February 14
Memorial of Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop
Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intentions
7:45 AM – Robert Rodite / Pam Shimer & 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
James 1:1-11
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.
Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it. But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.
The brother in lowly circumstances
should take pride in high standing,
and the rich one in his lowliness,
for he will pass away “like the flower of the field.”
For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass,
its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes.
So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 119:67, 68, 71, 72, 75, 76
R. (77a) Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I hold to your promise.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
You are good and bountiful;
teach me your statutes.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
I know, O LORD, that your ordinances are just,
and in your faithfulness you have afflicted me.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Gospel Acclamation
John 14:6
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 8:11-13
The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore.
“Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.”
Reflection
Today’s readings are focused on the concept of faith–or the lack thereof. The apostle James speaks of faith as something that helps us to make it through the trials that this world can put upon us. In fact, James tells us that those trials will produce a higher level of perseverance in us and teach us wisdom. Faith produces a level of understanding of the ways of the world as well, including an appreciation of our mortality. When we think about how long–or how short–our lives can be, James wants us to recognize that attachments to things like money and achievement are not worth much in the larger picture of God’s Kingdom.
The scene we come upon in the Gospel of Mark has the Pharisees questioning Jesus because they have no faith in what Jesus has done. They are asking him for a sign even though he has done many of them, from raising the dead to giving sight to the blind. This lack of faith is a product of the hypocrisy that characterizes their rule over the Jewish people. They do not have any love for God or for the people, and because of this, they can’t conceive of anyone else making sacrifices for others out of love. But what they can never understand is that Jesus is all about love and is going to make the greatest sacrifice a person can make, giving up his life for the sins of mankind.
For us, the idea of love comes to fruition when we sacrifice things for others. We sacrifice for our children, often giving of our time and money to get them things we know that they want. What we could do is to make a leap of faith and go beyond the love we show our children and recognize that we are all children of God.
Peace,
Deacon Dare
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