God's Word for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time B

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time B

 January 15th 2012

1 Samuel 3:3-10.19. Ps. 39:2.4.7-10. Rv. 8.9. 1Cor. 6:13-15. 17-20.

Speak Lord your servant is listening
I waited, I waited for the Lord. 

Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit 

“We have found the Messiah”

Gospel John 1:35-42

John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
"Behold, the Lamb of God."
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
"What are you looking for?"
They said to him, "Rabbi" - which translated means Teacher -,
"where are you staying?"
He said to them, "Come, and you will see."
So they went and saw where Jesus was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
"We have found the Messiah" - which is translated Christ -.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
"You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas" - which is translated Peter.

Will you accept his invitation?

It’s the New Year - a moment of hope.  John gives his witness; ‘Look there is the Lamb of God’ Jesus is walking by – but not only by the Jordan.  He walks by throughout history. He is walking by now.  John’s witness echoes through the ages. His disciples leave him and follow Jesus. Jesus turns and asks, “What are you looking for?’ He asks you too. What are you looking for in life?  The disciples answer, ‘Where do you live?’  Jesus says, ‘Come and see’. They spend the day with him.

And you?  Though money, wealth and power may appear attractive, they do not satisfy. Love gives meaning to life. We look for someone who will love us and whom we can love. What happiness if we discover that Jesus, God made man, is the greatest of lovers, that he is the one our soul pines for.: “you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you…your love is better than life” (Ps.63). He invites you ‘come and see’. He invites you to stay with him. Just reflect on this, God walking the earth is calling you.

The secret of a successful life does not lie in achieving, even in the ‘spiritual life’ – asceticism, long prayers, fasting and things associated with religion. It lies in spending time. To learn to spend time with Jesus is the secret of a fruitful life. One is reminded of the anecdote in the life of St. John Vianney - the old man sitting at the back of church. ‘What do you do all day? The priest asked. ‘I just sit here. He looks at me and I look at Him’. If we allow Jesus to gaze at us then our life will change. His look is creative. It burns away our sins, source of so much pain and anxiety. His gaze heals the wounds of sin in our relationships and in us and it gives us purpose and joy.

At the beginning of the year Jesus calls you. He invites you to follow and listen to him day by day. Whether in Palestine by the Jordan or now, Jesus is the same, but now he calls you.

Give yourself time with him each day. Take his Word and read it slowly again and again allowing him to speak to you. He will give you a message for your life and you can speak to him. Slowly he will answer. It is our faith that heals.  “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy, and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost…Listen, listen to me.” (Isaiah 55: 1). The point is, are you thirsty and ready to listen?

Father, grant that I may know Jesus who loves me even to death so that I may live.

God's Word for the weekdays of 1st Week of Ordinary Time

January 9th 2012 
Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time 

1 Sm 1:1-8 (Monday’s reading dropped because of the Baptism of Jesus)There was a certain man from Ramathaim, Elkanah by name,a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim.He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.He had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah; Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.This man regularly went on pilgrimage from his city to worship the LORD of hosts and to sacrifice to him at Shiloh,where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were ministering as priests of the LORD. When the day came for Elkanah to offer sacrifice, he used to give a portion each to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters, but a double portion to Hannah because he loved her, though the LORD had made her barren.

Her rival, to upset her, turned it into a constant reproach to her

that the LORD had left her barren.

This went on year after year;

each time they made their pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the LORD,

Peninnah would approach her,

and Hannah would weep and refuse to eat.

Her husband Elkanah used to ask her:

"Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you refuse to eat?

Reading 1 1 Sm 1:9-20 (assigned for Tuesday)

Hannah rose after a meal at Shiloh,
and presented herself before the LORD;
at the time, Eli the priest was sitting on a chair
near the doorpost of the LORD's temple.
In her bitterness she prayed to the LORD, weeping copiously,
and she made a vow, promising: "O LORD of hosts,
if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid,
if you remember me and do not forget me,
if you give your handmaid a male child,
I will give him to the LORD for as long as he lives;
neither wine nor liquor shall he drink,
and no razor shall ever touch his head."
As she remained long at prayer before the LORD,
Eli watched her mouth, for Hannah was praying silently;
though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard.
Eli, thinking her drunk, said to her,
"How long will you make a drunken show of yourself?
Sober up from your wine!"
"It isn't that, my lord," Hannah answered.
"I am an unhappy woman.
I have had neither wine nor liquor;
I was only pouring out my troubles to the LORD.
Do not think your handmaid a ne'er-do-well;
my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery."
Eli said, "Go in peace,
and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."
She replied, "Think kindly of your maidservant," and left.
She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband,
and no longer appeared downcast.
Early the next morning they worshiped before the LORD,
and then returned to their home in Ramah.

When Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah,
the LORD remembered her.
We are beginning the story of he establishment of the monarchy. This will be done by the prophet Samuel. Today we hear of the birth of this prophet who will lead the tribes of Israel. He will be a man of God but he will not like the new thinking in Israel. He will not think that the people should want a king to rule them and lead them against their enemies. "God is your king", he will say.

Responsorial Psalm 1 Sm 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd

R. (see 1) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
he humbles, he also exalts."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior. 

Mk 1:14-20 (assigned for Monday but was dropped because of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord)

After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
"This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel."

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Then they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

Through the Holy Spirit in your heart and the presence of Jesus may the Gospel come alive for you. Now the time has come – to know Jesus better. He is calling you as he called Andrew, James and John. They listened and left everything and followed Jesus. It is easy enough to leave things but can you leave yourself? Can you leave your comfort zone, your desire for power, the temptation ‘to leave it to someone else’? Do you want shed the routine practice of religion for an intimate relationship with Jesus? Or are you afraid of what he may ask you to do if you open yourself to him in daily prayer? Repent and believe in Jesus. Don’t miss the opportunity of the New Year. Make your daily time of prayer an encounter with Jesus. Be in his presence and listen.

Or Gospel Mk 1:21-28 (assigned for Tuesday)

Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers,
and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
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.

When you enter into your daily prayer, you enter the Temple of God, for you are the Temple and God lives in you. Make this real. The Spirit will lead you into the sanctuary of your heart where God lives. It is there you meet Jesus your Saviour. The remedy for all your ills, your sins and addictions is within you. The remedy is Jesus, the Good Physician. If he speaks a word he will cleanse you and make you whole. Come into his presence consciously. Be silent, be aware of him. Sit in his presence and allow the rays from his face burn away your sins. Open to him the wounds of sin: the feelings of despair, anger, fear which are also in your heart. Bring to him any addictions that you have developed and are now your master. Only he can free you. 

Wednesday of the First Week In Ordinary Time 
January 11th 2012

Reading 1 1 Sm 3:1-10, 19-20

During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli,
a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.
One day Eli was asleep in his usual place.
His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
The lamp of God was not yet extinguished,
and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, "Here I am."

Samuel ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me."
"I did not call you," Eli said. "Go back to sleep."
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
"Here I am," he said. "You called me."
But Eli answered, "I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep."
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, "Here I am.
You called me."
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So Eli said to Samuel, "Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'"
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, "Samuel, Samuel!"
Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,
not permitting any word of his to be without effect.
Thus all Israel from Dan to Beersheba
came to know that Samuel was an accredited prophet of the LORD. 

Samuel is specially chosen by God to be his spokesman and lead his people. He will be a dominating figure because "the LORD was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect." He will establish the monarchy, first of Saul's family and then when he is rejected by God of David's. 

In the New Testament does not God call each person to be his own son or daughter and is not the anser of Samuel the answer that each of us should give to the Lord? As the Psalm says it is our act of surrender to the Lord so that he may use us for his purposes.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 40:2 and 5, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10

R. (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust;
who turns not to idolatry
or to those who stray after falsehood.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me.
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. 

Gospel 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. 

Do not read the Scriptures alone. Read them in the Spirit who inspired them. He will inspire you to meet Jesus through them. He is the ever-present Helper promised by Jesus. The first disciples take Jesus to the home of Simon and Andrew. They tell him of Simon’s mother-in-law. We see the power of intercessory prayer. Jesus goes to her and lifts her up. She then begins to serve. That evening people bring the sick and the possessed to him. This too is intercessory prayer in action. Jesus responds by healing them. Let us bring to Jesus in our prayer those who need healing. He answers every prayer. We need to be in earnest and persistent. Jesus went to a lonely place long before dawn. He needed to be with his Father. He received the Spirit’s daily anointing to liberate people. He will liberate you and through you others.

Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

12 January 2012

Reading 1 1 Sm 4:1-11

The Philistines gathered for an attack on Israel.
Israel went out to engage them in battle and camped at Ebenezer,
while the Philistines camped at Aphek.
The Philistines then drew up in battle formation against Israel.
After a fierce struggle Israel was defeated by the Philistines,
who slew about four thousand men on the battlefield.
When the troops retired to the camp, the elders of Israel said,
"Why has the LORD permitted us to be defeated today
by the Philistines?
Let us fetch the ark of the LORD from Shiloh
that it may go into battle among us
and save us from the grasp of our enemies."

So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there
the ark of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned upon the cherubim.
The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of God.
When the ark of the LORD arrived in the camp,
all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth resounded.
The Philistines, hearing the noise of shouting, asked,
"What can this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?"
On learning that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp,
the Philistines were frightened.
They said, "Gods have come to their camp."
They said also, "Woe to us! This has never happened before. Woe to us!
Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods?
These are the gods that struck the Egyptians
with various plagues and with pestilence.
Take courage and be manly, Philistines;
otherwise you will become slaves to the Hebrews,
as they were your slaves.
So fight manfully!"
The Philistines fought and Israel was defeated;
every man fled to his own tent.
It was a disastrous defeat,
in which Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers.
The ark of God was captured,
and Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were among the dead. 

The Israelites are still trying to take possession of the Promised Land. They are here preparing for a decisive battle with the occupants of Palestine, the Philistines. However due to the grave sins of the priest Eli's sons God punishes the Israelites through them. they are no longer worthy to have the presence of God among them and the Ark of the Covenant is captured.  However it may be, sin always brings harm to us. God however is a God of mercy and always responds positively to repentance.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25

R. (27b) Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.
Yet now you have cast us off and put us in disgrace,
and you go not forth with our armies.
You have let us be driven back by our foes;
those who hated us plundered us at will.
R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.
You made us the reproach of our neighbours,
the mockery and the scorn of those around us.
You made us a byword among the nations,
a laughingstock among the peoples.
R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.
Why do you hide your face,
forgetting our woe and our oppression?
For our souls are bowed down to the dust,
our bodies are pressed to the earth.
R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy. 

Gospel Mk 1:40-45

A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said,
"If you wish, you can make me clean."
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched the leper, and said to him,
"I do will it. Be made clean."
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.
Then he said to him, "See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them."
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere. 

Jesus is the God of love in human form. The leper is not only a sick man he is an outcast. He is a person deprived of love, driven out from his family, home, village, community. He has to live alone. He is deprived of self-dignity. He must wear torn clothes, dishevelled hair, cover his mouth and cry for people to hear “unclean” so that people can flee. The Jews thought, wrongly, that God too was cursing the man. He had no life; physical, psychological, spiritual. He was crushed in every way.  The man knows Jesus is not like others. He will not abuse him and cast him out. He approaches Jesus. Jesus is deeply moved both with pity for him and anger with his treatment. He touches him and sends him away fully restored. You are a Christ-ian. Do you welcome ‘lepers’ in society? There are many.

Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

13 January 2012

Reading 1 1 Sm 8:4-7, 10-22a

All the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramah
and said to him, "Now that you are old,
and your sons do not follow your example,
appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us."

Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them.
He prayed to the LORD, however, who said in answer:
"Grant the people's every request.
It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king."

Samuel delivered the message of the LORD in full
to those who were asking him for a king.
He told them:
"The rights of the king who will rule you will be as follows:
He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses,
and they will run before his chariot.
He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups
of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers.
He will set them to do his ploughing and his harvesting,
and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
He will use your daughters as ointment makers, as cooks, and as bakers.
He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves,
and give them to his officials.
He will tithe your crops and your vineyards,
and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves.
He will take your male and female servants,
as well as your best oxen and your asses,
and use them to do his work.
He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves.
When this takes place,
you will complain against the king whom you have chosen,
but on that day the LORD will not answer you."

The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel's warning and said,
"Not so! There must be a king over us.
We too must be like other nations,
with a king to rule us and to lead us in warfare
and fight our battles."
When Samuel had listened to all the people had to say,
he repeated it to the LORD, who then said to him,
"Grant their request and appoint a king to rule them." 

