Gospel: Mk 1:40–45
A leper came to Jesus and begged him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do want to; be clean.” The leprosy left the man atonce and he was made clean.
As Jesus sent the man away, he sternly warned him,“Don’t tell anyone about this, but go and show yourself to the priest, and for the cleansing bring the offering ordered by Moses; in this way you will give to them your testimony.
”However, as soon as the man went out, he began spreading the news everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter any town. But even though he stayed in the rural areas, people came to him from everywhere.

REFLECTION:

The leper did not hesitate to ask theLord for healing. His condition did not make him ashamed or timid in front of God. This confidence in His mercy moves Jesus to respond in the sameway. As the leper draws near,
Jesus extended His hand in healing. Miracle is a dance between God and His creature. We must move forward to God in great faith and trust while God moves toward us in kindness and compassion.
When Creator and creature meet and touch, the latter is brought back to wholeness.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2021

Gospel: 1:29–39
On leaving the synagogue, Jesus went to the home of Simon and Andrew with James and John. As Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with fever, they immediately told him about her. Jesus went to her and,
taking her by the hand, raised her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. That evening at sundown, people brought to Jesus all the sick and those who had evil spirits: the whole town was pressing
around the door. Jesus healed many who had various diseases, and drove out many demons; but he did not let them speak, for they knew who he was. Very early in the morning, before daylight,
Jesus went off to a lonely place where he prayed. Simon and the others went out also, searching for him; and when they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Let us go
to the nearby villages so that I may preach there too; for that is why I came.” So Jesus set out to preach in all the synagogues throughout Galilee; he also cast out demons.

REFLECTION:

Jesus’ life is characterized by many movements. One of that is lifting others as well as lifting Himself high to God in prayer.
When He came to Simon Peter’s house, he lifted the latter’s mother-inlaw to health and wholeness. He will do this to so many
people in His lifetime. The following day, He spent the early hours lifting Himself to His Father in prayer. No wonder He is strong.
He also seeks people and in the same breath, people also seek Him out. He invites His disciple to go to the neighboring towns
and villages that He may also preach to them. Yet, people also look for Him. They come in droves whenever they hear Him nearby.
Thus lifting up and seeking out are the two movements that characterizes Jesus in this gospel. May we have our own movements in life that
eventually lead us to Jesus as we lift ourselves up to Him in prayer, and to humanity as we seek them out in loving service.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2021

Gospel: Mk 1:21–28
They went into the town of Capernaum and Jesus taught in the synagogue on the sabbath day. The people were astonished at the way he taught, for he spoke as one having authority and not like the teachers
of the Law. It happened that a man with an evil spirit was in their synagogue, and he shouted, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: you are the Holy One of
God.” Then Jesus faced him and said with authority, “Be silent, and come out of this man!” The evil spirit shook the man violently and, with a loud shriek, came out of him. All the people were astonished,
and they wondered, “What is this? With what authority he preaches! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him!” And Jesus’ fame spread throughout all the country of Galilee.

REFLECTION:

There are many sources of authority. Some are derived from one’s position or responsibility while others come from the self.
Jesus spoke with authority. He walks the talk and consistently uphold what He believed, to the point of death.
His deep convictions translated in the actions of His life, made Him a Teacher in Words and in Deeds.
That is why even the evil spirits obey Him. His power is His integrity.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2021

Gospel: Mk 1:14–20
After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began preaching the Good News of God. He said, “The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News.”
As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”
At once, they abandoned their nets and followed him. Jesus went a little farther on and saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee; they were in their boat mending their nets. Immediately Jesus called them

Gospel: Mk 1:7–11
He preached to the people, saying, “After me comes one who is more powerful than I am; I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.” At that time Jesus
came from Nazareth, a town of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And the moment he came up out of the water, heaven opened before him,
and he saw the Spirit coming down on him like a dove. And these words were heard from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved, the One I have chosen.”

Gospel: Jn 3:22-30
After this, Jesus went into the territory of Judea with his disciples. He stayed there with them and baptized. John was also baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, where water was plentiful; people came to him and were
baptized. This happened before John was put in prison. Now John’s disciples had been questioned by a Jew about spiritual cleansing, so they came to John and said, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across
the Jordan, and about whom you spoke favorably, is now baptizing, and all are going to him.” John answered, “No one can receive anything, except what has been given to him from heaven.

Gospel: Lk 5:12-16
One day, in another town, a man came to Jesus covered with leprosy. On seeing Jesus, the man bowed down to the ground, and said, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.” Stretching out his hand,
Jesus touched the man and said, “Yes, I want to. Be clean.” In an instant, the leprosy left him. Then Jesus instructed him, “Tell this to no one. But go, and show yourself to the priest. Make an offering for your healing,
as Moses prescribed; that will serve as evidence for them.” But the news about Jesus spread all the more; and large crowds came to him, to listen and to be healed of their sickness.

Gospel: Lk 4:14-22
Jesus acted with the power of the Spirit; and on his return to Galilee, the news about him spread throughout all that territory. He began teaching in the synagogues of the Jews and everyone praised him. When Jesus came to Nazareth,
where he had been brought up, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, as he usually did. He stood up to read, and they handed him the book of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus then unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the
Lord is upon me. He has anointed me, to bring good news to the poor; to proclaim liberty to captives; and new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed; and to announce the Lord’s year of mercy.” Jesus then rolled up the scroll, gave it to the

Gospel: Mk 6:45-52
Immediately Jesus obliged his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, toward Bethsaida, while he himself sent the crowd away. And having sent the people off, he went by
himself to the hillside to pray. When evening came, the boat was far out on the lake, while he was alone on the land. Jesus saw his disciples straining at the oars, for the wind was against them; and before
daybreak he came to them, walking on the lake, and he was going to pass them by. When they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw him and were terrified.

Gospel: Mk 6:34-44
As Jesus went ashore, he saw a large crowd, and he had compassion on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
It was now getting late, so his disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place and it is now late. You should send the people away, and let them go to the farms and villages around here, to buy themselves
something to eat.” Jesus replied, “You, yourselves, give them something to eat.” They answered, “If we are to feed them, we need two hundred silver coins to go and buy enough bread.”