February 8, 2015

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 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.

Reading 2 1 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.

Alleluia Mt 8:17

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 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.

From: Job 7:1-4, 6-7

Only the Sufferer Can Know His Own Grief (Continuation)

(Then Job answered,) [1] “Has not man a hard service upon earth, and are not
his days like the days of a hireling? [2] Like a slave who longs for the shadow,
and like a hireling who looks for his wages, [3] so I am allotted months of emp-
tiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me. [4] When I lie down I say,
‘When shall I arise?’ But the night is long, and I am full of tossing till the dawn.
[6] My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and come to their end without
hope.

[7] “Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good.”

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Commentary:

7:1-2. Well aware that his particular case is by no means unique, Job applies
general statements (vv. 1-2) to his own predicament (3:10). The references to
military service (cf. 14:14) and the position of a hireling graphically describe the
limitations man labors under his whole life long. They are in line with biblical tea-
ching about the plight of the world resulting from original sin and personal sins.
This dramatic situation “makes man’s life a battle: ‘The whole of man’s history
has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil, stretching, so our
Lord tells us, from the very dawn of history until the last day. Finding himself in
the midst of the battlefield, man has to struggle to do what is right, and it is at
great cost to himself, and aided by God’s grace, that he succeeds in achieving
his own inner integrity’ (”Gaudium Et Spes”, 37)” (”Catechism of the Catholic
Church”, 409).

No one can escape this struggle. However, as we know from experience, not
everyone strives in the same way.“Man’s life on earth is warfare, and his days
are spent under the burden of work. No one escapes this law, not even the ea-
sygoing who try to turn a deaf ear to it. They desert the ranks of Christ, and
then take up other battles to satisfy their laziness, their vanity, or their petty
ambitions. They become enslaved to their every whim. Since to be in a state
of struggle is part and parcel of the human condition, let us try to fulfill our obli-
gations with determination. Let us pray and work with good will, with upright
motives and with our sights set on what God wants. This way our longing for
Love will be satisfied and we shall progress along the path to sanctity, even if
we find at the end of the day that we still have a long way to go” (St J. Escriva,
“Friends of God”, 217).

7:7-10. In a supplication which begins formally with the word “Remember”, Job
argues that if death marks the end for him, then his suffering makes no sense;
we can see that he is still very much taken up with the idea that death is a sort
of goal and that it means the end of all the anguish of life (cf. 3:11-19; 10:20-22;
14:1-22). This approach belongs to a time when the doctrine of the resurrection
of the dead was as yet unclear. However, what Job says should not be taken as
implying that there is no future life; it simply shows that he is so overwhelmed
that he desires his suffering to cease as soon as possible. “Job spoke these
words to register the fact that life is a very fragile thing—and, especially, to make
the point that a person who dies never returns to this life of corruptibility and ne-
ver again will pick up his ordinary life where he left off’ (Didymus the Blind, “In
Iob”, “ad loc.”).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23

St Paul Does Not Exercise This Right

[16] For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For neces-
sity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! [17] For if I do this
of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a
commission. [18] What then is my reward? Just this: that in my preaching I may
make the gospel free of charge, not making full use of my right in the gospel.

[19] For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I
might win the more. [22] To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak.
I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. [23] I
do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

The Need for Asceticism

[24] Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives
the prize? So run that you may obtain it. [25] Every athlete exercises self-control
in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
[26] Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air, but I pom-
mel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be dis-
qualified.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

15-18. As he already said in v. 12, St Paul makes it clear that he has not exer-
cised so far, nor does he envisage doing so, his right to be supported by the
faithful. Conscious that his God-given calling obliges him to preach the Gospel,
he prefers to carry out that mission without receiving anything in exchange. His
attitude shows both his greatness and his humility: he faces every kind of suf-
fering, privation and danger for the sake of the Gospel (cf. 2 Cor 11:23-33), and
yet he considers that he is doing no more than his duty. His policy recalls our
Lord’s teaching: “When you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are
unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty”’ (Lk 17:10; cf. Mt 10:
8).

