Posted on 01/31/2020 11:18:27 PM PST by Salvation
The LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he came to him,
Nathan said: Judge this case for me!
In a certain town there were two men, one rich, the other poor.
The rich man had flocks and herds in great numbers.
But the poor man had nothing at all
except one little ewe lamb that he had bought.
He nourished her, and she grew up with him and his children.
She shared the little food he had
and drank from his cup and slept in his bosom.
She was like a daughter to him.
Now, the rich man received a visitor,
but he would not take from his own flocks and herds
to prepare a meal for the wayfarer who had come to him.
Instead he took the poor mans ewe lamb
and made a meal of it for his visitor.
David grew very angry with that man and said to him:
As the LORD lives, the man who has done this merits death!
He shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold
because he has done this and has had no pity.
Then Nathan said to David: You are the man!
Thus says the LORD God of Israel:
The sword shall never depart from your house,
because you have despised me
and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.
Thus says the LORD:
I will bring evil upon you out of your own house.
I will take your wives while you live to see it,
and will give them to your neighbor.
He shall lie with your wives in broad daylight.
You have done this deed in secret,
but I will bring it about in the presence of all Israel,
and with the sun looking down.
Then David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD.
Nathan answered David: The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin:
you shall not die.
But since you have utterly spurned the LORD by this deed,
the child born to you must surely die.
Then Nathan returned to his house.
The LORD struck the child that the wife of Uriah had borne to David,
and it became desperately ill.
David besought God for the child.
He kept a fast, retiring for the night
to lie on the ground clothed in sackcloth.
The elders of his house stood beside him
urging him to rise from the ground; but he would not,
nor would he take food with them.
R. (12a) Create a clean heart in me, O God.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God;
then my tongue shall revel in your justice.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:
Let us cross to the other side.
Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.
And other boats were with him.
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up.
Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.
They woke him and said to him,
Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?
He woke up,
rebuked the wind,
and said to the sea, Quiet! Be still!
The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Then he asked them, Why are you terrified?
Do you not yet have faith?
They were filled with great awe and said to one another,
Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?
KEYWORDS: catholic; mk4; ordinarytime; prayer;
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From: 2 Samuel 12:1-17
Davids Repentance
[7] Nathan said to David, You are the man. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul; [8] and I gave you your masters house, and your masters wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if this were to little, I would add to you as much more. [9] Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have smitten Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites. [10] ‘Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. [12] For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’” [13] David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said to David, The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. [14] Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child that is born to you shall die. [15] Then Nathan went to his house.
And the LORD struck the child that Uriahs wife bore to David, and it became sick. [16] David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground, [17] And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground; but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
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Commentary:
12:1-25. Nathans intervention (vv. 1-15), Davids repentance (vv. 16-19), and the birth of Solomon (vv. 20-25) are the main subjects in this chapter. Nathan makes an appeal to David with one of the most beautiful parables in the Old Testament and gets the king to condemn his own conduct: the man who has done this deserves to die (v. 5). In reply, Nathan tells him the penalty the Lord has decreed, which in line with the law of vengeance or retaliation has three parts to it, corresponding to David’s triple crime—murder, adultery and the fact that the victim was a blameless man. On account of the murder, the sword will not depart from Davids house (V. 10): this punishment will affect his eldest sons, Amnon, Absalom and Adonijah, who will die violent deaths. For the adultery, his wives will be violated in public (v. 11), which will happen when Absalom takes his fathers harem (cf. 16:20-23). And for the killing of an innocent man, his own recently born son will not survive (v. 14).
Davids repentance is exemplary (vv. 16-19): he weeps for his sin, and fasts and pleads for his little son: so, in spite of his weaknesses and sins, he still trusts in the Lord and shows himself to he a man after (the Lords) own heart (1 Sam 13:14). David is a model of penance because, by acknowledging his sin, he obtained divine forgiveness. His repentance finds expression in Psalm 51, which so beautifully and piously records the sinful kings supplication to the Lord: Have mercy on me, 0 God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! (Ps 51:1-2).
The birth of a new son (vv. 20-25) brings this account to an end and makes it clear that Solomon was born within marriage; his birth causes David great joy and he is given a second name in a message from Nathan—”Jedidiali” (v. 25); beloved of the Lord. This means that, from birth, Solomon is the one chosen by God to advance his plan of salvation for Israel.
