Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 74
Lectionary: 74
Job spoke, saying:
Is not man's life on earth a drudgery?
Are not his days those of hirelings?
He is a slave who longs for the shade,
a hireling who waits for his wages.
So I have been assigned months of misery,
and troubled nights have been allotted to me.
If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?"
then the night drags on;
I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.
My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.
Remember that my life is like the wind;
I shall not see happiness again.
Is not man's life on earth a drudgery?
Are not his days those of hirelings?
He is a slave who longs for the shade,
a hireling who waits for his wages.
So I have been assigned months of misery,
and troubled nights have been allotted to me.
If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?"
then the night drags on;
I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.
My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.
Remember that my life is like the wind;
I shall not see happiness again.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (cf. 3a) Praise
the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading 21 COR 9:16-19, 22-23
Brothers and sisters:
If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,
for an obligation has been imposed on me,
and woe to me if I do not preach it!
If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,
but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
What then is my recompense?
That, when I preach,
I offer the gospel free of charge
so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.
If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,
for an obligation has been imposed on me,
and woe to me if I do not preach it!
If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,
but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
What then is my recompense?
That, when I preach,
I offer the gospel free of charge
so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.
AlleluiaMT 8:17
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 1:29-39
On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn, he left
and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you."
He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come."
So he went into their synagogues,
preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn, he left
and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you."
He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come."
So he went into their synagogues,
preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
Meditation: Jesus healed many who were
sick
Who do you take your troubles to? Jesus' disciples
freely brought their troubles to him because they found him ready and able to
deal with any difficulty, affliction, or sickness which they encountered. When
Simon brought Jesus to his home, his mother-in-law was instantly healed because
Jesus heard Simon's prayer. Jerome, an early church bible scholar and
translator (c. 347-420), reflects on this passage:
"Can you imagine Jesus standing
before your bed and you continue sleeping? It is absurd that you would remain
in bed in his presence. Where is Jesus? He is already here offering himself to
us. 'In the middle,' he says, 'among you he stands, whom you do not recognize'
(Cf. John 1:26) 'The kingdom of God is in your midst' (Mark 1:15). Faith
beholds Jesus among us. If we are unable to seize his hand, let us prostrate
ourselves at his feet. If we are unable to reach his head, let us wash his feet
with our tears. Our repentance is the perfume of the Savior. See how costly is
the compassion of the Savior."
Do you allow Jesus to be
the Lord and healer in your personal life, family, and community? Approach the
Lord with expectant faith. God's healing power restores us not only to health
but to active service and care of others. There is no trouble he does not want
to help us with and there is no bondage he can't set us free from. Do you take
your troubles to him with expectant faith that he will help you?
"Lord Jesus Christ, you have all power to heal
and to deliver from harm. There is no trouble nor bondage you cannot overcome.
Set me free to serve you joyfully and to love and serve others generously. May
nothing hinder me from giving myself wholly to you and to your service."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The habit of prayer, by Origen of Alexandria (185-254
AD)
"Jesus prayed and did not pray in vain, since he
received what he asked for in prayer when he might have done so without prayer.
If so, who among us would neglect to pray? Mark says that 'in the morning, a
great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he
prayed' (Mark 1:35). And Luke says, 'He was praying in a certain place, and
when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to
pray,"' (Luke 11:1) and elsewhere, 'And all night he continued in prayer
to God' (Luke 6:12). And John records his prayer, saying, 'When Jesus had
spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the
hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you"' (John
17:1). The same Evangelist writes that the Lord said that he knew 'you hear me
always' (John 11:42). All this shows that the one who prays always is always
heard." (excerpt from ON PRAYER 13.1)
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Job 7:1-4, 6-7
Job was a foreigner, not descended from Abraham. He was a wise and wealthy man from the Idumean city of Uz (located between Edom and northern Arabia); a region which was famed for its wise men (Jeremiah 49:7). Job believed in the true God, whom he adored and to whom he offered sacrifice; even when he was in the midst of his most severe suffering. Although Job is the subject of the book, he is not the author; the author is unknown although it has been surmised that he was an educated Jew, who probably lived in Palestine but who had visited or lived for a while abroad, primarily in Egypt. The author was well familiar with the prophets and the writings of the wise men of Israel. The book is believed to have been written around the end of the fifth century B.C., later than Jeremiah and Ezekiel, although Job may well have lived more than a thousand years earlier.
The background of the story of Job is this: Job, a pious and blameless man, is perfectly happy and contented. Satan implies to the angels of God’s court that Job’s virtue is not genuine. So, God permits Job to be tested. Blow after blow falls upon Job, depriving him of his possessions and his children. But Job remains faithful, and then is attacked personally; he becomes gravely ill and disfigured. However, he accepts with resignation the physical evil which God sends him, just as he had previously accepted the contentment he enjoyed. Such is Job’s faith that Satan is defeated. But Job’s suffering is so great that he utters a cry of lament (not of despair) when his friends try to console him. Job’s friends consider his suffering to be a punishment for sin, which was the common view at the time, but Job insists that he is blameless. The friends invite him to recognize his fault and beg God’s forgiveness. Although not claiming to be completely free from sin, Job maintains that the suffering is far greater than his faults deserve. Although he knows that God is just, he doesn’t understand why God is sending him all these sufferings. Eventually it is learned that God sends evils and sufferings not only to punish people; their primary purpose is to purify man of his faults and prevent him from committing worse sins.