To keep to this self-imposed policy, St Paul had to add to all his work of evan-
gelization the additional effort to earn his own living. In the Acts of the Apostles,
for example, we learn of his manual work in Corinth (18:3) and Ephesus (20:34);
and he himself tells the Thessalonians that “we worked night and day, that we
would not burden any of you, while we preached to you the gospel of God” (1
Thess 2:9; 2 Thess 3:9). Only in the case of the Philippians for whom he had
very particular affection, did he allow any exception to this rule (cf. Phil 4:15-16).
However, at no time did he feel that others were doing wrong in acting differently,
“for the Lord had disposed that those who proclaim the Gospel be supported by
it [...]. But he [Paul] went further and chose not even to take what was his due”
(St Augustine, “Sermon” 46, 4).

16. The Church has often used these words of St Paul to remind the faithful that
our Lord has called them to the apostolate through the sacraments of Baptism
and Confirmation. The Second Vatican Council explains what this apostolate in-
volves: “The witness of life, however, is not the sole element in the apostolate;
the true apostle is on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word,
either to unbelievers to draw them towards the faith, or to the faithful to instruct
them, strengthen them, incite them to a more fervent life; ‘for Christ’s love urges
us on’ (2 Cor 5:14), and in the hearts of all should the Apostle’s words find echo:
‘Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel’ (1 Cor 9:16)” (”Apostolicam Actuosi-
tatem”, 6).

St John Chrysostom anticipates the kinds of excuse people might offer to avoid
this duty: “There is nothing colder than a Christian who is not concerned about
the salvation of others [...]. Do not say, I cannot help others: for, if you are truly
a Christian it is impossible not to. Natural objects have properties that cannot be
denied; the same is true of what I have just said, because it is the nature of a
Christian to act in that way. Do not offend God by deception. If you said that the
sun cannot shine, you would be committing an offense against God and making
a liar of him. It is easier for the sinner to shine or give warmth than for a Christian
to cease to give light: it is easier for that to happen than for light to become dark-
ness. Do not say that that is impossible: what is impossible is the contrary [...].
If we behave in the correct way, everything else will follow as a natural conse-
quence. The light of Christians cannot be hidden, a lamp shining so brightly can-
not be hidden” (”Hom. on Acts”, 20).

19-23. Because he is one with Christ (cf. Gal 2:20), who “came not to be served
but to serve, and to give us his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28), the Apostle
makes himself “all things to all men”, so generous is he and so eager to save as
many souls as possible, at the cost of whatever sacrifice and humiliation might
be involved. “A Christian has to be ready to share his life with everyone at all
times, giving to everyone the chance to come nearer to Christ Jesus. He has to
sacrifice his own desires willingly for the sake of others, without separating peo-
ple into watertight compartments, without pigeonholing them or putting tags on
them as though they were merchandise or insect specimens. A Christian cannot
afford to separate himself from others, because, if he did that, his life would be
miserably selfish. He must become ‘all things to all men, in order to save all men’
(1 Cor 9:22)” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 124).

Obviously this concern for others should not lead to diluting the truths of faith.
Referring to this point, Pope Paul VI wrote: “The apostle’s art is a risky one. The
desire to come together as brothers must not lead to a watering down or subtrac-
ting from the truth. Our dialogue must not weaken our attachment to our faith. In
our apostolate we cannot make vague compromises about the principles of faith
and action on which our profession of Christianity is based. An immoderate de-
sire to make peace and sink differences at all costs is, fundamentally, a kind of
skepticism about the power and content of the Word of God which we desire to
preach. Only one who is completely faithful to the teaching of Christ can be an
apostle. And only he who lives his Christian life to the full can remain uncontami-
nated by the errors with which he comes into contact” (”Ecclesiam Suam”, 33).

24-27. These similes taken from athletics would have been appropriate for the
Corinthians, for their city hosted the biennial Isthmus games. Often, when spea-
king about the Christian life, the Apostle uses metaphors taken from sport-races
(cf. Gal 5:7; Phil 3:12-14; 2 Tim 4:7), combats (1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim 4:7) and laurel
crowns (2 Tim 4:8).

