Reflections on the Daily Readings 14th February 2022
Monday 14th February
Memorial Of Cyril, Monk, And Methodius,
Courting faith
Today may be the feast day of Saint Valentine, but Saints Cyril and Methodius get higher billing by the church with a memorial today. These brothers who were missionaries shared the love of Christ, not by penning endearing notes to loved ones, but by translating the Bible into a local language. In fact, they invented an alphabet so they could do it! The best way to reach people is to meet them where they are. If someone is in a different place on their spiritual journey, do you insist they “catch up” to you? Or do you run up to greet them and speak of God's love in terms they understand? Maybe you’ll end up walking arm in arm in the same direction.
Today's readings: James 1:1-11; Mark 8:11-13
“The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.”
Tuesday 15th February
Faith and facts fit together
Galileo, father of the scientific method, was born on this day in 1564. Famously, the Catholic Inquisition condemned him for insisting the Earth revolved around the sun—an unpopular position made twice as controversial for seeming to defy the pope. Ever since, Galileo remains the poster child for “faith versus reason,” which feeds the unjustified stereotype that Catholicism s “anti-science.” It’s not. In fact, practicing Catholics, including priests and nuns, are found among notable scientists, past and present. And when Pope John Paul II issued an official apology in 1992, it came through the Pontifical Academy of Science. Time to unite spirit and intellect to help us understand the glories and challenges God's creation presents to us.
Today's readings: James 1:12-18; Mark 8:14-21
“All good giving and every perfect gift is from above.”
Wednesday 16th February
“Holy Spirit, come”
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal has helped reinvigorate the faith and refreshed the experience of worship for diverse pockets of churchgoers. Beginning with the 1967 Duquesne Weekend—a meeting in Pittsburgh at an Episcopalian prayer service, where a group of Catholics encountered the “charismatic gifts” of speaking in tongues, miraculous healing, and other supernatural occurrences— Catholics across the country and eventually around the world began to experience a similar sense of renewal and ecumenical connection. Though the gifts of the Spirit are available to all, not everyone will experience them in the same way. What is essential is to be open to the Holy Spirit at all times.
Today's readings: James 1:19-27; Mark 8:22-26
“He laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly.”
Thursday 17th February
Memorial Of The Seven Holy Founders Of The Servite Order,
God Calls Us Each By Name
Today the church honors the seven men who founded the Servite religious order in Italy nearly 800 years ago. The Servites have branches for every type of Catholic vocation: laity, priests, brothers, contemplative nuns, and active (apostolic) sisters. This international religious institute is nearly 800 years old, with rich traditions of prayer and service. If you are single and seeking your path, have you considered life as a consecrated brother, sister, or priest? VocationMatch.com is a good place to begin your exploration.
Today's readings: James 2:1-9; Mark 8:27-33
“ ‘But who do you say that I am?' Peter said to him in reply, ‘You are the Christ.’ ”
Friday 18th February
Cross-culture conflicts
The concept of “taking up one’s cross” has never been an easy one to understand. It does not mean to suffer in silence and passively accept our fate. When we “take up our cross,” we signal our willingness to suffer for the sake of good, to give witness to what is right, to announce charity where there is greed, love where there is hate, and peace where there is war. Blessed Titus Brandsma, a Carmelite priest who was martyred in Dachau after speaking out against Nazism, wrote, “They who want to win the world for Christ must have the courage to come into conflict with it.”.
Today's readings: James 2:14-24, 26; Mark 8:34—9:1
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
Saturday 19th February
Let your prayer shine
The Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary traditionally contained three sets of mysteries—the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious—each set reflecting on five events in the life of Jesus and Mary. In 2002 Pope Saint John Paul II introduced a fourth set, the Luminous Mysteries, which included the Baptism of the Lord, the Wedding at Cana, the Proclamation of the Kingdom, the Transfiguration, and the Institution of the Eucharist. Each of these additional mysteries reveals a facet of the identity of the Lord. Saint Irenaeus wrote of the Transfiguration: “The glory of God is a live human being and a truly human life is the vision of God.” Take time to know Jesus better by praying the Luminous Mysteries.
Today's readings: James 3:1-10; Mark 9:2-13
“And he was transfigured before them.”
