Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 17, 2026
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
Today's readings reveal God's remarkable way of working in human lives, often through the unexpected. In the First Book of Samuel, we see Saul, a strong and impressive young man, sent on a mundane errand to search for his father's lost donkeys. This ordinary task, however, becomes the path to a divine appointment. Unbeknownst to him, he is led directly to the prophet Samuel, who anoints him as the first king of Israel, fulfilling God's plan for His people. Similarly, in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus encounters Levi, a tax collector – a profession despised by many Jews for its association with Roman occupation and often marked by corruption. Yet, Jesus simply says, "Follow me," and Levi immediately rises and does so, abandoning his old life. Jesus then dines with many tax collectors and sinners, prompting the indignant Pharisees to question His actions.
These two narratives, separated by centuries, beautifully illustrate a consistent theme: God’s call is often surprising, breaking through our expectations and leading us down paths we never anticipated. Saul wasn't looking for a kingdom, and Levi certainly wasn't expecting an invitation to apostleship from a holy man; both were caught in the midst of their daily routines. God's perspective isn't limited by human judgment or social standing. He looks at the heart and sees potential. Jesus's response to the Pharisees, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the just, but sinners," underscores this profound truth. It reminds us that His mission is one of mercy and healing for all, especially those who recognize their need for it.
For us, these readings offer both comfort and challenge. They remind us that God's hand is active in our lives, guiding us even in our most ordinary moments or through our own "lost donkeys." We are called to be open to His presence and direction, trusting that His plans are always for our good, even if they diverge from our immediate aims. Furthermore, Jesus's radical inclusivity with Levi and other sinners challenges us to examine our own hearts. Do we, like the Pharisees, draw lines, or do we extend welcome and compassion to all, recognizing that we, too, are sinners in need of the Divine Physician? God’s transformative grace is for everyone, and we are called to embody that same welcoming love.