Daily Readings - Mon Jan 30 2023
Hebrews
32And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets--33who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.35Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.36Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.37They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated--38of whom the world was not worthy--wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.39And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised,40since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Mark
1They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.2And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.3He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain,4for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him.5Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.6And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him.7And crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me."8For he was saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!"9And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion, for we are many."10And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.11Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside,12and they begged him, saying, "Send us to the pigs; let us enter them."13So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the pigs, and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and were drowned in the sea.14The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened.15And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.16And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs.17And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.18As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him.19And he did not permit him but said to him, "Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."20And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on the nature of faith and trust in God. The first reading from Hebrews 11:32-40 presents a roll call of Old Testament figures who exemplified extraordinary faith. These individuals, despite facing immense hardships and not always seeing the fulfillment of God’s promises in their lifetimes, remained steadfast in their trust. Their stories remind us that faith is not about immediate results but about unwavering trust in God’s plan, even when the journey is fraught with challenges.
The Gospel from Mark 5:1-20 shifts our focus to a dramatic encounter between Jesus and a man tormented by many demons. This man, living on the fringes of society, found healing through Jesus’ compassion. The transformation was immediate and profound, leading the man to share his experience widely. This narrative underscores the transformative power of faith and the call to witness to God’s grace in our lives.
Both readings highlight the transformative power of faith and trust in God. The heroes of faith in Hebrews teach us to trust God’s plan, even in uncertainty. The man in Mark’s Gospel shows us that faith leads to healing and compels us to share God’s grace with others. In our daily lives, we are called to trust God in our struggles and to share our experiences of His grace, just as the healed man did. Let us embrace this call, trusting in God’s plan and spreading His love in our communities.