A Christian’s life on earth must needs involve interior striving; he should approach
this with in a competitive, sportive spirit, facing up to any sacrifices that prove ne-
cessary, and not letting obstacles, failures or personal limitation get him down:
“We should not be surprised to find, in our body and soul, the needle of pride,
sensuality, envy, laziness and the desire to dominate others. This is a fact of life,
proven by our personal experience. It is the point of departure and the normal con-
text for winning in this intimate sport, this race toward our Father’s house. St Paul
says: “I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; but I pommel
my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disquali-
fied’ (1 Cor 9:26) [...]. In this adventure of love we should not be depressed by our
falls, not even by serious falls, if we go to God in the sacrament of Penance con-
trite and resolved to improve. A Christian is not a neurotic collector of good beha-
vior reports. Jesus Christ our Lord was moved as much by Peter’s repentance af-
ter his fall as by John’s innocence and faithfulness. Jesus understands our weak-
ness and draws us to himself on an inclined plane. He wants us to make an ef-
fort to climb a little each day” (”Christ Is Passing By”, 75).

27. While we are in this present life, our perseverance can never be taken for
granted: “Let no one feel assured of this gift with an absolute certainty, although
all ought to have most secure hope in the help of God. For unless we are unfaith-
ful to his grace, God will bring the good work to perfection, just as he began it,
working both the will, and the performance (cf. Phil 2:13)” (Council of Trent, “De
Iustificatione”, chap. 13). Therefore, the Apostle points out, the ascetical effort
which every person must keep on making in this life includes physical mortifica-
tion and self-control. Helped by God’s grace and confident of his mercy, a Chris-
tian who makes this effort will be able to say as St Paul did at the end of his life,
“there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous
judge, will award to me on that day” (2 Tim 4:8).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Mark 1:29-39

The Curing of Peter’s Mother-In-Law

[29] And immediately He (Jesus) left the synagogue, and entered the house of
Simon and Andrew, with James and John. [30] Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay
sick with a fever, and immediately they told Him of her. [31] And He came and
took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she served
them.

Jesus Cures Many Sick People

[32] That evening, at sundown, they brought to Him all who were sick or posses-
sed with demons. [33] And the whole city was gathered together about the door.
[34] And He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out ma-
ny demons; and He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew
Him.

Jesus Goes To a Lonely Place To Pray

[35] And in the morning, a great while before day, He rose and went out to a lo-
nely place, and there He prayed. [36] And Simon and those who were with Him
followed Him, [37] and they found Him and said to Him, “Everyone is searching
for you.” [38] And He said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may
preach there also; for that is why I came out.” [39] And He went throughout all
Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

34. Demons possess a supernatural type of knowledge and therefore they recog-
nize Jesus as the Messiah (Mark 1:24). Through the people they possess they
are able to publish this fact. But our Lord, using His divine powers, orders them
to be silent. On other occasions He also silences His disciples (Mark 8:30; 9:9),
and He instructs people whom He has cured not to talk about their cure (Mark 1:
4; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26). He may have acted in this way to educate the people away
from a too human and political idea of the Messiah (Matthew 9:30). Therefore,
He first awakens their interest by performing miracles and gradually, through His
preaching, gives them a clearer understanding of the kind of Messiah He is.

Some Fathers of the Church point out that Jesus does not want to accept, in
support of the truth, the testimony of him who is the father of lies.

35. Many passages of the New Testament make reference to Jesus praying.
The evangelists point to Him praying only on specially important occasions du-
ring His public ministry: Baptism (Luke 3:1), the choosing of the Twelve (Luke
6:12), the first multiplication of the loaves (Mark 6:46), the Transfiguration (Luke
9:29), in the garden of Gethsemane prior to His passion (Matthew 26:39), etc.
Mark for his part, refers to Jesus’ prayer at three solemn moments: at the begin-
ning of His public ministry (1:35), in the middle of it (6:46), and at the end, in
Gethsemane (14:32).

Jesus’ prayer is prayer of perfect praise to the Father; it is prayer of petition for
Himself and for us; and it also a model for His disciples. It is a prayer of perfect
praise and thanksgiving because He is God’s beloved Son in whom the Father
is well pleased (cf. Mark 1:11). It is a prayer of petition because the first spon-
taneous movement of a soul who recognizes God as Father is to ask Him for
things. Jesus’ prayer, as we see in very many passages (e.g. John 17:9ff) was
a continuous petition to the Father for the work of redemption which He, Jesus,
had to achieve through prayer and sacrifice.

