The month of January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus.

“You will soon face a dangerous crisis; the devil will try to ensnare you. To start with, he will tell you that frequent Communion is good for children, not for adults, and that once in a great while is quite enough for you. Then he will do his best to keep you from sermons by making you feel bored by God’s words. He will convince you that certain things are not sinful. Then you’ll have to tussle with friends and what they might say, with [dangerous] readings, with your own passions, and so on. Be on your guard. Do not let the devil rob you of that peace of mind and purity of soul which makes you God’s friends!” +Saint John Bosco

Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Monday, January 29

Holy Gospel: Mark 5:1-20 

Prayer: Grant us, Lord our God, that we may honor you with all our mind, and love everyone in truth of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Contemplation: A legion is no small force — usually an army comprised of some 6,000 strong! Our age has also witnessed untold crimes and mass destruction at the hands of possessed rulers and their armies. What is more remarkable — the destructive force of this driven and possessed man — or the bended knee at Jesus’ feet imploring mercy and release? God’s word reminds us that no destructive force can keep anyone from the peace and safety which God offers to those who seek his help. “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you...Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation.” (Psalm 91:7,9)

Tuesday, January 30 

Holy Gospel: Mark 5:21-43 

Prayer: Grant us, Lord our God, that we may honor you with all our mind, and love everyone in truth of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Contemplation: Saint Ephrem of Syria commented on the miracle in today’s gospel, which is worth contemplating today: “Glory to you, hidden Son of God, because your healing power is proclaimed through the hidden suffering of the afflicted woman. Through this woman whom they could see, the witnesses were enabled to behold the divinity that cannot be seen. Through the Son’s own healing power, his divinity became known. Through the afflicted woman’s being healed her faith was made manifest. She caused him to be proclaimed and indeed was honored with him. For truth was being proclaimed together with its heralds. If she was a witness to his divinity, he in turn was a witness to her faith...He saw through to her hidden faith, and gave her a visible healing.”

Wednesday, January 31 | Saint John Bosco

Holy Gospel: Mark 6:1-6 

Prayer: O God, who raised up the Priest Saint John Bosco as a father and teacher of the young, grant we pray, that, aflame with the same fire of love, we may seek out souls and serve you alone. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Contemplation: The word “gospel” literally means “good news.” Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to the afflicted who suffered from physical, mental, or spiritual oppression. (see Isaiah 61:1-2) Jesus came to set people free – not only from their physical, mental, and spiritual infirmities - but also from the worst affliction of all – the tyranny of slavery to sin, Satan, and the fear of losing one’s life. God’s power alone can save us from hopelessness, dejection, and emptiness of life. The gospel of salvation is “good news” for everyone who will receive it. Do you know, live and experience the joy and freedom of the gospel?

Thursday, February 1 | Saint Brigid of Kildare

Holy Gospel: Mark 6:7-13  

Prayer: O God, Who gives us joy by the power of the intercession of Saint Brigid of Kildare, graciously grant that we may be assisted by her merits by the example of whose chastity we are enlightened. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Contemplation: What kind of authority and power does the Lord want you to exercise on his behalf? Jesus gave his apostles both the power and the authority to speak and to act in his name. He commanded them to do the works which he did – to heal, to cast out evil spirits, and to speak the word of God – the good news of the gospel which they received from Jesus. When Jesus spoke of power and authority he did something unheard of. He wedded power and authority with love and humility. The “world” and the “flesh” seek power for selfish gain. Jesus teaches us to use it for the good of our neighbor.

Friday, February 2 | Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Holy Gospel: Luke 2:22-40 

Prayer: Almighty ever-living God, we humbly implore your majesty that, just as your Only Begotten Son was presented on this day in the Temple in the substance of our flesh, so, by your grace, we may be presented to you with minds made pure. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Contemplation: Anna was pre-eminently a woman of great hope and expectation that God would fulfill all his promises. She is a model of godliness to all believers as we advance in age.  Advancing age and the disappointments of life can easily make us cynical and hopeless if we do not have our hope placed rightly. Anna’s hope in God and his promises grew with age. She never ceased to worship God in faith and to pray with hope. Her hope and faith in God’s promises fueled her indomitable zeal and fervor in prayer and service of God’s people. What do you hope for? The hope which God places in our heart is the desire for the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness. How do we grow in hope? By placing our trust in the promises of Jesus Christ and relying not on our own strength, but on the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Scripture passages (NAB translation) courtesy of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; prayers are from The Roman Missal, Catholic Book Publishing, 2011; information about saints, solemnities, feasts and memorials courtesy of the Catholic Culture website.   frlumpe:2024