In Communion

A life in Christ is a life in communion: communion with love, truth, peace, kindness, faithfulness, mercy, forgiveness, and with one another. Jesus was sent to bring us all into the Father’s heart and to unite us in His love. He showed this over and over again by healing the sick who were often outcasts, restoring lepers seen as unclean, driving out demons that separated people from the community, reaching out to the sinners to give them back their dignity, and always bringing the little ones into the fold. These were all demonstrations of wanting us to live in harmony and peace with one another. Those cast aside, forgotten, ridiculed, judged, humiliated, regarded as less than, misunderstood, lowly, weak, etc. were Jesus’ main focus. He was constantly moving toward the sinner, the leper, the blind, the lame, the judged, and the sick, because he knew they were on outside and his mission was and is to bring them in. How does he still bring them in? Through us, his hands and feet here on earth. He tells us, “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.” Even though I never watch the news anymore, I’m pretty sure that our kingdom is currently divided. How can we restore unity? We cannot, but God can and so we need to release God into the world. How? We take our cues from Jesus constantly moving toward the marginalized and blessing them rather than cursing them. We cooperate with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us to love everybody always. We invite God into every single interaction we have with others and allow Him to do the loving, the saving, the delivering, the healing, the mercy, the forgiving, and the blessing. 

A life in Christ is a life in communion; a life not in Christ is divided. Jealousy, envy, pride, prejudice, and arrogance are all ways the enemy uses to separate us from one another. Let’s be extra diligent in guarding our souls against these things. The same Spirit that came upon the Apostles at Pentecost lives and dwells within each of us, and that is the Spirit that longs for us to be united in God’s love. We get to work with that Spirit or against that Spirit. And based on the warning given at the end of today’s gospel, I only want to work with the Holy Spirit. As we go about our day, perhaps we can imagine living in the center of the perfect unity of the Holy Trinity, where the love between the Father and the Son releases the Spirit of unconditional love and mercy to everyone. It is well with my soul.

Reading 1 2 SM 5:1-7, 10

All the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said:
“Here we are, your bone and your flesh.
In days past, when Saul was our king,
it was you who led the children of Israel out and brought them back.
And the LORD said to you, ‘You shall shepherd my people Israel
and shall be commander of Israel.’”
When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron,
King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD,
and they anointed him king of Israel.
David was thirty years old when he became king,
and he reigned for forty years:
seven years and six months in Hebron over Judah,
and thirty-three years in Jerusalem
over all Israel and Judah.

Then the king and his men set out for Jerusalem
against the Jebusites who inhabited the region.
David was told, “You cannot enter here:
the blind and the lame will drive you away!”
which was their way of saying, “David cannot enter here.”
But David did take the stronghold of Zion, which is the City of David.

David grew steadily more powerful,
for the LORD of hosts was with him.

Responsorial Psalm 89:20, 21-22, 25-26

R.    (25a)  My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
Once you spoke in a vision,
and to your faithful ones you said:
“On a champion I have placed a crown;
over the people I have set a youth.”
R.    My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
“I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
That my hand may be always with him,
and that my arm may make him strong.”
R.    My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
“My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,
and through my name shall his horn be exalted.
I will set his hand upon the sea,
his right hand upon the rivers.”
R.    My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.

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.”   

Capital Letter

Today Jesus goes on retreat with a specific group of people; “those whom he wanted.” They went up the mountain. Most retreat centers I know are in the mountains or some remote location that gets you out and away from the hustle and bustle of daily schedules, living, and responsibility. The whole idea about a retreat is to withdraw somewhere to change your environment and give you another perspective. The view from the top of a mountain usually puts me into a place of deeper contemplation, wide perception, and a connection to the whole picture. It seems that this was the setting that Jesus chose to launch His mission into the world, or into the valley below. He took the ones that He knew were up for the challenge and from those, He called out Twelve in particular. What “qualified” them for the call? Jesus qualified them, “He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” Jesus called them Apostles and His Word made it so. Jesus calls each one of us something with a capital letter and when we let Him commission us as such we become it. 

