Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 17, 2020
First Reading: 1 Samuel 8.4-7, 10-22a
4Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,5And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.6But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.7And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.10And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.11And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.12And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.13And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.14And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.15And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.16And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.17He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.18And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.19Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;20That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.22And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.
Psalm 89
1I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.2For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.3I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,4Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.5And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.6For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?7God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.8O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?9Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.10Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.11The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.12The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.13Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.14Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.15Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.16In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.17For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.18For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.19Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.20I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:21With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.22The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.23And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.24But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.25I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.26He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.27Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.28My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.29His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.30If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;31If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;32Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.33Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.34My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.35Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.36His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.37It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.38But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.39Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.40Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.41All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours.42Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.43Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle.44Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.45The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.46How long, LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?47Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?48What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.49Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?50Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people;51Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.52Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.
Gospel: Mark 2.1-12
1And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.2And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.3And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.4And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.5When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.6But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,7Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?8And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?9Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?10But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)11I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.12And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound narratives that invite us to reflect on authority, faith, and the consequences of our choices. The first reading from 1 Samuel recounts the Israelites' demand for a king, seeking to emulate other nations. Despite Samuel's warnings about the oppressive nature of human rule, the people insist on a monarchy, rejecting God's direct leadership. This pivotal moment in Israel's history underscores the tension between human ambition and divine governance.
The Gospel from Mark presents a contrasting narrative of authority, as Jesus demonstrates His divine power by forgiving sins and healing a paralytic man. The faith of the man's friends leads to his physical and spiritual restoration, highlighting the transformative power of trust in God. This episode not only affirms Jesus' authority but also illustrates the redemptive nature of His mission.
These readings relate through their exploration of authority—Israel's rejection of God's leadership versus Jesus' divine authority. The Israelites' choice leads to earthly oppression, while Jesus' authority brings liberation and healing. In our lives, we face similar choices: to follow our desires or submit to God's will. The moral lesson is clear: trusting in God's plan, rather than our own understanding, leads to true freedom and fulfillment. Let us embrace Jesus' authority, for in Him lies the power to forgive and heal, guiding us toward a life of faith and trust in God.