Our reading for today takes place when Job is having a discussion with his three friends. Here, we hear some of his lament; Job is speaking.
7:1 Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of a hireling? 2 He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages. 3 So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been told off for me. 4 If in bed I say, “When shall I arise?” then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn. 6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope.
Job compares human life in general to forced military service, to the work of a day laborer, and to simple slavery – three wretched states in life.
7 Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again.
Job is addressing God. He is not offering a penitential plea as his friends have recommended, he knows he is not being punished for some transgression. Instead, he is telling God that he knows that God has a purpose for this suffering and that he will accept it.
2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23
Having addressed the scandals which are evident in the Corinthian church (Cycle A), Saint Paul is now answering the questions which have been asked by this same church. For the last two weeks we have heard him address marriage and virginity. Now, we hear him begin to address their questions about eating meat which has been offered as a sacrifice to idols. This problem is a very practical one. A considerable amount of the meat that was sold in the market came from animals sacrificed to idols. Usually, only certain portions of the sacrificial victims were burned, the remainder becoming the property of the temple priests. Much of this meat was sold to butchers and was available at a lesser cost. Additionally, social life involving friends and family who were still pagans exposed them to common meals at family festivals, including some in the temple of a pagan deity.
The Council of Jerusalem, which took place around A.D. 48-50, had written to the Christians of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia telling them to abstain from food which had been sacrificed to idols (Acts 15:23-29). When Saint Paul was preaching in Corinth two years later, he may not have said anything on the subject, given the very pagan environment of the area – much different from Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. If the faithful at Corinth had to avoid meat of this kind, they would have had to isolate themselves from their fellow citizens.
In replying to this question Saint Paul first explains the general principles that apply: They may eat meat of this type, for idols have no real existence, but sometimes charity requires that they abstain from it; if it was thought that it would lead a new convert back to paganism for example by corrupting the conscience. Paul then illustrates what he says by telling what he himself does. It is from this illustration that our reading comes.
16 If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! 17 If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
Preaching is the expression of Saint Paul’s being a Christian, for this he deserves no special credit. The apostolate is a stewardship with which he is entrusted; he is obliged to fulfill it. “The servant sent by the Lord does what he has to do even if he is not willing, because if he does not do it he will suffer for it. Moses preached to Pharaoh even though he did not want to (Exodus 4:10; 5:1), and Jonah was forced to preach to the Ninevites (Jonah 1:1-3:4).” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366-384), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]
18 What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
Saint Paul is making a joke: the wages of one not entitled to any is to work for nothing. Saint Paul doesn’t want any payment or support from the Corinthian church.
19 Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible.
He is not subject to the constraints of the financially dependent, he assures his livelihood.
22 To the weak I became weak,
In 8:13 Saint Paul submits himself to the conscience of the weak – if eating meat will cause someone to fall away, he won’t eat meat.
to win over the weak.
Saint Paul makes it clear in 10:23 through 11:1 that the hearts of the weak also needed to be changed.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
Saint Paul is living out the commandment to love his neighbor; he shows no bias because of social or religious situations.
“Everywhere the Savior becomes ‘all things to all.’ To the hungry, bread; to the thirsty, water; to the dead, resurrection; to the sick, a physician; to sinners, redemption.” [Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (ca. A.D. 350), Sermon on the Paralytic 10]
23 All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.
Since he is called to be an apostle, Saint Paul can share in the fruits of the gospel only by bringing it to others.
Gospel - Mark 1:29-39
Jesus is early in His public ministry. He has begun to gather His disciples around him and He has gone to Capernaum and has taught in the synagogue where He astonished all present with His teaching: He teaches like one in authority, not like the scribes (He says “I say to you,” not “the law says”). He speaks of what He knows and testifies to what He has seen (John 3:11). He does, and then preaches, unlike those who teach but do not do (Matthew 23:1-5). While at the synagogue, Jesus also heals a man who is possessed by an evil spirit. In doing this He gives the residents of Capernaum a very clear sign that God’s salvation has come: By overcoming the evil one, Jesus shows that He is the messiah, the savior, one more powerful than demons. Our reading for today immediately follows this event.
29 On leaving the synagogue he entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
This is thought by some commentators to be an eyewitness account. Notice that the inner circle of apostles (Simon Peter, James and John) are present
30 Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. 31 He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
The Greek verb egeriō is best translated as it is in the resurrection accounts of Mark (14:28; 16:6 and elsewhere) as “raised her up.” It is possible that the early Church viewed this event as a foreshadowing of the eschatalogical resurrection wrought in mankind through Christ’s death and resurrection.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
This detail suggests the completeness of her cure and the service expected of those who have been saved by Christ (Mark 10:43-45).