This is the beginning of the kingship. God will first appoint Saul. But later he will be rejected because of his lack of faith. Then God will have Samuel annoint David. Apart from David and two or three others in general the kings were not great moral leaders in Israel. Nonetheless God did work out his plan of Salvation.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 89:16-17, 18-19

R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
For you are the splendour of their strength,
and by your favour our horn is exalted.
For to the LORD belongs our shield,
and to the Holy One of Israel, our King.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. 

Gospel Mk 2:1-12

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,
"Child, your sins are forgiven."
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
"Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?"
Jesus immediately knew in his mind what
they were thinking to themselves,
so he said, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
'Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk'?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"
-he said to the paralytic,
"I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home."
He rose, picked up his mat at once,
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything

like this”. 

It is clear that if we meet Jesus, dramatic things will happen in our lives. These four wanted to get to Jesus at any cost. They even removed the roof and let down their friend who also wanted to meet Jesus. But can we meet Jesus? It is as difficult today as it was for the four, but it is as possible. We must realise we desperately need Jesus. We must be determined to meet him and we must actually meet him. The secret is the Holy Spirit, the Helper. In our prayer we must be consciously guided by the Holy Spirit throughout. He is the one to bring us to Jesus.   Welcome, listen and be guided by the Spirit as you pray. We then meet Jesus like the leper yesterday and the paralytic today.  We can only meet Jesus if we put aside time daily to be with him.

Saturday of the First Week In Ordinary Time

January 14th 2012

Reading 1 1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1

There was a stalwart man from Benjamin named Kish,
who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror,
son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite.
He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man.
There was no other child of Israel more handsome than Saul;
he stood head and shoulders above the people.

Now the asses of Saul's father, Kish, had wandered off.
Kish said to his son Saul, "Take one of the servants with you
and go out and hunt for the asses."
Accordingly they went through the hill country of Ephraim,
and through the land of Shalishah.
Not finding them there,
they continued through the land of Shaalim without success.
They also went through the land of Benjamin,
but they failed to find the animals.

When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD assured him,
"This is the man of whom I told you; he is to govern my people."

Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said,
"Please tell me where the seer lives."
Samuel answered Saul: "I am the seer.
Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today.
In the morning, before dismissing you,
I will tell you whatever you wish."

Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul's head;
he also kissed him, saying:
"The LORD anoints you commander over his heritage.
You are to govern the LORD's people Israel,
and to save them from the grasp of their enemies roundabout.

"This will be the sign for you
that the LORD has anointed you commander over his heritage." 

God has chosen Saul sincerely and wants him to be king although he also knows with his divine knowledge that Saul will prove unfaithful and be rejected as king. This failure lies in the free will of Saul and not in some kind of determination by God. God calls us too to greatness and if we cooperate his plan will flourish but we are free to respond positively or negatively. We should pray for the grace to respond positively to God's grace.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (2a) Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
O LORD, in your strength the king is glad;
in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart's desire;
you refused not the wish of his lips.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
For you welcomed him with goodly blessings,
you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked life of you: you gave him
length of days forever and ever.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Great is his glory in your victory;
majesty and splendor you conferred upon him.
For you made him a blessing forever;
you gladdened him with the joy of your face.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad. 

Gospel Mk 2:13-17

Jesus went out along the sea.
All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
sitting at the customs post.
Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed Jesus.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples;
for there were many who followed him.
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners
and tax collectors and said to his disciples,
"Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
Jesus heard this and said to them,
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

“I came to call sinners, not the upright”. We have courage to approach Jesus. Do we have a lively faith in his presence? We believe in Jesus, but do we believe in him as someone who is present now and who wants to meet us? Is the Gospel for us a record of the past or the story of the present? Is it our story? Jesus calls Levi. He was an outcast from  religion and from orthodox Jewish society. No one is an outcast for Jesus. He forms a community where each person has equal dignity and value. Do you see the Church as a community in which each one without social distinctions has human dignity? Are you like Jesus who loves all or do you practice class or caste distinction? Do you “pay no regard to social standing, but meet humble people on their own terms?” Rom 12:16.

God's Word for The Feast of The Baptism of Jesus

The Baptism of the Lord  Year B

 Monday 9th January 2012

Isaiah 55:1-11.  Ps.Isaiah12:2-6 Rv.3 1John5:1-9.

