Catholic Church Readings for Saturday, February 6, 2021: Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs

Catholic Church Readings for Saturday, February 6, 2021: Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs

Lectionary: 328

Reading I

Heb 13:15-17, 20-21

Brothers and sisters:

Through Jesus, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise,

that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have;

God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.

Obey your leaders and defer to them,

for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account,

that they may fulfill their task with joy and not with sorrow,

for that would be of no advantage to you.

May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead

the great shepherd of the sheep

by the Blood of the eternal covenant, 

furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will.

May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ,

to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen.

Responsorial Psalm

23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R.    (1)  The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

    In verdant pastures he gives me repose.

Beside restful waters he leads me;

    he refreshes my soul.

R.    The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me in right paths

    for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk in the dark valley

    I fear no evil; for you are at my side

With your rod and your staff

    that give me courage.

R.    The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me

    in the sight of my foes;

You anoint my head with oil;

    my cup overflows. 

R.    The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me

    all the days of my life;

And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

    for years to come.

R.    The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Alleluia

Jn 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;

I know them, and they follow me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 6:30-34

The Apostles gathered together with Jesus

and reported all they had done and taught.

He said to them,

“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” 

People were coming and going in great numbers,

and they had no opportunity even to eat.

So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.

People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.

They hastened there on foot from all the towns

and arrived at the place before them.

When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd,

his heart was moved with pity for them,

for they were like sheep without a shepherd;

and he began to teach them many things.

Catholic Church Readings for Friday, February 5, 2021: Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

Catholic Church Readings for Friday, February 5, 2021: Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

Lectionary: 327

Reading I

Heb 13:1-8

Let brotherly love continue.

Do not neglect hospitality,

for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.

Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment,

and of the ill-treated as of yourselves,

for you also are in the body.

Let marriage be honored among all

and the marriage bed be kept undefiled,

for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.

Let your life be free from love of money

but be content with what you have,

for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.

Thus we may say with confidence:

    The Lord is my helper,

    and I will not be afraid.

    What can anyone do to me?

Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you.

Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Responsorial Psalm

27:1, 3, 5, 8b-9abc

R.    (1a)  The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;

    whom should I fear?

The LORD is my life’s refuge;

    of whom should I be afraid? 

R.    The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Though an army encamp against me,

    my heart will not fear;

Though war be waged upon me,

    even then will I trust.

R.    The Lord is my light and my salvation.

For he will hide me in his abode

    in the day of trouble;

He will conceal me in the shelter of his tent,

    he will set me high upon a rock.

R.    The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Your presence, O LORD, I seek.

Hide not your face from me;

    do not in anger repel your servant.

You are my helper: cast me not off.

R.    The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Alleluia

See Lk 8:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart,

and yield a harvest through perseverance.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 6:14-29

King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread,

and people were saying,

“John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;

That is why mighty powers are at work in him.”

Others were saying, “He is Elijah”;

still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.”

But when Herod learned of it, he said,

“It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”

Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison

on account of Herodias, 

the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.

John had said to Herod,

“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Herodias harbored a grudge against him

and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.

Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,

and kept him in custody.

When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,

yet he liked to listen to him.

Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,

gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers,

and the leading men of Galilee.

His own daughter came in and performed a dance

that delighted Herod and his guests.

The king said to the girl,

“Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.” 

He even swore many things to her,

“I will grant you whatever you ask of me,

even to half of my kingdom.”

She went out and said to her mother,

“What shall I ask for?”

Her mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”

The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request,

“I want you to give me at once on a platter

the head of John the Baptist.”

The king was deeply distressed,

but because of his oaths and the guests

he did not wish to break his word to her.

So he promptly dispatched an executioner

with orders to bring back his head.

He went off and beheaded him in the prison.

He brought in the head on a platter

and gave it to the girl.

The girl in turn gave it to her mother.

When his disciples heard about it,

they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Scary Moments During Communion

Have you ever been to Mass during the distribution of Communion and been concerned about the worthy reception of the Eucharist? I know I have been on many occasions. I would like to recount an event which took place yesterday which I found very strange.

