St. Valentine

St. Valentine

Feastday: February 14

Patron of Love, Young People, Happy Marriages

Died: 269

Valentine was a holy priest in Rome, who, with St. Marius and his family, assisted the martyrs in the persecution under Claudius II. He was apprehended, and sent by the emperor to the prefect of Rome, who, on finding all his promises to make him renounce his faith ineffectual, commanded him to be beaten with clubs, and afterwards, to be beheaded, which was executed on February 14, about the year 270. Pope Julius I is said to have built a church near Ponte Mole to his memory, which for a long time gave name to the gate now called Porta del Popolo, formerly, Porta Valetini. The greatest part of his relics are now in the church of St. Praxedes. His name is celebrated as that of an illustrious martyr in the sacramentary of St. Gregory, the Roman Missal of Thomasius, in the calendar of F. Fronto and that of Allatius, in Bede, Usuard, Ado, Notker and all other martyrologies on this day. To abolish the heathens lewd superstitious custom of boys drawing the names of girls, in honor of their goddess Februata Juno, on the fifteenth of this month, several zealous pastors substituted the names of saints in billets given on this day.

The Origin of St. Valentine

The origin of St. Valentine, and how many St. Valentines there were, remains a mystery. One opinion is that he was a Roman martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. Other historians hold that St. Valentine was a temple priest jailed for defiance during the reign of Claudius. Whoever he was, Valentine really existed because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.

The first representation of Saint Valentine appeared in a The Nuremberg Chronicle, a great illustrated book printed in 1493. [Additional evidence that Valentine was a real person: archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine.] Alongside a woodcut portrait of him, text states that Valentinus was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius the Goth [Claudius II]. Since he was caught marrying Christian couples and aiding any Christians who were being persecuted under Emperor Claudius in Rome [when helping them was considered a crime], Valentinus was arrested and imprisoned. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner -- until Valentinus made a strategic error: he tried to convert the Emperor -- whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn't do it, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate [circa 269].

Saints are not supposed to rest in peace; they're expected to keep busy: to perform miracles, to intercede. Being in jail or dead is no excuse for non-performance of the supernatural. One legend says, while awaiting his execution, Valentinus restored the sight of his jailer's blind daughter. Another legend says, on the eve of his death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine."

St. Valentine was a Priest, martyred in 269 at Rome and was buried on the Flaminian Way. He is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travellers, young people. He is represented in pictures with birds and roses.

Memorial of Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop
Lectionary: 333

Reading 1

1 KGS 11:29-32; 12:19

Jeroboam left Jerusalem,

and the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road.

The two were alone in the area,

and the prophet was wearing a new cloak.

Ahijah took off his new cloak,

tore it into twelve pieces, and said to Jeroboam:

“Take ten pieces for yourself;

the LORD, the God of Israel, says:

‘I will tear away the kingdom from Solomon’s grasp

and will give you ten of the tribes.

One tribe shall remain to him for the sake of David my servant,

and of Jerusalem,

the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.’”

Israel went into rebellion against David’s house to this day.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 81:10-11AB, 12-13, 14-15

R. (11a and 9a) I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.

“There shall be no strange god among you

nor shall you worship any alien god.

I, the LORD, am your God

who led you forth from the land of Egypt.”

R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.

“My people heard not my voice,

and Israel obeyed me not;

So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts;

they walked according to their own counsels.”

R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.

“If only my people would hear me,

and Israel walk in my ways,

Quickly would I humble their enemies;

against their foes I would turn my hand.”

R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.

Gospel

MK 7:31-37

Jesus left the district of Tyre

and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,

into the district of the Decapolis. 

And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment

and begged him to lay his hand on him.

He took him off by himself away from the crowd. 

He put his finger into the man’s ears

and, spitting, touched his tongue;

then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,

“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)

And immediately the man’s ears were opened,

his speech impediment was removed,

and he spoke plainly. 

He ordered them not to tell anyone. 

