3rd day after Epiphany

First Letter of John

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.
This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

Psalms

O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
And the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
The lives of the poor he shall save.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark

After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray.
When it was evening, the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore.
Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them.
But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!"
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were (completely) astounded.
They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

St. Apollinaris(The Apologist, Bishop (2nd century))

SAINT APOLLINARIS, THE APOLOGIST Bishop(2nd century) Claudius Apollinaris was the bishop of Hierapolis, in the kingdom of Phrygia, modern Turkey. He was an apologist and civil rights activist. Besides encomiums from Eusebius, St. Jerome, Theodoret and others, little is known about Apollinaris. His writings, which were then held in great esteem, seem now to be lost. Apollinaris wrote many able treatises against heresies. He pointed out, as St. Jerome testifies, from what philosophical sect each heresy derived its errors. He also addressed an apologetic letter to Emperor Marcus Aurelius circa 175 A.D. Therein, he links the miraculous victory over the Quadi to the prayers of Christians. Apollinaris implored the emperor to protect Christians from persecution by pagans. Thus, Marcus Aurelius published an edict forbidding anyone, under pain of death, to accuse Christians for their religion. By a strange inconsistency, he lacked the courage to abolish the laws then in force. As a consequence, many Christians suffered martyrdom, though their accusers were also put to death. The date of Apollinaris' death is unknown. The Roman Martyrology mentions him on January 8. He lives now in the company of saints and beholds God forever.

St. Severin(Abbot (410-482))

St. SeverinAbbot(410-482) While the Roman Empire collapsed, St. Severin travelled to the most stricken, war-torn area to serve and minister to its people. He carried nothing more than the clothes on his back, and built refugee centers, schools and monasteries. He was like a prototype of St. Francis of Assisi. Austria honors St. Severin as its apostle for his selfless acts. Germanic tribes were invading Noricum, modern Austria, and Bavaria. The Roman Empire was collapsing and those on its fringes were acutely affected. St. Severin made the conscious decision to work amongst the inhabitants of that area, amidst Germanic tribes who invaded Rome. He only bore the weight of the enormous risks through faith and likely a strong devotion to Saints Mary and Joseph. He walked by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). In Noricum, St. Severin organized refugee centers and procured food. Germanic warlords like Odoacer permitted his activities on account of his absolute poverty and clear lack of political agenda. He arrived in Noricum not wearing shoes and sleeping in the open. He had no claim to wealth or status; hence the power of his faith was great. He worked without any material gain and at the expense of his own life. The sheer vulnerability and radical lifestyle must have caused others to think he was harmless or a lunatic. The immunity he gained allowed him to eventually establish schools and monasteries with Germanic consent. When St. Severin's monastery was razed by invading Huns, his body was carried to Lucullano, near Naples. He was then transferred to a monastery dedicated to him. The lasting impact he had on Austria and Bavaria have led those countries to venerate St. Severin as an apostle and father.

St. Thorfinn(Bishop († 1285))

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