Friday 31st JANUARY

by | Jan 30, 2025 | Evangelium

Saint John Bosco,

Priest  (1815 – 1888)

Psalter: Week III

Green

He was born in Piedmont of a peasant family, and he was brought up by his widowed mother. He became a priest, and his particular concern was for the young.

Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 131: 9      

Your priests, O Lord, shall be clothed with justice; your holy ones shall ring out their joy.

Collect  

O God, who raised up the Priest Saint John Bosco as a father and teacher of the young, grant, we pray, that, aflame with the same fire of love,we may seek out souls and serve you alone. 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: Hebrews 10:32-39

Remember all the sufferings that you had to meet after you received the light, in earlier days; sometimes by being yourselves publicly exposed to insults and violence, and sometimes as associates of others who were treated in the same way. For you not only shared in the sufferings of those who were in prison, but you happily accepted being stripped of your belongings, knowing that you owned something that was better and lasting. Be as confident now, then, since the reward is so great. You will need endurance to do God’s will and gain what he has promised. Only a little while now, a very little while, and the one that is coming will have come; he will not delay. The righteous man will live by faith, but if he draws back, my soul will take no pleasure in him. You and I are not the sort of people who draw back, and are lost by it; we are the sort who keep faithful until our souls are saved.

Responsorial Psalms: Psalm 36(37):3-6,23-24,39-40

R/The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

If you trust in the Lord and do good, then you will live in the land and be secure. If you find your delight in the Lord,  he will grant your heart’s desire.

Commit your life to the Lord, trust in him and he will act, so that your justice breaks forth like the light,  your cause like the noon-day sun.

The Lord guides the steps of a man and makes safe the path of one he loves. Though he stumble he shall never fall for the Lord holds him by the hand.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord, their stronghold in time of distress. The Lord helps them and delivers them and saves them: for their refuge is in him.

Gospel Acclamation: Ps118:27        

Alleluia, alleluia! Make me grasp the way of your precepts, and I will muse on your wonders. Alleluia!

Gospel: Mark 4:26-34         

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.’ He also said, ‘What can we say the kingdom of God is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.’ Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it. He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.

Prayer over the Offerings  

Receive, O Lord, we pray, the offerings placed on your altar in commemoration of Saint John Bosco, so that, as you brought him glory, you may, through these sacred mysteries, grant to us your pardon. Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon: Cf. Mt 24: 46-47

Blessed is the servant whom the Lord finds watching when he comes. Amen I say to you:

He will put that servant in charge of all his property.

Prayer after Communion  

May partaking at the heavenly table, almighty God, confirm and increase strength from on high in all who celebrate the feast day of Saint John Bosco, that we may preserve in integrity the gift of faith and walk in the path of salvation you trace for us. Through Christ our Lord.

Meditation

Through two parables, Jesus imparts simple yet profound insights into the nature of God’s Kingdom and our role as active participants in its growth. Firstlly, He likens the Kingdom of God to a man scattering seed on the ground, observing its growth without a full understanding of the process. This underscores the mysterious and incomprehensible nature of God’s Kingdom. Our faith journey often involves trusting God even when His plans unfold in ways beyond our understanding. Secondly, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed, initially the smallest of seeds but which grows into a large, fruitful plant. This image highlights the humble beginnings of God’s Kingdom, whether through the small acts of kindness we perform or simple prayers we offer. When nurtured by God’s grace, these seemingly small seeds can blossom into significant manifestations of His Kingdom on earth.  As we reflect on these parables, let us contemplate how we can actively contribute to God’s Kingdom today. May we embody the resilience of the mustard seed, allowing God to cultivate our faith and transform our modest efforts into something beautiful for His glory.