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Jan 19 2010 (Psalter week 2)
First Reading: Is 49:3, 5-6
He said to me, “You are Israel, my servant, Through you I will be known.” And now the Lord has spoken, he who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, to gather Israel to him. He said: “It is not enough that you be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob, to bring back the remnant of Israel. I will make you the light of the nations, that my salvation will reach to the ends of the earth.”
Ps 40: 2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
I waited, I waited for the Lord and he stooped down to me; he heard my cry. He put a new song into my mouth, Praise of our God.
In the scroll of the book it stands written That I should do your will. My God, I delight in your law in the depth of my heart.
You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings, but an open ear. You do not ask for holocaust and victim. Instead, here am I.
Your justice I have proclaimed in the great assembly. My lips I have not sealed; You know it, O Lord.
Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:1-3
From Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God and from Sosthenes our brother, to God’s Church which is in Corinth; to you whom God has sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy together with those who everywhere call upon the name of our Lord Christ Jesus, their Lord and ours. Receive grace and peace from God, our Father, and Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia!
Speak, Lord, your servant hears: you have the words of eternal life. Alleluia!
Gospel:Jn 1:29-34
The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! It is he of whom I said: A man comes after me who is already ahead of me for he was before me. I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing to prepare for him, so that he might be revealed in Israel.” And John also gave this testimony, “I saw the Spirit coming down on him like a dove from heaven, and resting on him. I myself did not know him, but God, who sent me to baptize, told me, ‘You will see the Spirit coming down and resting on the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ Yes, I have seen! And I declare that this is the Chosen One of God!”
THE LAMB OF GOD:
John the Baptist seeing Jesus coming towards him proclaims: “There is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” These words have been immortalised when just before Holy Communion the priest repeats them. They teach us that all of us are sinners. If we say we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves and make God to be a liar. In Jesus, seated at the right hand of the Father
interceding for us, we have an Advocate who pleads our cause. No sin, howsoever big, is too big for the mercy and love of God. Pope Francis put it so well: “God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy” (EG 83). Jesus came to call sinners. He called a tax collector, Matthew, to be one of his apostles. He befriended sinners. He ate and drank with them even at the risk of being called
a drunkard and a glutton. Among his followers many were Sinners (Mk. 2:15). We can call Jesus our Saviour only when we humbly and honestly acknowledge and admit that we are Sinners. This we do at the penitential rite at beginning of every mass as we strike our breast and confess that we have sinned
grievously in what we have done and in what we have failed to do.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Celebrant: With childlike trust we place our prayers and petitions before God our Father and pray
R: Lord, graciously hear our prayer.
For the Church, that like her Lord and Master, she may learn to serve and not to be served. Let us pray to the Lord.
For teachers and educators, that they may enlighten their students by word and example. Let us pray to the Lord. R:
For us that we may follow Jesus no matter what the cost. Let us pray to the Lord. R:
For the sick and the suffering at home or in hospital that they may experience Christ’s healing love. Let us pray to the Lord. R:
For those whom the Lord has called to himself, that they may have the joy of beholding him face to face in heaven. Let us pray to the Lord.
We now add our own intentions in silence. (Pause…)
Celebrant: Heavenly Father, nothing is hidden from your sight. Grant us all our petitions, both spoken and unspoken which we make. Through Christ Our Lord. R: Amen.
Jan 18 2020
Our Lady of Arabia
Location: Al Ahmadi, Kuwait. Witness: Bishop Teofano Stella, OCD. Approval: Pope Pius XII, Pope John XXIII, Shrine:Our Lady of Arabia Parish, Ahmadi, Kuwait
First Reading: First Samuel 9: 1-4, 17-19; 10: 1
1 Now I there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Cis, the son of Abiel, the son of Seror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphia, the son of a man of Jemini, valiant and strong.
2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and goodly man, and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he appeared above all the people.
3 And the asses of Cis, Sauls father, were lost: and Cis said to his son Saul: Take one of the servants with thee, and arise, go, and seek the asses. And when they had passed through mount Ephraim,
4 And through the land of Salisa, and had not found them, they passed also through the land of Salim, and they were not there: and through the land of Jemini, and found them not.
17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him: Behold the man, of whom I spoke to thee, this man shall reign over my people.
