Daily Readings - Sat Jan 25 2020
First Reading - Acts 22.3-16 or Acts 9.1-22
Acts
3I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.4And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.5As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.6And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.7And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?8And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.9And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.10And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.11And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.12And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,13Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.14And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.15For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.16And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Acts
1And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,2And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.3And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:4And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?5And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.6And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.7And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.8And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.9And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.10And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.11And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,12And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.13Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:14And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.15But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:16For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.17And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.18And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.19And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.20And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.21But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?22But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
Mark
15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the transformative power of faith and the universal call to share the Gospel. In the first reading from Acts, Paul recounts his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. Once a zealous persecutor of Christians, he was blinded by a great light and heard the voice of Jesus, who called him to be a witness to all people. This encounter completely changed the course of his life, turning him from an enemy of the Church into one of its most ardent missionaries. Paul’s story reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace and that conversion is always possible, no matter how deeply rooted our past sins or misunderstandings may be.
In the Gospel, Jesus commissions his disciples to “go forth to the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” This mission is not limited to the apostles; it extends to all baptized Christians. Jesus promises that those who believe and are baptized will be saved, and he assures us that signs of faith—such as healing, speaking new languages, and casting out demons—will accompany those who trust in him. These signs are not ends in themselves but expressions of the power of God at work in the world through his people.
These readings are deeply connected. Paul’s conversion is a living example of the Gospel’s power to transform lives, and his subsequent missionary work is a fulfillment of Jesus’ command to preach to all creation. For us today, the readings challenge us to examine our own faith journey. Have we experienced a moment of conversion, like Paul, that has redirected our lives? Are we sharing the Gospel with others, not just in words but through our actions and witness? The moral lesson here is clear: faith is a gift meant to be shared, and we are all called to be missionaries in our own way, trusting in God’s power to work through us. Let us pray for the courage to embrace our mission and for the grace to be faithful witnesses of the Gospel in our daily lives.