Listen, listen to me and you will have god things to eat and rich food to enjoy

For the Lord is my strength, my song, he became my saviour.

This is the victory over the world – our faith.

He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit 

Gospel Mk 1:7-11

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
"One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

Baptism: a call to become. 

Jesus was God, but don’t think of him as God as he walked from Nazareth to the Jordan. He had emptied himself and become a servant born as a man (Phil 2:6). He was like us in all things - weak, ignorant, limited in so many ways and open to temptation by Satan. There was no difference between him and you except sin (Heb 4:15).

           Jesus was greatly impressed by John and so walked along with others to hear him. When everyone had been baptised, Jesus too stepped into the water. There was no need for this; he was without sin. John remonstrated, ‘you should baptise me’. Then Jesus came out of the water, identified in every way with us. It was then that something happened. As he prayed the heavens opened, God’s Spirit descended on him and he heard the life changing words, ‘You are my beloved Son in whom I am so pleased’. Filled with the Spirit, he realises that he is God’s own Son and experiences love, joy, peace, patience, courage, wisdom and all the fruits and gifts of the Spirit. He is now a changed man. He will never return to carpentry. He has a mission to liberate everyone from the grip of Satan, to proclaim the Good News that God loves them and wants to share his life with them. It was with this vision and with the Holy Spirit that he returns to Galilee.

It was as man that he went to the Jordan and opened himself to the Holy Spirit. It was a transforming experience and He wants all his disciples to have the same. We can become as Jesus was if we open ourselves to the Spirit as he did. We don’t receive John’s baptism but the Baptism in the Spirit as Jesus did.

You too can become the image of Jesus. You too can experience God’s Word as Jesus did and realise that you are the chosen child of God. You too are baptised in the Holy Spirit. You can live your life as Jesus did and do the works that Jesus did and greater works than he did because he is now with the Father. He is ready to send the Holy Spirit into you with power.

Are you ready to put aside the life of sin and imperfection and surrender yourself to the Spirit so that Jesus can speak and work through you? Jesus received the Holy Spirit as he prayed (Luke 3:21). To receive the Spirit as Jesus did you need to pray daily, make your home in the Word of God and generously follow the inspirations of Jesus.

Are you ready to take your vocation seriously, to put Jesus first in your life and become a light of salvation for those around you?

The feast of the Baptism of Jesus teaches us the profound meaning of our own Baptism.

Father, may the Baptism I have received make me into the image of Jesus.

God's Word for The Solemnity of The Epiphany

The Epiphany of the Lord  B

 Sunday January 8th 2012

Isaiah 60:1-6: The glory of the Lord is rising on you.

Psalm 71: 1-2. 7-8. 10-13 Rv. 11: He shall save the poor when they cry and the needy who are helpless

Ephesians 3: 2-3. 5-6.: Pagans share the same inheritance in Christ Jesus.

We saw his star as it rose and have come to worship him

Matthew 2:1-12
Gospel Mt 2:1-12 

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,

behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
"Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage."
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel."
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
"Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage."
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.

Do you see a star?

‘God wants all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth’ (1Tim2:4). Jesus is the Truth. God delights to be with human beings (Ps 149). ‘Here is the dwelling of God among men’ (Rev.21:3). We celebrate today how ‘he pitched his tent among us’ and shared our life. God even entered the darkness of their astrology to bring the magi to the light. They saw a star rising and came from afar

. They must have struggled in the desert and then they lost their way landing up in Jerusalem and the palace of Herod. The Word of God showed them the way to Bethlehem and entering in ‘they fell down and worshipped him’.

            The Bible fills us with joyful hope. On every page, God encourages us with promises of happiness while we struggle on our journey through the desert of life. “Arise, shine for your light has come. The Lord will rise upon you and his glory will be seen upon you”. The Word of God is for us like the star. It lifts up our spirits and encourages us to persevere and it leads us to the feet of Jesus.

            However, how many of us really want to meet Jesus? How many of us make the journey to his feet the work of our life? He is the Truth but how many of us want to know the Truth? We are so content to remain in our ‘comfort zone’ of illusion. We don’t want to leave it. Nevertheless, like the magi who persevered until they saw the newborn child, we need to follow the Word until we find Jesus here among us.