32 When it was evening, after sunset,
Still part of this eventful day at Capernaum
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The two general categories of people who have been helped by Jesus this day: the ill (Simon’s mother-in-law) and the possessed (the man in the synagogue).
33 The whole town was gathered at the door.
The house of Peter and Andrew functions as the center of Jesus’ activity. The account in Matthew and Luke says it was Simon’s house.
34 He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons,
There is no distinction meant between the “all” who were brought and the “many” who were healed. The parallel accounts say all were healed (Matthew 8:16; Luke 4:40).
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
The demons recognize Jesus’ true identity but are not allowed to disclose it because humanity must get a fuller picture of Jesus before they can know him as the dying and rising Messiah.
35 Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Jesus’ departure may have been prompted by false messianic hopes of the people of Capernaum. The other occasions on which Jesus prays (Matthew 6:46; 14:32-42) are times of stress connected with the true nature of His messiahship.
36 Simon and those who were with him
Notice that whenever the disciples are enumerated, Simon (Peter) is always listed first – an indication of his primacy.
pursued him 37 and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
The Greek word zetein, translated here as “looking,” when used in Mark is always associated with evil intention or at least a misguided sort of seeking (8:11-12; 11:18; 12:2; 14:1, 11, 55; 3:32; 16:6). Simon implies that Jesus should remain in Capernaum and capitalize on the popularity He has aroused with His miracles.
38 He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also.
Jesus refuses to confine His ministry to one place or to encourage the messianic hopes of the crowds.
For this purpose have I come.”
Jesus undertook His mission in order to proclaim the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15).
39 So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
This summarizes what Jesus has done so far and what we have learned of Him so far: now His field of activity embraces “the whole of Galilee.”
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Job 7:1-4, 6-7
Job was a foreigner, not descended from Abraham. He was a wise and wealthy man from the Idumean city of Uz (located between Edom and northern Arabia); a region which was famed for its wise men (Jeremiah 49:7). Job believed in the true God, whom he adored and to whom he offered sacrifice; even when he was in the midst of his most severe suffering. Although Job is the subject of the book, he is not the author; the author is unknown although it has been surmised that he was an educated Jew, who probably lived in Palestine but who had visited or lived for a while abroad, primarily in Egypt. The author was well familiar with the prophets and the writings of the wise men of Israel. The book is believed to have been written around the end of the fifth century B.C., later than Jeremiah and Ezekiel, although Job may well have lived more than a thousand years earlier.
The background of the story of Job is this: Job, a pious and blameless man, is perfectly happy and contented. Satan implies to the angels of God’s court that Job’s virtue is not genuine. So, God permits Job to be tested. Blow after blow falls upon Job, depriving him of his possessions and his children. But Job remains faithful, and then is attacked personally; he becomes gravely ill and disfigured. However, he accepts with resignation the physical evil which God sends him, just as he had previously accepted the contentment he enjoyed. Such is Job’s faith that Satan is defeated. But Job’s suffering is so great that he utters a cry of lament (not of despair) when his friends try to console him. Job’s friends consider his suffering to be a punishment for sin, which was the common view at the time, but Job insists that he is blameless. The friends invite him to recognize his fault and beg God’s forgiveness. Although not claiming to be completely free from sin, Job maintains that the suffering is far greater than his faults deserve. Although he knows that God is just, he doesn’t understand why God is sending him all these sufferings. Eventually it is learned that God sends evils and sufferings not only to punish people; their primary purpose is to purify man of his faults and prevent him from committing worse sins.
Our reading for today takes place when Job is having a discussion with his three friends. Here, we hear some of his lament; Job is speaking.
7:1 Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of a hireling? 2 He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages. 3 So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been told off for me. 4 If in bed I say, “When shall I arise?” then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn. 6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope.
Job compares human life in general to forced military service, to the work of a day laborer, and to simple slavery – three wretched states in life.
7 Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again.
Job is addressing God. He is not offering a penitential plea as his friends have recommended, he knows he is not being punished for some transgression. Instead, he is telling God that he knows that God has a purpose for this suffering and that he will accept it.
2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23
Having addressed the scandals which are evident in the Corinthian church (Cycle A), Saint Paul is now answering the questions which have been asked by this same church. For the last two weeks we have heard him address marriage and virginity. Now, we hear him begin to address their questions about eating meat which has been offered as a sacrifice to idols. This problem is a very practical one. A considerable amount of the meat that was sold in the market came from animals sacrificed to idols. Usually, only certain portions of the sacrificial victims were burned, the remainder becoming the property of the temple priests. Much of this meat was sold to butchers and was available at a lesser cost. Additionally, social life involving friends and family who were still pagans exposed them to common meals at family festivals, including some in the temple of a pagan deity.
The Council of Jerusalem, which took place around A.D. 48-50, had written to the Christians of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia telling them to abstain from food which had been sacrificed to idols (Acts 15:23-29). When Saint Paul was preaching in Corinth two years later, he may not have said anything on the subject, given the very pagan environment of the area – much different from Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. If the faithful at Corinth had to avoid meat of this kind, they would have had to isolate themselves from their fellow citizens.
