Sunday - January 22, 2017
Give me the grace to amend my life, and to have an eye to mine end, without the grudge of death, which to them that die in thee, good Lord, is the gate of a truly wealthy life.
~~St Thomas More
TODAY'S READINGS
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
and the land of Naphtali;
but in the end he has glorified the seaward road,
the land west of the Jordan,
the District of the Gentiles.
Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness:
for there is no gloom where but now there was distress.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
that all of you agree in what you say,
and that there be no divisions among you,
but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.
For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters,
by Chloe's people, that there are rivalries among you.
I mean that each of you is saying,
"I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos,"
or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ."
Is Christ divided?
Was Paul crucified for you?
Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel,
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
January 22, 2017
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 67
Reading 1IS 8:23—9:3
First the Lord degraded the land of Zebulunand the land of Naphtali;
but in the end he has glorified the seaward road,
the land west of the Jordan,
the District of the Gentiles.
Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness:
for there is no gloom where but now there was distress.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
Responsorial PsalmPS 27:1, 4, 13-14
R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Reading 21 COR 1:10-13, 17
I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,that all of you agree in what you say,
and that there be no divisions among you,
but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.
For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters,
by Chloe's people, that there are rivalries among you.
I mean that each of you is saying,
"I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos,"
or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ."
Is Christ divided?
Was Paul crucified for you?
Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel,
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.
AlleluiaMT 4:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 4:12-23
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.
OrMT 4:12-17
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
******************************
Introductory Prayer: Jesus, what a beautiful day in the life of your disciples: you walked along the shore and called them! I wish to respond to your gentle call in the same way they did. I know that you will never lead me astray; rather, you will protect me and lead me home to heaven. Here I am Lord, at your service.
Petition: My dear Lord Jesus, help me follow you faithfully without weighing the cost.
1. Just Walking along the Shore: It might appear that Christ’s meeting his first disciples was a chance encounter: He was out walking and saw them. The overall context tells us much more. John was in prison, and Jesus knew his time had come. A significant part of his mission for the next three years would be to teach and form his apostles. These apostles had been selected by Divine Providence since the beginning of time, and now the call to them was made. These were not chance encounters. Jesus knew who he wanted and what he would ask of them. He also knows each of us and what he wants from each of us. His love and attention are entirely personal and very important to him.
2. A Simple Call: When Jesus engages the rich young man later in his life (cf. Matthew 19:16-22), the conversation is much more involved than the brief meetings in today’s Gospel. Here, Jesus approaches and asks the four men to follow him. It is simple, and it is brief. Many other steps in their mission will be made known later. For now: “Follow me!” We cannot spend our lives waiting for God’s call to do something great. In the process we might miss the many simple calls of everyday life: calls to be more charitable with our friends and family, calls to be more patient with our children, calls to be more generous in helping a neighbor in need. Be generous in the small things, and then we will be generous in the greater things.
3. They Left Everything: The disciples’ response was heroic. They followed immediately, totally and joyfully. What is my attitude to God’s will in my life? His will is made known to me through the norms and laws of his Church and through the indications of my superiors or parents. Do I respond selflessly? Or do I count the cost and negotiate a deal before I follow him? “What can I get out of this?” I will get an eternity of bliss only if I generously follow him.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I need to understand better that you desire a personal and intimate relationship with me like. What can I do to show better my gratitude for your call? For your graces? Help me see that it makes a difference to you how I respond. To you I am not a number or a statistic. I am a soul for which you died.
Resolution: Today I will deal with others in a way consistent with my condition as an adopted child of God. I will avoid any pettiness or selfishness in responding to the requests of others.
--
God Bless You.....
KONKANI PRAYER GROUP - Abu Dhabi
"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone" Mark 16:15
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