Tag: faith

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Free Catholic Prayer Guide

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 2:22-40)

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted—and you yourself a sword will pierce—so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Luke describes the events surrounding the presentation of Jesus in the temple and the encounter of Joseph and Mary with Simeon and Anna. Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple, demonstrating their faithfulness to the Jewish customs and laws. Simeon recognizes immediately that Jesus is the Messiah. He prophesies great suffering for Jesus and Mary because of his mission. In her son’s crucifixion, Mary will participate in his suffering for a purpose Simeon makes clear: “so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Anna also encounters Jesus in the temple and praises God, spreading the news about him to all who are awaiting the redemption of Israel.

God, you know the hearts of your people. Through Jesus Christ your Son, the thoughts of many hearts are revealed. Help reveal in my heart today how you present yourself to me and how I present myself to you. What will I see in you with eyes of faith, and will I see the opportunity to participate in Christ’s suffering? Give me the grace to see in the Presentation the salvation you bring to people of all nations and the particular salvation you bring to me in my own brokenness. At the end of the day, I hope to be like Simeon, who knew the peace of holding the infant Jesus in his arms: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples.”

From the responsorial psalm: “Who is this king of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle. Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!”

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.

“No food . . . no money in their belts.” | Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Free Catholic Prayer Guide

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 6:7-13)

So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Mark tells us in these two short sentences what the Twelve do in response to Jesus’ instructions. He tells them to take nothing with them—”no food, no sack, no money in their belts.” In simple terms, he tells them that whatever house they enter, to remain in peace there until they leave; if they are unwelcome or encounter those who fail to listen, they are to leave and shake the dust from their feet “in testimony against them.” In giving the Twelve authority over unclean spirits, Jesus consecrates them in both words and actions, in preaching repentance and in healing the sick. Mark notes that they drove out many demons and cured many who were sick. Despite their lack of resources for the mission, the Twelve hear and respond powerfully to the call of Jesus.

God, thank you for the mission of the Twelve, those who first received the authority Jesus gave them to preach and expel demons. The divine power Jesus gave them relied on no material dependence or advantage. Help me today be grateful for the early Church and her transmission of the Gospel throughout the ages to the present day. Give me the grace, Lord, to let go of the attachments that I have come to depend on, that keep me from hearing and responding to your call. In your name, I ask for this.

From the responsorial psalm: “‘In your hand are power and might; it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all.'” Lord, you are exalted over all.”

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.

Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest

Free Catholic Prayer Guide

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (MK 6:1-6)

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Coming to his native place with his disciples, Jesus is recognized by people he would have known since he was born. They know him as the carpenter, the son of Mary. Yet, as they hear him teach in the synagogue, they are astonished and begin to question from what source his wisdom comes. They are, Mark tells us, offended by this. Knowing the hardness of their hearts, Jesus responds to their lack of faith in words and in action, amazed and unable to perform mighty deeds among them. The words of Jesus from yesterday’s Gospel on the necessity of faith—”Daughter, your faith has saved you.”—stand in striking contrast to that of his own townspeople and relatives. Throughout his ministry, Jesus goes on to demonstrate in teaching and healing the divine source of his wisdom.

God, help me be persistent in dispelling my disbelief and increasing my faith. Unchanging, you see my belief waver day by day; ever merciful, you see me look to you when I return with renewed faith. Help my unbelief, Lord. From Saint Padre Pio’s “Prayer After Communion,” I ask for the grace to remember these words throughout the day: “Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.”

From the responsorial psalm: “Then I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I covered not. I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,” and you took away the guilt of my sin. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.” Saint John Bosco, pray for us!

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.

“Do not be afraid; just have faith.” | Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Free Catholic Prayer Guide

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 5:21-43)

When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.”

When Jesus again crosses to the other side of the sea, he is immediately surrounded by a large crowd. Jairus, a synagogue leader, pleads with Jesus to heal his dying daughter. As Jesus follows Jairus, a woman approaches him who has had hemorrhages for twelve years. When she touches his cloak, she is healed immediately. On arriving at Jairus’s house, Jesus hears that the girl has already died, but he encourages Jairus not to be afraid to have faith. Inside the house, Jesus takes the girl’s hand and says to her, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” Immediately, the girl rises and walks, leaving everyone astounded. Mark tells us that the mother and father of the little girl were present in the room with Jesus. What fear and anguish they must have felt; yet, in that moment, Jesus asks for one vital thing—their faith.