But the more he ordered them not to,

the more they proclaimed it. 

They were exceedingly astonished and they said,

“He has done all things well. 

He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 332

Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 332

Reading 1

1 KGS 11:4-13

When Solomon was old his wives had turned his heart to strange gods,

and his heart was not entirely with the LORD, his God,

as the heart of his father David had been.

By adoring Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians,

and Milcom, the idol of the Ammonites,

Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD;

he did not follow him unreservedly as his father David had done.

Solomon then built a high place to Chemosh, the idol of Moab,

and to Molech, the idol of the Ammonites,

on the hill opposite Jerusalem.

He did the same for all his foreign wives

who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

The LORD, therefore, became angry with Solomon,

because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel,

who had appeared to him twice

(for though the LORD had forbidden him 

this very act of following strange gods,

Solomon had not obeyed him).

So the LORD said to Solomon: “Since this is what you want,

and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes

which I enjoined on you,

I will deprive you of the kingdom and give it to your servant.

I will not do this during your lifetime, however,

for the sake of your father David;

it is your son whom I will deprive.

Nor will I take away the whole kingdom.

I will leave your son one tribe for the sake of my servant David

and of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”

Responsorial Psalm

PS 106:3-4, 35-36, 37 AND 40

R. (4a) Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

Blessed are they who observe what is right,

who do always what is just.

Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people;

visit us with your saving help. 

R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

But they mingled with the nations

and learned their works.

They served their idols,

which became a snare for them. 

R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

They sacrificed their sons

and their daughters to demons.

And the LORD grew angry with his people,

and abhorred his inheritance. 

R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

Gospel

MK 7:24-30

Jesus went to the district of Tyre.

He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,

but he could not escape notice.

Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him.

She came and fell at his feet.

The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,

and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.

He said to her, “Let the children be fed first.

For it is not right to take the food of the children

and throw it to the dogs.”

She replied and said to him,

“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”

Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go.

The demon has gone out of your daughter.”

When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed

and the demon gone.

Our Lady of Lourdes

Our Lady of Lourdes

The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France is the most visited pilgrimage site in the world — principally because of the apparent healing properties of the waters of the spring that appeared during the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to a poor, fourteen-year-old girl, Bernadette Soubiroux.

The first apparition occurred February 11, 1858. There were eighteen in all; the last took place July 16, of the same year. Bernadette often fell into an ecstasy during these apparitions, as was witnessed by the hundreds who attended the later visions, though no one except Bernadette ever saw or heard the apparition. The mysterious vision Bernadette saw in the hollow of the rock Massabielle, where she and friends had gone to gather firewood, was that of a young and beautiful lady. "Lovelier than I have ever seen" said the child. She described the Lady as clothed in white, with a blue ribbon sash and a Rosary handing from her right arm. Now and then the apparition spoke to Bernadette.

One day, the Lady told the girl to drink of a mysterious fountain within the grotto itself, the existence of which was unknown, and of which there was no sign. But Bernadette scratched at the ground, and a spring immediately bubbled up and soon gushed forth.

On another occasion the apparition bade Bernadette go and tell the priests she wished a chapel to be built on the spot and processions to be made to the grotto. At first the clergy were incredulous. The priest said he would not believe it unless the apparition gave Bernadette her name.

After another apparition, Bernadette reported that the Lady told her, "I am the Immaculate Conception". Though the girl was unfamiliar with the term, the Pope had declared the doctrine of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary in 1854. Four years after Bernadette's visions, in 1862, the bishop of the diocese declared the faithful "justified in believing the reality of the apparition" of Our Lady.

A basilica was built upon the rock of Massabielle by M. Peyramale, the parish priest. In 1873 the great "national" French pilgrimages were inaugurated. Three years later the basilica was consecrated and the statue solemnly crowned. In 1883 the foundation stone of another church was laid, as the first was no longer large enough. It was built at the foot of the basilica and was consecrated in 1901 and called the Church of the Rosary. Pope Leo XIII authorized a special office and a Mass, in commemoration of the apparition, and in 1907 Pius X extended the observance of this feast to the entire Church; it is now observed on February 11.

Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 331

Reading 1

1 KGS 10:1-10

The queen of Sheba, having heard of Solomon’s fame,

came to test him with subtle questions.

She arrived in Jerusalem with a very numerous retinue,

and with camels bearing spices,

a large amount of gold, and precious stones.

She came to Solomon and questioned him on every subject

in which she was interested.

King Solomon explained everything she asked about,

and there remained nothing hidden from him

that he could not explain to her.

When the queen of Sheba witnessed Solomon’s great wisdom,

the palace he had built, the food at his table,

the seating of his ministers, the attendance and garb of his waiters,

his banquet service,

and the burnt offerings he offered in the temple of the LORD,

she was breathless.

“The report I heard in my country

about your deeds and your wisdom is true,” she told the king.

“Though I did not believe the report until I came and saw with my own eyes,

I have discovered that they were not telling me the half.

Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report I heard.

Blessed are your men, blessed these servants of yours,

who stand before you always and listen to your wisdom.

Blessed be the LORD, your God,

whom it has pleased to place you on the throne of Israel.

In his enduring love for Israel,

the LORD has made you king to carry out judgment and justice.”

Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty gold talents,

a very large quantity of spices, and precious stones.

Never again did anyone bring such an abundance of spices

as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40

R. (30a) The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.

Commit to the LORD your way;

trust in him, and he will act.

He will make justice dawn for you like the light;

bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.

R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.

The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom

and his tongue utters what is right.

The law of his God is in his heart,

and his steps do not falter.

R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.

The salvation of the just is from the LORD;

he is their refuge in time of distress.

And the LORD helps them and delivers them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him.

R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.

Gospel

MK 7:14-23

Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them,

“Hear me, all of you, and understand.

Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;

but the things that come out from within are what defile.” 

When he got home away from the crowd

his disciples questioned him about the parable.

He said to them,

“Are even you likewise without understanding?

Do you not realize that everything

that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,

since it enters not the heart but the stomach

and passes out into the latrine?”

(Thus he declared all foods clean.)

“But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.

From within the man, from his heart,

come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,

adultery, greed, malice, deceit,

licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.

All these evils come from within and they defile.”

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 73

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 73

Reading 1

IS 58:7-10

Thus says the LORD:

Share your bread with the hungry,

shelter the oppressed and the homeless;

clothe the naked when you see them,

and do not turn your back on your own.

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,

and your wound shall quickly be healed;

your vindication shall go before you,

and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,

you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!

If you remove from your midst

oppression, false accusation and malicious speech;

if you bestow your bread on the hungry

and satisfy the afflicted;

then light shall rise for you in the darkness,

and the gloom shall become for you like midday.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R/ (4a) The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.

or:

R/ Alleluia.

Light shines through the darkness for the upright;

he is gracious and merciful and just.

Well for the man who is gracious and lends,

who conducts his affairs with justice.

R/ The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.

or:

R/ Alleluia.

He shall never be moved;

the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.

An evil report he shall not fear;

his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.

R/ The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.

or:

R/ Alleluia.

His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear.

Lavishly he gives to the poor;

His justice shall endure forever;

his horn shall be exalted in glory.

R/ The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.

or:

R/ Alleluia.

Reading 2

1 COR 2:1-5

When I came to you, brothers and sisters,

proclaiming the mystery of God,

I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you

except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,

and my message and my proclamation

were not with persuasive words of wisdom,

but with a demonstration of Spirit and power,

so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom

but on the power of God.

Gospel

MT 5:13-16

Jesus said to his disciples:

“You are the salt of the earth.

But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?

It is no longer good for anything

but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

You are the light of the world.

A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;

it is set on a lampstand,

where it gives light to all in the house.

Just so, your light must shine before others,

that they may see your good deeds

and glorify your heavenly Father.”

Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 327

Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 327

Reading 1

SIR 47:2-11

Like the choice fat of the sacred offerings,

so was David in Israel.

He made sport of lions as though they were kids,

and of bears, like lambs of the flock.

As a youth he slew the giant

and wiped out the people’s disgrace,

When his hand let fly the slingstone

that crushed the pride of Goliath.

Since he called upon the Most High God, 

who gave strength to his right arm

To defeat the skilled warrior

and raise up the might of his people,

Therefore the women sang his praises,

and ascribed to him tens of thousands

and praised him when they blessed the Lord.

When he assumed the royal crown, he battled

and subdued the enemy on every side.

He destroyed the hostile Philistines

and shattered their power till our own day.

With his every deed he offered thanks 

to God Most High, in words of praise.

With his whole being he loved his Maker

and daily had his praises sung;

He set singers before the altar and by their voices

he made sweet melodies,

He added beauty to the feasts

and solemnized the seasons of each year

So that when the Holy Name was praised,

before daybreak the sanctuary would resound.

The LORD forgave him his sins

and exalted his strength forever;

He conferred on him the rights of royalty

and established his throne in Israel.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 18:31, 47 AND 50, 51

R. (see 47b) Blessed be God my salvation!

God’s way is unerring,

the promise of the LORD is fire-tried;

he is a shield to all who take refuge in him.

R. Blessed be God my salvation!

The LORD live! And blessed be my Rock!

Extolled be God my savior.

Therefore will I proclaim you, O LORD, among the nations,

and I will sing praise to your name.

R. Blessed be God my salvation!

You who gave great victories to your king

and showed kindness to your anointed,

to David and his posterity forever.

R. Blessed be God my salvation!

Gospel

MK 6:14-29

King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread,

and people were saying,

“John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;

that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”

Others were saying, “He is Elijah”;

still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.”

But when Herod learned of it, he said,

“It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”

Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison

on account of Herodias, 

the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.

John had said to Herod,

“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Herodias harbored a grudge against him

and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.

Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,

and kept him in custody.

When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,

yet he liked to listen to him.

Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,

gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers,

and the leading men of Galilee.

His own daughter came in and performed a dance

that delighted Herod and his guests.

The king said to the girl,

“Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.” 

He even swore many things to her,

“I will grant you whatever you ask of me,

even to half of my kingdom.”

She went out and said to her mother,

“What shall I ask for?”

Her mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”

The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request,

“I want you to give me at once on a platter

the head of John the Baptist.”

The king was deeply distressed,

but because of his oaths and the guests

he did not wish to break his word to her.

So he promptly dispatched an executioner

with orders to bring back his head.

He went off and beheaded him in the prison.

He brought in the head on a platter

and gave it to the girl.

The girl in turn gave it to her mother.

When his disciples heard about it,

they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

St. Agatha

St. Agatha

Feastday: February 5

Although we have evidence that Agatha was venerated at least as far back as the sixth century, the only facts we have about her are that she was born in Sicily and died there a martyr.

In the legend of her life, we are told that she belonged to a rich, important family. When she was young, she dedicated her life to God and resisted any men who wanted to marry her or have sex with her. One of these men, Quintian, was of a high enough rank that he felt he could force her to acquiesce. Knowing she was a Christian in a time of persecution, he had her arrested and brought before the judge - - himself. He expected her to give in to when faced with torture and possible death, but she simply affirmed her belief in God by praying: "Jesus Christ, Lord of all, you see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am. I am your sheep: make me worthy to overcome the devil."

Legend tells us that Quintian imprisoned her in a brothel in order to get her to change her mind. Quintian brought her back before him after she had suffered a month of assault and humiliation in the brothel, but Agatha had never wavered, proclaiming that her freedom came from Jesus. Quintian sent her to prison, instead of back to the brothel -- a move intended to make her more afraid, but which probably was a great relief to her. When she continued to profess her faith in Jesus, Quintian had her tortured. He refused her any medical care but God gave her all the care she needed in the form of a vision of St. Peter. When she was tortured again, she died after saying a final prayer: "Lord, my Creator, you have always protected me from the cradle; you have taken me from the love of the world and given me patience to suffer. Receive my soul."

