Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest
Lectionary: 325
Lectionary: 325
King David said to Joab and the leaders of the army who were with him,
"Tour all the tribes in Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba
and register the people, that I may know their number."
Joab then reported to the king the number of people registered:
in Israel, eight hundred thousand men fit for military service;
in Judah, five hundred thousand.
Afterward, however, David regretted having numbered the people,
and said to the LORD:
"I have sinned grievously in what I have done.
But now, LORD, forgive the guilt of your servant,
for I have been very foolish."
When David rose in the morning,
the LORD had spoken to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying:
"Go and say to David, 'This is what the LORD says:
I offer you three alternatives;
choose one of them, and I will inflict it on you.'"
Gad then went to David to inform him.
He asked: "Do you want a three years' famine to come upon your land,
or to flee from your enemy three months while he pursues you,
or to have a three days' pestilence in your land?
Now consider and decide what I must reply to him who sent me."
David answered Gad: "I am in very serious difficulty.
Let us fall by the hand of God, for he is most merciful;
but let me not fall by the hand of man."
Thus David chose the pestilence.
Now it was the time of the wheat harvest
when the plague broke out among the people.
The LORD then sent a pestilence over Israel
from morning until the time appointed,
and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba died.
But when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,
the LORD regretted the calamity
and said to the angel causing the destruction among the people,
"Enough now! Stay your hand."
The angel of the LORD was then standing
at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
When David saw the angel who was striking the people,
he said to the LORD: "It is I who have sinned;
it is I, the shepherd, who have done wrong.
But these are sheep; what have they done?
Punish me and my kindred."
"Tour all the tribes in Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba
and register the people, that I may know their number."
Joab then reported to the king the number of people registered:
in Israel, eight hundred thousand men fit for military service;
in Judah, five hundred thousand.
Afterward, however, David regretted having numbered the people,
and said to the LORD:
"I have sinned grievously in what I have done.
But now, LORD, forgive the guilt of your servant,
for I have been very foolish."
When David rose in the morning,
the LORD had spoken to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying:
"Go and say to David, 'This is what the LORD says:
I offer you three alternatives;
choose one of them, and I will inflict it on you.'"
Gad then went to David to inform him.
He asked: "Do you want a three years' famine to come upon your land,
or to flee from your enemy three months while he pursues you,
or to have a three days' pestilence in your land?
Now consider and decide what I must reply to him who sent me."
David answered Gad: "I am in very serious difficulty.
Let us fall by the hand of God, for he is most merciful;
but let me not fall by the hand of man."
Thus David chose the pestilence.
Now it was the time of the wheat harvest
when the plague broke out among the people.
The LORD then sent a pestilence over Israel
from morning until the time appointed,
and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba died.
But when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,
the LORD regretted the calamity
and said to the angel causing the destruction among the people,
"Enough now! Stay your hand."
The angel of the LORD was then standing
at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
When David saw the angel who was striking the people,
he said to the LORD: "It is I who have sinned;
it is I, the shepherd, who have done wrong.
But these are sheep; what have they done?
Punish me and my kindred."
Responsorial
PsalmPS 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7
R. (see 5c) Lord,
forgive the wrong I have done.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
For this shall every faithful man pray to you
in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
For this shall every faithful man pray to you
in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
AlleluiaJN 10:27
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 6:1-6
Jesus departed from there and came to his native place,
accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.
accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Meditation: Jesus marveled because of their unbelief
Are you critical towards others, especially those who
may be close to you? The most severe critics are often people very familiar to
us, a member of our family, a relative, or neighbor or co-worker we rub
shoulders with on a regular basis. Jesus faced a severe testing when he
returned to his home town, not simply as the carpenter's son, but now as a
rabbi with disciples. It would have been customary for Jesus to go to the
synagogue each week during the Sabbath, and when his turn came, to read from
the scriptures during the Sabbath service. His hometown folks listened with
rapt attention on this occasion because they had heard about the miracles he
had performed in other towns. What sign would he do in his hometown?
