SATURDAY 01 FEBRUARY 2020

by | Jan 31, 2020 | Evangelium

Saturday 01 February 2020

 

 

St Brigid (451- 525)

Philip de Jesús Munárriz Azcona

And Companions, Claretian Martyrs

BVM

Born in 451 or 452 at Faughart, near Dundalk, in Ireland, she converted to Christanity, inspired by the preaching of St Patrick. She founded a monastery at Kildare. She died there in 525.

Green/White/Red

 

Entrance Antiphon: Ps 95: 1, 6

O sing a new song to the Lord; sing to the Lord, all the earth. In his presence are majesty and splendour, strength and honour in his holy place.

 

Collect

Almighty ever-living God, direct our actions according to your good pleasure, that in the name of your beloved Son, we may abound in good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

 

First Reading: 2 Samuel 12:1-7,10-17

The Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David. He came to him and said: ‘In the same town were two men, one rich, the other poor. The rich man had flocks and herds in great abundance; the poor man had nothing but a ewe lamb, one only, a small one he had bought. This he fed, and it grew up with him and his children, eating his bread, drinking from his cup, sleeping on his breast; it was like a daughter to him. When there came a traveller to stay, the rich man refused to take one of his own flock or herd to provide for the wayfarer who had come to him. Instead he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.’ David’s anger flared up against the man. ‘As the Lord lives,’ he said to Nathan ‘the man who did this deserves to die! He must make fourfold restitution for the lamb, for doing such a thing and showing no compassion.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man. So now the sword will never be far from your House, since you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.” ‘Thus the Lord speaks, “I will stir up evil for you out of your own House. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to your neighbour, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. You worked in secret, I will work this in the face of all Israel and in the face of the sun.”’ David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord, for his part, forgives your sin; you are not to die. Yet because you have outraged the Lord by doing this, the child that is born to you is to die.’ Then Nathan went home. The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David and it fell gravely ill. David pleaded with the Lord for the child; he kept a strict fast and went home and spent the night on the bare ground, covered with sacking. The officials of his household came and stood round him to get him to rise from the ground, but he refused, nor would he take food with them.

 

Psalm 50(51):12-17

R/  A pure heart create for me, O God.

 

  1. A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, nor deprive me of your holy spirit.
  2. Give me again the joy of your help; with a spirit of fervour sustain me, that I may teach transgressors your ways and sinners may return to you.
  3. O rescue me, God, my helper, and my tongue shall ring out your goodness. O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise.

 

Gospel Acclamation: cf. Ps 26:11

Alleluia, alleluia! Instruct me, Lord, in your way; on an even path lead me. Alleluia!

 

Gospel: Mark 4:35-41

With the coming of evening, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him. Then it began to blow a gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped. But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep. They woke him and said to him, ‘Master, do you not care? We are going down!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and all was calm again. Then he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?’ They were filled with awe and said to one another, ‘Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.’

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Accept our offerings, O Lord, we pray, and in sanctifying them, grant that they may profit us for salvation. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 33: 6

Look toward the Lord and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed.

 

Prayer after Communion

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, receiving the grace by which you bring us to new life, we may always glory in your gift. Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

 

Meditation

As the saying goes, he who wants money never has money enough! This saying holds good for those who are rich; they want to get richer, even if the poor get poorer. David, not satisfied with his many wives, allows himself to be seduced by the beauty of Uriah’s wife. Fully aware of the fact that she belongs to another, David sends for Uriah’s wife. Not only does he commit adultery with her; he arranges to have Uriah killed, so he can keep his wife. We may look at this as David’s sin, but we are not different. Very often we are interested in the possessions of others. Today, the Lord invites us to be contented with that which is ours and to respect that which belongs to others.