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frmartinshomiliesandreflections · 10 months ago

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26th January >> Fr. Martin's Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Today's Mass Readings

(Inc. Luke 10:1-9) for the Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

And On

(Inc. Mark 4:26-34) for Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time.

Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

Gospel (Except USA) Luke 10:1-9 Your peace will rest on that man.

The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road. Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house. Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.”’

Gospel (USA) Luke 10:1-9 The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.

The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his pay. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’”

Reflections (8)

(i) Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

This is Catholic Schools Week and Wednesday was designated grandparents day in that week. There is a reference to a grandmother in today’s first reading. Paul is writing to his closest co-worker, Timothy. He tells Timothy that he is always being reminded of the sincere faith which he has, and Paul goes on to acknowledge that Timothy’s faith came first to live in his grandmother Lois, and then in his mother Eunice. We can all look back to the faith of our grandparents and, perhaps, to our parents as well. Grandparents continue to have a very important role today in passing on the faith to their grandchildren. They often do this by praying for their grandchildren, praying with them, taking them to church and pointing out the various images and symbols in the church and explaining their meaning. Grandparents are so often among the labourers in the harvest that Jesus mentions in the gospel reading. As he sends out the seventy two labourers, he calls on them to keep praying to God to send more labourers into the harvest. We are all called to be labourers in the Lord’s harvest, in virtue of our baptism. The Lord needs each one of us to witness to him and his gospel in our world today. We are the members of his body today. Timothy and Titus were co-workers of Paul. He had many other co-workers, woman as well as men. Paul knew that the Lord’s work could not get done without all these co-workers. The Lord’s need is as great today as it was at the beginning of the church, in the time of Paul. He needs every one of us to be a labourer in his harvest, just as he needed the seventy two and many more. The harvest of the Lord remains rich and the Lord needs all the co-workers he can get. We need to all work together to ensure that people today hear and experience the same good news that the seventy two were called by Jesus to preach, ‘The kingdom of God is very near to you.

And/Or

(ii) Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

In the first reading this morning for the feast of Saints Timothy and Titus, Paul begins by telling Timothy that he always remembers him in his prayers. Paul was very convinced of the value of intercessory prayer. He frequently told people that he remembered them in his prayers. We all appreciate being remembered in other people’s prayers, and other people appreciate it when we let them know that we are praying for them. This is one of the ways we give expression to what the church calls the communion of saints, the deep bond between all the baptized, including the bond between those of us on our pilgrim way and those who have come to the end of their earthly pilgrimage. It is because of that aspect of the communion of saints that we pray not only for the living but also for the dead. In praying for each other, we are being reminded and reminding each other that we need each other on our journey towards God. We need each other’s prayers; we also need each other’s witness. In our first reading Paul praises Timothy’s sincere faith but he reminds him that his faith has its roots in the faith of his mother and of his grandmother. We need the faith of other if our own faith is to endure. Our efforts to live the faith and to witness to the Lord make it easier for everyone else to do so as well.

And/Or

(iii) Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

Yesterday was the feast of the conversion of Saint Paul. Today is the feast of two of Paul’s closest associates and co-workers, Timothy and Titus. Paul needed associates to do his work. Jesus too needed associates to do his work. That is why we find him in today’s gospel reading appointing seventy two and sending them out ahead of him; it wasn’t enough just to appoint the twelve. Indeed, as he sends out the 72, he asks them to pray to the Lord of the harvest for even more workers for the Lord’s harvest. Indeed, the Lord needs us all; we are all called to be his co-workers, proclaiming by our lives that, in the words of Jesus this morning, ‘the kingdom of God is very near to you’. If the Lord needs us to share in his work, we, in turn, need each other’s support if we are to respond to that call of the Lord. In the first reading, Paul refers to the faith of Timothy’s mother and grandmother. Without their faith, Timothy would not have been the man of faith he was. We can all point to parents, grandparents and various other companions on the pilgrimage of life, without whom we would not have come to faith in the Lord. As Paul needed Timothy and Titus, and Jesus needed many workers, we need each other’s witness if the gift that God gave us in baptism is to be fanned into a living flame, in the words of today’s first reading. We ask the Lord to increase our faith so that we can be a support to one another in the living out of our baptismal calling.

And/Or

(iv) Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

Today we celebrate the feast of two of Paul’s most important co-workers. Paul was the great apostle to the Gentiles, but he was very aware of how dependant he was on the support of people like Timothy and Titus. Paul never saw himself as a type of ‘lone ranger’. It was Paul who gave us that image of the church as the body of Christ with a great diversity of members, each with their own gift of the Spirit, each member with a vital contribution to make to the life of the church and at the same time dependent upon the contribution of everyone else in the church. This is how Paul saw his ministry. He was aware of his own gifts that the Lord was asking him to share with others and he was equally aware of his dependence upon the gifts of others. Paul’s vision of church was anticipated in Jesus’ own practice. Jesus did not work alone. Shortly after he began his public ministry, he called people to be with him, to share in his work, to become his presence to others. This morning’s gospel reading reveals Jesus’ awareness that the rich harvest of the Lord needed many labourers, all of them working together. When he sent out people in his name, he did not send them out alone, but, as the gospel reading tells us, he sent them out two by two. Jesus and Paul laboured with others; we too are asked to do the same. We serve the Lord of the harvest in communion with each other, ready to share our gifts that the Spirit has given us, and open to the gifts of others that the Spirit has given them. We follow the Lord and work in his name together, ready to give the Lord to each other and to receive the Lord from each other. At the beginning of the first reading, Paul reminds Timothy that he has received the gift faith from others, from his mother, Eunice, and, before her, from his grandmother, Lois. Paul then calls upon him to give to others the gift of faith that he has received from those before him, not in a spirit of timidity but in a spirit of courageous witness. This is a message we all need to hear today.

