Sunday - January 19, 2020
"Just
as the star of the sea guides sailors to port, so Mary guides Christ's
followers to heaven glory." --St. Thomas Aquinas
TODAY'S READINGS
January 19 2020
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 64
Reading 1IS 49:3, 5-6
The LORD said to me: You are my servant,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, the LORD says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, the LORD says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Responsorial PsalmPS 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 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.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R/ Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts 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.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R/ Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts 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.
Reading 21 COR 1:1-3
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Sosthenes our brother,
to the church of God that is in Corinth,
to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,
with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
and Sosthenes our brother,
to the church of God that is in Corinth,
to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,
with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
AlleluiaJN 1:14A, 12A
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.
To those who accepted him,
he gave power to become children of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.
To those who accepted him,
he gave power to become children of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 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 baptizing 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 heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
“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 baptizing 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 heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
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How to find healing in the Catholic Mass
This healing began at the beginning of Mass in the Penitential Rite if we had a sincere attitude of repentance. With this healing, we receive Jesus in all of his humanity and divinity. With this healing, we leave church ready to be like John the Baptist, testifying by word and by the way we live that "now I have seen that Jesus is the Son of God."
Is Mass that kind of experience for you?
All parts of the Mass contribute to this. Jesus is present in the community as we unite in song. Jesus is present in the Penitential Rite, listening to our sincerity. Jesus is present in the Liturgy of the Word: the Word read and the Word broken open like bread to nourish our spiritual growth, and when the homily is poor or absent, his Spirit preaches to us privately (straying thoughts are often an action of God). And Jesus is present in all the prayers: the ones we offer and those of the clergy.
All of Mass is meant to transform us, prepare us, and send us out from church as witnesses of the true presence of Christ in our world.
Like John the Baptist, we can say: "I did not know him." In other words: "I saw only bread and wine" and "I was sinful and didn't realize the damage I had done" and "I was wounded and did not know how to be healed."
And like John we can add: "Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God. The Holy Spirit revealed to me the presence of my Savior in the Eucharist. The Holy Spirit gently exposed my sinfulness and gave me help in overcoming them. The Holy Spirit leads me to the resources that are healing my wounds."
What is the experience of Mass like for you? If you could attend Mass daily, would you? If not, why not? If it's a scheduling problem, will you ask Jesus to change your schedule? If it's a priority problem, will you ask the Holy Spirit to increase in you a desire to sit in the true Eucharistic presence of your Savior?
Today's Prayer
My Lord, may everything that I have learned from You be submitted to Your Holy Spirit and produce in me abundant fruit as a witness of Your redemption. Amen.
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God Bless You.....
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day
through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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