Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 309



Reading 1 (Heb 4:1-5, 11)

Let us be on our guard
while the promise of entering into his rest remains,
that none of you seem to have failed.
For in fact we have received the Good News just as our ancestors did.
But the word that they heard did not profit them,
for they were not united in faith with those who listened.
For we who believed enter into that rest,
just as he has said:

As I swore in my wrath,
"They shall not enter into my rest,"

and yet his works were accomplished
at the foundation of the world.
For he has spoken somewhere about the seventh day in this manner,
And God rested on the seventh day from all his works;
and again, in the previously mentioned place,
They shall not enter into my rest.

Therefore, let us strive to enter into that rest,
so that no one may fall after the same example of disobedience.

Responsorial Psalm (PS 78:3 and 4bc, 6c-7, 8)

R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!

What we have heard and know,
and what our fathers have declared to us,
we will declare to the generation to come
The glorious deeds of the LORD and his strength.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!

That they too may rise and declare to their sons
that they should put their hope in God,
And not forget the deeds of God
but keep his commands.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!

And not be like their fathers,
a generation wayward and rebellious,
A generation that kept not its heart steadfast
nor its spirit faithful toward God.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!

Alleluia (Lk 7:16)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Mk 2:1-12)

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,
"Child, your sins are forgiven."
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
"Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?"
Jesus immediately knew in his mind what
they were thinking to themselves,
so he said, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
'Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk'?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"
–he said to the paralytic,
"I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home."
He rose, picked up his mat at once,
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."



REFLECTION

Jesus immediately knew in his mind. For Jesus, the efforts of the four men to bring the paralytic to Him express their faith that He could heal their friend. They have to open up the roof of the house, break through it, and let down the mat on which the paralytic is lying. Faith in this case is expressed not in words but in action.

The scribes are questioning in their hearts Jesus’ authority to forgive sins, because for them God alone can forgive sins. Their unbelief is expressed in their murmurings in their hearts, yet Jesus immediately knows them in His mind. The words and deeds of Jesus are reason enough to believe in Him, yet the scribes do not accept Him because of their preconceived ideas. The four men carrying the paralytic and the scribes thus represent two attitudes, belief and unbelief respectively.

Our own biases can cripple our faith in the Lord. Cite concrete ways by which you give witness to your faith in the Lord before unbelievers.

SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2016,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.) http://www.ssp.ph/

If Jesus Was Chinese: 8 Beautiful Paintings of the Life of Our Lord

https://churchpop.com/2017/01/13/jesus-chin...ings-life-lord/

Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 313

Reading 1 (Heb 7:1-3, 15-17)

Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High,
met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kings
and blessed him.

And Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything.
His name first means righteous king,
and he was also "king of Salem," that is, king of peace.
Without father, mother, or ancestry,
without beginning of days or end of life,
thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up
after the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become so,
not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent
but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.
For it is testified:

You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4)

R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
"Rule in the midst of your enemies."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
"You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Alleluia (Mt 4:23)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Mk 3:1-6)

Jesus entered the synagogue.
There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath
so that they might accuse him.
He said to the man with the withered hand,
"Come up here before us."
Then he said to the Pharisees,
"Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?"
But they remained silent.
Looking around at them with anger
and grieved at their hardness of heart,
Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."
He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel
with the Herodians against him to put him to death.



REFLECTION

GRIEVED AT THEIR HARDNESS OF HEART. The Gospel is the concluding story to the series of controversies narrated in Mk 1:21–2:28. In spite of what He has done for the man with unclean spirit, the leper, the paralytic, the man with a withered hand, and the marginalized in society, Jesus is continually condemned rather than appreciated. The Pharisees conspire with the Herodians to destroy Him. Jesus is grieved at their hardness of heart.

Among the Jews, the heart represents the whole person. Confronted with Jesus’ power that heals the man with a withered hand, the Pharisees refuse to accept the reality. They are obsessed with their intention to do away with Jesus.

