give us this day - january 2012 sample

JANUARY 2012

DAILY PRAYER FOR TODAY’S CATHOLICDAILY PRAYER FOR TODAY’S CATHOLICTM

Give Us This Day™Canticle of Zechariah (Benedictus) Luke 1:68-79

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathersand to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:to set us free from the hands of our enemies,free to worship him without fear,holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,to give his people knowledge of salvationby the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our Godthe dawn from on high shall break upon us,to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 W

Mary, Mother of God

Bp. Blase Cupich

2 W

Sts. Basil and Gregory

✛ St. Basil the Great Fr. Alfred Delp

3 W

✛ St. Genevieve Bernadette Gasslein

4 W

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

✛ St. Elizabeth Ann Seton David Nantais

5 W

St. John Neumann

✛ St. John Neumann St. Teresa of Avila

6 W

✛ St. André Besette St. Hippolytus

7 W

✛ Bd. Angela of Foligno Sr. Thea Bowman

8 First Week in W Ordinary Time

Epiphany of the Lord

Alice Camille

9 W

Baptism of the Lord

✛ Ven. Pauline Jaricot Br. Guy Consolmagno

10 G

✛ Roberto de Nobili Bd. John XXIII

11 G

✛ St. Aelred of Rievaulx Colleen Gibson

12 G

✛ St. Marguerite Bourgeoys

Catherine de Hueck Doherty

13 G

✛ St. Hilary of Poitiers Susan Pitchford

14 G

✛ St. Nino Fr. Virgilio Elizondo

15 Second Week in G Ordinary Time

Rachel Srubas

16 G

✛ Bd. Joseph Vaz Kathy Coffey

17 W

St. Anthony

✛ St. Antony of Egypt Fr. Anthony Oelrich

18 G

✛ St. Prisca St. Athanasius

19 G

✛ St. Paula Diana Hayes

20 G

✛ Bd. Cyprian Tansi Fr. Anthony Gittins

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St. Agnes

✛ St. Agnes Cardinal Basil Hume

22 Third Week in G Ordinary Time

John Shea

23 G

✛ Satoko Kitahara Joel Schorn

24 W

St. Francis de Sales

✛ St. Francis de Sales Paula Huston

25 W

Conversion of St. Paul

✛ Bd. Henry Suso Br. Benet Tvedten

26 W

Sts. Timothy and Titus

✛ Sts. Timothy and Titus St. Catherine of Siena

27 G

✛ St. Angela Merici Amy Kuebelbeck

28 W

St. Thomas Aquinas

✛ St. Thomas Aquinas Charles de Foucauld

29 Fourth Week in G Ordinary Time

Therese Borchard

30 G

✛ Ven. Mary Ward Mary Stommes

31 W

St. John Bosco

✛ St. John Bosco Sr. Joan Chittister

KeyVestment colors: G Green R Red W White

✛ Blessed Among Us Reflection Writer

January 2012

Within the Word: Samuel

Within the Word: Conversion of St. Paul

Within the Word: Jairus’s Daughter, Hemorrhaging Woman

Within the Word: Hannah

Within the Word: Jesus, Lamb of God

How to Use Give Us This Day, p. 370

Give UsThısDay™DAILY PRAYER FOR TODAY’S CATHOLIC

Editorial Advisors James Martin, SJ ◆ Irene Nowell, OSB Bishop Robert F. Morneau ◆ Timothy Radcliffe, OP Kathleen Norris ◆ Ronald Rolheiser, OMI

Peter Dwyer, PublisherMary Stommes, Editor

Aelred Senna, OSB, Associate PublisherRobert Ellsberg, “Blessed Among Us” Author

Irene Nowell, OSB, Scripture Editor, Morning and EveningSusan Barber, OSB, Intercessions

www.giveusthisday.orgCustomer Service: 800-858-5450, [email protected]

Give Us This Day, Liturgical PressPO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500

© 2012 by the Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. Printed in Canada.

Give Us This Day™ (ISSN 2159-2136, print; 2159-2128, online) is published monthly by Liturgical Press, an apostolate of Saint John’s Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota. Rev. John Klassen, OSB, Abbot. For complete publication informa-tion see page 374.

