St Mark's Catholic Church

St Mark's Catholic Church Led by the Gospel and fed by the Sacraments, the community of St. Mark’s Church follows Jesus and makes him known by the love we share.

12/29/2023

The readings for December 29th:
The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Reading 1: 1 John 2:3-11
Beloved:
The way we may be sure that we know Jesus
is to keep his commandments.
Whoever says, "I know him," but does not keep his commandments
is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoever keeps his word,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:
whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked.

Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you
but an old commandment that you had from the beginning.
The old commandment is the word that you have heard.
And yet I do write a new commandment to you,
which holds true in him and among you,
for the darkness is passing away,
and the true light is already shining.
Whoever says he is in the light,
yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.
Whoever loves his brother remains in the light,
and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.
Whoever hates his brother is in darkness;
he walks in darkness
and does not know where he is going
because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 5b-6

R. (11a) Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
The LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty go before him;
praise and grandeur are in his sanctuary.
R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Alleluia: Luke 2:32
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A light of revelation to the Gentiles
and glory for your people Israel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Luke 2:22-35

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

"Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel."

The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
"Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

12/29/2023

Gospel Reflections from Bishop Barron:
Friday, December 29, 2023


Fifth Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord
Luke 2:22–35
Friends, today’s Gospel tells the story of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple.

The Presentation of Jesus, perfected on the cross, is re-presented every time the Mass is celebrated. The Mass is certainly a festive meal, the moment when God feeds his people with his very Body and Blood; but the Mass is also a sacrifice, for it involves the offering of Jesus’ Body and Blood to the Father.

The Son, bearing the sins of the world, is presented to the Father: “Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.” Does God need this sacrifice? Of course not; God needs nothing. But our salvation is effected through this presentation, for we are brought back to the Father through the Son.

12/28/2023

Living Faith

Our Children Are Remembered

"...Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled..." (Matthew 2:18)

On the side of the highway near where I live is a small sign indicating that a traffic fatality occurred on that spot. Next to the roadside memorial, there is always a bouquet of flowers. For many years, someone has been faithfully remembering a loved one. I do not know the specifics, but I suspect it may have been a son or daughter. There is no greater loss. Grieving parents never forget.
This Feast of the Holy Innocents reminds us of the senseless murder of Jewish children. Their parents, too, must have been struck with an inconsolable grief. The children died in the wake of the newborn Messiah. Today, they are remembered as martyrs.
Innocents have been slaughtered for centuries. Today's feast suggests that the Lord remembers each one. While their lives seem to have been prematurely ended, God values each one. In God's eye, not one of their lives is without its full measure.

Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti

12/28/2023

The Word Among Us

"He is expiation for our sins." (1 John 2:2)

Today's feast of the Holy Innocents pulls us up short. how could someone do such a horrific thing as to massacre all those innocent young boys? An atrocity of this magnitude exposes, in sharp relief, the sin of the one man, Herod, who initiated it. But sadly, this is not the only time that the innocent have suffered at the hands of the cruel and unjust.
Even now, we see tragedy all around us. We hear about it on the news every day. Abortion, gun violence, the trafficking and abuse of children, poverty, and more--it seems as if "those [sins] of the whole world" are never going to go away (1 John 2:2).
That's where St. John's words from today's first reading can help us. John reminds us that Jesus is "expiation for our sins" (1 John 2:2). By his sacrifice on the cross, Jesus has done more than just atone for our sins. He has released us from the very power of sin itself. That applies to our own personal sins but also to the sins of the whole world. John doesn't want us to forget that Jesus can forgive and restore it all, even the heaviest, most heartbreaking, terrible things that we do to one another. None of it is a match for the redemption Jesus has won for us. This amazing truth can fill us with hope.
So of course, we weep and mourn, as Rachel did for her children (Matthew 2:18), every time we see the damage that sin inflicts on our world. But in the midst of our lamentation, our hearts can be lifted up by a sure and certain hope--the hope that Jesus, who took on flesh and came into our darkened world to redeem it, is there with us. he is holding out his hands to all of us: receiving victims into his embrace, reaching out to comfort the ones left behind, and even inviting those responsible to come and receive his mercy.
As we suffer with those who suffer, we can know that Jesus, who has forgiven and healed our sins and those of the whole world, is standing with us.

