February 5, 2026
Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin
and Martyr
Lectionary: 326
Reading
1
When the time of
David's death drew near,
he gave these instructions to his son Solomon:
"I am going the way of all flesh.
Take courage and be a man.
Keep the mandate of the LORD, your God, following his ways
and observing his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees
as they are written in the law of Moses,
that you may succeed in whatever you do,
wherever you turn, and the LORD may fulfill
the promise he made on my behalf when he said,
'If your sons so conduct themselves
that they remain faithful to me with their whole heart
and with their whole soul,
you shall always have someone of your line
on the throne of Israel.'"
David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.
The length of David's reign over Israel was forty years:
he reigned seven years in Hebron
and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
Solomon was seated on the throne of his father David,
with his sovereignty firmly established.
Responsorial
Psalm
1 Chronicles 29:10,
11ab, 11d-12a, 12bcd
R. (12b) Lord,
you are exalted over all.
"Blessed may you be, O LORD,
God of Israel our father,
from eternity to eternity."
R. Lord, you are exalted over all.
"Yours, O LORD, are grandeur and power,
majesty, splendor, and glory."
R. Lord, you are exalted over all.
"LORD, you are exalted over all.
Yours, O LORD, is the sovereignty;
you are exalted as head over all.
Riches and honor are from you."
R. Lord, you are exalted over all.
"In your hand are power and might;
it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all."
R. Lord, you are exalted over all.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus summoned the
Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick
–no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.
He said to them,
"Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them."
So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020526.cfm
Commentary on 1
Kings 2:1-4,10-12
Today we begin reading from the Book of Kings. The two Books
of Kings were originally, like 1 and 2 Samuel, a single historical work. In
conjunction with the Books of Samuel, they extend the consecutive history of
Israel from the birth of Samuel to the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC. This
combined work is designed as a religious history; hence in Kings, the Temple,
which is the chosen site for the worship of Yahweh, occupies the centre of
attention.
The Books of Kings show clearly the theological bent of a
Deuteronomic editor. In them, as already in Judges, material from various
sources, such as the Book of the Acts of Solomon (1 Kgs 11:41)
and the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel (1 Kgs 14:19),
is forged into structural unity by an editor whose principal interest is in the
fidelity to Yahweh of rulers and people. The reigns of individual kings are
adapted to an editorial framework consisting of a presentation and an obituary
notice for each, in stereotyped formulae. In between, the achievements of the
king are reported—above all, his fidelity or lack of fidelity to Yahweh.
The faithful prosper; the unfaithful pay for their
defections. Since this is basically a narrative of sin and retribution, it
would not be inappropriate to entitle the Books of Kings “The Rise and Fall of
the Israelite Monarchy”.
Without minimising the complexity of the process by which
this material was transmitted for many centuries, one may speak of two editions
of the Books. The first was written at some time between 621 BC and 597 BC and
the second, the final edition, during the Exile, probably shortly after
Jehoiachin was released from his Babylonian Prison (561 BC).
1 Kings carries the history of Israel from the last days and
death of David to the accession in Samaria of Ahaziah, son of Ahab, near the
end of the reign of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Judgment is passed on Ahaziah’s
reign, but the details are given later in 2 Kings. We should note the two large
cycles of traditions which grew up around the great prophetic figures of Elijah
and Elisha, the former in I Kings and the latter chiefly in 2 Kings. These
cycles, which interrupt the sequence of regnal chronicles, were very probably
preserved and transmitted by the prophetic communities to which there are
references in the same traditions. The Elijah cycle is the more important since
it dramatically underscores Israel’s critical struggle with the religion of
Canaan.
According to the New American Bible, the principal
divisions of the Books of Kings are:
I. The Reign of Solomon (1 Kgs 1:1–11:43)
II. The Reign of Jeroboam (1 Kgs 12:1–14:20)
III. Kings of Judah and Israel (1 Kgs 14:21–16:34)
IV. The Story of Elijah (1 Kgs 17:1–19:21)
V. The Story of Ahab (1 Kgs 20:1–2 Kgs 1:18)
VI. Elisha Succeeds Elijah (2 Kgs 2:1–25)
VII. Stories of Elisha and Joram (2 Kgs 3:1–9:13)
VIII. The End of the Omrid Dynasty (2 Kgs 9:14–11:20)
IX. Kings of Judah and Israel (2 Kgs 12:1–17:5)
X. The End of Israel (2 Kgs 17:6–41)
XI. The End of Judah (2 Kgs 18:1–25:30)
Today we begin the First Book of Kings. We carry on the
narrative from 2 Samuel as David comes to the end of his life and hands over
the kingship to his son Solomon, the second son that he had by Bathsheba (after
she had become his wife).
