Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 8, 2020
First Reading: 1 John 4.11-18
11Most beloved, if God has so loved us, we also ought to love one another12No one has ever seen God. But if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us13In this way, we know that we abide in him, and he in us: because he has given to us from his Spirit14And we have seen, and we testify, that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world15Whoever has confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God16And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love. And he who abides in love, abides in God, and God in him17In this way, the love of God is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment. For as he is, so also are we, in this world18Fear is not in love. Instead, perfect love casts out fear, for fear pertains to punishment. And whoever fears is not perfected in love
Psalm 72
1A Psalm according to Solomon2Give your judgment, O God, to the king, and your justice to the king’s son, to judge your people with justice and your poor with judgment3Let the mountains take up peace for the people, and the hills, justice4He will judge the poor of the people, and he will bring salvation to the sons of the poor. And he will humble the false accuser5And he will remain, with the sun and before the moon, from generation to generation6He will descend like rain upon fleece, and like showers showering upon the earth7In his days, justice will rise like the sun, with abundance of peace, until the moon is taken away8And he will rule from sea to sea and from the river to the limits of the whole world9In his sight, the Ethiopians will fall prostrate, and his enemies will lick the ground10The kings of Tarshish and the islands will offer gifts. The kings of Arabia and of Seba will bring gifts11And all the kings of the earth shall adore him. All nations will serve him12For he will free the poor from the powerful, and the poor one who has no helper13He will spare the poor and the indigent, and he will bring salvation to the souls of the poor14He will redeem their souls from usuries and from iniquity, and their names shall be honorable in his sight15And he will live, and to him will be given from the gold of Arabia, and by him they will always adore. They will bless him all day long16And there will be a firmament on earth, at the summits of mountains: its fruits will be extolled above Lebanon, and those of the city will flourish like the grass of the earth17May his name be blessed forever; may his name remain before the sun. And all the tribes of the earth will be blessed in him. All nations will magnify him18Blessed is the Lord, God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things19And blessed is the name of his majesty in eternity. And all the earth will be filled with his majesty. Amen. Amen20The praises of David, the son of Jesse, have reached an end
Gospel: Mark 6.45-52
45And without delay he urged his disciples to climb into the boat, so that they might precede him across the sea to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the people46And when he had dismissed them, he went to the mountain to pray47And when it was late, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he was alone on the land48And seeing them struggling to row, (for the wind was against them,) and about the fourth watch of the night, he came to them, walking upon the sea. And he intended to pass by them49But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they thought it was an apparition, and they cried out50For they all saw him, and they were very disturbed. And immediately he spoke with them, and he said to them: "Be strengthened in faith. It is I. Do not be afraid.51And he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they became even more astonished within themselves52For they did not understand about the bread. For their heart had been blinded
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are reminded of the profound connection between love, faith, and trust in God. The first reading from 1 John emphasizes that God is love, and this love is not merely a feeling but a divine reality that transforms us. John writes that if we abide in love, we abide in God, and God in us. This love is not just for a select few but is universal, calling us to love one another as God has loved us. The second reading from Mark’s Gospel complements this message with the story of Jesus walking on the water to meet his disciples, who were struggling against the wind and waves. Jesus’ words, “Be strengthened in faith. It is I. Do not be afraid,” offer us a timeless assurance of his presence and care, even in the midst of life’s storms.
The context of these readings is deeply rooted in the relationship between God and humanity. In 1 John, the apostle writes to a community facing challenges and uncertainties, urging them to hold fast to the love of God as their anchor. In Mark’s Gospel, the disciples, having just witnessed the miracle of the loaves, are now tested by the turbulent sea. Jesus’ appearance on the water is not just a display of his divine power but also a moment of tender compassion, reassuring his disciples of his presence and calming their fears. Together, these readings invite us to reflect on how we respond to difficulties and uncertainties in our own lives. Do we turn to fear, or do we turn to faith?
The moral lesson here is clear: love and faith are intertwined. Just as the disciples needed to trust in Jesus’ presence on the water, we too must trust in God’s love and providence in every situation. Perfect love, as John writes, casts out fear. This does not mean we will never feel afraid, but it means we can face our fears with confidence, knowing that God is with us. In our daily lives, this means loving others selflessly, even when it is difficult, and trusting in God’s plan, even when the path ahead seems uncertain. Let us strive to abide in God’s love, so that we may live with courage, compassion, and confidence, reflecting the love of Christ to a world in need.