Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 13, 2024
First Reading: 1 Samuel 9.1-4, 17-19; 10.1a
1Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a man of Benjamin, strong and robust2And he had a son called Saul, an elect and good man. And there was not a man among the sons of Israel better than he was. For he stood head and shoulders above all the people3Now the donkeys of Kish, the father of Saul, had become lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, "Take with you one of the servants, and rising up, go out and seek the donkeys." And when they had passed through mount Ephraim4and through the land of Shalishah, and had not found them, they crossed also through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there, and through the land of Benjamin, and they found nothing17And when Samuel had caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him: "Behold, the man about whom I spoke to you. This one shall rule over my people.18Then Saul drew near to Samuel, at the middle of the gate, and he said, "Tell me, I beg you: where is the house of the seer?19And Samuel responded to Saul, saying: "I am the seer. Ascend before me to the high place, so that you may eat with me today. And I will send you away in the morning. And I shall reveal to you everything that is in your heart
1Then Samuel took a little vial of oil, and poured it on his head. And he kissed him, and said: "Behold, the Lord has anointed you as first ruler over his inheritance. And you shall free his people from the hands of their enemies, who are all around them. And this shall be a sign for you that God has anointed you as ruler
Psalm 21
1Unto the end. A Psalm of David. In your virtue, Lord, the king will rejoice, and over your salvation, he will exult exceedingly2You have granted him the desire of his heart, and you have not cheated him of the wish of his lips3For you have gone ahead of him with blessings of sweetness. You have placed a crown of precious stones on his head4He petitioned you for life, and you have granted him length of days, in the present time, and forever and ever5Great is his glory in your salvation. Glory and great adornment, you will lay upon him6For you will give him as a blessing forever and ever. You will make him rejoice with gladness in your presence7Because the king hopes in the Lord, and in the mercy of the Most High, he will not be disturbed8May your hand be found by all your enemies. May your right hand discover all those who hate you9You will make them like an oven of fire, in the time of your presence. The Lord will stir them up with his wrath, and fire will devour them10You will destroy their fruit from the earth and their offspring from the sons of men11For they have turned evils upon you; they have devised plans, which they have not been able to accomplish12For you will make them turn their back; with your remnants, you will prepare their countenance13Be exalted, Lord, by your own power. We will play music and sing psalms to your virtues
Gospel: Mark 2.13-17
13And he departed again to the sea. And the entire crowd came to him, and he taught them14And as he was passing by, he saw Levi of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs office. And he said to him, "Follow me." And rising up, he followed him15And it happened that, as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat at table together with Jesus and his disciples. For those who followed him were many16And the scribes and the Pharisees, seeing that he ate with tax collectors and sinners, said to his disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?17Jesus, having heard this, said to them: "The healthy have no need of a doctor, but those who have maladies do. For I came not to call the just, but sinners.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments of divine calling and transformation. First, in the First Book of Samuel, we meet Saul, a young man from the tribe of Benjamin, who is unexpectedly anointed by the prophet Samuel to become the first king of Israel. This moment marks a significant shift in Israel's history, as God chooses a leader not based on outward appearances but on the condition of his heart. Saul, though initially hesitant and unaware of his destiny, is called to lead God's people, demonstrating that God often selects the humble and unexpected for great tasks.
In the Gospel of Mark, we see another kind of calling—Jesus' call to Levi, a tax collector, who immediately leaves his post to follow Jesus. This act of mercy and inclusion sparks controversy, as the Pharisees question why Jesus would associate with sinners. Jesus responds by emphasizing that his mission is not to call the righteous but to heal the broken, reminding us that God's love is not limited to the perfect but extends to all, especially those on the margins.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own calling and how we respond to God's invitation in our lives. Like Saul, we may feel unworthy or unprepared, but God sees beyond our limitations and equips us for His purposes. Like Levi, we are called to leave behind our old ways and follow Jesus, trusting in His mercy and grace. In our daily lives, let us embrace this call to humility, openness, and compassion, remembering that God's plan often unfolds in unexpected ways, and His love is always reaching out to the least expected.