It was daily Mass and people were going up to receive communion as per usual. A gentleman came forward whom I have never seen. Instead of placing one hand under another and making a sort of "table" with his hands upon which to receive the sacred species, he instead took the host with his index finger and thumb. The strangest part was that upon receiving the Eucharist, he leaned over and for several seconds whispered something to the priest. I have no idea what he whispered. Perhaps I am somewhat imagining it, but the priest seemed concerned after that. The prayers at the end of Mass seemed a little more rushed than usual.

I believe he did consume the Eucharist, which is the main thing. After receiving, also strangely, this person walked down the middle aisle of the church (where no one was sitting). Later, when Mass was over, he stuck around and was taking photos of the church while others were leaving.

I have no idea who this person was. I cannot say anything about the state of his soul or whether or not he was a practicing Catholic. However, these situations give me pause and I wonder how they should be properly addressed.

I always have a concern about someone who may be unstable receiving communion and then doing something like desecrating it or treating it with irreverence. It got me to wondering: how should priests address such situations? I searched for the topic of denying communion and under what circumstances that should be done. I found some interesting things.

The main people to whom Eucharist should be denied are those in persistent obstinate sin. One of the prime examples of this is politicians who publicly campaign on behalf of immoral things such as abortion. It's important to note that the Church says denial is only to those in public, persistent, obstinate sin. It cannot simply be a person who the priest believes lives as sinful life or is in a state of mortal sin.

A priest does not have certainty that a person is in a state of mortal sin. Perhaps they confessed their sin to another priest. Even if the priest has inside information, he is told to err on the side of caution. In fact, if a priest denies communion to a person who is committing a private sin (not known publicly), the priest could be committing a form of scandal. This form of scandal involves exposing someone's sins unnecessarily.

An interesting example of denying communion to someone in persistent sin is someone wearing an emblem announcing their support for a sin, such as wearing a gay pride sash. This sash would be a symbol indicating this person's current and ongoing support of gay pride, thus support for homosexual actions which are contrary to Church teaching.

However, ordinarily, the priest could not use a person's private sin as a reason to exclude them from communion.

So, what about a case involving an erratic person or someone just behaving strangely? Should communion be denied that person? The answer is yes. In an article by Fr. Edward McNamara on EWTN.com, he writes:

There might be some other cases when a priest has to decide on the spur of the moment, for example, when a person is in an obviously altered state and is clearly not fully aware of what he is doing. Such cases have more to do with public order and respect for the Eucharistic species than making a judgment as to a person's interior state.

This would be a tough judgment call in many cases. A person acting a little strange would not necessary mean they are in an altered state or do not understand the Eucharist. In the story I gave above, was the person in an altered state? I have no idea. I think if a person is acting in a truly strange way, it would be a valid assumption to think the person may receive unworthily or perhaps even desecrate Our Lord in the Eucharist. That would be the worst case scenario.

Where I attend Mass, there was a guy who seemed a little "out there". I'm not judging him or whether he's in a state of grace, but his behavior was unusual. He would wave his arms, sometimes with great speed, during the Mass. However, when he went to receive communion, he did so very reverently. He would kneel down and put his hands up for the Eucharist to be placed there. He would then immediately consume the host.

A priest could not legitimately refuse communion to this man, even if he was acting a little differently during the Liturgy. His comportment during reception of communion would certainly qualify him, barring any publicly-known mortal sin, to receive Our Lord under the appearance of bread and wine.

Any time the Body, Blood, Soul, & Divinity of Our Lord is at risk, it is scary and concerning. We must pray for all who receive communion that they do so in a worthy way, as spoken of by St. Paul. I believe reception on the tongue is an added guarantee of worthy reception and hopefully it will return soon.

Catholic Church Readings for Thursday, February 4, 2021: Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Catholic Church Readings for Thursday, February 4, 2021: Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 326

Reading I

Heb 12:18-19, 21-24

Brothers and sisters:

You have not approached that which could be touched

and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness

and storm and a trumpet blast

and a voice speaking words such that those who heard

begged that no message be further addressed to them.

