Monday, 4th week in Ordinary Time, Year 1

Send us Fan MailMonday 3 February 2025 Monday, 4th week in Ordinary Time, Year 1 St Blaise, Bishop and Martyr Antiphons on page 1893 and Readings on page 780 of the Daily Missal.First Reading: Hebrews 11:32-40Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 31:20, 21, 22, 23, 24 (R. 25)R/. Be strong let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.How great is the goodness, Lord, that you keep for those who fear you, that you show to those who trust you in the sight of the children of men.You hide them in the shelter of your presence, secure from human scheming; you keep them safe within your tent from disputing tongues.Blest be the Lord for he has wondrously shown me his merciful love in a fortified city!“I am far removed from your sight,” I said in my alarm. Yet you heard the voice of my plea when I cried to you for help.Love the Lord, all you his saints. The Lord guards the faithful. But the Lord will repay to the full the one who acts with pride.R/. Gospel: Mark 5:1-20At that time: Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,  to the country of the Gerasenes.  And when he had come out of the boat,  there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,  who lived among the tombs;  and no one could bind him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been bound with shackles and chains,  but the chains he wrenched apart,  and the shackles he broke in pieces;  and no one had the strength to subdue him.  Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains  he was always crying out, and bruising himself with stones.  And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him;  and crying out with a loud voice, he said,  “What have you to do with me, Jesus,  Son of the Most High God?  I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”  For he had said to him,  “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”  And he begged him eagerly not to send them out of the country.  Now a great herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside;  and they begged him,  “Send us to the swine, let us enter them.”  So he gave them leave.  And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the swine;  and the herd, numbering about two thousand,  rushed down the steep bank into the sea,  and were drowned in the sea.The herdsmen fled,  and told it in the city and in the country.  And people came to see what it was that had happened.  And they came to Jesus,  and saw the demoniac sitting there,  clothed and in his right mind,  the man who had had the legion;  and they were afraid.  And those who had seen it  told what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine.  And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their neighbourhood.  And as he was getting into the boat,  the man who had been possessed with demons  begged him that he might be with him.  But he refused, and said to him,  “Go home to your friends,  and tell them how much the Lord has done for you,  and how he has had mercy on you.”  And he went away and began to p