CatholicJules.net

O Lord our God, You are loving as You are faithful. All throughout salvation history it was us, your children who fell short or were unfaithful. Yet You were patient and merciful to all who were repentant and contrite. Be patient and merciful with us once again, keep us in Your loving care we pray.

Loving Father, through Your Son our Saviour Jesus and the Holy Spirit, we the faithful can rest in the security of Your providence. Great is Your love that we are sent after every Eucharistic celebration to share Your love with others. To bring hope where there is none. To bring peace and healing. To free the oppressed and downtrodden. Praise and glory be to Our living God now and forever. Amen

FIRST READING
1 Kings 2:1–4, 10–12

GOSPEL
Mark 6:7–13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick –no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

There are times when we revel in our successes, accomplishments and recognition. Without giving thanks, praise and glory to God who provided for all that we have; we forget and exalt ourselves by our words or actions sometimes at the expense of others. We may even entertain thoughts that we had accomplished everything on our very own and indirectly separate ourselves from God. Hopefully we realise our faults early and are contrite before God instead of turning back to Him only when our ‘self made’ glories come crumbling down.

It is all too true that sharing the experience of Jesus and the Word of God with our immediate family and friends are often the most difficult. Why? Because most of them would have known us either from when we were little or before we encoutered Christ ourselves in a personal way. Patience, constant prayer and the love of Christ are key in planting the seeds. Slowly when their eyes opened to the joy they witness in our lives, the peace that we have and the love that we share; through God’s grace they will have a conversion of heart.

God loves us so much that He gave us free will. When we freely come to Him, listen and live our lives according to His Will; We are fulfilled, peace, joy and love reigns in our hearts. He lives in us as we live in Him. Amen

FIRST READING
2 Samuel 24:2, 9–17

GOSPEL
Mark 6:1–6

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.