Daily Readings - Sun Feb 03 2019

⁴And the word of the Lord came to me, saying⁵"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And before you went forth from the womb, I sanctified you. And I made you a prophet to the nations.¹⁷Therefore, you should gird your waist, and rise up, and speak to them everything that I instruct you. You should not have dread before their face. For I will cause you to be unafraid of their countenance¹⁸For certainly, this day, I have made you like a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and a brass wall, over all the land, to the kings of Judah, to its leaders, and to the priests, and to the people of the land¹⁹And they will make war against you, but they will not prevail. For I am with you, says the Lord, so that I may free you.

1 Corinthians

Chapter 13

⁴Charity is patient, is kind. Charity does not envy, does not act wrongly, is not inflated⁵Charity is not ambitious, does not seek for itself, is not provoked to anger, devises no evil⁶Charity does not rejoice over iniquity, but rejoices in truth⁷Charity suffers all, believes all, hopes all, endures all⁸Charity is never torn away, even if prophecies pass away, or languages cease, or knowledge is destroyed⁹For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part¹⁰But when the perfect arrives, the imperfect passes away¹¹When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I understood like a child, I thought like a child. But when I became a man, I put aside the things of a child¹²Now we see through a glass darkly. But then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know, even as I am known¹³But for now, these three continue: faith, hope, and charity. And the greatest of these is charity

Luke

Chapter 4

²¹Then he began to say to them, "On this day, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.²²And everyone gave testimony to him. And they wondered at the words of grace that proceeded from his mouth. And they said, "Is this not the son of Joseph?²³And he said to them: "Certainly, you will recite to me this saying, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ The many great things that we have heard were done in Capernaum, do here also in your own country.²⁴Then he said: "Amen I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in his own country²⁵In truth, I say to you, there were many widows in the days of Elijah in Israel, when the heavens were closed for three years and six months, when a great famine had occurred throughout the entire land²⁶And to none of these was Elijah sent, except to Zarephath of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow²⁷And there were many lepers in Israel under the prophet Elisha. And none of these was cleansed, except Naaman the Syrian.²⁸And all those in the synagogue, upon hearing these things, were filled with anger²⁹And they rose up and drove him beyond the city. And they brought him all the way to the edge of the mount, upon which their city had been built, so that they might thrown him down violently³⁰But passing through their midst, he went away

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the call to serve God and others, the nature of love, and the challenges of living out our faith. In the first reading, Jeremiah is called by God to be a prophet, even before he was born. Despite his initial hesitation, God assures him of His presence and strengthens him for the mission ahead. This passage reminds us that God’s call is not limited by our perceived weaknesses or doubts; He equips us for the task. In the second reading, St. Paul’s beautiful hymn to love reminds us that love is patient, kind, and enduring. Love is not self-seeking or envious; it rejoices in truth and bears all things. This passage challenges us to examine how we love and whether our actions reflect the selfless love of God. In the Gospel, Jesus is rejected by His own people in Nazareth because they cannot see beyond His humble origins. He reminds them that prophets are often rejected at home and that God’s grace is not confined to one people or place. This rejection leads to anger, but Jesus calmly walks away, showing us how to respond to hostility with peace and trust in God. These readings are connected by the theme of trust in God’s plan and the call to live out that trust in love and humility. Jeremiah’s call and Jesus’ rejection both emphasize that following God’s will often requires courage and perseverance in the face of opposition. St. Paul’s teaching on love reminds us that our actions must be rooted in selfless love, which is the foundation of all Christian life. Together, the readings call us to trust God’s plan, remain humble, and love without condition, even when it is difficult. In our daily lives, we are called to live out this love and trust. When we face challenges or rejection, we can draw strength from God’s promise to be with us, just as He was with Jeremiah and Jesus. Let us examine how we love those around us—do we love patiently and kindly, or do we allow envy or selfishness to creep in? Let us also reflect on how we respond to rejection or criticism. Do we react with anger, or do we trust in God’s plan and walk away with peace? Today’s readings remind us that our faith is not just about belief but about living out that belief in love and humility. May we strive to be instruments of God’s love, even when it is hard, and may we trust in His presence to guide and strengthen us.