MASS READINGS & SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Saturday - January 29, 2022

Saturday - January 29, 2022

"The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist." 

--Pope St. Leo I

January 29, 2022

SATURDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Lectionary: 322

 

Reading 1                                                     2 Sm 12:1-7a, 10-17

 

The LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he came to him,

Nathan said: “Judge this case for me!

In a certain town there were two men, one rich, the other poor.

The rich man had flocks and herds in great numbers.

But the poor man had nothing at all

except one little ewe lamb that he had bought.

He nourished her, and she grew up with him and his children.

She shared the little food he had

and drank from his cup and slept in his bosom.

She was like a daughter to him.

Now, the rich man received a visitor,

but he would not take from his own flocks and herds

to prepare a meal for the wayfarer who had come to him.

Instead he took the poor man’s ewe lamb

and made a meal of it for his visitor.”

David grew very angry with that man and said to him:

“As the LORD lives, the man who has done this merits death!

He shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold

because he has done this and has had no pity.”

 

Then Nathan said to David:  “You are the man!

Thus says the LORD God of Israel:

‘The sword shall never depart from your house,

because you have despised me

and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.’

Thus says the LORD:

‘I will bring evil upon you out of your own house.

I will take your wives while you live to see it,

and will give them to your neighbor.

He shall lie with your wives in broad daylight.

You have done this deed in secret,

but I will bring it about in the presence of all Israel,

and with the sun looking down.’”

 

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

Nathan answered David: “The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin:

you shall not die.

But since you have utterly spurned the LORD by this deed,

the child born to you must surely die.”

Then Nathan returned to his house.

 

The LORD struck the child that the wife of Uriah had borne to David,

and it became desperately ill.

David besought God for the child.

He kept a fast, retiring for the night

to lie on the ground clothed in sackcloth.

The elders of his house stood beside him

urging him to rise from the ground; but he would not,

nor would he take food with them.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                              51:12-13, 14-15, 16-17

 

R.        (12a)  Create a clean heart in me, O God.

 

A clean heart create for me, O God,

            and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

Cast me not out from your presence,

            and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

R.        Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,

            and a willing spirit sustain in me.

I will teach transgressors your ways,

            and sinners shall return to you.

R.        Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God;

            then my tongue shall revel in your justice.

O Lord, open my lips,

            and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

R.        Create a clean heart in me, O God.

 

Alleluia                                                                      Jn 3:16                      

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,

so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel                                                                       Mk 4:35-41

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:

“Let us cross to the other side.”

Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.

And other boats were with him.

A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,

so that it was already filling up.

Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.

They woke him and said to him,

“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

He woke up,

rebuked the wind,

and said to the sea, “Quiet!  Be still!”

The wind ceased and there was great calm.

Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified?

Do you not yet have faith?”

They were filled with great awe and said to one another,

“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

 

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JESUS WANTS TO CALM YOUR STORMS

This Saturday's Gospel reading, in which Jesus calms the storm, is a good image of how to handle adversity as a Christian. The question that Jesus asked is a tough one, though. It gets to the point of why we don't feel calm when freedom-stealing pandemics, health problems, anti-truth cancel culture, corporate corruption, family breakups, and other adversities blow into our lives. He asks: "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith in Me?"

 

I believe that the activities of evil will continue to worsen until enough people wake up to the truth and turn to Christ. How calm we feel during this period and any other adversity is a measure of how much we rely on Jesus.

 

If we truly trust Jesus, we can calmly smile and say to ourselves (and to anyone who will listen): "Regardless of what this looks like, Jesus has got it. He's bigger than this. He's working a plan that will turn out very good, and we'll be glad that he didn't take shortcuts to get there."

 

My favorite prayer for this is: "Lord Jesus, I trust in You. Take care of everything."

 

What interferes with your experience of totally trusting Jesus? Perhaps you're watching the news too much. Perhaps you don't know where to find good and truthful news in the media. Perhaps you have people in your life who undermine your joy.

 

These things challenge our patience, our endurance, and our hopefulness. Those who are caught up in Satan's lies challenge our ability to love unconditionally and our quickness to forgive. In other words, they challenge the depth of our faith. The more vulnerable we are to these challenges, the more easily our faith is tossed around by the destructive forces of the storm.

 

Are these evils responsible for our faith? Is victory over evil the source of our joy? No! We must not give evil such control over our lives. Our response is always our choice, and if we fail to take ownership of this, we let evil toss us around like wind-driven waves on the sea. The devil wants to make us doubt God's goodness, his love, and his desire to help. But we don't have to give him any wins. It's our decision.

 

It starts with a proclamation of the truth, spoken from our hearts loudly enough and often enough to cut through our doubts. However, speaking the truth is not enough to turn our doubting minds into joyful trust. Faith, trust, and joy are not moods. They are a relationship with Christ. The stronger our personal relationship with Jesus is, the stronger our faith is. The stronger our trust becomes. And his joy is our joy.

 

Repent of disbelief and distrust. Repent of laziness in learning more about the Faith. Then you will know that Jesus is always walking beside you with his arm is around you. You will be filled with hope instead of fear because of your intimate friendship with the Redeemer.

 

"Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?" means, "Why do you let things frighten you? If we have a strong friendship, you know you can lean on Me."

 

Today's Prayer

 

I thank you, Blessed Mother, because you intercede for my needs before your Son. I wait with confidence while working the changes that Jesus wants to make in my life. Amen.

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God Bless You.....

The Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”