Posted on 01/20/2020 10:01:54 PM PST by Salvation
The LORD said to Samuel:
How long will you grieve for Saul,
whom I have rejected as king of Israel?
Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons.
But Samuel replied:
How can I go?
Saul will hear of it and kill me.
To this the LORD answered:
Take a heifer along and say,
I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I myself will tell you what to do;
you are to anoint for me the one I point out to you.
Samuel did as the LORD had commanded him.
When he entered Bethlehem,
the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and inquired,
Is your visit peaceful, O seer?
He replied:
Yes! I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.
So cleanse yourselves and join me today for the banquet.
He also had Jesse and his sons cleanse themselves
and invited them to the sacrifice.
As they came, he looked at Eliab and thought,
Surely the LORDs anointed is here before him.
But the LORD said to Samuel:
Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because he sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart.
Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel,
who said, The LORD has not chosen him.
Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said,
The LORD has not chosen this one either.
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
The LORD has not chosen any one of these.
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
Are these all the sons you have?
Jesse replied,
There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.
Samuel said to Jesse,
Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The LORD said,
Thereanoint him, for this is he!
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed him in the midst of his brothers;
and from that day on, the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.
When Samuel took his leave, he went to Ramah.
R. (21a) I have found David, my servant.
Once you spoke in a vision,
and to your faithful ones you said:
On a champion I have placed a crown;
over the people I have set a youth.
R. I have found David, my servant.
I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
That my hand may be always with him,
and that my arm may make him strong.
R. I have found David, my servant.
He shall say of me, You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.
And I will make him the first-born,
highest of the kings of the earth.
R. I have found David, my servant.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
that we may know what is the hope
that belongs to our call.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.
At this the Pharisees said to him,
Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?
He said to them,
Have you never read what David did
when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest
and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,
and shared it with his companions?
Then he said to them,
The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.
KEYWORDS: catholic; mk2; ordinarytime; prayer; saints;
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From: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
David is Anointed
[6] When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” [7] But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature because I have rejected him; for the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” [8] Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” [9] Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen this one. [10] And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” [11] And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he comes here.” [12] And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” [13] Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
***********************************************************************
Commentary:
16:1-31:13. This, the last section of 1 Samuel, begins with an account of the gradual decline of Saul until his eventual death in the battle of Gilboa against the Philistines (chap. 31); it also deals with the tortuous and sometimes slow rise to power of the new king, David. Strictly speaking, this section should also take in the final chapter of 2 Samuel. From a literary point of view we can see that the text is very much in the style of a court chronicle focusing only on episodes in which the kings play the leading role. Many of the events covered here are repeated twice—for example, David’s entry into Saul’s service (16:14-23; 18:1-2), Saul’s attempt on David’s life (18:10-11; 19:9-10), Saul’s promise to give David his daughter’s hand in marriage (18:17-19; 18:20-27), Jonathan’s pleading on David’s behalf (19:1-7; 20:25-34), David’s flight (19:10-18; 20:1-21) and the opportunity he gets to take Saul’s life (24:7-8; 26:11-12). All this goes to show that the editor has used material from a variety of sources and not made any great effort to merge them properly.
In the episodes recounted here there are few religious references, whereas the tensions between Saul and David are exposed in all their starkness; in fact, even though these chapters deal with the most famous of kings, David, and stress God’s special love for him, no effort is made to gloss over his failings and transgressions (contrary to what happens in 1 and 2 Chronicles). David comes across as a shrewd politician, capable of allying himself with the eternal enemies of his people, the Philistines, in order to save himself (chap. 27); as a usurper of Saul’s throne (chaps. 19 and 21); as a man of strong passions capable of slaughter on a grand scale (21:12; 22:17) and other human weaknesses (18:17-27; 25:32-44), yet capable, too, of great loyalty to the Lord’s anointed king (chaps. 24-26) and to his own friends (chap. 20). So, these accounts expose the most human side of the personalities involved, but they also allow us to see that the Lord God of Israel is the main protagonist even though he is in the background—mainly because it is he who chooses David and stays with him, from the first moment that he enters the picture (16:1) and through all the crises of his career: witness the constant refrain “the Lord is with him” (16:18; 18:14, 28). Saul, David and the rest of the players in this history are not guided by a blind destiny: they are all playing their part in God’s plan of salvation The great lesson contained in these accounts is that the Lord does not normally intervene by way of miracles or amazing actions; he guides the course of history through lights and shadows until he attains his key objective—to make himself known to all mankind and lead it to salvation. The other great lesson is that this salvific history steadily advances, amidst ups and downs—acts of heroism, human weaknesses—until it reaches its fully developed stage in Jesus Christ.
