Daily Liturgy
Friday February 4, 2022
Friday of 4th Week in Ordinary Time
Two Great Persons
Introduction
After we have heard in recent days the story of King David, Jesus Ben Sirach reinterprets for his time the personality of David: a valiant king whose power comes from God, a singer of psalms and an organizer of the liturgy, the covenant king to whom lasting kingship has been promised.
With the death of the Baptist ends the life of the last prophet of God of the Old Testament, who, as the hinge between the Old and the New Testaments, had prepared the way for the Lord’s coming. He died as a suffering servant of God, a new Elijah, who stood up to kings and infamous queens.
Opening Prayer
Lord, our God,
John the Baptist spoke without fear
to the high and the mighty,
that they too, were bound by God’s laws.
He risked his life for what is right and good.
Let him inspire us too
to let your word become flesh and blood in us
by taking the risks of our faith
and living as we believe.
Let this be the way in which we prepare
the fuller coming among us
of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
1st Reading: Sir 47:2-11
As the fat is selected from the peace offering,
so David was selected from the sons of Israel.
He played with lions as with young goats,
and with bears as with lambs of the flock.
In his youth did he not kill a giant,
and take away reproach from the people,
when he lifted his hand with a stone in the sling
and struck down the boasting of Goliath?
For he appealed to the Lord, the Most High,
and he gave him strength in his right hand
to slay a man mighty in war,
to exalt the power of his people.
So they glorified him for his ten thousand,
and praised him for the blessings of the Lord,
when the glorious diadem was bestowed upon him.
For he wiped out his enemies on every side,
and annihilated his adversaries the Philistines;
he crushed their power even to this day.
In all that he did he gave thanks
to the Holy One, the Most High, with ascriptions of glory;
he sang praise with all his heart,
and he loved his Maker.
He placed singers before the altar,
to make sweet melody with their voices.
He gave beauty to the feasts,
and arranged their times throughout the year,
while they praised God’s holy name,
and the sanctuary resounded from early morning.
The Lord took away his sins,
and exalted his power for ever;
he gave him the covenant of kings
and a throne of glory in Israel.
Responsorial Psalm: 18:31, 47 and 50, 51
Blessed be God my salvation
The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.
Blessed be God my salvation
The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!
Blessed be God my salvation
He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing love to his anointed, to David and to his descendants forever.
Blessed be God my salvation
Alleluia: Lk 8:15
Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart,
And yield a harvest through perseverance.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mk 6:14-29
King Herod also heard about Jesus because his name had become well-known. Some people said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” Others thought, “He is Elijah,” and others, “He is a prophet like the prophets of times past.” When Herod was told of this, he thought: “I had John beheaded, yet he has risen from the dead!”
For this is what had happened. Herod had ordered John to be arrested and had him bound and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod had married her and John had told him, “It is not right for you to live with your brother’s wife.” So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not because Herod respected John. He knew John to be an upright and holy man and kept him safe. And he liked listening to him, although he became very disturbed whenever he heard him.
Herodias had her chance on Herod’s birthday, when he gave a dinner for all the senior government officials, military chiefs and the leaders of Galilee. On that occasion the daughter of Herodias came in and danced; and she delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you.” And he went so far as to say with many oaths, “I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.” She went out to consult her mother, “What shall I ask for?” The mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl hurried to the king and made her request: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist, here and now, on a dish.”
The king was very displeased, but he would not refuse in front of his guests because of his oaths. So he sent one of the bodyguards with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded John in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl. And the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and buried it.
Intercessions
– Lord, give us great men and women, even great children, to inspire all of us how to live our faith consistently, we pray:
– Lord, you know how timid we are. Help us to take the Gospel of your Son Jesus, seriously by letting your Spirit give us the insight and courage of prophets, we pray:
– Lord, you see how harsh we often are. Let the gentleness and compassion of good persons give us warm and understanding hearts, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
these are only simple gifts,
a piece of bread and a bit of wine.
Accept them and give us instead
your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through the Spirit and his fire,
change us, timid people
into signs to everyone and all
of your tenderness and mercy,
your justice and your peace,
that we may bring into our world
the life and message of Jesus, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God of our hope and future,
your Spirit of wisdom and strength
was alive in Jesus, your Son.
Pour out the same Spirit on us too,
that we may bear witness today
to your faithfulness and love.
And give us always people inspired by you,
prophets like John the Baptist,
to wake us up when we are self-satisfied
and to inspire us to prepare the way
for the full coming of Jesus Christ,
our Savior and our Lord.
Blessing
Like John the Baptist, we can and should show others the road to Christ and prepare the way for his full coming. This will happen only if we ourselves take his Gospel seriously, if the Lord becomes visible in us, his goodness, his compassion, his love. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Commentary:
Copycats
René Girard, a cultural anthropologist, speaks of our desires being imitative: Because we have no idea what to desire, we copy the desire of others and end up in a mess. The daughter of Herodias has no idea what to ask for. So she runs to her mother, borrows her mother’s desire, and is left with a bleeding head! We squirm at her stupid choice as much as we grieve John’s loss of head. But aren’t we copycats as well? When God offers to fulfil our grandest desires (“How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” Lk 11:13) we end up looking to those on our left and right, copy their desires and ask: “Lord, give me a car; a job; lots of money; 15 minutes of fame.” What a shame! What a waste of an opportunity of a lifetime!
Reflection taken from Bible Diary 2022;
written by Fr.Paulson Velyannoor, CMF
Coffee With God: Tongue can tie you in knots!