Hardness of heart means refusal to accept Jesus’ offer of salvation. His desire is to make us whole again, to live a happy life. Fixed ideas and prejudices can blind us to the goodness of others.

Lord, open my eyes that I may see the wonders of Your law and the goodness of other people.

SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2016,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.) http://www.ssp.ph/

Question: What did St Paul teach concerning idols?

Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 314



Reading 1 (Heb 7:25—8:6)

Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him,
since he lives forever to make intercession for them.

It was fitting that we should have such a high priest:
holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,
higher than the heavens.
He has no need, as did the high priests,
to offer sacrifice day after day,
first for his own sins and then for those of the people;
he did that once for all when he offered himself.
For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests,
but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law,
appoints a son, who has been made perfect forever.

The main point of what has been said is this:
we have such a high priest,
who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne
of the Majesty in heaven, a minister of the sanctuary
and of the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up.
Now every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices;
thus the necessity for this one also to have something to offer.
If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest,
since there are those who offer gifts according to the law.
They worship in a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary,
as Moses was warned when he was about to erect the tabernacle.
For God says, "See that you make everything
according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
Now he has obtained so much more excellent a ministry
as he is mediator of a better covenant,
enacted on better promises.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17)

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you,
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, "The LORD be glorified."
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Alleluia (2 Tm 1:10)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Mk 3:7-12)

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, "You are the Son of God."
He warned them sternly not to make him known.



REFLECTION 1

A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE CAME TO HIM. In spite of the attempt of the Herodians and the Pharisees to destroy Jesus (cf Mk 3:6), many people from Galilee follow him. They have surely heard that Jesus is healing and driving out demons. Many sick people press upon him to touch him. Unclean spirits recognize him as the “Son of God” and fall down before him. But Jesus does not take advantage of the situation. He orders the unclean spirits not to make him known.

Jesus’ attitude is clearly in contrast to people who desire power and popularity. The rejections he experienced earlier do not hinder him from continuing his ministry of healing and driving out demons. Rather, he goes to other towns, and his influence widely spreads geographically.

Worldly power is transitory; those who cling to it perish with it.

SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2016,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.) http://www.ssp.ph/

REFLECTION 2

The crucifixion of Jesus, give himself freely because every human has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). He did it because he loves humanity. It was God’s free grace toward undeserving sinners that led to Jesus’ crucifixion—undeserving sinners like you and me. Receive God's grace by obeying the gospel of Christ, and join ranks with
those who are committed to following Jesus and serving Him through time and eternity. Amen. God bless you all! (Evencia)

A Thankful Heart! Be Thankful Everyday!



I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Psalm 34:1)

We praise You Lord Jesus for all the blessings you have given me/us and my/our loved ones. .. Thank You God for the work we have accomplish today. Thank You God for the health of our family and for jobs for our children. In the silence of our soul, we thank You most of all for Your unconditional and eternal love. Amen! Thank you too Mother Mary for all your prayers! We love You Jesus! We love you Mother Mary! Amen. God bless you all!

What Christ Means by Purity of Heart

Source: http://biblestudyforcatholics.com/christ-means-purity-heart/

Whether you live several states or simply blocks away, family BBQ’s, holidays, and gatherings are times to reconnect with those you love. But I know from experience those happy reunions also harbor potential for emotional eruptions.

We recently endured an unmatched gauntlet for head-exploding drama and heart-pounding anxiety on both sides of our family. An eerily similar craziness boiled over from two different, unrelated people in two different, unrelated occasions separated by several weeks.

I’m no prophet, but I have learned through discerning my patterns, when I see or hear something two or more times I can be sure God is at work somehow. I know to pay attention to what happens next and be in prayer about the people and circumstances around me, because they are being used by the Holy Spirit to teach me something.

So the theatrics flanking our extended family’s last get-together sent warning bells ringing in my head as soon as the second emotional tornado hit. Baseless accusations, foaming rage, vociferous cursing, unjustifiable suspicion, and alternative realities left us all reeling in confusion. We looked at each other sideways, wondering, “What in the world is happening? Is it us? Is it them?”

