Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
Lectionary: 329
Lectionary: 329
The elders of Israel and all the leaders of the tribes,
the princes in the ancestral houses of the children of Israel,
came to King Solomon in Jerusalem,
to bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant
from the City of David, which is Zion.
All the people of Israel assembled before King Solomon
during the festival in the month of Ethanim (the seventh month).
When all the elders of Israel had arrived,
the priests took up the ark;
they carried the ark of the LORD
and the meeting tent with all the sacred vessels
that were in the tent.
(The priests and Levites carried them.)
King Solomon and the entire community of Israel
present for the occasion
sacrificed before the ark sheep and oxen
too many to number or count.
The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD
to its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary,
the holy of holies of the temple.
The cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the ark,
sheltering the ark and its poles from above.
There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tablets
which Moses had put there at Horeb,
when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel
at their departure from the land of Egypt.
When the priests left the holy place,
the cloud filled the temple of the LORD
so that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud,
since the LORD's glory had filled the temple of the LORD.
Then Solomon said, "The LORD intends to dwell in the dark cloud;
I have truly built you a princely house,
a dwelling where you may abide forever."
the princes in the ancestral houses of the children of Israel,
came to King Solomon in Jerusalem,
to bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant
from the City of David, which is Zion.
All the people of Israel assembled before King Solomon
during the festival in the month of Ethanim (the seventh month).
When all the elders of Israel had arrived,
the priests took up the ark;
they carried the ark of the LORD
and the meeting tent with all the sacred vessels
that were in the tent.
(The priests and Levites carried them.)
King Solomon and the entire community of Israel
present for the occasion
sacrificed before the ark sheep and oxen
too many to number or count.
The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD
to its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary,
the holy of holies of the temple.
The cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the ark,
sheltering the ark and its poles from above.
There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tablets
which Moses had put there at Horeb,
when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel
at their departure from the land of Egypt.
When the priests left the holy place,
the cloud filled the temple of the LORD
so that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud,
since the LORD's glory had filled the temple of the LORD.
Then Solomon said, "The LORD intends to dwell in the dark cloud;
I have truly built you a princely house,
a dwelling where you may abide forever."
Responsorial
PsalmPS 132:6-7, 8-10
R. (8a) Lord,
go up to the place of your rest!
Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
Let us enter into his dwelling,
let us worship at his footstool.
R. Lord, go up to the place of your rest!
Advance, O LORD, to your resting place,
you and the ark of your majesty.
May your priests be clothed with justice;
let your faithful ones shout merrily for joy.
For the sake of David your servant,
reject not the plea of your anointed.
R. Lord, go up to the place of your rest!
Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
Let us enter into his dwelling,
let us worship at his footstool.
R. Lord, go up to the place of your rest!
Advance, O LORD, to your resting place,
you and the ark of your majesty.
May your priests be clothed with justice;
let your faithful ones shout merrily for joy.
For the sake of David your servant,
reject not the plea of your anointed.
R. Lord, go up to the place of your rest!
AlleluiaSEE MT 4:23
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 6:53-56
After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.
Meditation: "Many were made
well"
Do you recognize the Lord's presence in your life? The
Gospel records that when Jesus disembarked from the boat the people immediately
recognized him. What did they recognize in Jesus? A prophet, a healer, the
Messiah, the Son of God? For sure they recognized that Jesus had power from God
to heal and to make whole bodies, limbs, minds, and hearts that were beset with
disease, affliction, and sin. What happened when they pressed upon him and
touched the fringe of his garment? They were made well. The Lord
Jesus is ever ready to meet our needs as well. Do you approach him with expectant
faith?
Do you recognize the Lord's presence with you and the
power of his word for your life?
Faith is an entirely free gift which God makes to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Believing and trusting in God to act in our lives is only possible by the grace and help of the Holy Spirit who moves the heart and converts it to God. The Holy Spirit opens the eyes of the mind and helps us to understand, accept, and believe God's word. How do we grow in faith? By listening to God's word with trust and submission. Faith also grows through testing and perseverance. The Lord wants to teach us how to pray in faith for his will for our lives and for the things he wishes to give us to enable us to follow him faithfully and serve him generously.
Faith is an entirely free gift which God makes to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Believing and trusting in God to act in our lives is only possible by the grace and help of the Holy Spirit who moves the heart and converts it to God. The Holy Spirit opens the eyes of the mind and helps us to understand, accept, and believe God's word. How do we grow in faith? By listening to God's word with trust and submission. Faith also grows through testing and perseverance. The Lord wants to teach us how to pray in faith for his will for our lives and for the things he wishes to give us to enable us to follow him faithfully and serve him generously.
Do you seek the Lord Jesus and put his kingdom first?