Published with the approval of the Committee on Divine Worship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

CONTENTS January 2012 ◆ Volume 2, Issue 1

God Must Love the Ordinary Kathleen Norris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Teach Us to Pray: Centering Prayer Fr. James Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Sub tuum praesidium (Under Thy Protection) Lawrence Cunningham . . . 8Prayers and Blessings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Daily Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Order of Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334Liturgy of the Word (with Holy Communion) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361Guide to Lectio Divina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365Hymns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366How to Use Give Us This Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370

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All Kings Shall Adore Him by Frank Kacmarcik, OblSB.

Sunday, January 8

MorningO Lord, open my lips.And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

(opt. hymn, pp. 366–69)Psalm 36:6-10Your mercy, Lord, reaches to heaven,your truth to the clouds.Your justice is like God’s mountains;like the great deep, your justice.Both man and beast you save, O Lord.

How precious is your mercy, O God!The children of men seek shelterin the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the riches of your house;you give them drink from the stream of your delight.For with you is the fountain of life,and in your light we see light.

Glory to the Father . . .

Scripture Isaiah 56:3a, 6-8

The foreigner joined to the Lord should not say, / “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people”; . . . /

And foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, / to min-ister to him, / To love the name of the Lord, / to become his servants— / All who keep the sabbath without profaning it / and hold fast to my covenant, / Them I will bring to my holy mountain / and make them joyful in my house of

Sunday 8786 January 8

prayer; / Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices / will be acceptable on my altar, / For my house shall be called / a house of prayer for all peoples.

Read, Ponder, Pray on a word or phrase from today’s Scripture (Lectio Divina, p. 365)

AntiphonRise up in splendor! Your light has come!

Canticle of Zechariah (inside front cover)

IntercessionsLord, you are the fount of life. Hear us as we pray: r. Lead us by your light, O Lord.

Teach us to hold fast to your covenant and be faithful to your word. r.

Expand our hearts to welcome you in the stranger, the lowly, and the unloved. r.

Open our lips to speak for the oppressed. r.

Our Father . . .

May the God of splendor and majesty grant us to see his glory now and forever. Amen.

MassEpiphany of the Lord, Mass During the Day

Entrance Antiphon Cf. Malachi 3:1; 1 Chronicles 29:12Behold, the Lord, the Mighty One, has come; / and kingship is in his grasp, and power and dominion.

Gloria (p. 336)

CollectO God, who on this dayrevealed your Only Begotten Son to the nationsby the guidance of a star,grant in your mercythat we, who know you already by faith,may be brought to behold the beauty of your sublime glory.Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the

Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 60:1-6

The glory of the Lord shines upon you.

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, / the glory of the Lord shines upon you. / See, darkness

covers the earth, / and thick clouds cover the peoples; / but upon you the Lord shines, / and over you appears his glory. / Nations shall walk by your light, / and kings by your shin-ing radiance. / Raise your eyes and look about; / they all gather and come to you: / your sons come from afar, / and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see, / your heart shall throb and overflow, / for the riches of the sea shall be


emptied out before you, / the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. / Caravans of camels shall fill you, / drome-daries from Midian and Ephah; / all from Sheba shall come / bearing gold and frankincense, / and proclaiming the praises of the Lord.The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

r. (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,and with your justice, the king’s son;

he shall govern your people with justiceand your afflicted ones with judgment. r.

Justice shall flower in his days,and profound peace, till the moon be no more.

May he rule from sea to sea,and from the River to the ends of the earth. r.

The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.

All kings shall pay him homage,all nations shall serve him. r.

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. r.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6

Now it has been revealed that the Gentiles are coheirs of the promise.

Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit,

namely, that the mystery was made known to me by reve-lation. It was not made known to people in other genera-tions as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, mem-bers of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.The word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation Matthew 2:2We saw his star at its risingand have come to do him homage.

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

We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east ar-

rived 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.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: / And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, / are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; / since from you shall come a ruler, / who is to shepherd my people Israel.” / Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its


rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.The Gospel of the Lord.

Creed (p. 337)

Prayer over the OfferingsLook with favor, Lord, we pray,on these gifts of your Church,in which are offered now not gold or frankincense or

myrrh,but he who by them is proclaimed,sacrificed and received, Jesus Christ.Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Communion Antiphon Cf. Matthew 2:2We have seen his star in the East, / and have come with gifts to adore the Lord.

