Daily Readings - Thu Jan 11 2018

First Reading - 1 Samuel 4.1c-11

¹And it happened that, in those days, the Philistines assembled to fight. And Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle, and he made camp beside the Stone of Assistance. But the Philistines went to Aphek²and they positioned their troops against Israel. Then, when the conflict began, Israel turned his back to the Philistines. And they were cut down in that conflict, in various places in the fields, about four thousand men³And the people returned to the camp. And those greater by birth of Israel said: "Why has the Lord struck us today before the Philistines? Let us bring to ourselves the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. And let it enter into our midst, so that it may save us from the hand of our enemies.⁴Therefore, the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, sitting upon the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of the covenant of God⁵And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord had arrived in the camp, all of Israel shouted with a great clamor, and the land resounded⁶And the Philistines heard the voice of the clamor, and they said, "What is this voice of a great clamor in the camp of the Hebrews?" And they realized that the ark of the Lord had arrived in the camp⁷And the Philistines were afraid, saying, "God has entered into the camp." And they groaned, saying⁸"Woe to us! For there was no such great exultation yesterday, or the day before. Woe to us! Who will save us from the hand of these sublime gods? These are the gods who struck Egypt with all the plagues, in the desert.⁹"Be strengthened, and be manly, O Philistines! Otherwise, you may serve the Hebrews, as they also have served you. Be strengthened and wage war!¹⁰Therefore, the Philistines fought, and Israel was cut down, and each one fled to his own tent. And an exceedingly great slaughter occurred. And thirty thousand foot soldiers from Israel fell¹¹And the ark of God was captured. Also, the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died

Gospel - Mark 1.40-45

Mark

Chapter 1

⁴⁰And a leper came to him, begging him. And kneeling down, he said to him, "If you are willing, you are able to cleanse me.⁴¹Then Jesus, taking pity on him, reached out his hand. And touching him, he said to him: "I am willing. Be cleansed.⁴²And after he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed⁴³And he admonished him, and he promptly sent him away⁴⁴And he said to him: "See to it that you tell no one. But go and show yourself to the high priest, and offer for your cleansing that which Moses instructed, as a testimony for them.⁴⁵But having departed, he began to preach and to disseminate the word, so that he was no longer able to openly enter a city, but had to remain outside, in deserted places. And they were gathered to him from every direction

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of faith, trust, and our relationship with God. In the first reading from 1 Samuel, we see the Israelites facing defeat at the hands of the Philistines. Despite their confidence in the Ark of the Covenant, which they believed would guarantee their victory, they suffer a devastating loss. The Ark, a symbol of God’s presence, is even captured, and the sons of Eli perish. This story reminds us that mere symbols of faith, without a deeper connection to God, are insufficient. The Israelites relied on the Ark as a magical solution rather than seeking a genuine relationship with the Lord. In the Gospel, we encounter a very different kind of faith. A leper, marginalized and suffering, approaches Jesus with humility and trust. He doesn’t demand healing but simply asks, “If you are willing, you are able to cleanse me.” Jesus, moved by compassion, reaches out and heals him. This moment highlights the power of sincere faith and the transformative love of God. Unlike the Israelites, who trusted in the Ark but neglected their relationship with God, the leper trusts in Jesus’ willingness to act, and his faith is rewarded. These readings challenge us to examine our own faith. Do we, like the Israelites, rely on external symbols or rituals without nurturing a deeper connection to God? Or do we, like the leper, approach God with humility and trust, recognizing His power and love? In our daily lives, we are called to move beyond superficial expressions of faith and instead cultivate a personal, heartfelt relationship with the Lord. Let us trust in His goodness, even in the midst of uncertainty, and allow His love to transform us.