Mass Readings for : Monday, 5th February, 2024

Liturgical Readings for : Monday, 5th February, 2024

Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2
Memorial of St Agatha, virgin and martyr

FIRST READING

A reading from the first book of Kings 8:1-7, 9-13
They brought the ark of the covenant into the Holy of Holies, and the cloud filled the temple.

Solomon called the elders of Israel together in Jerusalem to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up from the Citadel of David, which is Zion. All the men of Israel assembled round King Solomon in the month of Ethanim, at the time of the feast (that is, the seventh month), and the priests took up the ark and the Tent of Meeting with all the sacred vessels that were in it.

In the presence of the ark, King Solomon and all Israel sacrificed sheep and oxen, countless, innumerable. The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, in the Debir of the Temple, that is, in the Holy of Holies, under the cherubs’ wings. For there where the ark was placed the cherubs spread out their wings and sheltered the ark and its shafts. There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets Moses had placed in it at Horeb, the tablets of the covenant which the Lord had made with the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt; they are still there today.

Now when the priests came out of the sanctuary, the cloud filled the Temple of the Lord, and because of the cloud the priests could no longer perform their duties: the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s Temple.

Then Solomon said:
‘The Lord has chosen to dwell in the thick cloud.
Yes, I have built you a dwelling, a place for you to live in for ever.’

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 131
Response Go up, Lord, to the place of your rest!

1. At Ephrata we heard of the ark; we found it in the plains of Yearim.
‘Let us go to the place of his dwelling; let us go to kneel at his footstool.’ Response

2. Go up, Lord, to the place of your rest, you and the ark of your strength.
Your priests shall be clothed with holiness; your faithful shall ring out their joy.
For the sake of David your servant do not reject your anointed. Response

Gospel Acclamation Jn 8: 12
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the light of the world, says the Lord,
anyone who follows me will have the light of life .
Alleluia!

or Mt 4: 23
Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom
and cured all kinds of sickness among the people.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL

The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 6: 53-56 Glory to you, O Lord
All those who touched him were cured.

Having made the crossing, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up. No sooner had they stepped out of the boat than people recognised him, and started hurrying all through the countryside and brought the sick on stretchers to wherever they heard he was.

And wherever he went, to village, or town, or farm, they laid down the sick in the open spaces, begging him to let them touch even the fringe of his cloak. And all those who touched him were cured.

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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Gospel Reflection Monday Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Mark 6:53-56

We have a wonderful image in today’s gospel reading of people ‘hurrying’ to Jesus all through the countryside, bringing their sick on stretchers to him. He had no sooner stepped out of the boat with his disciples, having sailed through a storm on the Sea of Galilee, than people started hurrying towards him. We all have a sense today that people are much more in a hurry than they used to be. If you drive a car, you can see it especially on the roads. Where are we all hurrying to? Today’s gospel reading invites us to ask ourselves if we are hurrying to Jesus. Are we seeking him out with something of the energy and desire of the people in today’s gospel reading? Are we hurrying towards him with the same sense of urgency that those people showed? The Lord is always inviting us to come to him, to seek him out. He certainly comes to us, he seeks us out. He comes to us wherever we happen to find ourselves. The gospel reading speaks of Jesus going to village, town and farm. He met people where they were. The risen Lord continues to meet us where we are today, even if we are not in a good place, for whatever reason. He seeks us out with a sense of urgency. He waits for us to seek him out with the same urgency, like the people in the gospel reading. One of the ways we do that is by turning to him in prayer, whether it is the prayer of the Eucharist or other forms of communal prayer or our own personal prayer. At such moments of prayer, we touch the Lord, like the people in the gospel reading, and we open ourselves to his healing and life-giving presence.