Today’s reading contains part of David’s final testament
before his death. Moses, Joshua and Samuel, as representatives of God’s rule
over his people, had all given final instructions and admonitions before they
died. David is now going “to go the way of all the earth” and exhorts his son
to be courageous and act like a real man.
While the section in our reading consists of positive
instructions to his son and successor, Solomon, he is also instructed to
execute vengeance on David’s personal enemies. These include Joab, one of his
chief generals who had betrayed him, and Shimei, a man who had cursed David and
whom David had originally said should not be touched.
On the positive side, Solomon is told to observe what the
Lord his God requires. He is told to:
Be strong, be courageous, and keep the charge of the Lord
your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his
ordinances, and his testimonies…
This is a characteristic expression from the law of Moses
for acting in obedience to the obligations of God’s covenant with the
obligations spelt out. And finally, David tells his son of the words God had
spoken to him about the continuity of his dynastic line:
If your heirs take heed to their way, to walk before me
in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not
fail you a successor on the throne of Israel.
This is the covenanted promise given to David through Nathan
the prophet. Although the covenant promise to David was unconditional,
individual participation in its blessing on the part of David’s royal
descendants depended on their total obedience (“with all their heart and soul”)
to the obligations of the Mosaic covenant.
However, both Solomon and his descendants fell short of
their covenant obligations. This led to the division of the kingdom and
eventually to the exile of both the northern and southern kingdoms to Babylon.
It was only with the coming of Christ that the fallen tent of David would be
restored and the promise of David’s eternal dynasty ultimately fulfilled.
When the nation and its king turned away from the
requirements of the covenant, they experienced the covenant curses rather than
blessings. But in all this, God remained faithful to his covenant promises to
Abraham and to David. In spite of all their failings, the promise of the
covenant found its realisation in Jesus, King and Messiah.
After 40 years on the throne, David died in Jerusalem, the
“city of David”. He had been king in Hebron for 7 years and in Jerusalem for 33
years. The dates were from about 1010 to 970 BC. Solomon, his son by Bathsheba
and a young man full of promise, had already taken over the kingship.
In the Old Testament David stands out as a giant. He was a
man of glaring faults and paradoxically, a man of great integrity. He was also
a man of deep religious conviction. When he failed—and he failed badly by any
standards—he was the first to acknowledge his faults and express repentance for
his sin. In consequence, he experienced God’s mercy and forgiveness.
We can learn from his example. Not by saying that it does
not matter if we sin, because it does. But that, having sinned, we need to
acknowledge our sin and turn back to our loving God.
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Commentary on Mark
6:7-13
We now reach a new stage in the formation of Jesus’
disciples. There was a calling of the first disciples to be “fishers of
people”, then the choosing of twelve who would share in the very work of Jesus.
Now the Twelve, the foundation of the future community, are being sent out to
do exactly the same work that Jesus has been doing.
They have been given authority over unclean spirits, they
preach repentance—that radical conversion (Greek, metanoia) to the
vision of the Kingdom—and they anoint the sick with oil and heal them. Notice
that these three activities cover the whole person: spiritual, mental and
physical; healing and wholeness; health and holiness. To be holy is to be whole.
They are instructed to travel lightly, bringing only what
they absolutely need—no food or money or even a change of clothes. They will
not need these things because they will be taken care of by the people they
serve. They are to stay in the first house that takes them in. Overall, they
are to show total dependence on and trust in God.
This is freedom at its best. It is a model repeated by many
saints and founders of religious congregations. Do we really need all the
baggage we carry through life? Even the ancient Greeks said: “Those are really
rich whose needs are the least”. That is what Jesus is teaching us. And, of
course, he was a living example.
The disciples went off and did the three central works of
Jesus:
- They
proclaimed the Kingdom and called for a radical change of heart from
people, so that they might see life in the way that Jesus, the Son of God,
was proclaiming.
