Thursday January 31, 2019
Introduction
Followers of Christ are sure, confident people, for we have Christ, our mediator. His blood opens the door of heaven to us. The sacraments of initiation, received in faith, actualize in us the sacrifice of Christ.
In the gospel, the parable presents Jesus’ message as a lamp that cannot be hidden; it will blaze brightly in the end time. We must give a generous response to his message of light.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
we can perceive the brightness
of the message of Jesus your Son
only in the shade.
Make our faith grow, give us trust,
that what we now see
in obscurity and mystery
may grow clearer in our minds
and more evident in our actions.
And never allow us to obscure or hide
the kindly light
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Reading 1: Heb 10:19-25
Brothers and sisters:
Since through the Blood of Jesus
we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary
by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil,
that is, his flesh,
and since we have "a great priest over the house of God,"
let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust,
with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed in pure water.
Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope,
for he who made the promise is trustworthy.
We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works.
We should not stay away from our assembly,
as is the custom of some, but encourage one another,
and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Alleluia: Ps 119:105
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mk 4:21-25
Jesus said to his disciples,
"Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket
or under a bed,
and not to be placed on a lampstand?
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;
nothing is secret except to come to light.
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear."
He also told them, "Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given;
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."
Intercessions:
– Lord, let the light of our love shine when we are more understanding and friendlier to one another and when we share more readily with those in need, we pray:
– Lord, let the light of our joy shine on earth when we show more sympathy and affection to one another, when we are faithful to our friendships and concerned about our communities, we pray:
– Lord, let the light of our faith shine on earth when we, your sons and daughters, live as children of light before you and in the sight of people, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, Father of light,
the presence of Jesus, your Son
will be hidden in these simple signs
of bread and wine,
yet we ask you to let his Spirit of light
shine on us and on our world,
that we may understand ourselves
and what you call us to be and do,
and that we may see
how you take us by the hand,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
you alone are light without shadows
and we are grateful
that you do not blind us with its brightness
but let it shine in the humanity
of your Son Jesus Christ.
Let it also shine in our humanity,
in our concern for one another,
in our goodness and generosity of heart,
in our timid attempts to follow your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever.
Blessing
Let your light shine! Or rather, let the light of Christ shine in you, for we are only lights of faith to the extent that we reflect the light of Christ’s message and life. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Commentary
As the years roll by and life shortens, we may become a bit more apprehensive. But Hebrews today encourages us to be calm and confident. We have to realize that if Christ has gone this dis¬tance for us, he will not abandon us now. In going to death for us, he has carried the heaviest part of the load and will surely see us through to the end. He has gone to prepare a place for us and will not be content until we take our place at the heavenly table. Our present posture should be one of utter sincerity and absolute confidence.
The Gospel today urges us to be generous in sharing the message. Ours is not an esoteric religion, with the truth held only by the enlightened. Fully aware of the truths of our faith, let us share the hope that is in us. If we are generous, God will be gen¬erous with us. For God is never outdone in generosity. The can¬dle of truth is not hidden under a basket but shines brightly on the lampstand. There are enough books written and films made that deride human values. But there are also commendable efforts in the media to elevate our tastes, to portray the good present in the world, and to draw our attention to the positive. Let us be pro-moters of the good and not solely critics of the bad.
Lord, teach me not only to avoid evil but also to applaud and imitate the good.
Points to Ponder
Living in hope and confidence
Applauding the good
The lamp on the lampstand.