Our Lord wants to give us an example of the kind of attitude a Christian should
have: he should make a habit of addressing God as son to Father in the midst
of and through his everyday activities—work, family life, personal relationships,
apostolate — so as to give his life a genuinely Christian meaning, for, as Jesus
will point out later on, “apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

“You write: ‘To pray is to talk with God. But about what?’ About what? About
Him, about yourself: joys, sorrows, successes and failures, noble ambitions,
daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions: and love
and reparation. In a word: to get to know Him and to get to know yourself: ‘to
get acquainted!’” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”).

38. Jesus tells us here that His mission is to preach, to spread the Good News.
He was sent for this purpose (Luke 4:43). The Apostles, in turn, were chosen by
Jesus to be preachers (Mark 3:14; 16:15). Preaching is the method selected by
God to effect salvation: “it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to
save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21). This is why St. Paul says to Timo-
thy: “Preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke,
and exhort, be unfailing in patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:1-2). Faith
comes from hearing, we are told in Romans 10:17, where St. Paul enthusiasti-
cally quotes Isaiah: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!”
(Romans 10:15; Isaiah 52:7).

The Church identifies preaching the Gospel as one of the main tasks of bishops
and priests. St. Pius X went so far as saying that “for a priest there is no duty
more grave or obligation more binding (to dispel ignorance)” (”Acerbo Nimis”). In
this connection Vatican II states: “The people of God is formed into one in the
first place by the Word of the living God (cf. 1 Peter 1:23; Acts 6:7; 12:24), which
is quite rightly sought from the mouths of priests (2 Corinthians 11:7).

For since nobody can be saved who has not first believed (Mark 16:16), it is the
first task of priests as co-workers of the bishops to preach the Gospel of God to
all men (2 Corinthians 11:7). In this way they carry out the Lord’s command ‘Go
into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature’ (Mark 16:15) (cf. Mala-
chi 2:7; 1 Timothy 4:11-13; etc.) and thus set up and increase the people of God”
(”Presbyterorum Ordinis”).

Jesus’ preaching is not just limited to words: He backs up His teaching with His
authority and with deeds. The Church also has been sent to preach salvation and
to effect the work of salvation which it proclaims—a work done through the Sacra-
ments and especially through the renewal of the sacrifice of Calvary in the Mass
(Vatican II, “Sacrosanctum Concilium”, 6).

In the Church of God all of us should listen devoutly to the preaching of the Gos-
pel and we all should feel a responsibility to spread the Gospel by our words and
actions. It is the responsibility of the hierarchy of the Church to teach the Gospel
authentically — on the authority of Christ.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Readings at Mass

First reading

Job 7:1-4,6-7 ©

Job began to speak:

Is not man’s life on earth nothing more than pressed service,

his time no better than hired drudgery?

Like the slave, sighing for the shade,

or the workman with no thought but his wages,

months of delusion I have assigned to me,

nothing for my own but nights of grief.

Lying in bed I wonder, ‘When will it be day?’

Risen I think, ‘How slowly evening comes!’

Restlessly I fret till twilight falls.

Swifter than a weaver’s shuttle my days have passed,

and vanished, leaving no hope behind.

Remember that my life is but a breath,

and that my eyes will never again see joy.

Psalm

Psalm 146:1-6 ©

Praise the Lord who heals the broken-hearted.

Alleluia!

Praise the Lord for he is good;

sing to our God for he is loving:

to him our praise is due.

Praise the Lord who heals the broken-hearted.

Alleluia!

The Lord builds up Jerusalem

and brings back Israel’s exiles,

he heals the broken-hearted,

he binds up all their wounds.

He fixes the number of the stars;

he calls each one by its name.

Praise the Lord who heals the broken-hearted.

Alleluia!

Our Lord is great and almighty;

his wisdom can never be measured.

The Lord raises the lowly;

he humbles the wicked to the dust.

Praise the Lord who heals the broken-hearted.

Alleluia!

