Daily Readings - Sun Jan 24 2021

¹And the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying²Rise, and go to Nineveh, the great city. And preach in it the preaching that I say to you³And Jonah rose, and he went to Nineveh in accordance with the word of the Lord. And Nineveh was a great city of three days’ journey⁴And Jonah began to enter into the city one day’s journey. And he cried out and said, "Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed.⁵And the men of Nineveh believed in God. And they proclaimed a fast, and they put on sackcloth, from the greatest all the way to the least¹⁰And God saw their works, that they had been converted from their evil way. And God took pity on them, concerning the harm that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it

1 Corinthians

Chapter 7

²⁹And so, this is what I say, brothers: The time is short. What remains of it is such that: those who have wives should be as if they had none³⁰and those who weep, as though they were not weeping; and those who rejoice, as if they were not rejoicing; and those who buy, as if they possessed nothing³¹and those who use the things of this world, as if they were not using them. For the figure of this world is passing away

Mark

Chapter 1

¹⁴Then, after John was handed over, Jesus went into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God¹⁵and saying: "For the time has been fulfilled and the kingdom of God has drawn near. Repent and believe in the Gospel.¹⁶And passing by the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew, casting nets into the sea, for they were fishermen¹⁷And Jesus said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.¹⁸And at once abandoning their nets, they followed him¹⁹And continuing on a little ways from there, he saw James of Zebedee and his brother John, and they were mending their nets in a boat²⁰And immediately he called them. And leaving behind their father Zebedee in the boat with his hired hands, they followed him

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter powerful messages of repentance, urgency, and living with an eternal perspective. The Book of Jonah recounts the story of Jonah, who, after initial reluctance, obeys God’s call to preach to the people of Nineveh. The Ninevites, upon hearing Jonah’s warning of impending destruction, repent sincerely, and God, in His mercy, spares them. This narrative underscores God’s desire for conversion and His boundless compassion. In the second reading from 1 Corinthians, Paul urges the Corinthians to live with detachment from worldly concerns, recognizing that our time on earth is short. He advises them to approach life’s joys and sorrows with a sense of detachment, knowing that the world’s current form is transient. This teaching challenges us to focus on eternal values rather than fleeting worldly gains. The Gospel from Mark introduces Jesus beginning His ministry after John the Baptist’s arrest. Jesus proclaims the nearness of the kingdom of God, calling people to repentance and faith. His immediate calling of the disciples, who leave their nets without hesitation, highlights the urgency of responding to God’s call. Their prompt obedience exemplifies living with purpose and trust in God’s plan. These readings connect through themes of repentance, urgency, and detachment. Jonah’s mission and the Ninevites’ response show the power of repentance, while Paul’s advice and Jesus’ call emphasize living with an eternal focus. In our daily lives, we are invited to respond to God’s call with urgency, letting go of worldly attachments and embracing a life centered on faith and trust in God’s mercy. Let us live with purpose, trusting in God’s plan and striving to align our lives with His will.