Daily Readings - Sun Jan 21 2024

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 discipleship. The Book of Jonah recounts the prophet's call to Nineveh, a city steeped in sin, where the people's repentance leads to God's mercy. This story underscores the transformative power of turning away from sin and towards God. In 1 Corinthians, Paul urges believers to live with detachment, recognizing the fleeting nature of worldly concerns. He encourages a life focused on eternal values amidst temporal distractions. The Gospel of Mark depicts Jesus beginning His ministry, calling the first disciples with a sense of immediacy, highlighting the urgency of responding to God's call. These readings intertwine themes of repentance, living with purpose, and prompt obedience. Jonah's mission and the people's response illustrate the universal call to repentance, while Paul's advice in Corinthians reminds us to keep our sights on the eternal. Mark's account of the disciples leaving their nets to follow Jesus embodies the radical response required to follow Christ. Together, they challenge us to reevaluate our priorities and respond wholeheartedly to God's invitation. In our daily lives, these themes invite us to reflect on our own repentance, detachment from worldly distractions, and readiness to follow God's call. Let us embrace the urgency of living as disciples, seeking to align our lives with God's will. May we, like the people of Nineveh and the first disciples, respond with faith and commitment, trusting in God's grace to transform our lives and the world around us.