"Jesus, Redeemer, even in the face of tragedy, I place my hope in you!"

12/28/2023

The readings for December 28th:
Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

Reading 1: 1 John 1:5—2:2

Beloved:
This is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christ
and proclaim to you:
God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.
If we say, "We have fellowship with him,"
while we continue to walk in darkness,
we lie and do not act in truth.
But if we walk in the light as he is in the light,
then we have fellowship with one another,
and the Blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.
If we say, "We are without sin,"
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just
and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.
If we say, "We have not sinned," we make him a liar,
and his word is not in us.

My children, I am writing this to you
so that you may not commit sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous one.
He is expiation for our sins,
and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8

R. (7) Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.
Had not the LORD been with us—
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive,
When their fury was inflamed against us.
R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;
The torrent would have swept over us;
over us then would have swept the raging waters.
R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.
Broken was the snare,
and we were freed.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.

Alleluia See
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
the white robed army of martyrs praise you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Matthew 2:13-18

When the magi had departed, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
"Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,
he became furious.
He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
two years old and under,
in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:

A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.

12/28/2023

Gospel Reflections from Bishop Barron:
Thursday, December 28, 2023


Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs
Matthew 2:13–18
Friends, on this feast of the Holy Innocents, a baby is at the center of attention as the Gospel story commences. Cherished by his mother, protected by his foster-father, bestowed with gifts by the Magi, the baby Jesus is at the same time threatened by Herod and indeed by all of Jerusalem, which, we are told in an earlier verse, trembled at his coming.

Herod’s massacre of the innocents mimics, of course, Pharaoh’s murder of the male children of the Hebrews at the time of Moses’ birth. Once more we are made to see that, in the fallen world, the least powerful can be ruthlessly eliminated in order to satisfy the needs and assuage the fears of the most powerful.

Of course, the same Herod who casually ordered the murder of the children of Bethlehem had previously commanded the ex*****on of two of his own sons. This awful story functions as a vivid picture of what compromised family life looks like.

The abuse of young people can and should be analyzed psychologically and sociologically, but biblical people know that, in the final analysis, it is a manifestation of the dysfunction born of sin.

12/27/2023

Living Faith

A Year in Review

"Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart." (Psalm 97:11)

It's time for a new calendar for the new year. Funny how it sneaks up on us when the nights are long and the days are short. Take a moment to look back on the past twelve months. What blessings came your way? What trials held you down? Did those struggles make it hard to count the blessings? Like is sure a mixed bag. We all struggle. We all go through tough times. But ask yourself this--do you look for the light when you're weighed down by worry, or do you settle yourself in the darkness?
Some people curse and are defined by the darkness. Others trust and are transformed by it. Whatever trials weigh you down, there IS grace to be found here and now, in this hour, in this day. With an open heart, trust in the Lord, who was born in the darkness and welcomes you into the light.

Gale Goleas

12/27/2023

The Word Among Us

"What we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you." (1 John 1:3)

The apostle John, whose feast we celebrate today, begins his first letter by describing why he is able to proclaim the gospel to his readers and listeners: he has FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE of the Lord. He is saying that his words carry a lot of weight because he heard, saw, and even touched Jesus.
Even though you haven't touched Jesus in the same way that the apostle John did, you, too, have been close to him. Every time you receive the Eucharist, you touch him, Body, Blood. Soul and Divinity. You have also seen and heard Jesus, the Word made flesh, every time you read and pray with Scripture.
Every time you encounter Jesus in these ways, God's Spirit is at work in you, changing you and molding you into his image. As a "first-hand" witness of Jesus' presence and power, you have experienced the transformation that his closeness brings about--probably more than you even know! And like St. John, you can share what you have experienced.
That might make you feel nervous, but be encouraged that, in the words of Pope Paul VI, "Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses" (ON EVANGELIZATION IN THE MODERN WORLD, 41). Has God freed you from the pain of the past? Share his wonderful work with others. Has he led you to be more patient and kind? Tell people about it! Have you received direction for your life? Explain how! Say, along with St. John, "What [I] have seen and heard [I] proclaim now to you."
So don't be afraid! As John later writes, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18). Invite God's perfect love to drive out from you all fear and hesitation of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Proclaim today what you have seen and heard!

"Jesus, you have transformed my life. Help me to share the good news boldly."

