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Ordinary Time: February 1st

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

February 01, 2004 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Lord our God, help us to love you with all our hearts and to love all men as you love them. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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There is a shocking turnaround in today's Gospel. The people with whom Jesus grew up were assembled in the Nazareth synagogue. After they heard him read Sacred Scripture and give a one sentence homily "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" St. Luke tells us that "all spoke well of him and were AMAZED at the gracious words that came from his mouth." But that amazement soon turned into doubt and then into fury. — Fr. Roger J. Landry

Today's readings continue with Our Lord's early public life and are taken from Cycle C. The Feast of St. Brigid, virgin (Ireland) (New Zealand, Opt. Memorial) is superceded by Sunday.


Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the book of Jeremiah (Jer 1:4-5, 17-19). Jeremiah is the second of the four great prophets of Israel; a contemporary of Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk. He was born in the last part of the reign of Manasseh, about 645 years before the birth of Jesus and almost a century after Isaiah. Today's reading comes from the prologue which gives an account of Jeremiah's calling. It is a dialog between Yahweh and Jeremiah.

The second reading, taken from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 12:31-13:13), continues last week's comparison of the Church to the human body. Each part of the body is no greater than any other part; rather, all work together to serve the common good. The second reading also discusses the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel reading is taken from St. Luke (Lk 4:21-30). Last week's Gospel reading was from the beginning of Jesus' public ministry when He went to His home town, Nazareth, and in the synagogue read from the scroll of Isaiah. Today's reading continues this event in His life. Jesus' words so wound the pride of his fellow townspeople that they are ready to kill Him. He doesn't flee but walks away majestically, leaving the crowd paralyzed. As on other occasions men do Him no harm; it was by God's decree that He died on the cross when His hour had come.

Things to Do:

  • Read Fr. Roger Landry's Homily for this Sunday.

  • Read or reread Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter, Dies Domini on Keeping the Lord's Day Holy