In replying to this question Saint Paul first explains the general principles that apply: They may eat meat of this type, for idols have no real existence, but sometimes charity requires that they abstain from it; if it was thought that it would lead a new convert back to paganism for example by corrupting the conscience. Paul then illustrates what he says by telling what he himself does. It is from this illustration that our reading comes.
16 If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! 17 If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
Preaching is the expression of Saint Paul’s being a Christian, for this he deserves no special credit. The apostolate is a stewardship with which he is entrusted; he is obliged to fulfill it. “The servant sent by the Lord does what he has to do even if he is not willing, because if he does not do it he will suffer for it. Moses preached to Pharaoh even though he did not want to (Exodus 4:10; 5:1), and Jonah was forced to preach to the Ninevites (Jonah 1:1-3:4).” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366-384), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]
18 What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
Saint Paul is making a joke: the wages of one not entitled to any is to work for nothing. Saint Paul doesn’t want any payment or support from the Corinthian church.
19 Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible.
He is not subject to the constraints of the financially dependent, he assures his livelihood.
22 To the weak I became weak,
In 8:13 Saint Paul submits himself to the conscience of the weak – if eating meat will cause someone to fall away, he won’t eat meat.
to win over the weak.
Saint Paul makes it clear in 10:23 through 11:1 that the hearts of the weak also needed to be changed.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
Saint Paul is living out the commandment to love his neighbor; he shows no bias because of social or religious situations.
“Everywhere the Savior becomes ‘all things to all.’ To the hungry, bread; to the thirsty, water; to the dead, resurrection; to the sick, a physician; to sinners, redemption.” [Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (ca. A.D. 350), Sermon on the Paralytic 10]
23 All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.
Since he is called to be an apostle, Saint Paul can share in the fruits of the gospel only by bringing it to others.
Gospel - Mark 1:29-39
Jesus is early in His public ministry. He has begun to gather His disciples around him and He has gone to Capernaum and has taught in the synagogue where He astonished all present with His teaching: He teaches like one in authority, not like the scribes (He says “I say to you,” not “the law says”). He speaks of what He knows and testifies to what He has seen (John 3:11). He does, and then preaches, unlike those who teach but do not do (Matthew 23:1-5). While at the synagogue, Jesus also heals a man who is possessed by an evil spirit. In doing this He gives the residents of Capernaum a very clear sign that God’s salvation has come: By overcoming the evil one, Jesus shows that He is the messiah, the savior, one more powerful than demons. Our reading for today immediately follows this event.
29 On leaving the synagogue he entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
This is thought by some commentators to be an eyewitness account. Notice that the inner circle of apostles (Simon Peter, James and John) are present
30 Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. 31 He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
The Greek verb egeriō is best translated as it is in the resurrection accounts of Mark (14:28; 16:6 and elsewhere) as “raised her up.” It is possible that the early Church viewed this event as a foreshadowing of the eschatalogical resurrection wrought in mankind through Christ’s death and resurrection.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
This detail suggests the completeness of her cure and the service expected of those who have been saved by Christ (Mark 10:43-45).
32 When it was evening, after sunset,
Still part of this eventful day at Capernaum
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The two general categories of people who have been helped by Jesus this day: the ill (Simon’s mother-in-law) and the possessed (the man in the synagogue).
33 The whole town was gathered at the door.
The house of Peter and Andrew functions as the center of Jesus’ activity. The account in Matthew and Luke says it was Simon’s house.
34 He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons,
There is no distinction meant between the “all” who were brought and the “many” who were healed. The parallel accounts say all were healed (Matthew 8:16; Luke 4:40).
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
The demons recognize Jesus’ true identity but are not allowed to disclose it because humanity must get a fuller picture of Jesus before they can know him as the dying and rising Messiah.
35 Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Jesus’ departure may have been prompted by false messianic hopes of the people of Capernaum. The other occasions on which Jesus prays (Matthew 6:46; 14:32-42) are times of stress connected with the true nature of His messiahship.
36 Simon and those who were with him
Notice that whenever the disciples are enumerated, Simon (Peter) is always listed first – an indication of his primacy.
pursued him 37 and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
The Greek word zetein, translated here as “looking,” when used in Mark is always associated with evil intention or at least a misguided sort of seeking (8:11-12; 11:18; 12:2; 14:1, 11, 55; 3:32; 16:6). Simon implies that Jesus should remain in Capernaum and capitalize on the popularity He has aroused with His miracles.
38 He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also.
Jesus refuses to confine His ministry to one place or to encourage the messianic hopes of the crowds.
For this purpose have I come.”
Jesus undertook His mission in order to proclaim the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15).
39 So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
This summarizes what Jesus has done so far and what we have learned of Him so far: now His field of activity embraces “the whole of Galilee.”
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church,
Picayune, MS http://www.scborromeo.org
FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, MARK 1:29-39
(Job 7:1-4, 6-7; Psalm 147; 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, MARK 1:29-39
(Job 7:1-4, 6-7; Psalm 147; 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23)
KEY VERSE: "Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come" (v 38).