12/27/2023

The readings for December 27th:
Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist

Reading 1: 1 John 1:1-4

Beloved:
What was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon
and touched with our hands
concerns the Word of life —
for the life was made visible;
we have seen it and testify to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life
that was with the Father and was made visible to us—
what we have seen and heard
we proclaim now to you,
so that you too may have fellowship with us;
for our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12

R. (12) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Clouds and darkness are around him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Alleluia See
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
the glorious company of Apostles praise you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: John 20:1a and 2-8

On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we do not know where they put him."
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.

12/27/2023

Gospel Reflections from Bishop Barron:
Wednesday, December 27, 2023


Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist
John 20:1a, 2–8
Friends, on this feast of St. John, our Gospel tells of his coming to faith in the Resurrection when he saw the empty tomb.

From this grave of Jesus, we learn that everything we took to be the case is not the case; that what always moved this way now moves that way.

God has shown us his power over death in the most unambiguous way; our lives should not be dominated by the fear of death, and we see the proof of this in the most vivid way imaginable.

Some people think that they will make the Resurrection more intelligible or more acceptable to modern people if they allegorize it away, turning it into a vague symbol of the perdurance of Jesus’ cause. But then his grave would be, like the grave of any ordinary hero, sad, wistful, reassuring.

Notice please that no cult of Jesus’ tomb ever developed in Christianity; we don’t look back with easy wistfulness. Rather, we allow ourselves to be surprised, turned upside down by it.

12/26/2023

Living Faith

The Spirit of God Is With Us

"But [Stephen], filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God..." (Acts 7:55)

Today's readings are a sharp contrast to yesterday's joyous celebration of Christmas. In the first reading, after "working great wonders and signs among all the people" (Acts 6:8), Stephen is stoned to death. In the Gospel, Jesus warns his followers, "You will be hated by all because of my name" (Matthew 10:22). Don't these readings put a damper on our Christmas joy?
Not really. For if we look more closely, we find some really GOOD NEWS tucked into those readings. While Stephen is being stoned, a young man stands by and watches, seeming to condone the ex*****on. He is Saul, who will go on to become St. Paul, one of the greatest Christian evangelizers of all times. And nestled in the Gospel are Jesus' words, "...do not worry" (Matthew 10:19). When frightening things happen, "the Spirit of your Father" (Matthew 10:20) will be with you.

"Holy Spirit, fill us with your presence in all the times and circumstances of our lives."

Sr. Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.

12/26/2023

The Word Among Us

"Stephen, filled with grace and power . . ." (Acts 6:8)

As we continue to celebrate the great feast of Christmas, we aren't just focusing on the actual circumstances that led to Jesus' birth. The meaning of his incarnation goes much deeper. This is especially evident in today's feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr.
When Jesus came to earth, he became the model for his followers. Jesus shows us how to live so that we can be pleasing to his heavenly Father. But he didn't only show us. Through his Incarnation, death, and resurrection, he dwells in us. Now the Holy Spirit offers us the same "grace and power" that was so apparent in Stephen (Acts 6:8). Now we can be "other Christs" to the world.
In the account of Stephen's life found in the Book of Acts, we clearly see "another Christ." For example, Stephen was selected to serve the Christian community as a deacon because, like Jesus, he was "filled with faith and the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5). Like Jesus, he worked "great wonders and signs among the people" (6:8). He also preached the good news like Jesus (6:9-10), and was unafraid to face the Sanhedrin when they sought to kill him (6:12; 7:1-53). Finally, like Jesus, he was put to death--but not before forgiving his persecutors (7:60).
As a Christian, you, too, are called to "incarnate" Jesus as Stephen did. Most likely you won't be called to be a martyr. But you will be called in a myriad of ways to die to self and your own selfish desires. You may not be ordained as a deacon, but you will be called to serve your brothers and sisters in need. You may not work great signs and wonders, but you can be a sign of Jesus' love and mercy to a hurting world. And finally, though you may never have to forgive persecutors trying to destroy you, you will be called to forgive--in both big and small ways.
The Incarnation reverberated through time and space, changing the world--and our hearts--forever. Like Stephen, may we, too, become Christ to the world in all the ways God is calling us.

"St. Stephen, pray that I may have the courage to be another Christ in the world today."

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322 Sinclair Street
Bottineau, ND
58318

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+17012283164

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