Mass Readings
Liturgical Readings for : Saturday, 24th January, 2026Léachtaí Gaeilge
Next Sunday’s Readings
Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2
Saint of the Day: Jan 24 ; St Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor of the Church
C/f short history of today’s saints can be found below today’s Readings and Reflection
FIRST READING
A reading from the second book of Samuel. 1: 1-4, 11-12, 17, 23-27
How did the heroes fall in the thick of the battle.
David returned from his rout of the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag. On the third day a man came from the camp where Saul had been, his garments torn and earth on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground and did homage.
‘Where do you come from?‘ David asked him.
‘I have escaped from the Israelite camp‘ he said.
David said to him, ‘What happened? Tell me.’
He replied, ‘The people have fled from the battlefield and many of them have fallen. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead too.‘
Then David took hold of his garments and tore them, and all the men with him did the same. They mourned and wept and fasted until the evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, for the people of the Lord and for the House of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. Then David made this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan:
Alas, the glory of Israel has been slain on your heights!
How did the heroes fall? Saul and Jonathan, loved and lovely, neither in life, nor in death, were divided.
Swifter than eagles were they, stronger were they than lions.
O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul who clothed you in scarlet and fine linen,
who set brooches of gold on your garments. How did the heroes fall in the thick of the battle?
O Jonathan, in your death I am stricken, I am desolate for you, Jonathan my brother.
Very dear to me you were, your love to me more wonderful than the love of a woman.
How did the heroes fall and the battle armour fail?
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 79: 2-3, 5-7. R/v 4
Response Let your face shine on us, 0 Lord, and we shall be saved.
1. O shepherd of Israel, hear us, you who lead Joseph’s flock,
shine forth from your cherubim throne upon Ephraim, Benjamin, Manasseh.
O Lord, rouse up your might, O Lord, come to our help. Response
2. Lord God of hosts, how long will you frown on your people’s plea?
you have fed them with tears for their bread, an abundance of tears for their drink.
You have made us the taunt of our neighbours, our enemies laugh us to scorn. Response
Gospel Acclamation 2 Cor 5: 19
Alleluia, alleluia!
God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.
Alleluia!
or Acts 16: 14
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord, to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 3:20-21 Glory to you, O Lord.
His relatives said he was out of his mind.
Jesus went home again, and once more such a crowd collected that they could not even have a meal.
When his relatives heard of this, they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Saturday Second Week in Ordinary Time Mark 3:20-21
Today’s very short gospel reading from Mark suggests that Jesus was misunderstood by his own family. They had come to hear that so many people were coming to Jesus for help that he and his disciples had no time even to eat. They concluded that Jesus must be ‘out of his mind’ and they wanted to take him back to Nazareth, back home, for his own good. Jesus’ family meant well, but they completely misinterpreted Jesus.
Having set out on his mission of bringing God’s merciful and healing love to all, Jesus was never going to return to Nazareth and live the hidden life he had lived before he left there. There are misunderstandings in every family. A member of a family can set out on a path that just makes no sense to other family members. Jesus’ family was no different to most human families. The members of Jesus’ family had to learn to let him go to God’s purpose for his life, even if it made little sense to them. We often have to let go of those we care about, even if the path they are taking is very concerning to us. We sometimes just have to let them be.
The members of Jesus’ family were trying to control him, but we cannot control Jesus. Our calling is to surrender to Jesus and to try and go where he is leading us. Jesus once said, ‘the Spirit blows where it wills’. What is true of the Holy Spirit is true of Jesus who is full of the Holy Spirit. Far from trying to control Jesus, we invite him to control us, in the sense of becoming Lord of our lives. When Jesus becomes Lord of our lives, we don’t lose our freedom. Rather, we become truly free, free to live in the fully human way for which God has created us.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/
The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from his book Reflections on the Weekday Readings : The Word is near to you, on your lips and in your heart by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/
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Saint of the Day: Jan 24 ; St Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor of the Church
Born in Savoy (France) in 1567; died in Lyons in 1622. As a presbyter and as bishop of Geneva, he played a major part in the renewal of 17th-century French Catholicism. Seen by many as an early proponent of ecumenical dialogue. His writings promoted a spirituality for laypeople. Honoured as a most influential preacher, writer, and spiritual director, who combined firmness with patience and gentleness.
