Daily Readings - Fri Jan 20 2023
Hebrews
6But now he has been granted a better ministry, so much so that he is also the Mediator of a better testament, which has been confirmed by better promises7For if the former one had been entirely without fault, then a place certainly would not have been sought for a subsequent one8For, finding fault with them, he says: "Behold, the days shall arrive, says the Lord, when I will consummate a New Testament over the house of Israel and the house of Judah9not according to the testament which I made with their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand, so that I might lead them away from the land of Egypt. For they did not remain in my testament, and so I disregarded them, says the Lord10For this is the testament which I will set before the house of Israel, after those days, says the Lord. I will instill my laws in their minds, and I will inscribe my laws on their hearts. And so, I will be their God, and they shall be my people11And they will not teach, each one his neighbor, and each one his brother, saying: ‘Know the Lord.’ For all shall know me, from the least, even to the greatest of them12For I will forgive their iniquities, and I will no longer remember their sins.13Now in saying something new, he has made the former old. But that which decays and grows old is close to passing away
Mark
13And ascending onto a mountain, he called to himself those whom he willed, and they came to him14And he acted so that the twelve would be with him, and so that he might send them out to preach15And he gave them authority to cure infirmities, and to cast out demons16and he imposed on Simon the name Peter17and also he imposed on James of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, the name ‘Boanerges,’ that is, ‘Sons of Thunder;18and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Canaanite19and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of God’s covenant with humanity and the call to follow Jesus in mission. In the first reading from Hebrews, we hear about the superiority of the New Covenant over the Old. The author explains that the Old Covenant, established through Moses, was imperfect because it could not fully transform the hearts of the people. God, therefore, promises a New Covenant through Jesus Christ, one that writes His laws not on stone tablets but on human hearts. This covenant is marked by forgiveness, intimacy, and a deep knowledge of God that transcends mere outward observance.
In the Gospel, Mark describes Jesus calling the Twelve Apostles to be His closest followers and emissaries. Jesus chooses ordinary men, giving them extraordinary authority to preach, heal, and cast out demons. This passage reminds us that God’s work is not reserved for the perfect or the privileged but is entrusted to those who are willing to follow Him in faith. The Apostles, with all their flaws and limitations, become the foundation of the Church, showing us that God’s plan is fulfilled through human cooperation with His grace.
These readings are deeply connected. The New Covenant described in Hebrews is lived out through the mission of the Apostles in Mark’s Gospel. Just as the Apostles were called to continue Jesus’ work, we too are called to live as part of this New Covenant. Our hearts, transformed by God’s grace, are to be the living temples where His laws are inscribed. Like the Apostles, we are imperfect but called to trust in God’s plan and to share His love with the world. Let us ask ourselves: Am I open to letting God write His law on my heart? Am I willing to follow Jesus, even when the path is uncertain, and to share His message of love and redemption with others? May we, like the Apostles, embrace our mission with faith and humility, knowing that God’s work is not limited by our weaknesses but glorified through them.