Did the paralyzed man believe in Jesus? The paralyzed man was lying helpless in his mat. 

On his own, he could not to Jesus.

What we do know is that those men who carried him had faith,

that Jesus saw the faith of those people and healed the paralytic.

Faith was the door opening to the forgiveness of sins.

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a

Because of this,

And you, Beth­lehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the clans of Judah,

for from you will come a leader, the one who is to shepherd my people Israel.

During the days of king Herod,' Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea,

wise men from the East arrived in Jerusalem."

The birth of Jesus was felt by the wise men coming from the Far East

while the powers that be in Jerusalem were clueless.

The Light shines upon us; the glory of the Lord rises upon us!

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Isaiah 60:1-6

Arise, shine,

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

1 Samuel 4:1-11

At that time

 “ We should walk as God walks. God walks humbly, and so should we. God’s walk is a humble walk.

A synodal Church should walk with God and follow the Way God walks – In humility.”

                                                                          Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle
                                                                          Pro-Prefect for the Section of Evangelization of Dicastery for Evangelization

St. André Bessette, religious

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

1 John 5:5-13

Who has overcome the world ?

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

1 Samuel 4:1-11

At that time

Nazareth was a small and insignificant village. No one expected that the Messiah would come from that region.

Philip was the first one called by Jesus.

His first act is to go and tell his friend about Christ.

Nathanael was very open to God and had strong faith. He didn’t need a lot of evidence, but simply believed.

The fact that Nathanael believed in Jesus as the Messiah because of Jesus’ statement

that He saw Nathanael under the tree shows that it was a miraculous event

and Jesus wasn’t there physically. God is everywhere.

St. John Neumann, bishop

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

1 John 3:11-21

For this is the message taught to you,

 When God calls Samuel. Samuel, in his sleep, hears his name being called.

Still inexperienced in recognising the presence of the Lord, he thinks that Eli is calling him.

Twice he hears the call and twice Eli denies that he called.

Eli’s own failure not at once to recognise God’s voice may be indicative that he was not very close to God.

Samuel undergoes eagerness, confusion, maturity, growth, realization, knowledge, panic, and affirmation.

Eventually, we see Samuel as a successful prophet.

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

1 Samuel 3: 1-10, 19-20

The boy Samuel ministered

 John was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.

John points his followers towards Jesus, the Lamb of God.

They walk away from John and follow Jesus, with John’s blessing.

Jesus is God’s Word full of life, light, grace and truth.

He relates to ‘all things’ and ‘all people’, is not overcome by evil, gives ‘power to become children of God’.

So at the heart of the universe is this loving relationship.

 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

1st Reading: 1 John 3:7-10

My little children,

 The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, is the feast day commemorating the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.

Jesus goes from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John the Baptist, manifesting his solidarity with the sinful people.

That can bridge distances and heal wounded hearts.

Heaven opens up, a light in the form of the dove descends on Jesus, and a voice proclaims that He is he beloved Son.

Jesus’ choice is confirmed with the opening of the heavens,

with the gift of the Spirit and the voice of the Father that seals Jesus’ mission:

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”. With the opening of the heavens.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊   

Isaiah 42:1-4, 6 - 7(or) Isaiah 55:1-11)

Here is my servant whom

 When asked who he is, John the Baptist replies that he is "the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord.'" 

“Who are you? What is the source of your identity?

Text shows us that John the Baptist was a man who was clear on who he was not and who he was.

He was also clear on who Jesus is. So he was able to point others clearly to Jesus as the only Savior whom they desperately needed.

St. Basil the Great & St. Gregory Nazianzen, bishops & doctors

  ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

1 John 2:22-28

Who is the liar?