Jesus gave his disciples the perfect prayer which acknowledges God as our Father who provides generously for his children. The Lord's prayer teaches us to seek first the kingdom of God and to pray that God's will be accomplished in our lives. The Lord in turn, gives us what we need to live each day for his glory. The Lord is never too distant nor too busy to meet us and to give his blessing. Do you pray to the Father with confidence that he will show you his will and give you what you need to follow him? Ask the Lord to increase your faith and gratitude for his merciful love and provision for your life.
Jesus gave his disciples the perfect prayer which acknowledges God as our Father who provides generously for his children. The Lord's prayer teaches us to seek first the kingdom of God and to pray that God's will be accomplished in our lives. The Lord in turn, gives us what we need to live each day for his glory. The Lord is never too distant nor too busy to meet us and to give his blessing. Do you pray to the Father with confidence that he will show you his will and give you what you need to follow him? Ask the Lord to increase your faith and gratitude for his merciful love and provision for your life.
"Lord Jesus, let my heart sing for joy in your
presence. Give me eyes of faith to recognize your presence and fill me with
your Holy Spirit that I may walk in your way of love and peace."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Christ's wounds bring healing and life, by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"The Lord of hosts was not signaling weakness as
he gave sight to the blind, made the crooked to stand upright, raised the dead
to life (Matthew 11:5), anticipated the effects of medicine at our prayers,
and cured those who sought after him. Those who merely touched the fringe of
his robe were healed (Mark 6:56).
Surely you did not think it was some divine weakness, you speculators, when you
saw him wounded. Indeed there were wounds that pierced his body (Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:33; John 19:18, 31-37), but they did not demonstrate weakness but strength.
For from these wounds flowed life to all, from the One who was the life of
all." (excerpt from ON THE CHRISTIAN
FAITH 4.5.54–55.16)
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, MARK 6:53-56
(1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13; Psalm 132)
(1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13; Psalm 132)
KEY VERSE: "They laid their sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak" (v 56).
TO KNOW: Jesus' fame had spread throughout the land, so wherever he went, people flocked to him for healing. Picture the excitement when Jesus entered a town or village. Whether at the crossroads or in the marketplace, the people scurried about bringing their sick to him. When Jesus and his disciples arrived by boat at the shore of Gennesaret (Lake Galilee), the crowds gathered again, bringing their sick from far and wide. Their faith was so great that they were healed just by touching the tassel on his cloak (the tassels worn by observant Jews represented the 613 Laws of the Jewish Torah). Although the disciples had seen Jesus' mighty deeds in the wilderness (vs 34-44), at sea (vs 45-51), and now in the villages, they still did not understand the full meaning of these events.
TO LOVE: Do I have more interest in seeing miracles than I have in knowing Jesus?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to have faith in your words and works.
Memorial of Saint Agatha, virgin
and martyr
Little is known about Saint Agatha, a martyr, who has been honored since ancient times, and whose name is included in the canon of the Mass. Young, beautiful and rich, Agatha lived a life consecrated to God. When Decius announced the edicts against Christians, the magistrate Quinctianus planned to blackmail Agatha into having sex with him in exchange for not charging her. After rejecting Quinctianus' advances, she was beaten, imprisoned, tortured, and her breasts were cut off. She was near death when an earthquake struck. In the destruction, the magistrate's friend was crushed, and the magistrate fled. Agatha thanked God for an end to her pain and died. Legend says that carrying her veil (taken from her tomb) in procession has averted eruptions of Mount Etna. Her intercession is reported to have saved Malta from Turkish invasion in 1551.
Monday 5
February 2018
St Agatha.
1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13. Psalm 131(132):6-10. Mark 6:53-56.
Lord, go up to the place of your rest! — Psalm 131(132):6-10.
Lord, go up to the place of your rest!
In the Old Testament reading we hear about Solomon building a
majestic temple for the Lord to live in. This reading serves as a reminder to
us that we too are temples of God’s presence.
Sometimes we forget just how sacred we really are. It is through
meditation that we can realise our own holiness in the depth of the stillness
and calm of the moment. It is here that we can find peace. It is here that we
can let go of all our worries and concerns.
It is here that we can allow God’s mysterious and silent
presence within us to become the reality which gives meaning, shape and purpose
to everything we do, everything we are.
Saint Agatha
Saint of the Day for February 5
(c. 230 – 251)
Saint Agatha’s Story
As in the case of Agnes, another virgin-martyr of the early
Church, almost nothing is historically certain about this saint except that she
was martyred in Sicily during the persecution of Emperor Decius in 251.
Legend has it that Agatha, like Agnes, was arrested as a
Christian, tortured, and sent to a house of prostitution to be mistreated. She
was preserved from being violated, and was later put to death.
She is claimed as the patroness of both Palermo and Catania. The
year after her death, the stilling of an eruption of Mt. Etna was attributed to
her intercession. As a result, apparently, people continued to ask her prayers
for protection against fire.
