Thursday January 28

Third Week In Ordinary Time

 

LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL

 

Introduction

      Followers of Christ are sure, confident people, for we have Christ, our mediator. His blood opens the door of heaven to us. The sacraments of initiation, received in faith, actualize in us the sacrifice of Christ.

      In the gospel, the parable presents Jesus’ message as a lamp that cannot be hidden; it will blaze brightly in the end time. We must give a generous response to his message of light.

 

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
we can perceive the brightness
of the message of Jesus your Son
only in the shade.
Make our faith grow, give us trust,
that what we now see
in obscurity and mystery
may grow clearer in our minds
and more evident in our actions.
And never allow us to obscure or hide
the kindly light
of Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Reading 1: Heb 10:19-25

Brothers and sisters:
Since through the Blood of Jesus
we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary
by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil,
that is, his flesh,
and since we have “a great priest over the house of God,”
let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust,
with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed in pure water.
Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope,
for he who made the promise is trustworthy.
We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works.
We should not stay away from our assembly,
as is the custom of some, but encourage one another,
and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.

 

Responsorial Psalm Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 

(see 6)  Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

 

Alleluia: Ps 119:105

Alleluia, alleluia.

A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel: Mk 4:21-25

Jesus said to his disciples,
“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket
or under a bed,
and not to be placed on a lampstand?
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;
nothing is secret except to come to light.
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.”
He also told them, “Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given;
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

 

Intercessions

–         Lord, let the light of our love shine when we are more understanding and friendlier to one another and when we share more readily with those in need, we pray:

–         Lord, let the light of our joy shine on earth when we show more sympathy and affection to one another, when we are faithful to our friendships and concerned about our communities, we pray:

–         Lord, let the light of our faith shine on earth when we, your sons and daughters, live as children of light before you and in the sight of people, we pray:

 

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord God, Father of light,
the presence of Jesus, your Son
will be hidden in these simple signs
of bread and wine,
yet we ask you to let his Spirit of light
shine on us and on our world,
that we may understand ourselves
and what you call us to be and do,
and that we may see
how you take us by the hand,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
you alone are light without shadows
and we are grateful
that you do not blind us with its brightness
but let it shine in the humanity
of your Son Jesus Christ.
Let it also shine in our humanity,
in our concern for one another,
in our goodness and generosity of heart,
in our timid attempts to follow your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever.

 

Blessing

Let your light shine! Or rather, let the light of Christ shine in you, for we are only lights of faith to the extent that we reflect the light of Christ’s message and life. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 

Commentary

Eucharist.

Today’s liturgy is prayed in honour of Saint Thomas Aquinas, “the Angelic Doctor,” for both his innocence and his brilliance. He is also remembered in the Catholic Church for his mystical graces and his profound devotion for the Eucharist.

The Gospel invites us to be lamps that are lit to illuminate a world that passes through a difficult period of time. The dawn of New year 2021, brought along with it numerous challenges as well – Our world still reels under the scary grip of a pandemic that threatens our very existence; experts in the field foresee an economic recession across the globe and more people might die of famine and hunger than from covid-19; Political instability and social unrest threaten peaceful coexistence in our neighbourhood; Practicing religion and professing a faith are no longer appreciated by the society and moreover, they are even punished and persecuted by the governments.

It is into such a darkened world, the Word of God invites us to be lamps lit, to illuminate the world. The Gospel message is as relevant for today’s world as it has been in the time of Jesus.
We have received the faith and by the virtue of our baptism, we live in the light of Christ. This is the given situation. Now Jesus reminds us that the light that we have received is not meant to be hidden. It is meant to illuminate the whole surroundings with the light of Christ.

It is true that at this moment in history it seems that humanity is sinking into a pit of darkness, with growing inequalities, wars, the destruction of nature … Sadness and discouragement spread… darkness. In the midst of so much night, we are called to be light. We have received the gift of God, the Word, the Kingdom: we are light that we have to transmit to the world.
Let us shine, then, full of hope, joy and love, in the midst of so much hopelessness, sadness, selfishness and violence. So be it.