Friday February 11, 2022

 

 

Friday of 5th Week in Ordinary Time

OUR LADY OF LOURDES,

             

World Day of the Sick Optional Memorial

 

Introduction

On February 11, 1858, our Lady appeared at Lourdes to a simple girl, Bernadette Soubirous. Since then millions of pilgrims have flocked to this town and have experienced there a renewal of their faith and for some of their health. Pilgrimages are a sacred tradition for God’s pilgrim people; very many of these pilgrim journeys are to Marian sanctuaries, where many seek the restoration of their health and their faith. The greatest miracle of Lourdes lies perhaps not so much in its spectacular cures but in the atmosphere of the trusting prayer of the pilgrims and in the unity of faith of the poor and the rich, the healthy and the sick.

 

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
the Mother of Jesus was one with her Son
in the mystery of pain
when he saved people by his suffering,
his death and resurrection.
Through her prayers help those
who journey to her sanctuaries
because their bodies are racked with pain
and their hearts are pierced with a sword.
Give them the courage of faith
to keep hoping in you,
our God for ever and ever.

 

Reading 1: 1 Kgs 11:29-32; 12:19

Jeroboam left Jerusalem,
and the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road.
The two were alone in the area,
and the prophet was wearing a new cloak.
Ahijah took off his new cloak,
tore it into twelve pieces, and said to Jeroboam:

“Take ten pieces for yourself;
the LORD, the God of Israel, says:
‘I will tear away the kingdom from Solomon’s grasp
and will give you ten of the tribes.
One tribe shall remain to him for the sake of David my servant,
and of Jerusalem,
the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.’”

Israel went into rebellion against David’s house to this day.

 

Responsorial Psalm PS 81:10-11ab, 12-13, 14-15

(11a and 9a) I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
“There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt.”
R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
“My people heard not my voice,
and Israel obeyed me not;
So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts;
they walked according to their own counsels.”
R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
“If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
Quickly would I humble their enemies;
against their foes I would turn my hand.”
R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.

 

Alleluia See Acts 16:14b

Alleluia, alleluia.
Open our hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of your Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel Mk 7:31-37

Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

 

Intercessions

–          For those who restlessly seek to encounter God more deeply, that they may experience God’s nearness in prayer and in good people, we pray:

–          For our Christian families, that husbands and wives may take Christ as their companion through life and show their children the way to the Lord, we pray:

–          For the sick and all those who suffer, that in their suffering they may be aware that God knows and that Jesus is near to them, we pray:

–          For all of us, that we may remain all throughout life pilgrims on the way to God and one another, we pray:

 

Prayer over the Gifts

Our compassionate God,
with these gifts of bread and wine
we come to the table of your Son
to express our faith and trust in you.
through the prayers of Mary.
May those who flock to her
find faith and health of mind and body,
strength in their weakness
and joy in your love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

 

Prayer after Communion (Thanks to Liturgical Team, Heeswijk)

God, our Father
in your kindness you hear the prayers
of all who entrust to you with faith
their cares and their needs.
We unite ourselves in prayer with her
whom you chose to be
the mother of your Son.
Let her prayers lead us nearer to him
who came to bring us home
in the kingdom of your justice
now and for ever and ever.

 

Blessing

When we go on life’s pilgrimage to our permanent land and home, we are sure to arrive safely if we journey with the faith and spirit of service of Mary, and we may count on the blessing of almighty God: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Commentary

Hardworking God

Unlike yesterday, when we saw Jesus hardly doing anything to effect healing, today, he is into hard labor—he takes the man aside, puts his fingers into his ears, touches his tongue with spittle, sighs deep, orders “Ephphata!” Why such hard work? Whereas the woman came to Jesus with a solid faith and unfailing openness, today’s deaf man was brought merely for a blessing, probably with no expectation of cure. The man had become uncommunicative, passive, and shut off. Jesus had to engage him at a deeper level, touch his person, and order “be opened!”: an order not merely directed to his senses, but to his very being. Isn’t it good news to know that Jesus does not give up on us, despite our periodic shutting down? Just as his Father goes on working, so does Jesus (Jn 5:17), to open us up to God’s grace and healing.

Reflection taken from Bible Diary 2022;

written by Fr.Paulson Velyannoor, CMF