Indeed, so fearful was the spectacle that Moses said,

“I am terrified and trembling.”

No, you have approached Mount Zion

and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,

and countless angels in festal gathering,

and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven,

and God the judge of all,

and the spirits of the just made perfect,

and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,

and the sprinkled Blood that speaks more eloquently

than that of Abel.

Responsorial Psalm

48:2-3ab, 3cd-4, 9, 10-11

R.    (see 10)  O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.

Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised

    in the city of our God.

His holy mountain, fairest of heights,

    is the joy of all the earth. 

R.    O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.

Mount Zion, “the recesses of the North,”

    the city of the great King.

God is with her castles;

    renowned is he as a stronghold.

R.    O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.

As we had heard, so have we seen

    in the city of the LORD of hosts,

In the city of our God;

    God makes it firm forever.

R.    O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.

O God, we ponder your mercy

    within your temple.

As your name, O God, so also your praise

    reaches to the ends of the earth.

Of justice your right hand is full.

R.    O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.

Alleluia

Mk 1:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Kingdom of God is at hand;

repent and believe in the Gospel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 6:7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two

and gave them authority over unclean spirits.

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick

–no food, no sack, no money in their belts.

They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.

He said to them,

“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.

Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,

leave there and shake the dust off your feet

in testimony against them.”

So they went off and preached repentance.

The Twelve drove out many demons,

and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

NBC's Superstore Sitcom Review: Where anti-Christian attacks are "comedy".

I started watching the NBC sitcom "Superstore" with my wife a couple of weeks ago. It's about employees who work in a supermarket called Cloud 9. There isn't any major plot, it's your standard sitcom format. There is obviously plenty of good potential in a show based in a store similar to Walmart. Unfortunately instead of taking advantage of hundreds of possible comedic situations which could arise, the show has become more and more anti-Christian, devolving into unfunny but vicious attacks on Christians. Of course, there is absolutely no balance whatsoever. Christians and Christianity in the show are always made to look bad. I guess this is why it was picked up by Netflix. I will stop watching the show. It has no value to me anymore. Let me get into some detail.

[Warning: contains spoilers up to Season 2: Episode 2. I haven't watched beyond that.]

So I was watching the show and from the start I noticed that the overtly Christian store manager Glenn Phillip Sturgis (played by Mark McKinney) comes across as very stupid. He has a high-pitched ridiculous voice and he just seems extremely naïve about the world. I wasn't surprised to see this though. Many sitcoms now feature an extremely naïve Christian character such as Shirley Bennett in Community (played by Yvette Nicole Brown) or the assistant on 30 Rock Kenneth Ellen Parcell played by Jack McBrayer.

It has become a tired and pathetic trope. "Haha, look at the stupid, naïve Christian. No need to take that person seriously." These characters seem to know nothing of the "real world". They have been sheltered their entire lives from the reality and grittiness of the world. They are essentially portrayed as adult children with no street knowledge. Yet, the other "woke" characters have such a nuanced and compassionate, non-judgmental view of people. That's because they've seen things and know the world is a complicated place, unlike Christians who think it's just all black and white.

So enough talking in general. How exactly does the show Superstore push its left-wing secular agenda while vilifying people of faith?

First of all, in general, there is really only one overt Christian. Not a single other person on the show ever mentions their faith or that they are Christian. Plus from their opinions and words it would certainly seem they are not Christian.

The show seems to take issues one and a time and show why the conservative opinion on that topic is outdated, immoral, and offensive. It's no longer subtly worked into the plot, it's shoved in your face and rammed down your throat. They have completely sacrificed all comedic value in order to simply bash Christians. It's like shock humor. The audience laughs simply because of sheer surprise.

In one episode, Glenn, the Christian manager, finds out that they sell the morning-after pill in the pharmacy. To be clear, the morning-after pill is an abortifacient - it causes an abortion. Of course, as a Christian, he opposes these pills. Is his view that abortion is wrong because you are killing an innocent human being ever shown? Nope! He's just this outdated dinosaur who believes things for no particular reason but because that's just what his religion told him. Of course, the others are so much more relatable and down-to-earth. They get that life is messy and that they don't let arbitrary morals get in their way of helping people.