The Apostles had to step into their calling and it was a process with lots of learning, struggling, making mistakes, getting it wrong until they got it right, and intense quality time in the presence of Jesus, but they eventually became their name. We are all called to be apostles, those sent from the mountain to be the presence of Jesus in the world, but each of us has a capital letter word or unique name that He calls us to be, i.e. Peter = Rock, James and John = Sons of Thunder. Spend time listening to God today and let Him name you with a capital letter word so that you can step into your valley duty with confidence and completely qualified to carry out the mission given to you. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 1 SM 24:3-21

Saul took three thousand picked men from all Israel
and went in search of David and his men
in the direction of the wild goat crags.
When he came to the sheepfolds along the way, he found a cave,
which he entered to relieve himself.
David and his men were occupying the inmost recesses of the cave.

David’s servants said to him,
“This is the day of which the LORD said to you,
‘I will deliver your enemy into your grasp;
do with him as you see fit.’”
So David moved up and stealthily cut off an end of Saul’s mantle.
Afterward, however, David regretted that he had cut off
an end of Saul’s mantle.
He said to his men,
“The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master,
the LORD’s anointed, as to lay a hand on him,
for he is the LORD’s anointed.”
With these words David restrained his men
and would not permit them to attack Saul.
Saul then left the cave and went on his way.
David also stepped out of the cave, calling to Saul,
“My lord the king!”
When Saul looked back, David bowed to the ground in homage and asked Saul:
“Why do you listen to those who say,
‘David is trying to harm you’?
You see for yourself today that the LORD just now delivered you
into my grasp in the cave.
I had some thought of killing you, but I took pity on you instead.
I decided, ‘I will not raise a hand against my lord,
for he is the LORD’s anointed and a father to me.’
Look here at this end of your mantle which I hold.
Since I cut off an end of your mantle and did not kill you,
see and be convinced that I plan no harm and no rebellion.
I have done you no wrong,
though you are hunting me down to take my life.
The LORD will judge between me and you,
and the LORD will exact justice from you in my case.
I shall not touch you.
The old proverb says, ‘From the wicked comes forth wickedness.’
So I will take no action against you.
Against whom are you on campaign, O king of Israel?
Whom are you pursuing?  A dead dog, or a single flea!
The LORD will be the judge; he will decide between me and you.
May he see this, and take my part,
and grant me justice beyond your reach!”
When David finished saying these things to Saul, Saul answered,
“Is that your voice, my son David?”
And Saul wept aloud.
Saul then said to David: “You are in the right rather than I;
you have treated me generously, while I have done you harm.
Great is the generosity you showed me today,
when the LORD delivered me into your grasp
and you did not kill me.
For if a man meets his enemy, does he send him away unharmed?
May the LORD reward you generously for what you have done this day.
And now, I know that you shall surely be king
and that sovereignty over Israel shall come into your possession.”

Responsorial Psalm 57:2, 3-4, 6 AND 11

R.    (2a)  Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
Have mercy on me, O God; have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.
In the shadow of your wings I take refuge,
till harm pass by.
R.    Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
I call to God the Most High,
to God, my benefactor.
May he send from heaven and save me;
may he make those a reproach who trample upon me;
may God send his mercy and his faithfulness.
R.    Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
above all the earth be your glory!
For your mercy towers to the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the skies.
R.    Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.

Alleluia 2 COR 5:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 3:13-19

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted
and they came to him.
He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,
that they might be with him
and he might send them forth to preach
and to have authority to drive out demons:
He appointed the Twelve:
Simon, whom he named Peter;
James, son of Zebedee,
and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges,
that is, sons of thunder;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus;
Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,
and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