And/Or

(v) Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus

Today we celebrate the memorial of two of Saint Paul’s closest associates, Timothy and Titus. In today’s first reading, Paul addresses Timothy as a third-generation believer. He refers to the faith that came first to live in his grandmother Lois, and then in his mother Eunice, and then in Timothy himself. It seems that Timothy caught the faith in his home. The same is true for many of us. Our own faith owes a great deal to the faith of our parents and grandparents. The same could not be said of Paul. His parents and grandparents were Jewish. It was his life changing encounter with the risen Lord that brought him to faith in Jesus, probably leaving him at odds with his parents and grandparents. Both Timothy’s and Paul’s experience reminds us that the Lord can touch the lives of people through the faith of family members, but he can also touch their lives in other, less conventional, ways. The Lord is always reaching out to us in one way or another. In the gospel reading, he reached out to the people of his time by sending out a very large group of seventy two disciples with the message, ‘The kingdom of God is very near to you’. Jesus’ words to the seventy-two suggest that he was aware that this attempt on his part to touch the lives of a bigger number would not always be successful, ‘I am sending you out like lambs among wolves’. Yet, the Lord was never put off by people’s resistance. Whether people accepted or rejected him, it remained the case that ‘the kingdom of God is very near to you’. The Lord is always near to us, and never tires of seeking us out and calling out to us to come to him. He can do this in a whole variety of ways.

And/Or

(vi) Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

The feast of Saints Timothy and Titus always comes on the day after the feast of the conversion of Saint Paul. The Lord called Paul on the road to Damascus to become an apostle to the pagans. However, this very important mission was not one that he could have carried out alone. He needed others to work alongside him, and Timothy and Titus were two of his closest co-workers. He had several other co-workers, men and women. In his letter to the Philippians, he mentions two women by name, Euodia and Syntyche, declaring that ‘they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel’. At the end of his letter to the Romans, he mentions a married couple, Prisca and Aquila, and says of them that they ‘work with me in Christ Jesus’ and that they ‘risked their necks for my life’. A few verses later, he mentions another married couple, Andronicus and Junia, ‘who were in prison with me’ and then says of them that ‘they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was’. It is clear that Paul greatly appreciated all his co-workers and recognized his dependence on them. His appreciation of Timothy is very evident from today’s first reading, ‘always I remember you in my prayers… and long to see again to complete my happiness’. For all his exceptional gifts, Paul was aware that he needed people to work alongside him. He knew that as a member of Christ’s body, he was dependent on every other member whom the Spirit had gifted in a different way to him. Paul reminds us that when it comes to the work of the Lord, we are all interdependent. That is why in the gospel reading, Jesus sends out the seventy-two in pairs, not singly. Labourers in the Lord’s harvest need to labour together. We need each other’s gifts and experience if the Lord’s work is to be done in today’s world. We all have something unique to contribute to that work of the Lord. Each of us has some gift of the Spirit to give to others, and each of us has much to receive from the gifts of the Spirit in others. In that first reading, Paul encourages us to ‘fan into a flame’ whatever gift God has given us, because, as Paul goes on to say, whatever gift God has given us, is never a ’spirit of timidity’ but always a ‘Spirit of power, and love, and self-control’.

And/Or

(vii) Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

Timothy and Titus were two of Paul’s closest co-workers. Paul was arguably the most influential member of the early church. He was hugely influential in his own time, and his letters have shaped the life of the church down the centuries. Yet, for all his significance, he was keenly aware of himself as dependent on the gifts of others. He had many co-workers, men and women, on whom he depended. They were as significant for him as he was for them. He didn’t simply have a working relationship with people like Timothy and Titus; he had a sense of real communion with them. That comes across with regard to Timothy in today’s first reading. Paul writes to him, ‘always I remember you in my prayers’. His communion with Timothy found expression in prayerful remembrance. As he remembered his associates in prayer, they must have remembered Paul in prayer. We have an image here in microcosm of what the church is called to be. As members of the church, we are in communion with each other, a communion which is the fruit of the Spirit. One of the ways in which we give expression to this communion is by praying for each other. Like Paul, we are aware of our dependence on others within the church. Within this communion of faith and love, we each have something to give to each other and much to receive from each other. We are members of one body, the body of Christ, and, like the physical members of a human body, we are mutually interdependent. In the gospel reading, Jesus did not send out the seventy two, one at a time, although that might have been the best way to cover the widest possible area. He sent the seventy two out two by two, in thirty six groups of two. Jesus wanted no one to work alone; he knew that each would be dependent on the other. He also encouraged each pair to become dependent on those to whom they preached the gospel. They were not to bring a haversack of food because they were to rely for hospitality on those to whom they preached. Today’s feast of Timothy and Titus reminds us that the Lord can work most powerfully through the many, rather than the one, provided the many are in a communion of faith and love.

