Daily Readings - Thu Jan 25 2024
First Reading - Acts 22.3-16 or Acts 9.1-22
Acts
3"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.4I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women,5as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.6"As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me.7And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'8And I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'9Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.10And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.'11And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.12"And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,13came to me, and standing by me said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him.14And he said, 'The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth;15for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.16And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.'
Acts
1But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest2and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.3Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.4And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"5And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.6But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."7The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.8Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.9And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.10Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord."11And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying,12and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight."13But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.14And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name."15But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.16For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."17So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."18And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;19and taking food, he was strengthened.For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.20And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."21And all who heard him were amazed and said, "Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?"22But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.
Mark
15And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.17And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;18they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the transformative power of faith and the universal call to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. In the first reading from Acts, Paul recounts his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. Once a fierce persecutor of Christians, Paul’s encounter with the risen Jesus completely altered the course of his life. His blindness was healed, both physically and spiritually, and he became one of the most ardent witnesses to the Gospel. This passage reminds us that God’s grace can reach even the most unlikely hearts and transform them into instruments of His will. In the Gospel, Jesus commissions His disciples to “go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” This Great Commission is not just a command for the first disciples but a call to all believers to share the love and salvation of Christ with others.
The connection between the two readings is clear: Paul’s conversion in Acts is a living example of what it means to respond to Jesus’ commission in the Gospel. Paul, once a persecutor, becomes a preacher, demonstrating that no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy. His story shows us that faith is not just a personal experience but a call to action. Just as Paul was sent to Damascus to learn what he had to do, we too are called to discern how we can share the Gospel in our own lives. The moral lesson here is that our faith must lead us to action. Whether it’s through words, deeds, or the way we live our lives, we are all called to be witnesses to the truth of Jesus Christ.
As we apply this to our daily lives, we might ask ourselves: How am I sharing the Good News with those around me? Am I open to the transformative power of God’s grace, even in unexpected ways? The signs mentioned in the Gospel—such as healing, speaking in new languages, and casting out demons—may not be literal for us today, but they symbolize the extraordinary ways God can work through ordinary people when they trust in Him. Let us pray for the courage to step out in faith, to share the Gospel boldly, and to allow God to work through us in ways we may never have imagined. May we, like Paul, be willing to let go of our old ways and embrace the mission God has entrusted to us.