Prayer after CommunionGo before us with heavenly light, O Lord,always and everywhere,that we may perceive with clear sightand revere with true affectionthe mystery in which you have willed us to participate.Through Christ our Lord.

ReflectionA New Kingdom Coming

Folks in seats of power hold tremendous authority over the lives of those around them. W. H. Auden, in his poem “Epi-taph on a Tyrant,” observes that such a ruler can make re-spectable senators burst with laughter simply by laughing. A tyrant’s moods can also give the population reason to cry: little children die in the streets at his whim.

A curious phrase in our Epiphany story echoes this grim sentiment. When King Herod hears talk of a newborn king, he’s greatly troubled—“and all Jerusalem with him.” Herod, we know, was not loved by his constituents. Considered a half-Jew by many, he was never regarded as one of the people. He ruled at the pleasure of Rome and was surely no son of David. His grip on the throne always tenuous, Herod exe-cuted members of his family to retain it, including a brother, several sons, and his wife. A man who could kill his own sons would not flinch at slaughtering the children of others.

It’s hard to imagine “all Jerusalem” joining with this despised ruler in consternation at the rumor of a new king who was no kin of Herod. Courtiers might put on the ap-propriate face at the news, but the indignation would hide some secret cheers. The truth is, Herod lost nothing tangible at the coming of Jesus. And his son, Herod Antipas, would assume the throne after him. Yet undeniably, a new kingdom was coming, one that would reduce the significance of his rule to ashes. No mere tyrant could lift a finger to stop it.

Alice Camille

Alice Camille, M.Div., a religious educator and retreat leader, is author of God’s Word Is Alive and the audio series Lips That Speak the Mind of God.


EveningGod, come to my assistance.Lord, make haste to help me.

(opt. hymn, pp. 366–69)Psalm 67O God, be gracious and bless usand let your face shed its light upon us.So will your ways be known upon earthand all nations learn your salvation.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and shout for joy,with uprightness you rule the peoples;you guide the nations on earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has yielded its fruitfor God, our God, has blessed us.May God still give us his blessingthat all the ends of the earth may revere him.


Scripture 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10

Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like

living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices accept-able to God through Jesus Christ. . . .

But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the

praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Once you were “no people” / but now you are God’s people; / you “had not received mercy” / but now you have received mercy.


AntiphonThe Gentiles are coheirs of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.

Canticle of Mary (inside back cover)

IntercessionsMerciful God, in you we place our trust and pray: r. Shine your light on us, O Lord.

Make your Church courageous and ever attentive to your Spirit. r.

Guide leaders of nations in your ways of justice and peace. r.

Bring all who have died into your everlasting glory. r.

Our Father . . .

May the God of peace fill our hearts with the love of Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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95January 8–14Epiphany–First Week in Ordinary Time

Within the WordHannah: Mother in Israel

On Tuesday we meet Hannah in the first reading and the re-sponsorial psalm. Her story appears at the beginning of the books of Samuel, which we read during these first weeks of Ordinary Time. Hannah has no children, and this reality is a source of sorrow and shame to her. Her husband Elkanah has another wife, Peninnah, who does have children. Peninnah torments Hannah out of jealousy because Hannah is the one their husband loves.

The Bible does not condemn Elkanah for having two wives. In fact, ancient families needed to be as large as pos-sible in order to increase their likelihood of survival in a world of hunger, illness, difficulties in childbirth, enemy ma-rauders, and danger from wild animals. Men who could af-ford to support more than one wife did so as a means to provide security against so many challenges to survival. We can imagine the tensions such an arrangement could create within families, especially in cases such as this one in which one wife has children and the other does not. In fact, Hannah’s childlessness links her to Sarah and Rachel, the earliest ances-tors of Israel, who also faced the humiliation of childlessness until God intervened on their behalf.

We meet Hannah during a family pilgrimage to Shiloh, where the Ark of the Covenant is kept in a shrine. The pur-pose of the pilgrimage is to offer sacrifice, to thank God for a rich harvest. Hannah takes this opportunity to ask God for a son. She promises that if her request is granted, she will give

the child back to God. When Eli, the priest at the shrine, observes her moving her lips but not making any sound, he accuses her of being drunk and tries to send her away. She replies simply that she is pouring out her heart to God; in response, Eli blesses her.