And/Or

(viii) Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus

Whenever I celebrate Mass in this church or come to pray here, I am always very conscious that this is the church where my maternal grandparents worshipped for over thirty years, and, where my parents worshipped for over ten years. When it comes to our faith, we always stand on the shoulders of others. Paul’s first letter to Timothy was written towards the end of the first century. It is clear from today’s first reading, that Timothy is a third generation Christian. Paul makes reference to Timothy’s sincere faith which first came to live in his grandmother, Lois, and then in his mother, Eunice. Paul had the highest regard for Timothy as a co-worker; he refers to him in that reading as a ‘dear child of mine’. He had the same warm regard for Titus. Yet, Paul knew that the faith of these co-workers was nurtured by the faith of others, especially the faith of their parents and grandparents. The ultimate source of this gift of faith was the Lord, but Timothy and Titus received this gift from the Lord through others, including through Paul. In that reading, Paul calls on Timothy to ‘fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid hands on you’. The gift of the Spirit of power, love and self-control came from God but through Paul. The Lord draws us to himself through others. In the gospels, Jesus is not portrayed as drawing people to himself on his own. He works through others. In today’s gospel reading, he sends out seventy two as labourers in God’s harvest, while calling on them to ask God in prayer to send out still more labourers. We each have a vital role to play in the Lord’s work of drawing others to faith in himself. Paul needed co-workers, men and women, like Timothy and Titus, and the women, Phoebe and Priscilla. The Lord needs us all to be his co-workers, because the harvest remains plentiful.

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Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel (Except USA) Mark 4:26-34 The kingdom of God is a mustard seed growing into the biggest shrub of all.

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.’

He also said, ‘What can we say the kingdom of God is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.’ Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it. He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.

Gospel (USA) Mark 4:26-34 A man scatters seed on the land and would sleep and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.

Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.”

He said, “To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

Reflections (7)

(i) Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

The first of the two parables that Jesus speaks in this morning’s gospel reading seems to suggest that once the farmer has sown the seed he has to step back and allow nature to take over as it were. As he sleeps at night and goes about his business during the day the seed is quietly growing until the day comes when the crop is ready to be harvested. Jesus says that the kingdom of God is like that. In what sense is this true? Jesus seems to be saying that we have a part to play in the coming about of God’s kingdom among us; the seed has to be sown and only we can do it. Yet, the coming to pass of God’s kingdom in our midst is more God’s work than ours. Like the farmer, we cannot force the growth of God’s kingdom. We have to step back and allow God to do the work that only God can do. Saint Paul understood this truth very clearly and he expressed it very simply in his first letter to the Corinthians when referring to the coming to pass of the church of God in Corinth he said, ‘I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth’. The conclusion Paul draws from this reality is that people should not make too much of Paul or Apollos or any other labourer in the harvest, because it is always God who is the prime mover when any good is being done. Our contribution is very important, but it is God’s contribution that really brings the kingdom to earth. That is why we need to do all we can to further God’s work while at the same time leaving a great deal of space for God to work, and if something good comes out of it all, let the Lord be glorified and not ourselves.

And/Or

(ii) Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

The first parable that Jesus speaks in this morning’s gospel is often called ‘the parable of the seed growing secretly’. Jesus is saying that there is some correspondence between the coming of the kingdom of God and the way the farmer, having thrown seed on the land, then has nothing much to do, until the crop is ready for harvest. Yet, even though the farmer is doing very little in between sowing and harvesting, the seed is working away during that time, producing first a shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. Jesus appears to be saying that God can be powerfully at work in our lives even in those times when we ourselves appear to be doing very little. Sometimes we equate God’s work with our own exercise of energy. Yet, there are times in our lives when we can do very little, whether for reasons of health or for some other reason. Jesus suggests in that parable that even in those quiet times when we appear to have very little to show for ourselves, God can be working away in our lives for the good, working in us and through us. It was Paul who said that God’s power is made perfect in weakness.

And/Or

(iii) Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

The first of the two parables in this morning’s gospel reading, the parable of the seed growing secretly, is only to be found in the gospel of Mark. It is an intriguing parable. Parables are like that; they are meant to make us think. Rather than telling us the message straight, they tease us into reflection. In the parable, once the farmer sows the seed he has to wait until the harvest. There is very little he can do between sowing and harvesting. He has to stand back and let the seed grow of its own accord. There are times in life when we too will need to stand back; there is a time to act and there is a time to wait and to recognize that the real action is happening away from us and without us. In our relationship with the Lord there is also a time to act and a time to step back and allow the Lord to act without any direct involvement from us. There are times when we need the humility to recognize that the Lord can work better in some situations if we do nothing rather than if we do something. What we do need and what we can pray for is the wisdom to know when to act, when to sow and to reap, and when to refrain from acting so that the Lord can work more effectively.

And/Or

(iv) Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

That first parable of the seed growing secretly suggests the mystery of growth. The farmer works hard to sow the seed, but then he has to wait. In a way he does not fully understand, the seed grows of his own accord. It is only when the seed is fully grown and the crop is ripe that the farmer can get down to work again. The wise farmer knows when it is time to work, and when it is time to stand back and wait patiently, and allow nature to take its course. We are not all farmers, but like the farmer in the parable we all have to try and get that balance between working to make something happen and standing back to allow something to happen. The balance between engagement and disengagement is important when it comes to all growth, including human growth, our own growth and the growth of others. The process of growth is not something we can fully control. That is especially true of our growth in Christ. There are certain things we can do to bring that about, but there are some things only the Lord can do. There comes at time when we have the allow the Lord to work his growth in us; that will often mean for us, easing up a little, doing less, making room for the Lord to work.

