January 27
Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intentions
7:45 AM – Parishioners of Holy Cross & Living Intention of the Vito Family
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 7:18-19, 24-29
After Nathan had spoken to King David, the king went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, Lord GOD, and who are the members of my house, that you have brought me to this point? Yet even this you see as too little, Lord GOD; you have also spoken of the house of your servant for a long time to come: this too you have shown to man, Lord GOD!
“You have established for yourself your people Israel as yours forever, and you, LORD, have become their God. And now, LORD God, confirm for all time the prophecy you have made concerning your servant and his house, and do as you have promised. Your name will be forever great, when men say, ‘The LORD of hosts is God of Israel,’ and the house of your servant David stands firm before you. It is you, LORD of hosts, God of Israel, who said in a revelation to your servant, ‘I will build a house for you.’ Therefore your servant now finds the courage to make this prayer to you. And now, Lord GOD, you are God and your words are truth; you have made this generous promise to your servant. Do, then, bless the house of your servant that it may be before you forever; for you, Lord GOD, have promised, and by your blessing the house of your servant shall be blessed forever.”
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 132:1-2, 3-5, 11, 12, 13-14
R. (Lk 1:32b) The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
LORD, remember David
and all his anxious care;
How he swore an oath to the LORD,
vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob.
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
“I will not enter the house where I live,
nor lie on the couch where I sleep;
I will give my eyes no sleep,
my eyelids no rest,
Till I find a home for the LORD,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
The LORD swore an oath to David
a firm promise from which he will not withdraw:
“Your own offspring
I will set upon your throne.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
“If your sons keep my covenant,
and the decrees which I shall teach them,
Their sons, too, forever
shall sit upon your throne.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
For the LORD has chosen Zion,
he prefers her for his dwelling:
“Zion is my resting place forever;
in her I will dwell, for I prefer her.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
Gospel Acclamation
Psalms 119:105
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 4:21-25
Jesus said to his disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you. To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
“The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.”
Reflection
Today, we return to Samuel’s account of David’s life as he assumes the throne of the kingdom of Israel. He has defeated Saul, the evil king who disobeyed God’s instructions, and is now looking forward, thinking about things he can do to further establish God’s kingdom in his country. As he ponders, David arrives at a conclusion. He prays before God and tells him that he will build a house—a temple—for him. In David’s mind, this is a great way to show his thanks for all the things that God has done for him. It makes sense, doesn’t it? But as we will see in the next verses from Samuel, God has other ideas.
In the gospel, we see a sort of continuation of David’s line of thinking. When we recognize the things that God has done for us, we ought to be very open to sharing these blessings with others. Jesus likens this process to lighting a lamp. When we light a candle or a lamp, we want that light to go as far as it possibly can in order to give illumination to our lives. Our faith in God, and our recognition of the blessings that he has given us is like a light. This light can help others to see much more clearly that God’s role in our lives is one of true beneficence and kindness. This sentiment turns into a mandate for us with Jesus telling us that the measure with which we measure will be measured out to us. If we are generous in our discipleship, God will be generous in rewarding us in heaven. Let us be as generous as we can possibly be with the things of God.
God bless,
Deacon Dare
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