'We ought to employ ourselves in compassionating our loving Mother in Her grief over the sufferings of Her Son. In return, She will comfort and console us and at the hour of death, will show us Her sweet face and deliver us from all fear. She will take us under Her protecting mantle, and with the sword that transpierced Her most pure Heart, She will defend us against our enemy.'

St. Gabriel Possenti of the Sorrowful Mother

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 1
40.	And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down said to him: If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.	Et venit ad eum leprosus deprecans eum : et genu flexo dixit ei : Si vis, potes me mundare.	και ερχεται προς αυτον λεπρος παρακαλων αυτον και γονυπετων αυτον και λεγων αυτω οτι εαν θελης δυνασαι με καθαρισαι
41.	And Jesus having compassion on him, stretched forth his hand; and touching him, saith to him: I will. Be thou made clean.	Jesus autem misertus ejus, extendit manum suam : et tangens eum, ait illi : Volo : mundare.	ο δε ιησους σπλαγχνισθεις εκτεινας την χειρα ηψατο αυτου και λεγει αυτω θελω καθαρισθητι
42.	And when he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean.	Et cum dixisset, statim discessit ab eo lepra, et mundatus est.	και ειποντος αυτου ευθεως απηλθεν απ αυτου η λεπρα και εκαθαρισθη
43.	And he strictly charged him, and forthwith sent him away.	Et comminatus est ei, statimque ejecit illum,	και εμβριμησαμενος αυτω ευθεως εξεβαλεν αυτον
44.	And he saith to him: See thou tell no one; but go, shew thyself to the high priest, and offer for thy cleansing the things that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.	et dicit ei : Vide nemini dixeris : sed vade, ostende te principi sacerdotum, et offer pro emundatione tua, quæ præcepit Moyses in testimonium illis.	και λεγει αυτω ορα μηδενι μηδεν ειπης αλλ υπαγε σεαυτον δειξον τω ιερει και προσενεγκε περι του καθαρισμου σου α προσεταξεν μωσης εις μαρτυριον αυτοις
45.	But he being gone out, began to publish and to blaze abroad the word: so that he could not openly go into the city, but was without in desert places: and they flocked to him from all sides.	At ille egressus cœpit prædicare, et diffamare sermonem, ita ut jam non posset manifeste introire in civitatem, sed foris in desertis locis esset, et conveniebant ad eum undique.	ο δε εξελθων ηρξατο κηρυσσειν πολλα και διαφημιζειν τον λογον ωστε μηκετι αυτον δυνασθαι φανερως εις πολιν εισελθειν αλλ εξω εν ερημοις τοποις ην και ηρχοντο προς αυτον πανταχοθεν

40. And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If you will, you can make me clean.
41. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and said to him, I will; be you clean.
42. And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
43. And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;
44. And said to him, See you say nothing to any man: but go your way, show yourself to the Priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.
45. But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, inasmuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

BEDE; After that the serpent-tongue of the devils was shut up, and the woman, who was first seduced, cured of a fever, in the third place, the man, who listened to the evil counsels of the woman, is cleansed from his leprosy, that the order of restoration in the Lord might be the same as was the order of the fall in our first parents; whence it goes on: And there came a leper to him, beseeching him.

AUG. Mark puts together circumstances, from which one may infer that he is the same as that one whom Matthew relates to have been cleansed, when the Lord came down from the mount, after the sermon.

BEDE, And because the Lord said that He came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill, he who was excluded by the Law, inferring that he was cleansed by the power of the Lord, showed that that grace, which could wash away the stain of the leper, was not from the Law, but over the Law. And truly, as in the Lord authoritative power, so in him the constancy of faith is shown; for there follows, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. He falls on his face, which is at once a gesture of lowliness and of shame, to show that every man should blush for the stains of his life. But his shame did not stifle confession; he showed his wound, and begged for medicine, and the confession is full of devotion and of faith, for he refers the power to the will of the Lord.

THEOPHYL. For he said not, If you will, pray unto God, but, If you will, as thinking Him very God.

