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  St Roch Asking the Virgin Mary to Heal Victims of the Plague Jacques-Louis David [ Web Gallery of Art ] The  notes about this painting  on the WGA website have a contemporary ring about them:  David’s first independent commission was for an altarpiece for the chapel of the Lazaret (or quarantine centre) in Marseille, France’s major Mediterranean port, and a place that lived in continual fear of contagion brought by travellers from the East . St Roch is one of the most popular saints in the Philippines where he is known as San Roque. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 1:29-39 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) And immediately Jesus left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.   Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.   And he came and took her by the hand

St John the Evangelist , El Greco, 1614 Museo de El Greco,Toledo,Spain Web Gallery of Art Gospel Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 ( NRV – Catholic Edition , Can) John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us."But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and 1he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better