Look upon your neighbor with the eyes of Christ who
comes to heal and restore us
Jesus startled his familiar audience with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people. The people of Nazareth took offense at Jesus and refused to listen to what he had to say. They despised his preaching because he was a mere workman, a carpenter, and a layman who had no formal training by a scholar or teacher. They also despised him because of his undistinguished family background. How familiarity can breed contempt. Jesus could do no mighty works in their midst because they were closed-minded and unbelieving towards him. If people have come together to hate and to refuse to understand, then they will see no other point of view than their own and they will refuse to love and accept others. How do you treat those who seem disagreeable to you?
Jesus startled his familiar audience with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people. The people of Nazareth took offense at Jesus and refused to listen to what he had to say. They despised his preaching because he was a mere workman, a carpenter, and a layman who had no formal training by a scholar or teacher. They also despised him because of his undistinguished family background. How familiarity can breed contempt. Jesus could do no mighty works in their midst because they were closed-minded and unbelieving towards him. If people have come together to hate and to refuse to understand, then they will see no other point of view than their own and they will refuse to love and accept others. How do you treat those who seem disagreeable to you?
The word "gospel" literally means
"good news". Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would come in the
power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to the afflicted who suffered from
physical, mental, or spiritual oppression (see Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus came to
set people free - not only from their physical, mental, and spiritual
infirmities - but also from the worst affliction of all - the tyranny of
slavery to sin, Satan, and the fear of losing one's life. God's power alone can
save us from hopelessness, dejection, and emptiness of life. The Gospel of
salvation is "good news" for everyone who will receive it. Do you know
the joy and freedom of the Gospel?
"Lord Jesus, you are the fulfillment of all our
hopes and desires. Your Spirit brings grace, truth, freedom, and abundant life.
Set my heart on fire with your love and truth."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Distinguishing God's power and our faith, by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)
"And perhaps, as in the case of metallic
substances there exists in some a natural attraction toward some other thing,
as in the magnet for iron, and in naphtha for fire, so there is an attraction
in such faith toward the divine power according to what Jesus said: 'If you
have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, 'Move
to another place,' and it shall be moved' (Matthew 17:20). Matthew and Mark
wished to present the all-surpassing value of that divine power as a power that
works even in those who do not believe. But they did not deny that grace works
even more powerfully among those who have faith. So it seems to me that they
accurately said not that the Lord did not do any mighty works
because of their unbelief, but that he did not do many there
(Mark 6:5). Mark does not flatly say that he could do no mighty work there at
all, and stop at that point, but added, 'except that he laid his hands upon a
few sick folk and healed them' (Mark 6:5). Thus the power in him overcame even
their unbelief." (excerpt
from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 10.19)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, MARK 6:1-6
(2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17; Psalm 32)
(2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17; Psalm 32)
KEY VERSE: "He was amazed at their lack of faith" (v 4).
TO KNOW: Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth where his teachings were met with astonishment by his neighbors. They asked many questions. Where did Jesus get this wisdom and amazing power? Wasn't he a mere carpenter? (Greek, tekton, a "craftsman"). Was Jesus not the son of Mary? (Jews were identified by the mother since one's paternity could not always be verified). Didn't his brothers and sisters (close relatives) live in their community? Jesus was distressed that his neighbors had taken offense in him. He sadly declared, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house" (v 4, see Dt 18:15). Like the prophets of old, Jesus was not accepted by the very people to whom he had been sent. Because the people showed so little faith, he was only able to cure a few of the sick. Jesus went on to teach in other villages, but there were few "mighty deeds" done in his own hometown.
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be open to your voice in my neighbors and family.
TO SERVE: When have I failed to listen to someone in my parish community?
