Friday of the Second week in Ordinary Time

Letter to the Hebrews

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 kinsman, 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.

Psalms

Show us, O LORD, your kindness,
and grant us your salvation.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
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.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark

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.

St. Sebastian(Martyr (c. 257-c. 288))

SAINT SEBASTIAN Martyr (c. 257-c. 288) St. Sebastian was an officer in the Roman army, esteemed by pagans as a good soldier and honored by the Church as a champion of Jesus Christ. Born at Narbonne, France, Sebastian came to Rome about the year 284. In Rome, Sebastian found twin brothers, Marcus and Marcellinus, in prison for the faith. When they were near yielding, he encouraged them to reject temptation and die to their own self for Christ. God confirmed his words by miracle: Light shone around him while he spoke. He cured the sick by his prayers; and in this divine strength, led many to the faith: among them the Prefect of Rome, with his son Tiburtius. Sebastian saw his disciples die before him, and one of them came back in vision to tell him that his own end was near. It was during a contest of fervor and charity that he found the occasion of martyrdom.The Prefect of Rome, after his conversion, retired to his estates in Campania, and took a great number of his fellow-converts with him. It was a question of whether Polycarp, a priest, or St. Sebastian should accompany the neophytes. Both were eager to stay and face the danger at Rome, but at last the Pope decided that the Roman church could not spare Sebastian's services. Thus St. Sebastian continued to labor at his post till he was betrayed by a false disciple. St. Sebastian was led before Diocletian, and at the emperor's command, was shot with arrows and left for dead. But God raised him up; and of his own accord, he went before the emperor and beseeched him to halt the persecution of the Church. Again sentenced, St. Sebastian was beaten to death with clubs - crowning his labors with a double martyrdom.

St. Fabian(Pope and Martyr (+ 250))

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2023 / Catholic Missal of january 2023