Jesus sends his disciples on a Journey, they will learn how to travel light and with others,

carrying only what is most essential; how to enter the lives of others and exit.

Nothing else counts ultimately in the journey, reall, the most essential thing to succeed in this life is fidelity to God. 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12

When David was about to die,

In our gospel, the boat containing Jesus and His disciples were buffeted by strong winds and waves in near darkness.

But Jesus sleeps peacefully amidst this turbulence.

His disciples were afraid. They wake Him up and immediately.

In the Jewish tradition, if wind, darkness and water comes together it will generate chaos.

And chaos is the abode of the devil.

In our gospel, the boat containing Jesus and His disciples were buffeted by strong winds and waves in near darkness.

Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Angela Merici, virgin

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

2 Samuel 12:1-7a, 10-17

So Yahweh sent

Lord, there are depths in each of us, even those we think we know well, that only you can glimpse.

Jesus wisdom of Jesus came from heaven and earth.

Opposition never stopped Jesus, he went ahead.

The audience’s “astonishment” at Jesus’ “wisdom” the amazement immediately turned negative.

a prophet is not honoured by the people who have known him from birth.

St. John Bosco, priest

 1st Reading: 2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17

The king said to Joab and

Jesus uses imagery culled from everyday life to explain what the kingdom of God is.

It is like peeling a cabbage layer after layer and each time, new truth is encountered.

He reaches especially for symbols of life and growth.

God is not impatient with our growth. God is the one who creates us from nothing and creates us each day of our lives.

From even the tiniest seed planted in a soul, the Kingdom of God can grow

so that the person who trusts in God is a source of nourishment and care for others.

Sts. Timothy & Titus, bishops

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

2 Timothy 1:1-8 (or Ti 1:1-5)

From Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus,

『Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can move mountains.』

The concept of faith is central to this passage, the link between faith and miracles is important for Mark.

“Jesus then crossed to the other side of the lake.”

” Only empathy can cross over to “the other side”

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30-19:3

 Ps 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 Listen, Lord, and answer me.

On January 25, the faithful celebrate the Conversion of Saint Paul.

Saul was diametrically opposed to Jesus’ teachings.

He received a letter of permission from the high priest in Jerusalem to go beyond the city,

searching from house to house to arrest those who followed

Jesus, bringing them back in chains to stand trial in Jerusalem.

As he took this letter of permission with him on a journey to Damascus,

our Lord appeared to him in His resurrected glory.

Saul had an experience that would not only change his life forever but also change the entire world.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Acts 22:3-16 (or Acts 9:1-22)

"I am a Jew,

 He was ‘Pharmakos,’

Jesus liberating him upset the carefully calibrated societal balance: who would now bear for them their inner demons?

Called "Legion" A man from the tombs. For Jews, tombs were an unclean place.

We cannot hope to win the spiritual warfare against Satan and his demons by our own power.

He is stronger than we are and smarter than we are. If we rely on ourselves, we will lose.

We have to rely on the Lord who is stronger than He is.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13

Ps 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7   Lord, rise up and save me.

Jesus is the Sower,

He spreads the seed of the word, calling all to repent and believe, for the kingdom of God is at hand.

The seed is spread indiscriminately, far and wide on all kinds of ground.

And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God."

we all understand that, don’t we?

Only those who have ears to hear will be able to understand the power of the story.

 St. Francis de Sales, bishop & doctor

 1st Reading: 2 Samuel 7:4-17

 Jesus teaches with an independent authority–or rather, on the authority of God .

“sovereign freedom” of one who acts without hindrance.

Whereas the scribes are bound to tradition, Jesus is relatively free–

free in the way that only one who lives directly from and to God’s authority is free.

Jesus’ authority is empowering and liberating, it is not oppressive or subjugating.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

He will raise up

Jesus replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?

Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to me.

For Mary His mother was the hearer of God’s word par excellence.

Jesus does not depreciate His blood relations to His mother.

On the other hand, he elevated it higher than mere relations of the flesh.

St. Marianne Cope, virgin

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

2 Samuel 6:12b-15, 17-19

King David went to bring up