The Mess We’re In

Living with the chaos and anxiety of habitual sin, our own or another’s, is tough. At some point we just want off the roller coaster of instability. Strained relationships, debt, busy schedules, insatiable children, and all other forms of dis-ease can really weigh on us. What causes this instability, this inability to find and live in lasting peace?

“A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). In the Scriptures, we’re told double-mindedness causes instability. Double-minded means unreality or untruth, not necessarily in the sense of deceiving others but in the deeper sense of deceiving oneself.

So one who is two-hearted is in every sense a self-deceiver. The self-deceit causes insecurity and doubt, as he hedges his bets and gives himself first to one thing and then the other, but never fully to either.

He is a person of un-faith, and volatile: “He who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6). He doubts because he knows himself to be disloyal and unreliable, and he projects that unreliability on God and others.

In the Bible, this double-mindedness is called impurity.

Purity Is Whole-heartedness

Often we understand purity as cleanness, especially sexual or spiritual cleanness. But biblical purity is better described as spiritual single-mindedness, whole-heartedness. Purity is so powerful because it is focused single-mindedness. In a sense, it’s a contradiction of multitasking. This whole-heartedness leads inexorably away from instability and doubt, unto rest and stability when its object is God.

“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind” (James 4:8). Oddly enough, the Bible says the cure for the hot mess of instability and sin is the purity of an undivided commitment to God. As we draw nearer to God, our hands are further cleansed and our hearts more deeply purified.

The opposite, impurity or double-heartedness, is the same as idolatry: “Unfaithful creatures! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

Double-minded literally means two-souled or two-spirited, wishy-washy, uncommitted, divided, doubting, wavering, uncertain, and especially a division of interest between the world and God.

So the double-minded man has a heart divided between the world and God, like a husband with a wife and a girlfriend. Purity of heart, on the other hand, is to will one thing, namely, full and total allegiance to God. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart” (Matthew 22:37).

Purity Is to Will One Thing

The Danish philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard wrote a book called Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing, in which he explores the biblical view of faith as a matter of passion for God’s will rather than perfect dogmatic adherence. In his book, purity is understood as right willing. That is, willing the Good, or what God wills—“the one thing needed,” in Jesus’ words (Luke 10:42).

Purity is not so much whiteness, then, as it is a matter of being true to God and his will. Sin is to be eliminated only so that potential and goodness may flourish, not for its own sake. And sin can only be permanently eliminated through a single-minded, whole-hearted drawing near to God, because it is his presence and will that purifies.

Pure olive oil includes no additive or adulterant. Pure water is water and nothing else. A pure heart is a heart which is fully alive and unobstructed, with all its energies directed to a single end. The only thing that has the capacity to hold such an intense concentration of energy is God; with anything less the energies are scattered and focus is lost.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). This pure, whole-heartedness fits us for God himself. And what we see of him is his own “whole-heartedness.” He is who he is, and nothing else (Exodus 3:14). He invites us to become who we are, and nothing else.

Purity of heart comes from being drawn to God, and grappling in his presence with our tendencies to sin—to cover, prevaricate, and numb who we really are from ourselves, from God, and from others. Whatever the relative importance of marital fidelity and chastity to purity of heart, it must be acknowledged that purity of heart is the absolute foundation for a faithful, chaste, or otherwise pure life (see Matthew 5:27-32). Only one who is moving toward singleness of purpose will have courage to pursue virtue, despite temptation and failure.

Deceit, or impurity of heart, is what we do when we will two things, rather than one. We do one thing and want people to believe we do another. We feel one thing and want people to think we feel another. Psychologists tell us a divided heart is highly correlated with addiction, depression, violence, aggression, suicide, eating disorders, self-medication, and all manner of human dis-ease.

So the heart is utterly crucial to Jesus, because impurity and hypocrisy come from divided hearts (see Luke 6:45). Jesus did not come into the world simply because we have some bad habits that need to be broken. He came into the world because our divided hearts must be wholly integrated.

