14 January 2018

2nd Week in Ordinary Time Year B

1st: 1 Samuel 3:3-10, 19
Psalm: 39:2, 4, 7-10
2nd: 1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20
Gospel: John 1:35-42

As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God.’ Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’ They answered, ‘Rabbi,’ – which means Teacher – ‘where do you live?’ ‘Come and see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour.

One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ – which means the Christ – and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ – meaning Rock.

The Lamb of God

And besides following Him, their questions showed their love for Christ; They said to Him, Rabbi, (which is, being interpreted, Master,) where dwell You? They call Him, Teacher, before they have learnt anything from Him; thus encouraging themselves in their resolution to become disciples, and to show the reason why they followed… Christ does not describe His house and situation, but brings them after Him, showing that he had already accepted them as His own. He says not, It is not the time now, tomorrow you shall hear if you wish to learn; but addresses them familiarly, as friends who had lived with him a long time. But how is it that He said in another place, The Son of man has no where to lay His head? when here He says, Come and see where I live? His not having where to lay His head, could only have meant that He had no dwelling of His own, not that He did not live in a house at all: for the next words are, They came and saw where He dwelt, and abode with Him that day. Why they stayed the Evangelist does not say: it being obviously for the sake of His teaching.
Catena Aurea (St. John Chrysostom)

Feasts of the Week
Wed 17 St. Antony, Abbot 
Sat 20 Sat memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary; St. Fabian, Pope, Martyr; St. Sebastian, Martyr;
St. Euthymius (diocese of Jerusalem).

Psalter Week II

Readings for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
1st: Jonah 3:1-5, 10
Psalm: 24: 4-9
2nd: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20

Saint Fabian, Pope and Martyr

Pope Fabian (c.200-250) was a lay person of humble background visiting Rome at the time of the Papal election, and when the names of the candidates were being considered, a dove descended upon Fabian’s head which was taken as a sign, for all recalled the Gospel scene of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Saviour. Fabian had a great devotion for the martyrs, and he set up deacons to collect information about the trials of those who died for Christ and he did considerable work in the catacombs. It is said that he consecrated seven  bishops to evangelise Gaul,  among  whom  was  St. Denys of Paris.  Fabian was highly praised for the orthodoxy of his teaching. His fourteen years of reign were relatively peaceful, however, Fabian died a martyr at the beginning of the persecution by Emperor Decius and was buried in the Crypt of the Popes at St. Callistus, as discovered in 1850 when a Greek epitaph was found: “Fabian, bishop and martyr.”                                                            … Saint Fabian, pray for us.

Ordinary Time … Again

Christmas and Easter times highlight the central mysteries of our Faith, namely, the Incarnation, Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Sundays and weeks of Ordinary Time, on the other hand, take us through the life of Christ, the Teacher whom we must imitate. This is a time of conversion and spiritual growth.

The mystery of Christ is called to penetrate ever more deeply into history until all things are finally caught up in Christ. The goal, toward which all of history is directed, is represented by the final Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the universe.
Cf. Ordinary Time, usccb.org

Sunday 14 Jan. Parish Lunch, LPH, 1pm ‘Bring and Share’. All welcome

Week of prayer for Christian Unity begins Thurs Jan 18th. An ecumenical service involving all the Churches in Paphos, is on Friday 19th January at 6pm in Agia Kyriaki. Come and praise the only Savior of the world.

Re-cycling fund raising for Archangel Michael Hospice. The hospice now has a re-cycling bin in the basement car park. It takes Plastic, metal, paper, cardboard, glass and cloth. The more often we fill it the more the Hospice makes. Why not get together with friends and make a weekly trip?

Caritas: Needs urgently some duvets and gas heaters. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Mass Times HERE