            Those who didn’t leave their homes to follow the star didn’t have the joy of seeing Christ. The chief priests, the professionals of the Temple sacrifices, knew all the answers. They were perturbed but had no interest in going to Bethlehem. Herod misunderstood the coming of Jesus and wanted to destroy him. Jesus is a sign that will be contradicted. Only the magi looked for him. They proved to be ‘the wise men’

            However, Jesus will always have those who are willing to leave everything to be with him. They will be loyal friends and disciples, even standing by the Cross and waiting at the tomb. They are the ones who share his triumph. “Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne” (Rev 3:21)

            Where do we fit into this saga? Are you searching for Jesus? Do you really want to meet him? Do you use the Word of God as a guide to bring you to the feet of the Lord? This is our journey in faith until we come to the New Jerusalem where God lives among his people.

Father give us the wisdom to listen to your Word and so discover Jesus now to share his glory in your Kingdom.

God's Word for the Weekdays from 2nd January 2012

Saints Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church
January 2nd 2012

Reading 1 1 Jn 2:22-28

Beloved:
Who is the liar?
Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.
Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.
Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father,
but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you.
If what you heard from the beginning remains in you,
then you will remain in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.
I write you these things about those who would deceive you.
As for you,
the anointing that you received from him remains in you,
so that you do not need anyone to teach you.
But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false;
just as it taught you, remain in him.

And now, children, remain in him,
so that when he appears we may have confidence
and not be put to shame by him at his coming.

The author like every author in the New Testament is writing for the people of his time and with the problems of his time in view. From the Johannine community some members have left and no longer have fellowship with them. They deny that Jesus is the Christ. It is true for all times that if anyone denies the Son he also denies the Father since the only way we have of knowing the Father is through Jesus. His Christians have received the anointing and it is through the anointing which is by the Holy Spirit, that they know the truth. But there has always been a tension between the charismatic Christian lead by the Holy Spirit and the authority in the Church. Both are very necessary. Charismatics without Church authority split into different groups. Authority without the Spirit becomes ‘dead’. 

Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. 

Gospel 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?"
He said:
"I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
'Make straight the way of the Lord,'
as Isaiah the prophet said."
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
"Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?"
John answered them,
"I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.

John recognized the truth and did not deny it. We too must recognize the truth about ourselves. We have come from nothing and so have nothing of our own. John was unworthy even to touch the sandal of Jesus. We too must experience our littleness and nothingness. “Without me you can do nothing”. We are totally dependent on Him. We may know it but we should feel it too. “How do you see yourself?” All generations will call you blessed. Our Father chose you before the foundation of the world to be His child in Christ (Eph.1:3). He has called you by name, you belong to Him (Is.43:2). You are precious to Him and he honours you because he loves you (v.4). He will never forget you (Is49:15). You are His gift to the world.  Jesus lives among us. May you recognize him and be his disciple. 

Christmas Weekday

Tuesday January 3rd 2012

Reading 1 1 Jn 2:29-3:6

If you consider that God is righteous,
you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness
is begotten by him.

See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God's children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.

Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness,
for sin is lawlessness.
You know that he was revealed to take away sins,
and in him there is no sin.
No one who remains in him sins;
no one who sins has seen him or known him.

Our religion is first an experience before it is a doctrine or worship. We must meet Christ Jesus and he mustn’t just mean something to us, he must mean everything. When we have experienced the friendship of Jesus and his great gift of making us the children of God, then we are ready to worship and to understand a doctrine. We must experience the joy of being the children of God, precious to him as an only child. This experience should be the fruit of the Christmas season.The gift of Jesus goes beyond being simply the children of God. In his goodness God wants to share his own life with us. We are to become like him. If once we realise this and the realisation grows day by day then the aim of our life is to grow daily in the purity of God.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 3cd-4, 5-6 R. (3cd)  
All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
 

Gospel Jn 1:29-34 

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,

"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.'
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptising with water
was that he might be made known to Israel."
John testified further, saying,
"I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptise with water told me,
'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.'
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God. 

John testifies that Jesus is the Son of God existing from eternity, that his is the Lamb of God and will give his life for all men and women and that he will bestow the Holy Spirit on those who accept him. It is now for us through faith to experience Jesus as Saviour and Lord. This will only come about in the silence of prayer and listening to his Word. We live in a world of noise and often prayer groups are also full of noise but there is no substitute for silence. It is in silence that like John in the desert we can come to know Jesus. We need to spend time daily with Jesus in silent prayer. Then we too will be transformed and become his witnesses like John. Our witness may not be in words but through the lives we lead. Do you give time each day to silent prayer?