What we are in the deep, private recesses of our lives is what he cares about most, because our bald truthfulness about who we are is necessary for our oneness and healing. In order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen, really seen. “The pure in heart will see God” (Matthew 5:8).

The Purity of God’s Presence Is Peace

What if the Cross, then, was the unfiltered, whole-hearted presence of God? What if, beneath the pain of reality, there is peace? Stability?

What if God was saying “I bare myself to you, the human race, you the human person. I have been as vulnerable and transparent to you as it is possible to be. My arms are completely open. I am naked. I am hurting. I am needy. I am bloody, sweaty, thirsty, pinned down, exhausted, empty. I went first. I am safe. I still AM. Won’t you be utterly real with me, too”?

Courage comes from the Latin “cor,” meaning “heart.” Originally it meant to tell who you are with your whole heart. Purity—single-mindedness—takes courage, the courage to go all-in with God. The willingness to let go of who I think I should be in order to be who I am. To whole-heartedly be imperfect and stop the fakeness with him and other people.

When I can be whole-hearted with him, I can begin whole-heartedness with others. I can allow them to be vulnerable, hot mess and all.

Maybe we will be patient with the slow emergence of one another’s beautiful truth, and maybe we won’t, but either way, going all-in with God is getting off the roller coaster. Peace is in the purity of God’s presence.

“Purity is not a long struggle against that which is impure or forbidden. Rather it is singleness of heart. Catch the great thought that from Him, the Father of Lights, comes every good and perfect gift, and therefore nothing outside God is worth having or craving” —Fr. John Gaynor Banks

Source: http://biblestudyforcatholics.com/christ-means-purity-heart/

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
Lectionary: 317



Reading 1 (Heb 9:15, 24-28)

Christ is mediator of a new covenant:
since a death has taken place
for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant,
those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.

For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands,
a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,
that he might now appear before God on our behalf.
Not that he might offer himself repeatedly,
as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary
with blood that is not his own;
if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly
from the foundation of the world.
But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages
to take away sin by his sacrifice.
Just as it is appointed that human beings die once,
and after this the judgment, so also Christ,
offered once to take away the sins of many,
will appear a second time, not to take away sin
but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6)

R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

Alleluia (2 Tm 1:10)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Mk 3:22-30)

The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus,
"He is possessed by Beelzebul," and
"By the prince of demons he drives out demons."

Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,
"How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself,
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided,
he cannot stand;
that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder his house.
Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies
that people utter will be forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin."
For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."



REFLECTION

How can Satan drive out Satan? The scribes accuse Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, from whom they think Jesus derives his power to cast out demons. They obviously contradict themselves: How can Satan drive out Satan? Satan would not fight against himself.

Blinded by their unbelief, the scribes cannot accept that Jesus has power over unclean spirits, one of whom confessed that Jesus is “the Holy One of God” (cf Mk 1:24). Therefore, Jesus is not one of them.

Jesus gives a counter image: robbing a strong man. The only way to plunder a powerful person is for someone stronger to tie him up. Jesus speaks indirectly about his own person and activity — He is not an agent of Satan but the stronger one who can tie Satan up.

The Father “delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col 1:13).

SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2016,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.) http://www.ssp.ph/

The Sunday Mass - 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (January 29, 2017)

don't the abortionists use the extended slogan, "My Body, My Choice"? hence the term, Pro-Choice?

Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith.
I trust in you: strengthen my trust.
I love you: let me love you more and more.
I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.

I worship you as my first beginning,
I long for you as my last end,
I praise you as my constant helper,
And call on you as my loving protector.

Guide me by your wisdom,
Correct me with your justice,
Comfort me with your mercy,
Protect me with your power.

I offer you, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on you;
My words: to have you for their theme;
My actions: to reflect my love for you;
My sufferings: to be endured for your greater glory.

I want to do what you ask of me:
In the way you ask,
For as long as you ask,
Because you ask it.

Lord, enlighten my understanding,
Strengthen my will,
Purify my heart,
and make me holy.

