Daily Catholic Mass Readings for February 23, 2022
First Reading: James 4.13-17
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.
Psalm 49
1Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,2both low and high, rich and poor together!3My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.4I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.5Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,6those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?7Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life,8for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice,9that he should live on forever and never see the pit.10For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others.11Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names.12Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish.13This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah14Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.15But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah16Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases.17For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.18For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed,--and though you get praise when you do well for yourself--19his soul will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again see light.20Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
Gospel: Mark 9.38-40
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.