Hannah bears a child whom she names Samuel. When the time comes to fulfill her promise, she returns to the shrine with her son, whom she leaves in Eli’s care, to serve in the shrine. Then she sings the words of praise and thanks that we know as the Song of Hannah. This prayer, which became the model for Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), celebrates divine intervention in the lives of the needy. On a larger scale, it foreshadows God’s care of the people through the kings, the first two of whom (Saul and David) would be anointed by her son Samuel. Hannah’s Song is significant in that she is the only biblical woman whose prayer in a public place is recorded.

Hannah can be a role model for us in our world of stress and competition. Rather than tangle with Peninnah and Eli when they misunderstood her, she turned to God and asked for help. And when her son Samuel was born, she recognized that he was a gift from God. In her Song, she thanked God not only for the personal gift of a child but also for all God’s gifts to people in need everywhere. Hannah’s story assures us that we, too, can take our needs to God with confidence that our prayers will be heard. She reminds us to be thankful because everything we have is a gift from God.

—Sr. Joan E. Cook

Joan E. Cook, SC, is currently president of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. She is a frequent contributor to The Bible Today and speaks and publishes on the subjects of biblical prayer and biblical women.

Monday 9796

Monday, January 9


(opt. hymn, pp. 366–69)Psalm 29:3-11The voice of the Lord upon the waters,the God of glory thunders;the Lord on the immensity of waters;the voice of the Lord full of power;the voice of the Lord full of splendor.

The voice of the Lord shatters cedars,the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon;he makes Lebanon leap like a calf,and Sirion like a young wild-ox.

The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire.The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness,the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh;the voice of the Lord rends the oak treeand strips the forest bare.In his temple they all cry, “Glory!”

The Lord sat enthroned above the flood;the Lord sits as king forever.The Lord will give strength to his people,the Lord will bless his people with peace.


Scripture Genesis 1:1-5

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth—and the earth was without form or shape, with

darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters—

Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good. God then separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Evening came, and morning followed—the first day.


AntiphonI have set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations.


IntercessionsGod of the covenant, renew us and guide us as we pray: r. Send us your Spirit, O God.

Keep us faithful to your call to act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with you. r.

Help us put an end to war and give us peace. r.

Strengthen your Church in the ways of reconciliation and charity. r.

Our Father . . .

May God pour out his spirit upon us, that we may live the Good News of Christ, now and always. Amen.

Monday 9998 January 9

Blessed Among UsVenerable Pauline JaricotFoundress of the Society of the Propagation of the Faith (1799–1862)

Pauline Jaricot was born into a wealthy family in France. From an early age, however, she felt called to give all she had, even her life, for the cause of Christ. She was exceptionally successful at translating her pious impulses into organiza-tions. She began when she was nineteen by forming the girls who worked in her father’s factory into a network of prayer for the conversion of the world. By the next year, when she was twenty, she organized the Society of the Propagation of the Faith to support overseas missions through prayer and fund-raising. Once these organizations had been successfully launched, she was happy to withdraw and leave them to oth-ers. Her third great project was what she called a “Living Rosary,” consisting of groups of fifteen persons, each one of whom would be assigned to pray a single mystery of the ro-sary for an entire month.

Despite her accomplishments, Pauline was beset by detrac-tors and other setbacks. The last years of her life were spent in poverty, struggling to repay debts incurred by a swindler. In her will she wrote, “My only treasure is the cross. . . . What difference does it make to me . . . that You take away from me earthly goods, reputation, honor, health, life, so that You lead me to descend through humiliation into the deepest pit of the abyss . . . for it is in this deep abyss that I find the hidden fire of Your love.”

“What does it matter except that Christ be known!”

—Pauline Jaricot

MassThe Baptism of the Lord, Feast

Entrance Antiphon Cf. Matthew 3:16-17After the Lord was baptized, the heavens were opened, / and the Spirit descended upon him like a dove, / and the voice of the Father thundered: / This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.

Gloria (p. 336)

CollectAlmighty ever-living God,who, when Christ had been baptized in the River Jordanand as the Holy Spirit descended upon him,solemnly declared him your beloved Son,grant that your children by adoption,reborn of water and the Holy Spirit,may always be well pleasing to you.Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the


Or:

O God, whose Only Begotten Sonhas appeared in our very flesh,grant, we pray, that we may be inwardly transformedthrough him whom we recognize as outwardly like

ourselves.Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the



A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 (alt. Isa 55:1-11, Acts 10:34-38, or 1 John 5:1-9)

Behold my servant with whom I am well pleased.

