READING OF THE DAY First reading from the Book of Job Jb 7:1-4, 6-7
Job spoke, saying: Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of hirelings? He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages. So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been allotted to me. If in bed I say, “When shall I arise?” then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn. My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope. Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again.
"Alleluia! Praise Yahweh It is good to sing psalms to our God -- how pleasant to praise him. Yahweh, Builder of Jerusalem! He gathers together the exiles of Israel, healing the broken-hearted and binding up their wounds; he counts out the number of the stars, and gives each one of them a name his wisdom beyond all telling. Yahweh sustains the poor, and humbles the wicked to the ground. Sing to Yahweh in thanksgiving, play the harp for our God." Psalms, 147
Second reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23
Brothers and sisters: If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY From the Gospel according to Mark Mk 1:29-39
On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER Marked by physical suffering and by spiritual wretchedness, the crowd comprises, so to speak, “the living environment” in which Jesus’s mission, made up of healing and comforting words and actions, takes place. Jesus did not come to bring salvation in a laboratory; he did not preach from a laboratory, detached from people. He was in the midst of the crowd! In the midst of the people! To think that the greater part of Jesus’s public life took place on the streets, among the people, to preach the Gospel, to heal physical and spiritual wounds. (Angelus, 4 February 2018)
FAUSTI - "And she served them," says Mark of Peter's mother-in-law who was healed.This is the first miracle, indubitably the most insignificant.One would expect something more sensational to be told at the beginning. But it is instructive. The miracles of Jesus are not a show of power; they are instead signs that reveal, on the one hand, His mercy - a weakness that will take Him to the cross - and, on the other hand, what He wants to accomplish in us to make us new men as His image.
The first two, the mother-in-law and the leper, are global healings that indicate the new Spirit and the new life that He gives us. The others that follow illustrate the various specific healings of our limbs and faculties: the feet to walk after Him, the hands to receive and give like Him, the ear to hear the Truth, the tongue to communicate ourselves, the eye to see the reality before which we are what we are.
At the center is the miracle of faith, a touch that heals life and frees from death ( 5:21-45). The miracles are all in the first part of the Gospel, and culminate in the blind man of Bethsaida, who will be enlightened twice, as Peter must be to see in Jesus not only the Christ, but also the Son of God. In the second part there is only the healing of the blind man of Jericho, before the entrance into Jerusalem. It is the gift of baptismal illumination, which makes me see who He is for me and who I am for Him, in His Mystery of death for me. The smallness of the sign is all to the advantage of the greatness of the meaning. With this very small sign, the Evangelist gives us the meaning of all the miracles: they are healings that Jesus works to restore to each one of us the capacity to serve, which is our likeness to God. He himself is Son as Servant. The true miracle that He came to perform on earth is nothing astounding: it is to give us the capacity to love, that is to serve. Jesus is the Physician. With His Word He frees us from the spirit of evil, and with His contact He gives us the capacity for good. He came to give us back the fullness of life and restore our face of children. The disciple is represented by the mother-in-law, in bed with the fever, unable to serve and forced to be served or to serve herself by the others. The first miracle of the Gospel, it will be the last to come true. Good rule to say from the beginning what one is going towards!
READING OF THE DAY
RispondiEliminaFirst reading from the Book of Job
Jb 7:1-4, 6-7
Job spoke, saying:
Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?
Are not his days those of hirelings?
He is a slave who longs for the shade,
a hireling who waits for his wages.
So I have been assigned months of misery,
and troubled nights have been allotted to me.
If in bed I say, “When shall I arise?”
then the night drags on;
I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.
Remember that my life is like the wind;
I shall not see happiness again.
"Alleluia! Praise Yahweh
It is good to sing psalms to our God --
how pleasant to praise him.
Yahweh, Builder of Jerusalem!
He gathers together the exiles of Israel,
healing the broken-hearted and binding up their wounds;
he counts out the number of the stars,
and gives each one of them a name
his wisdom beyond all telling.
Yahweh sustains the poor,
and humbles the wicked to the ground.
Sing to Yahweh in thanksgiving,
play the harp for our God."
Psalms, 147
Second reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians
1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23
Brothers and sisters:
If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,
for an obligation has been imposed on me,
and woe to me if I do not preach it!
If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,
but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
What then is my recompense?
That, when I preach,
I offer the gospel free of charge
so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Mark
Mk 1:29-39
On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn, he left
and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”
So he went into their synagogues,
preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
RispondiEliminaMarked by physical suffering and by spiritual wretchedness, the crowd comprises, so to speak, “the living environment” in which Jesus’s mission, made up of healing and comforting words and actions, takes place. Jesus did not come to bring salvation in a laboratory; he did not preach from a laboratory, detached from people. He was in the midst of the crowd! In the midst of the people! To think that the greater part of Jesus’s public life took place on the streets, among the people, to preach the Gospel, to heal physical and spiritual wounds. (Angelus, 4 February 2018)
FAUSTI - "And she served them," says Mark of Peter's mother-in-law who was healed.This is the first miracle, indubitably the most insignificant.One would expect something more sensational to be told at the beginning. But it is instructive.
RispondiEliminaThe miracles of Jesus are not a show of power; they are instead signs that reveal, on the one hand, His mercy - a weakness that will take Him to the cross - and, on the other hand, what He wants to accomplish in us to make us new men as His image.
The first two, the mother-in-law and the leper, are global healings that indicate the new Spirit and the new life that He gives us. The others that follow illustrate the various specific healings of our limbs and faculties: the feet to walk after Him, the hands to receive and give like Him, the ear to hear the Truth, the tongue to communicate ourselves, the eye to see the reality before which we are what we are.
At the center is the miracle of faith, a touch that heals life and frees from death ( 5:21-45).
The miracles are all in the first part of the Gospel, and culminate in the blind man of Bethsaida, who will be enlightened twice, as Peter must be to see in Jesus not only the Christ, but also the Son of God.
In the second part there is only the healing of the blind man of Jericho, before the entrance into Jerusalem. It is the gift of baptismal illumination, which makes me see who He is for me and who I am for Him, in His Mystery of death for me.
The smallness of the sign is all to the advantage of the greatness of the meaning.
With this very small sign, the Evangelist gives us the meaning of all the miracles: they are healings that Jesus works to restore to each one of us the capacity to serve, which is our likeness to God.
He himself is Son as Servant.
The true miracle that He came to perform on earth is nothing astounding: it is to give us the capacity to love, that is to serve.
Jesus is the Physician.
With His Word He frees us from the spirit of evil, and with His contact He gives us the capacity for good. He came to give us back the fullness of life and restore our face of children.
The disciple is represented by the mother-in-law, in bed with the fever, unable to serve and forced to be served or to serve herself by the others.
The first miracle of the Gospel, it will be the last to come true.
Good rule to say from the beginning what one is going towards!