January 24
Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intentions
7:45 AM – Christiene Deville / Sister
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Readings
First Reading
2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10
All the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said: “Here we are, your bone and your flesh. In days past, when Saul was our king, it was you who led the children of Israel out and brought them back. And the LORD said to you, ‘You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.’” When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron, King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD, and they anointed him king of Israel. David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years: seven years and six months in Hebron over Judah, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem over all Israel and Judah.
Then the king and his men set out for Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the region. David was told, “You cannot enter here: the blind and the lame will drive you away!” which was their way of saying, “David cannot enter here.” But David did take the stronghold of Zion, which is the City of David.
David grew steadily more powerful, for the LORD of hosts was with him.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 89:20, 21-22, 25-26
R. (25a) My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
Once you spoke in a vision,
and to your faithful ones you said:
“On a champion I have placed a crown;
over the people I have set a youth.”
R. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
“I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
That my hand may be always with him,
and that my arm may make him strong.”
R. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
“My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,
and through my name shall his horn be exalted.
I will set his hand upon the sea,
his right hand upon the rivers.”
R. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
Gospel Acclamation
See 2 Timothy 1:10
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 3:22-30
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”
Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,
“How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself,
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided,
he cannot stand;
that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder his house.
Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies
that people utter will be forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin.”
For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
“My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.”
Reflection
Today, the story of David’s ascent to the throne of Israel is completed when the tribes of Israel come to him and ask him to lead them. After many battles and confrontations, David can finally usher in the peace that he and his people have longed for. The most important part of what is recognized by the tribes is that David has been guided in his work of rescuing the people from Saul’s evilness because God is with him. While the Israelites are not big fans of God in terms of their worship, they can see that it will do them no good to fight against him. Thus, his reign lasts a long time, and he becomes the greatest of the Israelite kings. This is important because the prophecies that usher in the time of Jesus are all focused on how his reign will be greater than David’s.
In the Gospel, we see Jesus being confronted by the scribes over the healing of a man who was possessed by the devil. They assume that since Jesus does not ascribe to the way they worship, that he could not be the promised Messiah who comes through the lineage of David. Their problem is that they are wrapped up in their hypocrisy, enjoying the people’s adulation and their money, but not putting any of the love and mercy that God asks of his people into their faith. Jesus goes on to tell them about how Satan works, sending evil spirits to take over the minds and hearts of people who are not strong in their faith.
There is a lesson here for all of us who struggle to stay strong in our faith. God can help us in many ways to keep Satan at bay, but He can only do this if we let Him.
In peace,
Deacon Dare
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