January 21, 2015

Reading

The Letter to the Hebrews    7: 1-3, 15-17

7:1	For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham, as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him.
7:2	And Abraham divided to him a tenth part of everything. And in translation his name is first, indeed, king of justice, and next also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.
7:3	Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, he is thereby likened to the Son of God, who remains a priest continuously.
7:15	And yet it is far more evident that, according to the likeness of Melchizedek, there rises up another priest,
7:16	who was made, not according to the law of a carnal commandment, but according to the virtue of an indissoluble life.
7:17	For he testifies: “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

Gospel

The Holy Gospel According to Mark   3: 1-6

3:1	And again, he entered into the synagogue. And there was a man there who had a withered hand.
3:2	And they observed him, to see if he would cure on the Sabbaths, so that they might accuse him.
3:3	And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Stand up in the middle.”
3:4	And he said to them: “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbaths, or to do evil, to give health to a life, or to destroy?” But they remained silent.
3:5	And looking around at them with anger, being very saddened over the blindness of their hearts, he said to the man, “Extend your hand.” And he extended it, and his hand was restored to him.
3:6	Then the Pharisees, going out, immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him, as to how they might destroy him.