Daily Readings - Sun Feb 09 2025

¹In the year in which king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, sublime and exalted, and the things that were under him filled the temple²The Seraphims were standing above the throne. One had six wings, and the other had six wings: with two they were covering his face, and with two they were covering his feet, and with two they were flying³And they were crying out to one another, and saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!⁴And the lintels above the hinges were shaken at the voice of the one crying out. And the house was filled with smoke⁵And I said: "Woe to me! For I have remained silent. For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live in the midst of a people having unclean lips, and I have seen with my eyes the King, the Lord of hosts!⁶And one of the Seraphims flew to me, and in his hand was a burning coal, which he had taken with tongs from the altar⁷And he touched my mouth, and he said, "Behold, this has touched your lips, and so your iniquities will be taken away, and your sin will be cleansed.⁸And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send?" and, "Who will go for us?" And I said: "Here I am. Send me.

1 Corinthians

Chapter 15

³For I handed on to you, first of all, what I also received: that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures⁴and that he was buried; and that he rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures⁵and that he was seen by Cephas, and after that by the eleven⁶Next he was seen by more than five hundred brothers at one time, many of whom remain, even to the present time, although some have fallen asleep⁷Next, he was seen by James, then by all the Apostles⁸And last of all, he was seen also by me, as if I were someone born at the wrong time¹¹For whether it is I or they: so we preach, and so you have believed

Luke

Chapter 5

¹Now it happened that, when the crowds pressed toward him, so that they might hear the word of God, he was standing beside the lake of Genesaret²And he saw two boats standing beside the lake. But the fishermen had climbed down, and they were washing their nets³And so, climbing into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, he asked him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting down, he taught the crowds from the boat⁴Then, when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Lead us into deep water, and release your nets for a catch.⁵And in response, Simon said to him: "Teacher, working throughout the night, we caught nothing. But on your word, I will release the net.⁶And when they had done this, they enclosed such a copious multitude of fish that their net was rupturing⁷And they signaled to their associates, who were in the other boat, so that they would come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they were nearly submerged⁸But when Simon Peter had seen this, he fell down at the knees of Jesus, saying, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.⁹For astonishment had enveloped him, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish that they had taken¹⁰Now the same was true of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were associates of Simon. And Jesus said to Simon: "Do not be afraid. From now on, you will be catching men.¹¹And having led their boats to land, leaving behind everything, they followed him

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter profound moments of divine encounter and calling. Isaiah, in the first reading, experiences a vision of God's glory in the temple, leading to a deep sense of unworthiness, yet he is cleansed and commissioned as a prophet. This vision occurs during a time of crisis for the kingdom, highlighting the need for prophetic voices. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, underscores the resurrection of Christ as the cornerstone of Christian faith, emphasizing its historical and theological significance. The Gospel presents Peter, a humble fisherman, who after a miraculous catch, recognizes his sinfulness and is called by Jesus to follow Him, becoming a disciple. These readings intertwine beautifully, each illustrating a response to God's call amidst feelings of inadequacy. Isaiah and Peter both express humility, yet they are empowered by God's grace to fulfill their missions. Paul's focus on the resurrection connects to the Gospel, as it reveals the ultimate purpose of Jesus' ministry—the triumph over sin and death, which enables our own calling. In our daily lives, these readings invite us to embrace humility and recognize our unworthiness before God. Like Peter, we may feel inadequate, but it is through His grace that we are made worthy. The call to follow Jesus is universal, urging us to trust in His providence and step into the unknown with faith. As we navigate our own journeys, let us remember that our worth comes from God, not ourselves, and be open to serving Him in our unique ways. The moral lesson here is clear: humility, grace, and mission. We are all part of God's plan, called to serve with the gifts we have. Let us respond with willingness, trusting in God's guidance, and remembering that our role in His plan is both vital and transformative.