Daily Readings - Thu Jan 25 2018

First Reading - Acts 22.3-16

³And he said: "I am a Jewish man, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but raised in this city beside the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous for the law, just as all of you also are to this day⁴I persecuted this Way, even unto death, binding and delivering into custody both men and women⁵just as the high priest and all those greater by birth bear witness to me. Having received letters from them to the brothers, I journeyed to Damascus, so that I might lead them bound from there to Jerusalem, so that they might be punished⁶But it happened that, as I was traveling and was approaching Damascus at midday, suddenly from heaven a great light shone around me⁷And falling to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?⁸And I responded, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.⁹And those who were with me, indeed, saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of him who was speaking with me¹⁰And I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ Then the Lord said to me: ‘Rise up, and go to Damascus. And there, you shall be told all that you must do.¹¹And since I could not see, because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by my companions, and I went to Damascus¹²Then a certain Ananias, a man in accord with the law, having the testimony of all the Jews who were living there¹³drawing near to me and standing close by, said to me, ‘Brother Saul, see!’ And in that same hour, I looked upon him¹⁴But he said: ‘The God of our fathers has preordained you, so that you would come to know his will and would see the Just One, and would hear the voice from his mouth¹⁵For you shall be his witness to all men about those things which you have seen and heard¹⁶And now, why do you delay? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, by invoking his name.

Gospel - Mark 16.15-18

Mark

Chapter 16

¹⁵And he said to them: "Go forth to the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature¹⁶Whoever will have believed and been baptized will be saved. Yet truly, whoever will not have believed will be condemned¹⁷Now these signs will accompany those who believe. In my name, they shall cast out demons. They will speak in new languages¹⁸They will take up serpents, and, if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them. They shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they will be well.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the transformative power of faith and the call to share the Gospel with the world. In the first reading from Acts, we hear Paul’s dramatic conversion story. Once a fierce persecutor of Christians, Paul encounters the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, and his life is forever changed. This encounter not only opens his eyes to the truth but also commissions him to become a witness for Christ. Paul’s story reminds us that God can turn even the most unlikely hearts into instruments of His will. His journey from persecution to proclamation is a testament to the power of divine grace and the universal call to mission. In the Gospel, Mark records Jesus’ final instructions to His disciples before His ascension. He commands them to “go forth to the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” This Great Commission is not just a task for the first disciples but a mandate for all followers of Christ. The signs that accompany those who believe—such as healing the sick, casting out demons, and speaking new languages—are not ends in themselves but expressions of the transformative power of the Gospel. Jesus’ words remind us that our faith is not meant to be kept to ourselves but shared with the world. These readings are deeply connected. Paul’s conversion in Acts is a living example of the Great Commission in action. His encounter with Christ leads him to proclaim the Gospel to all, even to those who once considered him an enemy. For us, this means that our own conversions—whether dramatic or gradual—are not just personal experiences but callings to share the Good News with others. In our daily lives, we are invited to embrace the transformative power of Christ and to live as witnesses of His love. Let us ask ourselves: How am I responding to God’s call? Am I allowing His grace to change me, and am I sharing that grace with others? May we, like Paul, be bold in proclaiming the Gospel, trusting that God’s power will work through us to bring light and hope to a world in need.