Thus says the Lord: / Here is my servant whom I uphold, / my chosen one with whom I am pleased, / upon

whom I have put my spirit; / he shall bring forth justice to the nations, / not crying out, not shouting, / not making his voice heard in the street. / A bruised reed he shall not break, / and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, / until he establishes justice on the earth; / the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice, / I have grasped you by the hand; / I formed you, and set you / as a covenant of the people, / a light for the nations, / to open the eyes of the blind, / to bring out prisoners from confine-ment, / and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 (alt. Isa 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6)

r. (11b) The Lord will bless his people with peace.Give to the Lord, you sons of God,

give to the Lord glory and praise,give to the Lord the glory due his name;

adore the Lord in holy attire. r.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters,the Lord, over vast waters.

The voice of the Lord is mighty;the voice of the Lord is majestic. r.

The God of glory thunders,and in his temple all say, “Glory!”

The Lord is enthroned above the flood;the Lord is enthroned as king forever. r.

Gospel Acclamation Cf. Mark 9:7The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father

thundered:This is my beloved Son, listen to him.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 1:7-11

You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop

and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. On com-ing up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”The Gospel of the Lord.

Prayer over the OfferingsAccept, O Lord, the offeringswe have brought to honor the revealing of your beloved

Son,so that the oblation of your faithfulmay be transformed into the sacrifice of himwho willed in his compassionto wash away the sins of the world.Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Communion Antiphon John 1:32, 34Behold the One of whom John said: / I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.


Prayer after CommunionNourished with these sacred gifts,we humbly entreat your mercy, O Lord,that, faithfully listening to your Only Begotten Son,we may be your children in name and in truth.Through Christ our Lord.

ReflectionJustice Descends Like a Dove

On coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.

As an astronomer I believe in a lot of things I cannot see—black holes, extrasolar planets, dark energy. Even though I cannot see these things, I believe in them because I see what they can do. Black holes pull in gases so forcefully that they emit observable x-rays. Distant planets twist the light I observe from the stars they orbit. Measuring the expansion of the universe has revealed the presence of an energy once com-pletely unknown.

God, too, is unseeable. So what do I look for to sense God’s presence? We can’t always expect a voice from the clouds, as happened at Jesus’ baptism. Isaiah tells us that God’s presence is not about shouting and crying out in the streets. Rather, it is marked by justice: pure, simple, unassuming, quiet. Where I see justice, I know that God is there.

And what is this justice? Bringing a light to the people, opening the eyes of the blind, helping those who are impris-oned by their sins—figuratively and literally—escape their darkness. In Peter’s words, doing good and healing those oppressed by the devil.

The stars in the night sky are a light in the darkness, obedi-ent to God’s laws, whose study gives me such joy. But human-made city lights can blind me to their subtle beauty. Likewise, to recognize God’s justice I must look past human passions and demands. Justice descends like a dove, quiet and unas-suming. It’s easy to miss if you aren’t looking. But once you know what to look for, when it comes it feels like the heavens themselves have been torn open.

Br. Guy Consolmagno

Guy Consolmagno, SJ, is an astronomer at the Vatican Observatory, where he also serves as the curator of meteorites.



(opt. hymn, pp. 366–69)Psalm 46:2-8God is for us a refuge and strength,an ever-present help in time of distress:so we shall not fear though the earth should rock,though the mountains quake to the heart of the sea;even though its waters rage and foam,even though the mountains be shaken by its tumult.

The Lord of hosts is with us:the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

The waters of a river give joy to God’s city,the holy place, the dwelling of the Most High.God is within, it cannot be shaken;God will help it at the dawning of the day.Nations are in tumult, kingdoms are shaken:he lifts his voice, the earth melts away.

The Lord of hosts is with us:the God of Jacob is our stronghold.


Scripture 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 12-13

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same

Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. . . .

As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.


AntiphonGod anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power.


IntercessionsGod of peace, you have anointed us with the Holy Spirit. With courage we pray: r. All glory is yours, O God.