BEDE; Moreover, he Bede doubted of the will of the Lord, not as disbelieving His compassion, but, as conscious of his own filth, he did not presume. He goes on; But Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and said to him, I will, be you clean. It is not, as many of the Latins think, to be taken to mean and read, He wish to cleanse thee, but that Christ should say separately, I will, and then command, be you clean.

CHRYS. Further, the reason why He touches the leper, and did not confer health upon him by word alone, was, that it is said by Moses in the Law, that he who touches a leper, shall be unclean till the evening; that is, that He might show, that this uncleanness is a natural one, that the Law was not laid down for Him, but on account of mere men. Furthermore, He shows that He Himself is the Lord of the Law; and the reason why He touched the leper, though the touch was not necessary to the working of the cure, was to show that He gives health, not as a servant, but as the Lord.

BEDE; Another reason why He touched him, was to prove that He could not be defiled, who freed others from pollution. At the same time it is remarkable, that He healed in the way in which he had been begged to heal. If you will, says the leper, you can make me clean. I will, He answered, behold, you have My will, be clean; now you have at once the effect of My compassion.

CHRYS. Moreover, by this, not only did He not take away the opinion of Him entertained by the leper, but He confirmed it; for He puts to flight the disease by a word, and what the leper had said in word, He filled up in deed; wherefore there follows, And when he had spoken, immediately, &c.

BEDE; For there is no interval between the work of God and the command, because the work is in the command, for He commanded, and they were created. There follows: And he strictly charged him, and forthwith, &c. See you tell no man.

CHRYS. As if He said, It is not yet time that My works should be preached, I require not your preaching. By which He teaches us not to seek worldly honor as a reward for our works. It goes on: But go your way, show yourself to the chief of the priests. Our Savior sent him to the priest for the trial of his cure, and that he might not he cast out of the temple, but still be numbered with the people in prayer. He sends him also, that be might fulfill all the parts of the Law, in order to stop the evil-speaking tongue of the Jews. He Himself indeed completed the work, leaving them to try it.

BEDE; This He did in order that the priest might understand that the leper was not healed by the Law, but by the grace of God above the Law. There follows: And offer for your cleansing what Moses, &c.

THEOPHYL. He ordered him to offer the gift which they who were healed were accustomed to offer, as if for a testimony, that lie was not against the Law, lint rather confirmed the Law, inasmuch as lie Himself worked out the precepts of the Law.

BEDE; If any one wonders, how the Lord seems to approve of the Jewish sacrifice, which the Church rejects, let him remember, that He had not yet offered His own holocausts in His passion. And it was not right that significative sacrifices should he taken away, before that which they signified was confirmed by the witness of the Apostles in their preaching, and by the faith of the believing people.

THEOPHYL. But the leper, although the Lord forbade him, disclosed the benefit, wherefore it goes on: But he having gone out, began to publish and to blaze abroad the tale; for the person benefited ought to be grateful, and to return thanks, even though his benefactor requires it not.

BEDE; Now it may well be asked, why our Lord ordered His action to be concealed, and yet it could not be kept hid for an hour? But it is to be observed, that the reason why, in doing a miracle, He ordered it to be kept secret, and yet for all that it was noised abroad, was, that His elect, following the example of His teaching, should wish indeed that in the great things which they do, they should remain concealed, but should nevertheless unwillingly be brought to light for the good of others. Not then that He wished any thing to be done, which He was not able to bring about, but, by the authority of His teaching, He gave an example of what His members ought to wish for, and of what should happen to them even against their will.

BEDE; Further, this perfect cure of one man brought large multitudes to the Lord; wherefore it is added, So that he could not any more openly enter into the city, but could only be without in desert places.

CHRYS. For the leper every where proclaimed his wonderful cure, so that all ran to see and to believe on the Healer; thus the Lord could not preach the Gospel, but walked in desert places; wherefore there follows, And they came together to him from all Places.

PSEUDO-JEROME; Mystically, our leprosy is the sin of the first man, which began from the head, when he desired the kingdoms of the world. For covetousness is the root of all evil; wherefore Gehazi, engaged in an avaritious pursuit, is covered with leprosy.

