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If we lived our lives in Your presence Lord, we will recognise and see Your loving hand in all things. We would constantly be in awe of Your great love for us;praising and thanking You all our lives. But we are a fallen people Lord often blinded by Sin.

Still in Your great love and mercy You seek us out Lord Jesus. It does not matter to You how soiled we are or how lowly and poorly we have lived our lives. You invite us to come follow You and with our Yes Your loving mercy is upon us and we are transformed by Your love. Grant us the Grace to remain steadfast in Your love.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen

FIRST READING
1 Samuel 9:1–4, 17–19; 10:1

GOSPEL
Mark 2:13–17

Jesus went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed Jesus. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus heard this and said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

There is NO Leader greater than You my Lord Jesus! Our Lord and King! And yet why do some of us foolishly look elsewhere for wisdom or guidance? Some look for encouragement and answers from those now in the grave, who have had their own belief systems on how to be happy and lead peaceful lives. Others turn to modern day ‘gurus’ and ‘sages’ on how to lead fruitful lives.

Sadly they do not realise that they are alienating themselves from You. They choose instead to believe that most if not all religions are equal because while different in their own way they still point to the same source which is to ‘God’. Never mind the conflicting teachings, worship practices or that even in some there are more than one, in fact many ‘Gods’.  It does not even matter to them that throughout scripture in at least forty different places we find that “there is only one God” or that the commandment says “You shall have no other Gods before me” Then in Matt 6:24  “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

You loving Master are the way, and the truth, and the life.  The light of all mankind; in and through You we have life because You Lord Jesus are the resurrection. The lamb of God which took away the sins of the World and in Your divine mercy You forgive us our sins who turn to You.  Help us to lead others into the knowledge of You, that they might enter into the loving relationship we have.  So that they too might share in the promises of God fulfilled in You. Lord hear the prayers of Your faithful. Amen

First reading
1 Samuel 8:4-7,10-22

Gospel
Mark 2:1-12

When Jesus returned to Capernaum, word went round that he was back; and so many people collected that there was no room left, even in front of the door. He was preaching the word to them when some people came bringing him a paralytic carried by four men, but as the crowd made it impossible to get the man to him, they stripped the roof over the place where Jesus was; and when they had made an opening, they lowered the stretcher on which the paralytic lay. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some scribes were sitting there, and they thought to themselves, ‘How can this man talk like that? He is blaspheming. Who can forgive sins but God?’ Jesus, inwardly aware that this was what they were thinking, said to them, ‘Why do you have these thoughts in your hearts? Which of these is easier: to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven” or to say, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ – he turned to the paralytic – ‘I order you: get up, pick up your stretcher, and go off home.’ And the man got up, picked up his stretcher at once and walked out in front of everyone, so that they were all astounded and praised God saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this.’