Daily Readings - Sun Jan 30 2022

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 mission, 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, despite his own fears and insecurities. God assures him, "I am with you to deliver you," reminding us that our strength comes not from ourselves but from the Lord. In the second reading, St. Paul describes the essence of love—patient, kind, enduring, and selfless. He reminds us that while other gifts may fade, love remains the greatest and most enduring. In the Gospel, Jesus faces rejection in his own hometown, teaching us that living out our faith can sometimes lead to opposition, but we must remain faithful to our mission. These readings are deeply connected. Jeremiah’s call to prophesy, despite his fears, is an example of the kind of selfless love St. Paul describes. Jesus’ rejection in Nazareth shows us that even the Son of God faced opposition, yet He remained steadfast in His mission. Together, these readings remind us that our faith is not just about feeling comfortable or being accepted; it is about embracing a life of service, love, and courage, even in the face of challenges. In our daily lives, these readings call us to reflect on how we live out our faith. Are we willing to step out of our comfort zones to serve others? Do we practice the kind of patient, enduring love that St. Paul describes? When we face rejection or difficulties, do we remain faithful to our mission? Let us ask for the courage to embrace our calling, just as Jeremiah did, and to love as Jesus loved—selflessly and without condition. May we remember that true strength comes from God, and that love is the greatest virtue that endures forever.