For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

KEYWORDS: catholic; mk2; ordinarytime; prayer; saints;

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From: 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1

Saul Meets Samuel

[1] There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of
Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth; [2] and he
had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man
among the people of Israel more handsome than he; from his shoulders upward
he was taller than any of the people.

[3] Now the asses of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul, his son,
“Take one of the servants with you and arise, go and look for the asses. [4] And
they passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of
Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Sha-
alim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin,
but did not find them.

[17] When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, “Here is the man of whom I
spoke to you! He it is who shall rule over my people.” [18] Then Saul approached
Samuel in the gate, and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?” [19] Sa-
muel answered Saul, “I am the seer; go up before me to the high place for today
you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that
is on your mind.”

Saul is Anointed

[1] Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and
said, “Has not the LORD anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And
you shall reign over the people of the LORD and you will save them from the hand
of their enemies round about. And this shall be the sign to you that the LORD
has anointed you to be prince over his heritage.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

9:1-10:16 This section focuses on Saul, who will be the first king of Israel. The
writer makes it clear that God is the one who plans things, who selects Saul
and who sets him up over the people.

This account (which may have been made up by combining earlier, separate
traditions) forms a simple literary piece in which each episode stands on its own
and is neatly linked to the one that follows. The figure of Saul is the connecting
thread, but the Lord is the true protagonist. We can say that there are seven
scenes here, in seven settings: 1) Saul’s family is introduced; it belongs to the
tribe of Benjamin, based in the south of the country (9:1-2). 2) Saul and his ser-
vant, in search of lost asses, go north, where the “man of God” lives (9:3-10). It
is all so unplanned that the hand of God seems to be at work. 3) Saul and the
young maidens who have come out of the city to draw water (9:11-13): the
scene is evocative of episodes where Jacob (Gen 24:11ff) and Moses (Ex 2:16ff)
have casual meetings which change the course of their lives. 4) Saul and Samuel
meet for the first time in the city of Ramah (9:14-27). The sacrifice (v. 13), the sa-
crificial meal and the conversation between Saul and Samuel show the religious
nature of the event and the Lord’s initiative in raising Saul to the dignity of prince
(”naguid”) over the people (v. 16), but not yet that of king (”melek”). 5) Saul is a-
nointed at the outskirts of the city (9:27-10:9): this is the central scene in the ac-
count. In a private but solemn rite Samuel anoints Saul king and kisses him as
a mark of reverence. 6) The meeting between Saul and the pro- phets on the way
to Gibeah (10:10-12): this scene acts as a contrast with the previous one, for it
cuts down to size the figure of Saul (cf. 19:24) who so ridiculously sought to iden-
tify with these “prophets” who used to work themselves into trances by means
of music and gestures (cf. 10:5). 7) The conversation between Saul and his uncle
at Gibe-ah (10:14-16): Saul’s calling to be king is reasserted by the writer, but it
must be kept secret.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Mark 2:13-17

The Calling of Matthew

[13] He (Jesus) went out again beside the sea; and all the crowd gathered about
Him, and He taught them. [14] And as He passed on, He saw Levi the son of
Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me.” And he rose
and followed Him.

[15] And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were
sitting with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many who followed Him. [16]
And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that He was eating with sinners
and tax collectors, said to His disciples, “Why does He eat with tax collectors
and sinners?” [17] And when Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are
well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

14. St. Mark and St. Luke (5:27-32) both call him “Levi”; the First Gospel, on
the other hand, calls him “Matthew” (Matthew 9:9-13); but they are all referring
to the same person. All three accounts describe the same event. Later on, St
Mark and St Luke, when giving the list of Apostles (Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-
16), include Matthew, not Levi. The Fathers identify Matthew with Levi. Besides
it was quite common for Jews to have two names: Jacob-Israel, Simon-Peter,
Saul-Paul, Joseph-Caiaphas, John-Mark... Frequently, the name and surname
were connected with some significant change in the life and mission of the per-
son concerned. Did Jesus’ saving intervention in this Apostle’s life lead to a
change of name? The Gospel does not tell us.

Levi-Matthew, as a publican or tax collector (Matthew 9:9-13), was sitting at the
‘tax office’, a special place where one went to pay tribute. Publicans were tax
collectors appointed by the Romans. It was, therefore, an occupation hated and
despised by the people; but it was also a much-coveted position because it was
an easy way to become prosperous. Matthew leaves everything behind when
Jesus calls him. He immediately responds to his vocation, because Jesus gives
him the grace to accept his calling.

Jesus is the basis of our confidence in being able to change, provided we co-
operate with His grace, no matter how unworthy our previous conduct may have
been. And He is also the source of the confidence we need in order to be apos-
tolic—helping others to be converted and seek holiness of life. Because He is
the Son of God He is able to raise up children of God even from stones (cf.
Matthew 3:9). Cf. note on Matthew 9:9.

