Gospel and Saint of the day: 9 January 2020

First letter of St. John the apostle 4,11-18.
Dear ones, if God loved us, we too must love one another.
Nobody has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains in us and his love is perfect in us.
From this it is known that we remain in him and he in us: he has given us the gift of his Spirit.
And we ourselves have seen and attest that the Father has sent his Son as savior of the world.
Anyone who recognizes that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him and he in God.
We have recognized and believed in the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever is in love dwells in God and God dwells in him.
This is why love has reached its perfection in us, because we have faith in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we, in this world.
In love there is no fear, on the contrary perfect love casts out fear, because fear presupposes punishment and whoever fears is not perfect in love.

Salmi 72(71),2.10-11.12-13.
God give your judgment to the king,
your righteousness to the king's son;
Regain your people with justice
and your poor with righteousness.

The kings of Tarsis and the islands will bring offerings,
the kings of the Arabs and Sabas will offer tributes.
All kings will bow down to him,
all nations will serve it.

He will free the screaming poor man
and the wretch who finds no help,
he will have pity on the weak and the poor
and will save the life of his wretched.

From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Mark 6,45-52.
After the five thousand men were satisfied, Jesus ordered the disciples to get on the boat and precede him on the other shore, towards Bethsaida, while he would fire the crowd.
As soon as he had dismissed them, he went up to the mountain to pray.
When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone on land.
But seeing them all tired in rowing, because they had the wind against them, already towards the last part of the night he went towards them walking on the sea, and he wanted to go beyond them.
They, seeing him walking on the sea, thought: "He is a ghost", and they began to shout,
because everyone had seen him and was troubled. But he immediately spoke to them and said: "Come on, it's me, don't be afraid!"
Then he got into the boat with them and the wind stopped. And they were enormously surprised in themselves,
because they did not understand the fact of the loaves, their hearts being hardened.

08 JANUARY

TITUS ZEMAN - BLESSED

Vajnory, Slovakia, January 4, 1915 - Bratislava, Slovakia, January 8, 1969

Slovakian Salesian Fr Titus Zeman was born into a Christian family on January 4, 1915 in Vajnory, near Bratislava. He wanted to become a priest from the age of 10. In Turin, on June 23, 1940, he reached the goal of priestly ordination. When the Czechoslovakian Communist regime in April 1950 suppressed religious orders and began to deport consecrated men to concentration camps, it became necessary to save young religious to allow them to complete their studies abroad. Don Zeman took charge of organizing clandestine trips across the Morava River to Austria and to Turin; a very risky business. In 1950 he organized two expeditions and saved 21 young Salesians. On the third expedition in April 1951 Don Zeman, along with the fugitives, was arrested. He underwent a hard trial, during which he was described as a traitor to the homeland and a Vatican spy, and even risked death. On February 22, 1952, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Don Zeman was released from prison, on probation, only after 13 years of imprisonment, on March 10, 1964. Now irreparably marked by the sufferings suffered in prison, he died five years later, on January 8, 1969, surrounded by a glorious reputation for martyrdom and holiness.

PRAYER

O Almighty God, you called Don Titus Zeman to follow the charism of Saint John Bosco. Under the protection of Mary Help of Christians he became a priest and educator of youth. He lived according to your commandments, and among the people he was known and esteemed for his affable character and availability for all. When the enemies of the Church suppressed human rights and the freedom of faith, Don Titus did not lose courage and persevered on the path of truth. For his loyalty to the Salesian vocation and for his generous service to the Church he was imprisoned and tortured. With audacity he resisted the torturers and for this he was humiliated and mocked. Everything suffered for love and with love. We beg you, O almighty Father, glorify your faithful servant, so that we can venerate him on the altars of the Church. We ask you for Jesus Christ, your Son, and through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians. Amen.