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. Francis of Sales(Doctor of the Church (+ 1622))

SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES Bishop and Doctor of the Church (1566-1622) St. Francis of Sales was born to a pious, noble family near Annecy, France. Years later, he studied with brilliant success in Paris and Padua. On his return from Italy, he gave up the grand career his father had marked out for him and became a priest. When the Duke of Savoy resolved to restore the Church in the Chablais, St. Francis offered himself for the work and set out on foot with his Bible, breviary and one companion: his cousin, Louis of Sales. It was a work of toil, privation and danger. Every door and every heart was closed to him. He was rejected with insult and threatened with death. In spite of darkness, he persevered; and before long, the Church burst forth into a second spring. It is stated that he converted 72,000 Calvinists. At the pope's behest, St. Francis was consecrated coadjutor bishop of Geneva in 1602. At times, the exceeding gentleness with which he received heretics and sinners almost scandalized his friends. One of them said, "Francis of Sales will go to Paradise, of course; but I am not so sure of the Bishop of Geneva. I am almost afraid his gentleness will play him a shrewd turn." "Ah," said the Saint, "I would rather account to God for too great gentleness than for too great severity. Is not God all love? God the Father is the Father of mercy; God the Son is a Lamb; God the Holy Spirit is a Dove that is gentleness itself." Together with St. Jane Frances of Chantal, he founded the Order of the Visitation in Annecy, which soon spread across Europe. Though poor, he was loyal to God and his vocation. He declined excess provisions, dignities and the great see of Paris. He passed away in Avignon in 1622. The following words of scripture well-summarize his heroic life: "Goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Ps. 23:6).

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2025 / Catholic Missal of january 2025