FIRST READING
Her rival used to provoke Hannah sorely, because the Lord had closed her womb.
The beginning of the first Book of Samuel (1 Samuel 1: 1-8)
There was a certain man of Ramathaim- zophim of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters; and, although he loved Hannah, he would give Hannah only one portion, because the LORD had closed her womb. And her rival used to provoke her sorely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 116: 12-13. 14 and 17.18-19 (R. cf. 17a)
R/. A thanksgiving sacrifice I make to you, O Lord.
Or: Alleluia.
How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?
The cup of salvation I will raise;
I will call on the name of the Lord. R/.
My vows to the Lord I will fulfil before all his people.
A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;
I will call on the name of the Lord. R/.
R/. A thanksgiving sacrifice I make to you, O Lord.
Or: Alleluia.
My vows to the Lord I will fulfil before all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem. R/.
ALLELUIA Mark 1:15
Alleluia. The kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the Gospel. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 1: 14-20)
After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.” And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
Today we begin the Ordinary Time of the Liturgical Year. It is called “Ordinary Time” because of the orderly way it is arranged into 34 weeks. We use the Green color at this time as a sign of vegetation. It begins by characterizing Jesus’ messianic mission and citing the human response to his presence in the world. That characterization is marked by the coming of the right time, the closeness of the kingdom and its proclamation, and the call to conversion and faith. From those who hear Jesus, he calls disciples and the call to commit to following him faithfully. Like peter and the others, Jesus invites us to follow him. We must allow ourselves to be moulded into instruments for the expansion of the kingdom, “fishers of men.” God does not mind our imperfections. We submit ourselves as we are. He takes care of the makeover. Lord, open my ears, melt me and mould me. Amen.