Daily Readings - Sun Jan 21 2018

¹Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,²"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you."³So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth.⁴Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"⁵And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.¹⁰When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

1 Corinthians

Chapter 7

²⁹This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none,³⁰and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods,³¹and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

Mark

Chapter 1

¹⁴Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,¹⁵and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."¹⁶Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.¹⁷And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men."¹⁸And immediately they left their nets and followed him.¹⁹And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.²⁰And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of repentance, detachment, and responding to God's call. In the first reading, Jonah, after initial reluctance, preaches to Nineveh, leading the people to repentance and God's mercy. This story underscores the power of turning back to God and His compassionate response. The second reading from Corinthians encourages us to live in the present with a sense of detachment, recognizing the transient nature of the world, and to focus on eternal values. The Gospel shows Jesus calling the first disciples, who immediately leave their nets to follow Him, exemplifying a prompt and total response to God's invitation. These readings are interconnected through the theme of conversion. Jonah's mission leads to collective repentance, Paul advises on living with a focus on eternity, and the Gospel illustrates the disciples' immediate response to Jesus. Together, they emphasize a change in life direction towards God. The call to repentance in Jonah and the call to discipleship in the Gospel highlight the importance of conversion and trust in God's providence. In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to be open to God's call, live with detachment from worldly concerns, and respond promptly to His invitations. The moral lesson is clear: conversion is an ongoing process, and trusting in God's plan leads to a life of purpose and fulfillment. Let us embrace this call to conversion, living each day with faith and trust in God's loving providence.