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Many people feel unaware of any guidance, unable to discern or understand the signals of God; not because the signals are not given, but because the mind is too troubled, clouded, and hurried to receive them. Evelyn Underhill (What guidance from God are you sensing lately?) |
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1 Heb 2:14-18; Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9 Mk 1:29-39 On leaving the synagogueJesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them. When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various
diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him. Rising very early before dawn,
he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on
to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”
So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons
throughout the whole of
Galilee. USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“They were overjoyed at seeing the star.” —Matthew
2:10
One of the prayers of the faithful for today’s Epiphany Mass reads: “That the Church, like the Star of Bethlehem, will draw the world to worship Jesus Christ.” Epiphany is a great feast of unveiling. Christmas was a revelation to the few; Epiphany is a revelation to the nations. In an unveiling, the veil is lifted, for all to see clearly. First, the Magi saw clearly, then, through them,
all nations can see. We are to be like those who lift the veil.
In a wedding, the father traditionally lifts the veil from the bride, and then the husband can clearly see her. May we likewise help unveil Jesus — by teaching His Word, by healing, exhorting, by adoring and worshipping Jesus and letting our light shine and thus illuminating the way (Mt
5:14-16). We are to lead people to be brides of Christ. The bride is veiled in preparation for the wedding. We help lift the veil so the bride can see her husband. Let us lead people to the crucified Christ by proclaiming His death. As Jesus died, the veil was torn away (Mt 27:51) and access to the Father was unveiled. Help people turn to the Lord so “the veil will be removed” (2 Cor
3:16). Then they will see the Lord “with unveiled faces” (2 Cor 3:18). Lift the veil. Prayer: Father, may my life always lead others to Jesus. Promise: “The lives of the poor He shall save.” —Ps
72:13 Presentation Ministries
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What is Christian Love? by Philip St. Romain (all rights reserved) Adapted from Freedom from Codependency: A Christian Response - Dysfunctional Beliefs About Love -
part 5 of 5 • "Do not be angry." Codependents interpret this teaching of Christ to mean feeling angry is wrong, bad, and sinful. Codependents are angry and resentful on the inside. Since they believe it is bad to be angry, they repress these feelings and try hard to be nice. This facade of niceness keeps codependents out of touch with
their anger. Anger is a feeling, and feelings are neither bad nor good. It is what we do with our feelings that is bad or good. Jesus is talking about harboring resentment and vindictiveness. These are choices about how to deal with anger — bad choices! • "We should not expect happiness in this life." I have heard
this said in therapy groups by codependents who had resigned themselves to being trapped for the rest of their earthly days in an unhealthy relationship. The truth is that we can begin to experience something of heaven even in this life. Distorted beliefs such as this are really about being a victim and martyr. • "To forgive means to forget." While you may
never forget what has happened, you can let go of resentment, a kind of emotional forgetting. Codependents mistakenly believe that when you forgive, you even forget what has happened. This is a distortion of the meaning of this value. All these beliefs described during the previous lessons give a distorted picture of the meaning of Christian love.
Each of them contains a kernel of truth, but taken out of context, they lose their force. When taught by codependents who are active in ministry, they become one of the means by which the Church contributes to the spread of codependency. Paperback book, PDF eBook, Kindle, ePub
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