Patrick Duffy traces his life.
Early Family Life
Francis was the first of twelve children born into a Savoyard noble family, near Annecy in Savoy. A delicate child, he was educated privately at first, but later went to Paris. His father wanted him to become a lawyer. Francis studied rhetoric, philosophy and theology. From there he went on to Padua where he became a doctor of law. Already he had decided to become a priest and was probably still in a state of tension with his father when he was ordained in 1593.
Preaching Campaign and Service of the Poor
Since the Reformation, the seat of the Catholic diocese of Geneva had been moved to Annecy. The bishop of Geneva, Claude de Garnier, appointed Francis provost of the cathedral chapter. Francis soon distinguished himself for his service of the poor. In a preaching campaign throughout the Chablais area south of Lake Geneva he succeeded in winning back many Calvinists to Catholicism. He also wrote and distributed a series of pamphlets explaining true Catholic doctrine.
Co-adjutor Bishop of Geneva
Francis was made coadjutor bishop in 1599 and travelled to Rome where he made friends with Robert Bellarmine and Cardinal Camillo Borghese who later became Pope Paul V. In 1602 after the diocesan bishop died, Francis succeeded to Geneva.
Visits: Paris
Francis preached during Lent in Paris at the court of King Henry IV, Henry of Navarre. Though a Protestant, Henry sought to bring peace and freedom to France. In 1598 Henry enacted the Edict of Nantes guaranteeing religious freedom to Protestants. Henry is said to have offered Francis a bishopric if he would stay in Paris. Francis replied: “Sir, I have married a poor wife and I cannot desert her for a rich one”.
While preaching in Dijon Francis noticed a widow Baroness Jane Frances de Chantal listening very attentively to his sermon and spoke to her. Jane wanted Francis to be her spiritual director. At first, he was hesitant. Jane was on a path to mystical union with God and, in directing her, Francis was compelled to follow her and become a mystic himself.
Through a number of coincidences they were given a building in Annecy and were able in 1610 to found the community of Visitation Sisters, whose most striking characteristics were not difficult penances, but moderation and common sense.
Spirituality for the Laity
At that time, the prevailing idea was that holiness was only for priests, monks and nuns and not for ordinary people. Francis changed this by giving spiritual direction to lay people living ordinary lives in the world. He knew from his own experience that people who live a very active life can also grow in holiness.
Writings and spirituality
Two of Francis’s books, The Introduction to the Devout Life and the Treatise on the Love of God, became best sellers among the laity. He believed that the key to love of God is prayer: “By turning your eyes on God in meditation, your whole soul will be filled with God. Begin all your prayers in the presence of God.” For busy people of the world, he advised: “Retire at various times into the solitude of your own heart, even while outwardly engaged in discussions or transactions with others and talk to God.“
The test of prayer is a person’s actions: “To be an angel in prayer and a beast in one’s relations with people is to go lame on both legs.” The worst sins, he believed, are gossip and making judgements: even if we think we do them out of love, we’re actually doing them to make ourselves look better. And we should be as gentle and forgiving with ourselves just as we ought to be with others.
Among Francis de Sales’ favourite sayings were:
- “More flies are attracted by a spoonful of honey than by a whole barrel of vinegar”.
- “Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.”
- “Nothing is so strong as gentleness; nothing so gentle as real strength.”
Patron of Journalists and Communicators
Because of his writings and his idea of distributing of pamphlets, Francis de Sales is the patron saint of journalists. Every year since 1967, on his feast day, the Pope issues a Message in preparation for Communications Sunday, the Sunday of the Ascension.
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Memorable Proverb for today
“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.”
“Nothing is so strong as gentleness; nothing so gentle as real strength.”
~St Francis de Sales ~
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