January 9, 2015: Friday after Epiphany
- 'Holy Spirit' chain: The Spirit testifies (1st reading)
- Blue shirt: the water testifies (1st reading)
- 'Blood donor' pin: the blood testifies (1st reading)
- Wheat pin: God fills you with the best of wheat (psalm)
- 'Children around Christmas tree' tie: "God has blessed your children" (psalm), Christmas season
- 'J' tie bar: The one who believes Jesus is God's Son is victor (1st reading); Jesus heals leper (gospel)
- 'Peace sign' tie bar: God granted peace in your borders (psalm)
- 'Star' tie pin: star guiding the magi (Epiphanytide)
- Christmas pin, tie, and suspenders: It's Christmas through this Sunday!
- 'Caged lion' pin: God has strengthened the bars of your gates (psalm) [oops, just noticed it's sideways]
Listen
- Love has come/ Maher
- Love has come/ Grant
- O Love, how deep, how broad, how high (lyrics)
- Psalm 147 from Scottish psalter
Pope Francis homily
A person’s heart can be made of stone for many reasons, such as a painful experience. or being closed in on yourself,thinking I'm better than others. ‘Mirror people’ (wedded to their own image) are religious narcissists with hard hearts, not open; they try to defend themselves by creating walls around themselves.
Hard hearts can arise from insecurity and fear. When a heart is hardened, it’s not free, and the person can't love. Perfect love banishes fear. If you're afraid, you're not free, and your heart is hardened because you haven't learned to love.
You can take courses in catechism, spirituality, yoga, or zen, but only the Holy Spirit can prompt you to say ‘Papa’ and make hearts docile toward the Lord with freedom to love.Read
- 1 Jn 5:5-13 The one who believes Jesus is God's Son is victor. The Spirit, the water, and the Blood testify God gave us eternal life in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life.
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| "Star of Bethlehem" cloud (animate) |
- Ps 147:12-15, 19-20 "Praise the Lord, Jerusalem." God has strengthened your gates, blessed your children, given you peace, and filled you with the best of wheat.
- Lk 5:12-16 A leper saw Jesus, fell prostrate, and pleaded with him: “Lord, you can make me clean.” Jesus touched and cleansed him. News spread, crowds came to listen and be cured, and he withdrew to deserted places to pray.
- Creighton: After Jesus cleansed the leper, sick, desperate crowds seek out Jesus. How is God calling me?
- One Bread One Body: "Victor or victim?" With faith we're victors over the world; otherwise we're victims of it. May we surrender our lives to Jesus.
- Passionist: Today is the feast of St. Damien of Molokai (Damien de Veuster), priest, minister to lepers, attending to their daily needs. Our vocations invite us to love giving our life meaning. Damien responded to that love; how do I?
- DailyScripture.net: No one who sought Jesus was refused help. Jesus touched and healed the leper, an outcast driven from home, withering away, regarded as dead, and left to fend for himself. The leper, who'd normally be stoned when approaching a rabbi, approached Jesus confidently and humbly, expecting Jesus would heal him. Jesus shows God's compassion and tenderness by touching him. How do I approach those I find hard to love and/or who others shun?
- Universalis: St. Adrian of Canterbury, Benedictine monk declined archbishop, became abbot.
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