Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 7, 2026
First Reading: 1 John 4.11-18
11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.12No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.13By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.16So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.17By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.18There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
Psalm 72
1Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!2May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!3Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness!4May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!5May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!6May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth!7In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more!8May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!9May desert tribes bow down before him and his enemies lick the dust!10May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!11May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!12For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper.13He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.14From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight.15Long may he live; may gold of Sheba be given to him! May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all the day!16May there be abundance of grain in the land; on the tops of the mountains may it wave; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field!17May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!18Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.19Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!20The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.
Gospel: Mark 6.45-52
45Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.46And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.47And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.48And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them,49but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out,50for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."51And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,52for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
Sermon
The First Letter of John reminds us that God's immense love for us calls us to love one another. If we truly love, God abides in us, and His love is perfected, dispelling all fear. To confess Jesus as the Son of God is to have God dwell within us, granting us confidence, for perfect love casts out the anxiety associated with judgment and punishment. In the Gospel of Mark, we see the disciples struggling against a violent storm, alone on the sea, after Jesus had dismissed the crowds and gone to pray. When they were at their most vulnerable, Jesus came to them, walking on the water, yet they mistook him for a ghost and cried out in terror. Jesus immediately reassures them with, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid," and when he entered the boat, the wind ceased, leaving them utterly astonished, their hearts still hardened in understanding.
These readings illuminate the profound connection between divine presence, love, and the overcoming of fear. John teaches that God's indwelling love perfects us and drives out fear, offering confidence in our relationship with Him. Mark shows Christ, in a moment of intense struggle and fear for his disciples, revealing his divine authority by walking on water and calming the storm, actively commanding them not to be afraid. The disciples' terror and subsequent astonishment reveal their human limitations and the incomplete understanding of Jesus's identity, despite having just witnessed his miracles. Their fear arose from not fully grasping who was with them, much like our own fears often stem from forgetting God's steadfast presence and power in our lives.
In our daily lives, we too encounter storms, both literal and metaphorical, that can fill us with fear and doubt. Just as Jesus came to his struggling disciples, he is present with us in our anxieties, urging us to recognize his loving presence and power. To live in God's perfect love, as John describes, means to trust deeply in Him, allowing that love to banish our fears and empower us to love others in turn. When we confess Jesus and strive to live lives of charity, we allow God to abide in us, providing the peace and confidence that anchors us through any storm, transforming our astonishment into unwavering faith and love, rather than the blindness that held the disciples captive.