; two Judas; one Levi. There is only one who has a Greek name: Philip. It would be like in a family where all have names of ancient times and only one has a modern name. This reveals the desire that people have to remake history from the beginning! It is worthwhile to think about the names which we give our children today. Like the apostles, each one of us is called by God by our name.
4) Personal questions
• To be with Jesus and to go on mission
is the two-fold purpose of the Christian community. How do you take on this
commitment in the community to which you belong?
• Jesus called the twelve disciples by their names. You, I, we, all of us exist because God calls us by our name. Think about this!
• Jesus called the twelve disciples by their names. You, I, we, all of us exist because God calls us by our name. Think about this!
5) Concluding prayer
Show us, Lord, Your faithful love,
grant us Your saving help.
His saving help is near for those who fear Him,
His glory will dwell in our land. (Ps 85:7, 9)
grant us Your saving help.
His saving help is near for those who fear Him,
His glory will dwell in our land. (Ps 85:7, 9)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét