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USGS - images.nbii.govFifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday Feb. 7, 2010
Call of the Apostles Peter, James, and John to become Fishers of Men ... Call of the Holy Prophet Isaiah: "Here I am Lord, send me"
News and Inspiration :: Today's Mass :: Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours) :: Saintly Example :: Holy Father's and other Prayer Intentions
News & Inspiration
+ Saints News: Saint Bonaventure: A Man of Action and Contemplation - Pope Benedict XVI
+ Lent: Catechism of the Catholic Church
+ Lent: Papal Message for Lent 2010
+
Bioethics: Human Dignity and Natural Moral Law
+ Abide in God and Keep His Commandments: Pope Benedict on John Chapters 15-16
+ Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes: Pope Benedict tells Church to evangelize and care for the sick in body and spirit
+ Saint Anthony of Padua: Example to preachers, one of most popular Saints ― Pope Benedict XVI Audience
News Links
:: USCCB: Bishops Call For Extension Of Trade Preferences For Haiti As Part Of Long-Term Recovery Support
:: USCCB: Bishops Call for Bipartisan Action to Advance Health Care Reform That Protects Human Life and Dignity
:: USCCB: Series of Seminars Slated to Introduce Revised Translation of Roman Missal
:: USCCB: Archbishop O’Brien Speaks At Summit Aimed At Eliminating Nuclear Weapons
:: CNS: Pope expresses sorrow over murder of Christians in Iraq
Today's Mass
Readings: usccb.org/nab/020710.shtml
+ "In the sight of the Angels I will sing your praises, Lord."
+ ""Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" ... "Here I am ... send me!"
+ "... I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that He was buried;
that He was raised on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
... to more
than five hundred brothers at once ... to James,
then to all the apostles.
Last of all, as to one born abnormally,
He appeared to me.
+ "“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”
+ "Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men."
+ GOSPEL: Luke 5:1-11
Jesus calls Peter, James, and John, as they are fishing, to become Apostles and Fishers of Men.
Jesus already is being followed by the crowds. As He stands by the Lake of Gennesaret, He sees two boats of fishermen, Simon Peter and Peter's partners, James and John the sons of Zebedee, who apparently are having their first encounter with Christ.
USGS - images.nbii.govThey have been fishing all night, working hard with no result. Jesus nevertheless instructs them "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." They obey and catch so many fish the nets are at the point of breaking, and the two boats struggle to make it ashore under the weight.
Simon Peter realizes a miracle has happened and Who Jesus might be. He feels at the Knees of Christ, bears witness, and expresses humble contrition when he says "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."
Jesus says, "Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men."
Peter, James, and John leave everything to come follow Jesus.
FIRST READING: Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8
Isaiah sees God on His Throne and Seraphic Angels, one of whom touches a burning ember from the altar to Isaiah's lips. God asks, Whom shal we send? and Isaiah says "Here I am, Lord. Send Me."
The Holy Prophet Isaiah sees God the Father on His Throne with Seraphic Angels calling "Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of Hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!”
Seeing God, Isaiah realizes how unclean he and his people are, and how unclean his lips are. The Prophet is aware that his imperfections and sinfulness prevent him from being adequate to proclaim the Word of God.
But there is a fire burning at God's Holy Altar, and one of the Seraphic Angels takes a burning ember from the altar and touches it to Isaiah's lips to burn away the impurities. The Angel reassures the Prophet "See, now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged."
Isaiah now feels ready to respond to God's Call. When God then says "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" Isaiah responds "Here I am, send me!"
Note that even for Isaiah, one of the great Holy Prophets, a pre-requisite to accepting God's Call is humility and repentance by Isaiah, and God's Mercy acting, through God's Messenger and Agent the Holy Agent, that allows Isaiah to be freed of the bad parts of his former self and become the man God created him to be. As the result of formation and conversion, Isaiah himself is now ready to do God's Work, in this case being sent by Here I am, Lord
God to proclaim God's Word.
Here is a hymn, recorded on video, of a Catholic parish choir singing the song "Here I am, Lord" inspired by the theme of responding "Here I am" to God's Call. Recall that all of us are called to conversion and preparation to answer God's Call and carry out the Missions for which He created us.