TO KNOW: Mark continues his narrative of a busy day in Capernaum as Jesus taught and healed. The miracles that Jesus worked, combined with his authoritative teaching, were signs pointing to the coming of God's reign, which he announced at the beginning of his ministry (Mk 1:15). Following the Sabbath service, Jesus went Jesus went with his four disciples, Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John, to Simon Peter’s home where the apostle's mother-in-law lay ill. Taking her by the hand, Jesus raised her up and she was healed. In gratitude, she immediately waited on all in the house. With the Sabbath's end at sundown, the people were free to bring their sick to Jesus and he healed many. Early the next day, Jesus went to a place of solitude for prayer. Even there his disciples searched him out and urged him to return. Jesus told them that he must spread the good news throughout Galilee to reveal God's kingdom of compassion and mercy, for that was why he had come.
TO LOVE: Do I make time for prayer in my busy activities?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, teach me to serve others just as you have ministered to me.
Sunday 4
February 2018
Week I Psalter. 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Job 7:1-4, 6-7. Psalm 146(147):1-6. 1 Corinthians 9:16-19,
22-23. Mark 1:29-39.
Praise the Lord who heals the broken-hearted—Psalm 146(147):1-6.
He went to a lonely place and prayed there.
Today’s readings speak of prayer, humility and taking
responsibility. We see Jesus quietly and unobtrusively travelling about the
countryside preaching to the people and healing them. He does not want to be
acknowledged for his work but is eager to pursue his task, ‘because that is why
I came’. Paul too explains how he ‘has made himself a slave of everyone … For
the weak I have made myself weak.’ By becoming like the people he is
ministering to he believes he can more effectively reach them.
Can we reach out humbly and quietly to those we live and work
with? Can we act responsibly and justly in all our dealings with others? Can we
live faithfully and prayerfully without expecting a return?
Saint Joseph of Leonissa
Saint of the Day for February 4
(January 8, 1556 – February 4, 1612)
Saint Joseph of Leonissa’s Story
Joseph was born at Leonissa in the Kingdom of Naples. As a boy
and as a student in early adulthood, Joseph drew attention for his energy and
virtue. Offered a nobleman’s daughter in marriage, Joseph refused and joined
the Capuchins in his hometown in 1573 instead. Avoiding the safe compromises by
which people sometimes undercut the gospel, Joseph denied himself hearty meals
and comfortable quarters as he prepared for ordination and a life of preaching.
In 1587, he went to Constantinople to take care of the Christian
galley slaves working under Turkish masters. Imprisoned for this work, he was
warned not to resume it on his release. He did and was again imprisoned and
then condemned to death. Miraculously freed, he returned to Italy where he
preached to the poor and reconciled feuding families as well as warring cities
which had been at odds for years. He was canonized in 1745.
Reflection
Saints often jar us because they challenge our ideas about what
we need for “the good life.” “I’ll be happy when. . . ,” we may say, wasting an
incredible amount of time on the periphery of life. People like Joseph of
Leonissa challenge us to face life courageously and get to the heart of it:
life with God. Joseph was a compelling preacher because his life was as
convincing as his words.
LECTIO DIVINA: 5TH SUNDAY OF
ORDINARY TIME (B)
Lectio Divina:
Sunday, February 4, 2018
The healing of Peter’s mother-in-law and the
proclamation of the Realm in Galilee
Meeting with Jesus, the merciful Healer Mark
1: 29-39
Meeting with Jesus, the merciful Healer Mark
1: 29-39
1. Opening prayer
Lord, it is not herbs or emollients that
can cure the wounds and diseases of our souls, but your Word, which sustains
everything, creates everything anew every day. Come, stretch forth your strong
hand over us so that, held by you, we may let ourselves be raised, arise and
begin to be your disciples, your servants. Jesus, you are the Gate of the
sheep, the Gate that opens on to heaven; to you we come with all that we are
and all that we have in our hearts. Take us with you, in silence, into the
flowering desert of your company and there teach us to pray with your voice,
your word, so that we too may become heralds of the Realm. Send now your Spirit
upon us in abundance so that we may listen to you with all our hearts and
minds. Amen.
2. Reading
a) Placing the passage in its context:
Continuing from the preceding verses (21-28), this passage describes the conclusion of a typical day with Jesus. He is in Capernaum, on a Sabbath, and after taking part in the liturgy in the synagogue, Jesus continues the celebration in Peter’s house, in an intimate atmosphere.
When sunset comes and after a rest, Jesus continues his ministry going throughout Galilee. The Gospel presents me with three sequences that are historical and let me know what Jesus did in Capernaum, but also reveal the great mystery of the salvation by Christ that upsets my life. These events may help to hold my attention on the journey Jesus took: from the synagogue to the house, to the desert and to all the villages in Galilee. The Evangelist also emphasises the passing of the time, the coming of the night, that is, sunset and then the morning still immersed in darkness.
Continuing from the preceding verses (21-28), this passage describes the conclusion of a typical day with Jesus. He is in Capernaum, on a Sabbath, and after taking part in the liturgy in the synagogue, Jesus continues the celebration in Peter’s house, in an intimate atmosphere.
