Daily Readings - Sat Jan 29 2022
2 Samuel
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
Mark
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 powerful stories that invite us to reflect on faith, sin, and the mercy of God. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts the prophet Nathan’s confrontation of King David after his sinful actions with Bathsheba. Nathan uses a parable about a wealthy man who takes a poor man’s only sheep to expose David’s injustice and lack of compassion. David, recognizing his own guilt, humbly acknowledges his sin, and Nathan assures him of God’s forgiveness, though consequences remain. This story reminds us that sin has repercussions, but repentance opens the door to mercy.
The Gospel from Mark tells the story of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus, exhausted, rests in the boat while his disciples face a terrifying tempest. When they awaken him in fear, Jesus commands the wind and waves to be still, and a great calm follows. His disciples are left in awe, questioning who this is who can command nature itself. This passage invites us to trust in Jesus’ power and presence in the midst of life’s storms.
Both readings call us to examine our relationship with God. Like David, we all fall short and sin, but through repentance, we can experience God’s forgiveness. Like the disciples, we often find ourselves in turbulent situations, doubting God’s presence. Yet, Jesus reminds us that even in the chaos, He is with us, offering peace and calm. Let us turn to Him in faith, trusting in His power to still the storms of our lives and to forgive our sins. May we, like David, humbly acknowledge our failings and, like the disciples, grow in faith, knowing that God is always near.