Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 22, 2024
First Reading: 2 Samuel 5.1-7, 10
1And all the tribes of Israel went to David in Hebron, saying: "Behold, we are your bone and your flesh2Moreover, yesterday and the day before, when Saul was king over us, you were the one leading out and leading back Israel. Then the Lord said to you, ‘You shall pasture my people Israel, and you shall be the leader over Israel.’ 3Also, the elders of Israel went to the king at Hebron, and king David struck a pact with them at Hebron in the sight of the Lord. And they anointed David as king over Israel4David was a son of thirty years, when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for forty years5In Hebron, he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months. Then in Jerusalem, he reigned for thirty-three years over all of Israel and Judah6And the king, and all the men who were with him, went away to Jerusalem, to the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land. And it was said to David by them, "You shall not enter here, unless you will take away the blind and the lame, who say, ‘David shall not enter here.’ 7But David seized the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David10And he advanced, prospering and increasing, and the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him
Psalm 89
1The understanding of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing the mercies of the Lord in eternity. I will announce your truth with my mouth, from generation to generation2For you have said: Mercy will be built in the heavens, unto eternity. Your truth will be prepared there3I have set up a covenant with my elect. I have sworn to David my servant4I will prepare your offspring, even in eternity. And I will build up your throne, from generation to generation5The heavens will confess your miracles, Lord, and also your truth, in the Church of the saints6For who among the clouds is equal to the Lord? Who among the sons of God is like God7God is glorified by the counsel of the saints. He is great and terrible above all those who are around him8O Lord, God of hosts, who is like you? You are powerful, Lord, and your truth is all around you9You rule over the power of the sea, and you even mitigate the movement of its waves10You have humbled the arrogant one, like one who has been wounded. You have scattered your enemies with the arm of your strength11Yours are the heavens, and yours is the earth. You founded the whole world in all its fullness12You created the north and the sea. Tabor and Hermon will exult in your name13Your arm acts with power. Let your hand be strengthened, and let your right hand be exalted14Justice and judgment are the preparation of your throne. Mercy and truth will precede your face15Blessed is the people that knows jubilation. They will walk in the light of your countenance, O Lord16and they will exult in your name all day long, and they will be exalted in your justice17For you are the glory of their virtue, and in your goodness, our horn will be exalted18For our assumption is of the Lord, and it is of our king, the holy one of Israel19Then you spoke in a vision to your holy ones, and you said: I have stationed help with the powerful one, and I have exalted the elect one from my people20I have found my servant David. I have anointed him with my holy oil21For my hand will assist him, and my arm will fortify him22The enemy will have no advantage over him, nor will the son of iniquity be positioned to harm him23And I will cut down his enemies before his face. And those who hate him, I will turn to flight24And my truth and my mercy will be with him. And his horn will be exalted in my name25And I will place his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers26He will invoke me: "You are my father, my God, and the support of my salvation.27And I will make him the first-born, preeminent before the kings of the earth28I will preserve my mercy for him eternally, and my covenant for him faithfully29And I will set his offspring from generation to generation, and his throne like the days of heaven30But if his sons abandon my law, and if they do not walk in my judgments31if they profane my justices, and if they do not keep my commandments32I will visit their iniquities with a rod, and their sins with a beating33But I will not scatter my mercy from him, and I will not do harm to my truth34And I will not profane my covenant, and I will not make void that which proceeds from my lips35I have sworn by my holiness one time: I will not lie to David36his offspring will remain for eternity. And his throne will be like the sun in my sight37and, like the moon, it is perfected in eternity, and it is a faithful witness in heaven38Yet, truly, you have rejected and despised, you have pushed away, my Christ39You have overthrown the covenant of your servant. You have profaned his sanctuary on earth40You have destroyed all his fences. You have made his territory dreadful41All who pass by the way have plundered him. He has become a disgrace to his neighbors42You have exalted the right hand of those who oppress him. You have brought joy to all his enemies43You have diverted the help of his sword, and you have not assisted him in battle44You have torn him away from cleansing, and you have smashed his throne down to the ground45You have reduced the days of his time. You have flooded him with confusion46How long, O Lord? Will you turn away unto the end? Will your wrath flare up like a fire47Remember what my substance is. For could you really have appointed all the sons of men in vain48Who is the man that will live, and yet not see death? Who will rescue his own soul from the hand of the underworld49O Lord, where are your mercies of antiquity, just as you swore to David in your truth50Be mindful, O Lord, of the disgrace of your servants (which I have sustained in my sinews) among many nations51With these, your enemies have reproached you, O Lord; with these, they have reproached the commutation of your Christ52Blessed is the Lord for all eternity. Amen. Amen
Gospel: Mark 3.22-30
22And the scribes who had descended from Jerusalem said, "Because he has Beelzebub, and because by the prince of demons does he cast out demons.23And having called them together, he spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan cast out Satan24For if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom is not able to stand25And if a house is divided against itself, that house is not able to stand26And if Satan has risen up against himself, he would be divided, and he would not be able to stand; instead he reaches the end27No one is able to plunder the goods of a strong man, having entered into the house, unless he first binds the strong man, and then he shall plunder his house28Amen I say to you, that all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and the blasphemies by which they will have blasphemed29But he who will have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit shall not have forgiveness in eternity; instead he shall be guilty of an eternal offense.30For they said: "He has an unclean spirit.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound narratives that invite us to reflect on leadership, faith, and the nature of sin. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts David's anointing as king over all Israel, marking a pivotal moment in the nation's history. Despite initial divisions, David's reign brings unity and prosperity, with God's presence evident in his successes. The Gospel from Mark presents Jesus facing accusations from the scribes, who attribute His miracles to Beelzebub. Jesus counters by illustrating the illogic of a divided kingdom and introduces the concept of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as an unforgivable sin.
These readings connect through themes of divine authority and opposition. David's leadership, established by God, overcomes earthly challenges, while Jesus' divine authority faces spiritual opposition. Both stories underscore that true power comes from God, and rejecting this truth can lead to spiritual blindness.
In our lives, these readings encourage us to trust in God's plan, especially amidst challenges. They remind us to recognize God's work in others and to avoid attributing divine acts to evil. The moral lesson is clear: unity under God's leadership and reverence for the Holy Spirit are essential for spiritual health. Let us seek to align our lives with God's will, embracing His grace and avoiding the pitfalls of spiritual indifference.