Daily Readings - Wed Feb 23 2022
James
13Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"--14yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.15Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."16As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.17So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Mark
38John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us."39But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.40For the one who is not against us is for us.
Sermon
In today's readings, we are reminded of the importance of humility and openness to God's work in the world. James warns us against arrogance, urging us to recognize the fleeting nature of life and to trust in God's will. Mark's Gospel shows Jesus teaching us not to hinder others who do good in His name, even if they are not part of our immediate group.
Both readings emphasize the need to let go of our desire for control and to embrace a humble heart. James calls us to acknowledge our limitations and to act with humility, while Mark's passage encourages us to see God's work beyond our own circles. This teaches us to trust that God can work through anyone, regardless of their affiliation.
In our daily lives, this means letting go of judgment and arrogance, trusting in God's plan, and being open to His work in others. The moral lesson is clear: humility and openness allow us to see and support God's work wherever it occurs.