Opening Prayer

God our Father,
you let your Son Jesus Christ
share the lot of outcasts
and bear the sufferings of all.
Let us become like him,
so that among us no one stays an outcast,
no sin remains unforgivable,
no misery is a cause for rejection.
Make us with your Son
people who lift up the despised
with words of welcome
and deeds of encouragement.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction:

Among the Jews the Ark of the Covenant was the sign of God's presence. This is why as the people moved, the ark moved with them. God was where his people were. Also in their clashes with the Philistines they wanted God to be on their side for their Jihad, their holy war, but they forgot that they would also have to live as God's people, otherwise the presence of the ark would be without value.

First Reading: 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.

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

R/  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 neighbors,
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 Introduction:

There is the story of the father whose child had been born badly deformed. He was disheartened and could not love it. But one day he said: “If I can only kiss and touch it, then I can completely accept it.” And that is what he did. Jesus did not only heal the leper but he touched him, showing that he loved and accepted the man completely.

Gospel Reading: Mk 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and begged him, "If you so will, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." The leprosy left the man at once and he was made clean. As Jesus sent the man away, he sternly warned him, "Don't tell anyone about this, but go and show yourself to the priest and for the cleansing bring the offering ordered by Moses; in this way you will make your declaration."

However, as soon as the man went out, he began spreading the news everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter any town. But even though he stayed in the rural areas, people came to him from everywhere.