Saturday of the First week in Ordinary Time
1st book of Samuel 9:1-4.17-19.10:1.
There was a stalwart man from Benjamin named Kish, who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite.
He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man. There was no other Israelite handsomer than Saul; he stood head and shoulders above the people.
Now the asses of Saul’s father, Kish, had wandered off. Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go out and hunt for the asses.”
Accordingly they went through the hill country of Ephraim, and through the land of Shalishah. Not finding them there, they continued through the land of Shaalim without success. They also went through the land of Benjamin, but they failed to find the animals.
When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD assured him, “This is the man of whom I told you; he is to govern my people.”
Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said, “Please tell me where the seer lives.”
Samuel answered Saul: “I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today. In the morning, before dismissing you, I will tell you whatever you wish.
Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head; he also kissed him, saying: “The LORD anoints you commander over his heritage. You are to govern the LORD’S people Israel, and to save them from the grasp of their enemies round about. “This will be the sign for you that the LORD has anointed you commander over his heritage:

Psalms 21(20):2-3.4-5.6-7.
LORD, the king finds joy in your power; in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart’s desire; you did not refuse the prayer of his lips. Selah
For you welcomed him with goodly blessings; you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever.
Great is his glory in your victory; majesty and splendor you confer upon him.
You make him the pattern of blessings forever, you gladden him with the joy of your presence.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 2:13-17.
Jesus went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him.
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus heard this and said to them (that), “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Commentary of the day : John-Paul II
« Follow me»

Friday of the First week in Ordinary Time
1st book of Samuel 8:4-7.10-22.
All the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramah
and said to him, “Now that you are old, and your sons do not follow your example, appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us.”
Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them. He prayed to the LORD, however,
who said in answer: “Grant the people’s every request. It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king.
Samuel delivered the message of the LORD in full to those who were asking him for a king.
He told them: “The rights of the king who will rule you will be as follows: He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot.
He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers. He will set them to do his plowing and his harvesting, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
He will use your daughters as ointment-makers, as cooks, and as bakers.
He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials.
He will tithe your crops and your vineyards, and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves.
He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best oxen and your asses, and use them to do his work.
He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves.
When this takes place, you will complain against the king whom you have chosen, but on that day the LORD will not answer you.”
The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel’s warning and said, “Not so! There must be a king over us.
We too must be like other nations, with a king to rule us and to lead us in warfare and fight our battles.”
When Samuel had listened to all the people had to say, he repeated it to the LORD,
who then said to him, “Grant their request and appoint a king to rule them.” Samuel thereupon said to the men of Israel, “Each of you go to his own city.”

Psalms 89(88):16-17.18-19.
Happy the people who know you, LORD, who walk in the radiance of your face.
In your name they sing joyfully all the day; at your victory they raise the festal shout.
You are their majestic strength; by your favor our horn is exalted.
Truly the LORD is our shield, the Holy One of Israel, our king!

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 2:1-12.
When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?
Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”–
he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”
He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”
Commentary of the day : Saint John Chrysostom
“Seeing their faith”

Thursday of the First week in Ordinary Time
1st book of Samuel 4:1-11.
The Philistines gathered for an attack on Israel. Israel went out to engage them in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek.
The Philistines then drew up in battle formation against Israel. After a fierce struggle Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who slew about four thousand men on the battlefield.
When the troops retired to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD permitted us to be defeated today by the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the LORD from Shiloh that it may go into battle among us and save us from the grasp of our enemies.”
So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned upon the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of God.
When the ark of the LORD arrived in the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth resounded.
The Philistines, hearing the noise of shouting, asked, “What can this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” On learning that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp,
the Philistines were frightened. They said, “Gods have come to their camp.” They said also, “Woe to us! This has never happened before.
Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with various plagues and with pestilence.
Take courage and be manly, Philistines; otherwise you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they were your slaves. So fight manfully!”
The Philistines fought and Israel was defeated; every man fled to his own tent. It was a disastrous defeat, in which Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers.
The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were among the dead.

Psalms 44(43):10-11.14-15.24-25.
But now you have rejected and disgraced us; you do not march out with our armies.
You make us retreat before the foe; those who hate us plunder us at will.
You make us the reproach of our neighbors, the mockery and scorn of those around us.
You make us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us.
Awake! Why do you sleep, O Lord? Rise up! Do not reject us forever!
Why do you hide your face; why forget our pain and misery?

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 1:40-45.
A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, «If you wish, you can make me clean.»
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.”
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.
Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.
Commentary of the day : Saint John of the Cross
“Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him”