18 And Saul came to Samuel in the midst of the gate and said: Tell me, I pray thee, where is the house of the seer?
19 And Samuel answered Saul, saying: I am the seer, go up before me to the high place, that you may eat with me today, and I will let thee go in the morning: and tell thee all that is in thy heart.
10:1 And Samuel took a little vial of oil and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said: Behold, the Lord hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance, and thou shalt deliver his people out of the hands of their enemies, that are round about them. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that God hath anointed thee to be prince.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 21: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7
2 In thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy; and in thy salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly.
3 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire: and hast not withholden from him the will of his lips.
4 For thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness: thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones.
5 He asked life of thee: and thou hast given him length of days for ever and ever.
6 His glory is great in thy salvation: glory and great beauty shalt thou lay upon him.
7 For thou shalt give him to be a blessing for ever and ever: thou shalt make him joyful in gladness with thy countenance.
Gospel: Mark 2: 13-17
13 And he went forth again to the sea side; and all the multitude came to him, and he taught them.
14 And when he was passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the receipt of custom; and he saith to him: Follow me. And rising up, he followed him.
15 And it came to pass, that as he sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat down together with Jesus and his disciples. For they were many, who also followed him.
16 And the scribes and the Pharisees, seeing that he ate with publicans and sinners, said to his disciples: Why doth your master eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
17 Jesus hearing this, saith to them: They that are well have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. For I came not to call the just, but sinners.
Jan 17 2020
St. Anthony, Abbot
Patron Saint of butchers, skin diseases, gravediggers, and swine
First Reading: First Samuel 8: 4-7, 10-22a
4 Then all the ancients of Israel being assembled, came to Samuel to Ramatha.
5 And they said to h im: Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: make us a king, to judge us, as all nations have.
6 And the word was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, that they should say: Give us a king, to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord.
7 And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to thee. For they have not rejected thee, but me, that I should not reign over them.
10 Then Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people that had desired a king of him,
11 And said: This will be the right of the king, that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and put them in his chariots, and will make them his horsemen, and his running footmen to run before his chariots,
12 And he will appoint of them to be his tribunes, and centurions, and to plough his fields, and to reap his corn, and to make him arms and chariots.
13 Your daughters also he will take to make him ointments, and to be his cooks, and bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your best oliveyards, and give them to his servants.
15 Moreover he will take the tenth of your corn, and of the revenues of your vineyards, to give his eunuchs and servants.
16 Your servants also and handmaids, and your goodliest young men, and your asses he will take away, and put them to his work.
17 Your flocks also he will tithe, and you shall be his servants.
18 And you shall cry out in that day from the face of the king, whom you have chosen to yourselves. and the Lord will not hear you in that day, because you desired unto yourselves a king.
19 But the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, and they said: Nay: but there shall be a king over us.
20 And we also will be like all nations: and our king shall judge us, and go out before us, and tight our battles for us.
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.
22 And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel: Let every man go to his city.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 89: 16-17, 18-19
16 Blessed is the people that knoweth jubilation. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance:
17 And in thy name they shall rejoice all the day, and in thy justice they shall be exalted.
18 For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy good pleasure shall our horn be exalted.
19 For our protection is of the Lord, and of our king the holy one of Israel.
Gospel: Mark 2: 1-12
1 And again he entered into Capharnaum after some days.
2 And it was heard that he was in the house, and many came together, so that there was no room; no, not even at the door; and he spoke to them the word.
3 And they came to him, bringing one sick of the palsy, who was carried by four.
4 And when they could not offer him unto him for the multitude, they uncovered the roof where he was; and opening it, they let down the bed wherein the man sick of the palsy lay.
5 And when Jesus had seen their faith, he saith to the sick of the palsy: Son, thy sins are forgiven thee.
6 And there were some of the scribes sitting there, and thinking in their hearts:
7 Why doth this man speak thus? he blasphemeth. Who can forgive sins, but God only?
8 Which Jesus presently knowing in his spirit, that they so thought within themselves, saith to them: Why think you these things in your hearts?
9 Which is easier, to say to the sick of the palsy: Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say: Arise, take up thy bed, and walk?
10 But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
11 I say to thee: Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house.
12 And immediately he arose; and taking up his bed, went his way in the sight of all; so that all wondered and glorified God, saying: We never saw the like.
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