Jesus Withdrew Toward The Sea

“Jesus withdrew toward the sea…” I know that the sea is my happy place and I withdraw there whenever I need to get away, recharge, and fill up on rest. It seems like Jesus also needed a get away in today’s gospel. The crowds had become so large, coming from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, Jordan, Tyre, and Sidon, that Jesus felt literally crushed. I love that Jesus teaches us that self-care is a very necessary thing for our spiritual well being. I know that we good Christians tend to get caught in this cycle of “doing” more and more Christian things and we put ourselves on the back burner of the care spectrum thinking we need to be everything to everyone else. Guilty as charged. The fact of the matter is that we are no good for anyone if we are completely exhausted and depleted of our own soul’s resources. We need to come at all of our “activities” (action) from a place of rest or else our Christian action will turn into just Christian motions without substance. Our substance is our rest in the Lord. What does that mean? Getting away every now and then, saying no more often, making time to just be in His presence daily, breathing in the sea air to fill our lungs with peace, choosing self-care as regularly as we do other-care, and having a boat ready so we don’t get crushed. Whatever your happy place, your get away spot, your sea air, or your “boat” are, Jesus tells us today to withdraw there especially when things get overwhelming, but I say do these things long before the crowds come crushing in on us. When we practice rest and self-care we become more available, more present, and more thoughtful in our daily encounters. 

The crowds came because they were “hearing what he was doing.” When people hear about what we are doing, they will press us to do more, and that is wonderful, but we need to take our cues from Jesus and not let the crowds crush us. “Jesus withdrew toward the sea” and so should we every once in a while. It is well with my soul.  

Shout out to Letty Peck on her birthday!!!! 

Reading 1 1 SM 18:6-9; 19:1-7

When David and Saul approached
(on David’s return after slaying the Philistine),
women came out from each of the cities of Israel to meet King Saul,
singing and dancing, with tambourines, joyful songs, and sistrums.
The women played and sang:

“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”

Saul was very angry and resentful of the song, for he thought:
“They give David ten thousands, but only thousands to me.
All that remains for him is the kingship.”
And from that day on, Saul was jealous of David.

Saul discussed his intention of killing David
with his son Jonathan and with all his servants.
But Saul’s son Jonathan, who was very fond of David, told him:
“My father Saul is trying to kill you.
Therefore, please be on your guard tomorrow morning;
get out of sight and remain in hiding.
I, however, will go out and stand beside my father
in the countryside where you are, and will speak to him about you.
If I learn anything, I will let you know.”

Jonathan then spoke well of David to his father Saul, saying to him:
“Let not your majesty sin against his servant David,
for he has committed no offense against you,
but has helped you very much by his deeds.
When he took his life in his hands and slew the Philistine,
and the LORD brought about a great victory
for all Israel through him,
you were glad to see it.
Why, then, should you become guilty of shedding innocent blood
by killing David without cause?”
Saul heeded Jonathan’s plea and swore,
“As the LORD lives, he shall not be killed.”
So Jonathan summoned David and repeated the whole conversation to him.
Jonathan then brought David to Saul, and David served him as before.

Responsorial Psalm 56:2-3, 9-10A, 10B-11, 12-13

R.    (5b)  In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Have mercy on me, O God, for men trample upon me;
all the day they press their attack against me.
My adversaries trample upon me all the day;
yes, many fight against me.
R.    In God I trust; I shall not fear.
My wanderings you have counted;
my tears are stored in your flask;
are they not recorded in your book?
Then do my enemies turn back,
when I call upon you.
R.    In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?
R.    In God I trust; I shall not fear.
I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
R.    In God I trust; I shall not fear.

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.

What Makes The Sabbath Holy?

Rest is not what makes the Sabbath holy. Resting in His presence does. Resting in His presence is not racked with rules or regimen, it is intentional quality time spent focused on Jesus, communing with Him, wasting time with Him, and simply being. Perhaps we have lost sight of this. Perhaps I have interpreted “religious practice” as mandatory to get into heaven, when really our religious practice is but a way to get us to rest in Him. Seems counterintuitive doesn’t it? Being with Jesus involves two things: Word and Communion. We receive His presence in the hearing of His Word and we receive His presence by consuming Him into our being. This is the entire purpose of the Sabbath and His disciples were partaking in both when the Pharisees jumped in with judgment. Setting time aside to rest in Him through His Word and through Communion is the main thing and today Jesus reminds us to not get caught up in practice, rules, and judgment, but to absolutely get caught up in Him. Let’s commit our Sabbath to resting in His presence intentionally. Let’s forge a path through the field of grain like the disciples in today’s gospel, a path of wasting time with Jesus that allows us to feast on the things that bring us abundant life and not on the things that simply bring us more procedures. The Sabbath was made for us to rest from the schedule to simply be with our God and we can absolutely do that within our “religious practices” if we tune our hearts into that with intention. Resting in His presence is what makes the Sabbath holy. It is well with my soul.   

