Gospel of January 24, 2019

Letter to the Hebrews 7,25-28.8,1-6.
Brothers, Christ can perfectly save those who through him draw near to God, being always alive to intercede in their favor.
Such was in fact the high priest we needed: holy, innocent, spotless, separated from sinners and raised above the heavens;
he does not need every day, like the other high priests, to offer sacrifices first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he has done this once and for all, offering himself.
The law in fact constitutes high priests men subject to human weakness, but the word of the oath, subsequent to the law, constitutes the Son who has been made perfect forever.
The main point of the things we are saying is this: we have a high priest so great that he has sat down to the right of the throne of majesty in the heavens,
minister of the sanctuary and of the real tent that the Lord, and not a man, built.
In fact, every high priest is constituted to offer gifts and sacrifices: hence the need for him to have something to offer.
If Jesus were on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there are those who offer gifts according to the law.
These, however, await a service which is a copy and a shadow of the celestial realities, according to what was said by God to Moses, when he was about to build the Tent: Look, he said, to do everything according to the model that was shown to you on the mountain.
Now, however, he has obtained a ministry which is all the more excellent the better the covenant of which he is the mediator, being this founded on better promises.

Salmi 40(39),7-8a.8b-9.10.17.
Sacrifice and offering you do not like,
the open ear.
You have not asked burnt offering and sacrifice for sin.
Then I said, "Here, I am coming."

On the scroll of the book it stands written,
to do your will.
My God, I delight
your law is deep in my heart. "

I have announced your justice
in the big assembly;
See, I don't keep my lips closed,
Lord, thou knowest.

Rejoice and rejoice in you
those who seek you,
always say: "The Lord is great"
those who crave your salvation.

From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Mark 3,7-12.
At that time, Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples and a large crowd followed him from Galilee.
From Judea and from Jerusalem and from Idumea and from Transjordan and from the parts of Tire and Sidon a great crowd, hearing what he was doing, went to him.
Then he prayed to his disciples that they would make a boat available to him, because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him.
In fact, he had healed many, so that those who had some evil threw themselves on him to touch him.
The unclean spirits, when they saw him, threw themselves at his feet shouting: "You are the Son of God!".
But he scolded them severely for not showing it.