Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 27, 2024
First Reading: 2 Samuel 12.1-7a, 10-17
1Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And when he had come to him, he said to him: "Two men were in one city: one wealthy, and the other poor2The wealthy man had very many sheep and oxen3But the poor man had nothing at all, except one little sheep, which he had bought and nourished. And she had grown up before him, together with his children, eating from his bread, and drinking from his cup, and sleeping in his bosom. And she was like a daughter to him4But when a certain traveler had come to the wealthy man, neglecting to take from his own sheep and oxen, so that he might present a feast for that traveler, who had come to him, he took the sheep of the poor man, and he prepared a meal for the man who had come to him.5Then David’s indignation was enraged exceedingly against that man, and he said to Nathan: "As the Lord lives, the man who has done this is a son of death6He shall restore the sheep fourfold, because he did this word, and he did not take pity.7But Nathan said to David: "You are that man. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I anointed you as king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul10For this reason, the sword shall not withdraw from your house, even perpetually, because you have despised me, and you have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite, so that she may be your wife.11And so, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up over you an evil from your own house. And I will take your wives away before your eyes, and I will give them to your neighbor. And he will sleep with your wives in the sight of this sun12For you acted secretly. But I will do this word in the sight of all of Israel, and in the sight of the sun.’ 13And David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said to David: "The Lord has also taken away your sin. You shall not die14Yet truly, because you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, because of this word, the son who was born to you: dying he shall die.15And Nathan returned to his own house. And the Lord struck the little one, whom the wife of Uriah had borne to David, and he was despaired of16And David begged the Lord on behalf of the little one. And David fasted strictly, and entering alone, he lay upon the ground17Then the elders of his house came, urging him to rise up from the ground. And he was not willing, nor would he eat a meal with them
Psalm 51
1Unto the end. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he went to Bathsheba. Be merciful to me, O God, according to your great mercy. And, according to the plentitude of your compassion, wipe out my iniquity2Wash me once again from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin3For I know my iniquity, and my sin is ever before me4Against you only have I sinned, and I have done evil before your eyes. And so, you are justified in your words, and you will prevail when you give judgment5For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sinfulness did my mother conceive me6For behold, you have loved truth. The obscure and hidden things of your wisdom, you have manifested to me7You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed. You will wash me, and I will be made whiter than snow8In my hearing, you will grant gladness and rejoicing. And the bones that have been humbled will exult9Turn your face away from my sins, and erase all my iniquities10Create a clean heart in me, O God. And renew an upright spirit within my inmost being11Do not cast me away from your face; and do not take your Holy Spirit from me12Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and confirm me with an unsurpassed spirit13I will teach the unjust your ways, and the impious will be converted to you14Free me from blood, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will extol your justice15O Lord, you will open my lips, and my mouth will announce your praise16For if you had desired sacrifice, I would certainly have given it, but with holocausts, you will not be delighted17A crushed spirit is a sacrifice to God. A contrite and humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn18Act kindly, Lord, in your good will toward Zion, so that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up19Then you will accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations, and holocausts. Then they will lay calves upon your altar
Gospel: Mark 4.35-41
35And on that day, when evening had arrived, he said to them, "Let us cross over.36And dismissing the crowd, they brought him, so that he was in one boat, and other boats were with him37And a great wind storm occurred, and the waves broke over the boat, so that the boat was being filled38And he was in the stern of the boat, sleeping on a pillow. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, does it not concern you that we are perishing?39And rising up, he rebuked the wind, and he said to the sea: "Silence. Be stilled." And the wind ceased. And a great tranquility occurred40And he said to them: "Why are you afraid? Do you still lack faith?"41And they were struck with a great fear. And they said to one another, "Who do you think this is, that both wind and sea obey him?"
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories that invite us to reflect on sin, repentance, and faith. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts the story of King David and the prophet Nathan. David, who had risen to great heights as king of Israel, fell deeply into sin by taking Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, and arranging Uriah’s death. Nathan confronts David with a parable about a wealthy man who takes a poor man’s only sheep. Recognizing himself in the story, David confesses his sin, and Nathan assures him of God’s forgiveness, though consequences remain. This passage reminds us that sin has repercussions, but God’s mercy is always available to those who repent.
The Gospel from Mark tells the story of Jesus calming the storm. Jesus and his disciples are on a boat when a fierce storm arises, threatening to capsize them. While Jesus sleeps, the disciples panic and wake him, crying out for help. Jesus rebukes the wind and the sea, restoring calm. He then asks them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still lack faith?” This story highlights Jesus’ divine power over creation and invites us to trust in God’s providence, even in the midst of life’s storms.
Both readings call us to examine our relationship with God. Like David, we all sin and fall short, but we are invited to acknowledge our failures and seek forgiveness. Like the disciples, we often face challenges that test our faith. Yet, in both cases, God’s grace and power are available to us. Let us ask ourselves: Where am I struggling with sin or doubt? How can I deepen my trust in God’s mercy and providence? May we learn to repent with humility and to have faith that God will calm the storms of our lives.