Reading 1 1 SM 16:1-13

The LORD said to Samuel:
“How long will you grieve for Saul,
whom I have rejected as king of Israel?
Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”
But Samuel replied:
“How can I go?
Saul will hear of it and kill me.”
To this the LORD answered:
“Take a heifer along and say,
‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I myself will tell you what to do;
you are to anoint for me the one I point out to you.”

Samuel did as the LORD had commanded him.
When he entered Bethlehem,
the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and inquired,
“Is your visit peaceful, O seer?”
He replied:
“Yes!  I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.
So cleanse yourselves and join me today for the banquet.”
He also had Jesse and his sons cleanse themselves
and invited them to the sacrifice.
As they came, he looked at Eliab and thought,
“Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.”
But the LORD said to Samuel:
“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because he sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart.”
Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel,
who said, “The LORD has not chosen him.”
Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said,
“The LORD has not chosen this one either.”
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
“The LORD has not chosen any one of these.”
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
“Are these all the sons you have?”
Jesse replied,
“There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said to Jesse,
“Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.”
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The LORD said,
“There–anoint him, for this is he!”  
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed him in the midst of his brothers;
and from that day on, the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.
When Samuel took his leave, he went to Ramah.

Responsorial Psalm 89:20, 21-22, 27-28

R.    (21a)  I  have found David, my servant.
Once you spoke in a vision,
and to your faithful ones you said:
“On a champion I have placed a crown;
over the people I have set a youth.”
R.    I  have found David, my servant.
“I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
That my hand may be always with him,
and that my arm may make him strong.”
R.    I  have found David, my servant.
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’
And I will make him the first-born,
highest of the kings of the earth.”
R.    I  have found David, my servant.

Alleluia Eph 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 our call.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 2:23-28

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.
At this the Pharisees said to him,
“Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
He said to them,
“Have you never read what David did
when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest
and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,
and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them,
“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

Jesus Makes All Things New

Jesus makes all things new. Let me repeat that. Jesus makes all things new. Oh, okay, I’ll say it one more time. Jesus makes all things new. Newness is fresh, exciting, undamaged, and brimming with potential. Newness can also be unfamiliar with a bit of a learning curve and sometimes people may choose the old comfy way over the slightly unknown new way. We get stuck in our routines, our practices, and our defaults. The Holy Spirit, however, is one dynamic force that is constantly moving us forward into the newness of Christ. It takes great spiritual maturity to be pliable to this force and to go with the Spirit’s flow, but when we do, the great adventure opens up endless possibilities for love, joy, peace, and holy hunger. How do we become spiritually mature? Spend time with Jesus. Yep, it is that simple. In today’s gospel Jesus tells the Pharisees, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is WITH them? As long as they have the bridegroom WITH them they cannot fast.” Spend time WITH Jesus and He will make all things new. Time in His presence is the way to spiritual maturity that allows us to deal with the newness that the Holy Spirit is constantly breathing into us. 

What old ways do you need to update today? What old mindsets do you need to shed today? What old debris is stuck and needs to be cleared out? Did I mention that Jesus makes all things new? In this new year and new decade, let’s focus on the things in our life that need to become new in Jesus. It is well with my soul.  

Reading 1 1 SM 15:16-23

Samuel said to Saul:
“Stop! Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.”
Saul replied, “Speak!”
Samuel then said: “Though little in your own esteem,
are you not leader of the tribes of Israel?
The LORD anointed you king of Israel and sent you on a mission, saying,
‘Go and put the sinful Amalekites under a ban of destruction.
Fight against them until you have exterminated them.’
Why then have you disobeyed the LORD?
You have pounced on the spoil, thus displeasing the LORD.”
Saul answered Samuel:  “I did indeed obey the LORD
and fulfill the mission on which the LORD sent me.
I have brought back Agag, and I have destroyed Amalek under the ban.
But from the spoil the men took sheep and oxen,
the best of what had been banned,
to sacrifice to the LORD their God in Gilgal.”
But Samuel said:
“Does the LORD so delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as in obedience to the command of the LORD?
Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission than the fat of rams.
For a sin like divination is rebellion,
and presumption is the crime of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the command of the LORD,
he, too, has rejected you as ruler.”