Memorial of Saint John Bosco,
priest
John Bosco was ordained in 1841. He worked with youth, finding places where they could meet, play and pray. He taught catechism to orphans and apprentices and was a chaplain in a hospice for girls. John wrote short treatises aimed at explaining the faith to children, and then taught children how to print them. He founded the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) in 1859, priests who work with and educate boys under the protection of Our Lady, Help of Christians, and Saint Francis de Sales. He founded the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians in 1872, and the Union of Cooperator Salesians in 1875. Don Bosco's method of study involved observance of rules by instilling a true sense of duty, by removing all occasions for disobedience, and by allowing no effort toward virtue to pass unappreciated. He held that the teacher should be father, adviser, and friend, and he was the first to adopt the preventive method rather than punishment. He wrote: "As far as possible avoid punishing . . . try to gain love before inspiring fear." At the time of Don Bosco's death in 1888 there were 250 houses of the Salesian Society in all parts of the world, containing 130,000 children.
Wednesday 31
January 2018
St John Bosco.
2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17. Psalm 31(32):1-2, 5-7. Mark 6:1-6.
Lord, forgive the wrong I have done—Psalm 31(32):1-2, 5-7.
How often are we deceived by appearances; how seldom do we look
for the truth that is hidden from immediate view?
The people of Nazareth could not see the fullness of Jesus and
his mission when he returned home. After all, was he not the carpenter’s son? How
could he be anybody but that? How often too, in the face of adversity and
difficulty, the question comes to our lips: ‘Why should this happen to me?’
The answer is clearly given in today’s first reading: it is the
work of God, shaping us to be his son or daughter, even though his work is
unrecognised as it was in the case of Jesus who they failed to comprehend at
Nazareth.
Don’t let me get in the way Lord, and don’t give up on me
when I start to give up on you. Thanks, Lord.
Saint John Bosco
Saint of the Day for January 31
(August 16, 1815 – January 31, 1888)
Saint John Bosco’s Story
John Bosco’s theory of education could well be used in today’s schools.
It was a preventive system, rejecting corporal punishment and placing students
in surroundings removed from the likelihood of committing sin. He advocated
frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. He combined
catechetical training and fatherly guidance, seeking to unite the spiritual
life with one’s work, study and play.
Encouraged during his youth to become a priest so he could work
with young boys, John was ordained in 1841. His service to young people started
when he met a poor orphan and instructed him in preparation for receiving Holy
Communion. He then gathered young apprentices and taught them catechism.
After serving as chaplain in a hospice for working girls, John
opened the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for boys. Several wealthy and
powerful patrons contributed money, enabling him to provide two workshops for
the boys, shoemaking and tailoring.
By 1856, the institution had grown to 150 boys and had added a
printing press for publication of religious and catechetical pamphlets. His
interest in vocational education and publishing justify him as patron of young
apprentices and Catholic publishers.
John’s preaching fame spread and by 1850 he had trained his own
helpers because of difficulties in retaining young priests. In 1854, he and his
followers informally banded together, inspired by Saint Francis de Sales.
With Pope Pius IX’s encouragement, John gathered 17 men and
founded the Salesians in 1859. Their activity concentrated on education and
mission work. Later, he organized a group of Salesian Sisters to assist girls.
Reflection
John Bosco educated the whole person—body and soul united. He
believed that Christ’s love and our faith in that love should pervade
everything we do—work, study, play. For John Bosco, being a Christian was a
full-time effort, not a once-a-week, Mass-on-Sunday experience. It is searching
and finding God and Jesus in everything we do, letting their love lead us. Yet,
because John realized the importance of job-training and the self-worth and
pride that come with talent and ability, he trained his students in the trade
crafts, too.
Saint John Bosco is the Patron Saint of:
Boys
Editors
Youth
Editors
Youth
LECTIO DIVINA: MARK 6,1-6
Lectio Divina:
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
help us to love You with all our hearts
and to love all people as You love them.
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.
help us to love You with all our hearts
and to love all people as You love them.
