Opening
Prayer
God,
source of all power,
we like to imagine that we can do great things,
but when it comes to your work,
to your kingdom of truth and justice,
we have to recognize, perhaps grudgingly,
that we are weak and ineffective.
Help us to acknowledge this weakness
not as defeat, but as our real strength,
to let your power reveal itself
in suffering, in struggles,
and in gentleness and love,
which you show us in Jesus Christ,
your Son and our Lord for ever.
Liturgy
of the Word
First
Reading Introduction:
Though
Jesus emptied himself of all privileges as God or, as the Letter to
the Hebrews says, was made lower than the angels to join us in our
wounded humanity – he who was without sin passed through death; his
suffering was the way to glory for him and for us. But his power could
not be hidden, when he spoke with authority and was leading a great
number of brothers and sister to glory.
First
Reading: Heb 2:5-12
The
angels were not given dominion over the new world of which we are
speaking. Instead someone declared in Scripture: What is man, that
you should be mindful of him, what is the son of man that you should
care for him? For a while you placed him a little lower than the angels,
but you crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion
over all things.
When
it is said that God gave him dominion over all things, nothing is
excluded. As it is, we do not yet see his dominion over all things.
But Jesus who suffered death and for a little while was placed
lower than the angels has been crowned with honor and glory. For
the merciful plan of God demanded that he experience death on behalf
of everyone.
God,
from whom all come and by whom all things exist, wanted to bring many
children to glory, and he thought it fitting to make perfect through
suffering the initiator of their salvation. So he who gives and those
who receive holiness are one. He himself is not ashamed of calling
us brothers and sisters, as we read: Lord, I will proclaim your
name to my brothers; I will praise you in the congregation.
Responsorial
Psalm: Psalms 8:2, 5, 6-7, 8-9
R
(see 7) You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
O
Lord, our Lord,
how glorious is your name over all the earth!
What is meeant that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R (see 7) You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
You
have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
R (see 7) You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
All
sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R (see 7) You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
Gospel
Introduction:
In
the gospel, Mark shows the power of God at work in Jesus, the Messiah.
It is a power that is contested by the powers of evil, that must struggle
and come to grip with contradiction and suffering, but which will
ultimately win – through struggle and contradiction. Such is also
the power of God today in the world, the power of God in answer to
our faith and prayer.
Gospel
Reading: Mk 1:21-28
Jesus
and his disciples went into the town of Capernaum and began to teach
in the synagogue during the sabbath assemblies. The people were astonished
at the way he taught, for he spoke as one having authority and not
like the teachers of the Law.
It
happened that a man with an evil spirit was in their synagogue and
he shouted, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have
you come to destroy us? I know who you are: You are the Holy One of
God." Then Jesus faced him and said with authority, "Be
silent and come out of this man!" The evil spirit shook the man
violently and, with a loud shriek, came out of him.
All
the people were astonished and they wondered, "What is this?
With what authority he preaches! He even orders evil spirits and they
obey him!" And Jesus' fame spread throughout all the country
of Galilee.
Commentary
JESUS
starts his preaching in synagogues (in parish churches) and immediately
meets with opposition from someone who knows him and is afraid of
him and his power. People were thought to be possessed by evil spirits
if they could not control their bodies and bodily functions or their
words or minds. Today it would be anyone who suffered from mental
illness, debilitating disease that attacks motor skills or manifested
itself in fits or loss of control. Sometimes those we label as insane
or unbalanced can see very clearly who someone actually is! Jesus
uses his authority, his power to balance the man and to bring him
back to a level of wholeness.
Jesus faces him, looks at him and commands silence. Today Jesus
looks at us, faces us squarely and commands us to be silent. All
of us are in need of being in the presence of Jesus and looking
hard at who we are and what evil within us needs to leave and its
control over us broken. Jesus, the Holy One of God empty us of our
violence and imbalance!
General
Intercessions
–
That in the Church we may bring to one another the healing of forgiveness
and compassion, we pray:
–
That all who are ill may keep hoping that they will be cured and that
at least they may bear their suffering in patience, we pray:
–
That in our communities we may consider it our task to share each
other’s pain and to lighten each other’s burden, we pray:
Prayer
over the Gifts
Almighty
God and Father,
through this bread and this wine
you want Jesus your Son to join us today
in our struggle to be free
as disciples who serve you and our neighbor.
Let him drive out from us
the rebellious spirit of pride and selfishness
and fill us with his good spirit,
the Holy Spirit of love and strength,
that with your Son we may be yours
now and for ever.
Prayer
After Communion
Lord
our God, we are afraid
of struggles and pain,
of weakness and apparent defeat.
Keep reminding us, not harshly but gently,
that this was the way of your Son
and that this is the way in which you always win.
And if we do not understand fully,
help us to grow in faith and trust
in your own plan for success
and in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Jesus
was teaching with authority. Why? Because he fully believed in what
he said and backed up his teaching with signs. Perhaps the greatest
sign was that he lived what he taught. May we too live as we believe,
with the Blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the
Holy Spirit.
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