Reading 1 Jas 1:1-11

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters,
when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance be perfect,
so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
But if any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly,
and he will be given it.
But he should ask in faith, not doubting,
for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed about by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.

The brother in lowly circumstances
should take pride in high standing,
and the rich one in his lowliness,
for he will pass away "like the flower of the field."
For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass,
its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes.
So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:67, 68, 71, 72, 75, 76

R. (77a) Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I hold to your promise.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
You are good and bountiful;
teach me your statutes.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
I know, O LORD, that your ordinances are just,
and in your faithfulness you have afflicted me.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.

Alleluia Jn 14:6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 8:11-13

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,
seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
"Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."
Then he left them, got into the boat again,
and went off to the other shore.

From: James 1:1-11

Address and Greetings

[1] James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in
the Dispersion: Greeting.

The Value of Suffering

[2] Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, [3] for you know
that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. [4] And let steadfastness
have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

[5] If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously
and without reproaching, and it will be given him. [6] But let him ask in faith, with
no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed
by the wind. [7,8] For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man,
unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.

[9] Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, [10] and the rich in his humilia-
tion, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away. [11] For the sun
rises with its scorching heat and withers with the grass; its flower falls, and its
beauty perishes. So will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

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

1. The author of the letter is St. James, who was in charge of the Christian com-
munity of Jerusalem for a number of years (cf. Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:19), a close
relative of our Lord....

James introduces himself as a “servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”. The
title of “servant of God” was given to people in the Old Testament who were out-
standingly faithful to the Lord (cf. Psalm 34:22), such as Moses, David, the pro-
phets; the title applies in a special way to the Messiah, the “Servant of Yahweh”
(cf. Isaiah 42-53). In the New Testament it is applied to all Christians, particularly
the Apostles (cf. Acts 4:29; 16-17; Revelation 1:1). At the start of their letters, St.
Peter, St. Paul and St. Jude sometimes describe themselves in this way to
make the point that they are mere messengers of divine truth.

The term “Lord”—’Kyrios’ in Greek—which is applied to Jesus Christ is used in the
second-century B.C. Septuagint Greek version of the Old Testament to translate
the name of Yahweh. St. Paul also uses it frequently. It is an explicit profession
of faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ, part of the Christian creed from the very be-
ginning.

The letter is addressed “to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion” or Diaspora. The
term “diaspora” originally meant Jews domiciled outside Palestine. Here it refers
to Christians—the twelve tribes of the new, true Israel—who were to be found all
over the Greco-Roman world. It is very likely that it refers particularly to Jewish
converts to Christianity.

The salutation used by James—which the New Vulgate translates as “health” and
the RSV gives as “greeting”—literally means “rejoice”. It was the customary form
of greeting in the Greek of the time. The same word is used in verse 2, perhaps
to make it quite clear what kind of joy he means.

2-12. In these opening verses, St. James points out how Christians should be-
have in the face of trials and sufferings: they should accept them with joy (verses
2-4); if they find it difficult to see why they are experiencing difficulties, they
should ask God to give them the necessary wisdom (verses 5-8); the poor and
well-to-do should have the same attitude to things (verses 9-11); finally, he re-
minds them that the reward God promises to those who endure trials is blessed-
ness (verse 12). The whole passage clearly reflects the Beatitudes of the Ser-
mon on the Mount (cf. Matthew 5:1-12).

The problem of the suffering experienced by the righteous in contrast with the
prosperity of the impious in this life is one often dealt with in the Old Testament,
particularly in the Psalms and in the Book of Job. But it was not fully and finally
solved until the coming of Jesus Christ, who by His teaching and His life re-
vealed the redemptive value of suffering, and the great reward which Heaven holds.
“It is through Christ and in Christ that light is thrown on the riddle of suffering and
death which, apart from His Gospel, overwhelms us” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et
Spes”, 22).

Human suffering has a redemptive value when borne in union with Christ: “The
Gospel of suffering”, Bl. John Paul II says, “is being written unceasingly, and it
speaks unceasingly with the words of this strange paradox: the springs of divine
power gush forth precisely in the midst of human weakness. Those who share in
the sufferings of Christ preserve in their own sufferings a very special “particle of
the infinite treasure” of the world’s Redemption, and can share this treasure with
others” (”Salvifici Doloris”, 27).

2-4. The “trials” referred to here do not seem to be persecutions, but rather every-
day adversity — perhaps poverty especially (cf. 1:9; 2:5-7)—which tests the Chris-
tian’s faith: for this reason the word is sometimes translated as “temptations”.
These trials act as a test of perseverance in the pursuit of good and help the soul
to grow in patience, a much needed virtue: “There is nothing more pleasing to
God”, St. Alphonsus comments, “than to see a soul who patiently and serenely
bears whatever crosses it is sent; this is how love is made, by putting lover and
loved one on the same level [...]. A soul who loves Jesus Christ desires to be
treated the way Christ was treated—desires to be poor, despised and humiliated
(”The Love of Jesus Christ”, Chapter 5).