BEDE; But when the hand of the Savior, that is, the Incarnate Word of God, is stretched out, and touches human nature, it is cleansed from the various parts of the old error.

PSEUDO-JEROME; This leprosy is cleansed on offering an oblation to the true Priest after the order of Melchisedec; for He tells us, Give alms of such things as you have, and, behold, all things are clean to you. But in that Jesus could not openly enter into the city, it is meant to be conveyed, that Jesus is not manifested to those, who are enslaved to the love of praise in the broad highway, and to their own wills, but to those who with Peter go into the desert, which the Lord chose for prayer, and for refreshing His people; that is, those who quit the pleasures of the world, and all that they possess, that they may say, The Lord is my portion. But the glory of the Lord is manifested to those, who meet together on all sides, that is, through smooth ways and steep, whom nothing can separate from the love of Christ.

BEDE; Even after working a miracle in that city, the Lord retires into the desert, to show that He loves best a quiet life, and one far removed from the cares of the world, and that it is on account of this desire, He applied Himself to the healing of the body.

Catena Aurea Mark 1

The cure of the leper

Fresco, Serbia

Information: St. Sava

Feast Day: January 14

Born: 1175

Died: January 14, 1235, Tarnovgrad, Bulgariaa

Major Shrine: Temple of Saint Sava (Belgrade)

Patron of: Serbia

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Macrina

Feast Day: January 14
Died:(around) 340

St. Macrina, was the grandmother of St. Basil the Great. She helped raise St. Basil and was one of his favourite people. As an adult, he praised his grandmother for all the good she had done for him. He especially thanked her openly for having taught him to love the Christian faith from the time he was very small.

Macrina and her husband paid a high price for being true to their Christian beliefs. During the Roman persecutions of Galerius and Maximinus, Basil's grandparents were forced to go into hiding. They found shelter in the forest at Pontus near their home and somehow managed to escape the Roman soldiers who were looking for them.

They were always hungry, almost starving and afraid, but they would not give up their faith. Instead, they patiently waited and prayed for the persecution to end. They hunted for food and ate the wild vegetation and somehow managed to live like this for seven years.

During another persecution, Macrina and her husband had all their property and belongings taken from them. They were left with nothing but their faith and trust in God's care for them. St. Macrina died around 340.

St. Macrina survived her husband but the exact year of each of their deaths is not recorded. It is believed that Macrina died around 340. Her grandchild, Basil, died in 379.

Thursday

January 14, 2016

Ignorance May Not Be Bliss

â€œThis is a work we perform often; whether we do it as a work of mercy is another matter. It might be helpful to give this work a different name: share the good news. We are not called to impart information, but to â€œmake a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverenceâ€ (1 Pt 3:15). We are to share with others the heart of the Gospel, which Pope Francis describes in this way: ‘In this basic core, what shines forth is the beauty of the saving love of God made manifest in Jesus Christ who died and rose from the dead’ (Evangelii Gaudium, 36).

We cannot share what we do not have. This work of mercy obliges us to deepen our knowledge of and love for our Catholic faith.â€ (Diocese of Oakland)

During this Year of Mercy, we are called to deepen every aspect of our faith life. There are many resources available to assist us on this path of knowledge. Just a few include Ascension Press, Word on Fire, or Loyola Press. Take an opportunity to review these websites and access their resources. In your efforts to fulfill the Corporal Work of Mercy entitled â€œInstruct the Ignorant,â€ you may just find out that you are the one mired in ignorance.

Year of Mercy Calendar for today: Study the Catechism and your faith. Begin by reading the paragraphs for this week (#661-682 and 1210-1252

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Thursday, January 14

Liturgical Color: Green

Today the Church remembers Bl. Peter
Donders. Ordained a priest, he traveled
to Batvia in 1856, to work in a leper
colony. Peter was a constant irritant
to authorities as he fought for better
conditions for the lepers, but always got
what he wanted.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: January 14th

Thursday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

January 14, 2016 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Attend to the pleas of your people with heavenly care, O Lord, we pray, that they may see what must be done and gain strength to do what they have seen. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Old Calendar: St. Hilary, bishop and doctor; St. Felix of Nola, priest and martyr

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Felix who lived in the third century. He was a priest and suffered greatly in the Decian persecution. The tomb of St. Felix at Nola, a small town in the south of Italy, was a much frequented place of pilgrimage in Christian antiquity, and in the Middle Ages veneration of him spread throughout the west. Along with St. Hilary his feast is celebrated today on the Extraordinary Form Calendar. St. Hilary's feast is now celebrated on January 13 in the Ordinary Form Calendar.

