FIRST READING
“It was fitting that he should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering.”
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 2:5-12)
It was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, “What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels, You have crowned him with glory and honour, putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for every one. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you!”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 8:2ab and 5.6-7a.7b-9 (R. cf. 7a)
R/. You have given your Son power over the works of your hands.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic
is your name through all the earth!
What is man that you should keep him in mind,
the son of man that you care for him? R/.
Yet you have made him little lower than the angels;
with glory and honour you crowned him,
gave him power over the works of your hands. R/.
You put all things under his feet,
all of them, sheep and oxen,
yes, even the cattle of the fields,
birds of the air, and fish of the sea
that make their way through the waters. R/.
ALLELUIA 1 Thessalonians 2:13
Alleluia. Accept the word of God, not as the word of men, but as what it really is, the word of God. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“He taught them as one who had authority.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 1: 21b-28)
[In the city of Capernaum,] Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and taught. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching! With authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
Today we are reminded of the fact that what is in us is greater than what is in the world. And that: “We are from God and have overcome all things.” Often, men does not recognize the power that God has bestowed on him. We allow fear to take the best from us. This truth, spoken by the psalmist, is echoed in the first reading: that God make man higher than the angels and placed all things under his authority. This is what we have inherited through our adoption in Christ Jesus. This authority issues from CHRIST, who puts fear into evil forces and they obey Him. We must remain attached to Jesus to do greater works that HE did.