I'm actually not doing a good job of describing it, because they make him look even worse. In fact, the show was not satisfied to show Glenn as being opposed to these pills, they went further and portrayed him as a hypocrite. After he attempts to stop others from buying the pills by buying them all himself, he realizes how much it costs. He tries to immediately return them but the pharmacist stubbornly refuses to let him (they never leave the sight of the pharmacist who actually brags about getting women pregnant then giving them these pills). When Glenn is not allowed to return the pills, he goes from person to person trying to sell them. When a couple tries to tell him why they want them (they had "unprotected" sex), he stops them from speaking and makes up the dumbest other "reasons" why they might want these pills (plates for a dollhouse, etc.).

In another straight-from-the-headlines "joke", there is a woman campaigning against allowing men into women's bathrooms. What opinion should we have about this NBC? Well, apparently people who think this are backward bigots, irredeemably evil people, so much so, that the character who is interested in her in a sexual way, can hardly bring himself to pursue her, even though he has absolutely no qualms about doing so in any other situation. No, her evil thought that men should stick to men's washrooms is beyond the pale, it makes her irredeemable.

Other non-specifically moral issues arise as well such as gun control. One of the workers is assigned to work at the firearms counter against his will. He continually indicates why he thinks selling firearms is evil and wrong. The people buying the firearms are portrayed as unreasonable crazy people. Because one of them could not buy a gun on the spot despite implying he would do something violent, the store is besieged by dozens of rifle-totting men and women fighting for their rights. They are portrayed as over-the-top and completely unreasonable, while the voice of reason emanates from the anti-gunners.

Glenn, the manager, will often bring up Bible verses or sing hymns. He tries to read the Bible in a break room one day. But he's always mocked, derided or otherwise portrayed in a negative light for doing so or attempting to do so.

Other issues also arise in the show which highlight various left-wing causes and points of view: white people are racist, free universal healthcare is a human right, capitalism is bad, etc, etc.

It's just become pathetic and boring at this point. There is no more subtlety left at all. So I will be not watching any more. Unfortunately this isn't just something that's happening in this show. Pushing a left-wing agenda has become a mainstay of shows on Netflix. They have a clear agenda. I may cancel the service but my wife still watches it so I have to consult with her on it.

To any Christian who has considered watching Superstore. My advice quite simply is to not bother.

Catholic Church Readings for Wednesday, February 3, 2021: Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Catholic Church Readings for Wednesday, February 3, 2021: Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 325

Reading I

Heb 12:4-7, 11-15

Brothers and sisters:

In your struggle against sin

you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.

You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children:

    My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord

        or lose heart when reproved by him;

    for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;

        he scourges every son he acknowledges.

Endure your trials as “discipline”;

God treats you as his sons.

For what "son” is there whom his father does not discipline?

At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain,

yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness

to those who are trained by it.

So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.

Make straight paths for your feet,

that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.

Strive for peace with everyone,

and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God,

that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble,

through which many may become defiled.

Responsorial Psalm

103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18a

R.    (see 17)  The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;

    and all my being, bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

    and forget not all his benefits.

R.    The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

As a father has compassion on his children,

    so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him,

For he knows how we are formed;

    he remembers that we are dust.

R.    The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

But the kindness of the LORD is from eternity

    to eternity toward those who fear him,

And his justice toward children’s children

    among those who keep his covenant.

R.    The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Alleluia

Jn 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;

I know them, and they follow me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 6:1-6

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. 

When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,

and many who heard him were astonished. 

They said, “Where did this man get all this? 

What kind of wisdom has been given him? 

What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! 

Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,

and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? 

And are not his sisters here with us?” 

And they took offense at him. 

Jesus said to them,

“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place

and among his own kin and in his own house.” 

So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,

apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.

He was amazed at their lack of faith.

