Gospel: (Mark 1:21-28)

Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach. The people were spellbound by his teaching because he taught with authority and not like the scribes. There appeared in the synagogue a man with an unclean spirit that shrieked: “What do you want of us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him sharply: “Be quiet! Come out of the man!” At that the unclean spirit convulsed the man violently and with a loud shriek came out of him. All who looked were amazed. They began to ask one another: “What does this mean? A completely new teaching in a spirit of authority! He gives orders to unclean spirits and they obey him!” From that point on his reputation spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Reflection:

From that point on, they “remembered” and told the story and “his reputation spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.” “Remember” is a word that is often on our lips when we pray and when we speak to our friends. Sometimes we also feel ourselves to be better people when we remember the goodness of others to us, their generosity, their unselfishness, their tenderness, their thoughtfulness. This word “remember” is important, for Jesus has also done great things for us.

Vincentian Meditation:

The little word “remember” is at the heart of our greatest prayer, the Mass. The Mass is the great prayer in which along with Jesus we ask God the Father to remember the life, sufferings, death and resurrection of His only Son. Christians gather together and offer Mass, renewing again and again the great act of “remembering,” while at the same time making present again the offering that Jesus made of Himself on the cross. In doing so, we are bringing down upon the entire world, whether it know it or not, an uncountable number of graces, favors and blessings. Every day we hear some frightening things about the cruelty and wickedness of men. What would the world be like if it did not have the Sacrifice of the Mass? Always remember that there is no grace, no joy, no good thing in this world that has not come to us through Jesus Christ. (McCullen, Deep Down Things, p.587-588)

Discussion: (Share your thoughts after a moment of silence)

Remember and share some stories of the “great things that Jesus has done for you.”

Closing Prayer:
Christ, healer of hearts,
-teach us compassion for others.
Christ, maker of peace,
-help us bring peace to all people.
Christ, the light of life,
-show us the path of life. Amen

Saint Vincent de Paul

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Mark 4:35-41

“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38)

Imagine yourself as one of Jesus’ disciples. You have met this man who preaches with authority, heals sick people, and even raises the dead. Wonderful things just seem to sprout up wherever he goes. Then one night you go out on a boat with him. He falls asleep, and a power­ful storm starts to lash the boat. The waves are high and swift. The boat rocks, and you start taking on water. You are a fisherman, familiar with the sea and its moods, but this storm is so severe that you begin to panic. You can think of nothing but getting to shore.

What happened to your faith? Here you are with a wonder-working Messiah, and the only voice in your brain is one of fear and anxiety.

On one hand, the disciples’ ques­tion “Do you not care?” makes sense. Here they are, facing a life-threatening danger, and Jesus seems oblivious to their peril. Maybe he doesn’t care. But on the other hand, the question is very illogical. Yes, Jesus is asleep. Yes, the situation looks treacherous. But this is Jesus. This is the man who has shown, over and over again, that he can sus­pend the laws of nature. This is the man who has shown, over and over again, that he is full of mercy and compassion. Of course he cares! It’s not a question of “if” he will help them. It’s a question of “when” and “how.”

We have all been in situations that raise the panic level in our hearts. We see nothing but trou­ble, and we want only to get out as quickly as possible. It’s at times like these that we need to remem­ber that Jesus is with us. He may seem asleep. He may seem oblivi­ous to the tempest swirling around us. But this is Jesus, and he sees our need—and he cares deeply.

Today’s passage tells us that faith is not a matter of feelings. It’s a matter of trust, memory, and logic. If we can learn to keep our minds fixed on Jesus and his truths, we will find all the faith—and peace—we will ever need.

“Jesus, you know how frightening the storms of life can get. Help me to see you in the midst of them. Deepen my faith so that, even when you seem distant, I can still trust you to keep me safe.”

2 Samuel 12:1-7,10-17; Psalm 51:12-17

Create a clean heart in me, O God. — Psalm 51:12

Mass Readings: 2 Samuel 12:1-7,10-17 / Mark 4:35-41
Stillness Amid Storms

The disciples had witnessed the amazing works of Jesus and listened to Him speak with great authority. But in today’s Gospel, winds and waves seem to speak more powerfully than their Master’s words. Faith is tossed overboard, as they allow a passing storm to cloud their experience of both the love and power of Christ.

