February 18
Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
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Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intentions
7:45 AM – Carl Shumway / Caryn Scuderi & 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 2:14-24, 26
What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,”
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.
Indeed someone might say,
“You have faith and I have works.”
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
You believe that God is one.
You do well.
Even the demons believe that and tremble.
Do you want proof, you ignoramus,
that faith without works is useless?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works
when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
You see that faith was active along with his works,
and faith was completed by the works.
Thus the Scripture was fulfilled that says,
Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness,
and he was called the friend of God.
See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
For just as a body without a spirit is dead,
so also faith without works is dead.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (see 1b) Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.
Gospel Acclamation
John 15:15b
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 8:34–9:1
Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
He also said to them, “Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the Kingdom of God has come in power.”
“Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.”
Reflection
One of the most powerful forces in our world is that of active faith. It has been said that faith can move mountains, and while that may be true, there are much more practical applications that we can accomplish with our faith and our actions.
We can see that James is focused on how we can help others through the practical application of our faith. When we know that people are hungry, thirsty, and naked, we can take steps to provide them with food, drink, and clothing in order to display our works—our active faith—to the world. These acts of kindness have a two-fold effect on others. The first is that they understand that actions can be taken to make life better for the poor, and the second effect is that they can give glory to God for the kind and loving acts that we have accomplished. Thus it is that active faith that can make our world a better place.
James also goes a step further in saying that without these types of faith filled actions, our faith is useless. He makes an excellent point in saying that the demons believe and tremble. I think that we can safely say that the Devil (Lucifer) has faith that God exists. I think that we can also say that the Devil is not going to go to heaven because he is the embodiment of evil. Is his faith active? Not in any good way. In fact, everything the Devil does is aimed at tearing down the Kingdom of God. Thus it is that faith is not the only thing that will save us and bring us to heaven. Our faith must be paired with actions that are helpful to others in our world. Let us go forth into the world and make it a better, more loving place.
God bless,
Deacon Dare
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