When sunset comes and after a rest, Jesus continues his ministry going throughout Galilee. The Gospel presents me with three sequences that are historical and let me know what Jesus did in Capernaum, but also reveal the great mystery of the salvation by Christ that upsets my life. These events may help to hold my attention on the journey Jesus took: from the synagogue to the house, to the desert and to all the villages in Galilee. The Evangelist also emphasises the passing of the time, the coming of the night, that is, sunset and then the morning still immersed in darkness.
b) Some assistance in the reading of
this passage:
vv. 29-31: Jesus enters Peter’s house and accepts the disciples’ request. He cures Peter’s mother-in-law who is lying in bed with a fever.
vv.32-34: After the Sabbath, Jesus heals many sick and possessed persons who are brought to Him.
vv.35-39: Jesus wakes up before dawn and goes to pray in a solitary place, but many people follow him and finally find him.
With him, he leads them to a wider ministry that embraces the whole of Galilee.
vv. 29-31: Jesus enters Peter’s house and accepts the disciples’ request. He cures Peter’s mother-in-law who is lying in bed with a fever.
vv.32-34: After the Sabbath, Jesus heals many sick and possessed persons who are brought to Him.
vv.35-39: Jesus wakes up before dawn and goes to pray in a solitary place, but many people follow him and finally find him.
With him, he leads them to a wider ministry that embraces the whole of Galilee.
c) The text:
29-31: And at once on leaving the synagogue, he went with James and John straight to the house of Simon and Andrew. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed and feverish, and at once they told him about her. He went in to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to serve them.
29-31: And at once on leaving the synagogue, he went with James and John straight to the house of Simon and Andrew. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed and feverish, and at once they told him about her. He went in to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to serve them.
32-34: That
evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were
possessed by devils. The whole town came crowding round the door, and he cured
many who were sick with diseases of one kind or another; he also drove out many
devils, but he would not allow them to speak, because they knew who he
was.
35-39: In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house and went off to a lonely place and prayed there. Simon and his companions set out in search of him, and when they found him they said, 'Everybody is looking for you.' He answered, 'Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns, so that I can proclaim the message there too, because that is why I came.' And he went all through Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out devils.
35-39: In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house and went off to a lonely place and prayed there. Simon and his companions set out in search of him, and when they found him they said, 'Everybody is looking for you.' He answered, 'Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns, so that I can proclaim the message there too, because that is why I came.' And he went all through Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out devils.
3. A moment of prayerful silence
I enter into the silence that Jesus has
prepared for me with his deep healing action, with his prayer that overcomes
the night. Thus, I dispose my being to seek Jesus ceaselessly and to follow him
wherever he takes me.
4. Some questions
that may help my spiritual ears to
listen more deeply and the eyes of my heart to contemplate until I meet Jesus’
gaze.
a) Jesus
leaves the synagogue to enter Peter’s house, which becomes the brilliant centre
of his saving action. I try to follow Jesus’ journey: He enters the most
intimate part of the house, namely, the bedroom. I reflect, seeking and looking
for the "way" that is within me, house of God. Do I allow Jesus to go
into the deepest part of me, even to my heart? I observe and note Jesus’
gestures. Quickly he goes in, he approaches, takes the hand,
raises. These are terms typical of the resurrection. Do I hear the
Lord saying to me too, "Arise, get up, be born again!"? I note the
insistence on darkness: sunset, still dark. Why? What does this
mean? What other terms can I relate to these expressions? All came
crowding at Jesus’ door. Am I among these all? Jesus’ word
resonates in my heart: "Knock and it shall be opened to you". I try
to imagine the scene, I lift my arm and knock at Jesus’ door. He opens. What
shall I say to him? And how will he answer me? They knew him. I
ask myself concerning my relationship with the Lord. Do I really know him? Or
do I just go on hearsay, as Job says? I look at myself and ask Jesus to help me
with this relationship of discovery, of closeness, of communion and sharing
with Him. I try to remember some verses that may help me: "Lord, make me
know your ways", "Show me your face". Jesus prays in a desert
place. Am I afraid to go with him into that prayer through the night that
precedes the light? Am I afraid of moments of silence, alone with Him? And
went off to a lonely place and prayed there. He was praying. This
tells me of a calm, long and deep action. Would I rather run away and not wish
to stop? Set out in search of him ...... in Jesus’ footsteps. This
is a beautiful expression, which reminds me of the manuscript of St. Therese of
the Child Jesus where she says that the shining footsteps of Jesus are spread
throughout the pages of the Gospel. I reflect. Have I ever committed myself to
follow these footsteps, sometimes well defined, at other times almost
imperceptible? Do I know how to recognise them, even along the paths of time
and of the history of each day, mine and that of others? Is there a special
trace of Jesus, an indelible imprint that He has left on the earth of my heart,
of my life?
b) I
pause on the last verses and note the verbs of motion, of action: "Let
us go elsewhere, so that I can proclaim the message there too, because that is
why I came.' And he went preaching". I know that I too am called to go
and proclaim love and salvation in Jesus. Am I ready , with the grace and
strength that come from this Word that I have meditated, to take on now a
concrete, clear, even small commitment to proclaim and evangelise? To whom
shall I go? What steps do I wish to take?