We all experience storms — sickness, financial crisis, difficult relationships, and so on. We pray for God to still these storms but our greatest need is the calming of the storm within our hearts. True faith is trusting that God is both caring and in control regardless of whether and when the storm dies down. True faith trusts even while it still rages. And surely, isn’t to endure a storm with our faith intact a greater wonder than to simply have the storm stilled?

Prayer: In stormy times, Lord, help me to be still and know that You are God.

Courtesy of Our Sunday Visitor: http://www.osv.com/MyDailyVisitor/tabid/7626/Default.aspx

~Roy Croft

Judy Wilhelm

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. — Psalm 51:(see 3)

Mass Readings: 2 Samuel 11:1-4,5-10,13-17 / Mark 4:26-34
Dare to Dream Big

Jesus proclaimed, “The kingdom of God is at hand” (Mk 1:15) but — despite many signs and wonders — for the greater part of Jesus’ ministry, this kingdom boasted but a modest presence. This probably perplexed the disciples. The parables in today’s Gospel attempt an explanation. A man scatters seed, knowing and contributing little to the mysterious process of germination and growth that follows. A tiny mustard seed grows into a huge plant, offering shade even to “birds of the sky” — an expression denoting Gentile nations.

The disciples, although they neither see such a Kingdom taking concrete shape nor understand how this could happen, are called to believe the Kingdom is alive, anticipate its growth, and participate in this process by scattering seed and reaping the harvest.

Prayer: Mighty God, help me dare to dream big for Your Kingdom.

Courtesy of Our Sunday Visitor: http://www.osv.com/MyDailyVisitor/tabid/7626/Default.aspx

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Mark 4:26-34

“Of its own accord the land yields fruit.” (Mark 4:28)

If you’ve ever planted a seed in a garden or even in a pot inside your home, you can probably remem­ber the day that seed sprouted and poked up through the soil. If you’re watching a farmer’s field, one day it will seem to be a patch of brown dirt, and the next day it’s covered with delicate new plants. No one knows exactly when it will happen, and the farmer may wonder if all the seeds he planted will ever ger­minate. But given the warmth and moisture of the soil, those seeds will come up!

Jesus says evangelization is a lot like watching a garden. Our job is to plant the seeds, not to worry about when they will sprout. We may not know how people will react to our witness. But we can be sure that no seed sown will end up fruit­less! God even guarantees that his word will go forth and accomplish the purpose for which he sent it out (Isaiah 55:11).

We can’t control the mystery of conversion. Once we sow the seed of God’s word, no matter how much we may want to hurry things along, it remains God’s work! Conversion doesn’t depend on our ability to tell a good story or give a good witness. It depends on the mystery of God’s revelation in the secret place of each person’s heart. In the same way that Jesus told par­ables, knowing that people would hear them differently and respond to them differently, we know that our love and service and witness to others will elicit different responses. But even if we can’t see the growth, Jesus assures us that our work of sowing seeds will indeed bear fruit.

So what do we do? Keep sow­ing! Keep praying for people! Keep looking for opportunities to share God’s work in your life! Keep giving of yourself, letting your life tell the story of Jesus. Then just trust God to take those seeds and make them grow, bearing fruit for his kingdom!

“Lord, thank you for your work in my life! Thank you for making the seed of faith sprout and grow in me, bringing me to conversion. Now teach me how to sow these same seeds in other people’s lives so that you may draw them to yourself.”

2 Samuel 11:1-10,13-17; Psalm 51:3-7,10-11

Disunity in Gospels

Q. How did the process of the writing of the four Gospels begin? Why are there differences between them? I read somewhere that there are all kinds of contradictions between the Gospels.

A. Here’s a reply from OSV columnist Msgr. M. Francis Mannion:

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (see No. 126), quoting from the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum) of the Second Vatican Council, neatly sets out the process by which the Gospels were formed. It distinguishes between three stages. The first stage involves the actual historic events of Jesus’ life and ministry. The Church holds that the four Gospels “whose historicity she unhesitatingly affirms, faithfully hand on what Jesus, the Son of God, while he lived among men, really did and taught for their eternal salvation, until the day when he was taken up.”

Read the rest of the answer at Our Sunday Visitor: http://www.osv.com/TCANav/TCAQuestionoftheDay/Jan23272012/tabid/8525/Default.aspx