Friday, January 23 2015; Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 315

Reading 1
Heb 8:6-13

Brothers and sisters:
Now our high priest has obtained so much more excellent a ministry
as he is mediator of a better covenant, 
enacted on better promises.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, 
no place would have been sought for a second one.
But he finds fault with them and says:
Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord,
when I will conclude a new covenant with the house of 
Israel and the house of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers
the day I took them by the hand to lead 
them forth from the land of Egypt;
for they did not stand by my covenant
and I ignored them, says the Lord.
But this is the covenant I will establish with the house of Israel
after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds
and I will write them upon their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
And they shall not teach, each one his fellow citizen and kin, saying,
“Know the Lord,”
for all shall know me, from least to greatest.
For I will forgive their evildoing
and remember their sins no more.

When he speaks of a “new” covenant, 
he declares the first one obsolete.
And what has become obsolete 
and has grown old is close to disappearing.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 85:8 and 10, 11-12, 13-14

R. (11a) Kindness and truth shall meet.
Show us, O LORD, your mercy,
and grant us your salvation.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Kindness and truth shall meet.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Kindness and truth shall meet.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
R. Kindness and truth shall meet.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mk 3:13-19

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted 
and they came to him.
He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,
that they might be with him
and he might send them forth to preach 
and to have authority to drive out demons:
He appointed the Twelve:
Simon, whom he named Peter; 
James, son of Zebedee, 
and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, 
that is, sons of thunder;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; 
Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,
and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: THE COST OF DISUNITY

"They were likewise to have authority to expel demons." –Mark 3:15

Jesus created His Church and gave it the power to expel demons (Mk 3:15). Yesterday was the forty-second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion. We are authorized to be the Church Militant and drive out the demons of abortion. From the present state of affairs, however, the demons of abortion seem to have driven us out of power. Planned Parenthood and others who promote the abortion agenda must snicker at the seeming weakness of the Body of Christ. It's a poor witness to the world that the Body of Christ on earth, authorized by Jesus to be so mighty, seemingly exercises so little power over evil.

Ironically, the anniversary of legalized abortion is observed during this week of prayer for Christian unity. The teaching of the Catholic Church is united in truth on abortion; however, the Church's members are not united, much less all the members of Christian denominations. We have a civil war going on in our heart (Jas 4:1; Jer 17:9). If the New Covenant were truly written on our hearts (Heb 8:10), we wouldn't be so splintered and divided. If we followed God's New Covenant and lived as His royal people (Heb 8:10), we wouldn't so readily allow millions of pre-born babies to be murdered.

"Today, if you should hear His voice, harden not your hearts" (Heb 3:7-8; Ps 95:7-8). Repent! "Open wide your hearts" (2 Cor 6:13). Let the Holy Spirit work on your heart as He wishes (see Rm 5:5).

PRAYER: "My heart is ready, God, my heart is ready" (Ps 57:7, JB).

PROMISE: "I will forgive their evildoing, and their sins I will remember no more." –Heb 8:12

PRAISE: After nursing a grudge and judging his in-laws for seventeen years, John repented and forgave them.