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Tuesday, January 17, 2012
St. Anthony, Abbot (Memorial)
FIRST READING
1 Samuel 16: 1 - 13
1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." 2 And Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, `I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me him whom I name to you." 4 Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?" 5 And he said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice." And he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they came, he looked on Eli'ab and thought, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him." 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." 8 Then Jesse called Abin'adab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." 10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these." 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he comes here." 12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he." 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
PSALM RESPONSE
Psalms 89: 20 - 22, 27 – 28
20 I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him; 21 so that my hand shall ever abide with him, my arm also shall strengthen him. 22 The enemy shall not outwit him, the wicked shall not humble him.
27 And I will make him the first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth. 28 My steadfast love I will keep for him for ever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.
GOSPEL
Mark 2: 23 – 28
23 One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?" 25 And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, when Abi'athar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?" 27 And he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; 28 so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath."
The patient and humble endurance of the Cross - whatever nature it may be - is the highest work we have to do.
-- St Katherine Drexel
Mark 2: 19 And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.
Mark 2:27 And he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; 28 so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath."
Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
The apostles who had the apportunity to be with Jesus can not find time to fast because Jesus who is above the law is with them.
Sabbath is made for the wellness of men .Being with Jesus, the Lord of Sabbath , the apostles were filled with goodness and wellness brought about by His presense.
But when Jesus left them to finish His work, then they will fast in that day and then they will observe the Sabbath reasonably
(4th commandment - Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy).
What graces are derived from assisting (assisting means attending) at Mass?
- The Mass is Calvary continued.
- Every Mass is worth as much as the sacrifice of Our Lord's life, sufferings and death.
- Holy Mass is the most powerful atonement for your sins.
- At the hour of death the Masses you have heard will be your greatest consolement.
- Every Mass will go with you to judgement and plead for pardon.
- At Mass you can diminish more or less temporal punishment due to your sins, according to your fervor.
- Assisting devoutly at Holy Mass you render to the humanity of Our Lord the greates homage.
- He supplies for many of your negligences and omissions.
- He forgives the venial sins which you have not confessed. The power of Satan over you is diminished.
- You afford the souls in Purgatory the greates possible relief.
- One Mass heard during life will be of more benefit to you than many heard for you after your death.
- You are preserved from dangers and misfortunes which otherwise might have befallen you. You shorten your Purgatory.
- Every Mass wins you a higher degree of glory in Heaven.
- You receive the Priest's blessing which Our Lord ratifies in Heaven.
- You kneel amidst a multitude of Holy Angels, who are present at the adorable Sacrifice with reverential awe.
- You are blessed in your temporal goods and affairs.
