"The man got up and followed him"

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint 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. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him.
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 he 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 (that), "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."


Commentary of the day : Saint Augustine
"The man got up and followed him"

Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new: late have I loved you. And see, you were within and I was in the external world and sought you there, and in my unlovely state I plunged into those lovely created things which you made. You were with me, and I was not with you. The lovely things kept me far from you, though if they did not have their existence in you, they had no existence at all. You called and cried out loud and shattered my deafness. You were radiant and resplendent, you put to flight my blindness. You were fragrant, and I drew in my breath and now pant after you. I tasted you, and I feel but hunger and thirst for you. You touched me, and I am set on fire to attain the peace which is yours.

When I shall have adhered to you with the whole of myself, I shall never have pain and toil, and my entire life will be full of you. You lift up the person whom you fill. But for the present, because I am not full of you, I am a burden to myself... Have mercy on me, Lord! There is a struggle between my regrets at my evil past and my memories of good joys, and which side has the victory I do not know. Alas, Lord have mercy upon me!, wretch that I am. See, I do not hide my wounds. You are the physician, I am the patient. You are pitiful, I am the object of pity.

My son, your sins are forgiven....

"We must speak to them with our hands before we speak to them with our lips."
-- St. Peter Claver

Mark 2: 1 - 12 1 And when he returned to Caper'na-um after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven." 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 "Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question thus in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, `Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, `Rise, take up your pallet and walk'? 10 But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" -- he said to the paralytic -- 11 "I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home." 12 And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"
	About forgiveness:
	If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive - Mother Teresa

"The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter"

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 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 him, 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.


Commentary of the day : Odes of Solomon
"The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter"

I raised my arms on high
on account of the grace of the Lord.
Because he cast off my chains from me,
and my Helper raised me according to his grace and his salvation.
And I stripped off darkness, and put on light.
And even I myself acquired members. In them there was no sickness
or affliction or suffering.
And abundantly helpful to me was the thought of the Lord, and his incorruptible fellowship.
And I was lifted up in the light, and I passed before his face.
And I was constantly near him, while praising and confessing him.
He caused my heart to overflow, and it was found in my mouth;
and it sprang forth unto my lips.
Then upon my face increased the exultation of the Lord and his praise.
Hallelujah.

I was rescued from my chains
and I fled unto you, O my God,
because you are the right hand of salvation and my Helper.
You have restrained those who rise up against me, and they did not appear again
because your face was with me,
which saved me by your grace.
But I was despised and rejected in the eyes of many,
and I was in their eyes like lead.
And I acquired strength from you, and help.
A lamp you set for me both on my right and on my left,
so that there might not be in me anything that is not light.
And I was covered with the covering of your spirit
and I removed from me my garments of skin (Gn 3,21),
because your right hand raised me,
and caused sickness to pass from me.
And I became mighty in your truth,
and holy in your righteousness.
And all my adversaries were afraid of me
and I became the Lord's by the name of the Lord.
And I was justified by his kindness,
and his rest is for ever and ever.
Hallelujah.

"He went off to a deserted place, where he prayed"

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 1:29-39.
On leaving the synagogue Jesus 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.


Commentary of the day : 5th century homily on prayer
"He went off to a deserted place, where he prayed"
Prayer, familiar intercourse with God, is our greatest good... Prayer is the light of the soul, true knowledge of God, mediator between God and man. Through it the soul is raised to heaven and holds God inexpressibly in tight embrace. Like a child crying out to its mother, it expresses the eagerness of its desire. It gives voice to its deepest longings and receives in return gifts surpassing all visible nature. For prayer presents itself as a powerful ambassador, rejoicing and pacifying the soul.

When I speak of prayer you should not imagine it to be a question of words. It is a reaching out towards God, an indescribable love, not of human origin, of which the apostle Paul speaks when he says: «We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings» (Rm 8,26). If God grants someone such prayer as this, it becomes for him an everlasting source of wealth and a heavenly food that fills the soul. The one who has tasted it is seized with an eternal longing for our Lord like a devouring fire that sets his heart ablaze.

"Have you come to destroy us?"

