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January
31, 2006 - Tuesday
4th Week in Ordinary Time
POWER
WENT OUT FROM HIM
Opening
Prayer
Almighty
Father,
often we hunger for power
when we don't have it,
we ask for more when we possess it,
and then we don't know how to use it well.
Help us always to accept the power
of our influence, our potentials and talents
as gifts coming from your hands
and to use them for the good of others,
to heal and to forgive,
to bring life and to build up,
as Jesus did, your Son,
who lives with you for ever.
Liturgy
of the Word
Introduction
to the First Reading
Absalom is defeated and killed. The victory of the king's
army turns into a party of mourning, for notwithstanding
Absaloms's rebellion, David still loved him very much.
First
Reading: 2
Sm 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: Ps 86:1– 2, 3 – 4, 5– 6
R.
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.
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.
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.
Introduction
to the Gospel
Jesus uses
his power to do good and to give an object lesson on faith to
his disciples and to the people. It is a power that gives health
and life. When the woman touches Jesus with a sort of magic belief
in his power, he insists on faith; so he does when, as a sign
of his own resurrection, he brings Jairus' daughter back to life.
Should power in us not mean also a power that lifts up, a power
of resurrection?
Gospel
Reading: Mark
5:21-43
Jesus
crossed to the other side of the lake and while he was still on
the shore, a large crowd gathered around him. Jairus, an official
of the synagogue, came up and seeing Jesus, threw himself at his
feet and asked him earnestly, "My little daughter is at the
point of death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may
get well and live."
Jesus
went with him and many people followed, pressing from every side.
Among the crowd was a woman who had suffered from bleeding for
twelve years. She had suffered a lot at the hands of many doctors
and had spent everything she had, but instead of getting better,
she was worse. Since she had heard about Jesus, this woman came
up behind him and touched his cloak thinking, "If I just
touch his clothing, I shall get well." Her flow of blood
dried up at once, and she felt in her body that she was healed
of her complaint.
But
Jesus was conscious that healing power had gone out from him,
so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched
my clothes?" His disciples answered, "You see how the
people are crowding around you. Why do you ask who touched you?"
But he kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman,
aware of what had happened, came forward trembling and afraid.
She knelt before him and told him the whole truth.
Then Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you;
go in peace and be free of this illness." While Jesus was
still speaking, some people arrived from the official's house
to inform him, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Master
any further?" But Jesus ignored what they said and told the
official, "Do not fear, just believe." And he allowed
no one to follow him except Peter, James and John, the brother
of James.
When they arrived at the house, Jesus saw a great commotion with
people weeping and wailing loudly. Jesus entered and said to them,
"Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead
but asleep."
They laughed at him. But Jesus sent them outside and went with
the child's father and mother and his companions into the room
where the child lay. Taking her by the hand, he said to her, "Talitha
kumi!" which means: "Little girl, get up!"
The girl got up at once and began to walk around. (She was twelve
years old.) The parents were astonished, greatly astonished. Jesus
strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about it, and told
them to give her something to eat.
Absalom
pursuing David is killed and David weeps over the loss of his son,
to him and to life, wanting to die in his place. There was no victory,
only mourning at the loss of his son. In Mark's gospel another father,
Jarius is mourning the loss of his only daughter and Jesus goes
to save her. He is interrupted by another daughter of Israel who
has lost her savings, her place in society, herself, in her disease
and he heals her as she touches him. That is all that is needed
to draw forth this power of God. He comes to Jarius' house and drives
out all who are intent on letting death reign. He takes her by the
hand and raises her up, getting her something to eat. A woman plagued
for 12 years with living death and a young girl who is 12 become
family with those who cried for healing and life-giving touch. Do
we touch with God's life?
General
Intercessions
- That the
Church may continue with compassion Jesus' healing ministry, that
the sick may be comforted, the downtrodden set free, and the poor
and the weak protected, we pray:
- That in this world of hunger for food and spiritual values, affluent
Churches and nations may share generously with those who have less,
we pray:
- That doctors and nurses and all others who care for the ill and
the handicapped may have a great respect for life and be inspired
in their task by the love of Christ, we pray:
Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord
God, almighty Father
fill the gifts we bring before you
with the power of your Holy Spirit,
that they may become for us
the bread of resurrection and life
of Jesus Christ your Son.
Through this eucharist
change us into people of hope and joy
who go together the way of life
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
Lord
God, almighty Father,
you have given us the body and blood of your Son
as a source of life-giving power.
Do not allow us to leave it idle
but help us to use it as a force
to uplift the people around us
and to build together a world
of reconciliation, justice and love.
May thus the resurrection of Jesus
work among us already now,
until you raise us up on the last day
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
"Power
had gone out from him," says the gospel today of Jesus. It
was a power that healed and brought back to life. If we have power,
may we use it always to raise people up, never to put them down.
And may almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the
Holy Spirit.
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