Second reading

1 Corinthians 9:16-19,22-23 ©

I do not boast of preaching the gospel, since it is a duty which has been laid on me; I should be punished if I did not preach it! If I had chosen this work myself, I might have been paid for it, but as I have not, it is a responsibility which has been put into my hands. Do you know what my reward is? It is this in my preaching, to be able to offer the Good News free, and not insist on the rights which the gospel gives me.

So though I am not a slave of any man I have made myself the slave of everyone so as to win as many as I could. For the weak I made myself weak. I made myself all things to all men in order to save some at any cost; and I still do this, for the sake of the gospel, to have a share in its blessings.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn8:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

anyone who follows me will have the light of life.

Alleluia!

Or	Mt8:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

He took our sicknesses away,

and carried our diseases for us.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 1:29-39 ©

On leaving the synagogue, Jesus went with James and John straight to the house of Simon and Andrew. Now Simon’s mother-in-law had gone to bed with fever, and they told him about her straightaway. He went to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to wait on them.

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 suffering from diseases of one kind or another; he also cast out many devils, but he would not allow them to speak, because they knew who he was.

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 preach there too, because that is why I came.’ And he went all through Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out devils.

Jesus, High Priest

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary

By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

February Devotion: The Holy Family

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of February has been primarily asociated with the Holy Family, probably due to the feast of Our Lord's presentation at the temple, celebrated on February 2. At the very outset of Christ's work on earth, God showed the world a family in which, as Pope Leo XIII teaches, "all men might behold a perfect model of domestic life, and of all virtue and holiness." The harmony, unity, and holiness which characterized this holy Family make it the model for all Christian families.

INVOCATION
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph most kind, Bless us now and in death's agony.

FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE HOLY FAMILY
Grant unto us, Lord Jesus, ever to follow the example of Thy holy Family, that in the hour of our death Thy glorious Virgin Mother together with blessed Joseph may come to meet us and we may be worthily received by Thee into everlasting dwellings: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Roman Missal

CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY FAMILY
O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou defend us, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace, and concord in Christian love: in order that, by conforming ourselves to the divine pattern of Thy family, we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness.

Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by thy kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings.

O Saint Joseph, most holy guardian of Jesus and Mary, assist us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal necessities; that so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be, three times.

IN HONOR OF THE HOLY FAMILY
O God, heavenly Father, it was part of Thine eternal decree that Thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, should form a holy family with Mary, His blessed mother, and His foster father, Saint Joseph. In Nazareth home life was sanctified, and a perfect example was given to every Christian family. Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may fully comprehend and faithfully imitate the virtues of the Holy Family so that we may be united with them one day in their heavenly glory. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Holy Family Chaplet

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with me in my last hour.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul
in peace with you.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Amen.

Say 3 Our Father's, 3 Hail Mary's, and 3 Glory be's.

The Holy Family Icon by Nicholas Markell

PRAYER TO
THE HOLY FAMILY
=====================================================================================

GOD our Heavenly Father, You call all peoples to be united as one family in worshipping You as the one and true God. You willed that Your Son become man, giving Him a virgin mother and a foster father to form the Holy Family of Nazareth.

WE pray: may the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, image and model of every human family unit walk in the spirit of Nazareth and grow in the understanding of its particular mission in society and the Church. May our families be living cells of love, faithfulness and unity, thus reflecting God's covenant with humanity and Christ's redeeming love for His Church.

JESUS, Mary and Joseph protect our families from all evil; keep us, who are away from home, one in love with our dear ones.

Parent's Prayer

Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man, and Son of Mary, I thank you for the gift of life you have entrusted to my care. Help me be a parent both tender and wise, both loving and forgiving.

Mary, Holy Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and our Motherly Queen of Heaven, nourish our family with your heavenly grace. Help us to remain faithful to The Most Holy Trinity, in all our sorrows and joys.

Joseph, Earthly father to our Lord God, guardian and spouse of Mary, keep our family safe from harm. Help us in all times of discouragement or anxiety.

Holy Family of Nazareth, help our family to walk in your footsteps. May we be peace-loving and peace-giving.
Amen.