5. A key to the reading
I can take various paths in order to go
deeper into the text, paths that can help me enter more into dialogue with the
Lord and to listen to his Word.
- The passage from the synagogue to the Church
The synagogue is the mother, but the
Church is the spouse. Jesus, who is the Spouse, reveals her to us and makes us
know the beauty and splendour that radiates from her for us. If we try to
follow him, in the Gospels, we realise that Jesus leads us on a journey of
salvation from the synagogue to the Church. Mark, as well as Luke, insist much
on the bond that Jesus quickly establishes with the synagogue, which becomes
the privileged and sacred place of his revelation, the place for teaching. I
read, for instance, Mk 1:21 and Mk 6:2, or Lk 4:16 and 6:6 and also Jn 6:59;
during his passion Jesus will say before Pilate that he has always taught
openly in the synagogue and in the temple (Jn 18:20). It is also the place of
healing where Jesus reveals himself as a powerful healer, who heals and saves:
see, for instance, Mk 1:23 and 3:1. This double action of Jesus becomes the
bridge over which one goes to the new house of God, house of prayer for all
peoples, that is, the Church; a house with open doors so that no one need stay
outside. We are all invited to enter, with Jesus, in this place of
reconciliation, communion and salvation. Christ loves the Church (Eph 5:25),
because he is her head (Eph 1:22; 5:23), has acquired her with his own blood
(Acts 20:28) and does not cease to nourish and take care of her (Eph 5:29). She
is the spiritual edifice made of living stones, that is, we ourselves, as we
read in St. Peter ( 1Pt 2:4ff). However, life gushes out of us like water from
the rock if we abandon ourselves to the Lord (Eph 5:24) as a reciprocal gift of
love and trust, if we persevere in constant prayer and for all (Acts 12:5) and
if share in the passion of the Lord for humankind (Col 1:24). The Church is the
pillar and the support of truth (1 Tim 3:15). It is beautiful to walk in her,
united with Christ the Lord.
- Fever as a sign of sin
As the etymology of the Greek word
itself says, fever is like a fire that flares inside us and consumes us
negatively, attacking our inner and spiritual energies rendering us incapable
of doing good. In Psalm 31, for instance, we find a very eloquent expression
that may describe well the action of the fever of sin in us: "My heart
grew parched a stubble in summer drought. At last I admitted to you I had
sinned…" (Ps 31:4ff). The only way to get well is what we saw in the
Gospel, that is, confession, placing our evil before the Lord (Wis 16:16). In
Deuteronomy also fever is expressed as a consequence of being far away from
God, of the hardness of heart that will not listen to his voice and follow his
ways (Dt 28:15,22; 32:24).
- Jesus merciful healer
This Gospel passage, as also many
others, allows us to meet Jesus, who, as true healer and true medicine, comes
to us to touch our worst wounds, our worst illnesses and heal them, a healing
that is always salvation. He is the Samaritan who, throughout our life’s
journey, sees us with certainty and a keen and loving gaze and does not go by
but approaches us, bends over us, bandages our wounds and pours into them the
good medicine that comes from his heart. There are so many episodes in the
Gospels that tell us of healings brought about by Jesus. Limiting myself to
Mark’s Gospel I can quote Mk 2:1-12; 3:1-6; 5:25-34; 6:54-56; 7:24-30; 7:31-37;
8:22-26; 10:46-52. Confronting these passages and appreciating their deeper
meaning can help me absorb better Jesus’ characteristics, he who heals and thus
I too, by listening deeply to his Word, may be healed in my inner self and in
my whole being. For instance, I may dwell on the verbs or the particular
gestures of Jesus that are repeated in many of these stories and thus more and
more bring to light the words He pronounces. I realise that it is no so much
the gestures of Jesus that bring about the healing, but his word: "Get
up and walk; go in peace; go; go, your faith has saved you". He rarely
uses specific gestures that draw attention and confuse. Some of these are:
"taking him by the hand; taking him aside; he laid; he laid his hand".
These stories echo the words of the Psalm that says, "sending his word
and curing them" (Ps 106:20). Jesus is the Lord, He who heals, as the
book of Exodus proclaimed (Ex 15:26), and He is that because He himself has
taken on himself our infirmity, our sins. He is the wounded healer who heals us
with his wounds (cf 1Pt 2:24-25).
- The night, darkness transformed by the light of Jesus
The theme of the night, of darkness runs
through a good part of Scripture, from the very first verses when light appears
as the first manifestation of the force of the love of God who creates and
saves. Light follows darkness, day follows night and in parallel the Bible
tells us that the interior darkness, which can invade humankind, is followed by
the new light of salvation and of meeting with God, of the embrace of that
brilliant gaze that enraptures. "To you, night would be as light as
day" says Psalm 138 verse 12 and it is true, because the Lord is light
itself; "Yahweh is my light and my salvation says Psalm 26 verse 1. In
John’s Gospel, Jesus says of himself that he is the light of the world (Jn
9:5), to tell us that whoever follows Him does not walk in darkness; indeed, it
is He who, as Word of God, becomes light to our steps in this world (Ps
118:105). Darkness is often associated with the shadow of death, that is to say
that spiritual darkness is the same as death. Read Psalm 87:7; 106:10,14. The
Lord’s strong arm defeats darkness, it seizes us in its clutches and frees us,
splitting the chains that oppress us. "Let there be light" is an eternal
word that God ceaselessly pronounces and that reaches every human being in
every situation.
