Lent 1 Sunday B - Temptation of Jesus

 

1) We reflect today on the deserts to which people have been driven away:

 psychological, sociological, political and economic deserts:

-by ISIS and Al Qaida creating homeless and stateless refugees

-asylum seekers, job seekers

-divorces, unwed mothers and their children
-gambling and alcoholism
-terminal illness and elderly people
-stock markets, greed and fraud
-abandoned children, reckless teenagers

6th Week Feb 15-20

 6th Week Feb 15-20:

Feb 15 Monday: Mk 8:11-13: The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, to test him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.” 13 And he left them and getting into the boat again he departed to the other side. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

6 Sunday B - Liturgical Prayers

Greeting

Whatever you do,
do it for the glory of God.
Try to be helpful to anyone
for the advantage of others.
Take Christ for your model.
The Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. Some People To Be Shunned? (Option 1)
The message of today is that the Lord Jesus touched with his healing power even the untouchable. Today let each of us reflect how often in life Jesus has touched us. He touched us with his love in baptism when he saved us from our isolation and gave us the Christian community to live in. He touched us each time he came to us in the Eucharist to speak to us and give us his body. He touches us often with his healing forgiveness, with his consolation in moments of distress, with his strength when we are timid, with his wisdom when we are confused. But do we let him touch us? And do we touch one another with healing care?

5th Week Feb 8-13:

 Feb 8-13: 

Feb 8 Monday (St. Jerome Emiliani, St. Josephine Bakhita, Virgin): Mk 6: 53-56: 53 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, 55 and ran about the whole neighborhood and began to bring sick people on their pallets to any place where they heard he was. 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and besought him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well. 

6th Sunday B: February 14 - Healing of Leprosy and Other discriminations

Reconciler-in-chief
12th February is the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth and — most historians and scholars consider — our greatest President of America.

6 Sunday B: Healing of the Leper

Gospel reading: Mark 1:40-45

3 Sundays - 3 healings: One at the Synagogue, second at the home and the third at the market place (outside). These are the locations of our ministries. These are places we do our healings/ministries.

At the synagogue the man with the unclean spirit shouts at Jesus as the "Holy one of God" (first recognition of Jesus in Mark). Peter's mother-in-law makes no declaration but gets up and serves him whereas the leper goes around proclaiming him. He announces abroad. Visible missionary zeal. Again three attitudes of response to healing: out of fear, out of love and out of faith.

Notice again, our ministry is three-fold: Spiritual (at the Church), at the family and at the society.

4th Week, Thursday, Feb 4

 4th Week, Thursday, Feb 4

Hebrews 12:18-19, 21-24 / Mark 6:7-13

The new covenant;  the blood of Jesus changed our lives.

 

Bishop Sheen used to compare the Old Testament to radio and the New Testament to television. The Old Testament lets you hear God’s word. But the New Testament not only lets you hear God’s word but also lets you see the God who utters it.