February 1
Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intentions
7:45 AM – Hilda Loguidice / Ava & Mike
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 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30–19:3
Absalom unexpectedly came up against David’s servants. He was mounted on a mule, and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large terebinth, his hair caught fast in the tree. He hung between heaven and earth while the mule he had been riding ran off. Someone saw this and reported to Joab that he had seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth. And taking three pikes in hand, he thrust for the heart of Absalom, still hanging from the tree alive.
Now David was sitting between the two gates, and a lookout went up to the roof of the gate above the city wall, where he looked about and saw a man running all alone. The lookout shouted to inform the king, who said, “If he is alone, he has good news to report.” The king said, “Step aside and remain in attendance here.” So he stepped aside and remained there. When the Cushite messenger came in, he said, “Let my lord the king receive the good news that this day the LORD has taken your part, freeing you from the grasp of all who rebelled against you.” But the king asked the Cushite, “Is young Absalom safe?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rebel against you with evil intent be as that young man!”
The king was shaken, and went up to the room over the city gate to weep. He said as he wept, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”
Joab was told that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom; and that day’s victory was turned into mourning for the whole army when they heard that the king was grieving for his son.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (1a) Listen, Lord, and answer me.
Incline your ear, O LORD; answer me,
for I am afflicted and poor.
Keep my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
Gospel Acclamation
Matthew 8:17
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 5:21-43
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.” He went off with him and a large crowd followed him.
There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?” But his disciples said to him, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, Who touched me?” And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”
While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.
“Listen, Lord, and answer me.”
Reflection
Our readings today present us with passages full of scenes we can insert ourselves into and imagine…loss, intense grief, sickness, healing, and Jesus’ presence and words once again having profound power.
In discovering more and more about the Sacraments, one must certainly engage the reality of the efficaciousness of them, meaning that from an objective standpoint, the Sacraments do what they proclaim to do. For example, when done validly according to the order and rites prescribed by the Church, Jesus has assured us that these Sacraments are the ordinary means of receiving his grace: sins are indeed forgiven and wiped away forever in Reconciliation, bread and wine really are transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Christ, etc. The efficaciousness of the Sacrament points us to the objective reality behind it, and we fully have confidence in them because Jesus himself established them.
Yet, the Sacraments also demand our participation, our free assent and our faith in the gift of grace being offered to us in them leads to the fruitfulness of a Sacrament. We see this vividly on display in our gospel reading today. Filled with faith, the confidence of Jairus and the woman afflicted with hemorrhages demonstrate their trust that Jesus can in fact heal, and that Jesus is in fact the Lord and author of life. We can learn from this chapter of Mark that the Lord utilizes our participation, our preparedness, our desire as a door to transforming us. Objectively, yes, we all receive the same amount of grace in the Sacrament, but the fruitfulness—the transformative impact of that grace—grows as Jesus grows and expands our heart and our capacity to receive from him.
Today let’s implore the Lord to bestow grace upon us that expands our hearts to receive from him everything that he desires to give us. May any hardness of heart or unbelief be cast out so that we can have confidence that the Lord’s presence and words can have the same profound power for us today, now in our lives, just as they did then for Jairus and this afflicted woman.
Peace,
Fr. Foley
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