Closing greeting and blessing
17 Rely on your leaders and defer to them, because they watch over your whole being as people who are going to be held responsible for you. They need to be able to do this with pleasure and not with complaints about you, because that wouldn’t help you.
20 May the God of peace,
who brought back the great shepherd of the sheep,
our Lord Jesus,
from the dead by the blood of the eternal covenant,
21 equip you with every good thing to do his will,
by developing in us what pleases him through Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory forever and always. Amen.
Common of the Blessed Virgin MaryLet us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise. (Hebrews 13:15)
On February 28, 1944, a young Dutch woman named Corrie ten Boom and her family were arrested and sent to concentration camps for running a safe house for Jews during the Nazi occupation of Holland. In the midst of great suffering, Corrie’s sister, Betsie, reminded her that the Scriptures called them to thank God in everything. So they did. They even thanked God for the infestation of fleas in the barracks. As they persisted in giving thanks, they noticed that the guards left them alone. They were able to hold Bible studies and led many fellow prisoners to Christ. They later found out that the guards stayed away because of the fleas!
On one level, this story shows that God works through all things. But on another level, it shows how praising the Lord does something deeper in us. It helps us focus on the Lord so that we can experience his life and freedom more deeply. As Corrie and Betsie praised God, they paid less attention to their hardships and more attention to the other prisoners and their need for Jesus.
Praising God helps us find that place of “restful waters” that refresh and restore us (Psalm 23:2). As we offer God our praise and thanks, we become more aware of his greatness. As a result, difficulties no longer loom as large. Recalling God’s greatness opens us up to his wisdom and direction. It helps us to receive his love, which casts out all fear. It fills us with courage and peace.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus told the disciples to “come away … and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). Praising and thanking God is one way we can do just that. We don’t need to be behind closed doors to do it! We can praise him sitting in the car, on an elevator, or in the middle of a lunch break. Even while talking to a neighbor, we can lift our hearts to Jesus and thank him for who he is and what he has done for us. As Corrie and Betsie ten Boom discovered, the more we praise God, the more he sustains us—no matter how many “fleas” we see!
“Father, you are both mighty and humble. Thank you for your love and mercy. I praise you for holding me in the palm of your hand.” Amen!
Psalm 23: A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd.
I lack nothing.
2 He lets me rest in grassy meadows;
he leads me to restful waters;
3 he keeps me [a] alive.
He guides me in proper paths
for the sake of his good name.
4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger because you are with me.
Your rod and your staff—
they protect me.
5 You set a table for me
right in front of my enemies.
You bathe my head in oil;
my cup is so full it spills over!
6 Yes, goodness and faithful love
will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live[b] in the Lord’s house
as long as I live.[Footnotes:
Psalm 23:3 Or my soul
Psalm 23:6 LXX; MT I will return]
Mark 6: Jesus feeds five thousand people
30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught. 31 Many people were coming and going, so there was no time to eat. He said to the apostles, “Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.” 32 They departed in a boat by themselves for a deserted place.
33 Many people saw them leaving and recognized them, so they ran ahead from all the cities and arrived before them. 34 When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then he began to teach them many things.
____________________________A Catholic Devotional based on the Daily Mass Mass Reading & Meditation for Friday, 6 February 2015
1 Keep loving each other like family. 2 Don’t neglect to open up your homes to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it. 3 Remember prisoners as if you were in prison with them, and people who are mistreated as if you were in their place. 4 Marriage must be honored in every respect, with no cheating on the relationship, because God will judge the sexually immoral person and the person who commits adultery. 5 Your way of life should be free from the love of money, and you should be content with what you have. After all, he has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.[a] 6 This is why we can confidently say,
The Lord is my helper,
and I won’t be afraid.
What can people do to me?[b]
7 Remember your leaders who spoke God’s word to you. Imitate their faith as you consider the way their lives turned out. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever![Footnotes:
Hebrews 13:5 Deut 31:6; Gen 28:15
Hebrews 13:6 Ps 118:6]
Saint Paul Miki and Companions, MartyrsI will never forsake you or abandon you. (Hebrews 13:5)
Never. Not in any circumstance. Not for any reason. Not at any time. There are no loopholes or limitations to this promise. No restrictions apply.
