Luke 18:9-14

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’

Mark’s Gospel tells us of the baptism of Jesus, the beginning of his ministry and the proclamation of the saving gospel: baptismal water marks new life. But divine ordination means testing.

For new Christians, this baptismal life is also not without trials. In a somewhat obscure second reading, Peter tells his hearers that they may face any ordeal with supreme trust, because Jesus is sovereign over evil.

First Reading: Genesis 9:8-17

God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Psalm: Psalm 25:1-9
1
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
my God, I put my trust in you; *
let me not be humiliated,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.

2
Let none who look to you be put to shame; *
let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.

3
Show me your ways, O LORD, *
and teach me your paths.

4
Lead me in your truth and teach me, *
for you are the God of my salvation;
in you have I trusted all the day long.

5
Remember, O LORD, your compassion and love, *
for they are from everlasting.

6
Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; *
remember me according to your love
and for the sake of your goodness, O LORD.

7
Gracious and upright is the LORD; *
therefore he teaches sinners in his way.

8
He guides the humble in doing right *
and teaches his way to the lowly.

9
All the paths of the LORD are love and faithfulness *
to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:18-22

Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you– not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

Gospel: Mark 1:9-15

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

For the sick and those needing healing and support:
Lloyd          Patti             Pam             Mary Lea     Bev
Holly and Brennan         Gil                Vicki             Mickey
David         Rick              Keys            Susan

For the departed:
Phillip         Lea              Les              Jamie           W. Lloyd
Denis         Howard        Eugenia       Russ            Sierra

Other prayer requests and thanksgivings:
For peace in Egypt, Syria and throughout the Middle East
For an end to the Iranian nuclear threat
In thanksgiving for the gifts of repentance and renewal
For support for those who are lonely
That our elected officials may make commitment to our nation’s
People their first priority.

REMEMBER…Fridays in Lent at 5:00 p.m. The Stations of the Cross will be prayed at Christ the King.

ON SUNDAY 26 FEBRUARY a Cursillo event will be held at St. Anne’s, DePere.  Fellowship begins at 2:00 p.m. with an Ultreya to follow at 3:00 p.m.  Please bring a snack and join the group. On 25 March a diocesan-wide Ultreya will be held in Wisconsin Rapids.  All are welcome to attend!

OUR FIRST QUARTER 2012 OUTREACH TARGET is the CAP PANTRY.  In addition to your normal donations of non-perishable foods and personal heath care items, your cash donations will be of great assistance to the many local clients who depend upon the Pantry for their meals.

A MEMORIAL FUND will be established at our church in the name of Donna Lynn Domencich.  Individuals who so desire are encouraged to make their donations in her loving memory.  May she rest in peace!

It is God’s will that we experience the peace of Christ which passes all understanding. Lent invites us to take whatever actions might be necessary to access that peace. For most of us that means concentrating on forgiving and being forgiven, seeking inner spiritual renewal, and ensuring that we take time to nourish our souls. We characteristically feed our bodies, guard our homes and families, and plan for our financial futures. But what about the good health of our souls? Lent is a time when we work, pray, and give for our own spiritual welfare and for the good of those who accompany us on life’s journey.

Fr. Hillman

I am very comfortable, however, seeing ordinary men and women heal each other’s pain. I’ve seen it done with a smile; with a gentle, loving touch on the arm; with a hug; with a word of forgiveness or encouragement; and, mostly, with love.

My point: We all can heal. We do it by faith in God and love for others.

“Some people brought to him a paralyzed
man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus
said to the paralyzed man, ‘Be encouraged,
my child! Your sins are forgiven.’”
-Matthew 9:2

I know a man who, the other evening, was broken – again – by his addiction to alcohol. He was despondent, frustrated, in despair. I and another friend encouraged him to go to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. During that gathering of men and women, he reached out and encouraged others, creating a healing network of very human men and women who performed miracles of uplifting encouragement out of love and faith. Very powerful stuff. So, share your love and faith, no matter how wobbly it may be. Heal others and watch how, in turn, they will help heal you. God bless.

John Ingrisano
DailyConnections
209 Church Street
Algoma, WI 54201
(920) 559-3722
February 21, 2012

John 18:28-38

28 Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to
avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. 29So Pilate went out to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this man?’ 30They
answered, ‘If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.’ 31Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and judge him
according to your law.’ The Jews replied, ‘We are not permitted to put anyone to death.’ 32(This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the
kind of death he was to die.) 33Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ 34Jesus
answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ 35Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests
have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ 36Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my
followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ 37Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a
king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to
the truth listens to my voice.’ 38Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’ After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, ‘I find no case
against him.

]]> http://www.cckhn.org/daily-readings/tuesday-21-february-2012/feed/ 0 http://www.cckhn.org/daily-readings/monday-20-february-2012/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=monday-20-february-2012 http://www.cckhn.org/daily-readings/monday-20-february-2012/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:00:32 +0000 sallen http://www.cckhn.org/?p=773 Things to ponder… What might God be saying to ME in this passage? What application does it have to my life TODAY? What lesson is embodied in this passage that I might use to SHARE BLESSINGS with others?

John 18:15-18,25-27

15Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high … Read more