Because one of the tortures she supposedly suffered was to have her breasts cut off, she was often depicted carrying her breasts on a plate.Because she was asked for help during the eruption of Mount Etna she is considered a protector against the outbreak of fire. She is also considered the patroness of bellmakers for an unknown reason -- though some speculate it may have something to do with the fact that bells were used as fire alarms.

Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs
Lectionary: 326

Reading 1

1 KGS 2:1-4, 10-12

When the time of David’s death drew near,

he gave these instructions to his son Solomon:

“I am going the way of all flesh.

Take courage and be a man.

Keep the mandate of the LORD, your God, following his ways

and observing his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees

as they are written in the law of Moses,

that you may succeed in whatever you do,

wherever you turn, and the LORD may fulfill

the promise he made on my behalf when he said,

‘If your sons so conduct themselves

that they remain faithful to me with their whole heart

and with their whole soul,

you shall always have someone of your line

on the throne of Israel.’”

David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.

The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years:

he reigned seven years in Hebron

and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

Solomon was seated on the throne of his father David,

with his sovereignty firmly established.

Responsorial Psalm

1 CHR 29:10, 11AB, 11D-12A, 12BCD

R. (12b) Lord, you are exalted over all.

“Blessed may you be, O LORD,

God of Israel our father,

from eternity to eternity.”

R. Lord, you are exalted over all.

“Yours, O LORD, are grandeur and power,

majesty, splendor, and glory.”

R. Lord, you are exalted over all.

“LORD, you are exalted over all.

Yours, O LORD, is the sovereignty;

you are exalted as head over all.

Riches and honor are from you.”

R. Lord, you are exalted over all.

“In your hand are power and might;

it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all.”

1. Lord, you are exalted over all.

Gospel

MK 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.

Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr Lectionary: 325

Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

Lectionary: 325

Reading 1

2 SM 24:2, 9-17

King David said to Joab and the leaders of the army who were with him,

“Tour all the tribes in Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba

and register the people, that I may know their number.”

Joab then reported to the king the number of people registered:

in Israel, eight hundred thousand men fit for military service; 

in Judah, five hundred thousand.

Afterward, however, David regretted having numbered the people,

and said to the LORD:

“I have sinned grievously in what I have done.

But now, LORD, forgive the guilt of your servant,

for I have been very foolish.”

When David rose in the morning,

the LORD had spoken to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying:

“Go and say to David, ‘This is what the LORD says:

I offer you three alternatives;

choose one of them, and I will inflict it on you.’”

Gad then went to David to inform him.

He asked: “Do you want a three years’ famine to come upon your land,

or to flee from your enemy three months while he pursues you,

or to have a three days’ pestilence in your land?

Now consider and decide what I must reply to him who sent me.”

David answered Gad: “I am in very serious difficulty.

Let us fall by the hand of God, for he is most merciful;

but let me not fall by the hand of man.”

Thus David chose the pestilence.

Now it was the time of the wheat harvest

when the plague broke out among the people.

The LORD then sent a pestilence over Israel

from morning until the time appointed,

and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba died. 

But when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,

the LORD regretted the calamity

and said to the angel causing the destruction among the people,

“Enough now! Stay your hand.”

The angel of the LORD was then standing

at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

When David saw the angel who was striking the people,

he said to the LORD: “It is I who have sinned;

it is I, the shepherd, who have done wrong.

But these are sheep; what have they done?

Punish me and my kindred.”

Responsorial Psalm

PS 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7

R. (see 5c) Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,

whose sin is covered.

Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,

in whose spirit there is no guile.

R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you,

my guilt I covered not.

I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”

and you took away the guilt of my sin.

R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

For this shall every faithful man pray to you

in time of stress.

Though deep waters overflow,

they shall not reach him.

R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;

with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.

R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

Gospel

MK 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.