From the responsorial psalm: “For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you."

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 6:45-52)

But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” He got into the boat with them and the wind died down.

Taking place immediately after the Feeding of the Five Thousand, the account of Jesus walking on water emphasizes that the apostles did not yet understand the divinity of Jesus. Mark ends the passage with this declaration about his closest followers: "They were completely astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened." Although they had witnessed a miracle during the day, their hearts remained in the dark, haunted by looming fears. At this moment, Jesus appears to them, in the fourth watch of the night, between darkest night and first light. Calming the wind and the hearts of the apostles, Jesus encourages them and replaces fear with hope and unbelief with belief.

God, as a new day begins, help me take on its challenges and anxieties with courage and trust in Jesus. Mark says that as the wind was against the apostles, Jesus came walking toward them and got into the boat with them. No great leap of imagination is needed to see that Jesus is in the boat today in the Church and in the sacraments. And Jesus is present in the people I will meet today. "Yet, if we love one another," John says, "God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us." Lord, let me take heart in your presence today and trust in your mercy; take pity on me and rescue me. Jesus, I trust in you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

From the responsorial psalm: “The LORD said to me, 'You are my Son; this day I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession.'" I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 6:34-44)

Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; he also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied.

Late in the day, Jesus sees the vast crowd following him like sheep without a shepherd. Moved with pity for them, he begins teaching them when the disciples approach him and ask Jesus to dismiss the crowd so they can go to nearby villages to find something to eat. He tells them, "Give them some food yourselves." When the disciples tell him that it would be impossible to buy the amount of food needed, Jesus asks how many loaves there are. Taking the five loaves they give him, Jesus prays, says a blessing, and breaks the loaves and fishes. At this, Mark simply says, "They all ate and were satisfied." After they ate, the disciples picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments from the crowd of five thousand. Why does Jesus tell the disciples to give the crowd some food themselves? It seems in that question, he is teaching the disciples to rely not on themselves but on the word of God, as we hear in the Gospel according to John, when he says, "I have food to eat of which you do not know."

God, help me understand the motivation of Jesus when he sees the crowd and feels great compassion for them. Why is it that the way Jesus first feeds the crowd is by teaching them many things? The disciples see the practical need; it is getting dark and the people need to go find food. Jesus sees the spiritual need that goes beyond physical hunger. Satisfying the hunger of the crowd takes place as the Son of God blesses the food and looks to you in prayer. In his word, just as in his crucifixion, what is broken is not divided and diminished but multiplied and increased in superabundance. Give me the grace, Lord, to trust in the food that you give for the life of the world in Jesus Christ your Son. Give us this day our daily bread.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

From the responsorial psalm: “The LORD said to me, 'You are my Son; this day I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession.'" I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 4:12-17, 23-25)

His fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain, those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics, and he cured them.

"Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." With these words, Jesus picks up where John left off after he had been arrested. The mission of Jesus begins to unfold in Galilee as he teaches in the synagogues, proclaims the kingdom of God, and cures every disease and illness. In doing this, Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah: "Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen." And the light he brings is healing to those whose illnesses are physical, mental, and spiritual. He continues to do that today.

God, give me the grace and wisdom to do as great crowds did in following Jesus. The Gospel acclamation says, "Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people." Strengthen my faith, Lord. Nourish me through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, where you are truly present—body and blood, soul and divinity. Be my light in the darkness, and throughout the day let me trust in your merciful care and power to heal mind, body, and soul.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

From the responsorial psalm: “For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you."

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 2:1-12)

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

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From the responsorial psalm: “Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God."

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 1:29-34)

John testified further, saying, "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."

John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God. At his appearance, John states the mission and identity of Jesus so that he is made known to Israel, and as John testifies, that he is proclaimed as the Son of God. Although a cousin to Jesus, John says "I did not know him." Trusting God, the one who sent him, John recognizes Jesus not from human senses but from divine revelation as the Holy Spirit descends and remains on Jesus. . . . [more]

From the responsorial psalm: “Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm."

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 1:19-28)

John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing."

Today's Gospel begins with priests and Levites questioning John the Baptist about his identity. John denies that he is the Christ or Elijah. When they ask him if he is the Prophet, he says no, and they then ask him who he is so they can share the answer with those who sent them. John replies, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert . . . .

From the responsorial psalm: “May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation. May God bless us in his mercy."

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 2:16-21)

All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

Luke describes what happens after the angel appears to the shepherds and says, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." In obedience to the angel's message, the shepherds travel in haste to Bethlehem to find Jesus. . . . (more)