Imitating the Holy Family: Four Traits that Make It Possible
[Catholic Caucus] On the Holy Family [Angelus]
Biblical Teachings on Marriage and Family. A Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Recovering God’s Plan for Marriage and Family: A Sermon on the Feast of the Holy Family

“Why were you looking for me?" (On the Feast of The Holy Family)
U.S. Postal Service Issues Holy Family Forever Stamp
On Prayer in the Life of the Holy Family
The Holy Family - held together by Love through all their problems [Ecumenical]
Feast of the Holy Family: The Christian Family is a Domestic Church
Chesterton on "The Human Family and the Holy Family"
Joseph, Mary and Jesus: A Model Family
ADVICE TO PARENTS by Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
The Holy Family
St. Joseph as Head of the Holy Family (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)

Feast of the Holy Family
Feast of the Holy Family (Dom Guéranger OSB)
The Feast of the Holy Family
The Holy Family vs. The Holy Innocents: A Christmas season reflection [Catholic Caucus]
Vatican creche to place Holy Family in Joseph's carpentry workshop
The Redemption and Protection of the Family [Feast of the Holy Family]
Study Backs Tradition of Loreto House - Stones in Altar Match Those in Nazareth, It Says
Unraveling Jesus' mystery years in Egypt
Gaudi’s Church of the Holy Family to be ready for worship in 2008
Imitating the Holy Family; Four Traits that Make It Possible
Lots of Graphics: Post your favorite image of the St. Mary and Child, the Holy Family...

Daily Gospel Commentary

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Commentary of the day
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 176, 4

"Jesus grasped her hand, and helped her up"

The apostle Paul writes : « I was mercifully treated so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life » (1Tim 1,16). Desiring to show pardon to all, he chose one of his most vicious enemies so that, when they saw him healed, no one would be tempted to despair.

Isn’t this just what doctors do? When they have settled somewhere where they are not yet known they first of all single out people who are suffering from incurable illnesses so as to give proof of their kindness and make their skill known. Then each will say to the other: “Go and seek out this particular doctor; I assure you that he made me well again!... I had the same illness as you; I went through the same suffering.” This is what Paul said to each sick person in danger of despairing: “The one who healed me sends me to you, saying: Go and look for that hopeless sick person, tell him of your illness, make known to him the pain from which I cured you… Shout aloud to the despairing: ‘This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ (1Tim 1,15). What have you to fear? Why tremble? I myself am ‘the foremost of sinners’. I’m telling this to you, I who have been cured to you who are sick ; I who now stand upright to you who are cast down ; I who today am full of confidence to you who despair. »

So don’t let yourself go to pieces. Are you sick? Come to him and you will be healed. Are you blind? Come to him and you will be enlightened… Let everyone say: “Come, let us bow and bend low before him; let us weep before the Lord who made us” (Ps 94[95],6 Vg).

Zenit.org

The Sabbath of Christ: to Pray, to Heal, to Preach and to Pray Again

Lectio Divina: 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Paris, February 06, 2015 (Zenit.org) Monsignor Francesco Follo | 643 hits

Roman Rite - Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B - February 8, 2015

Gb 7, 1-4.6-7; Ps 147; 1Cor 9, 16-19.22-23; Mk 1.29 to 39[1]

1) The day of Christ.

Today's Gospel describes a Saturday spent by Jesus in Capernaum that can be regarded as the paradigm of how Jesus lived the Jewish day of rest, and may be a paradigm for our Sundays and for the other days of the week if we live our work as the way to build a world healed and redeemed.

This day of Jesus is marked by his three primary occupations: to immerse himself in prayer with the Father, to be with the family and among the people, and to heal the sick. Jesus speaks to man, and with His hand, which is the hand of the Infinite, touches the hand of the finite person, in this case that of the mother-in-law of Peter, but all this is "imbued" with God. It starts from prayer and ends in prayer.

Today's Gospel tells us of a Saturday begun in the synagogue that continues in Simon's house, where Jesus heals his mother-in-law, and out of this house where the Messiah heals many sick and demon-possessed people. Let’s pay attention to the fact that the story does not end with the evening of Saturday, but with the narrative of Jesus who before dawn goes to a solitary place where He, the Son, speaks with God, the Father.

By the lake, in a synagogue, in a house, in a square and in a desolate place: every place is good for the encounter between us and the Lord, who calls us. Every hour may be the right one, and every place is convenient for the encounter with God: the synagogue, the house of the people, the solitary place.

