Daily Readings - Wed Feb 16 2022
James
19Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;20for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires.21Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.25But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.26If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Mark
22And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him.23And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"24And he looked up and said, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking."25Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.26And he sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the call to live out our faith in action and to trust in God’s transformative power. In the first reading from James, we are reminded that being a follower of Christ is not merely about hearing the Word of God but putting it into practice. James warns against allowing anger or malice to guide our actions and emphasizes the importance of caring for the vulnerable, such as orphans and widows. He makes it clear that true religion is not about empty rituals but about living a life of love and service.
In the Gospel, Mark shares the story of Jesus healing a blind man in Bethsaida. This miracle is unique because it happens in stages: the man’s sight is restored gradually, first seeing people as walking trees and then fully. This two-step healing process can be seen as a metaphor for our own spiritual journey. Just as the blind man needed to trust Jesus and allow the healing to unfold, we too must trust in God’s timing and process in our lives. The healing also reminds us that faith is not always instantaneous or perfect at first; it often requires patience and perseverance.
Together, these readings encourage us to live out our faith actively and to trust in God’s plan. James calls us to be doers of the Word, not just listeners, and to care for those in need. Mark’s Gospel invites us to trust in God’s power to transform us, even if the process is gradual. In our daily lives, let us strive to put our faith into action by serving others and trusting in God’s grace to guide us. May we allow the Word of God to take root in our hearts and may we be open to the slow, sometimes imperfect, but ultimately transformative work of God in our lives.