And/Or

(v) Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

There are times when less is better. We can want sometime to happen so much that we try to force it and in doing so we only manage to hold it back or even derail it. There is a time to be active and a time to be still and let be. In the first parable of today’s gospel reading, the farmer needed to be active in sowing the seed but then he needed to step back and allow the soil to interact with the seed in nature’s way. Jesus says that the kingdom of God is like that. Yes, God needs labourers for his harvest. Jesus once called on those he was sending out as his messengers to pray to God to send more labourers into his harvest. However, our labour is not the decisive factor in the coming of God’s kingdom into our world. It is ultimately God who will see to the coming of God’s kingdom. Like the farmer in the parable there will be times when, after our labour, all we can do is step back and allow God to do what only God can do. The farmer in the parable did not understand how the seed he had sown comes to maturity as full grain, ‘how, he does not know’. There is much about how the Lord works that we will not understand either. Saint Paul said of his ministry and that of his co-worker Apollo in his first letter to the Corinthians, ‘I planted, Apollo watered, but God gave the growth’. We do what we can and then we trust that the Lord will do what the Lord can, which is much more significant. The Lord is always at work beyond our human efforts. He will continue to work for the coming of his kingdom, even when our efforts seem insufficient to the task.

And/Or

(vi) Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

It is said that all of human life is to be found in the Scriptures. In the first reading, the darker side of the human spirit is on display. It is a story of the abuse of power. David, the king, commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his commanders, Uriah, and then arranges for Uriah to be killed in battle, so that he can marry her. It is a stark depiction of ruthless, self-serving power. Yet, David was the Lord’s anointed, the one whom he chose from all the sons of Jesse. David would go on to acknowledge his sin before God, and our responsorial psalm was often considered to be the prayer of David, ‘Have mercy on me God in your kindness’. The story of David reminds us that people can be complex, open to God’s call and yet, sometimes, turning away from God. It is the story of us all, in different ways. We can sometimes see only the shadow side of someone and fail to see that there is good there as well. The first of the two parables in today’s gospel reading reminds us that real growth can be taking place beneath the soil, invisible to all. The Lord can be working away beneath the surface of our lives, even at those times when we seem to ourselves and to others to be falling short of the Lord’s desire for us. Taking up the image of the second parable, even a mustard see of goodness buried deep within us can, with the Lord’s help, blossom into something wonderful that serves others. Saint Paul assures us in one of his letters that the Lord will bring the good work he has begun in us to completion. The good work that the Lord began in creating us, in receiving us at baptism into his body, continues throughout our lives, in spite of our various resistances to it, our failures, our sin. If we give the Lord the slightest opening, he will bring his good work to completion in his own time.

And/Or

(vii) Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

The first of the two parables in today’s gospel reading suggests that when a farmer has sown seed in the ground, he has to step back and allow nature to bring the seed to fruition. It is only when the seed is fully grown that the farmer swings into action again, harvesting the crop. Between sowing and harvesting, he has to leave the seed alone. If he were to start poking around in the soil to see how the seed is doing, he would greatly inhibit its growth. When Jesus says the kingdom of God is like that, what does he mean? He may be saying that the coming of God’s kingdom into our lives and into our world isn’t all down to us. We have our work to do, as the farmer has to sow and harvest. However, the real work of spiritual growth within ourselves and in our world is God’s doing. As Saint Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians, ‘I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth’. Having done what we can, we have to step back and allow God to work. Sometimes, God’s good work can be happening all around us, even when we are doing very little. God can be working powerfully in our through our lives in those times when we seem to have little to give, perhaps because of advancing years or illness. The good work we have done in the past can be bearing fruit in ways that we might never suspect. God’s good work continues, even when we seem to have little to show for our efforts. What the Lord asks of us is perseverance, not to lose heart.

We are to keep faithful, especially when times are lean and difficult.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

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roman-catholic-mass-readings · 10 months ago

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26th January >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops

Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time.

Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: White: B (2))

(Readings for the feria (Friday))

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Friday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

Either:

(The following reading is proper to the memorial, and must be used even if you have otherwise chosen to use the ferial readings)

First Reading 2 Timothy 1:1-8 Fan into a flame the gift God gave you.

From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus in his design to promise life in Christ Jesus; to Timothy, dear child of mine, wishing you grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord.

Night and day I thank God, keeping my conscience clear and remembering my duty to him as my ancestors did, and always I remember you in my prayers; I remember your tears and long to see you again to complete my happiness. Then I am reminded of the sincere faith which you have; it came first to live in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I have no doubt that it is the same faith in you as well.

That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord, or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but with me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Or:

(The following reading is proper to the memorial, and must be used even if you have otherwise chosen to use the ferial readings)

First Reading Titus 1:1-5 To Titus, true child of mine.

From Paul, servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ to bring those whom God has chosen to faith and to the knowledge of the truth that leads to true religion; and to give them the hope of the eternal life that was promised so long ago by God. He does not lie and so, at the appointed time, he revealed his decision, and, by the command of God our saviour, I have been commissioned to proclaim it. To Titus, true child of mine in the faith that we share, wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our saviour. The reason I left you behind in Crete was for you to get everything organised there and appoint elders in every town, in the way that I told you.

The following reading is proper to the memorial, and must be used even if you have otherwise chosen to use the ferial readings.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 95(96):1-3,7-8,10

R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord all the earth. O sing to the Lord, bless his name.

R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

Proclaim his help day by day, tell among the nations his glory and his wonders among all the peoples.

R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

Give the Lord, you families of peoples, give the Lord glory and power; give the Lord the glory of his name.

R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’ The world he made firm in its place; he will judge the peoples in fairness.

R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

Gospel Acclamation Psalm 118:27

Alleluia, alleluia! Make me grasp the way of your precepts, and I will muse on your wonders. Alleluia!

Or: Matthew 11:25

Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children. Alleluia!

