Daily Readings - Tue Jan 14 2025
Hebrews
5Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.6It has been testified somewhere, "What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him?7You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor,8putting everything in subjection under his feet."Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.9But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.10For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.11For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,12saying, "I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise."
Mark
21And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.22And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.23And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,24"What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God."25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!"26And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.27And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."28And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the dignity of humanity and the authority of Jesus Christ. In the first reading from Hebrews, we are reminded that God has crowned humanity with glory and honor, placing us just below the angels. Yet, it is through Jesus Christ, who was made "a little less than the angels," that we find our true purpose and salvation. His Passion and death demonstrate the depth of God’s love and the completion of our salvation. The reading emphasizes that Jesus is not ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters, showing the intimate bond he shares with us.
In the Gospel, Mark describes a scene where Jesus teaches in the synagogue with authority, astonishing the people. When a man with an unclean spirit cries out, Jesus commands the spirit to leave, and it obeys. This passage highlights Jesus’ divine authority over even the forces of evil. The people are amazed, not only by his teaching but also by his power to cast out demons. This demonstrates that Jesus’ authority is not just in words but in actions, revealing his identity as the Holy One of God.
These readings remind us that we are called to live with faith and courage, trusting in God’s plan for us. Just as Jesus exercised authority over the unclean spirit, we too can trust in his power to guide us through the challenges of life. The moral lesson here is to recognize our dignity as children of God and to rely on Jesus’ authority and grace to overcome sin and evil. Let us strive to live in a way that reflects our identity as brothers and sisters of Christ, praising God in the midst of our lives.