Patience, steadfastness, is quite different from mere passive endurance of suf-
fering; it comes from the virtue of fortitude and leads one to accept suffering as
something sent by God. It is grounded on hope (cf. Thessalonians 1:3) and on
faith put to the test (James 1:3); it is very fruitful (cf. Luke 8:15), particularly in
terms of Christian joy (cf. Acts 5:41), and implies sustained effort to the point
of perfection.

5-8. The wisdom St. James refers to views everything in the light of Christ cruci-
fied — the wisdom of the cross in the phrase of St. Paul (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18
ff), which is the only type of insight that enables one to be joyful in the midst of
adversity and suffering, because it allows one to see these things as an oppor-
tunity to share in our Lord’s suffering. When we find it difficult to view things in
this light, we need to ask God to give us wisdom.

Our prayer for wisdom should be a prayer full of faith: “Whatever you ask for in
prayer, you will receive, if you have faith” (Matthew 21:22). The “St. Pius V Ca-
techism” reminds us that “believe, we must, both in order to pray, and that we
be not wanting in that faith which renders prayer fruitful. For it is faith that leads
to prayer, and it is prayer that, by removing all doubts, gives strength and firm-
ness to faith. This is the meaning of the exhortation of St. Ignatius to those who
approach God in prayer: ‘Be not of doubtful mind in prayer; blessed is he who
had not doubted’ (”Ep. X Ad Heronem”). Therefore, to obtain from God what we
ask, faith and an assured confidence are of first importance, according to the
admonition of St. James: “Let him ask in faith, with no doubting” (James 1:6)”
(IV, 7, 3).

5. “Who gives to all men generously and without reproaching”: God always lis-
tens to our requests, and He answers them without humiliating us, without remin-
ding us of our unworthiness. This should help us address the Lord with complete
confidence, not being inhibited by our shortcomings and sins. “You are so con-
scious of your misery”, St. Escriva says, that you acknowledge yourself unwor-
thy to be heard by God. But, what about the merits of Mary? And the wounds of
your Lord? And...are you not a son of God? Besides, He listens to you ‘”quoniam
bonus..., quoniam in saeculum misericordia ejus”’: because He is good, because
His mercy endure forever’” (”The Way”, 93).

7-8. “A double-minded man”: an indecisive soul who is unsure whether to trust
in the efficacy of prayer or not. St. Bede comments: “A double-minded person is
one who kneels down to ask God for things and beseeches Him to grant them,
and yet feels so accused by his conscience that he distrusts his ability to pray.
A double-minded person is also one who, when he does good deeds, looks for
external approval rather than interior reward. The wise man is right when he says,
‘Woe to the sinner who walks along two ways!” (Sirach 2:12) [...]. People of this
type are inconstant in all their ways, for they are very easily overpowered by ad-
verse circumstance and entrapped by favorable ones, with the result that they
stray from the true path” (”Super Iac. Expositio, ad loc.”).

9-11. Apparently poverty was one of the hardest trials these Christians were ex-
periencing. The Semitic mind was fond of expressing itself in terms of contrasts,
and this may make it difficult for us to grasp the full thrust of St. James’ maxims:
to do so we need to draw on our general knowledge of Christian doctrine. God
and the Church have a predilection for the poor, and Christ describes the poor
as blessed (cf. Matthew 5:3 and paragraph): this teaching applies in the first in-
stance to those who experience material need, but material need is a symbol of
the truly poor, that is, those who, independently of whether they have many or
few material possessions, realize that they are in dire need of God (cf. note on
Luke 6:24). In principle, it may be easier for a materially poor person to feel in
need of God, whereas someone who is well off needs to be detached from pos-
sessions in order to trust fully in God.

The sacred writer does not require people who have possessions to give them up:
what they have to do is to realize that material possessions are transitory, imper-
manent things to be used in the service of others and of society, and not just for
oneself.

*********************************************************************************************
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: Mark 8:11-13

The Leaven of the Pharisees

[11] The Pharisees came and began to argue with Him (Jesus), seeking from Him
a sign from Heaven, to test Him. [12] And He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said,
“Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given
to this generation.” [13] And He left them, and getting into the boat again He depa-
rted to the other side.

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

11-12. Jesus expresses the deep sadness He feels at the hardheartedness of
the Pharisees: they remain blind and unbelieving despite the light shining around
them and the wonderful things Christ is doing. If someone rejects the miracles
God has offered him, it is useless for him to demand new signs, because he asks
for them not because he is sincerely seeking the truth but out of ill will: he is try-
ing to tempt God (cf. Luke 16:27-31). Requiring new miracles before one will be-
lieve, not accepting those already performed in the history of salvation, amounts
to asking God to account for Himself before a human tribunal (cf. Romans 2:1-11).
Unfortunately, many people do act like this. But God can only be found if we have
an open and humble attitude to Him. “I have no need of miracles: there are more
than enough for me in the Gospel. But I do need to see you fulfilling your duty
and responding to grace” (St J. Escriva, “The Way”, 362).