"Stay with us Lord. It is already night" (Lk 24:9) is the prayer of the two from Emmaus, but it is also the prayer of us all. The words of the bride in the Canticle resonate on our lips, "Before the shadows flee, return! Be, my beloved (Sg 2:17).
St. Paul helps us run a very strong interior journey that brings us close to Christ and that saves us from sin. He invites us, "The night is almost over, it will be daylight soon – let us give up all the things we prefer to do under cover of the dark; let us arm ourselves and appear in the light (Rom 13:12). "You are all sons of the light and sons of the day; we do not belong to the night or to darkness (1 Thes 5:5ff). In many ways, the Word invites us to be children of the light and brings us into the light of the divine Sun who is Jesus, the East, to be enlightened and transfigured. The more we give ourselves to the light of Christ, the more will the word of the Apocalypse be true for us, "It will never be night again and they will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will be shining on them. They will reign for ever and ever" (Rev 22:5).
"Stay with us Lord. It is already night" (Lk 24:9) is the prayer of the two from Emmaus, but it is also the prayer of us all. The words of the bride in the Canticle resonate on our lips, "Before the shadows flee, return! Be, my beloved (Sg 2:17).
St. Paul helps us run a very strong interior journey that brings us close to Christ and that saves us from sin. He invites us, "The night is almost over, it will be daylight soon – let us give up all the things we prefer to do under cover of the dark; let us arm ourselves and appear in the light (Rom 13:12). "You are all sons of the light and sons of the day; we do not belong to the night or to darkness (1 Thes 5:5ff). In many ways, the Word invites us to be children of the light and brings us into the light of the divine Sun who is Jesus, the East, to be enlightened and transfigured. The more we give ourselves to the light of Christ, the more will the word of the Apocalypse be true for us, "It will never be night again and they will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will be shining on them. They will reign for ever and ever" (Rev 22:5).
6. A moment of prayer: Psalm 29
Thanksgiving hymn for liberation from a
great trial.
Refrain: Into your hands, Lord, I
commend my life.
I will extol thee, O Lord,
for thou hast drawn me up,
and hast not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried to thee for help,
and thou hast healed me.
O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
Refrain Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favour is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
As for me, I said in my prosperity,
"I shall never be moved."
By thy favour, O Lord,
thou hadst established me as a strong mountain;
thou didst hide thy face, I was dismayed.
Refrain
for thou hast drawn me up,
and hast not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried to thee for help,
and thou hast healed me.
O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
Refrain Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favour is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
As for me, I said in my prosperity,
"I shall never be moved."
By thy favour, O Lord,
thou hadst established me as a strong mountain;
thou didst hide thy face, I was dismayed.
Refrain
To thee, O Lord,
I cried; and to the Lord I made supplication:
"What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise thee?
Will it tell of thy faithfulness?
Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
O Lord, be thou my helper!"
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing;
thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
that my soul may praise thee and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to thee for ever.
Refrain
I cried; and to the Lord I made supplication:
"What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise thee?
Will it tell of thy faithfulness?
Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
O Lord, be thou my helper!"
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing;
thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
that my soul may praise thee and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to thee for ever.
Refrain
7. Closing prayer
Lord, I want to praise you, bless and
thank you with all my heart for this your Word, written for me, today,
proclaimed by your Love for me, because You truly love me. Thank You, because
You came, You came down, You came into my house and have touched the place
where I was not well, where I burned with a terrible fever. You touched me when
I was far away and alone. And You seized me. You took me by the hand and made
me get up, restoring me to that full and true life that comes from You, that I
live close to You. Hence I am now happy, my Lord.
Thank You because You have bypassed my darkness, because You have defeated night with Your powerful, solitary and loving prayer. You have shone Your light in me, in my eyes, and now I too see anew and am enlightened from within. I pray with You and I grow, precisely because I pray with You. Lord, thank You because You urge me on towards the other, towards new worlds, new ways, outside the door of my house. I am not of the world, I know, but I am and remain in the world to continue loving it and to evangelise it. Lord, Your Word can make the world a truly beautiful place. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
Thank You because You have bypassed my darkness, because You have defeated night with Your powerful, solitary and loving prayer. You have shone Your light in me, in my eyes, and now I too see anew and am enlightened from within. I pray with You and I grow, precisely because I pray with You. Lord, thank You because You urge me on towards the other, towards new worlds, new ways, outside the door of my house. I am not of the world, I know, but I am and remain in the world to continue loving it and to evangelise it. Lord, Your Word can make the world a truly beautiful place. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
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