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 1:21-28. Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the sabbath he 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. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" The unclean spirit 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 authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him." His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee. Commentary of the day : Catechism of the Catholic Church "Have you come to destroy us?" «But deliver us from evil»: in this petition of the Lord's Prayer, evil is not an abstraction, but refers to a person, Satan, the Evil One, the angel who opposes God. The devil (dia-bolos) is the one who "throws himself across" God's plan and his work of salvation accomplished in Christ. "A murderer from the beginning, . . . a liar and the father of lies," (Jn 8,44) Satan is "the deceiver of the whole world» (Rv 12,9). Through him sin and death entered the world and by his definitive defeat all creation will be "freed from the corruption of sin and death" (EP IV). Now "we know that anyone born of God does not sin, but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil one" (1Jn 5,18-19)... Victory over the "prince of this world" (Jn 14,30) was won once for all at the Hour when Jesus freely gave himself up to death to give us his life. This is the judgment of this world, and the prince of this world is "cast out" (Jn 12,31). "He pursued the woman" but had no hold on her: the new Eve, "full of grace" of the Holy Spirit, is preserved from sin and the corruption of death... "Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring" (Rv 12,13.17). Therefore the Spirit and the Church pray: "Come, Lord Jesus," (Rv 22,17.20) since his coming will deliver us from the Evil One. When we ask to be delivered from the Evil One, we pray as well to be freed from all evils, present, past, and future, of which he is the author or instigator. In this final petition, the Church brings before the Father all the distress of the world. Along with deliverance from the evils that overwhelm humanity, she implores the precious gift of peace and the grace of perseverance in expectation of Christ's return By praying in this way, she anticipates in humility of faith the gathering together of everyone and everything in him who has "the keys of Death and Hades," who "is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" (Rv 1,18.8).

"This is the time of fulfillment... Come after me"

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 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 men."
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 men and followed him.


Commentary of the day : Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein]
"This is the time of fulfillment... Come after me"

The child in the crib is the King of kings and Lord of life and death. He utters his 'follow me' and whoever is not for him is against him (Lc 11,23). He also speaks for us and invites us to choose between light and darkness. Wherever that will lead us on this earth we do not know and should not ask beforehand. Only this do we know: that for those who love the Lord, all things work out for good (Rm 8,28). And in addition: that the paths which the Lord directs lead out beyond this earth.

«O wonderful exchange!» The Creator of mankind, by taking on a human body, imparts to us his divinity. I t is for this wondrous task that the Saviour came into this world. God became a Child of man so that the human race could become children of God. One of our race severed the bon~ of our divine adoption; one of us had to bind it up again and pay for the sin. No one from the ancient, sick and degenerate race could do it. A new, healthy and noble sprout had to be grafted. He became one of us; but even more than that: one with us. That is precisely the wonderful thing about the human race - that we are all one... He came to be a mysterious Body with us: he as head, we as members (Ep 5,23.30).

Let us place our hands in the hands of the divine Child; let us speak our 'yes' to his 'follow me'. Thus we shall be his and the path shall be open for his divine life to pass over upon us. It is still the darkness of faith, but it is no longer of this world: it is already a stance in the kingdom of God.

"With him I am well pleased"

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 3:13-17.
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?"
Jesus said to him in reply, "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed him.
After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened (for him), and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove (and) coming upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."


Commentary of the day : A sermon attributed to Saint Hippolytus of Rome
"With him I am well pleased"

Christ, the creator of all things, descended like the rain, made himself known as a spring, poured himself out like a river (Hos 6,3; Jn 4,14; 7,38) and yet see him being baptized in the Jordan... That unquenchable Spring, which causes life to spring up for all mankind and has no end, was concealed beneath mere transient waters. He who is everywhere present, who is nowhere absent, he whom the angels cannot grasp and who is invisible to mortals, came by his own will to be baptized...

«And behold the heavens opened and a voice said: 'This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased'.» The Beloved one brings forth love and the immaterial light brings forth «inaccessible light» (1Tm 6,16). «This is my beloved Son»... As in Noah's ark a dove revealed God's love for the human race, so now it was in the form of a dove, as though with an olive branch in its beak, that the Spirit descended and rested on him to whom the Father would bear witness. He did so to make sure that the Father's voice would be recognized...: «The Lord's voice resounded over the waters. The God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders across many waters» (Ps 29[28],3). And what does he say? «This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.»... This is he who is called 'son of Joseph' and he is my only Son according to his divine being. «This is my beloved Son»: he is hungry but he feeds great crowds, he is weary but he comforts the weary. He has nowhere to lay his head but he bears all things in his hand; he suffers but he heals suffering. He is struck yet he grants liberty to the world; his side is wounded yet he restores Adam's side.