PSALM 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8
Psalm 138 proclaims: "In the sight of the Angels I will sing your praises, Lord."
SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 or 15:3-8, 11
The Apostle Paul proclaims that Jesus died for our sins in accord with the Scriptures, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day, and appeared to the Apostles, to 500 brothers at once, Saint James, and finally to Saint Paul himself.
[Recall that, outside the scope of this passage, Christ appeared to Saint Paul when blinding light struck Saint Paul from his horse on the road to Damascus, when Saint Paul then heard Christ addressing him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?" That experience prompted Saint Paul's conversion, after his previous murderous persecution of Christians.]
Saint Paul expresses humility in connection with his own repentance, calling himself "the least of the Apostles" recalling his previous status as an enemy of Holy Mother Church and therefore Christ.
He credits the Grace of God for his new role, and observes that a result of that Grace is to work hard in service to God, preaching so that Christians may believe.
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Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament © 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C., at times enhanced to provide additional capitalization. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours)
The Canticle of Mary for this Sunday's Evening Prayer I (for Saturday evening, the beginning of the Sunday Liturgical Day):
You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Heavenly Father.
Canticle of Mary, Evening Prayer I, Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, The Liturgy of the Hours, According to the Roman Rite, Vol. III, Ordinary Time Weeks 1-17, Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, 1975, at 168.
In today's Office of Readings, Saint Augustine explains Saint Paul's Letter to the Galatians, and how Saint Paul was teaching the Galatians that they were no longer under the old Jewish law:
... God had given a just law to unjust men in order to show them their sin, not to take it away. For sin is taken away only by the Gift of Faith that works through Love.
Saint Augustine, Explanation of Saint Paul's Letter to the Galatians, Office of Readings, Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, The Liturgy of the Hours, According to the Roman Rite, Vol. III, Ordinary Time Weeks 1-17, Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, 1975, at 170.
Saints of February
+ "Saint of the Day" by the USCCB
+ "Saint of the Day" by AmericanCatholic.org (Franciscans; on rare occasions, slightly different than the official feast day)
+ Saints of the Day, from St. Patrick's Church, Washington, D.C.
+ Saints with Feast Days in February
Prayer Intentions
Pope Benedict's Prayer Intentions for February 2010
+ General Intention: scholarly sincere search for truth enhancing understanding of God - "That by means of sincere search for the truth scholars and intellectuals may arrive at a[ better] understanding of the One True God."
+ Mission intention: Church being Faithful to Christ, universality of Gospel Mission: - "That the Church, aware of Her own Missionary Identity, may strive to follow Christ faithfully and to proclaim His Gospel to all peoples."
Additional Faith Central Prayer Intentions
+ For additional support and guidance for the development of Faith Central
+ For the elderly and infirmed, their protection by the Blessed Mother, and that they be treated with respect, dignity, and love.
+ For respect for human life and the dignity of the human person, from their creation
prior to conception, to natural death.
+ That God's Will be obeyed by all actions of government and all government-related actions of the populace
+ For an end to the recession, and for all humanity to work together to bear fruit in service to the needs of all
+ For those of means to divert resources to help those in the human family, locally or abroad, who are hungry, starving, or homeless
+ For peace in the world, and the conversion of the hearts of terrorists.
+ For peace in the world in families, especially for women and men facing crisis pregnancies, their preborn children, and those assisting them, especially their relatives and those volunteers and professionals dedicated to prolife work.
+ For the conversion of the hearts of sinners.
+ For the Faithful Departed, especially the relatives of those
praying and those they have met or have known.
+ For the Faithful Departed, especially those with no one praying for
them.
Keywords: God the Father, Jesus Christ, Catholic, Gospel of Luke 5, Holy Prophet Isaiah 6, Psalm 138, 1 Corinthians 15, Peter, James, John, Call of the Apostles, Fishers of Men, Set out into the deep and lower your nets for a catch, Holy Angels, Seraphim, Divine Office, Liturgy of the Hours, Daily Readings, Mass, Catholic Faith, Christian, Pope Benedict XVI, Holy Father, Prayer Intentions, Catholic News
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