About Today
Tuesday 13 January 2026
Tuesday of week 1 in Ordinary Time
or Saint Hilary, Bishop, Doctor
The Lord is a great king: come, let us adore him.
Year: A(II). Psalm week: 1. Liturgical Colour: Green.
St Hilary of Poitiers (- 367)
Hilary was born at the beginning of the fourth century. He was elected Bishop of Poitiers in 350. He fought strongly against Arianism and was exiled by the Emperor Constantius. His works are full of wisdom and learning, directed to the strengthening of the Catholic faith and the right interpretation of Scripture. He died in 367. He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1851.
Other saints: St Kentigern or Mungo (518 - 603)
Lancaster, Scotland: 13 Jan
Liverpool: 14 Jan
Kentigern was born in about 518. At the age of 25 he went as a missionary on the Clyde. A community grew up around him, known as “Clasgu” (“dear family”), and this is now the city of Glasgow. He was consecrated as bishop in 540. A strong anti-Christian movement forced him into exile in Wales, where he founded a monastery at what is now St Asaph’s. After 573 he spent eight years at Hoddam in Dumfriesshire before returning to Glasgow in 581. He died there on 13 January 603. See the articles in the Catholic Encyclopaedia and Wikipedia.
Jesus told the unclean spirit: 'Be silent, and come out of him!'
Gospel: Mark 1:21-28
Jesus and his disciples went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’ And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Reflection on the Medieval Textile painting
We are only the second day of the First Week of Ordinary time, and today we are already offered a different side to Jesus: how he deals with opposition and aggression. In today’s Gospel, Jesus is confronted by a man who lashes out with hostility: “What do you want with us? Have you come to destroy us?” It is a voice full of fear and aggression. Yet Jesus does not step back or respond with the same harsh negative energy. He stands firm and speaks with authority: not to condemn, but to set free.
Over and over in the Gospels, when Jesus meets resistance, anger, or violence, he does not mirror it. Even on the cross, when hatred has done its worst, he prays for his persecutors: “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus always sees deeper, he always moves beyond aggression, beyond the anger, beneath the sin... he wants to get to the pain and frustration hidden inside the human heart. From there, he then heals. That is why those watching in the synagogue were astonished. They had never seen authority like this. Jesus’ power is not domination, force, or intimidation. His authority appears in mercy, in healing, in restoring a person who seemed beyond reach.
Our scene painted by Meister Konrad von Friesach, in 1458, is taken from the Abstinence Cloth in the Cathedral of Gurk in Carinthia, Austria. It is a remarkable mid-15th-century Lenten veil (Fastentuch or in Latin: velum quadrigesimale) designed to hang in the cathedral during Lent, covering the choir or altar and providing a visual focus for the season of fasting and spiritual preparation. Rather than a single scene, this large painted cloth contains 99 individual small narrative images, arranged in horizontal bands, showing a succession of biblical episodes, including scenes such as Christ casting out demons in our illustration, reflecting the need for repentance and confession. You can see an overall illustration of our Fastentuch here, halfway down the webpage: click here.
Jesus Christ dispossesses (section of painting with scenes on the Lenten Veil of the Cathedral of Gurk, Carinthia, Austria),
Painted by Meister Konrad von Friesach,
Painted in 1458
Oil and, gold leaf paint on textile
© Wikimedia Commons / Cathedral of Gurk, Carinthia, Austria
Tuesday of week 1 in Ordinary Time
or Saint Hilary, Bishop, Doctor
The Lord is a great king: come, let us adore him.
Year: A(II). Psalm week: 1. Liturgical Colour: Green.
St Hilary of Poitiers (- 367)
Hilary was born at the beginning of the fourth century. He was elected Bishop of Poitiers in 350. He fought strongly against Arianism and was exiled by the Emperor Constantius. His works are full of wisdom and learning, directed to the strengthening of the Catholic faith and the right interpretation of Scripture. He died in 367. He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1851.
Other saints: St Kentigern or Mungo (518 - 603)
Lancaster, Scotland: 13 Jan
Liverpool: 14 Jan
Kentigern was born in about 518. At the age of 25 he went as a missionary on the Clyde. A community grew up around him, known as “Clasgu” (“dear family”), and this is now the city of Glasgow. He was consecrated as bishop in 540. A strong anti-Christian movement forced him into exile in Wales, where he founded a monastery at what is now St Asaph’s. After 573 he spent eight years at Hoddam in Dumfriesshire before returning to Glasgow in 581. He died there on 13 January 603. See the articles in the Catholic Encyclopaedia and Wikipedia.
Jesus told the unclean spirit: 'Be silent, and come out of him!'
Gospel: Mark 1:21-28
Jesus and his disciples went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’ And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Reflection on the Medieval Textile painting
We are only the second day of the First Week of Ordinary time, and today we are already offered a different side to Jesus: how he deals with opposition and aggression. In today’s Gospel, Jesus is confronted by a man who lashes out with hostility: “What do you want with us? Have you come to destroy us?” It is a voice full of fear and aggression. Yet Jesus does not step back or respond with the same harsh negative energy. He stands firm and speaks with authority: not to condemn, but to set free.
Over and over in the Gospels, when Jesus meets resistance, anger, or violence, he does not mirror it. Even on the cross, when hatred has done its worst, he prays for his persecutors: “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus always sees deeper, he always moves beyond aggression, beyond the anger, beneath the sin... he wants to get to the pain and frustration hidden inside the human heart. From there, he then heals. That is why those watching in the synagogue were astonished. They had never seen authority like this. Jesus’ power is not domination, force, or intimidation. His authority appears in mercy, in healing, in restoring a person who seemed beyond reach.
Our scene painted by Meister Konrad von Friesach, in 1458, is taken from the Abstinence Cloth in the Cathedral of Gurk in Carinthia, Austria. It is a remarkable mid-15th-century Lenten veil (Fastentuch or in Latin: velum quadrigesimale) designed to hang in the cathedral during Lent, covering the choir or altar and providing a visual focus for the season of fasting and spiritual preparation. Rather than a single scene, this large painted cloth contains 99 individual small narrative images, arranged in horizontal bands, showing a succession of biblical episodes, including scenes such as Christ casting out demons in our illustration, reflecting the need for repentance and confession. You can see an overall illustration of our Fastentuch here, halfway down the webpage: click here.
Jesus Christ dispossesses (section of painting with scenes on the Lenten Veil of the Cathedral of Gurk, Carinthia, Austria),
Painted by Meister Konrad von Friesach,
Painted in 1458
Oil and, gold leaf paint on textile
© Wikimedia Commons / Cathedral of Gurk, Carinthia, Austria