 

Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Blase, bishop and martyr

Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Ansgar, bishop

Dustin Diamond (1977 to 2021) - aka Screech from Saved by the Bell - has died at age 44.

I was very sad to hear that Dustin Diamond has died at the age of 44, such a young age. He was famous for playing Screech in Saved by the Bell. In his adult life, he was involved in some questionable things, but I would like anyone reading this to spend a little time today praying for his eternal soul. As Catholics, this is something we do whenever someone has passed away.

I remember watching Saved by the Bell as a kid. It was just a fun, entertaining show. Poor Dustin was afflicted with cancer and was only diagnosed in January 2021! In the Wikipedia article, it says the following:

In early January 2021, Diamond was diagnosed with small-cell lung carcinoma, then finished one round of chemotherapy in Florida on January 21. He died from the disease on February 1, aged 44.

Wow, that is unbelievable. He was only diagnosed at most a month ago, and now he's dead. I guess this can also serve as a warning that life is precious and possibly short. Do what you can to live according to the Gospel so that at the end of life, Jesus Christ will say Welcome my well beloved servant.

God bless Dustin's soul, God bless his family, and God bless my readers. 

It's Candlemas, not Groundhog Day!

Happy Candlemas Day or Solemnity of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple

Candlemas Day occurs on February 2 and celebrates the purification and presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem. This occurred when Jesus was 40 days old, which is why Candlemas takes place 40 days after Christmas.

Some say, according to the older calendar that February 2 marks the end of the Christmas season. I have heard various things on this. Others indicate the date of the Baptism of Our Lord which took place on January 10th is in fact the end of Christmas.

It's interesting that it's called Candlemas day since the following day, February 3, is St. Blaise Day when throats are blessed with a candle. This feast day is also the 4th Joyful Mystery of the Rosary - the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple.

During this feast day, candles are blessed, in particular those which will be placed on the altar for the Mass.

I have a personal story to recount in this regard. My wife's aunt who is not Christian and lives in India wanted to go to a Hindu temple many years ago but there wasn't any where she was, so she went to a Catholic Church instead. There, she lit a candle for her son who was sick. Her son recovered and every year since then she has given candles to her local church in India. This year, however, was different since churches were all closed in India due to Covid-19 measures. So she asked my wife's parents to bring them to a church. They bought the candles and I finally brought them to the priest a few days ago.

I wasn't sure how the priest would react, but in the end he was very thankful and in fact said the candles would be placed near the altar and would be blessed during Candlemas. I wasn't even thinking of this feast day when I gave them to him. So this whole thing worked out perfectly.

Happy Candlemas Day to all readers of this blog!

Catholic Church Readings for Tuesday, February 2, 2021: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord - AKA Candlemas Day

Catholic Church Readings for Tuesday, February 2, 2021: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Lectionary: 524

Reading I

Mal 3:1-4

    Thus says the Lord GOD:

Lo, I am sending my messenger

    to prepare the way before me;

And suddenly there will come to the temple

    the LORD whom you seek,

And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.

    Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.

But who will endure the day of his coming?

    And who can stand when he appears?

For he is like the refiner’s fire,

    or like the fuller’s lye.

He will sit refining and purifying silver,

    and he will purify the sons of Levi,

Refining them like gold or like silver

    that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.

Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem

    will please the LORD,

    as in the days of old, as in years gone by.

 

Responsorial Psalm

24:7, 8, 9, 10

R.    (8) Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!

Lift up, O gates, your lintels;

    reach up, you ancient portals,

    that the king of glory may come in!

R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!

Who is this king of glory?

    The LORD, strong and mighty,

    the LORD, mighty in battle.

R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!

Lift up, O gates, your lintels;

    reach up, you ancient portals,

    that the king of glory may come in!

R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!

Who is this king of glory?

    The LORD of hosts; he is the king of glory.

R.    Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord!

 

Reading II

Heb 2:14-18

Since the children share in blood and flesh,

Jesus likewise shared in them,

that through death he might destroy the one

who has the power of death, that is, the Devil,

and free those who through fear of death

had been subject to slavery all their life.

