The daily Word of God
Friday, January 24th, 2025
Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop, Doctor
Mark 3:13-19 "Jesus summons those he wants to work with him"
First Reading: Hebrews 8:6-13
Brothers and sisters:
Now our high priest has obtained so much more excellent a ministry
as he is mediator of a better covenant,
enacted on better promises.
For if that first covenant had been faultless,
no place would have been sought for a second one.
But he finds fault with them and says:
Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord,
when I will conclude a new covenant with the house of
Israel and the house of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers
the day I took them by the hand to lead
them forth from the land of Egypt;
for they did not stand by my covenant
and I ignored them, says the Lord.
But this is the covenant I will establish with the house of Israel
after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds
and I will write them upon their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
And they shall not teach, each one his fellow citizen and kin, saying,
“Know the Lord,”
for all shall know me, from least to greatest.
For I will forgive their evildoing
and remember their sins no more.
When he speaks of a “new” covenant,
he declares the first one obsolete.
And what has become obsolete
and has grown old is close to disappearing.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 85:8 and 10, 11-12, 13-14
R./ Kindness and truth shall meet.
Show us, O Lord, your mercy,
and grant us your salvation.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R/ Kindness and truth shall meet.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R/ Kindness and truth shall meet.
The Lord himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
R/ Kindness and truth shall meet.
Gospel Reading: Mark 3:13-19
Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted
and they came to him.
He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,
that they might be with him
and he might send them forth to preach
and to have authority to drive out demons:
He appointed the Twelve:
Simon, whom he named Peter;
James, son of Zebedee,
and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges,
that is, sons of thunder;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus;
Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,
and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Today’s Gospel recounts the selection of those who would follow Jesus closely. From among His followers, He chose twelve—the twelve apostles—with three specific missions: to be with Him, to be sent out to preach, and to cast out demons. These twelve would be His closest collaborators, what we might call today the core team of the loosely organized movement that followed Jesus during His public ministry.
Of these three missions, the simplest was the first: to be with Him. Jesus didn’t want to walk this path alone. From the very beginning, He desired a community, a group to share His joys and sorrows with, people to talk, live, and eat with, those with whom He could begin making the Kingdom of God a reality. He also wanted to share with them the unique relationship He had with His Father, which was central to His message.
The other two missions were also vital: to preach, which means proclaiming the Kingdom of God, and to cast out demons—freeing people from the forces that enslaved them and kept them from living fully in freedom.
It’s helpful to keep these three missions in mind because they define the path for any follower of Jesus: to be with Him, to announce the Kingdom, and to free those who suffer for any reason. The way we fulfill these missions may vary depending on the time and circumstances, but their essence remains the same. Christians are not here to establish rules and laws or to exclude and condemn the “bad.” Our task is to welcome, open doors, extend hands, liberate, and share life—all rooted in being with Jesus, which is the first and most essential step.
One final note: Jesus’ choice of disciples wasn’t exactly flawless. Most of those He selected didn’t quite live up to the task. In fact, at the moment of the cross, they all ran away. And we’re no better. As Paul says, we carry “this treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Cor 4:7) so that God’s grace might shine through.
Conclusion: Christians aren’t better than anyone else, but we have been entrusted with these missions, and we must do our best to carry them out.
Fernando Torres, cmfOpening Prayer
Lord God, our Father,
you let your Son, Jesus associate with him helpers
in carrying out his work
of bringing about a new world and a new humanity.
We thank you for the men and the women
you choose in the sacred history of your people
to guide and lead and inspire us.
We too wish to cooperate today
toward this new world, and so we ask:
Make us close companions of Jesus,
inspire us through your Spirit
to cooperate with those who shepherd us,
and lead us to your future of joy.
Grant this through Christ, our Lord.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction: He is mediator of a better covenant.
The worship of the old regime of the Law was insufficient, for it had to be replaced. It had only led on the part of the people to legalistic observance. But now comes the new covenant, written in peoples’ hearts, with Jesus as the mediator. There, Jesus will speak from the heart: “I came to do your will.”
Gospel Introduction: Jesus summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him.
Jesus summons those he wants to work with him. The Twelve, reminding us of the twelve tribes of Israel, were to be the leaders, his intimate companions, and they were to be the foundations, the pillars of his Church, except for Judas, the traitor. Today, he summons us all, but to some he gives special tasks in his Church. Yet, we all have the task of building up the Church.
General Intercessions
– That the pope, Peter’s successor, may be our rock of faith, our model of healing and mercy, and thus the sign of unity in the Church, we pray:
– That our apostles today, our bishops, may exercise their authority as a service for community building, we pray:
– That missionaries may discover all the good there is in the hearts and minds of people and their culture, to heal, ennoble and perfect them in Christ, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Shepherd,
with bread and wine we celebrate
that your people are the body of Christ
which you wish to nourish
with the body and blood of your Son.
Sanctify us and accept our offering,
which we join to that of your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Father,
with your whole Church, we give you thanks
for entrusting to us the Good News of Christ
and strengthening us with his body.
May the whole People of God,
which you have called to life
spread the Good News of Jesus,
and give you all praise and glory
for all the love you have shown us,
in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
In his lifetime, Jesus chose the Twelve Apostles. All along history he continued to choose many to do his work. His work has to continue, and today he calls many to be our leaders and guides. May we fully cooperate with them, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