17. The scribes and Pharisees reproach the disciples, and Jesus replies with
a popular proverb: ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those
who are sick.’ He is the doctor of souls, come to cure sinners of their spiritual
ailments.

Our Lord calls everyone, His redemptive mission extends to everyone; He af-
firms this on other occasions, using parables such as that of the marriage feast
(Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 14:16-24). How, then, can we explain the restriction
He seems to place here by saying that He has not come to call the righteous?
It is not really a restriction. Jesus uses the opportunity to reproach the scribes
and Pharisees for their pride: they consider themselves just, and their reliance
on their apparent virtue prevents them from hearing the call to conversion; they
think they can be saved by their own efforts (cf. John 9:41). This explains the
proverb Jesus quotes; certainly His preaching makes it quite clear that ‘no one
is good but God alone’ (Mark 10:18) and that everyone must have recourse to
the mercy and forgiveness of God in order to be saved. In other words, man-
kind is not divided into two—the just and the unjust. We are all sinners, as St.
Paul confirms: ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).
Precisely because of this, Christ came to call all of us; He justifies those who
respond to His call.

Our Lord’s words should also move us to pray humbly and confidently for peo-
ple who seem to want to continue living in sin. As St. Teresa beseeched God:
“Ah, how hard a thing am I asking of Thee, my true God! I ask Thee to love one
who loves Thee not, to open to one who has not called upon Thee, to give health
to one who prefers to be sick and who even goes about in search of sickness.
Thou sayest, my Lord, that Thou comest to seek sinners; these, Lord, are the
true sinners. Look not upon our blindness, my God, but upon all the blood that
was shed for us by Thy Son. Let Thy mercy shine out amid such tremendous
wickedness. Behold, Lord, we are the works of Thy hands” (”Exclamations of
the Soul to God”, n. 8).

The Fathers of the Church see this calling by Jesus as an invitation to repen-
tance and penance. St. John Chrysostom (”Hom. on St. Matthew”, 30:3), for
example, explains the phrase by putting these words in Jesus’ mouth: “I am
not come that they should continue sinners but that they should change and
become better.”

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading
1 Samuel 9:1-4,17-19,10:1 ©

Among the men of Benjamin there was a man named Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah; a Benjaminite and a man of rank. He had a son named Saul, a handsome man in the prime of life. Of all the Israelites there was no one more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders taller than the rest of the people. Now some of the she-donkeys of Saul’s father Kish had strayed, so Kish said to Saul, ‘My son, take one of the servants with you and be off; go and look for the she-donkeys.’ They passed through the highlands of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but did not find them; they passed through the land of Shaalim, they were not there; they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.

When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, ‘That is the man of whom I told you; he shall rule my people.’ Saul accosted Samuel in the gateway and said, ‘Tell me, please, where the seer’s house is?’ Samuel replied to Saul, ‘I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place. You are to eat with me today. In the morning I shall take leave of you and tell you all that is in your heart.

Samuel took a phial of oil and poured it on Saul’s head; then he kissed him, saying, ‘Has not the Lord anointed you prince over his people Israel? You are the man who must rule the Lord’s people, and who must save them from the power of the enemies surrounding them.’

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 20(21):2-7 ©

O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king.

O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king;

how your saving help makes him glad!

You have granted him his heart’s desire;

you have not refused the prayer of his lips.

O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king.

You came to meet him with the blessings of success,

you have set on his head a crown of pure gold.

He asked you for life and this you have given,

days that will last from age to age.

O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king.

Your saving help has given him glory.

You have laid upon him majesty and splendour,

you have granted your blessings to him forever.

You have made him rejoice with the joy of your presence.

O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king.

Gospel Acclamation	Ps118:36,29

Alleluia, alleluia!

Bend my heart to your will, O Lord,

and teach me your law.

Alleluia!

Or	Lk4:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,

to proclaim liberty to captives.

Alleluia!

Gospel	Mark 2:13-17 ©

Jesus went out to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

When Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

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Saint Hilary of Poitiers

Franciscan Media

Image: Statue of Saint Hilary of Poitiers | en l’Église Saint-Hilaire de Givet | photo by G.Garitan

Saint Hilary of Poitiers

Saint of the Day for January 13

(c. 315 – c. 368)

Saint Hilary of Poitiers’ Story

This staunch defender of the divinity of Christ was a gentle and courteous man, devoted to writing some of the greatest theology on the Trinity, and was like his Master in being labeled a “disturber of the peace.” In a very troubled period in the Church, his holiness was lived out in both scholarship and controversy. He was bishop of Poitiers in France.