God, help me recall the words of Jesus throughout the day: “The child is not dead but asleep.” How many times today will faith in you, not my own will, be necessary? “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” How many times through lack of faith will I deem something lost, of no account—dead? Give me the grace to know that you, the God of the living, have power over life and death and that despite what I might believe, your will has a heartbeat every second of the day. On being ridiculed, Jesus drove people out of the house for their lack of faith. Keep me in your care, Lord; accept the little faith I have. As you asked that the girl be given something to eat, give me the grace to receive and take in your word.

From the responsorial psalm: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for to you I call all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. Listen, Lord, and answer me.”

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.

“Legion is my name. There are many of us.” | Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Free Catholic Prayer Guide

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 5:1-20)

When [Jesus] got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.

Harming himself and a frightening threat to others, a possessed man lives among the tombs, in the shadow of death. On seeing Jesus, the man prostrates himself before him and loudly cries out, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” Jesus says to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!” Jesus allows the Legion of unclean spirits to be driven into a herd of swine, and they rush down a steep bank into the sea where they drown. Seeing the man clothed and sane, the people of the town beg Jesus to leave the area. As Jesus begins to depart by boat, the man pleads to remain with Jesus; instead, he tells him, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” The man obeys Jesus and goes off to proclaim what he has done for him.

God, help me understand the Gospel passage for what it is but also see how it relates to me. Help me grow in love of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation, in whose light demons cannot dwell. I want to push the possessed man out of my mind, push away the ugliness of demonic possession. Yet, aren’t there times in my own life when I have made of myself a horde of trouble for others and dwelled in sin and darkness, unable to find an exit? Let me see in myself the possessed man bound with shackles so that I can see more clearly the divine, sovereign power of Jesus to drive out evil and scatter every shadow that occludes you. Let me hear the gentle command of Jesus to go and announce your dominion over all—”all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”

From the responsorial psalm: “But you, O LORD, are my shield; my glory, you lift up my head! When I call out to the LORD, he answers me from his holy mountain. Lord, rise up and save me.”

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.

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“Quiet! Come out of him!” | Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Free Catholic Prayer Guide

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 1:21-28)

In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

Mark tells us in the Gospel about Jesus’ teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. As he teaches, a man possessed by an unclean spirit cries out to him, recognizing him as the Holy One of God. Jesus exorcises the unclean spirit as the people present witness his power and authority over evil spirits. In teaching and in his power over evil, Jesus reveals his role as the Son of God, as Savior of us all. This is Jesus, son of Joseph and Mary but also Son of David, who they begin to see demonstrating his divine authority over sin and death. As his fame spreads, this hearkens back to the words of the LORD to Moses and the Israelites: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth.”

God, thank you for the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus that continues today in the liturgy and sacraments of the Church. In the synagogue, Jesus astonished people with his teaching and amazed them with “a new teaching with authority” under which unclean spirits are subject to his commands. The unclean spirit identifies Jesus not only as the Holy one of God but also the hometown son of Joseph and Mary. He is both. Lord, help me recognize in Jesus an advocate who intercedes for me, familiar with all of the struggles of earthly existence, yet one capable with a divine word of expelling all that separates me from you.

From the responsorial psalm: “Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us. For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”

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.

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“Quiet! Be still!” | Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Free Catholic Prayer Guide

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 4:35-41)

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?”

Mark recounts Jesus’ calming of the storm while he and his disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee. Amazed and terrified, the disciples say, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?” The calming of the storm demonstrates Jesus’ authority and power over the natural elements. When the sea is quiet, Jesus asks them a penetrating question in response to theirs, to the indifference they believe Jesus shows. “Do you not yet have faith?” he asks them. In the midst of a storm—any storm—Jesus is present and has power over it. By calming the storm, Jesus demonstrates divine authority and reveals greater authority still over the havoc of sin and death, victorious over it as the Savior.

