Reading I Responsorial Psalm GospelPosted on 02/10/2003 7:11:26 AM PST by Salvation
Reading I Responsorial Psalm GospelReading I
Gn 1:1-19
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said,
"Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."
Thus evening came, and morning followed–the first day.
Then God said,
"Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body of water from the other."
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome "the sky."
Evening came, and morning followed–the second day.
Then God said,
"Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear."
And so it happened:
the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land "the earth,"
and the basin of the water he called "the sea."
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth that
bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the third day.
Then God said:
"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the fourth day.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 104:1-2a, 5-6, 10 and 12, 24 and 35c
R (31b) May the Lord be glad in his works.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
R May the Lord be glad in his works.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation,
not to be moved forever;
With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it;
above the mountains the waters stood.
R May the Lord be glad in his works.
You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song.
R May the Lord be glad in his works.
How manifold are your works, O Lord!
In wisdom you have wrought them all–
the earth is full of your creatures;
Bless the Lord, O my soul! Alleluia.
R May the Lord be glad in his works.
Gospel
Mk 6:53-56
After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.
Please notify me via Freepmail if you would like to be added to or removed from the Alleluia Ping list.
The first step of humility is unhesitating obedience, which comes naturally to those who cherish Christ above all.
-- St. Benedict (Rule of St. Benedict 5:1-2)
This one phrase got me through a Christmas holiday many years ago when I thought I had lost everything: husband, friends, children.
It was the only thing that gave me hope as I cried my way through the day in isolation. Talk about depression!!
| Monday, February 10, 2003 Meditation Genesis 1:1-19 Bill was taking a walk in his neighborhood. It had been a particularly difficult week. First, there were car problems. Then some of his neighbors had irritated him. Deadlines were piling up at work, and there was an unpleasant development in his parish. Finally, one of the toilets in his home stopped working and, despite his best repair efforts, was still on the blink today. Everywhere he looked, Bill saw problems.
As he walked along, Bill suddenly caught sight of a little wildflower near the road’s edge. He stopped and looked at it more closely. It was beautiful! The petals were tiny, delicate, a gorgeous shade of purple. Marveling at the beauty of this small flower, Bill realized that thinking about his problems so much had almost caused him to miss this little treasure. Then it dawned on him: God was shining through this tiny flower to comfort him. Bill’s problems seemed to vanish as he continued gazing on the flower and thinking of God’s creativity.
The Book of Genesis describes God’s creative acts “in the beginning.” It tells us that God created everything that exists, and that he gave everything a marvelous variety and beauty. Meditating on the wonders of the created world can help us experience God himself and give us a larger, and perhaps more peaceful, perspective on our difficulties and problems. If God is so good as to give us such a beautiful world, why would we ever doubt his ability to care for our needs? God gives even the lilies of the field such attention. Surely he won’t fail to provide for us (Luke 12:27-28).
Why not take time this week to go outside and gaze more closely upon God’s beautiful creation? For many of us, spring is just around the corner, and new signs of life are evident everywhere. Let God’s beauty capture your attention and console you. Let him lift your spirits and refresh you through all he has made.
“Lord, thank you for the stunning beauty of your creation. Refresh me—and all of us today—with the beauty and love you show us through the world around us.” |
 |
There is that wonderful sense of touch that Americans seem to have forgotten.
Is there some way I can touch someone today to show my understanding, concern, support?
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The chapel of St Scholastica contains a mosaic of St. Scholastica, St. Benedict's sister, who was the first woman to follow Benedict's way of life.
However, here is something from EWTN:
God and His Creation
Basic Doctrine
Reflections and Prayers
Excerpts from Church Documents
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.