Raised a pagan, he was converted to Christianity when he met his God of nature in the Scriptures. His wife was still living when he was chosen, against his will, to be the bishop of Poitiers in France. He was soon taken up with battling what became the scourge of the fourth century, Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ.

The heresy spread rapidly. Saint Jerome said “The world groaned and marveled to find that it was Arian.” When Emperor Constantius ordered all the bishops of the West to sign a condemnation of Athanasius, the great defender of the faith in the East, Hilary refused and was banished from France to far off Phrygia. Eventually he was called the “Athanasius of the West.”

While writing in exile, he was invited by some semi-Arians (hoping for reconciliation) to a council the emperor called to counteract the Council of Nicea. But Hilary predictably defended the Church, and when he sought public debate with the heretical bishop who had exiled him, the Arians, dreading the meeting and its outcome, pleaded with the emperor to send this troublemaker back home. Hilary was welcomed by his people.

Reflection

Christ said his coming would bring not peace but a sword (see Matthew 10:34). The Gospels offer no support for us if we fantasize about a sunlit holiness that knows no problems. Christ did not escape at the last moment, though he did live happily ever after—after a life of controversy, problems, pain and frustration. Hilary, like all saints, simply had more of the same.

The Father's Gift In Christ [by Saint Hilary of Poitiers, bishop]
St. Hilary of Poitiers
The Life and Writings of Saint Hilary of Poitiers[Bishop and Martyr]

Jesus, High Priest

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Joyful Mysteries

(Mondays and Saturdays)

1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]

Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 2
13.	And he went forth again to the sea side; and all the multitude came to him, and he taught them.	Et egressus est rursus ad mare, omnisque turba veniebat ad eum, et docebat eos.	και εξηλθεν παλιν παρα την θαλασσαν και πας ο οχλος ηρχετο προς αυτον και εδιδασκεν αυτους
14.	And when he was passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the receipt of custom; and he saith to him: Follow me. And rising up, he followed him.	Et cum præteriret, vidit Levi Alphæi sedentem ad telonium, et ait illi : Sequere me. Et surgens secutus est eum.	και παραγων ειδεν λευιν τον του αλφαιου καθημενον επι το τελωνιον και λεγει αυτω ακολουθει μοι και αναστας ηκολουθησεν αυτω
15.	And it came to pass, that as he sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat down together with Jesus and his disciples. For they were many, who also followed him.	Et factum est, cum accumberet in domo illius, multi publicani et peccatores simul discumbebant cum Jesu et discipulis ejus : erant enim multi, qui et sequebantur eum.	και εγενετο εν τω κατακεισθαι αυτον εν τη οικια αυτου και πολλοι τελωναι και αμαρτωλοι συνανεκειντο τω ιησου και τοις μαθηταις αυτου ησαν γαρ πολλοι και ηκολουθησαν αυτω
16.	And the scribes and the Pharisees, seeing that he ate with publicans and sinners, said to his disiples: Why doth your master eat and drink with publicans and sinners?	Et scribæ et pharisæi videntes quia manducaret cum publicanis et peccatoribus, dicebant discipulis ejus : Quare cum publicanis et peccatoribus manducat et bibit Magister vester ?	και οι γραμματεις και οι φαρισαιοι ιδοντες αυτον εσθιοντα μετα των τελωνων και αμαρτωλων ελεγον τοις μαθηταις αυτου τι οτι μετα των τελωνων και αμαρτωλων εσθιει και πινει
17.	Jesus hearing this, saith to them: They that are well have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. For I came not to call the just, but sinners.	Hoc audito Jesus ait illis : Non necesse habent sani medico, sed qui male habent : non enim veni vocare justos, sed peccatores.	και ακουσας ο ιησους λεγει αυτοις ου χρειαν εχουσιν οι ισχυοντες ιατρου αλλ οι κακως εχοντες ουκ ηλθον καλεσαι δικαιους αλλα αμαρτωλους εις μετανοιαν

(*) εις μετανοιαν -- to repentance or penance, -- is the ending of verse 17, missing in the translations.

13. And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.
14. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.
15. And it came to pass, that as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many Publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many, and they followed him.
16. And when the Scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with Publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eats and drinks with Publicans and sinners?
17. When Jesus heard it, he said unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

BEDE; After that the Lord taught at Capernaum, He went to the sea, that He might not only set in order the life of men in towns, but also might preach the Gospel of the kingdom to those who dwelt near the sea, and might teach them to despise the restless motions of those things which pass away like the waves of the sea, and to overcome them by the firmness of faith; wherefore it is said, And he went forth again to the sea, and all the multitude, &c.