Gospel Mark 4:26-34 The kingdom of God is a mustard seed growing into the biggest shrub of all.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops

(Liturgical Colour: White: B (2))

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Friday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

Either:

First Reading 2 Timothy 1:1-8 Fan into a flame the gift God gave you.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Or:

First Reading Titus 1:1-5 To Titus, true child of mine.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 95(96):1-3,7-8,10

R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord all the earth. O sing to the Lord, bless his name.

R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

Proclaim his help day by day, tell among the nations his glory and his wonders among all the peoples.

R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

Give the Lord, you families of peoples, give the Lord glory and power; give the Lord the glory of his name.

R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’ The world he made firm in its place; he will judge the peoples in fairness.

R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

Gospel Acclamation Luke 4:17

Alleluia, alleluia! The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives. Alleluia!

Gospel Luke 10:1-9 Your peace will rest on that man.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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thesynaxarium · 2 years ago

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Today we celebrate the Holy Apostle Timothy. Saint Timothy was from the Lycaonian city of Lystra in Asia Minor. Saint Timothy was converted to Christ in the year 52 by the holy Apostle Paul (June 29). When the Apostles Paul and Barnabas first visited the cities of Lycaonia, Saint Paul healed one crippled from birth. Many of the inhabitants of Lystra then believed in Christ, and among them was the future Saint Timothy, his mother Eunice and grandmother Loida (Lois) (Acts 14:6-12; 2 Tim. 1:5). The seed of faith, planted in Saint Timothy’s soul by the Apostle Paul, brought forth abundant fruit. He became Saint Paul’s disciple, and later his constant companion and co-worker in the preaching of the Gospel. The Apostle Paul loved Saint Timothy and in his Epistles called him his beloved son, remembering his devotion and fidelity with gratitude. He wrote to Timothy: “You have followed my teaching, way of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, and patience” (2 Tim. 3:10-11). The Apostle Paul appointed Saint Timothy as Bishop of Ephesus, where the saint remained for fifteen years. Finally, when Saint Paul was in prison and awaiting martyrdom, he summoned his faithful friend, Saint Timothy, for a last farewell (2 Tim. 4:9). Saint Timothy ended his life as a martyr. The pagans of Ephesus celebrated a festival in honor of their idols, and used to carry them through the city, accompanied by impious ceremonies and songs. Saint Timothy, zealous for the glory of God, attempted to halt the procession and reason with the spiritually blind idol-worshipping people, by preaching the true faith in Christ. The pagans angrily fell upon the holy apostle, they beat him, dragged him along the ground, and finally, they stoned him. Saint Timothy’s martyrdom occurred in the year 93. May he intercede for us always + Source: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2021/01/22/100262-apostle-timothy-of-the-seventy (at Klistra) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnsPsV7BdOf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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hiswordsarekisses · 2 years ago

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So grateful for my grandmothers who loved Jesus with all of their hearts and souls and lives 💕💕💕

“I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” 2 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭14‬

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samarashoot · 2 years ago

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a tentative 2023 reading list (bolded = books i already own and therefore should start with) (crossing them off as i finish them)

fiction:

babel, or the necessity of violence: an arcane history of the oxford translators' revolution – r.f. kuang

the best liars in riverview – lin thompson

bitter – akwaeke emezi

devil house – john darnielle

luda – grant morrison

a memory called empire – arkady martine

orlando – virginia woolf

piranesi – susanna clarke

the return of the king – j.r.r. tolkein

the summer book – tove jansson

a tale for the time being – ruth ozeki

an unkindness of ghosts – rivers solomon

the vanishing half – brit bennett

a wrinkle in time – madeleine l'engle

when the angels left the old country – sacha lamb

nonfiction:

all boys aren't blue – george m. johnson

art as experience – john dewey

crits: a student manual – terry barrett

cruising utopia: the then and there of queer futurity – josé esteban muñoz

faux queen: a life in drag – monique jenkinson

major labels: a history of popular music in seven genres – kelefa sanneh

neo-burlesque: striptease as transformation – lynn sally

please kill me: the uncensored oral history of punk – legs mcneil & gillian mccain

queercore: how to punk a revolution – liam warfield

raising free people: unschooling as liberation and healing work – akilah s. richards

releasing the imagination: essays on education, the arts, and social change – maxine greene

side affects: on being trans and feeling bad – hil malatino

they can't kill us until they kill us – hanif abdurraqib

ties that bind: familial homophobia and its consequences – sarah schulman

why fish don't exist – lulu miller

comics:

ducks – kate beaton

nausicaa of the valley of the wind – hayao miyazaki

nimona – nd stevenson

on a sunbeam – tillie walden

the prince and the dressmaker – jen wang

poetry:

deaf republic – ilya kaminsky

don't call us dead – danez smith

home is not a country – safia elhillo

postcolonial love poem – natalie díaz

salmon song and other wet poems – walt curtis

picture books:

the nightlife of jacuzzi gaskett – brontez purnell

we are water protectors – carole lindstrom

when we were alone – david a. robertson

the cot in the living room – hilda eunice burgos

x: a fabulous child's story – lois gould

#.txt #reading list

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eternal-echoes · 2 years ago

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“Both Esther and Paul, as we have just heard in today’s readings, testify that the family is called to work for the handing on of the faith. Esther admits: "Ever since I was born, I have heard in the tribe of my family that you, O Lord, took Israel out of all the nations" (14:5). Paul follows the tradition of his Jewish ancestors by worshiping God with a pure conscience. He praises the sincere faith of Timothy and speaks to him about "a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and now, I am sure, lives in you" (2 Tim 1:15). In these biblical testimonies, the family includes not only parents and children, but also grandparents and ancestors. The family thus appears to us as a community of generations and the guarantee of a patrimony of traditions.”

