Daily Readings - Sun Jan 31 2021

¹⁵"The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers--it is to him you shall listen--¹⁶just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.'¹⁷And the LORD said to me, 'They are right in what they have spoken.¹⁸I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.¹⁹And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.²⁰But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.'

1 Corinthians

Chapter 7

³²I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.³³But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife,³⁴and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband.³⁵I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

Mark

Chapter 1

²¹And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.²²And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.²³And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,²⁴"What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God."²⁵But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!"²⁶And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.²⁷And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."²⁸And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of authority, focus, and the call to follow God wholeheartedly. In the first reading from Deuteronomy, Moses speaks of a prophet who will arise from among the people, one who will speak God’s words with authority. This prophet is not just a figure of the past; for Christians, this prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who teaches with divine authority as we see in the Gospel. The second reading from 1 Corinthians reminds us that our primary focus should be on God, whether we are married or unmarried. St. Paul emphasizes that our ultimate goal is to please God and live without hindrance to worship Him. In the Gospel, Mark portrays Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophet promised in Deuteronomy. Jesus teaches in the synagogue with authority, not like the scribes who relied on human traditions. When He encounters the man with an unclean spirit, His authority is demonstrated powerfully as He commands the spirit to leave. The people are amazed, recognizing that Jesus’ teaching and actions are unlike anything they have seen before. This scene reminds us that Jesus is not just a teacher but the Holy One of God, who has the power to transform lives. These readings challenge us to examine our own lives. Are we listening to Jesus with the same openness and trust that the people in Capernaum showed? Do we allow His teaching to guide us, or are we distracted by the concerns of the world? Like the unmarried woman in St. Paul’s letter, we are called to be holy in body and spirit, focusing on what truly matters. Let us ask ourselves: Where are we placing our attention and priorities? Are we seeking to please God, or are we divided by worldly cares? Jesus’ authority and power are still at work in our lives today. Let us surrender to His will, trusting that He will guide us and free us from anything that hinders our relationship with Him.