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious
Wednesday 4th January 2012

Reading 1 1 Jn 3:7-10

Children, let no one deceive you.
The person who acts in righteousness is righteous,
just as he is righteous.
Whoever sins belongs to the Devil,
because the Devil has sinned from the beginning.
Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil.
No one who is begotten by God commits sin,
because God's seed remains in him;
he cannot sin because he is begotten by God.
In this way,
the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain;
no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God,
nor anyone who does not love his brother.

The author is writing this letter in the context of his time and circumstances. These were that some had left the community and who thought that sin did not affect their life with God. The author is stressing that sin breaks our relationship with God because it is a walking out on God. It is true that Christians may sin and do but this is in spite of being a Christian. A Christian may sin out of weakness but he will not live comfortably in sin.R. 

Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 7-8, 9

(3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy before the LORD.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD comes;
he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Gospel Jn 1:35-42

John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
"Behold, the Lamb of God."
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
"What are you looking for?"
They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher),
"where are you staying?"
He said to them, "Come, and you will see."
So they went and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
"We have found the Messiah," which is translated Christ.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
"You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas," which is translated Peter. 

The first question Jesus asks of everyone who wants to follow him is “What are you looking for?” He tells everyone to come and ‘see’ which means to believe. Everyone who comes to know Jesus as he is will believe in him because he is the Truth. We must put aside our ego and genuinely want to know the truth at whatever cost to ourselves. Then we are able to accept Jesus and everything that accepting Jesus will involve in a world which does not accept the light. We will find the truth by reading the Gospels with a mind desirous of finding the truth only. Then the Spirit will speak to us. Jesus said to Pilate, ‘Those who are interested in the truth come to me’. Are we only interested in knowing the truth?

Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop 

Thursday January 5th 2012

Reading 1 1 Jn 3:11-21

Beloved:

This is the message you have heard from the beginning:

we should love one another,

unlike Cain who belonged to the Evil One
and slaughtered his brother.
Why did he slaughter him?
Because his own works were evil,
and those of his brother righteous.
Do not be amazed, then, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
We know that we have passed from death to life
because we love our brothers.
Whoever does not love remains in death.
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer,
and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.
The way we came to know love
was that he laid down his life for us;
so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
If someone who has worldly means
sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion,
how can the love of God remain in him?
Children, let us love not in word or speech
but in deed and truth.

Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth
and reassure our hearts before him
in whatever our hearts condemn,
for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence in God.

Instead of the theme of light we have the theme of love. Love is not something expressed only in words but most of all in actions. The author stresses that love involves going out to those in need. There can be no true love of God which does not reach out to those in need. The more we love the more we stretch out to others. Since there are so many people who suffer from poverty then we cannot love God without being as generous as we can be.

 Responsorial Psalm Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5

R. (2a) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
The LORD is good:
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

Gospel Jn 1:43-51

Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip.
And Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael and told him,
"We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,
and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth."
But Nathanael said to him,
"Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
Philip said to him, "Come and see."
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
"Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him."
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."
Nathanael answered him,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this."
And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see the sky opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man."  

Jesus found Philip. Then Philip found Nathaniel. He went and found Nathaniel because he had met Jesus and knew who he was. We will never be interested in telling others of Jesus until we have met him and come to know him ourselves. It is only when Jesus is someone real to us, that we will want to make him real for others. Let us get away from a religion centred on practices and make it centred on the Person of Jesus. We must realize that the Jesus the disciples met is here with us today. He is our religion and he should be the centre of everything we do and of  every prayer and service. Then we will see heaven opened even now. Do you see religion as the presence of Jesus now?

Christmas Weekday

Friday 6th January 2012

Reading 1 1 Jn 5:5-13 

Beloved:Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and Blood.
The Spirit is the one who testifies,

and the Spirit is truth.
So there are three that testify,
the Spirit, the water, and the Blood,
and the three are of one accord.
If we accept human testimony,
the testimony of God is surely greater.
Now the testimony of God is this,
that he has testified on behalf of his Son.
Whoever believes in the Son of God
has this testimony within himself.
Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar
by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son.
And this is the testimony:
God gave us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
Whoever possesses the Son has life;
whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.

