Posted on 01/14/2020 10:12:52 PM PST by Salvation
During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli,
a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.
One day Eli was asleep in his usual place.
His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
The lamp of God was not yet extinguished,
and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, Here I am.
Samuel ran to Eli and said, Here I am. You called me.
I did not call you, Eli said. Go back to sleep.
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
Here I am, he said. You called me.
But Eli answered, I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, Here I am.
You called me.
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So Eli said to Samuel, Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, Samuel, Samuel!
Samuel answered, Speak, for your servant is listening.
Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,
not permitting any word of his to be without effect.
Thus all Israel from Dan to Beersheba
came to know that Samuel was an accredited prophet of the LORD.
R. (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust;
who turns not to idolatry
or to those who stray after falsehood.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, Behold I come.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
In the written scroll it is prescribed for me.
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord.
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simons 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.
KEYWORDS: catholic; mk1; ordinarytime; prayer;
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From: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20
God Calls Samuel
[2] At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim, so that he could not
see, was lying down in his own place; [3] the lamp of God had not yet gone out,
and Samuel was lying down within the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God
was. [4] Then the LORD called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he said, “Here I am!” [5]
and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not
call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. [6] And the LORD called again,
“Samuel!” And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you
called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” [7] Now Samuel
did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed
to him. [8] And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and
went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the
LORD was calling the boy. [9] Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and
if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears.” So Samuel
went and lay down in his place. [10] And the LORD came and stood forth, calling
as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said “Speak for thy servant
hears.”
[19] And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall
to the ground. [20] And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was
established as a prophet of the LORD.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
3:1-21. The account of Samuel’s vocation is a good example of a divine calling
to perform a special mission: it shows both the attitudes that the person called
should have and the demands that the divine call implies. Firstly (vv. 1-3), we
are introduced to the protagonists (the Lord, Eli, Samuel) and the circumstances
in which the action occurs—night-time when everyone is asleep, the temple, the
ark, and the lamp of God still burning; all this shows that something exceptional
is going on and God is behind it.
The second scene (vv. 4-8) is a charming dialogue between the Lord and Samuel,
and between Samuel and Eli, at the end of which comes an unforgettable asser-
tion of readiness on Samuel’s part, “Here I am, for you have called me” (v. 8).
“This young boy gives us an example of the highest form of obedience. True obe-
dience does not question the meaning of what is commanded, nor does it judge,
since he who decides to practise perfect obedience renounces his own judgment”
(St Gregory the Great, “In Primum Regum”, 2, 4, 10-11).
In the third scene (vv. 9-14) we can see the dual role of every prophet from Sa-
muel onwards—listening carefully to God (vv. 9-10) and faithfully passing on the
message received, even if his listeners find it harsh (vv. 11-14; cf. v. 18). “Great-
ly blessed is he who hears the [voice of the] divine whispering in the silence and
who often repeats that phrase of Samuel’s: ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening’”
(St Bernard, “Sermones De Diversis”, 23, 7).
The last scene (3:19-4:1) is a summary of what will be Samuel’s future work as
a prophet. A new stage is beginning in the life of the people of God; now God will
make his will known through prophets who speak on God’s behalf to the people,
the priests and even the king himself.
3:9-10. “Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears.” This prayer marked the start of Sa-
muel’s life as a prophet called by God, and it epitomizes the way he acted: he
cultivated his relationship with God assiduously and pleaded with him on behalf
of the people. As the “Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 2578, suggests, he
learned all this from his mother from infancy onwards: “The prayer of the People
of God flourishes in the shadow of God’s dwelling place, first the ark of the cove-
nant and later the Temple. At first the leaders of the people—the shepherds and
the prophets—teach them to pray. The infant Samuel must have learned from his
mother Hannah how ‘to stand before the Lord’ (cf. 1 Sam 1:9-18) and from the
priest Eli how to listen to his word: ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening’
(1 Sam 3:9-10). Later, he will also know the cost and consequence of interces-
sion: ‘Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by
ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way’ (1
Sam 12:23).”
