Sunday, February 05, 2012 (Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time)

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Jesus invited us to be like Him, humble of heart. But what is humility of the heart? It consists in receiving humiliations from God with a submissive love, in accepting one's state of life and one's duties whatever they are, and in not being ashamed of one's condition.
-- St. Peter Julian Eymard

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Job 7:1-4, 6-7
1 “Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?
2 As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, As a hireling who looks for his wages,
3 So am I made to possess months of misery, Wearisome nights are appointed to me.

4 When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, And are spent without hope.
7 Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye shall no more see good.
Psalms: Psalm 147:1-6(In Praise of God the Almighty) 1 Praise Yah, For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant and fitting to praise him.
2 Yahweh builds up Jerusalem. He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the broken in heart, And binds up their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite.
6 Yahweh upholds the humble. He brings the wicked down to the ground.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23
16 For if I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to boast about; for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me, if I don’t preach the Gospel.
17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.
18 What then is my reward? That, when I preach the Gospel, I may present the Gospel of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Gospel.
19 For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
22 To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.
23 Now I do this for the Gospel’s sake, that I may be a joint partaker of it.
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39
(Jesus Heals Many People/ Jesus Preaches in Galilee)
29 Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30 Now Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 He came and took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she served them.
32 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick, and those who were possessed by demons.
33 All the city was gathered together at the door.
34 He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. He didn’t allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35 Early in the night, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there.
36 Simon and those who were with him followed after him;
37 and they found him, and told him, “Everyone is looking for you.”
38 He said to them, “Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this reason I came forth.”
39 He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.