Thursday January 24, 2019
Introduction
Christ Jesus is the mediator, perfect, unique, who offered himself once for all. All who believe in him get access to God through him. He intercedes for us. That is his ministry now.
In the gospel Mark gives a summary of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. Yesterday we heard how the Pharisees are blind to him and attack him on legal points; the crowds flock to him because of his healing power, not so much to be converted. The demons know who Jesus is, but, of course, they do not believe in him. Here we have different attitudes, but no faith yet. This is why perhaps Mark imposes silence on the spirits. We offer this eucharist together with Christ, our only Savior and Mediator, who always intercedes for us.
Opening Prayer
God, our Father,
through your Son, Jesus Christ,
you brought healing to your people
and came to bind us to you
in a lasting covenant of love.
May we not only admire his saving power
but accept him in faith as our brother,
your Son, our Lord and Savior.
Make him the ground and meaning of our lives
and fill us with his Holy Spirit,
that we may build up among us
your kingdom and a community
of faith, hope and love.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.
Reading 1: Heb 7:25—8:6
Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him,
since he lives forever to make intercession for them.
It was fitting that we should have such a high priest:
holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,
higher than the heavens.
He has no need, as did the high priests,
to offer sacrifice day after day,
first for his own sins and then for those of the people;
he did that once for all when he offered himself.
For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests,
but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law,
appoints a son, who has been made perfect forever.
The main point of what has been said is this:
we have such a high priest,
who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne
of the Majesty in heaven, a minister of the sanctuary
and of the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up.
Now every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices;
thus the necessity for this one also to have something to offer.
If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest,
since there are those who offer gifts according to the law.
They worship in a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary,
as Moses was warned when he was about to erect the tabernacle.
For God says, "See that you make everything
according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
Now he has obtained so much more excellent a ministry
as he is mediator of a better covenant,
enacted on better promises.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17
R. (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you,
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, "The LORD be glorified."
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Alleluia: See 2 Tm 1:10
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mk 3:7-12
Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, "You are the Son of God."
He warned them sternly not to make him known.
Intercessions
– That today many find Jesus and deeply believe in him, we pray:
– That Jesus may touch the hearts of many and heal them from their selfishness, we pray:
– That all the Churches that claim Christ as their head may find unity in him, even if the road is long and difficult, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father,
we offer you the sacrifice of Jesus Christ,
your Son and our Lord,
and our only mediator.
May he intercede for us, your people,
and bind us forever to you
in a covenant of lasting friendship and fidelity,
that we may belong to you
as the people you have saved
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God our Father, in this Eucharist
your Son, Jesus, has brought before you
our prayers, our good intentions,
and also our weakness, our hesitant faith.
Yet, we are sure you accept us
because of him, our only priest and mediator.
Make our faith and love grow,
that your Son may be the Lord of our lives,
your saving presence,
and we your faithful people,
now and for ever.
Blessing
Many have heard about Jesus and his message. Yet, some do not believe. The way we live should confirm our faith, even though faith is a free gift, a grace from God. May Almighty God give you faith, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Commentary
Although Christ himself is sinless, he has taken sin upon himself. Today’s readings highlight two aspects of his mission: the heavenly and the earthly. As our heavenly high priest, he is seated at God’s right hand, ever ready to make intercession for us. Unlike the earthly priests who had to make repeated offerings for them¬selves and for the people, our present high priest has offered one lasting sacrifice, never to be repeated, by which he has established a new and lasting covenant.
In the Gospel reading today, we pass to Christ’s earthly ministry. We find him at the center of a milling crowd with no place to turn for respite. People with afflictions try to touch him. He tells the disciples to prepare a fishing boat for him to avoid die press of the crowd. The demands of the people are prominent in Mark’s Gospel. And yet Jesus resolutely faces his trials.
The readings underscore these two features of Jesus’ calling, one eternal, the other temporal. Both offer food for thought. There are those moments when we turn to the heavenly Christ, our intercessor before the Father. We need those precious moments when we turn to our high priest with confidence.
At the same time, we know what it means to be faced with pressing demands that can lead to fatigue and frustration. Yes, these are trials, but it is still wonderful to grow weary in the service of God and our fellow human beings. The demands will never be too great, for he assures us that his grace will always suffice.
Points to Ponder
Prayer time in our daily life
The one eternal sacrifice
The demands of others on our time.
