Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 30, 2022
First Reading: Jeremiah 1.4-5, 17-19
4Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,5Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.17Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.18For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.19And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
Psalm 71
1In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.2Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.3Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.4Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.5For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.6By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.7I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.8Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.9Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.10For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,11Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.12O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.13Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.14But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.15My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.16I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.17O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.18Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.19Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!20Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.21Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.22I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.23My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.24My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 13.4-13
4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.8Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.9For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.10But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.11When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.12For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.13And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Gospel: Luke 4.21-30
21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.22And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?23And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.24And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.25But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;26But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.28And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,29And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.30But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the call to mission, the nature of love, and the challenges of living out our faith. In the first reading, Jeremiah is called by God to be a prophet, despite his own fears and insecurities. God assures him, "I am with you to deliver you," reminding us that our strength comes not from ourselves but from the Lord. In the second reading, St. Paul describes the essence of love—patient, kind, enduring, and selfless. He reminds us that while other gifts may fade, love remains the greatest and most enduring. In the Gospel, Jesus faces rejection in his own hometown, teaching us that living out our faith can sometimes lead to opposition, but we must remain faithful to our mission.
These readings are deeply connected. Jeremiah’s call to prophesy, despite his fears, is an example of the kind of selfless love St. Paul describes. Jesus’ rejection in Nazareth shows us that even the Son of God faced opposition, yet He remained steadfast in His mission. Together, these readings remind us that our faith is not just about feeling comfortable or being accepted; it is about embracing a life of service, love, and courage, even in the face of challenges.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to reflect on how we live out our faith. Are we willing to step out of our comfort zones to serve others? Do we practice the kind of patient, enduring love that St. Paul describes? When we face rejection or difficulties, do we remain faithful to our mission? Let us ask for the courage to embrace our calling, just as Jeremiah did, and to love as Jesus loved—selflessly and without condition. May we remember that true strength comes from God, and that love is the greatest virtue that endures forever.