16:1-13. Samuel’s anointing of David, in a private, familial setting, is reminiscent of Saul’s anointing, which was also done in secret (cf. 10:1-16). The narrative emphasizes that David does not in any way merit his election: he is a nobody, from a family of no importance: no genealogy is provided, apart from the name of Jesse, his father (v. 5); he is the youngest of his brothers (vv. 11-12) and, like the rest of his family, he works as a shepherd: he doesn’t come from a noble or military or priestly family. He could have no claim to be anointed king.
God’s gratuitous choice of this shepherd boy gives deep, religious meaning to his reception by Saul (16:14-23) and by the people, when he later kills Goliath (17:55-18:5). David’s qualities and feats would not have been enough to advance him, had not God first singled him out. David is a type of those who in the Christian dispensation are called to offices in the Church: what matters is not background, personal qualities or material resources but the realization that one is called by God. Also, one needs to bear in mind that “man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (v. 7); from this derives the requirement to live and act in keeping with the call one is given. “For by his power to know himself in the depths of his being he rises above the whole universe of mere objects. When he is drawn to think about his real self, he turns to those deep recesses of his being where God who probes the heart awaits him, and where he himself decides his own destiny in the sight of God” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 14).
From: Mark 2:23-28
The Law of the Sabbath
***********************************************************************
Commentary:
24. Cf. note on Matthew 12:2. [Note on Matthew 12:2 states: “The Sabbath”: this was the day the Jews set aside for worshipping God. God Himself, the originator of the Sabbath (Genesis 2:3), ordered the Jewish people to avoid certain kinds of work on this day (Exodus 20:8-11; 21:13; Deuteronomy 5:14) to leave them free to give more time to God. As time went by, the rabbis complicated this Divine precept: by Jesus’ time they had extended to 39 the list of kinds of forbidden work.
The Pharisees accuse Jesus’ disciples of breaking the Sabbath. In the casuistry of the scribes and the Pharisees, plucking ears of corn was the same as harvesting, and crushing them was the same as milling—types of agricultural work forbidden on the Sabbath.]
26-27. The bread of the Presence consisted of twelve loaves or cakes placed each morning on the table in the sanctuary, as homage to the Lord from the twelve tribes of Israel (cf. Leviticus 24:5-9). The loaves withdrawn to make room for the fresh ones were reserved to the priests.
Abiathar’s action anticipates what Christ teaches here. Already in the Old Testament God had established a hierarchy in the precepts of the Law so that the lesser ones yielded to the main ones.
This explains why a ceremonial precept (such as the one we are discussing) should yield before a precept of the natural law. Similarly, the commandment to keep the Sabbath does not come before the duty to seek basic subsistence. Vatican II uses this passage of the Gospel to underline the value of the human person over and above economic and social development: “The social order and its development must constantly yield to the good of the person, since the order of things must be subordinate to the order of persons and not the other way around, as the Lord suggested when He said that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. The social order requires constant improvement: it must be founded on truth, built on justice, and enlivened by love” (”Gaudium Et Spes”, 26).
Finally in this passage Christ teaches God’s purpose in instituting the Sabbath: God established it for man’s good, to help him rest and devote himself to Divine worship in joy and peace. The Pharisees, through their interpretation of the Law, had turned this day into a source of anguish and scruple due to all the various prescriptions and prohibitions they introduced.
By proclaiming Himself `Lord of the Sabbath’, Jesus affirms His divinity and His universal authority. Because He is Lord He has the power to establish other laws, as Yahweh had in the Old Testament.
28. The Sabbath had been established not only for man’s rest but also to give glory to God: that is the correct meaning of the _expression “the Sabbath was made for man.” Jesus has every right to say He is Lord of the Sabbath, because He is God. Christ restores to the weekly day of rest its full, religious meaning: it is not just a matter of fulfilling a number of legal precepts or of concern for physical well-being: the Sabbath belongs to God; it is one way, suited to human nature, of rendering glory and honor to the Almighty. The Church, from the time of the Apostles onwards, transferred the observance of this precept to the following day, Sunday—the Lord’s Day—in celebration of the resurrection of Christ.