Let us try to imagine the scene described in the Gospel: Jesus, after he left the synagogue and between two wings of people, goes to the home of Simon Peter, where the mother-in-law lays in bed with fever. Immediately He heals her, taking her hand in his hand. Hand in hand as force transmitted to those who are tired or sick, as the hand of a brother and a friend that gives confidence to the brother and the friend weak or ill. Jesus raises (the Greek word is the one used by the Gospel even to speak of the resurrection) the mother-in-law of Peter. Jesus raises, straightens up (resurrects) this woman and brings her back to her upright posture and to the pride of doing and taking care of others. The woman gets up and starts serving[2].

The Lord also takes us by hand. Let us do the same, let us take the hand that is extended towards us. How many things a hand holds! An act like that can raise a life. This, according to the Gospel of Mark, is the first miracle of Jesus, the smallest in appearance, but it tells the meaning of all the others: Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, frees us from physical and spiritual evil and makes us free so that we can do good. Then let’s do at least like the mother-in-law of Peter, healed from the fever, who mimics immediately Jesus who came to serve because he loves us. To serve means to love not with words, but with deeds.

I think the sense of all the miracles that Jesus does is to change the life of men, to return them to themselves and to God. According to the Gospel of Mark, the first miracle of Christ is the healing of the mother-in-law of Peter, then during his public life He

- heals also the blinds so that they may have eyes that see,

- heals the deaf so that they may have ears that hear,

- heals the mute so that their mouth may tell the truth,

- heals the lames so that they may have feet to follow him,

- heals the hands so that a man with open and stretched hands may piously touch his neighbor and help his brothers and sisters in humanity,

- heals the hands of the heart so that they may be joined in prayer and man may enter into communion with God. Jesus himself, at night and until dawn, even if “tired” of healing, goes into a solitary place to pray.

2) Day and evening to think of man, night and dawn to think of God.

Jesus besieged by pain, in a whirlwind surge (the night, outside the house of Simon Peter, the people with his pain hurries to Jesus, delivers his pain and finds life) knows how to find space and time to be with the Father. Jesus teaches us how to create those secret places that give health to the soul; spaces for prayer, where nothing is more important than God, where to tell Him “I'm in front of you. For a time that I know to be short, I will not put anything ahead of you; nothing in these few minutes will come ahead of you.” It is our declaration of love.

In the narrative of the Gospel, the setting of Jesus' prayer is at the crossroads between the insertion in the tradition of his people and the novelty of a unique personal relationship with God. "The desert place" (cf. Mk 1:35) where He retires and "the night" that allows him solitude (cf. Mk 1.35; 6.46 to 47; Lk 6:12) recall events in the journey of God's revelation in the Old Testament, indicating the continuity of his saving plan. At the same time they mark moments of particular importance to Jesus, who knowingly fits into this plan, fully faithful to the will of the Father.

Even in our prayer we must learn, more and more, to enter into this history of salvation of which Jesus is the summit, to renew before God our personal decision to open ourselves to his will and to ask him the strength to conform our will to his, in the totality of our lives, in obedience to his plan of love for us.

The prayer of Jesus touches all stages of his ministry and all his days. Labors do not block it. The Gospels, indeed, reveal the custom of Jesus to spend part of the night in prayer.

Looking to Jesus' prayer, let us ask ourselves: how do I pray? What and how much time do I devote to a relationship with God? Who can be my master?

The first Master is Jesus, who teaches us the Our Father and reveals the novelty of our dialogue with God through the filial prayer that the Father expects from his children. And we learn from Jesus how a constant prayer helps us to interpret our life, to operate our choices, to recognize and accept our vocation.

Then we, small disciples of this great Master, are called to be witnesses of prayer because our world is often closed to the divine horizon and to the hope that an encounter with God brings. In friendship with Jesus and living in him and with him the filial relationship with the Father, we can open the windows to the Heaven of God through our faithful and constant prayer.

To the ones that do not have the time and the opportunity to pray with the Liturgy of the Hours, I suggest to pray the Angelus in the morning to commemorate the resurrection of Christ, at noon to celebrate his crucifixion and in the evening to remember his birth. Or to start the day with these two prayers: "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one", taken from Deuteronomy 6.4, and "Our Father, who art in heaven ...” The first prayer is the listening, the second the answer. In listening I learn that God is One, and in response I say now: "My Father ..." (see Divo Barsotti).