Reflection
The scientific modern mind winces at the thought of a volcano’s
might being contained by God because of the prayers of a Sicilian girl. Still
less welcome, probably, is the notion of that saint being the patroness of such
varied professions as those of foundry workers, nurses, miners and Alpine
guides. Yet, in our historical precision, have we lost an essential human
quality of wonder and poetry, and even our belief that we come to God by
helping each other, both in action and prayer?
Saint Agatha is the Patron Saint of:
Diseases of the Breast
Nurses
Nurses
LECTIO DIVINA: MARK 6,53-56
Lectio Divina:
Monday, February 5, 2018
1) OPENING PRAYER
Father,
watch
over Your family
and
keep us safe in Your care,
for
all our hope is in You.
We
ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who
lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One
God, forever and ever. Amen.
2) GOSPEL READING - MARK
6:53-56
After
making the crossing to the other side of the sea, Jesus and his disciples came
to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people
immediately recognized him. They scurried about the surrounding country and
began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Whatever
villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the
marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.
3) REFLECTION
The
text of today’s Gospel is the final part of the whole passage of Mark 6:45-56,
which presents three different themes: a) Jesus goes to the mountain alone to
pray (Mk 6:45-46); b) Immediately after, He walks on the water, goes toward the
disciples who are struggling against the waves of the sea (Mk 6: 47-52); 3)
Now, in today s Gospel, when they were already on the shore, the people look
for Jesus so that He can cure their sick (Mk 6:53-56).
Mark
6: 53-56. The search of the people. At that time, Jesus and His disciples
having made the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. When they
disembarked, the people recognized Him at once. The people were numerous. They
came from all parts, bringing their sick. The enthusiasm of the people who look
for Jesus, recognize Him, and follow Him is surprising. What impels people to
search for Jesus is not only the desire to encounter Him, to be with Him, but
rather the desire to be cured of their sicknesses. Hurrying through the
countryside, they brought the sick on stretchers to wherever they heard He
went.
And
wherever He went, to village or town or farm, they laid down the sick in the
open spaces, begging Him to let them touch even the fringe of His cloak, and
all those who touched Him were saved. The Gospel of Matthew comments and
enlightens this fact quoting the figure of the Servant of Yahweh, of whom
Isaiah says, “Yet ours were the sufferings he was bearing, ours the sorrows he
was carrying.” (Is 53: 4 and Mt 8: 16-17)
To
teach and to cure, to cure and to teach. Right from the beginning of His
apostolic activity, Jesus goes through all the villages of Galilee, to speak to
the people about the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God (Mk 1: 14-15).
There, wherever He finds people to listen to Him, He speaks and transmits the
Good News of God; He accepts the sick, in all places: in the synagogues
during the celebration of the Word on Saturday (Mk 1: 21; 3: 1; 6: 2); in the
informal meetings in the houses of friends (Mk 2: 1,15; 7: 17; 9:28; 10:10);
walking on the street with the disciples (Mk 2: 23); along the beach, sitting
in a boat (Mk 4: 1); in the desert where He took refuge and where people looked
for Him (Mk 1: 45; 6: 32-34); on the mountain from where He proclaimed the
Beatitudes (Mt 5: 1); in the squares of the villages and of the cities, where
the people took their sick (Mk 6: 55-56); in the Temple of Jerusalem, on the
occasion of pilgrimages, every day without fear (Mk 14: 49)! To cure and to
teach, to teach and to cure, that is what Jesus did the most (Mk 2: 13; 4: 1-2;
6: 34). This is what He used to do (Mk 10:1). The people were amazed (Mk 12:
37; 1: 22,27; 11:18) and they looked for Him, as a crowd.
The
origin of this great enthusiasm of the people was, on the one hand, the person
of Jesus who called and attracted and, on the other hand, the abandonment in
which people lived, they were like sheep without a shepherd (cf. Mk 6:34). In
Jesus, everything was revelation of what impelled Him from within! He not only
spoke of God, but He also revealed Him. He communicated something of what He
Himself lived and experienced. He not only announced the Good News. He Himself
was a proof, a living witness of the Kingdom. In Him was manifested what
happens when a human being allows God to reign in His life. What has value,
what is important, is not only the words, but also, and above all, the
witness, the concrete gesture. This is the Good News which attracts!
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
The
enthusiasm of the people for Jesus, looking for the sense of life and a
solution for their ills. Where does this exist today? Does in exist in you?
Does it exist in others?
What
attracts is Jesus’ loving attitude toward the poor and the abandoned. And I?
How do I deal with the people excluded by society?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
How
countless are Your works, Yahweh,
all
of them made so wisely!
The
earth is full of Your creatures.
Bless
Yahweh, my soul. (Ps 104:24,35)
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