- Pope Benedict XVI, APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI TO VALENCIA (SPAIN) ON OCCASION OF THE FIFTH WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES - Holy Mass, 09 July 2006

#Catholic #Christianity #quotes #Pope Benedict

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thepastisalreadywritten · 2 years ago

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SAINTS OF THE DAY (December 26)

On January 26, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the liturgical memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, close companions of the Apostle Paul and bishops of the Catholic Church in its earliest days.

Both men received letters from St. Paul, which are included in the New Testament.

Pope Benedict XVI discussed these early bishops during a general audience on 13 December 2006, noting “their readiness to take on various offices in far from easy circumstances."

The Pope said:

“Both saints teach us to serve the Gospel with generosity, realizing that this also entails a service to the Church herself.”

The son of a Jewish mother and a non-Jewish father, Timothy came from Lystra in present-day Turkey.

His mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, are known to have joined the Church. Timothy himself is described as a student of Sacred Scripture from his youth.

After St. Paul’s visit to Timothy’s home region of Lycaonia, around the year 51, the young man joined the apostle and accompanied him in his travels.

After religious strife forced Paul to leave the city of Berea, Timothy remained to help the local church. Paul later sent him to Thessalonica to help the Church during a period of persecution.

The two met up again in Corinth and Timothy eventually journeyed to Macedonia on Paul’s behalf.

Problems in the Corinthian Church brought Timothy back for a time, after which he joined Paul and accompanied the apostle in subsequent travels.

Like Paul, Timothy endured a period of imprisonment in the course of his missionary work. His release is mentioned in the New Testament Epistle to the Hebrews.

Around the year 64, Timothy became the first bishop of the Church of Ephesus.

During that same year, he received the first of two surviving letters from St. Paul.

The second, written the next year, urges Timothy to visit St. Paul in Rome, where he was imprisoned before his martyrdom.

Ancient sources state that St. Timothy followed his mentor in dying as a martyr for the faith.

In the year 93, during his leadership of the Church in Ephesus, he took a stand against the worship of idols and was consequently killed by a mob.

The pagan festival he was protesting was held on January 22, and this date was preserved as St. Timothy’s memorial in the Christian East.

In contrast with Timothy’s partial Jewish descent and early Biblical studies, St. Titus – who was born into a pagan family – is said to have studied Greek philosophy and poetry in his early years.

But he pursued a life of virtue and purportedly had a prophetic dream that caused him to begin reading the Hebrew Scriptures.

According to tradition, Titus journeyed to Jerusalem and witnessed the preaching of Christ during the Lord’s ministry on earth.

Only later, however – after the conversion of St. Paul and the beginning of his ministry – did Titus receive baptism from the apostle, who called the pagan convert his “true child in our common faith.”

St. Paul was not only Titus’ spiritual father but also depended on his convert as an assistant and interpreter.

Titus accompanied Paul to the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem during the year 51 and was later sent to the Corinthian Church on two occasions.

After the end of Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, the apostle ordained Titus as the Bishop of Crete.

Paul sent his only surviving letter to Titus around the year 64, giving instructions in pastoral ministry to his disciple as he prepared to meet up with him in the Greek city of Nicopolis.

Titus evangelized the region of Dalmatia in modern Croatia before returning to Crete.

Titus is credited with leading the Church of Crete well into his 90s, overturning paganism and promoting the faith through his prayers and preaching.

Unlike St. Timothy, St. Titus was not martyred but died peacefully in old age.

#Saints of the Day #Saint Timothy #Saint Titus

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walkswithmyfather · 2 years ago

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“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

—2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

https://2timothy.bible/2-timothy-1-7

“From Paul, an apostle of Jesus the Messiah, appointed by God’s pleasure to announce the wonderful promise of life found in Jesus, the anointed Messiah. My beloved son, I pray for a greater release of God’s grace, love, and total well-being to flow into your life from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ!

You know that I’ve been called to serve the God of my fathers with a clean conscience. Night and day I pray constantly for you, building a memorial for you with my prayers. I know that you have wept for me, your spiritual father, and your tears are dear to me. I can’t wait to see you again!

I’m filled with joy as I think of your strong faith that was passed down through your family line. It began with your grandmother Lois, who passed it on to your dear mother, Eunice. And it’s clear that you too are following in the footsteps of their godly example.

I’m writing to encourage you to fan into a flame and rekindle the fire of the spiritual gift God imparted to you when I laid my hands upon you. For God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love, and self-control.

So never be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor be embarrassed over my imprisonment, but overcome every evil by the revelation of the power of God! He gave us resurrection life and drew us to himself by his holy calling on our lives. And it wasn’t because of any good we have done, but by his divine pleasure and marvelous grace that confirmed our union with the anointed Jesus, even before time began!

This truth is now being unveiled by the revelation of the anointed Jesus, our life-giver, who has

dismantled death, obliterating all its effects on our lives, and has manifested his immortal life in us by the gospel.”

—2 Timothy 1:1‭-‬10 (TPT)

https://bible.com/bible/1849/2ti.1.1-10.TPT

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frmartinshomiliesandreflections · 2 years ago

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26th January >> Fr. Martin’s Gospel Reflections / Homilies on

Luke 10:1-9 for the Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

and on

Mark 4:21-25 for Thursday, Third Week in Ordinary Time.

Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

Gospel (Except USA)

Luke 10:1-9

Your peace will rest on that man.

Gospel (USA)

Luke 10:1-9

The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.