Help me to repent of my past sins
And to resist temptation in the future.
Help me to rise above my human weaknesses
And to grow stronger as a Christian.

Let me love you, my Lord and my God,
And see myself as I really am:
A pilgrim in this world,
A Christian called to respect and love❣❣❣

Valentine, a Roman Priest and Physician, distinguished himself during the persecution of Emperor Claudius the Goth by helping numerous Christians to escape and by ministering to those in prison. In this work he was ably assisted by St Maris and his family, the Persian pilgrims to Rome, whose martyrdom is commemorated on 19 January. He was at length apprehended, severely beaten with clubs and beheaded.

He was buried in a catacomb about half a mile outside the city gate, and there Pope St Julius I constructed an underground basilica in the 4th century, which Honorius I restored in the 7th. From this latter period dates an ancient fresco painting of the Crucifixion, which is remarkable for being the only representation of Our Lord’s death to have ever been discovered in any of the catacombs.

Over the years, St Valentine has come to be regarded as the patron of lovers, young and old alike. Two curious customs have been observed in the Middle Ages in connection with the feast of this saint—the “Puys d’Amour”, a kind of songfest and competition for troubadours and romantic minstrels and Valentine’s Day” greetings and gifts.

Nobody can begrudge the celebration of romance between two loving people who have made a commitment to one another, especially in marriage. However, as faithful Catholics we should ask ourselves if we truly appreciate the significance of the feast day.

For those who may not know, St. Valentine was martyred in the third century for the crime of marrying Christian couples and his refusal to pay homage to the Roman emperor as a living deity. Before his death, according to legend, St. Valentine cured a young woman of blindness. He wrote at least one letter to this fortunate woman which he signed with, "your Valentine."

Nothing in the legend suggests that the relationship between the pair was romantic, but rather it was rooted deeply in Christian love. In honor of St. Valentine, we too are also called to brotherly and sisterly love. St. Valentine's Day, shouldn't be about consumerism and lust, but rather about remembering and honoring this noble St. and emulating his devotion to others.

Reflection: “The principal trap which the devil sets for the young is idleness. This is the fatal source of all evil. Do not let there be any doubt in your mind, that man was born to work, and that when he does not do so he is out of his element and in great danger of offending God” (St John Bosco).

HAPPY ST VALENTINE'S DAY!

Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 337

Reading 1 (Gn 8:6-13, 20-22)

At the end of forty days Noah opened the hatch he had made in the ark,
and he sent out a raven, to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.
It flew back and forth until the waters dried off from the earth.
Then he sent out a dove, to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.
But the dove could find no place to alight and perch,
and it returned to him in the ark, for there was water all over the earth.
Putting out his hand, he caught the dove and drew it back to him inside the ark.
He waited seven days more and again sent the dove out from the ark.
In the evening the dove came back to him, and there in its bill was a plucked-off olive leaf!
So Noah knew that the waters had lessened on the earth.
He waited still another seven days and then released the dove once more;
and this time it did not come back.

In the six hundred and first year of Noah's life, in the first month, on the first day of the month,
the water began to dry up on the earth. Noah then removed the covering of the ark
and saw that the surface of the ground was drying up.

Noah built an altar to the LORD, and choosing from every clean animal and every clean bird,
he offered burnt offerings on the altar. When the LORD smelled the sweet odor, he said to himself:
"Never again will I doom the earth because of man
since the desires of man's heart are evil from the start;
nor will I ever again strike down all living beings, as I have done.
As long as the earth lasts, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, and day and night
shall not cease."

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 116:12-13, 14-15, 18-19)

R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

Alleluia (Eph 1:17-18)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
that we may know what is the hope
that belongs to his call.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Mk 8:22-26)

When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida,
people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.
Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked,
"Do you see anything?"
Looking up the man replied, "I see people looking like trees and walking."
Then he laid hands on the man's eyes a second time and he saw clearly;
his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.
Then he sent him home and said, "Do not even go into the village."