St. Felix
Capuchin Saints - Saint Felix of Nicosia - Perfect Obedience for the ...

In one of the early persecutions the priest Felix was first tortured on the rack, then thrown into a dungeon. While lying chained on broken glass, an angel appeared, loosed his bonds, and led him out to freedom. Later, when the persecution had subsided, he converted many to the Christian faith by his preaching and holy example. However, when he resumed his denunciation of pagan gods and false worship, he was again singled out for arrest and torture; this time he escaped by hiding in a secret recess between two adjacent walls. No sooner had he disappeared into the nook than a thick veil of cobwebs formed over the entrance so that no one suspected he was there. Three months later he died in peace (260), and is therefore a martyr only in the wider sense of the word.

St. Paulinus of Nola (see June 22), who cherished a special devotion toward St. Felix, composed fourteen hymns (carmina natalicia) in his honor. In his day (fifth century) the saint's tomb was visited by pilgrims from far and wide and was noted for its miraculous cures.

â€” The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Against eye disease; against eye trouble; against false witness; against lies; against perjury; domestic animals; eyes.

Symbols: Cobweb; deacon in prison; spiderweb; young priest carrying an old man (Maximus) on his shoulders; young priest chained in prison with a pitcher and potsherds near him; young priest with a bunch of grapes (symbolizes his care of the aged Maximus); young priest with a spider; young priest with an angel removing his chains.

Things to Do:

Let us be convinced that if we strive and struggle in God's behalf, we may also rely on His special protection. God shields you from your enemies, even, if need be, by a spider's web. Spend some time recalling occasions when you were protected in an unusual way from harm.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Mark 1:40-45

1st Week in Ordinary Time

He said to him, “See that you tell no one anything.” … The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. (Mark 1:44, 45)

In the early eighth century, St. Bede, an English monk, proposed a unique angle on today’s Gospel. Updated to contemporary style, Bede’s insight still feels fresh.

“Why did Jesus order this miraculous healing to be concealed? For we see that the man couldn’t contain himself, not even for an hour! The reason why Jesus ordered his action to be kept secret … was actually for us, today. It’s so that we could learn from his example: like Jesus, we too should yearn to remain concealed in the great things that we do. Yet, even though we’re reluctant, we should be brought to light for the good of other people.”

You can imagine the tension between two desires at work here. First is the desire to remain anonymous. Second is the desire to share an amazing spiritual accomplishment for the inspiration of the people around us. Both desires are holy, of course. But in today’s Gospel, the second one wins out.

What does that mean for us? For one, it means that we should try to imitate Jesus. He wasn’t searching for recognition. On the contrary, he actually hoped no one would find out about the miracle he had just performed. His motive was simply love, not the limelight.

On the other hand, when God’s work in our lives is brought to light, it can bring about tremendous good for other people. We might be hesitant to speak about specific ways that God is helping us to grow or how he’s moving through us. But testifying to his grace is often the holiest response we can make—especially if it goes against our personality!

One caution: as you share your story, make sure to emphasize God’s role in it. What you say may inspire someone to turn to the Lord. That’s how the people who heard about the leper’s healing responded. They went streaming out of their towns to find Jesus in the wilderness.

Yes, talking about yourself is a little risky. But sometimes, you should take the chance because the reward can be very sweet for the people around you.

“Lord, I am in need of healing. Reach out and give me your servant’s heart.”

1 Samuel 4:1-11
Psalm 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for January 14, 2016:

Courtesy goes a long way in marriage. Pope Francis calls â€œMay I?â€ one of the three â€œmagic wordsâ€ of family life. Being polite and kind to your family members is always a good idea.