Anoint your Church to boldly proclaim your Gospel in word and in deed. r.

Open your Church to receive the gifts of all the baptized. r.

Give perseverance to all who work for peace and justice. r.

Our Father . . .

May the Spirit of God enliven us to be ambassadors of God’s love and peace all the days of our lives. Amen.

Tuesday 107106

Tuesday, January 10


(opt. hymn, pp. 366–69)Psalm 33:8-12, 20-22Let all the earth fear the Lord,all who live in the world revere him.He spoke, and it came to be.He commanded; it stood in place.

The Lord frustrates the designs of the nations;he defeats the plans of the peoples.The designs of the Lord stand forever,the plans of his heart from age to age.

Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord,the people he has chosen as his heritage.

Our soul is waiting for the Lord.He is our help and our shield.In him do our hearts find joy.We trust in his holy name.May your merciful love be upon us,as we hope in you, O Lord.


Scripture Sirach 35:20-22a

Those who serve God to please him are accepted; / their petition reaches the clouds. / The prayer of the lowly

pierces the clouds; / it does not rest till it reaches its goal; / Nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, / judges justly and affirms the right.


AntiphonMay the God of Israel grant whatever you have asked.


IntercessionsYou are our hope, O Lord. In trust we pray: r. Show us your mercy, Lord.

You fill the earth with love: teach us to reverence all creation. r.

You keep a loving eye on us: protect the vulnerable and the elderly. r.

You hear the cry of the poor: relieve those who are without food or adequate shelter. r.

Our Father . . .

May God bless us with perseverance in prayer and patience in waiting. Amen.

Tuesday 109108 January 10

Blessed Among UsRoberto de NobiliJesuit Missionary (1577–1656)

Roberto de Nobili, an Italian Jesuit, was one of the grand pio-neers of “inculturation.” Settling in the Portuguese colony of Goa in southern India, he soon traveled inland to Madurai, a center of Tamil culture effectively beyond the range of colonial penetration. Nobili was determined to shed all European trappings and to present the Gospel in terms of Indian religion and culture. He was probably the first West-erner to master Sanskrit and to read the Hindu classics in their original language. With permission of his superiors, he moved into a simple hut, put aside his black soutane, and draped himself in the red-ochre robe of an Indian holy man, or sanyasi. Having made it clear that he had no wish to im-pose Western culture, Nobili found the Hindus quite recep-tive to philosophical and religious debate, and many were drawn to explore his faith.

Nobili’s methods drew criticism from the local church in Portuguese Goa. He was accused of dressing like a heathen and tolerating pagan idolatry. He defended himself by docu-menting the many ways that the early Church had “baptized” and incorporated into itself various pagan customs and rituals. Though he was condemned by a local church confer-ence, he was vindicated on appeal to Pope Gregory XV. He died on January 16, 1656.

“Let others struggle for the good things in life. . . . As for me, I have decided to spend my days unknown in some obscure corner to sacrifice my wretched life for the salvation of souls.”

—Roberto de Nobili

MassTuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Entrance AntiphonUpon a lofty throne, I saw a man seated, / whom a host of angels adore, singing in unison: / Behold him, the name of whose empire is eternal.

CollectAttend to the pleas of your people with heavenly care,O Lord, we pray,that they may see what must be doneand gain strength to do what they have seen.Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the


A reading from the first Book of Samuel 1:9-20 (alt. 1 Sam 1:1-20)

The Lord God remembered Hannah, and she gave birth to Samuel.

Hannah rose after a meal at Shiloh, and presented herself before the Lord; at the time, Eli the priest was sitting

on a chair near the doorpost of the Lord’s temple. In her bitterness she prayed to the Lord, weeping copiously, and she made a vow, promising: “O Lord of hosts, if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid, if you remember me and do not forget me, if you give your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the Lord for as long as he lives; neither wine nor liquor shall he drink, and no razor shall ever touch his head.” As she remained long at prayer before the Lord, Eli watched her mouth, for Hannah was praying


silently; though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli, thinking her drunk, said to her, “How long will you make a drunken show of yourself? Sober up from your wine!” “It isn’t that, my lord,” Hannah answered. “I am an unhappy woman. I have had neither wine nor liquor; I was only pouring out my troubles to the Lord. Do not think your handmaid a ne’er-do-well; my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery.” Eli said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” She replied, “Think kindly of your maidser-vant,” and left. She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and no longer appeared downcast. Early the next morning they worshiped before the Lord, and then returned to their home in Ramah.

When Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, the Lord remembered her. She conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the Lord for him.The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd

r. (see 1) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“My heart exults in the Lord,my horn is exalted in my God.

I have swallowed up my enemies;I rejoice in my victory.” r.

“The bows of the mighty are broken,while the tottering gird on strength.

The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,while the hungry batten on spoil.

The barren wife bears seven sons,while the mother of many languishes.” r.

“The Lord puts to death and gives life;he casts down to the nether world;he raises up again.

The Lord makes poor and makes rich;he humbles, he also exalts.” r.

“He raises the needy from the dust;from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,

To seat them with noblesand make a glorious throne their heritage.” r.

Gospel Acclamation See 1 Thessalonians 2:13Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,but as it truly is, the word of God.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 1:21-28 (alt. Mark 1:14-28)

Jesus taught them as one having authority.

Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The

people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their syna-gogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.The Gospel of the Lord.


Prayer over the OfferingsMay your people’s oblation, O Lord, find favor with you,

we pray,that it may restore them to holinessand obtain what they devoutly entreat.Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon Psalm 36 (35):10With you, O Lord, is the fountain of life, / and in your light we see light.

Or: John 10:10I have come that they may have life, / and have it more abundantly, says the Lord.

Prayer after CommunionHumbly we ask you, almighty God,be graciously pleased to grantthat those you renew with your Sacramentsmay also serve with lives pleasing to you.Through Christ our Lord.

ReflectionInvested with Authority

Jesus taught them as one having authority.

Whoever is invested with authority, understood in its true meaning of a mission and a service, must try to realize what God is asking of him, and to make God’s will the mainspring of all his thoughts and actions.

This must be so: human life must be an expression of the will of God, shown in obedience to the commandments en-

graved on men’s hearts and revealed in the two Testaments which Christ entrusted to his Church.

And Christian living is living according to the will of God, sublimely revealed in the teaching of the Gospel, that “good news” which reverses our merely earthly way of judging things and events. What words these are, my dear people! “Blessed are the poor, blessed are the meek, blessed are the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers; blessed are those who mourn and those who hunger and thirst for righ-teousness” (see Matt. 5:3–10).

These are the principles which offer the motives and ideals for a Christian life here below.

Human society means generous service to our fellows, a service which draws its inspiration from the order of the created world and is unwearied because it feels an imperative need to spend itself in accordance with the Pauline expres-sion: “The love of Christ controls us” (2 Cor. 5:14). In this way it cooperates in that wise, liberal, and willing evolution which is derived—allow me to say this—clearly and authori-tatively from the social teaching of the Christian Church.

Blessed John XXIII, Prayers and Devotions

John XXIII (1881–1963) was elected pope in 1958. He convened the Second Vatican Council but did not live to see its completion. By the time of his death, Pope John XXIII had become one of the most beloved leaders in the world. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2000.



(opt. hymn, pp. 366–69)Psalm 11:1-7In the Lord I have taken refuge.How can you say to my soul,“Fly like a bird to the mountain!

Look, the wicked are bending their bow!They are fixing their arrow on the string,to shoot the upright of heart in the dark.Foundations once destroyed,what can the just man do?”

The Lord is in his holy temple;the throne of the Lord is in heaven.His eyes behold the world;his gaze probes the children of men.

The Lord inspects the just and the wicked;the lover of violence he hates.He sends fire and brimstone on the wicked,a scorching wind to fill their cup.For the Lord is just and loves deeds of justice;the upright shall behold his face.


Scripture Acts 5:12, 14-16

Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles. They were all together in

Solomon’s portico. . . . Yet more than ever, believers in the Lord, great numbers of men and women, were added

to them. Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them. A large number of people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered, bringing the sick and those dis-turbed by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.


AntiphonJesus commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.


IntercessionsLord, you observe all things. In trust we pray: r. Teach us your just ways, O Lord.

Restore life to those lands devastated by natural disaster. r.

Shelter the humble and comfort the brokenhearted. r.

Rescue those entrapped by human trafficking. r.

Our Father . . .

May the Lord direct our hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. Amen.

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