Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 65
14 JAN 2024 A.D.


Reading 1
1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19

Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, "Here I am."
Samuel ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me."
"I did not call you, " Eli said. "Go back to sleep."
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
"Here I am, " he said. "You called me."
But Eli answered, "I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep."

At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, "Here I am. You called me."
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So he said to Samuel, "Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening."
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, "Samuel, Samuel!"
Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,
not permitting any word of his to be without effect.


Responsorial Psalm
Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Sacrifice or offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
to do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.


Reading II
1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20

Brothers and sisters:
The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord,
and the Lord is for the body;
God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him.
Avoid immorality.
Every other sin a person commits is outside the body,
but the immoral person sins against his own body.
Do you not know that your body
is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
For you have been purchased at a price.
Therefore glorify God in your body.


Alleluia
Jn 1:41, 17b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We have found the Messiah:
Jesus Christ, who brings us truth and grace.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel
Jn 1:35-42

John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
"Behold, the Lamb of God."
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
"What are you looking for?"
They said to him, "Rabbi" — which translated means Teacher —,
"where are you staying?"
He said to them, "Come, and you will see."
So they went and saw where Jesus was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
"We have found the Messiah" — which is translated Christ —.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
"You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas" — which is translated Peter.


Overview of the Gospel:

• Last Sunday marked the beginning of the liturgical season of Ordinary Time. This year, the
Sunday Gospel readings will be taken mostly from the Gospel according to Mark, with some
occasional readings (such as this Sunday) taken from the Gospel of John.

• This Sunday’s reading takes place right after Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist at Bethany,
and his temptation in the wilderness (verse 22; Matthew 3:13—4:11).

• Upon seeing Jesus approaching, John points him out as “the Lamb of God” (verse 36;
Revelation 5:1-14). This title had significant connections to the Jewish Passover, and it’s
themes of sacrifice and deliverance (Exodus 12ff). Thus John prophecies Jesus’ sacrificial
mission.

• Jesus’ first disciples, Andrew and another disciple traditionally identified as John, son of
Zebedee, are former disciples of John the Baptist (see also Matthew 4:18-22; Luke 5:1-11). In
his great humility, John points them to the Messiah, and lets them go. When questioned later
about this, he will say, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

• Though the two disciples were seeking the Messiah, it is Jesus who takes the initiative (verse
38; John 15:16). As they spend more time with him, their understanding of him grows from just
a teacher, or “rabbi” (verse 38), to identifying him as the Messiah (verse 41).

• Jesus’ renaming of Simon as Kepha (verse 42; Greek Petros = “Rock”) anticipates a later
occasion when Jesus will give him the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16:13-19) and
primacy and authority over his Church on earth.
[special thanks to Vince Contreras: "Sunday Scripture Study for Catholics."]


"Jesus is the teacher of holiness. I go to him because I want him to teach me how to become a saint. Of what use is all I learn in school if I do not become holy?" ~ St. Francis de Sales

Thanks!

You're very welcome, Brother, tortilla-flats, on this cold, blustery day!

8*F with 38 mph winds here--got to imitate St. Francis of Assisi and keep the birdseed and peanut butter out at all my feeders.

Ah, my wife's Patron Saint. Balmy 16* here in NTX.

WHOA!

16*F in North Texas??

un-possible!

must be all that "Global Warming!"

ERCOT says all should be well.

Call me "Mr. Redundancy," up here --learned from common sense and defense contracting:

Nat gat furnace
Fireplace w/cords of seasoned oak
K1 heaters
Tri-fuel Generator powering
Electric heaters
Portable Power Station 3,000 watt (Santa's Gift!)
[re-charged via 'Genny' in 90 min]

Had a bad experience one Winter up here at -20*F where the "free gas" at the farm locked up by the valves and meter freezing in the cold--gets your attention when you can see your breath indoors and 'brain fog' comes knocking....

NG fireplace, dual fuel genny.
Working on a whole house power station setup with solar.

Excellent, Brother!

My power station can re-charge via solar panel, but I'm limited to a 60 volt input. No big deal for me. I'll take what sunlight I can get. I chose the 'flexible solar panels,' so I can move them or mount them on my p/u, camper, shed, or whatever. My 110 w panels neatly cover my home's front windows (62 x 20 inch) facing south from the inside, so I'm drawing watts inside the house. I can double them up in series. Panels are waterproof as well. Got a heck of a deal during Black Friday--paid 1/3 the cost of newer units--as I bought factory 're-furbs' with a two year warranty.

I see where they now have portable "Bi-facial" solar panels--where you get direct sunlight from the side facing the sun and more power from the free-standing backside, which catches reflection.

Man--these newer LifePO4 lithium batters in these power stations--daily use, 3,000 cycles--last 10 years with 80% life remaining! Much dafer as well.

CHEERS!