- They
liberated many people from evil influences and compulsions. Freedom is the
essence of Christian discipleship.
- They
anointed the sick with soothing oil and brought them healing and
wholeness.
They not only preached the Kingdom; they made it a reality
in people’s lives. This is what we too are all called to do within the
circumstances of our life. Even having little, we are to give much.
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Thursday,
February 5, 2026
Ordinary Time
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, forever and ever. Amen.
Gospel Reading - Mark 6: 7-13
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by
two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take
nothing for the journey but a walking stick - no food, no sack, no money in
their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He
said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from
there. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and
shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them." So they went off
and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed
with oil many who were sick and cured them.
Reflection
•
Today’s Gospel continues what we have already seen
in the Gospel yesterday. The passage through Nazareth was painful for Jesus. He
was rejected by His own people (Mk 6: 1-5). The community, which had been His
community, is no longer such. Something has changed. Beginning at that moment,
as today’s Gospel says, Jesus began to go around to the villages of Galilee to
announce the Good News (Mk 6: 6) and to send the Twelve on a mission. In the
70’s, the time when Mark wrote his Gospel, the Christian communities lived in a
difficult situation, without any horizon. Humanly speaking, there was no future
for them. In the year 64, Nero began to persecute the Christians. In the year
65, the revolt or uprising of the Jews in Palestine against Rome broke out. In
the year 70, Jerusalem was completely destroyed by the Romans. This is why the
description of the sending out of the disciples, after the conflict in
Nazareth, was a source of light and of courage for the Christians.
•
Mark 6: 7. The objective of the Mission. The
conflict grew and closely affected Jesus. How does He react? In two ways:
•
1) In the face of the mental stubbornness of the
people of His community, Jesus leaves Nazareth and begins to go to the
neighboring villages (Mk 6: 6).
•
2) He extends the mission and intensifies the
announcement of the Good News, calling other people to involve them in the
mission.
He summons the Twelve, and begins to send them out in
pairs, giving them authority over unclean spirits. The objective of the mission
is simple and profound. The disciples participate in the mission of Jesus. They
cannot go alone; they have to go in pairs, two by two, because two persons
represent the community better than one alone and they can mutually help one
another. They receive authority over unclean spirits, i.e., they are to be a
help for others in suffering and, through purification, they are to open the
door for direct access to God.
•
Mark 6: 8-11 – The attitudes which they should
have in the Mission. The recommendations are simple: He instructed them to take
nothing for the journey except a staff: no bread, no bag, no money for their
purses; they were to wear sandals and not to take a spare tunic. And He told
them, “If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district.
And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as
you walk away, shake off the dust under your feet, as evidence to them.” So
they set off. It is the beginning of a new stage. Now not only Jesus but the
whole group will announce the Good News of God to the people. If the preaching
of Jesus caused conflict, much more now, there will be conflict with the
preaching of the whole group. If the mystery was already great, now it will be
greater since the mission has been intensified.
•
Mark 6: 12-13 – The result of the mission. So
they set off to proclaim repentance, and they cast out many devils and anointed
many sick people with oil and cured them. The proclamation of the Good News
produces conversion or a change in people; it alleviates suffering in people;
it cures illnesses and casts out devils.
The sending out of the disciples on Mission. At the time
of Jesus there were several other movements of renewal, for example, the
Essenes and the Pharisees. They also sought a new way of living in community
and they had their own missionaries (cf. Mt 23: 15). But these, when they went
on mission, had prejudices. They took with them a bag and money to take care of
their own meals, because they did not trust the food that people would give
them, which was not always ritually pure. As opposed to other missionaries, the
disciples of Jesus received various recommendations which helped them to
understand the fundamental points of the mission which they received from Jesus
and which is also our mission:
•
They should go without taking anything. They
should take nothing, no bag, no money, no staff, no bread, no sandals, no spare
tunic. That meant that Jesus obliged them to trust in hospitality, because one
who goes without taking anything goes because he trusts people and thinks that
he will be well received. With this attitude they criticized the laws of
exclusion, taught by the official religion, and showed, by means of the new
practice, that they in the community had other criteria.