Reflections (8)

(i) Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

This is Catholic Schools Week and yesterday was designated grandparents day in that week. I celebrated Mass in one of the parish primary schools, to which the grandparents of the pupils had been invited. There is a reference to a grandmother in today’s first reading. Paul is writing to his closest co-worker, Timothy. He tells Timothy that he is always being reminded of the sincere faith which he has, and Paul goes on to acknowledge that Timothy’s faith came first to live in his grandmother Lois, and then in his mother Eunice. We can all look back to the faith of our grandparents and, perhaps, to our parents as well. Grandparents continue to have a very important role today in passing on the faith to their grandchildren. They often do this by praying for their grandchildren, praying with them, taking them to church and pointing out the various images and symbols in the church and explaining their meaning. Grandparents are so often among the labourers in the harvest that Jesus mentions in the gospel reading. As he sends out the seventy two labourers, he calls on them to keep praying to God to send more labourers into the harvest. We are all called to be labourers in the Lord’s harvest, in virtue of our baptism. The Lord needs each one of us to witness to him and his gospel in our world today. We are the members of his body; he has no body now but ours. Timothy and Titus were co-workers of Paul. He had many other co-workers, woman as well as men. Paul knew that the Lord’s work could not get done without all these co-workers. The Lord’s need is as great today as it was at the beginning of the church, in the time of Paul. He needs every one of us to be a labourer in his harvest, just as he needed the seventy two and many more. The harvest of the Lord remains rich and the Lord needs all the co-workers he can get. We need to all work together to ensure that people today hear and experience the same good news that the seventy two were called by Jesus to preach, ‘The kingdom of God is very near to you’.

And/Or

(ii) Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

And/Or

(iii) Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

And/Or

(iv) Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

And/Or

(v) Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

And/Or

(vi) Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

And/Or

(vii) Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

And/Or

(viii) Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus

---------------------------------------------

Thursday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel (Except USA)

Mark 4:21-25

A lamp is to be put on a lampstand. The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given.

Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Would you bring in a lamp to put it under a tub or under the bed? Surely you will put it on the lamp-stand? For there is nothing hidden but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.’

He also said to them, ‘Take notice of what you are hearing. The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given – and more besides; for the man who has will be given more; from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.’

Gospel (USA)

Mark 4:21-25

A lamp is to be placed on a lampstand. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.

Jesus said to his disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you. To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

Reflections (6)

(i) Thursday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

In the gospel reading this morning, Jesus calls upon his contemporaries to listen carefully to what he says, ‘Take notice of/pay attention to what you hear’. We hear a lot but we do not always pay attention to or take notice of what we hear. Jesus as there is often more to someone than meets the eye, so there can be more to someone than meets the ear. When we listen attentively we can hear the more in what someone says that is often not obvious. What is true in regard to the speaking of others is even more true in regard to the Lord’s speaking, the Lord’s word. There is always more there than meets the ear. Jesus declares in the gospel reading that the more carefully we listen, the more we will receive, ‘the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given – and more besides’. The riches contained within the Lord’s word are plentiful and he is generous with them, but it is our generosity, our generous listening, that releases those riches into our lives.

And/Or

(ii) Thursday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus was a master of images and stories. In this morning’s gospel reading we find the image of the lamp. In a kind of mini parable he says that you do not bring in a lamp to put it under a tub or under the bed, but you put it on a lamp-stand. Only in this way will the light which the lamp gives out be effective in lighting up the space where people gather. How are we to understand that image? Jesus may be saying that the light of faith which we carry within us is not meant to be hidden away somewhere but is to shine publicly for all to see. The church, and all of us who make up the church, are to be the light of the world. We are to allow the light of our faith, the light of the Lord, to shine through us, so that it is seen by others. This image of the church as a light suggests a church that is not turned in on itself, overly preoccupied with its own problems, but a church that is turned out towards the world. In one of his recent Angelus addresses Pope Francis spoke of the church in this way. He said, ‘being disciples of the Lamb means not living like a besieged citadel, but like a city placed on a hill, open, welcoming and supportive. It means not assuming closed attitudes but rather proposing the Gospel to everyone’. The second part of today’s gospel reading suggests that the courageous the church is in witnessing to the treasure of the gospel, the stronger it will become. ‘The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back’.

And/Or

(iii) Thursday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

The verses we have just heard come immediately after the parable of the sower and its interpretation. That parable sought to reassure Jesus’ disciples that the word Jesus proclaimed would bear fruit in people’s lives, in spite of the many obstacles working against that word, such as the cares and pleasures of this life and the persecution that the word can bring. The verses that make up this morning’s gospel reading remind us that we have our part to play in the word bearing fruit. Jesus says, ‘if anyone has ears to hear, let him listen’ and ‘take notice of what you are hearing’. We need to become good listeners of the word. Jesus goes on to say that the more we invest ourselves in that attentive listening to the word, the more we will be given, ‘the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given’. In that sense, ‘the one who has will be given more’. As we give of ourselves to the word, we discover that we keep receiving more. On the other hand, ‘from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away’. If we don’t make the effort to hear the word and receive from its riches, our spiritual understanding of the word diminishes. We can never underestimate the power of the Lord’s word, but this morning’s gospel reminds us that its power is rendered ineffective if we do not make the effort to hear it.

