Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 14, 2021

Psalm 95

¹The Praise of a Canticle, of David himself. Come, let us exult in the Lord. Let us shout joyfully to God, our Savior²Let us anticipate his presence with confession, and let us sing joyfully to him with psalms³For the Lord is a great God and a great King over all gods⁴For in his hand are all the limits of the earth, and the heights of the mountains are his⁵For the sea is his, and he made it, and his hands formed the dry land⁶Come, let us adore and fall prostrate, and let us weep before the Lord who made us⁷For he is the Lord our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand⁸If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts⁹as in the provocation, according to the day of temptation in the wilderness, where your fathers tempted me; they tested me, though they had seen my works¹⁰For forty years, I was offended by that generation, and I said: These have always strayed in heart¹¹And these have not known my ways. So I swore in my wrath: They shall not enter into my rest

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 Gospel today tells the story of a leper who approaches Jesus with deep faith and humility. The leper, aware of his condition and the social isolation it brings, kneels before Jesus and begs for healing, saying, "If you are willing, you are able to cleanse me." Moved by compassion, Jesus reaches out and touches the man, declaring, "I am willing. Be cleansed." Immediately, the leprosy leaves him, and he is made whole. Jesus then instructs the man to go to the priests and follow the rituals prescribed by Moses, but the man, overwhelmed with gratitude, spreads the news about Jesus' healing power, forcing Jesus to minister in deserted places to avoid crowds. This passage is deeply rooted in the cultural and religious context of Jesus' time. Leprosy was not only a physical affliction but also a social and religious one, as those afflicted were often shunned and considered unclean. The leper's boldness in approaching Jesus reflects his desperation and faith, while Jesus' willingness to touch and heal him defies societal norms and demonstrates His divine authority and compassion. The man's subsequent disobedience in spreading the news highlights the tension between human excitement and the need for humility and obedience. In our daily lives, this story invites us to reflect on our own faith and trust in God. Like the leper, we often feel unworthy or unclean because of our sins or struggles, but Jesus is always willing to heal and restore us. The passage also challenges us to respond to God's grace with humility and obedience, rather than seeking to draw attention to ourselves. Let us ask for the courage to approach Jesus with the leper's faith and the humility to follow His will, trusting that He is always willing to cleanse and renew us.