Gospel and Saint of the day: 22 January 2020
FIRST READING
I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts
From the first book of Samuel 1 Sam 17, 32-33. 37. 40-51
In those days, David said to Saul: «No one should lose heart because of him. Your servant will go to fight with this Philistine. » Saul replied to David: "You cannot go against this Philistine to fight with him: you are a boy and he has been a man of arms since his adolescence." David added: "The Lord who has freed me from the nails of the lion and the nails of the bear, will also free me from the hands of this Philistine." Saul replied to David, "Well go and the Lord be with you." David took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth pebbles from the stream and placed them in his shepherd's bag, in the saddlebag; he took the sling again and went to the Philistine.
The Philistine advanced step by step, approaching David, while his squire preceded him. The Philistine looked at David and, when he saw him well, he had contempt for him, because he was a boy, tawny with hair and good-looking. The Philistine said to David, "Am I perhaps a dog, why do you come to me with a stick?" And that Philistine cursed David in the name of his gods. Then the Philistine said to David, "Come forward and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts." David answered the Philistine: «You come to me with the sword, with the spear and with the rod. I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, God of the hosts of Israel, whom you have challenged. On this same day, the Lord will drop you into my hands. I will bring you down and take your head off and throw the corpses of the Philistine army to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts; all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel. All this multitude will know that the Lord does not save by means of the sword or spear, because war is the Lord's and he will certainly put you in our hands ». As soon as the Philistine moved closer to David, he ran to take a position quickly against the Philistine. David thrust his hand into the bag, drew a stone from it, threw it with a sling and hit the Philistine on the forehead. The stone stuck in his forehead which fell with his face to the ground. So David got the upper hand over the Philistine with the sling and the stone, hit the Philistine and killed him, although David had no sword. David jumped and was on top of the Philistine, took his sword, drew it and killed it, then cut off his head with it. The Philistines saw that their hero was dead and fled.
God's word.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM (From Psalm 143)
R. Blessed be the Lord, my rock.
Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who trains my hands to war,
my fingers to the battle. R.
My ally and my fortress,
my refuge and my deliverer,
my shield in which I trust,
he who submits peoples to my yoke. R.
O God, I will sing you a new song,
I will praise you with the ten-string harp,
to you, who give victory to the kings,
may David, your servant, escape from the unjust sword. R.
SONG TO THE GOSPEL (cf. Sap 11,23-26)
R. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Jesus announced the gospel of the Kingdom
and healed all sorts of diseases and infirmities in the people.
R. Hallelujah.
GOSPEL
Is it lawful on Saturday to save a life or take it away?
+ From the Gospel according to Mark 3,1-6
At that time, Jesus entered the synagogue again. There was a man there who had a paralyzed hand, and they were going to see if he healed him on Saturday, to accuse him. He said to the man who had the paralyzed hand: "Get up, come here in the middle!". Then he asked them: "Is it lawful on Saturday to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill it?". But they were silent. And looking around them with indignation, saddened by the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man: "Hold out your hand!". He held it out and his hand was healed. And the Pharisees immediately went out with the Herodians and took counsel against him to make him die.
Word of the Lord.
22 JANUARY
BLESSED LAURA VICUNA
PRAYER FOR CANONIZATION
Grant me, Lord, in your immense goodness and mercy, the graces that I confidently implore through the intercession of Laura Vicuna, elected flower of holiness that blossomed in the Patagonian Andes. Of his tender existence Your grace made a model of pity, obedience, victorious purity; the ideal of the Daughter of Mary; the hidden and welcome victim of the most solicitous and fruitful filial love. Therefore, deign to exalt the emulation of Agnese, Cecilia and Maria Goretti on earth as well: and in the light of his examples, the number of young women who are strong in spiritual combat and ready to sacrifice, for Your glory, glory increases of the Immaculate Conception and the triumphs of the church.
PRAYERS TO OBTAIN THANKS
We turn to you, Laura Vicuna, whom the Church offers us as a model of adolescent, courageous witness of Christ. You who have been docile to the Holy Spirit and have nourished yourself with the Eucharist, grant us the grace that we ask you with confidence ... Obtain for us coherent faith, courageous purity, fidelity to daily duty, strength in overcoming the dangers of selfishness and evil. Let our life, like yours, also be totally open to the presence of God, trust in Mary and strong and generous love for others. Amen.