Jesus Sends Out The Twelve Two By Two

FEBRUARY 01, 2024 - THURSDAY
Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
Lectionary: 326
CYCLE B - YEAR II

Reading 1
1 Kgs 2:1-4, 10-12

When the time of David's death drew near,
he gave these instructions to his son Solomon:
"I am going the way of all flesh.
Take courage and be a man.
Keep the mandate of the LORD, your God, following his ways
and observing his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees
as they are written in the law of Moses,
that you may succeed in whatever you do,
wherever you turn, and the LORD may fulfill
the promise he made on my behalf when he said,
'If your sons so conduct themselves
that they remain faithful to me with their whole heart
and with their whole soul,
you shall always have someone of your line
on the throne of Israel.'"
David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.
The length of David's reign over Israel was forty years:
he reigned seven years in Hebron
and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
Solomon was seated on the throne of his father David,
with his sovereignty firmly established.

Responsorial Psalm
1 Chronicles 29:10, 11ab, 11d-12a, 12bcd

R. (12b) Lord, you are exalted over all.

"Blessed may you be, O LORD,
God of Israel our father,
from eternity to eternity."

R. Lord, you are exalted over all.

"Yours, O LORD, are grandeur and power,
majesty, splendor, and glory."

R. Lord, you are exalted over all.

"LORD, you are exalted over all.
Yours, O LORD, is the sovereignty;
you are exalted as head over all.
Riches and honor are from you."

R. Lord, you are exalted over all.

"In your hand are power and might;
it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all."

R. Lord, you are exalted over all.

Alleluia
Mk 1:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the Gospel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mk 6:7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick
–no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.
He said to them,
"Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them."
So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons,

and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

REFLECTION:

We are all sent out by Jesus to do the things he gave most of his time to. So each of us is invited to pray so that we remain in touch with the Good News that we are then invited to preach, each in his or her unique way. Mostly, we do this by our love for those we meet each day for it is this that more than anything else heals people and sets them free from the demons that make them feel insignificant or bad about themselves.

The best portion of a good person's life “is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love” (William Wordsworth). Be with Jesus in a quiet place for some time and then listen to his appreciation of how life-giving are your “little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love”.

PRAYER:

Lord I pray that strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit, I may radiate the light of your love to those I encounter in my daily life. Help me to have a deeper understanding of the needs of others and give me the courage to witness the joy of my faith.