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 6:1-6
Jesus departed from there and came to
his native place, accompanied by his disciples. When the sabbath came he began
to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said,
“Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What
mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of
Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his
sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “A
prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin
and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed
at their lack of faith.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today speaks of the visit
of Jesus to Nazareth and describes the obstinacy of the people of
Nazareth who do not want to accept Him. (Mk 6:1-6). Tomorrow the Gospel
describes the openness of Jesus toward the people of Galilee, shown through the
sending out of His disciples on mission (Mk 6:7-13).
• Mark 6:1-2a: Jesus returns to Nazareth. At that time Jesus went to His home town, and His disciples accompanied Him. “With the coming of the Sabbath, He began teaching in the synagogue”. It is always good to return to one’s home town and to reunite with friends. After a long absence, Jesus also returns, and as usual, on Saturday, He goes to the synagogue to participate in the meeting of the community. Jesus was not the coordinator of the community, but even though He was not, He takes the floor and begins to teach. This is a sign that people could participate and express their own opinion.
• Mark 6:2b-3: Reaction of the people of Nazareth before Jesus. The people of Capernaum had accepted the teaching of Jesus (Mk 1: 22), but the people of Nazareth did not like the words of Jesus and were scandalized. For what reason? Jesus, the boy whom they had known since He was born, how is it that now He is so different? They do not accept God’s mystery present in Jesus, a human being and common as they are and known by all! They think that to be able to speak of God, He should be different from them! As we can see, not everything went well for Jesus. The people who should have been the first ones to accept the Good News were precisely those who had the greatest difficulty accepting it. The conflict was not only with foreigners, but especially with His relatives and with the people of Nazareth. They refused to believe in Jesus, because they could not understand the mystery of God embracing the person of Jesus. “From where do all these things come to Him? And what wisdom is this which has been given to Him? And these miracles which are worked by Him? This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses and Jude and Simon? His sisters too, are they not here with us?” And they would not accept Him. They do not believe in Jesus!
• The brothers and the sisters of Jesus. The expression “brothers of Jesus” causes polemics among Catholics and Protestants. Based on this text and on others, the Protestants say that Jesus had more brothers and sisters and that Mary had more sons! The Catholics say that Mary had no other sons. What should we think about all this? In the first place, the two positions, that of Catholics and that of the Protestants, both have arguments taken from the Bible and from the tradition of their respective communities. Therefore, it is not proper to discuss this question with arguments drawn only from reason. This is a question of profound convictions, which have something to do with the faith sentiments both of Catholics and Protestants. An argument taken only from reason cannot succeed in changing the conviction of the heart! On the contrary, it irritates and draws others away! Even when I do not agree with the opinion of another, I should always respect it! We, both Catholics and Protestants, instead of discussing texts, should unite to struggle in defense of life, created by God, a life which has been so disfigured by poverty and injustice, by the lack of faith. We should remember other phrases of Jesus: “I have come in order that they may have life and life in abundance” (Jn 10:10). “That all may be one, so that the world may believe that You, Father, have sent Me” (Jn 17:21). “Who is not against us is for us” (Mk 10:39-40).
• Mark 6: 4-6. Jesus’ reaction before the attitude of the people of Nazareth. Jesus knows very well that “nobody is a prophet in his own country”. He says, “A prophet is despised only in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house”. In fact, where there is no acceptance or faith, people can do nothing. The preconception prevents this. Even if Jesus wanted to do something, He cannot, and He is amazed at their lack of faith. For this reason, before the closed door of His community “He began to make a tour around the villages, teaching”. The experience of this rejection led Jesus to change His practice. He goes to the other villages and, as we shall see in tomorrow’s Gospel, He gets the disciples involved in the mission instructing them on how they have to continue the mission.