Regnum Christi

To Be Free to Love

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

January 14, 2016 - Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

By Father Paul Campbell, LC

Mark 1:40-45

A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, thank you for this time together. I need you in my life and the life of my family. It is easy to let activities overwhelm me so that I lose track of you. You fade into the distance, and sometimes sin grows closer. But I know you are always there for me with your unconditional love. Thank you. I love you and long to put you first in my life.

Petition: Lord, wash me from my sins and help me to be detached from them.

If You Choose: A leper approaches and falls before Jesus. “If you choose, you can make me clean.” This leper couldn’t free himself from his disease any more than we can free ourselves from our sin. Leprosy was a fatal disease. It separated a man from his family and drove him outside his village to lonely places. Leprosy is a symbol for sin. Sin separates us from God and from others. We need to approach Jesus with that same humility and trust we see in the leper. This story is for us, to show us Christ’s heart. It reveals his love and his desire to free us from sin. Am I convinced of the ugliness of all sin and how it defaces our souls?

I Do Choose: Jesus chose to heal the leper. Not only did he heal him, he touched him. He reached out to the loneliness of that man, and he touched his life to cure him of the disease. This reveals Christ’s heart so beautifully. Our sin never drives him away from us. He is always ready and willing to come to our aid if only we would cry out for his help. Am I capable of opening all of the inner wounds of my sins to Our Lord so that he can heal me, wash me clean and make me whole again?

Jesus Wants Us Free: Sin keeps us from being who we were meant to be. “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Jesus was free from sin and so was free to love and serve others. He wasn’t compelled by greed or anger. He wasn’t moved by pride or impeded by laziness. He was free to love, and he loved to the extent of dying on a cross. Sin closes us in on ourselves. We get absorbed in ourselves and others take the back seat – or no seat at all. How often do we say “no” to others and turn a blind eye to their needs? Isn’t it sin that blinds us and selfishness that impedes us from loving others as Christ loves us? Christ can free us from sin so that we are empowered to love as he loves.

Conversation with Christ: Jesus, I want to be free, but I need your help. Without you, I can do nothing. Help me to trust you and to turn to you. Don’t let me go off on my own as if I could keep fighting without you. Free me to love you. Free me to love others.

Resolution: I will pray Psalm 51 for myself and my loved ones.

One Bread, One Body

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<< Thursday, January 14, 2016 >>

1 Samuel 4:1-11
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Psalm 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25

Mark 1:40-45
Similar Reflections

IS THE JOKE ON YOU?

"Why do You hide Your face, forgetting our woe and our oppression?" â€”Psalm 44:25

The Israelites, God's chosen people, refused to repent of sin. So four thousand Israelites were killed in battle, as they were defeated by the Philistines (1 Sm 4:2). "The wages of sin is death" (Rm 6:23). Then the Israelites decided not to repent but rather to bring forth the ark of the covenant to lead them into another battle. "Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured" (1 Sm 4:10-11). God's chosen people were made "the mockery and the scorn" of their enemies (Ps 44:14). They were "a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples" (Ps 44:15).

God's people today have suffered many defeats in this culture of death. The wages of a culture of sin turned out to be a culture of death. Occasionally we try to get out of this mess by trying to manipulate God through prayer and other religious activities. However, this has only led and will only lead to even more devastating defeats. We must repent. We are often salt that has lost its flavor and "is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot" (Mt 5:13). Unrepentant, lukewarm Christians are the most nauseating (see Rv 3:16), pitiful creatures in the world. They are in the worst condition possible for a human being (2 Pt 2:20-22).

Repent! Stop mocking God (Gal 6:7). Stop being mocked for sin, defeats, and hypocrisy. Repent!

Prayer: Father, in this new year, make me a force to be reckoned with.

Promise: "Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out His hand, touched him, and said: 'I do will it. Be cured.' The leprosy left him then and there, and he was cured." â€”Mk 1:41-42

Praise: The Lancaster family noticed how family tensions seemed to ease and disappear after all attended Mass together and received the Eucharist.