12. The generation to which Jesus refers does not include all the people of His
time, but only the Pharisees and their followers (cf. Mark 8:38; 9:19; Matthew
11:16), who do not want to see in Jesus’ miracles the sign and guarantee of His
messianic mission and dignity: they even attribute His miracles to Satan (Mat-
thew 12:28).

If they do not accept the signs offered to them, they will be given no other sign
of the spectacular kind they seek, for the Kingdom of God does not come noisily
(Luke 17:20-21) and even if it did they in their twisted way would manage to mis-
interpret the event (Luke 16:31). According to Matthew 12:38-42 and Luke 11:29-
32, they are offered yet another sign—the miracle of Jonah, the sign of the death
and resurrection of Christ; but not even this remarkable proof will lead the Phari-
sees to shed their pride.

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

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading	James 1:1-11 ©

Your faith is put to the test so that your patience may make you complete

From James, servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Greetings to the twelve tribes of the Dispersion.

My brothers, you will always have your trials but, when they come, try to treat them as a happy privilege; you understand that your faith is only put to the test to make you patient, but patience too is to have its practical results so that you will become fully-developed, complete, with nothing missing.

If there is any one of you who needs wisdom, he must ask God, who gives to all freely and ungrudgingly; it will be given to him. But he must ask with faith, and no trace of doubt, because a person who has doubts is like the waves thrown up in the sea when the wind drives. That sort of person, in two minds, wavering between going different ways, must not expect that the Lord will give him anything.

It is right for the poor brother to be proud of his high rank, and the rich one to be thankful that he has been humbled, because riches last no longer than the flowers in the grass; the scorching sun comes up, and the grass withers, the flower falls; what looked so beautiful now disappears. It is the same with the rich man: his business goes on; he himself perishes.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 118(119):67-68,71-72,75-76 ©

Let your love come to me and I shall live.

Before I was afflicted I strayed

but now I keep your word.

You are good and your deeds are good;

teach me your statutes.

Let your love come to me and I shall live.

It was good for me to be afflicted,

to learn your statutes.

The law from your mouth means more to me

than silver and gold.

Let your love come to me and I shall live.

Lord, I know that your decrees are right,

that you afflicted me justly.

Let your love be ready to console me

by your promise to your servant.

Let your love come to me and I shall live.

Gospel Acclamation	Ps94:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Harden not your hearts today,

but listen to the voice of the Lord.

Alleluia!

Or	Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;

No one can come to the Father except through me.

Alleluia!

Gospel	Mark 8:11-13 ©

No sign shall be given to this generation

The Pharisees came up and started a discussion with Jesus; they demanded of him a sign from heaven, to test him. And with a sigh that came straight from the heart he said, ‘Why does this generation demand a sign? I tell you solemnly, no sign shall be given to this generation.’ And leaving them again and re-embarking, he went away to the opposite shore.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

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.

6. 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 Joyful Mysteries

(Mondays and Saturdays)

1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]

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

Monday of the Sixth week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Catechism of the Catholic Church
§ 156-159

It is those who believe who see the signs

Faith and understanding. What moves us to believe is not the fact that revealed truths appear as true and intelligible in the light of our natural reason: we believe "because of the authority of God himself who reveals them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived". So "that the submission of our faith might nevertheless be in accordance with reason, God willed that external proofs of his Revelation should be joined to the internal helps of the Holy Spirit" (Vatican I). Thus the miracles of Christ and the saints, prophecies, the Church's growth and holiness, and her fruitfulness and stability "are the most certain signs of divine Revelation, adapted to the intelligence of all"; they are "motives of credibility", which show that the assent of faith is "by no means a blind impulse of the mind" (Vatican I).

Faith is certain. It is more certain than all human knowledge because it is founded on the very word of God who cannot lie. To be sure, revealed truths can seem obscure to human reason and experience, but "the certainty that the divine light gives is greater than that which the light of natural reason gives» (St Thomas Aquinas). "Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt" (Bl. John Henry Newman). "Faith seeks understanding" (St Anselm): it is intrinsic to faith that a believer desires to know better the One in whom he has put his faith, and to understand better what He has revealed...

Faith and science: "Though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason. Since the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, God cannot deny himself, nor can truth ever contradict truth" (Vatican I)."Consequently, methodical research in all branches of knowledge, provided it is carried out in a truly scientific manner and does not override moral laws, can never conflict with the faith, because the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God. the humble and persevering investigator of the secrets of nature is being led, as it were, by the hand of God in spite of himself, for it is God, the conserver of all things, who made them what they are" (Vatican II).

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February 12, 2018

Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Jas 1:1-11

Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:67, 68, 71, 72, 75, 76

Alleluia Jn 14:6

Gospel Mk 8:11-13

Readings at Mass

February, 2018

The Holy Father's Prayer Intention

That those who have material, political or spiritual power may resist any lure of corruption.

Monday of the Sixth week in Ordinary Time