Great was Davids sin, and heartfelt his contrition. But Gods forgiveness is greatest of all. In the course of its history, Israel was able to discover that God had only one reason to reveal himself to theirs, a single motive for choosing them from among all peoples as his special possession—his sheer gratuitous love. And thanks to the prophets Israel understood that it was again out of love that God never stopped saving them and pardoning their unfaithfulness and sins (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 218).
From: Mark 4:35-41
The Calming of the Storm
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Commentary:
35-41. The episode of the calming of the storm, the memory of which must have often helped the Apostles regain their serenity in the midst of struggles and difficulties, also helps us never lose the supernatural way of looking at things: a Christian’s life is like a ship: “As a vessel on the sea is exposed to a thousand dangers—pirates, quicksands, hidden rocks, tempests—so man in this life, is encompassed with perils, arising from the temptations of Hell, from the occasions of sin, from the scandals or bad counsels of men, from human respect, and, above all from the passions of corrupt nature [...]. This should not cause him to lose confidence. Rather [...] when you find yourself assaulted by a violent passion [...] take whatever steps you can to avoid the occasions [of sin] and place your
reliance on God [...]: when the tempest is violent, the pilot never takes his eyes from the light which guides him to port. In like manner, we should keep our eyes always turned to God, who alone can deliver us from the many dangers to which we are exposed” (St. Augustine, “Sermon 51; for the Fourth Sunday After Epiphany).
Liturgical Colour: Green.
| First reading |
|---|
| 2 Samuel 12:1-7,10-17 © |
| Responsorial Psalm |
|---|
| Psalm 50(51):12-17 © |
| Gospel Acclamation | cf.Ps26:11 |
|---|
| Or: | Jn3:16 |
|---|
| Gospel | Mark 4:35-41 © |
|---|
| Mark | |||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
| Mark 4 |
|||
| 35. | And he saith to them that day, when evening was come: Let us pass over to the other side. | Et ait illis in illa die, cum sero esset factum : Transeamus contra. | και λεγει αυτοις εν εκεινη τη ημερα οψιας γενομενης διελθωμεν εις το περαν |
| 36. | And sending away the multitude, they take him even as he was in the ship: and there were other ships with him. | Et dimittentes turbam, assumunt eum ita ut erat in navi : et aliæ naves erant cum illo. | και αφεντες τον οχλον παραλαμβανουσιν αυτον ως ην εν τω πλοιω και αλλα δε πλοιαρια ην μετ αυτου |
| 37. | And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that the ship was filled. | Et facta est procella magna venti, et fluctus mittebat in navim, ita ut impleretur navis. | και γινεται λαιλαψ ανεμου μεγαλη τα δε κυματα επεβαλλεν εις το πλοιον ωστε αυτο ηδη γεμιζεσθαι |
| 38. | And he was in the hinder part of the ship, sleeping upon a pillow; and they awake him, and say to him: Master, doth it not concern thee that we perish? | Et erat ipse in puppi super cervical dormiens : et excitant eum, et dicunt illi : Magister, non ad te pertinet, quia perimus ? | και ην αυτος επι τη πρυμνη επι το προσκεφαλαιον καθευδων και διεγειρουσιν αυτον και λεγουσιν αυτω διδασκαλε ου μελει σοι οτι απολλυμεθα |
| 39. | And rising up, he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: Peace, be still. And the wind ceased: and there was made a great calm. | Et exsurgens comminatus est vento, et dixit mari : Tace, obmutesce. Et cessavit ventus : et facta est tranquillitas magna. | και διεγερθεις επετιμησεν τω ανεμω και ειπεν τη θαλασση σιωπα πεφιμωσο και εκοπασεν ο ανεμος και εγενετο γαληνη μεγαλη |
| 40. | And he said to them: Why are you fearful? have you not faith yet? And they feared exceedingly: and they said one to another: Who is this (thinkest thou) that both wind and sea obey him? | Et ait illis : Quid timidi estis ? necdum habetis fidem ? et timuerunt timore magno, et dicebant ad alterutrum : Quis, putas, est iste, quia et ventus et mare obediunt ei ? | και ειπεν αυτοις τι δειλοι εστε ουτως πως ουκ εχετε πιστιν και εφοβηθησαν φοβον μεγαν και ελεγον προς αλληλους τις αρα ουτος εστιν οτι και ο ανεμος και η θαλασσα υπακουουσιν αυτω |

It’s the first time I understood that the stilling of the storm is a prefigurement of the Paschal Mystery.
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 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 ]
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