Responsorial Psalm 50:8-9, 16BC-17, 21 AND 23

R.    (23b)  To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.”
R.    To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R.    To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R.    To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Alleluia HB 4:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 2:18-22

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast.
People came to Jesus and objected,
“Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast,
 but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus answered them,
“Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast on that day.
No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak.
If he does, its fullness pulls away,
the new from the old, and the tear gets worse.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins,
and both the wine and the skins are ruined.
Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

Paralysis

“When he saw their faith, he said to him, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven.’” Today’s gospel is the story of Jesus healing the paralytic when his friends broke through the roof of Peter’s house in Capernaum where Jesus was teaching. The story says that Jesus was moved by the faith of the paralytic’s friends to act with mercy. For some reason this pulled my heartstrings with a little extra force today, reminding me that working with memory care is a constant exercise in trying to breakthrough the roof. My sweethearts have a paralysis in their memory and breakthrough comes by busting open the roof with mercy, entering into their worlds with compassion, and putting them in front of Jesus with love. To be seen by their Savior is the only thing that can heal their paralysis. How comforting to know that the faith of our friends can directly affect our soul and vice versa, our faith can impact our friends as well. When I am weak and vulnerable it allows my friends to act in faith and when my friends are weak and vulnerable it gives me the courage to act in faith as well. In other words our pain helps us become more holy. I have been the paralyzed one on the mat, unable to move, unable to get myself to Christ, and it has been the faith of my friends lovingly chipping away at the roof with words of encouragement, lots of prayer, texts, phone calls, etc. until one day I found myself eyelash to eyelash with Jesus and His forgiveness animated my frozen heart so that I could walk again. I’m sure He said, “I saw the faith of your friends and so your sins are forgiven.” How incredible is that? 

Jesus understands deep friendship because He was that kind of friend Himself. He honors our faith whenever we earnestly give each other over to Him because there is nothing more we can do, no more words we can say, no more distractions we can create, and no more advice we can give. Have you ever busted someone through a roof? Have your friends ever busted you through a roof? Today’s gospel reminds us that our faith does indeed move mountains and if we boldly and urgently place each other before Jesus, He will act accordingly. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 1 SM 8:4-7, 10-22A

All the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramah
and said to him, “Now that you are old,
and your sons do not follow your example,
appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us.”

Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them.
He prayed to the LORD, however, who said in answer:
“Grant the people’s every request.
It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king.”

Samuel delivered the message of the LORD in full
to those who were asking him for a king.
He told them:
“The rights of the king who will rule you will be as follows:
He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses,
and they will run before his chariot.
He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups
of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers.
He will set them to do his plowing and his harvesting,
and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
He will use your daughters as ointment makers, as cooks, and as bakers.
He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves,
and give them to his officials.
He will tithe your crops and your vineyards,
and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves.
He will take your male and female servants,
as well as your best oxen and your asses,
and use them to do his work.
He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves.
When this takes place,
you will complain against the king whom you have chosen,
but on that day the LORD will not answer you.”

The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel’s warning and said,
“Not so!  There must be a king over us.
We too must be like other nations,
with a king to rule us and to lead us in warfare
and fight our battles.”
When Samuel had listened to all the people had to say,
he repeated it to the LORD, who then said to him,
“Grant their request and appoint a king to rule them.”

Responsorial Psalm 89:16-17, 18-19

R.    (2)    For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
R.    For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
For you are the splendor of their strength,
and by your favor our horn is exalted.
For to the LORD belongs our shield,
and to the Holy One of Israel, our King.
R.    For ever I will sing the goodness 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.”