Welcome This liturgy invites us to listen to the voice of God, in order to be diligent in responding to his will in our daily lives. Here we gather with the attitude of those who are willing to accept the new teaching of Jesus and learn from him what liberating action consists of. Let us celebrate the holy name of the Lord, which will nourish us with the Eucharist and strengthen our commitment to His Kingdom. First Reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Let us open our hearts to welcome the Word of God. She communicates the precepts of the Lord and leads those who are willing to remain with him in the mission of freeing human beings from evil. Reading from the book of Deuteronomy – Moses spoke to the people, saying: 15“The Lord your God will raise up for you, from your nation and from among your brothers, a prophet like me: you must listen to him. 16This is exactly what you asked the Lord your God on Mount Horeb, when all the people were gathered together, saying, 'I no longer want to hear the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire, lest I end up dying.' 17Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they said is right. 18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put my words in his mouth and he will communicate everything I command him. 19I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that he speaks in my name. 20But whoever dares to say anything in my name that I have not commanded him or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must die.'” - Word of the Lord. Responsorial Psalm: 94(95) Don't close your heart, listen to the voice of God today! 1. Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, / let us acclaim the rock that saves us! / To meet him, let us walk with praises, / and with songs of joy let us celebrate him! – R. 2. Come, let us worship and prostrate ourselves to the ground, / and let us kneel before the God who created us! / Because he is our God, our shepherd, † and we are his people and his flock, / the sheep he leads with his hand. – R. 3. I wish you could hear his voice today: † “Do not close your hearts as in Meriba, / as in Massa, in the desert, that day, / when your parents once provoked me, / despite having seen my works”. – R. Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7,32-35 Reading of Saint Paul's first letter to the Corinthians – Brothers, 32I would like you to be free from worries. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord and seeks to please the Lord. 33A married man worries about the things of the world and tries to please his wife, 34and so he is divided. In the same way, the unmarried woman and the young single woman are zealous for the things of the Lord and seek to be holy in body and spirit. But the one who got married cares about the things of the world and tries to please her husband. 35I say this for your own good, and not to trap you. What I want is to lead you to what is best, remaining close to the Lord, without other worries. - Word of the Lord. Gospel: Mark 1,21-28 Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. The people who lay in darkness saw a great light shine; / the light dawned on those who lay in the shadows of death (Mc 4,16). – R. Proclamation of the holy Gospel according to Mark – 21In the city of Capernaum, on a Saturday, Jesus entered the synagogue and began teaching. 22Everyone was amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the Law. 23There was then in the synagogue a man possessed by an evil spirit. He shouted: 24 “What do you want from us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: you are the Holy One of God.” 25Jesus said to him, “Shut up and get out of him!” 26Then the evil spirit shook the man violently, gave a loud shout and left. 27And they were all greatly astonished and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching, given with authority: he even commands evil spirits, and they obey!” 28And the fame of Jesus soon spread far and wide, throughout the whole region of Galilee. – Word of salvation. Reflection: Due to his consistency of life, Jesus teaches with authority. He practices what he teaches. He performs liberating acts. The doctors of the Law, on the other hand, were empty; They only displayed knowledge and imposed heavy religious observances on the people that they themselves did not comply with. The people noticed this inconsistency. In the synagogue, a place of prayer and instruction for the Jews, Jesus teaches on the Sabbath. The man with an impure spirit is a symbol of the evils that alienate and destroy the person (he does not speak or act for himself). The unclean spirit confronts Jesus, trying to exert dominion over him: “I know who you are: the Holy One of God.” Jesus, however, with a word that has the power to recreate the person, expels the demon: “Be silent, and come out of him”. Admiration grips everyone, especially for the “new teaching, given with authority”.
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