Sunday, February 19, 2012 (Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time)

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
O my God, Trinity whom I adore, help me forget myself entirely so to establish myself in you, unmovable and peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity. May nothing be able to trouble my peace or make me leave you, O my unchanging God, but may each minute bring me more deeply into your mystery! Grant my soul peace. Make it your heaven, your beloved dwelling and the place of your rest. May I never abandon you there, but may I be there, whole and entire, completely vigilant in my faith, entirely adoring, and wholly given over to your creative action.
-- Prayer of Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity.


READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Isaiah 43:18-19, 21-22, 24-25
(Israel's Sin)
18 Don’t remember the former things, neither consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now shall it spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
21 the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise.

22 Yet you have not called on me, Jacob; but you have been weary of me, Israel.
24 You have bought me no sweet cane with money, neither have you filled me with the fat of your sacrifices; but you have burdened me with your sins, you have wearied me with your iniquities.
25 I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins.
Psalms: Psalm 41:2-5, 13-14
2 Yahweh will preserve him, and keep him alive, He shall be blessed on the earth, And he will not surrender him to the will of his enemies.
3 Yahweh will sustain him on his sickbed, And restore him from his bed of illness.
4 I said, “Yahweh, have mercy on me! Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
5 My enemies speak evil against me: “When will he die, and his name perish?”
13 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, From everlasting and to everlasting! Amen and amen.
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:18-22
18 But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not “Yes and no.”
19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not “Yes and no,” but in him is “Yes.”
20 For however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen,” to the glory of God through us.
21 Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God;
22 who also sealed us, and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.
Gospel: Mark 2:1-12(Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man)1 When he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was in the house.
2 Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them.
3 Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him.
4 When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on.
5 Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
6 But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
7 “Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts?
9 Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?’
10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—
11 “I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.”
12 He arose, and immediately took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”