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Showing posts from January 6, 2013

The news about Jesus spread all the more

  Gospel text ( Luke 5,12-16) : One day in another town, a man came to Jesus covered with leprosy. On seeing him he bowed down to the ground, and said, «Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean». Stretching out his hand, Jesus touched the man and said, «Yes, I want it. Be clean». In an instant the leprosy left him. Then Jesus instructed him, «Tell this to no one. But go and show yourself to the priest. Make an offering for your healing, as Moses prescribed; that should be a proof to the people». But the news about Jesus spread all the more, and large crowds came to him to listen and be healed of their sickness. As for Jesus, he would often withdraw to solitary places and pray.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me

Gospel text ( Luke 4,14-22) : Jesus acted with the power of the Spirit, and on his return to Galilee the news about him spread throughout all that territory. He began teaching in the synagogues of the Jews and everyone praised him. When Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, he entered the synagogue on the sabbath as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the book of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus then unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written: «The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed and announce the Lord's year of mercy». Jesus then rolled up the scroll, gave it to the attendant and sat down, while the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he said to them, «Today these prophetic words come true even as you listen». All agreed with him and were lost in wonder, while he kept on speaking

And having sent the people off, he went by himself to the hillside to pray

Gospel text ( M ark 6,45-52) : After the five thousand men were satiated, Jesus obliged his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, towards Bethsaida, while he himself sent the crowd away. And having sent the people off, he went by himself to the hillside to pray. When evening came, the boat was far out on the lake while he was alone on the land. Jesus saw his disciples straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, and before daybreak he came to them walking on the lake; and he was going to pass them by. When they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw him and were terrified. But at once he called to them, «Courage! It's me; don't be afraid». Then Jesus got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely astonished, for they had not really grasped the fact of the loaves; their minds were dull.

They were like sheep without a shepherd

  Gospel text ( Mark 6,34-44) : As Jesus went ashore he saw a large crowd, and he had compassion on them for they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began a long teaching session with them. It was now getting late, so his disciples came to him and said, «This is a lonely place and it is now late. You should send the people away and let them go to the farms and villages around here to buy themselves something to eat». Jesus replied, «You yourselves give them something to eat». They answered, «If we are to give them food, we must go and buy two hundred silver coins' worth of bread». But Jesus said, «You have some loaves: how many? Go and see». The disciples found out and said, «There are five loaves and two fish». Then he told them to have the people sit down together in groups on the green grass. This they did in groups of hundreds and fifties. And Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish and, raising his eyes to heaven, he pronounced a blessing, broke the loav

The kingdom of heaven is near

  Gospel text ( Mathew 4,12-17.23-25) : When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to settle down in Capernaum, a town by the lake of Galilee, at the border of Zebulun and Naphtali. In this way the word of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled: «Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali crossed by the Road of the Sea, and you who live by the Jordan, Galilee, land of pagans, listen: The people who lived in darkness have seen a great light; on those who live in the land of the shadow of death, a light has shone». From that time on Jesus began to proclaim his message, «Change your ways: the kingdom of heaven is near». Jesus went around all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, and curing all kinds of sickness and disease among the people. The news about him spread through the whole of Syria, and the people brought all their sick to him, and all those who suffered: the possessed, the deranged

They went into the house and when they saw the child with Mary his mother, they knelt and worshipped him

  Gospel text ( Mathew 2,1-12) : When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea, during the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem. They asked, «Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw the rising of his star in the east and have come to honor him». When Herod heard this he was greatly disturbed and with him all Jerusalem. He immediately called a meeting of all high-ranking priests and those who taught the people of God his Law, and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. In the town of Bethlehem in Judea, they told him, for this is what the prophet wrote: «And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the clans of Judah, for from you will come a leader, the one who is to shepherd my people Israel». Then Herod secretly called the wise men and asked them the precise time the star appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem with the instruction, «Go and get precise information about the child. As soon as you have foun