Gospel and Saint of the day: 17 January 2020

First book of Samuel 8,4-7.10-22a.
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel in Rama.
They said to him: “You are old now and your children are not following in your footsteps. Now establish for us a king who governs us, as happens for all peoples ”.
In Samuel's eyes the proposal was bad because they had said: "Give us a king to rule us". So Samuel prayed to the Lord.
The Lord replied to Samuel: “Listen to the voice of the people for what he told you, for they did not reject you, but rejected me, so that I no longer reign over them.
Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who had asked him for a king.
He said to them: “These will be the claims of the king who will reign over you: he will take your children to assign them to his chariots and horses, he will make them run in front of his chariot,
he will make them heads of thousands and heads of fifty; he will force them to plow his fields, to reap his crops, to prepare weapons for his battles and equipment for his chariots.
He will also take your daughters to make them his perfumer and cooks and bakers.
He will still have your fields, your vineyards, your most beautiful olive groves delivered and he will give them to his ministers.
On your seeds and vines he will take tithes and give them to his advisers and ministers.
He will kidnap your slaves and slaves, your best herds and your donkeys and use them in his works.
He will put tithing on your flocks and you yourself will become his slaves.
Then you will cry out because of the king you have chosen to elect, but the Lord will not listen to you ”.
The people did not listen to Samuel and refused to listen to his voice, but cried out, “No, let there be a king over us.
We will also be like all peoples; our king will be our judge, he will come out at our head and fight our battles ”.
Samuel listened to all the talk of the people and reported them to the ear of the Lord.
The Lord answered Samuel: “Listen to them; let a king reign over them ”. Samuel said to the Israelites: "Everyone return to his city!"

Salmi 89(88),16-17.18-19.
Blessed are the people who know how to acclaim you
and walk, O Lord, in the light of your face:
rejoice all day in your name,
in your righteousness finds its glory.

Because you are the pride of his strength
and with your favor you raise our power.
Because of the Lord is our shield,
our king, the Holy One of Israel.

From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Mark 2,1-12.
After a few days, Jesus entered Capernaum again. It was known that he was at home
and so many people gathered, that there was no longer any place even in front of the door, and he spoke the word to them.
They went to him with a paralytic brought by four people.
Not being able to bring it to him, due to the crowd, they uncovered the roof where he was and made an opening, lowered the bed on which the paralytic lay.
Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic: "Son, your sins are forgiven".
Seated there were some scribes who thought in their hearts:
«Why does he speak like this? Blasphemy! Who can forgive sins if not God alone? ».
But Jesus, having immediately known in his spirit that they thus thought to themselves, said to them: «Why do you think thus in your hearts?
What is easier: to say to the paralytic: Are your sins forgiven, or to say: Get up, take your bed and walk?
Now, for you to know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins,
I order you - he said to the paralytic - get up, take your bed and go to your house ».
He got up, took his bed and went away in the presence of everyone and everyone was amazed and praised God saying: "We have never seen anything like this!".
Liturgical translation of the Bible

17 JANUARY

SANT'ANTONIO ABATE

Coma, Egypt, ca. 250 - Thebaid (Upper Egypt), 17 January 356

Antonio abate is one of the most illustrious hermits in the history of the Church. Born in Coma, in the heart of Egypt, around 250, at twenty he abandoned everything to live first in a deserted plaga and then on the shores of the Red Sea, where he led anacoretic life for more than 80 years: he died, in fact, over one hundred years old in 356. Already in life, pilgrims and needy people from all over the East flocked to him, attracted by the reputation of holiness. Constantine and his sons also sought his advice. His story is told by a disciple, St. Athanasius, who helped to make his example known throughout the Church. Twice he left his hermitage. The first to comfort the Alexandrian Christians persecuted by Massimino Daia. The second, at the invitation of Athanasius, to urge them to be faithful to the Council of Nicaea. In the iconography he is depicted surrounded by busty women (symbol of temptations) or domestic animals (such as the pig), of which he is a popular protector. (Avvenire)

NOVENA in SANT'ANTONIO ABATE

1. O Saint Anthony who, before a word of the Gospel heard at Mass, left your home and the world to retreat to the desert, obtain from the Lord the grace of being docile to divine inspirations. Glory

2. O Saint Anthony, who distributed all your substances in alms, and you chose a life of penance and prayer, obtain from the Lord the grace not to trust wealth and love for prayer. Glory

3. O Saint Anthony, who with word and example were the guide to many disciples, obtain for us the grace to witness with life what we proclaim with words. Glory.

4. O Saint Anthony, both during prayer and manual work, you have always kept your mind turned to the Lord, obtain from the Lord the grace to never forget us of his continuous presence both in prayer and in work. Glory.

5. O Saint Anthony, who modeled your life by taking example from other saints, obtain the grace to see the good everywhere and to know how to imitate it. Glory.

6. O Saint Anthony, that even in front of the honors that were given to you by kings and emperors, you did not have the slightest feeling of vanity, obtain from God the grace not to stop at appearances and honors, but to seek only and always the friendship of God. Glory.

7. O Saint Anthony, who with prayer and penance have overcome the numerous temptations of the devil, obtain for us the grace to overcome, with the power of God, every enemy who opposes him. Glory.

8. O Saint Anthony, tempted in the desert, obtain the grace of not being afraid of the devil, but of fighting him with the strength of God. Glory.

9. O Saint Anthony, who despite the years always continued to reassure men in faith in God, obtain the grace of being zealous witnesses of the Word of God, of progressing to our last days on the path of faith to be partakers with you in glory of heaven. Glory.