Opening
Prayer
Lord
God, compassionate Father,
every day we meet people who suffer,
who have been tried hard in life,
who have encountered evil and pain.
What shall we say to them?
Let us, like Jesus, try to understand the pains
of our neighbor in need
feel with them, and be reliable friends,
perhaps in respectful silence,
on account of him who suffered our pains
and shared in our ills,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Liturgy
of the Word
First
Reading Introduction:
One
cannot really understand the sufferings of others without having passed
through suffering. Try to tell a husband who has lost his wife or
someone who has met an accident, “I know what you are suffering,”
or “It is not so bad,” and he will answer, or at least think, “You
don’t know, because it is not you who suffer.” Jesus, says Paul’s
disciple, could be compassionate and understand us because he suffered
for us and became one of us.
First
Reading: Heb 2:14-18
And because all those children share one same nature of flesh and
blood, Jesus likewise had to share this nature. This is why his death
destroyed the one holding the power of death, that is the devil, and
freed those who remained in bondage all their lifetime because of
the fear of death.
Jesus
came to take by the hand not the angels but the human race. So he
had to be like his brothers and sisters in every respect, in order
to be the High Priest faithful to God and merciful to them, a priest
able to ask pardon and atone for their sins. Having been tested through
suffering, he is able to help those who are tested.
Responsorial
Psalm: Psalms 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9
R
(8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R
(8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations.
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Gospel
Reading Introduction:
The gospel shows this compassion of Jesus to those afflicted with
all sorts of ills, to the brokenhearted. He is committed against death
and misery. Isn’t that the mission he entrusts also to us today?
Gospel
Reading: Mk 1:29-39
As
soon as Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue, Jesus went to
the home of Simon and Andrew with James and John. As Simon's mother-in-law
was sick in bed with fever, they immediately told him about her. Jesus
went to her and taking her by the hand, raised her up. The fever left
her and she began to wait on them. That evening at sundown, people
brought to Jesus all the sick and those who had evil spirits: the
whole town was pressing around the door. Jesus healed many who had
various diseases, and drove out many demons; but he did not let them
speak, for they knew who he was.
Very
early in the morning, before daylight, Jesus went off to a lonely
place where he prayed. Simon and the others went out, too, searching
for him; and when they found him they said, "Everyone is looking
for you." Then Jesus answered, "Let's go to the nearby villages
so that I may preach there too; for that is why I came." So Jesus
set out to preach in all the synagogues throughout Galilee; he also
cast out demons.
Commentary
MARK'S
gospel moves at a furious pace in the first chapter. Baptism, the
calling of four disciples, teaching in the synagogue, calling the
evil spirit out of the man in the synagogue. Now he leaves the place
of worship with his disciples and immediately takes the hand of
Simon's mother-in-law, sick in bed with a fever and lifts her up.
He grasps her by the hand for the victory of justice and raises
her to life! And she, in gratitude waits on them. In the startling
moment of healing we can miss the fact that she has become one of
his disciples, described as waiting on them-the role of the deacon!
This is Jesus' mission: to preach, to heal, to raise up, to make
disciples and to do this he prays every moment that he can steal.
But it is as though he refuels and returns to his work, recharged
with the Spirit he was given at Baptism. What are we doing with
that Spirit shared with us? And does our prayer recharge us for
the work that needs to be done now?
General
Intercessions
–
For all who preach the gospel, that they may speak of the Good News
of Christ in the light of the people’s everyday life and needs, we
pray:
–
For all who care for the sick, that they may never tire of treating
them with personal attention and infinite respect, as they would do
for the Lord himself, we pray:
–
For our Christian communities, that we may be of one heart and soul
and not allow any among us to be in need, we pray:
Prayer
over the Gifts
God
our Father,
in these signs of bread and wine
you let again come among us
him who is compassionate and reliable
because he shared in our death and pain,
your Son Jesus Christ.
Let every bit of anguish and grief
bring us a deeper understanding of ourselves,
of life and of our neighbor
and help us to be closer to your Son,
who is our Lord for ever and ever.
Prayer
After Communion
God
our Father,
we have a friend and brother
who has been tried and tested
as we are put to the test at times.
He has been here with us;
we have taken part in his sacrifice.
Give us now his Spirit of strength
to stand firm in our trials,
to grow through them as human beings and Christians,
and to stand by the side of those
who are submerged in suffering.
May this be our way of sharing in everyday life
in the sacrifice of your Son
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Who
can understand better our pain and suffering than the Son of God,
who went through our temptations, our suffering, our death for our
sake. He knows and stands by our side in our difficult moments. May
almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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