Daily Readings - Sat Jan 27 2018

First Reading - 2 Samuel 12.1-7a, 10-17

¹Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And when he had come to him, he said to him: "Two men were in one city: one wealthy, and the other poor²The wealthy man had very many sheep and oxen³But the poor man had nothing at all, except one little sheep, which he had bought and nourished. And she had grown up before him, together with his children, eating from his bread, and drinking from his cup, and sleeping in his bosom. And she was like a daughter to him⁴But when a certain traveler had come to the wealthy man, neglecting to take from his own sheep and oxen, so that he might present a feast for that traveler, who had come to him, he took the sheep of the poor man, and he prepared a meal for the man who had come to him.⁵Then David’s indignation was enraged exceedingly against that man, and he said to Nathan: "As the Lord lives, the man who has done this is a son of death⁶He shall restore the sheep fourfold, because he did this word, and he did not take pity.⁷But Nathan said to David: "You are that man. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I anointed you as king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul¹⁰For this reason, the sword shall not withdraw from your house, even perpetually, because you have despised me, and you have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite, so that she may be your wife.¹¹And so, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up over you an evil from your own house. And I will take your wives away before your eyes, and I will give them to your neighbor. And he will sleep with your wives in the sight of this sun¹²For you acted secretly. But I will do this word in the sight of all of Israel, and in the sight of the sun.’ ¹³And David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said to David: "The Lord has also taken away your sin. You shall not die¹⁴Yet truly, because you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, because of this word, the son who was born to you: dying he shall die.¹⁵And Nathan returned to his own house. And the Lord struck the little one, whom the wife of Uriah had borne to David, and he was despaired of¹⁶And David begged the Lord on behalf of the little one. And David fasted strictly, and entering alone, he lay upon the ground¹⁷Then the elders of his house came, urging him to rise up from the ground. And he was not willing, nor would he eat a meal with them

Gospel - Mark 4.35-41

Mark

Chapter 4

³⁵And on that day, when evening had arrived, he said to them, "Let us cross over.³⁶And dismissing the crowd, they brought him, so that he was in one boat, and other boats were with him³⁷And a great wind storm occurred, and the waves broke over the boat, so that the boat was being filled³⁸And he was in the stern of the boat, sleeping on a pillow. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, does it not concern you that we are perishing?³⁹And rising up, he rebuked the wind, and he said to the sea: "Silence. Be stilled." And the wind ceased. And a great tranquility occurred⁴⁰And he said to them: "Why are you afraid? Do you still lack faith?"⁴¹And they were struck with a great fear. And they said to one another, "Who do you think this is, that both wind and sea obey him?"

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two profound narratives that invite us to reflect on faith, repentance, and the divine presence in our lives. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts the story of King David's confrontation with the prophet Nathan. Through a parable, Nathan reveals David's sin of taking Uriah's wife, Bathsheba, and the subsequent consequences. David, upon recognizing his wrongdoing, humbly repents, demonstrating the power of acknowledging our sins and seeking forgiveness. This story reminds us that true leadership and righteousness come not from power, but from a contrite heart. The Gospel reading from Mark presents a different yet complementary scenario. Jesus and His disciples encounter a fierce storm while crossing the sea. While the disciples are consumed by fear, Jesus calmly commands the wind and waves to cease, showcasing His divine authority. This miracle not only highlights Jesus' power over creation but also serves as a lesson in trust and faith. Just as the disciples needed to trust in Jesus amidst the storm, we too must trust in God's providence during life's turbulent moments. Both readings remind us of the importance of faith and repentance. Like David, we must acknowledge our shortcomings and turn to God with sincerity. Like the disciples, we must trust in Jesus' presence and power, even when chaos surrounds us. In our daily lives, let us strive to cultivate this faith and humility, knowing that God's mercy and peace are always within reach. May we, like David, repent with openness, and like the disciples, trust in the calm that only Jesus can bring.