bulk measurements
February 4, 2024 (USCCB website material)
gather prayers
Regular 5th Sunday: Lord, protect your family with constant care so that they are always protected by your protection, relying only on the hope of heavenly grace. Through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, He lives and reigns with you forever in union with God, the Holy Spirit.
show
Recipe (1)
show
Activity details (1)
show
prayer (3)
show
library (2)
show
Blogs and Podcasts (5)
» Enjoy the Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!
When he left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law was lying down with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He walked over and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet. Then she had a fever and took care of them (Mark 1:30-31).
Today is World Day of Prayer for the Consecrated Life.
Commentary on the Mass reading for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B:
of first reading taken from Job 7:1-4, 6-7. The author cries out in his misery, talks about life and death, quotes his restlessness and struggle in life, and says that he will never see happiness again.
of Second reading It is from St. Paul’s 1st Epistle to the Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23. In this part of his letter, St. Paul exhorts the Corinthian converts to always be ready to surrender their rights if the edification or spiritual welfare of their neighbors is at risk.
of gospel from St. Mark 1:29-39. Indeed, the people of Capernaum had seen enough of the first day of Christ’s public ministry among them to believe that this man from Nazareth was an ordinary preacher, an ordinary rabbi, an ordinary man. I would have made you understand that there is no such thing. They saw him preaching as a man of authority. They saw that by simple commands he cast out evil spirits and removed all bodily diseases. However, although they were surprised and amazed at his power, their worldly outlook did not allow them to act beyond their own small interests. Our Lord did not condemn or criticize them. The Lord knew and fully understood their dullness of heart in spiritual matters. He also knew that they would eventually give themselves wholeheartedly to the Kingdom. Jesus was ready to wait for the desired effect that his miracles and preaching would eventually have on them, but he prayed to his heavenly Father to send him the grace necessary for their conversion, so that the day would come. hastened.
When the four apostles found him praying in a lonely place, they said that all of Capernaum was looking for him, but that he knew why they were looking for him. They wanted to see more miracles and probably expected him to remain in Capernaum and the sick and disabled from all over Galilee to be brought there for healing. This will increase their business and prosperity on earth. His answer to the apostles was not a direct condemnation of this worldly view, but it shows that his mission had an entirely different purpose. Jesus came to earth not to bring earthly prosperity to any city or nation, but to bring spiritual salvation and blessing to all people. That very morning, he began carrying out his mission, and for the rest of the two-plus years he preached the kingdom of God from town to town.
We Christians today have many advantages over the people of Capernaum back then. They saw Christ as a power among them. With eyes of faith, we see Jesus as He was and is, the Son of God who came to earth as a man to make us children of God. We know who he really is and we know the full meaning of his mission. We have seen that mission completed among us through his death on the cross and resurrection. He conquered death for us by His own death. He opened the gates of heaven for us through his resurrection and led the way there for all who follow him.
This is the good news that Christ brought to our world. This is the meaning of Christianity. This is why we are Christians. Because we are part of Christ’s kingdom on earth, when our life here ends, we will be part of God’s eternal kingdom in heaven. But when you look at all of this knowledge and the examples of thousands and millions of saints who have lived by it over the past 1,900 years and are now enjoying the rewards that Christianity has promised them, how positive are they? And you’ll see how effective it is. Is our Christian faith reflected in our daily thoughts and actions? Am I chosen as a Christian in my daily interactions with my fellow humans? Through my words and actions, I am convinced that there is a life after death for the people I live and work with, and that reaching that life is the most important thing in this world to me. Is it possible to live a short earthly life as a true Christian and gain eternal life?
If I can answer yes to these questions, thank God, I’m on the right path. But if my answer is no, it’s time to take another hard look at where I went off track and see if I can get back on the right track again. God is merciful. Christ is patient with His struggling and wandering followers, but deferring the call to a God of mercy for too long can be fatal. If we delay turning to the patient Christ until he is close to death, it will be too late. Today, stop getting lost or wandering off the path. Then the patient Christ will welcome you and help restore you. There may not be a tomorrow for you, and there is no guarantee of it.
-excerpt Sunday reading session From Father Kevin O’Sullivan, OFM