"The religion established by the sacrament of the Cross of Christ
cannot be destroyed by any kind of cruelty."
--Pope St. Leo the Great
"The religion established by the sacrament of the Cross of Christ
cannot be destroyed by any kind of cruelty."
--Pope St. Leo the Great
January 12, 2021
Tuesday of the First
Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 306
It was not to angels that God subjected the world to come,
of which we are speaking.
Instead, someone has testified somewhere:
What is man that you are mindful of him,
or the son of man that you care for him?
You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
you crowned him with glory and honor,
subjecting all things under his feet.
In “subjecting” all things to him,
he left nothing not “subject to him.”
Yet at present we do not see “all things subject to him,”
but we do see Jesus “crowned with glory and honor”
because he suffered death,
he who “for a little while” was made “lower than the angels,”
that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting that he,
for whom and through whom all things exist,
in bringing many children to glory,
should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.
He who consecrates
and those who are being consecrated all have one origin.
Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them “brothers” saying:
I will proclaim your name to my brethren,
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you.
Responsorial Psalm
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 man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. 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. 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. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Receive the word of
God, not as the word of men,
but as it truly is,
the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers,
and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
“What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
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THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY IN EVANGELIZATION
In today's Gospel passage, Jesus proclaims: "The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the good news!" Do you know anyone who's on the wrong path, sinning, away from God, away from the Church? How we wish we could successfully convey Christ's invitation to them. We wonder: How can we do it?
Observe how Jesus did it. He gathered a team and formed them into a community. By his example, he shows us that we are never meant to evangelize alone. If you're the only one inviting a coworker or family member to recognize their need for Christ, the message conveyed is that you're an odd-ball fanatic who should be ignored. But when God sends one messenger after another into that person's life, each delivering the message in their own unique ways, the reign of God becomes more obviously real.
And when that person is invited into a community that is joyful, faith-filled, and friendly, the reign of God becomes desirable! (This is why every parish needs to -- by divinely ordained accountability -- examine how welcoming they are and how to improve.)
Whom have you tried to evangelize but failed? Fear not! Our individual failures are not the end of God's plan: We are only part of the plan. We are not the Savior; we are the fisher-men and -women who use our own lives as bait to attract others to his love. But it takes more than one person to handle the net that catches them.
Notice that the disciples abandoned the net they had made to answer the call of Jesus. Simon, Andrew, James and John were already experiencing community with each other; we can imagine the camaraderie and commiserating they shared after a hard day's work. But Jesus invited them to become part of a bigger community with a greater purpose.
What do you have to let go of in order to follow Jesus into community and its collaborative mission of evangelization? Your individualism? A too-busy schedule that caters to your own private goals? A fear of inadequacy? A lazy attitude that God will send someone else to do the work? Community is the cure for all of these sins!
As a Christian, you belong to the same community that the Apostles joined. What are you doing to help it with its outreach mission? What are you doing to receive growth and strength and support from the community so you can do what God has called you to do? What are you doing to build a community that is joyful, faith-filled, and friendly so that the reign of God becomes desirable to those who come to church after a long time away?
Today's Prayer
Jesus, You meet me where I am and offer me eternal life. Grant me the grace that I never reject Your love and Your mercy. Amen.
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God Bless You.....
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