Surely he did not help angels

but rather the descendants of Abraham;

therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters

in every way,

that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God

to expiate the sins of the people.

Because he himself was tested through what he suffered,

he is able to help those who are being tested.

Alleluia

Lk 2:32

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

A light of revelation to the Gentiles,

and glory for your people Israel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22-32

When the days were completed for their purification

according to the law of Moses,

Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem

to present him to the Lord,

just as it is written in the law of the Lord,

Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,

and to offer the sacrifice of

a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,

in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. 

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.

This man was righteous and devout,

awaiting the consolation of Israel,

and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit

that he should not see death

before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. 

He came in the Spirit into the temple;

and when the parents brought in the child Jesus

to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,

he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

    “Now, Master, you may let your servant go 

        in peace, according to your word,

    for my eyes have seen your salvation,

        which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:

    a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

        and glory for your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;

and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,

“Behold, this child is destined

for the fall and rise of many in Israel,

and to be a sign that will be contradicted

-and you yourself a sword will pierce-

so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

There was also a prophetess, Anna,

the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.

She was advanced in years,

having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,

and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.

She never left the temple,

but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.

And coming forward at that very time,

she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child

to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions

of the law of the Lord,

they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;

and the favor of God was upon him.

OR:

When the days were completed for their purification

according to the law of Moses,

Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem

to present him to the Lord,

just as it is written in the law of the Lord,

Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,

and to offer the sacrifice of

a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,

in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. 

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.

This man was righteous and devout,

awaiting the consolation of Israel,

and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit

that he should not see death

before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. 

He came in the Spirit into the temple;

and when the parents brought in the child Jesus

to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,

he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

    “Now, Master, you may let your servant go 

        in peace, according to your word,

    for my eyes have seen your salvation,

        which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:

    a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

        and glory for your people Israel.”

Fr. Mark Goring's Opinion of Pro-Lifers: A Stark Contrast of Fr. Casey

A couple of days ago, I wrote a blog post about Fr. Casey's video on Christians and Abortion. In it, he seems to say that pro-life Christians tend to be obsessed with abortion and in many other ways act in an unchristian way. To be fair, he criticizes anyone who focuses on a particular issue and is not very "Christian" in other ways on both the left and right, but he seems to focus on the right.

The implication that comes from the video is that many pro-life Christians do not act Christian in many ways. He criticizes them for accepting "conservative" economics, and says they make overturning Roe v. Wade their "god". He said they accept "affronts" to the human family in other ways in order to oppose abortion.

I address all of this in a blog post I did on his video. I believe he is presenting a false dichotomy.

I came across another video just after watching the one by Fr. Casey by another priest, a very orthodox priest named Fr. Mark Goring from Canada. He talks about the issue of anti-abortion Christians as well, but has a completely different point of view on it.

Instead of criticizing pro-life Christians and saying they accept all kinds of bad things in order to achieve their goal, Fr. Mark explains all the good characteristics of pro-life Christians. In his video, published on Saturday, January 30, 2021, he says the following:

"My experience working with pro-lifers is to me I feel I'm with the holiest people on the face of the Earth because they are not just talking the talk, they're walking the walk. They're fools for Christ. If you've ever been to a Life Chain or 40 Days for Life, it's kind of embarrassing. Here you are standing with your little sign and people sometimes are hurling insults and giving you the one-finger salute and things like that and sometimes you even feel a little afraid. You don't know is someone going to give me a hard time, and when I'm with these pro-lifers, I'm just in awe and how they don't care about what the world thinks about them. They just want to stand up for the most innocent. And I've always found that at these rallies, or prayer services or vigils or whatever, the pro-lifers are always so meek and humble. You know, they're not whatever, hurling mean insults, or things like that. It's extremely rare in my experience to meet a pro-lifers who isn't living the beatitudes in an exceptional way. Now, I know in every group, you're going to get a nutcase. There's a nutcase in every group. I know that. But overall, I think the pro-life people, they need to be affirmed, they need to be encouraged because what they do isn't easy. In the beatitudes, Our Lord says blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and curse you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me, rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in Heaven. Thus, they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Viva Christo Rey!"