*********************************************************************************************
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 1:29-39
The Curing of Peter’s Mother-In-Law
Jesus Cures Many Sick People
Jesus Goes To a Lonely Place To Pray
*********************************************************************************************
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.
*********************************************************************************************
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.
Liturgical Colour: Green.
First reading |
---|
1 Samuel 3:1-10,19-20 © |
Responsorial Psalm |
---|
Psalm 39(40):2,5,7-10 © |
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Col3:16a,17 |
---|
Or: | Jn10:27 |
---|
Gospel | Mark 1:29-39 © |
---|
Mark | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
Mark 1 |
|||
29. | And immediately going out of the synagogue they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. | Et protinus egredientes de synagoga, venerunt in domum Simonis et Andreæ, cum Jacobo et Joanne. | και ευθεως εκ της συναγωγης εξελθοντες ηλθον εις την οικιαν σιμωνος και ανδρεου μετα ιακωβου και ιωαννου |
30. | And Simon's wife's mother lay in a fit of a fever: and forthwith they tell him of her. | Decumbebat autem socrus Simonis febricitans : et statim dicunt ei de illa. | η δε πενθερα σιμωνος κατεκειτο πυρεσσουσα και ευθεως λεγουσιν αυτω περι αυτης |
31. | And coming to her, he lifted her up, taking her by the hand; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. | Et accedens elevavit eam, apprehensa manu ejus : et continuo dimisit eam febris, et ministrabat eis. | και προσελθων ηγειρεν αυτην κρατησας της χειρος αυτης και αφηκεν αυτην ο πυρετος ευθεως και διηκονει αυτοις |
32. | And when it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all that were ill and that were possessed with devils. | Vespere autem facto cum occidisset sol, afferebant ad eum omnes male habentes, et dæmonia habentes : | οψιας δε γενομενης οτε εδυ ο ηλιος εφερον προς αυτον παντας τους κακως εχοντας και τους δαιμονιζομενους |
33. | And all the city was gathered together at the door. | et erat omnis civitas congregata ad januam. | και η πολις ολη επισυνηγμενη ην προς την θυραν |
34. | And he healed many that were troubled with divers diseases; and he cast out many devils, and he suffered them not to speak, because they knew him. | Et curavit multos, qui vexabantur variis languoribus, et dæmonia multa ejiciebat, et non sinebat ea loqui, quoniam sciebant eum. | και εθεραπευσεν πολλους κακως εχοντας ποικιλαις νοσοις και δαιμονια πολλα εξεβαλεν και ουκ ηφιεν λαλειν τα δαιμονια οτι ηδεισαν αυτον |
35. | And rising very early, going out, he went into a desert place: and there he prayed. | Et diluculo valde surgens, egressus abiit in desertum locum, ibique orabat. | και πρωι εννυχον λιαν αναστας εξηλθεν και απηλθεν εις ερημον τοπον κακει προσηυχετο |
36. | And Simon, and they that were with him, followed after him. | Et prosecutus est eum Simon, et qui cum illo erant. | και κατεδιωξαν αυτον ο σιμων και οι μετ αυτου |
37. | And when they had found him, they said to him: All seek for thee. | Et cum invenissent eum, dixerunt ei : Quia omnes quærunt te. | και ευροντες αυτον λεγουσιν αυτω οτι παντες σε ζητουσιν |
38. | And he saith to them: Let us go into the neighbouring towns and cities, that I may preach there also; for to this purpose am I come. | Et ait illis : Eamus in proximos vicos, et civitates, ut et ibi prædicem : ad hoc enim veni. | και λεγει αυτοις αγωμεν εις τας εχομενας κωμοπολεις ινα και εκει κηρυξω εις τουτο γαρ εξεληλυθα |
39. | And he was preaching in their synagogues, and in all Galilee, and casting out devils. | Et erat prædicans in synagogis eorum, et in omni Galilæa, et dæmonia ejiciens. | και ην κηρυσσων εν ταις συναγωγαις αυτων εις ολην την γαλιλαιαν και τα δαιμονια εκβαλλων |
Amen!
Pray for Pope Francis.
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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.
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 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]
St. Michael the Archangel
~ PRAYER ~
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
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