Tag: merciful

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Today’s Gospel shows Jesus in his hometown. The people see the miracles he performs, yet they doubt his divinity because they acknowledge only his ordinariness, that he is a carpenter and the son of Mary. Jesus, amazed at their lack of faith, says of them: “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” Mark tells us that Jesus was unable to perform any mighty deed there because of their lack of faith; that is, they took offense at Jesus and failed to get beyond Jesus’ ordinariness to see his divine identity. But unclean spirits like those from the Gospel from Monday do recognize it, saying: “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” Having the benefit of the testimony of the risen Christ and the Eucharist (partaking of him body and blood, soul and divinity), I can ask the same question.

God, help me understand the nature of your Son. From the Profession of Faith, we pray: “For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” Lord, give me the grace to know your Son and how he desires trust in him in order to perform mighty deeds in ordinary lives. “What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!”

Mary, Mother of God, pray for me today that I recognize the divinity of your Son and trust in him to perform mighty deeds. You knew him as fully human and fully divine. Let me stop to think throughout the day of the ineffable love of Jesus, Son of the Most High God. “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

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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A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

So [Jesus] went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him.

Today’s Gospel tells two stories: first, Jesus is on his way to the house of Jarius, to heal his daughter who is dying; second, while on the way, a woman who had been suffering from bleeding for twelve years reached out to Jesus for healing. She touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was immediately healed. Jesus told her she was healed because of her faith, and she went away rejoicing. In the first reading, Saint Paul encourages readers to fix their eyes on Jesus and endure the discipline of the cross. Paul uses Jesus as the ultimate example of perseverance and explains that the discipline we receive will produce a harvest of righteousness and peace. Despite people ridiculing him, Jesus demonstrates his power and ability to heal to the point of raising the dead to life. “Do not be afraid”; Jesus says, “just have faith.”

Lord, help me understand that when you speak, you bring creation itself into being. When you say to the child, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” she immediately gets up and walks around. The woman who touches your clothes is healed instantly because of her faith in reaching out for you. “Daughter, your faith has saved you,” says Jesus, “Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.” Grant me the grace, God, to go in peace today, knowing my life is in your hands. Strengthen my faith in you to avoid sin and let me trust that you “take away our infirmities and bear our diseases.” God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, give me new life today in you.

Lord, look to my needs today just as you cared for all who came to you while you walked the earth. Let me be mindful of you throughout the day, especially in the moments when I feel most alone. From the Responsorial Psalm, “They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.” 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.

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A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus encounters a man possessed by many demons, who calls himself Legion because there are many unclean spirits within him. Jesus sends the unclean spirits into a herd of swine that immediately run down a steep bank and die. As people come out to see what happened, they see the possessed man sitting clothed and in his right mind. By telling the man to remain and tell his family what had happened rather than to go with Jesus on the boat, Jesus finds in this an opportunity for the man to show his family the Lord’s mercy. The result was that all who heard him proclaim what Jesus had done for him were filled with amazement. Jesus, help of the helpless, moves this man from a state of wretchedness and possession to health and sanity, all out of pity for him. Where are those areas of wretchedness within myself that disgust me, that isolate me from God and from others?

God, help me understand the nature of your mercy. Many of those who came to your Son sought him out and reached out to him for help. But the most helpless, the gravely ill, the possessed, the decrepit—even the dead—you restored to new life and health out of the free gift of your mercy. Let me invite you to see those areas of my life that wield a level of power over me—unclean desires, impure intentions, sinful habits. Let me bring those into your light through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and through a daily examination of conscience. Come, Lord Jesus, and heal me by your word; let me proclaim like the possessed man what the Lord out of his great mercy has done.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your mercy. Jesus, just as you went on foot and by boat to restore people to sanctity, the Church today brings you through its sacraments to people thirsting for the Eucharist and Reconciliation. From the Responsorial Psalm, we pray: “They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.”

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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A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

In teaching the Beatitudes, Jesus addresses his disciples and the crowds surrounding him. In Matthew’s Gospel, the Sermon on the Mount follows immediately after Jesus ministers to the multitudes following him “from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.” In teaching the Beatitudes, Jesus brings healing to the crowds, just as he healed the physical illnesses of everybody who came to him. Looking into the eyes of the people in the crowd, he must have seen those who were broken, in mourning, meek and humble; those who were wronged and sought justice; those who were merciful and pure and peaceful. And he experienced personally the same thing disciples experienced: insult and persecution because of his name. What he gave once, he still gives. To each of those whose eyes Jesus meets and who hear his words, through his great compassion Jesus gives us the Beatitudes.

God, help me understand the love you have for your people and for me. As the Son of God, you saw the pain and suffering that this world brings and experienced it firsthand. For each facet of that suffering, you bring not merely comforting words but the realization of what is hoped for in the coming of your kingdom. In faith, ours is the kingdom of heaven; comfort; inheritance; satisfaction; mercy; peace; and, one day the reward of seeing you face to face. As the Gospel acclamation says, “Rejoice and be glad; your reward will be great in heaven.”

Lord, let your gaze meet me today as I come to you to learn your love through the Beatitudes. Heal me of any particular illness or hinderance that keeps me from rejoicing and being glad in the life you have given me to come to know you. I know you love me. Lord, look kindly upon 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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