The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 95; 1Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11 

A common theme in our readings today is that of marriage. In our first reading from the prophet Isaiah we see that the Lord will marry his people. As a result they will never be abandoned by him but he will always delight in them. In the gospel text from St John we have the miracle at the wedding feast in Cana. It was Our Lady who noticed the potential embarrassment which the family were about to suffer and she asked her Son to intervene – one of only two occasions that are recorded when she interceded with her Son for anything. Despite the fact that Christ’s hour had not yet come he answered his mother’s request and, as a result, we are told that the apostles believed in him – they finally had proof that he was somebody great.

In the second reading from the first letter to the Corinthians, St Paul tells us that we each have gifts and that these gifts have been given to us by the Holy Spirit. No matter what the gift is or who has been given it, the gift is always given “for a good purpose.” We come before the Lord today knowing that he is always with us and that he will answer our prayers and particularly the intercession which his Mother makes on our behalf.

Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Hebrews 5:1-10; Psalm 110; Mark 2:18-22

In our first reading today, the author of the letter to the Hebrews continues to explain about the person of Christ. Today they are told that Christ is a priest like all other priests, except that he is perfect. As those who become priests are called by God so too Christ was called by God rather than opting for it himself. In this way he was like all other priests who are human and so knew our weaknesses. He also prayed to God for strength and support especially as he approached his own death. Again today we see the Pharisees objecting to the practises of Christ. While the Pharisees fasted publicly Jesus’ disciples did not fast at all. Christ tells them that this is because he is with them. When he is gone from them then they will fast. Christ, who was with us as one of us, knows our faults and our failings and is always ready to help us when we call to him. As he himself regularly prayed to the Father we too must follow that example and pray to the Father in good times as well as in times of need.

Hebrews 6:10-20; Psalm 111; Mark 2:23-28

All that we do is remembered by God and never forgotten. The letter to the Hebrews uses the example of Abraham to show us that all that God promises will be fulfilled. God has promised us everlasting life and that promise will be fulfilled in the same way that Abraham became the father of a great nation. The Pharisees are unhappy with Jesus and his followers in today’s Gospel text because, unlike the Pharisees, they do not keep the Sabbath in the same way as the Pharisees do. The Pharisees and many others had an extremely strict ban on doing any sort of work on the Sabbath and picking corn was against the Law. Jesus tells them that the Sabbath was made for man and not the other way around. In other words, the Sabbath is a day for remembering the goodness of God and giving thanks to him and while it does mean not working on the Sabbath day it does not mean that all physical exertion is banned.

Memorial of St Agnes, Virgin & Martyr

Agnes was a girl of about 14 or 15 years of age when she was martyred and buried beside the Via Nomentana in Rome during the final years of the persecutions by the Emperor Diocletian (early fourth century). Near her grave a basilica was erected and a series of large catacombs excavated and which can still be visited today. Nothing definite is known about her martyrdom other than the fact that she died for believing in Christ. On this day lambs are blessed, whose wool is used to make the palliums for new metropolitan archbishops.

Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17; Psalm 110; Mark 3:1-6

The King of Salem was also Melchizedek, the priest of God. We often hear the phrase – “You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.” The author of today’s first reading tells us that Christ is the high priest of this order and that, like Melchizedek, he is a priest for ever. But Christ’s priesthood is not because of any law regarding his lineage, but because of his power over death and his immortality. Today’s Gospel has the same theme as yesterday’s text – the Sabbath rest. Today we see Jesus in the synagogue where he cures a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees are not happy because, as far as they were concerned, nothing could be done on the Sabbath day. But Christ heals the man because it is a good thing to do and the right thing to do.

Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Hebrews 7:25-8:6; Psalm 40; Mark 3:7-12

The theme of Christ’s priesthood continues in the reading from the Hebrews. The text lays down the ideal of what a high priest should be and then goes on to say that Christ does fulfil this ideal perfectly. Therefore we can be certain of Christ’s help when we call to him. In the Gospel Jesus is being pursued by the people because of the miracles and cures he has worked. The people are coming from near and far just to see and hear him. As he casts out unclean spirits, these spirits recognise him for who he really is – the Son of God – but he warns them to keep quiet so as not to aggravate the authorities further.

Hebrews 8:6-13; Psalm 85; Mark 3:13-19

God made many covenants with his people in Old Testament times but the people regularly broke them. He then made a promise that he would make a new covenant with the people which would be everlasting. Our text from the letter to the Hebrews today speaks of this to show us that Christ is the new and everlasting covenant. Today’s text from St Mark’s Gospel sees Jesus choosing his twelve closest companions. These twelve were to preach, to cure the sick and to cast out devils in his name. For us as baptised Christians, they are examples of the sort of way in which we too must live out our faith – bringing the healing presence of Christ wherever we go.

Memorial of St Francis de Sales, Bishop & Doctor of the Church

Francis was born in Savoy in 1567 to a noble family. Having studied law at Padua he gave up the legal profession and was ordained priest in 1593. He was made a bishop only six years later and was Archbishop of Geneva by 1602 – home of John Calvin (who broke from the Roman Catholic Church in 1530 and founded Calvinism). He founded the Visitation Nuns with St Jane Frances de Chantal and was noted for the great way he preached which brought many people back to the Catholic Church following the Reformation. He died at the age of 56 in 1622. He is the patron saint of journalists and other writers.

Feast of the Conversion of St Paul the Apostle

Paul (also known by his Jewish name Saul) was born in Tarsus in Cilicia in modern-day Turkey. He was educated and was a Pharisee which meant that he was well acquainted with both the Law and the Scriptures which is evident in his writings. As a faithful Jew he persecuted the early Christians until he was struck down on his way to Damascus to arrest some Christians. In this incident, the Risen Lord appeared to Paul and from then on Paul becomes the greatest champion of the faith and is known as the Apostle to the Gentiles. He met with St Peter and the other Apostles in Jerusalem on a number of occasions and undertook three great missionary journeys to spread the faith. These journeys took him through Palestine but also through Syria, Turkey, Crete, Greece and Malta. During some of these journeys he funded himself through his work as a tent maker. Eventually Paul ends up in Rome where, even under house arrest, he spreads the faith and writes some of the letters found in the New Testament to the churches he had founded on his travels and also to individuals to bolster their faith. These letters also contain Paul’s understanding of who Jesus Christ is and the importance of the death and resurrection of Christ. He was beheaded during the persecutions in the reign of Emperor Nero.

Readings

Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22; Psalm 116; Mark 16:15-18

St Paul had been the great persecutor of the early followers of Jesus and had put many of them to death. Today we celebrate his conversion and the readings show how he has changed and become one of the greatest preachers in the Church. In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear Paul himself speak of his former life as a persecutor of Christianity and of his calling by Christ himself. The alternative reading from Acts gives a second telling of the event from a historical perspective. What is important in both accounts is that as Christ appeared to the Eleven in today’s gospel and sent them out to spread the news of the Kingdom, so too Paul has been commissioned by Christ for that same task. We are asked to convert daily to the Gospel and to take its message to others following the example of St Paul and in fulfilment of our own baptismal promises. Our gospel text is a post-resurrection encounter between Christ and the Eleven in which he commissions them to out to the “whole world; proclaim the Good News.”