READINGS for 2007-01-20

SURVIVOR VS. SAVIOR

?He is out of his mind.? ? Mark 3:21

He stayed on an island for weeks, ate all sorts of weird food and carried out every conceivable difficult challenge? all for one million dollars. He is the Survivor.
      He was arrested without a solid cause, scourged, crowned with thorns, crucified and murdered on the cross? all for the salvation of our souls. He is the Savior.
      Both had to battle for a prize.
      For the Survivor, it was to gain material wealth. That is why he had to compete and treat everyone as an enemy, making sure that he alone prevailed till the end. The Savior, on the other hand, wanted to rescue as many lives as he could by His death on the cross, thus amid affliction, He remained meek and humble and treated everyone, even His persecutors, with love and compassion.
      Both seemed to have lost their sanity and done things out of the ordinary. But not without a cause.
      The Survivor wants to have everything for himself, while the Savior promises to bring about peace and happiness beyond this earth to those who will follow His steps.
      Will you join the Savior, or would you rather be a Survivor? Jane G.

REFLECTION:
Jesus is indeed out of His mind for loving sinners like us.

Dear Jesus, thanks for loving me so dearly despite my sinfulness.

1st READING

Hebrews 9:2-3, 11-14

The life and mission of Jesus broke down many of the artificial barriers that had grown between the people and God. Jesus makes its possible for us all to be on basically the same footing when it comes to our relationship with God as He, Jesus, is the universal mediator between God and Man. Even when the ministry of the priest is involved in the sacraments, we understand that the priest is acting ?in the person of Christ? when he confers or celebrates the sacraments. Let us never allow our direct route to God to be compromised or lost by cluttering it up with complicated understandings of how grace is dispensed to us.

2 For a tabernacle was constructed, the outer one, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of offering; this is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second veil was the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies, 11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation, 12 he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer?s  ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.

P S A L M
  
Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

R: God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

1 [2] All you peoples, clap your hands, shout to God with cries of gladness, 2 [3] for the LORD, the Most High, the awesome, is the great king over all the earth. (R) 5 [6] God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy; the LORD, amid trumpet blasts. 6 [7] Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our king, sing praise. (R) 7 [8] For the king of all the earth is God; sing hymns of praise. 8 [9] God reigns over the nations, God sits upon his holy throne. (R)

G O S P E L

Mark 3:20-21

Do not switch off for even a second or you will miss this, the shortest of the Gospel readings in the Liturgy of the Church. Even though it is short, it still contains much for us to reflect upon. What does it mean that so often large crowds gathered around Jesus presumably making it very difficult for Him to live a normal life? Perhaps this is an indication of the power of His preaching and the sincerity and integrity of His life. Why then does Jesus? family think that He is out of His mind? Perhaps they were simply unable to understand or cope with all of the attention coming their way? Whatever the case, let us pray that we will not have the same difficulties that they encountered.
  
20 Jesus came home. Again [the] crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. 21 When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, ?He is out of his mind.?

my reflections
think: The life and mission of Jesus broke down many of the artificial barriers that had grown between the people and God.

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God?s special verse/thought for me today________________

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T O D A Y ? S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Exodus 21-24

OUT OF HIS MIND BUT NOT OUT OF HIS HEART

Jesus was out of His mind, His relatives thought so. Indeed, He was! Jesus was out of His mind because it was His heart, not His mind that He used in attending to the great crowd that followed Him. Had He used His mind, He would have sent the crowd away so that He could have time to eat and relax. But He kept the crowd, teaching and curing them, because His heart was moved with pity at their sight: they were like sheep without a shepherd (cf. Mk 6:34).
    Because they judged Jesus with their minds, the relatives of Jesus found Him out of His mind. Had they had a heart like Jesus?, would they not also go crazy? Fr. Bobby T.

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do I look at others with my mind or with my heart?

?O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine? (Traditional prayer to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus).

Sts. Fabian and Sebastian, martyrs, pray for us.