Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection February 03, 2025

03rd February 2025 (Monday)

Psalter: Week 4

Readings of the Day

First Reading: Hebrews 11:32-40

Brothers and sisters: What more shall I say? I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the promises; they closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign invaders. Women received back their dead through resurrection. Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword’s point; they went about in skins of sheep or goats, needy, afflicted, tormented. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in deserts and on mountains, in caves and in crevices in the earth. Yet all these, though approved because of their faith, did not receive what had been promised. God had foreseen something better for us, so that without us they should not be made perfect.

Psalm 31:20, 21, 22, 23, 24 (R. 25)

R/. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

V/. Alleluia

R/. Alleluia

V/. A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people.

R/. Alleluia.

Gospel: Mark 5:1-20

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, crying out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” (He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) He asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.” And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they 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.

Daily Gospel Reflection

Monday – 4th Week in Ordinary Time

Main Point: Faith puts a clean spirit into us, strengthens us and makes us worthy in God’s sight; But the unclean cannot stand the presence of the Holy one, and cannot resist the power of grace as well

The Word of God presents before us two kinds of spirits, and two kinds of people, led by them. In the first reading from the letter to Hebrews, we have a list of people of faith, like David, Samuel and so on. They were men of deepest faith, who stood the tests. They were unswerving and persevering, even amidst trials and adversities. They were truly men filled by the clean spirit.

But, in the gospel, Jesus encounters and confronts a man with unclean spirit. There are very precise details regarding the possessed man’s condition. These are very indicative. They indicate what are some of the clear signs of being evil-possessed. “Living among the tombs” indicates living aloof, cut off and estranged from others. “Shouting and crying” indicates the spirit of grumbling, lamenting, arguing. “Bound in chains” indicates being bound in the fetters of sin and evil. “Not being controlled and subdued” indicates an undisciplined and unrestrained freedom. “Bruising himself and others” as well indicates all the acts and habits of self-ruin and harm to others. “Legion’ indicates that evil is not a single isolated act but is always a bundle, a pack and series of wrongs. All these unclean forces always surmount and torment us also.

All of us need healing, need to be made clean. But many a time, like the possessed man, we do not want to be healed. And like the people, we do not value and appreciate the healing, because we are more concerned about the material interests (loss of swine), rather than the persons. Only faith makes us approach Jesus, seek his healing touch and be clean.

My Practice: Let us come out of our wandering aimlessly among the tombs of our estrangement from God and others, and run to God to be restored to sanity and integrity.