Wow, what an uplifting and inspiring message by Fr. Mark Goring. Almost the opposite of Fr. Casey's. While Fr. Casey seems to say that pro-life Catholics are very unChristian, Fr. Goring, having spent time with these individuals, believes they are not only good Christians, but very fully living the beatitudes. He says they are meek and humble and do not care about insults being hurled at them. He calls them "the holiest people on the face of the Earth".

Fr. Goring's message is the opposite of Fr. Casey's impression of this group. Instead of scolding or cautioning those in the pro-life movement like Fr. Casey, Fr. Goring praises them and says we should offer our support to these brave people.

I must say I fully agree with Fr. Goring. I have been with people who hold signs near abortion clinics and participate in pro-life prayer walks. They are kind, respectful, loving, Christian people. They do not forsake other aspects of their faith to be pro-life but rather their pro-life activity helps strengthen their Catholic faith and they grow deeper in their connection with God.

I think Fr. Casey should offer a far more balanced view on pro-life Christians and not condemn them. You'll notice Fr. Goring did point out that there are "nutcases" in the pro-life movement just as there are in any movement, but we should not condemn or offer admonitions against an entire group because of certain "nutcases".

Let's all pray for an end to abortion and never stop working towards making it unthinkable. We don't need to be less pro-life, but much more. Apathy is a far greater problem in my opinion.

Here is Fr. Goring's video:

Catholic Church Readings for Monday, February 1, 2021: Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Catholic Church Readings for Monday, February 1, 2021: Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 323

Reading I

Heb 11:32-40

Brothers and sisters:

What more shall I say?

I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,

of David and Samuel and the prophets,

who by faith conquered kingdoms, 

did what was righteous, obtained the promises;

they closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires,

escaped the devouring sword;

out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle,

and turned back foreign invaders.

Women received back their dead through resurrection.

Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance,

in order to obtain a better resurrection.

Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment.

They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword’s point;

they went about in skins of sheep or goats,

needy, afflicted, tormented.

The world was not worthy of them.

They wandered about in deserts and on mountains,

in caves and in crevices in the earth.

Yet all these, though approved because of their faith,

did not receive what had been promised.

God had foreseen something better for us,

so that without us they should not be made perfect.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 31:20, 21, 22, 23, 24

R.    (25)  Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

How great is the goodness, O LORD,

    which you have in store for those who fear you,

And which, toward those who take refuge in you,

    you show in the sight of the children of men.

R.    Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

You hide them in the shelter of your presence

    from the plottings of men;

You screen them within your abode

    from the strife of tongues.

R.    Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Blessed be the LORD whose wondrous mercy

    he has shown me in a fortified city. 

R.    Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Once I said in my anguish,

    “I am cut off from your sight”;

Yet you heard the sound of my pleading

    when I cried out to you.

R.    Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!

    The LORD keeps those who are constant,

    but more than requites those who act proudly.

R.    Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in 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 5:1-20

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,

to the territory of the Gerasenes.

When he got out of the boat,

at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.

The man had been dwelling among the tombs,

and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.

In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,

but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,

and no one was strong enough to subdue him.

Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides

he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.

Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,

he ran up and prostrated himself before him,

crying out in a loud voice,

“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?

I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”

(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)

He asked him, “What is your name?”

He  replied, “Legion is my name.  There are many of us.”

And he pleaded earnestly with him

not to drive them away from that territory.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.

And they pleaded with him,

“Send us into the swine.  Let us enter them.”

And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.

The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,

where they were drowned.

The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town

and throughout the countryside.

And people came out to see what had happened.

As they approached Jesus,

they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,

sitting there clothed and in his right mind.

And they were seized with fear.

Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened

to the possessed man and to the swine.

Then they began to beg him to leave their district.

As he was getting into the boat,

the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.

But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,

“Go home to your family and announce to them 

all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”

Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis

what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.