January 29, 2012 - 4th Sunday in ordinary time.

January 29, 2012 - 4^th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

“ HE COMMANDS…
UNCLEAN SPIRITS AND THEY OBEY HIM.”

INTRODUCTION TO THE MASS

Jesus’ words carried great authority with the ordinary people. Why? Because his words had the ring of truth, and people knew he meant them. Jesus’ words can change our lives if we act on them. But sometimes we are content merely to listen to them. [Pause]

LORD Jesus, Your words guide us when we are in error. LORD, have mercy.

Your words comfort us when we are sad. Christ, have mercy.

Your words inspire us to live good and holy lives. LORD, have mercy.

OPENING PRAYER

Let us pray [for a greater love of God and of our fellow men]

LORD our God, help us to love you with all our hearts and to love all men as you love them. Grant this through our LORD Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. R: Amen.

FIRST READING Dt 18:15-20

A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy

Moses spoke to all the people, saying: "A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen. This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our God, nor see this great fire any more, lest we die.' And the LORD said to me, 'This was well said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him. Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it. But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.'"

The Word of the Lord

R. Thanks be to God

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;

let us acclaim the rock of our salvation.

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us joyfully sing psalms to him.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us bow down in worship;

let us kneel before the LORD who made us.

For he is our God,

and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Oh, that today you would hear his voice:

"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,

as in the day of Massah in the desert,

Where your fathers tempted me;

they tested me though they had seen my works."

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

SECOND READING 1 Cor 7:32-35

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters: I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. I am telling you this for your own benefit, not to impose a restraint upon you, but for the sake of propriety and adherence to the Lord without distraction.

The Word of the Lord

R. Thanks be to God

ALLELUIA

Alleluia, Alleluia.

The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light; on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death, light has arisen.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

GOSPEL Mk 1: 21-28

V. The Lord be with you R. And also with you.

X A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark.

R. Glory to you, Lord

Then they came to Capernaum, and on the Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him." His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

The Gospel of the LORD.

R. Praise to you, LORD Jesus Christ.

Celebrant: Let us with confidence bring our needs before the LORD, knowing that he will listen to our cries as Jesus listened to the cry of the sick man in the synagogue.

1. Reader: For the Pope and the bishops: that they may preach the Gospel with authority. [Pause] We pray to the LORD.

2. Reader: For all who hold public office: that their deeds may match their words. [Pause] We pray to the LORD.

3. Reader: For the victims of broken promises. [Pause] We pray to the LORD.

4. Reader: For those who are suffering from mental illness, and for those who care for them. [Pause] We pray to the LORD.

5. Reader: For all gathered here: that our lives may bear witness to the faith we profess with our lips. [Pause] We pray to the LORD.

6. Reader: For our own special needs. [Longer Pause] We pray to the LORD.

Celebrant: LORD, grant that what we have said with our lips, we may believe in our hearts, and practice in our lives. We ask this through Christ our LORD. Amen.

Be pleased with the gifts we bring to your altar, and make them the sacrament of our salvation. We ask this through Christ our LORD.

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Through his cross and resurrection he freed us from sin and death and call us to the glory that has made us a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart.

Everywhere we proclaim your mighty works for you have called us out of darkness into your own wonderful light.

And so, with all the choirs of angels in heaven we proclaim your glory and join in their unending hymn of praise:

You invigorate us with this help to our salvation. By this Eucharist give the true faith continued growth throughout the world. We ask this in the name of Jesus the LORD.