DAILY MASS READING

Bible Reading

Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Weekday

FIRST READING

 
1 Samuel 3: 1 - 10, 19 - 20 

1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place; 3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down within the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" 5 and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD called again, "Samuel!" And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, `Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the LORD came and stood forth, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for thy servant hears." 

 
19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the LORD. 

PSALM RESPONSE

Psalms 40: 2, 5, 7 - 10 

2 He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. 

5 Thou hast multiplied, O LORD my God, thy wondrous deeds and thy thoughts toward us; none can compare with thee! Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be numbered. 

7 Then I said, "Lo, I come; in the roll of the book it is written of me; 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God; thy law is within my heart." 9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; lo, I have not restrained my lips, as thou knowest, O LORD. 10 I have not hid thy saving help within my heart, I have spoken of thy faithfulness and thy salvation; I have not concealed thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness from the great congregation. 

GOSPEL  

Mark 1: 29 – 39 

29 And immediately he left the synagogue, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him of her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she served them. 32 That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together about the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. 35 And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him pursued him, 37 and they found him and said to him, "Every one is searching for you." 38 And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out." 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

We must show charity towards the sick, who are in greater need of help. Let us take them some small gift if they are poor, or, at least let us go and wait on them and comfort them.

 -- St. Alphonsus Liguori

Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/inspiration.asp#ixzz1iwPyiQFN

            1Co 7:1-2,9            

Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: [It is] 

good for a man not to touch a woman. 

Nevertheless, [to avoid] fornication, let every man have 

his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better 

to marry than to burn.

1Co 6:9-11,18-20 

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the 

kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor 

idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of 

themselves with mankind,19 Do you not know that your bodies 

are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you,whom you 

have received from God? You are not your own;20 you were 

bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 

1Co 7:32-35 

32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried 

man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please

 the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the 

affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and 

his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is 

concerned about the Lord’s affairs:Her aim is to be 

devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a 

married woman is concerned about the affairs of this 

world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying 

this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you 

may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

Mk 10:29-30 

 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has 

left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or 

children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to 

receive a hundred times as much in this present age: 

homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and 

fields—along with persecutions—andin the age to come 

eternal life.

 "Peter was married.That Peter had a mother-in-law "  
                                                                                                                                  

 Why Priests Don’t  marry?

Clerical celibacy of a Catholic priest is considered by non Catholic as , “Rules of Satan.” As sexual issues are getting more media attraction, even a simple human failure, is much exaggerated and propagated by anti-church elements to prove it as ‘impractical’. Admitting the fact that this life style may seem to be impractical in a sexually liberated world, the church never made as amendment in it, as it is a biblical way of following Jesus. Priests are called to follow not only what Jesus said, but how he lived. Jesus himself was celibate. He even asked his disciples to accept it as for the sake of Kingdome of heaven:

Mtt19:12 “Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so… some because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.” Jesus calls this heroic virtue as ‘gift’ from God (Mt19:11).     

Mt 10:37 “Whoever loves father, mother … son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me.’ This is explained by St. Paul as “an unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord, but a married man is anxious about the things of this world, how to please his wife and he is divided” 
(1cor7:32-34)                                                                                                                                    
 So Paul led a life of celibacy and advised: “I say this by way of concession not as a command. Indeed I wish everyone to be as I am, but each has a particular gift from God, one of one kind and one of another” (1Cor7:6-7). If celibacy is the ‘rule of Satan’ why Jesus, Mary and apostles followed it? Are they advising us to follows Satan?

In the Catholic Church law of celibacy is a disciplinary law, not an infallible dogma.So some pastors who are converted from Episcopalian Churches and some protestant groups are allowed to lead a marital life in America. Greek Byzantine church, Syro-Malankara Church in India, which are all under the Catholic Church, have married priests.

CITED FROM: Fr.Paul Kaiparambadan                                

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