"MY COURAGE AND MY THOUGHT BE SO FIRMLY FOUNDED UPON THE FIRM STONE OF JESUS CHRIST,

THAT FOR NO PAIN IT MAY NOT BE CHANGED, YOUR WORDS BE NOT WIND, YOUR PROMISES BE BUT RAIN,

AND YOUR MENACES BE AS RIVERS THAT PASS,AND HOW WILL THAT

ALL THESE THINGS HURTLE AT THE FUNDAMENT OF MY COURAGE, YET FOR THAT IT SHALL NOT MOVE."

                                                                                                                                             - Saint Agatha

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12

When David was about to die,

He gave his son Solomon this instruction, "I am about to go the way of all creatures.

Be strong and show yourself a man.

Keep the commandments of Yahweh your God and walk in his ways.

Keep his statutes, his commands, his ordinances and declarations written in the law of Moses,

that you may succeed in whatever you do and wherever you go.

If you do so, Yahweh will fulfill the promise he made to me:

 

'If your sons take care to walk before me faithfully with their whole heart and their whole soul,

you shall always have one of your descendants on the throne of Israel.

Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David.

David reigned over Israel for forty years: seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

So, Solomon sat on the throne of David, his father and his reign was firmly established.

 

1 Chr 29:10, 11ab, 11d-12a, 12bcd 

 Lord, you are exalted over all.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Mark 6:7-13

He called the Twelve to him, and began to send them out two by two,

giving them authority over evil spirits. And he ordered them to take nothing for the journey,

except a staff: no food, no bag, no money in their belts.

They were to wear sandals and were not to take an extra tunic.

 

And he added, "In whatever house you are welcomed, stay there until you leave the place.

If any place doesn't receive you, and the people refuse to listen to you,

leave after shaking the dust off your feet. It will be a testimony against them."

So, they set out to proclaim that this was the time to repent.

They drove out many demons and healed many sick people by anointing them.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

He showed them the path to follow.

Many Catholics today are drawn to healing priests and healing Masses.

We seek healing for our illnesses, solutions to our problems, and relief from our burdens. However,

only a few individuals, including priests, typically possess the gift of healing.

While miracles were part of Jesus' mission, they were not the central focus of his ministry.

 

In training his apostles, Jesus did not teach them to perform miracles. Instead,

he showed them the path to follow. He demonstrated to them and us that to bring people to God,

we must draw near, touch, hug, or share a meal with them; in short,

we must establish a relationship. Conversion results from a relationship formed through a person's experiences.

 

Christianity is not about earning favors from God

but about building a relationship with Him and committing to follow Him alongside others who also believe.

Let us ask for the grace to always keep our eyes on the Lord, to follow Him more closely,

and to serve Him and our brothers and sisters more faithfully.