This promise forms the foundation for all the hospitality, generosity, honor, purity, and brotherly love that the author of Hebrews mentions. God will never desert you or give up on you. When things are complicated, confusing, or overwhelming, you can fall back on his promise and know that he is with you. Even when you don’t “feel” his presence, he is still there, hidden in the depths of your heart, giving you his grace.
So you can rest confidently. Almighty God can be your light when the way is dark and your salvation when you feel threatened. Relying on his promise, you can push aside any fear that robs you of sleep. You can find a way to be generous even when finances are tight. You can endure the exhaustion of having two jobs, being a new mother, studying for exams, or juggling multiple projects and schedules. And not just endure—you can find peace and joy in the midst of it all. All because you know that God is always with you.
This promise is more than a nice thought or a springboard for increased self-effort. It’s a weapon you can use to defend against whatever threatens to discourage you or rob you of your peace. It’s a strong support for you as you grapple with the challenges and stresses of life: a cancer diagnosis, the loss of a job, temptation to substance abuse, pornography, gossip, or slander. As your mind churns and your emotions flail, one thing is true: God has promised never to leave you.
So go ahead and ask him, “Where are you right now, Father?” He may surprise you with what he says about who he is, who you are to him, and what he knows about your circumstances. He will help you find the way through them. He will calm your fears and give you the assurance that he can bear you up as you keep trying to be hospitable, generous, and loving. Whenever you feel forsaken or rejected, rely on this: I will never forsake you or abandon you.
“Father, where are you right now? Help me to rest confidently in your strength and love.” Amen!
Psalm 27: Of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Should I fear anyone?
The Lord is a fortress protecting my life.
Should I be frightened of anything?
3 If an army camps against me,
my heart won’t be afraid.
If war comes up against me,
I will continue to trust in this:
5 Because he will shelter me in his own dwelling
during troubling times;
he will hide me in a secret place in his own tent;
he will set me up high, safe on a rock.
8 Come, my heart says, seek God’s face.[a]
Lord, I do seek your face!
9 Please don’t hide it from me!
Don’t push your servant aside angrily—
you have been my help!
God who saves me,
don’t neglect me!
Don’t leave me all alone![Footnotes:
Psalm 27:8 Correction; MT My heart says to/of you…see my face!]
Mark 6: Death of John the Baptist
14 Herod the king heard about these things, because the name of Jesus had become well-known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and this is why miraculous powers are at work through him.” 15 Others were saying, “He is Elijah.” Still others were saying, “He is a prophet like one of the ancient prophets.” 16 But when Herod heard these rumors, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised to life.”
17 He said this because Herod himself had arranged to have John arrested and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of Herod’s brother Philip. Herod had married her, 18 but John told Herod, “It’s against the law for you to marry your brother’s wife!” 19 So Herodias had it in for John. She wanted to kill him, but she couldn’t. 20 This was because Herod respected John. He regarded him as a righteous and holy person, so he protected him. John’s words greatly confused Herod, yet he enjoyed listening to him.
21 Finally, the time was right. It was on one of Herod’s birthdays, when he had prepared a feast for his high-ranking officials and military officers and Galilee’s leading residents. 22 Herod’s daughter Herodias[a] came in and danced, thrilling Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the young woman, “Ask me whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 Then he swore to her, “Whatever you ask I will give to you, even as much as half of my kingdom.”
24 She left the banquet hall and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”
“John the Baptist’s head,” Herodias replied.
25 Hurrying back to the ruler, she made her request: “I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head on a plate, right this minute.” 26 Although the king was upset, because of his solemn pledge and his guests, he didn’t want to refuse her. 27 So he ordered a guard to bring John’s head. The guard went to the prison, cut off John’s head, 28 brought his head on a plate, and gave it to the young woman, and she gave it to her mother. 29 When John’s disciples heard what had happened, they came and took his dead body and laid it in a tomb.
Footnotes:
Mark 6:22 Or the daughter of Herodias herself; Gk uncertain]
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