Daily Readings - Wed Jan 27 2021
Hebrews
11And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.12But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,13waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.14For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.15And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,16"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,"17then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."18Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Mark
1Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.2And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them:3"Listen! A sower went out to sow.4And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil.6And when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.8And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."9And he said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."10And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.11And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables,12so that "they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven."13And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?14The sower sows the word.15And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.16And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy.17And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.18And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word,19but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.20But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the profound mystery of God’s plan for our salvation and the way we receive His Word in our lives. In the first reading from Hebrews, we are reminded of the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, who by offering Himself on the cross, has perfected those who are sanctified. This passage contrasts the endless sacrifices of the old covenant with the single, perfect sacrifice of Jesus, which has the power to forgive sins and bring us into a lasting relationship with God. The author emphasizes that Christ’s sacrifice is not just a past event but an eternal reality, as He now sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us.
In the Gospel, Mark presents us with the parable of the sower, which Jesus uses to teach about the different ways people respond to the Word of God. The seed represents the Word, and the various types of soil represent the hearts of those who hear it. Some people’s hearts are like the path, where the Word is quickly snatched away by Satan. Others are like rocky ground, where the Word is received with enthusiasm but lacks depth and endurance. Still, others are like thorny soil, where worldly concerns and desires choke out the Word. Finally, there are those with good soil, who hear the Word, accept it, and bear abundant fruit. Jesus explains that understanding this parable is key to understanding all the mysteries of the kingdom of God.
These readings are deeply connected. The sacrifice of Christ, which we celebrate in the Eucharist, is the source of the grace that allows us to receive the Word of God with open and fruitful hearts. The parable of the sower challenges us to examine our own lives and ask: What kind of soil am I? Do I allow the Word of God to take root in my heart, or are there obstacles—like fear, pride, or worldly distractions—that prevent me from bearing fruit? The moral lesson is clear: our response to God’s Word determines the depth of our relationship with Him. Let us pray for the grace to cultivate hearts that are receptive, humble, and generous, so that we may bear fruit in abundance and live as true disciples of Christ.