THEOPHYL. Or else, after the miracle, He goes to the sea, as if wishing to be alone, but the crowd runs to Him again, that you might learn, that the more you fly from glory, the more she herself pursues you; but if you follow her, she will fly from you. The Lord passing on from thence called Matthew; wherefore there follows, And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting, &c.

CHRYS. Now this is the same publican who is named by all the Evangelists; Matthew by Matthew; simply Levi by Luke; and Levi, the son of Alphaeus, by Mark; for he was the son of Alphaeus. And you may find persons with two names in other parts of Scripture; as Moses' father in law is sometimes called Jethro, sometimes Raguel.

BEDE; So also the same person is called Levi and Matthew; but Luke and Mark, on account of their reverence and the honor of the Evangelist, are unwilling to put the common name, while Matthew is a just accuser of himself, and calls himself Matthew and publican he wishes to show to his hearers that no one who is converted should despair of his salvation, since he himself was suddenly changed from a publican into an Apostle. But he says that he was sitting at the 'teloneum', that is, the place where the customs are looked after and administered. For 'telos' in Greek is the same as 'vectigal,' customs, in Latin.

THEOPHYL. For he sat at the receipt of custom, either, as is often done, exacting from some, or making up accounts, or doing some actions of that sort, which publicans are wont to do in their abodes, yes this man, who was raised on high from this state of life that he might leave all things and follow Christ. Wherefore it goes on, And he says to him, Follow me, &c.

BEDE; Now to follow is to imitate, and therefore in order to imitate the poverty of Christ, in the feeling of his soul even more than in outward condition, he who used to rob his neighbor's wealth, now leaves his own. And not only did he quit the gain of the customs, but he also despised the peril, which might come from the princes of this world, because he left the accounts of the customs imperfect and unsettled. For the Lord Himself, Who externally, by human language, called Him to follow, inflamed him inwardly by divine inspiration to follow Him the moment that He called him.

PSEUDO-JEROME; Thus then Levi, which means Appointed, followed from the custom-house of human affairs, the Word, Who says, He who does not quit all that he has, cannot be my disciple.

THEOPHYL. But he who used to plot against others becomes so benevolent, that he invites many persons to eat with him. Wherefore it goes on; And it came to pass, that as Jesus sat at meat in his house.

BEDE; The persons here called publicans are those who exact the public customs, or men who farm the customs of the exchequer or of republics; moreover, those also, who follow after the gain of this world by business, are called by the same name. They who had seen that the publican, converted from his sins to better things, had found a place of pardon, even for this reason themselves also do not despair of salvation. And they come to Jesus, not remaining in their former sins, as the Pharisees and Scribes complain, but in penitence, as the following words of the Evangelist show, saying, For there were many who followed him. For the Lord went to the feasts of sinners, that he might have an opportunity of teaching them, and might set before his entertainers spiritual meats, which also is carried on in mystical figures. For he who receives Christ into his inward habitation is fed with the highest delights of overflowing pleasures. Therefore the Lord enters willingly, and takes up His abode in the affection of him who has believed on Him; and this is the spiritual banquet of good works, which the rich cannot have, and on which the poor feast.

THEOPHYL. But the Pharisees blame this, making themselves pure. Whence there follows: And when the Scribes and Pharisees saw him eat, &c.

BEDE; If by the election of Matthew and calling of the publicans, the faith of the Gentiles is expressed, who formerly were intent on the gains of this world; certainly the haughtiness of the Scribes and Pharisees intimates the envy of the Jewish people, who are vexed at the salvation of the Gentiles. It goes on: When Jesus heard it, he said to them, They that are whole need not the physician, but they that are sick. The aims at the Scribes and Pharisees, who, thinking themselves righteous, refused to keep company with sinners. He calls Himself the physician, Who, by a strange mode of healing, was wounded on account of our iniquities, and by His wound we are healed. And He calls those whole and righteous, who, wishing to establish their own righteousness, are not subject to the righteousness of God. Moreover He calls those rich and sinners, who, overcome by the consciousness of their own frailty, and seeing that they cannot be justified by the Law, submit their necks to the grace of Christ by repentance. Wherefore it is added, For I came not for all the righteous, but sinners, &c.

THEOPHYL. Not indeed that they should continue sinners, but be converted to that repentance.

Catena Aurea Mark 2

The Calling of Saint Matthew

Caravaggio

1599-1600
Oil on canvas, 322 x 340 cm
Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome

St. Michael the Archangel

~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
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January 13, 2018

Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1

Responsorial Psalm Ps 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

Alleluia Lk 4:18

Gospel Mk 2:13-17

Readings at Mass

Saint Hilary of Poitiers

Saint of the Day for January 13

(c. 315 – c. 368)

Saint Hilary of Poitiers’ Story

Reflection