I write these things to you so that you may know
that you have eternal life,
you who believe in the name of the Son of God.

To belong to this world is to face death. Whatever your physical beauty, whatever the possessions you have earned and the power you have achieved, if you are of this world you will die and lose everything. This is the inevitable fate of every human being. Our author asks, who has overcome this and so has eternal life? Who has the ability to live for ever? It is "the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God". It is Jesus who gives us the life of God. He gives this not just after death but now. Those who live in Christ Jesus live now by the life of God and they cannot die. "Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life" Jesus alone gives us the victory over this world's condition. Like everyone we will leave this world but then our life in God takes on its full perfection. It is the beginning and not the end. 

Responsorial Psalm Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Mk 1:7-11

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
"One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptised you with water;
he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit."

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptised in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.

Mark begins his story of Jesus with the prophet Isaiah. He promised that a voice would be heard in the wilderness proclaiming the coming of the One sent by God to save the world. John is that voice. He is the first witness of Jesus. Though greatest of all those born of a woman he is unworthy to touch the sandals of the One who is coming. John baptises Jesus with water. Jesus has taken on himself all our sins. He is going to make reparation to God for our sins and reconcile us with the Father. When Jesus comes out of the water God shows his approval. He is filled with the Holy Spirit and 'hears' the Word "You are my beloved Son". In the rest of the Gospel we will see how a man filled with the Spirit and who realises he is God's Son will act. We are baptised in the same Holy Spirit and should "hear" the same Word. We should strive to have the same experience that Jesus had. Have you? Do you consciously live in the Spirit? Do you know you are God's own?

Christmas Weekday

Saturday 7th January 2012 

 Reading 1 1 Jn 5:14-21

Beloved:
We have this confidence in God,
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask,
we know that what we have asked him for is ours.
If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly,
he should pray to God and he will give him life.
This is only for those whose sin is not deadly.
There is such a thing as deadly sin,
about which I do not say that you should pray.
All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.

We know that no one begotten by God sins;
but the one begotten by God he protects,
and the Evil One cannot touch him.
We know that we belong to God,
and the whole world is under the power of the Evil One.
We also know that the Son of God has come
and has given us discernment to know the one who is true.
And we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ.
He is the true God and eternal life.
Children, be on your guard against idols. 

It is because we are the children of the Father that we can ask for anything in accordance with this will and he will grant it. We must first be and experience life as being his children. We need to have this intimate relationship with God or Father whom we call “Abba”. Let us remember that we should always pray according to his will because he has nothing in mind except what is best for us. Let s then surrender to his will. We can do no better for ourselves either. 

There is a deadly sin, our author says. He is writing in the context of his time and situation. Some who had been members of their community had left and now denied Christ. For him this is a deadly sin because it has cut them off from the source of life. He doesn’t tell his people to pray for them but it is not forbidden to pray for them.  

Responsorial Psalm Ps 149:1-2, 3-4, 5 and 6a and 9b
R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia. 

Gospel Jn 2:1-11
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there.
Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.
When the wine ran short,
the mother of Jesus said to him,
"They have no wine."
And Jesus said to her,
"Woman, how does your concern affect me?
My hour has not yet come."
His mother said to the servers,
"Do whatever he tells you."
Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,
each holding twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus told them,
"Fill the jars with water."
So they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them,
"raw some out now and take it to the headwaiter."
So they took it.
And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,
without knowing where it came from
(although the servers who had drawn the water knew),
the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,
"veryone serves good wine first,
and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;
but you have kept the good wine until now."
Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee
and so revealed his glory,
and his disciples began to believe in him.

Jesus is the New Adam who through his obedience to his Father will bring God’s blessings onto the whole world. He is the start of the New Creation which this time will reach its fulfilment. The hour of those blessings is the moment he offers his whole life to the Father for our sake. That is the moment of his death. His mother has the role of the New Eve. She has confidence in her Son. This miracle brought about by the intercession of the New Eve is symbolic of the blessings that Jesus will bring us by his death. Our life will be transformed as the water was transformed into excellent wine. Jesus gives this gift to those who live in him. Through Jesus, we enjoy God’s life now and this transforms our human life. We are to drink his wine now. Have you experienced it?