Sunday - February 07, 2021
"The love of God is the end to which the love of neighbor is directed. God is loved in our neighbor."
--St. Thomas Aquinas
TODAY'S READINGS
February 7, 2021
Fifth
Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 74
Job spoke, saying:
Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?
Are not his days those of hirelings?
He is a slave who longs for the shade,
a hireling who waits for his wages.
So I have been assigned months of misery,
and troubled nights have been allotted to me.
If in bed I say, “When shall I arise?”
then the night drags on;
I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.
Remember that my life is like the wind;
I shall not see happiness again.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (cf. 3a) Praise the Lord, who
heals the brokenhearted.
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
Reading 2 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23
Brothers and sisters:
If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,
for an obligation has been imposed on me,
and woe to me if I do not preach it!
If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,
but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
What then is my recompense?
That, when I preach,
I offer the gospel free of charge
so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ took away
our infirmities
and bore our
diseases.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn, he left
and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”
So he went into their synagogues,
preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
Partnership with Christ
This Sunday's reading from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians describes my own ministry of writing these Good News Reflections:
If I preach the Good News, this is no reason for me to boast,
because I have an obligation to do this,
and woe to me if I do not do it!
If I do so willingly, I'm rewarded for it,
but if unwillingly, I'm merely fulfilling my responsibility of stewardship.
What then is my reward?
That, when I share the Good News,
I am able to offer it free of charge so that all may benefit.
Saint Paul was not saying it's wrong to charge a fee. In fact, Jesus said that the worker deserves his wages (Luke 10:7). But Paul knew that what matters most is being a good steward of the gifts that God has given us.
I am delighted that I can provide, without charging any fees, the Good News Reflections to you and thousands of other subscribers (plus untold others who receive them as forwarded messages or who read them on the Good News Ministries website or on Facebook). It's the generosity of partners in ministry -- the benefactors who support Good News Ministries -- that makes it possible.
Father Henri Nouwen said, "Fund-raising is proclaiming what we believe in such a way that we offer other people an opportunity to participate with us in our vision and mission." GNM's major end-of-year fund-raiser, and the donations link that's included year-round in each email and on the website, is a ministry of giving people the opportunity to join me and my team of staff and volunteers in the stewardship of preaching the Good News. Let me take this moment as an opportunity to thank all those who participate with me in the mission of Good News Ministries: Thank you!
When the collection basket comes to us in church or the pastor asks for more money or more time from parishioners, this is not wrong. It is our participation in the mission of the parish. How generously do we participate?
We have all been entrusted with an obligation to continue the ministry of Christ on earth in our contemporary world. A Christian who does not follow Christ in ministry has a lazy faith, or a self-focused faith, an unlively faith. Using your gifts, talents, wisdom, knowledge, compassion, etc., generously for the benefit of the faith of others is an alive faith. The immediate reward is a joyful awareness of being in partnership with Christ.
The Gospel reading for this Sunday shows us the generosity of Peter's mother-in-law in sharing her talent of hospitality. And it shows us the determination of Jesus to preach the gospel widely and tirelessly.
Both are examples of good stewardship. All gifts and talents and financial earnings are blessings from God that are meant to be shared.
What have you received from God? How much of it is being shared with others? What seems too inadequate to give away? How can you become a better steward of God's gifts? Name any service that you provide: How important is it to you that you keep doing it no matter what? How important to Jesus do you think it is? Why?
Today's Prayer
May all Your children, Lord, be aware of Your light in us. May we work together so that it may transform the darkness in our hearts. Amen.
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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