MK 6:1-6 Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, escorted 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 develop all this?  What kind of wisdom has been given him?  What monumental deeds are designed 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 fault at him.  Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his homeland and among his own relatives and in his own house.”  So he decided not to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their shortage of faith.

 Gospel MK 5:1-20  Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And the demons pleaded with him, "Send us into the swine. Let us enter them." And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg him to leave their district. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, "Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you." Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

MK 5:21-43     While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?"  Ignoring the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith." He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a turmoil, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, "Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep." And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child's father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum,” which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!" The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.

January 28, 2017 MK 1:21-28    Then they came to Capernaum, and on the Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes taught. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, "What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to terminate us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" Jesus reprimanded him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" The unclean life-force convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this? A new teaching with power. He commands even the impure spirits and they obey him." His reputation spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

Gospel MK 4:1-20

Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? The sower plants the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is planted. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word planted in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no roots; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Those planted among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those seeded on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

Gospel MK 3:22-30 The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, “He is possessed by Beelzebub," and "By the prince of demons he drives out demons." Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can burglarize his house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all profanities that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever curses against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin." For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

Acts 9:1-22 Saul went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus. On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" He said, "Who are you, sir?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do." Saul could see nothing. So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, "Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. All who heard him were astounded and said, “Is not this the man who in Jerusalem ravaged those who call upon this name, and came here expressly to take them back in chains to the chief priests?" But Saul grew all the stronger and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

Gospel MK 1:14-20 After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."  As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of people." Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired workers and followed him. 

Gospel MK 3:7-12   Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, "You are the Son of God." He warned them sternly not to make him known. 

The letter of the law or a law of love?

Mk 3:1-6   Jesus entered the synagogue. Then he said to the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to perform good on the Sabbath rather than to commit evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took advice from the Herodians against Christ to put him to death. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7hmk5Rk7Ag&feature=youtu.be

ACCUS COLLAGE 2011-2018

MK 3:31-35                   The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house. Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, "Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you." But he said to them in reply, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." 

Gospel MK 2:1-12 Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, "Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?" Jesus immediately knew in his mind what  they were thinking to themselves,  so he said, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth" –he said to the paralytic, "I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home." He rose, picked up his mat at once,  and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."

MK 1:40-45 A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, "If you wish, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him,  "I do will it. Be made clean." The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. Then he said to him, "See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them." The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere. 

The Epiphany of the Lord

IS 60:1-6 Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.  Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

Midian: The Midianites were a biblical people who occupied territory east of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea, and southward through the desert wilderness of the Arabah.

Ephah: This city, with its surrounding territory, formed part of Midian, on the east shore of the Dead Sea. It abounded in dromedaries and camels.

Sheba: Sheba was the South Arabian kingdom of Saba, centered around the oasis of Marib, in present-day Yemen. Sheba was quite known in the classical world, and its country was called Arabia Felix.

Gospel Jn 1:43-51   Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true child of Israel.  There is no duplicity in him."  Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."  Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?  You will see greater things than this."  And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." 

JN 1:35-42John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God. “The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for? “They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher),"where are you staying?” He said to them, "Come, and you will see. “So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah," which is translated Christ. Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas," which is translated Peter.