God, help me recognize in the work of your Son Jesus the relationship of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, described during Pentecost as a strong driving wind, was present when Jesus calmed the driving winds of the storm. A quietness followed that left the disciples “filled with great awe” with an awakening awareness that the Son of God rested in the boat with them. When the storms of life overwhelm, Lord, help me come to you with confidence, knowing that with a word you can calm them. And give me renewed faith to remain in your boat in the wake of the storm, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

From the responsorial psalm: “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. Create a clean heart in me, O God.”

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.

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“The seed would sprout and grow.” | Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops

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A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 4:26-34)

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.”

“With many such parables,” Mark tells us, Jesus “spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.” Jesus speaks to the crowd in parables to fix in the mind of the hearers images of the Kingdom of God. One can only imagine with what stuff Jesus might have rendered parables if he walked the earth today. Yet, his parables are grounded in universal human experiences: sleeping and rising; planting and harvesting; and growth and maturity. Perhaps inviting us to come up with our own parables, Jesus says, “To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it?” The wonder behind all of the parables is suggested in the man who rises from sleep and sees the seeds he planted sprout and grow. “Of its own accord the land yields fruit.” The Creator never ceases nurturing his kingdom.

God, help me understand the teachings of Jesus in the parables. The smallest of seeds grows to become the largest of plants, its branches providing shade and respite. So it is with your word. With the seeds of faith, let me entrust to your care the soil they are planted in. Stir up in me, Lord, a sense of wonder at your work in the world, the gift of your love that brings life to all and sustains it, and the hope of eternal life in your kingdom. Taking root in me, let that be a witness to the people I encounter today. I can’t pretend to understand the fulness of the Gospel, its life and light; help me understand your word. As the psalmist says, “Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.”

From the Gospel acclamation: “Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.” Saints Timothy and Titus, pray for us!

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.

Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 1:19-28)

This is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, “Who are you?” he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Christ.” So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?”

In the eyes of the priests and Levites, John is unlike any other. He is not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor one of the great prophets risen from the dead. Just as people of today on becoming acquainted with each other often ask, “What do you do for a living?” the religious leaders—all of whom had named affiliations or titles—ask John who he is, and find no satisfactory answer. John tells them that he baptizes with water and quotes Isaiah, saying “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’” John is a voice, a messenger; in complete humility, he is the one who points to one among them whom they do not recognize—the one, he says, “whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” Asked to identify himself, John responds not vaguely but in full recognition of his role: he makes straight the way of the Lord.

God, as I move throughout the day, let me see with the eyes of faith what my role is. John knew himself in the truth of Christ. His identity was not tied to his occupation or material possessions or power. In detachment from this, he called himself a voice, as if detached completely from physical needs; and he baptized, he said, with water until one who would come after him, baptizing with the the fire of the Holy Spirit. Give me the grace, Lord, to recognize my role apart from titles and prestige, apart from esteem as the world measures it. Help me remain in you so that I am confident of my identity, my role in this life. Let me remember the words of Saint Basil the Great: “Be attentive to yourself, lest you turn aside from the road, lest you turn away to the right or left; go on the royal road . . . which is Christ Jesus.”

From the Gospel acclamation: “In times, past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets: in these last days, he has spoken to us through his Son.” Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory, pray for us!

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.

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 2:16-21)

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

In reflecting on events in her life and on the message brought to her by the shepherds, Mary listens as they relate the revelation to them from the angel of the Lord: “For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.” Keeping all these things in her heart, Mary is an image of stillness and peace as the shepherds return, “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.” God has blessed her beyond human understanding, the same LORD in the first reading who teaches Moses how he is to bless the Israelites. This is how you shall bless the Israelites, the LORD tells him: “The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!” Mary’s entire life is a response to God’s blessing, in obedience to him with humility, trust, and perseverance. “For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness,” she says in her Magnificat, “behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.”

Bless me, Lord. Bless me as you blessed the Israelites. Bless me and keep me; let your face shine upon me; be gracious to me; look kindly upon me and give me your peace. That same spirit you send to me, Lord, to reflect on and keep in my heart, as Mary did. As Saint Paul says, “God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ Mary was the first to feel within her the stirrings of the Word made flesh, the Savior of the world. Help me recognize that I experience firsthand in the great gift of the Eucharist the same body and blood, soul and divinity, of the Savior.

From the responsorial psalm: “May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation.” Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

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.