Daily Readings - Mon Jan 17 2022
1 Samuel
16Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.17And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?18And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.19Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?20And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.21But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.22And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.23For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
Mark
18And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?19And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.20But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.21No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.22And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of obedience, faithfulness, and the newness of life in Christ. In the first reading, Samuel confronts King Saul for his disobedience to God’s command to destroy the Amalekites and their possessions. Saul, though chosen by God, failed to fully obey, justifying his actions by keeping some of the spoils for sacrifice. Samuel’s response is clear: obedience is more pleasing to God than sacrifice. This passage reminds us that partial obedience is not true obedience and that following God’s will requires humility and surrender.
In the Gospel, Jesus responds to the question about fasting by comparing his disciples to sons of the wedding, who cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them. He then uses parables of the patch, the wineskins, and the wine to emphasize that his message is new and cannot be contained in old practices. Just as new wine must be put into new wineskins, so too does the Good News of the Kingdom require hearts that are open to change and renewal. This teaching challenges us to let go of old ways of thinking and living, embracing instead the fresh life and freedom that Christ offers.
Both readings call us to examine our relationship with God and our willingness to follow Him fully. Like Saul, we may sometimes try to justify our partial obedience or hold onto things that are not of God. Like the Pharisees, we may cling to old traditions and miss the new life Christ offers. Today, let us ask ourselves: Am I truly listening to God’s voice and obeying His will? Am I open to the newness of life that Christ brings? May we surrender our hearts to Him, allowing Him to transform us and fill us with His Spirit, so that we may live as His disciples in a world that so desperately needs His love.