Today, 21st of January, we celebrate
Saint Agnes
First Reading: Hebrews 2:14-18
Since the children share in blood and Flesh,
Jesus likewise shared in them,
that through death he might destroy the one
who has the power of death, that is, the Devil,
and free those who through fear of death
had been subject to slavery all their life.
Surely he did not help angels
but rather the descendants of Abraham;
therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God
to expiate the sins of the people.
Because he himself was tested through what he suffered,
he is able to help those who are being tested
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9
R./ The Lord remembers his covenant for ever. or: Alleluia.
Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R/ The Lord remembers his covenant for ever. or: Alleluia.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord!
Look to the Lord in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R/ The Lord remembers his covenant for ever. or: Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the Lord, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R/ The Lord remembers his covenant for ever. or: Alleluia.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations–
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R/ The Lord remembers his covenant for ever. or: Alleluia.
Gospel Reading: Mark 1:29-39
On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn,
he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”
So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons
throughout the whole of Galilee
The Gospel text for today might seem like a collection of stories or anecdotes that don’t really connect. It recounts Jesus’ activities over two days. Jesus leaves the synagogue and goes to Simon’s house. There, He heals Simon’s mother-in-law, who gets up and begins to serve everyone. Crowds gather at the door, hoping to be healed. Night falls. Early in the morning, Jesus gets up to pray. But the disciples search for Him because people are still looking for Him. Jesus then sets out again, preaching the Good News and healing along the way.
That’s a summary of what Jesus did: various activities, different moments. But there’s one detail I’d like to highlight—something present throughout the entire account. It’s a detail that reveals just as much, if not more, about God’s nature as the words Jesus speaks in His teachings. It’s the closeness Jesus shows to everyone.
To begin with, it is Jesus who draws near to the people. He goes to the synagogue, walks the roads, leaves prayer to go back out again. Even before resting, He tends to Peter’s mother-in-law, who is sick. The first movement comes from Jesus toward the people. Naturally, once people see Him in action, they seek Him out. In Him, they find hope and life. But it all starts with Jesus, who steps out of His space to go to the people, to draw near to them.
What’s more, after gaining fame, Jesus could have stayed in one place: a hermitage or a shrine, waiting for people to come to Him. But He does the exact opposite—He heads back out to the roads and travels all over Galilee, preaching and healing.
It occurs to me that in the Church, and in our lives as disciples of Jesus, we should do the same. It’s not about setting up fancy offices to attend to those who come between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. or 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. If we want to be like Jesus, we have to forget about offices and head out into the streets. We need to go to those in need, to the poor, to everyone. The key word here is “draw near.” This means stepping out of our comfort zones and approaching others. “Closeness” is a whole way of life. Isn’t this what Pope Francis means when he talks about being a “Church that goes out”?
Fernando Torres, cmfOpening Prayer
Lord God, compassionate Father,
every day we meet people who suffer,
who have been tried hard in life,
who have encountered evil and pain.
What shall we say to them?
Let us like Jesus, try to understand the pains
of our neighbor in need,
feel with them, and be reliable friends,
perhaps in respectful silence,
on account of him who suffered our pains
and shared in our ills,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
.General Intercessions
– For all who preach the Gospel, that they may speak the Good News of Christ in the light of the people’s everyday life and needs, we pray:
– For all who care for the sick, that they may never tire of treating them with personal attention and infinite respect, as they would do for the Lord himself, we pray:
– For our Christian communities, that we may be of one heart and soul and not to allow any among us to be in need, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Father,
in these signs of bread and wine,
you let again come among us
him who is compassionate and reliable
because he shared in our death and pain,
your Son, Jesus Christ.
Let every bit of anguish and grief
bring us to a deeper understanding of ourselves,
of life and of our neighbor
and help us to be closer to your Son,
who is our Lord, for ever and ever.
Prayer after Communion
God, our Father,
we have a friend and brother
who has been tried and tested
as we are, put to the test at times.
He has been here with us;
we have taken part in his sacrifice.
Give us now his Spirit of strength
to stand firm in our trials,
to grow through them as human beings and Christians,
and to stand by the side of those
who are submerged in suffering.
May this be our way of sharing in everyday life
in the sacrifice of your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
Who can understand better our pain and suffering than the Son of God, who went through our temptations, our suffering, our death for our sake. He knows and stands by our side in our difficult moments. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