•
They should eat what people ate or what the
people gave them. They could not live separately, providing their own food, but
they were to accept to sit at the same table (Lk 10: 8). This means that in
contact with the people, they should not be afraid of losing purity as it was
taught at that time. With this attitude they criticized the laws of purity
which were in force and showed, by means of the new practice, that they had
another type of access to purity, that is, intimacy with God.
•
They should remain in the first house that
welcomed them. They should live together in a stable way and not go from house
to house. They should work like everybody else and live off what they received
in exchange, because the laborer deserves his wages (Lk 10: 7). In other words,
they should participate in the life and in the work of the people, and the
people would have accepted them in the community and would have shared the food
with them. This means that they had to have trust in sharing.
•
They should take care of the sick, cure lepers
and cast out devils (Lk 10: 9; Mk 6: 7- 13; Mt 10: 8). They had to carry out
the function of Defender (“go’el”)
and accept within the community those who were excluded. With this attitude
they criticized the situation of disintegration of the community life of the
clan and they aimed at concrete ways of correcting this. These were the four
fundamental points which had to give impetus to the attitude of the
missionaries who announced the Good News in the name of Jesus: hospitality,
communion, sharing and acceptance of the excluded (defender, “go'el”). If these four requirements were
respected, they could and should cry out to the four ends of the earth: The
Kingdom of God has come! (cf. Lk 10: 1-12; 9: 1-6; Mk 6: 7-13; Mt 10: 6-16).
The Kingdom of God revealed by Jesus is not a doctrine, nor a catechism, nor a
law. The Kingdom of God comes and becomes present when people, motivated by
their faith in Jesus, decide to live in community to give witness and to
manifest to all that God is Father and Mother and that, therefore, we human
beings are brothers and sisters to one another. Jesus wanted the local
community to be an expression of the Covenant, of the Kingdom, of the love of
God the Father, who makes all of us brothers and sisters.
Personal
Questions:
•
Do you participate in the mission as a disciple
of Jesus?
•
Which point of the mission of the apostles is
more important for us today?
Why?
Concluding Prayer
Great is Yahweh and most worthy of praise in the city of
our God, the holy mountain, towering in beauty, the joy of the whole world. (Ps
48: 1-2)
Saint Agatha, Virgin
and Martyr
Agatha was martyred at Catania in Sicily, probably during
the persecution by the Roman emperor, Decius (250-253). She is among the saints
commemorated in the Roman Canon. Although she is one of the most highly
venerated of the virgin martyrs in the early Church, there is little reliable
information about Agatha beyond the fact that she died a martyr’s death. She is
known to have been put to death because of the courageous profession of her
Christian faith.
Although the martyrdom of St Agatha is accepted as genuine
and her veneration as a saint had spread beyond her birthplace already in early
times, there is still no reliable information of how she met her death.
According to the Acts of the Martyrs (in both Latin and
Greek), Agatha, daughter of a distinguished family and a girl of great beauty,
was pursued by a Senator Quintianus who had fallen in love with her. As his
proposals were resolutely spurned by the young girl, he put her in the charge
of an evil woman, whose efforts at seduction were thwarted by Agatha’s
commitment to her Christian faith. Quintianus then had her subjected to various
cruel tortures. Of these, the most barbaric was an order to have her breasts
cut off. This became the peculiar characteristic in medieval images of the
saint. She is often depicted carrying her excised breasts on a platter.
However, it was said that Agatha was consoled by a vision of
St Peter, who healed her miraculously. Her scorned admirer eventually sentenced
her to death by being burnt at the stake. However, she was saved from this fate
by a mysterious earthquake. She later died in prison as a result of the
repeated cruelties inflicted on her. However, it must be said that this
narrative from her story in the Acts of the Martyrs cannot
really claim to have any historical reliability.
Both Catania and Palermo in Sicily claim the honour of being
Agatha’s birthplace. Her feast is kept on 5 February, and her office in the
Roman Breviary is drawn in part from the Latin Acts of the Martyrs.
Catania honours St Agatha as its patron saint, and throughout the region around
Mt Etna she is invoked against eruptions of the volcano, and elsewhere against
fire and lightning.
In some places bread and water are blessed during Mass on
her feast after the Consecration, and called Agatha bread. It is thought that
this blessing of the bread may have come from the mistaken notion that, in
images of her, what she was carrying on the platter were loaves of bread. In
more recent times, St Agatha has been venerated as the patron saint of patients
living with breast cancer.
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