• Mark 6:1-2a: Jesus returns to Nazareth. At that time Jesus went to His home town, and His disciples accompanied Him. “With the coming of the Sabbath, He began teaching in the synagogue”. It is always good to return to one’s home town and to reunite with friends. After a long absence, Jesus also returns, and as usual, on Saturday, He goes to the synagogue to participate in the meeting of the community. Jesus was not the coordinator of the community, but even though He was not, He takes the floor and begins to teach. This is a sign that people could participate and express their own opinion.
• Mark 6:2b-3: Reaction of the people of Nazareth before Jesus. The people of Capernaum had accepted the teaching of Jesus (Mk 1: 22), but the people of Nazareth did not like the words of Jesus and were scandalized. For what reason? Jesus, the boy whom they had known since He was born, how is it that now He is so different? They do not accept God’s mystery present in Jesus, a human being and common as they are and known by all! They think that to be able to speak of God, He should be different from them! As we can see, not everything went well for Jesus. The people who should have been the first ones to accept the Good News were precisely those who had the greatest difficulty accepting it. The conflict was not only with foreigners, but especially with His relatives and with the people of Nazareth. They refused to believe in Jesus, because they could not understand the mystery of God embracing the person of Jesus. “From where do all these things come to Him? And what wisdom is this which has been given to Him? And these miracles which are worked by Him? This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses and Jude and Simon? His sisters too, are they not here with us?” And they would not accept Him. They do not believe in Jesus!
• The brothers and the sisters of Jesus. The expression “brothers of Jesus” causes polemics among Catholics and Protestants. Based on this text and on others, the Protestants say that Jesus had more brothers and sisters and that Mary had more sons! The Catholics say that Mary had no other sons. What should we think about all this? In the first place, the two positions, that of Catholics and that of the Protestants, both have arguments taken from the Bible and from the tradition of their respective communities. Therefore, it is not proper to discuss this question with arguments drawn only from reason. This is a question of profound convictions, which have something to do with the faith sentiments both of Catholics and Protestants. An argument taken only from reason cannot succeed in changing the conviction of the heart! On the contrary, it irritates and draws others away! Even when I do not agree with the opinion of another, I should always respect it! We, both Catholics and Protestants, instead of discussing texts, should unite to struggle in defense of life, created by God, a life which has been so disfigured by poverty and injustice, by the lack of faith. We should remember other phrases of Jesus: “I have come in order that they may have life and life in abundance” (Jn 10:10). “That all may be one, so that the world may believe that You, Father, have sent Me” (Jn 17:21). “Who is not against us is for us” (Mk 10:39-40).
• Mark 6: 4-6. Jesus’ reaction before the attitude of the people of Nazareth. Jesus knows very well that “nobody is a prophet in his own country”. He says, “A prophet is despised only in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house”. In fact, where there is no acceptance or faith, people can do nothing. The preconception prevents this. Even if Jesus wanted to do something, He cannot, and He is amazed at their lack of faith. For this reason, before the closed door of His community “He began to make a tour around the villages, teaching”. The experience of this rejection led Jesus to change His practice. He goes to the other villages and, as we shall see in tomorrow’s Gospel, He gets the disciples involved in the mission instructing them on how they have to continue the mission.
4) Personal questions
• Jesus had problems with His relatives
and with His community. From the time when you began to live the Gospel better,
has something changed in your relationship with your family and with your
relatives?
• Jesus cannot work many miracles in Nazareth because faith is lacking. Today, does He find faith in us, in me?
• Does the debate over Mary and Jesus'
brothers and sisters precipitate a change in our behavior or how we put faith
into action? Should this change how we treat the poor and marginalized?
5) Concluding prayer
How blessed are those whose offense is
forgiven,
whose sin blotted out.
How blessed are those to whom Yahweh imputes no guilt,
whose spirit harbors no deceit. (Ps 32:1-2)
whose sin blotted out.
How blessed are those to whom Yahweh imputes no guilt,
whose spirit harbors no deceit. (Ps 32:1-2)
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