And/Or

(iv) Thursday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

Just prior to this gospel, Jesus has spoken the parable of the sower and given his interpretation of that parable. In that parable and its interpretation the focus is on the word of God that Jesus proclaims and on the need to really hear the word so that it takes root in our hearts and bears fruit in our lives. In today’s gospel reading the ‘lamp’ is an image of God’s word. It is proclaimed to all, just as a lamp is placed on a lamp-stand for all to benefit from its light. The Lord proclaims his word; it is up to us to really listen to it. In the words of the gospel reading, ‘if anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this’. The gospel reading goes on to suggest that the more we more we give ourselves to the Lord’s word, the more we will receive from it. ‘The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given’. In other terms, the more we invest in God’s word, the more we will get. The light of God’s word will shine but we have to listen attentively to it, if it is to bear fruit in our lives. As we make a greater effort to really hear and understand God’s word, we will receive more, ‘the one who has will be given more’. If we make no effort, if we ignore the Lord’s word, we risk losing what we have already gained, ‘the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away’. We have to exercise our spiritual muscles, otherwise they will lose the strength they once had. The gospel reading suggests that the Lord can’t do it all. We must play our part if his word is to bear the good and rich fruit in our lives that the Lord desires for us.

And/Or

(v) Thursday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

In today’s first reading, David responds in thankful prayer to the word of God that has just been spoken to him by the prophet Nathan. God, speaking through Nathan, had declared that he would enter into a special relationship with David’s heirs, David’s house or household. God would adopt future kings of the line of David as his son, ‘I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me’. David’s heirs would be expected to rule in God’s name, as befits adopted sons of God. They were to give expression to God’s justice, God’s care for the vulnerable, for the widows, the orphans and the stranger. Very few of David’s heirs lived up to his noble calling. Jesus belonged to this house or line of David, through Joseph his legal father. Jesus alone would respond fully to the calling of David’s heirs. As a descendant of David, Jesus was not only the adopted son of God, but the Son of God in a unique sense. He would give full expression to God’s just and merciful love for humanity. Because of who Jesus is, the Son of David who is also Son of God, Jesus declares in the gospel reading, ‘take notice of what you are hearing’. We need to pay careful attention to what Jesus says. The more attentively we listen to Jesus’ word to us, the more we will receive. In the words of Jesus in our gospel reading, ‘the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given… the one who has will be given more’. Our attentive listening to the Lord’s word expands our capacity to receive all that the Lord wants to give us as God’s unique Son.

And/Or

(vi) Thursday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

This morning’s gospel reading from Mark follows immediately after yesterday’s gospel reading of the parable of the sower and its interpretation, which was a reflection on Jesus’ proclamation of God’s word and how it was being responded to. Today’s gospel reading suggests that God’s word is like a light that needs to be let shine. No one puts a lamp under a bed but on a lamp stand where it can give light to all. God’s word proclaimed by Jesus is a lamp for our way and a light for our steps. It needs constant proclamation. We are aware of various forms of darkness in our world. We are always on the lookout for some light. The words of Jesus allow God’s light to shine upon us. That is why, in the words of the gospel reading, we need to listen carefully to the Lord’s word, ‘Take notice of what you are hearing’. According to the gospel reading, the more attentively we listen to God’s word, the more we will receive. ‘The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given – and more besides, for the one who has will be given more’. The contrary is also true. If we fail to listen to the Lord’s word, if we turn away from it, we can easily lose what we may have gained from listening to it in the past, ‘the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away’. The Lord’s word is a wonderful light in our lives; it has the power to bring us life. However, it needs our response. The Lord who speaks needs us to listen, but if we give ourselves over to really listening to his word then we will receive more than we ever anticipated. In the words of Jesus from another of the gospels, ‘A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap’.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

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roman-catholic-mass-readings · 10 months ago

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26th January >> Mass Readings (USA)

Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops

Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time.

Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: White: B (2))

Readings for the feria (Friday)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Friday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

Either:

(The following reading is proper to the memorial, and must be used even if you have otherwise chosen to use the ferial readings)

First Reading 2 Timothy 1:1-8 I recall your sincere faith.

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God for the promise of life in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dear child: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I am grateful to God, whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day. I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, as I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and that I am confident lives also in you.

For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Or:

(The following reading is proper to the memorial, and must be used even if you have otherwise chosen to use the ferial readings)

First Reading Titus 1:1-5 To Titus, my beloved son in a common faith.

Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ for the sake of the faith of God’s chosen ones and the recognition of religious truth, in the hope of eternal life that God, who does not lie, promised before time began, who indeed at the proper time revealed his word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted by the command of God our savior, to Titus, my true child in our common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.

For this reason I left you in Crete so that you might set right what remains to be done and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you.

The following reading is proper to the memorial, and must be used even if you have otherwise chosen to use the ferial readings.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10

R/ Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

R/ Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Announce his salvation, day after day. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R/ Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name!

R/ Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Say among the nations: The LORD is king. He has made the world firm, not to be moved; he governs the peoples with equity.

R/ Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Gospel Acclamation cf. Matthew 11:25

Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mark 4:26-34 A man scatters seed on the land and would sleep and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

--------------------------

Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops

(Liturgical Colour: White: B (2))

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Friday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

Either:

First Reading 2 Timothy 1:1-8 I recall your sincere faith.

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God for the promise of life in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dear child: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God, whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day. I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, as I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and that I am confident lives also in you.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Or:

First Reading Titus 1:1-5 To Titus, my beloved son in a common faith.

For this reason I left you in Crete so that you might set right what remains to be done and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10

R/ Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

R/Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Announce his salvation, day after day. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R/ Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name!

R/ Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Say among the nations: The LORD is king. He has made the world firm, not to be moved; he governs the peoples with equity.

R/ Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Gospel Acclamation Luke 4:18

Alleluia, alleluia. The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 10:1-9 The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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