“Son of Man”: the origin of the messianic meaning of this expression is to be found particularly in the prophecy of Daniel 7:13ff, where Daniel, in a prophetic vision, contemplates `one like the Son of Man’ coming down on the clouds of Heaven, who even goes right up to God’s throne and is given dominion and glory and royal power over all peoples and nations. This _expression appears 69 times in the Synoptic Gospels; Jesus prefers it to other ways of describing the Messiah—such as Son of David, Messiah, etc.—thereby avoiding the nationalistic overtones those expressions had in Jewish minds at the time (cf. “Introduction to the Gospel according to St. Mark”, p. 62 above).
Liturgical Colour: Red.
These are the readings for the feria
First reading |
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1 Samuel 16:1-13 © |
Responsorial Psalm |
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Psalm 88(89):20-22,27-28 © |
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:18 |
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Or: | cf.Ep1:17,18 |
---|
Gospel | Mark 2:23-28 © |
---|
These are the readings for the memorial
First reading |
---|
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 © |
Responsorial Psalm |
---|
Psalm 22(23):1-3a,4-6 © |
Gospel Acclamation | Jn15:9,5 |
---|
Gospel |
---|
Matthew 13:44-46 © |
She was an amazing woman!
Indeed! My home church in Nebraska was St. Agnes. Got married there.
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 Sorrowful Mysteries
(Tuesdays and Fridays)
1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]
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
+
Luke 2:21 "...Et vocatum est Nomen eius IESUS"
("And His Name was called JESUS")
Psalm 90:14 "Because he hoped in me I will deliver him:
I will protect him because he hath known My Name."
Zacharias 10:12 "I will strengthen them in the Lord,
and they shall walk in His Name, saith the Lord."
Apocalypse 3:8 "I know thy works. Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut: because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied My Name."
Apocalypse 15:4 "Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and magnify Thy Name?..."
Blessed be the most holy Name of Jesus without end!
January Devotion: The Holy Name of Jesus
The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. This feast is also celebrated on January 3. Here is an explanation of the devotion.
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has associated entire months to special devotions. The devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus has been traditionally associated with the month of January, due to its celebration on January 3. The name Jesus was given to the Holy Child at God's command (Luke 1:31). The Holy Name is all-powerful because of the Person who bears it; we honor it because of the command of Christ, that we should pray in His Name and because it reminds us of all the blessings we receive through our Holy Redeemer. Hence St. Paul was able to write to the Philippians: ". . . at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (Phil. 2:10). By means of this devotion we also make amends for improper use of the Holy Name.
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
Prayer/Hymn in Honor of the Most Holy Name of Jesus - Iesu, Dulcis Memoria
Iesu, Dulcis Memoria is a celebrated 12th century hymn attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), Doctor Mellifluus. The entire hymn has some 42 to 53 stanzas depending upon the manuscript. Parts of this hymn were used for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, which was formerly celebrated on the Sunday between the Circumcision and Epiphany, or failing such a Sunday, on January 2. The part below was used at Vespers. In the liturgical revisions of Vatican II, the feast was deleted, though a votive Mass to the Holy Name of Jesus had been retained for devotional use. With the release of the revised Roman Missal in March 2002, the feast was restored as an optional memorial on January 3.
Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.
No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus' name,
The Savior of mankind.
O hope of every contrite heart!
0 joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!
But what to those who find? Ah! this
Nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.
Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shalt be;
In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity. Amen.
---Roman Breviary
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
O Divine Jesus, Thou hast promised that anything we ask of the Eternal Father in Thy name shall be granted.
O Eternal Father. In the name of Jesus, for the love of Jesus, in fulfillment of this promise, and because Jesus has said it, grant us our petitions for the sake of Jesus, Thy Divine Son. 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
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Phil:2:10-11
The Most Holy Name
The Power of Jesus Name
What does IHS stand for? The meaning of the Holy Name of Jesus [Catholic Caucus]
Litany Of The Holy Name of Jesus
Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
Jesus, The Name above all Names
Devotion to the Holy Name (of Jesus) [Catholic Caucus]
Lessons In Iconography : The Chi Rho - Christ
St. Francis de Sales on the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Excerpt from a Sermon) (Catholic Caucus)
St. Francis de Sales on the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
St. Bernard on the Most Holy Name of Jesus [Ecumenical]
Saving the day in His Holy Name: St. Genevieve gets a reprieve [Catholic Caucus]
The Holy Name of Jesus
Holy Name of Jesus [San Bernadino of Siena] Ecumenical
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name [of Jesus]
The Name of Jesus: Its Power in Our Lives
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus
The Holy Name of Jesus
St. Paul of the Cross
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