Saturday - February 05, 2022
“If we always see God in our minds, and always remember Him, everything will appear tolerable to us.”
--St. John Chrysostom
TODAY'S READINGS
MEMORIAL OF SAINT AGATHA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR
Lectionary: 328
1 Kgs 3:4-13
Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice there,
because that was the most renowned high place.
Upon its altar Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings.
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.
God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.”
Solomon answered:
“You have shown great favor to your servant, my father David,
because he behaved faithfully toward you,
with justice and an upright heart;
and you have continued this great favor toward him, even today,
seating a son of his on his throne.
O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant,
king to succeed my father David;
but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.
I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,
a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”
The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.
So God said to him: “Because you have asked for this–
not for a long life for yourself,
nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies,
but for understanding so that you may know what is right–
I do as you requested.
I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now,
and after you there will come no one to equal you.
In addition, I give you what you have not asked for,
such riches and glory that among kings there is not your like.”
Responsorial Psalm 119:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
R. (12b) Lord, teach me your statutes.
How shall a young man be faultless in his way?
By keeping to your words.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Within my heart I treasure your promise,
that I may not sin against you.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
With my lips I declare
all the ordinances of your mouth.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
In the way of your decrees I rejoice,
as much as in all riches.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Alleluia Jn 10:27
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mk 6:30-34
The Apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.
When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.
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Jesus, The Shepherd King
Opening Prayer: Jesus, bless me as I hear your sacred word. Help me to listen to your voice and follow you always.
Encountering Christ:
Servant Leadership: Jesus called the Apostles to servant leadership in imitation of him. Jesus told his Apostles, “whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43-45). Servant leaders put the needs of the people before their own needs. The Apostles, for example, were so busy serving the people that they did not even have a chance to eat! St. John Paul II taught what he called the law of the gift: “We become most truly human in the measure in which we go out of ourselves and give ourselves for the sake of others.” This means we find true meaning and joy in our lives precisely to the degree that we give our lives away to God and others.
The Good Shepherd: When Jesus looked at the people, he saw their need. They were confused, disordered, and sinful, and there was no one to lead them out of this condition. They were sheep without a shepherd wandering aimlessly: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). They were also unprotected from predators; they were vulnerable to wolves, thieves, and bandits (John 10:7-12). Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He leads, guides, protects, feeds, and cares for us. If we allow him, Jesus protects us from modern predators who would distract us, steal our peace, or otherwise harm us.
Israel’s True Shepherd: The people of Israel had been sheep without a shepherd for hundreds of years. In the years after King David, Israel had a line of corrupt, inadequate rulers. Consequently, they were conquered, exiled, and taken to Babylon. When they returned, they were ruled over by vassal kings who had their own interests in mind, not those of the people; King Herod was only the latest in a long line of “kings” who answered to Rome and controlled the Jewish people. Jesus, the true King of Israel, revealed himself to be a shepherd ruler, modeling his ancestor David. This scene precedes the miraculous feeding of the five thousand. As this Gospel passage continues, Jesus demonstrates how a good king cares for his people: he teaches them (v. 34), creates order (v. 39, and feeds them (vs. 41-42). Are we teachable? How can we allow Jesus to create order where there is disorder in our life? Do we allow Jesus to feed the hungry parts of our soul?
Conversing with Christ: My Jesus, thank you for being the true shepherd King. I want to sanctify you as Lord of my heart and enthrone you as King there (cf. 1 Peter 3:15). I am sorry for the times when I have not allowed you to guide and rule my heart and for when I have wandered away from your care. Thank you for coming to find me when I have strayed from the flock (cf. Luke 15:4). May I always listen to your voice and follow you, my Good Shepherd.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will read John 10: 1-18 and meditate on the image of you as my Good Shepherd.
Today's Prayer
To follow Your ways, Lord, means giving up everything for You. It means leaving behind what dies in this life. It means walking towards the eternal abundance You provided on the cross for me. Give me the strength I need to say "yes", even though it is sometimes difficult. 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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