29 Jan Mon 4th Week in Ordinary Time Heb. 11:32-40 Ps. 31:20, 21, 22, 23, 24 Mk. 5:1-20 How To Pray With Shalom Home Page of Shalom Index of This Month        In the Gospel the first thing we note is the courage of Jesus. He stopped and spoke to the man. We, also, must have that same courage to speak to men and women even when they may be violent and abusive and mocking at our religion. The second thing we notice is the rudeness and ingratitude of the hersdmen and others, requesting Jesus to go away. Their concern was for their pigs, not that a man had been healed. We must be careful that we do not put things and property before people, that we do not value goods more than persons.     According to the Hebrews the heroes of Israel did what was right, and they took chances on the promises of God, even though the evidence of the fulfilment of God's promise was weak. They took God at His word and were ready to give up position and security to do as God commanded. The writer of the Hebrews mentions all this in order to urge his readers - and us - to follow the example of the heroes of old.      Lord, give us the grace to honour Your Word in our lives and to value persons more than goods. DAILY OFFERING Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen. PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH INTENTION That Christians may favour the evangelisation of the new generations through the constant search for the unity wanted by Christ. Elaboration
- END - P R A Y I N G    W I T H    T H E    C H U R C H     INTENTION : That Christians may favour the evangelisation of the new generations through the constant search for the unity wanted by Christ. The question of full Christian unity and evangelisation led to the beginnings of the ecumenical movement. The Holy Father decries the negative consequences of division among Christians and calls them to search for full Christian Unity as inspired by the Lord's Prayer. As evangelisers we must offer Christ's faithful an image of people who are mature in faith and capable of finding a meeting point beyond all tensions. The destiny of evangelisation is bound up with the witness of unity given to the Church. The urgency of preaching and displaying unity to the world arises from the fact that Christians can impair the vitality of proclaiming the Gospel and even become a scandal to the world, particularly when the churches appear to proclaim "a kingdom against itself". It is clear that the proclamation of the Gospel by divided Christians becomes counter- itness. As Christians we ought to give collaborative common witness which is founded in the common baptism in Christ and faith in the Triune God. Pray for the courage to work positively with other Christians for the purpose of promoting evangelisation. - END -