The fact that prayer is the most important “job” can be understood by the fact that the first and indispensable commitment of the consecrated Virgins in the world is prayer, as it is specifically requested to them during the rite of consecration (See Rite of the Consecration of the Virgins). In fact, handing the book of the Liturgy of the Hours, the Bishop turns to the consecrated with these words: “Receive the book of the liturgy of the hours, the prayer of the Church; may the praise of our heavenly Father be always on your lips; pray without ceasing for the salvation of the world."

With special affection and devotion the Virgins cultivate with the Virgin Mary, model of all discipleship and every consecration, humble filial confidence, intercessory prayer and contemplation of the mysteries of her Son Jesus.

Each virgin belonging to the Ordo Virginum keeps constantly in mind that prayer is not only a personal and generous answer to the voice of the Bridegroom and humble request for help to maintain loyalty to the holy commitment and to the gift received, but it is intimate participation to the life of the mystical body of Christ, unceasing intercession for the church and for the world.

Arlington Catholic Herald

GOSPEL COMMENTARY MK 1:29-39

Faith in healing and preaching

Fr. Robert J. Wagner

Why did Jesus come into the world? So that everyone who believes in Him might have eternal life (cf. Jn 3:16). However, His presence in the world manifests His power, life and love in such a way that, left in a wake of goodness, we may be unsure of where to direct our prayers and our faith.

In the Gospel, the apostles ask Jesus to heal the mother-in-law of St. Peter as she suffers from a fever, and He does. Later, at dusk, we hear that “the whole town gathered at (His) door.” It is a powerful scene on which to reflect. For hours after darkness has fallen, the people of Capernaum bring their broken family, friends and neighbors to Jesus, and He heals them. At the sight of their lame walking, their possessed freed from the snares of the devil and their ill brought back from the brink of death, the village is filled with joy and astonishment. Their amazement does not dissipate with the dawn. When Jesus goes to a deserted place to pray in the early hours of the day, His apostles interrupt Him. The crowds have formed again in the village. “Everyone is looking for you,” the apostles tell Him.

After hearing of how Jesus performed healing miracles late into the night, we might be surprised with Our Savior's response in the morning. Despite their desire to experience His healing power again, Jesus does not go back into the town, but instead tells His apostles that He must move on, for His purpose is to preach the Gospel to all the towns and villages.

At this point, we are left to wrestle with two truths. On one hand, Jesus has the power to free us from any and all suffering that may burden us. On the other hand, that is not His primary mission. He has come to preach the good news about the kingdom of God, the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life .

Yet we can place our faith in both truths. Jesus is the Divine Physician. We should never fear to call upon Him to heal our loved ones and ourselves. With faith in His power and love, we are called to be like the apostles who bring Jesus to Peter's mother-in-law, or like the villagers who flock to Him day and night that He might free them from their suffering. To ignore the healing miracles is to have an incomplete vision of Jesus. We must let our prayers be driven by the love we have for our broken loved ones and faith in the power of God to free us from what burdens us in this world.

In the end, however, some will not be restored to health in this life. Jesus walked away from Capernaum while they still clamored for His healing presence. Yet He departed knowing that He fulfilled His mission of preaching the Gospel. The people were left with a divine promise in which they could place their faith not just in this life, but in the next.

There is nothing in this world that He does not have authority over, so we should never stop begging for His healing power to free us and others from suffering, whether it be physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual. Let us have faith in the power of Our Living God.

To limit our faith to miracles in this life is a mistake, for the mission of Jesus is to bring us to eternal life. While we can ask for miraculous healings in this life, our faith must always remain in the promise of the Gospel — eternal life. Suffering will always remain in this life, but our faith in God's promises allows us to endure it because we know His providence allows it for our salvation. We are not created for this world; we are created for the next. Yes, Jesus dwells among us and still offers His healing power, but His greatest gift to us is freedom from sin and death. While we have faith that He can heal us in this life, we can always believe the good news that we are called to be with Him in heaven.

Fr. Wagner is Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde’s secretary.

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