Daily Readings - Wed Feb 16 2022
James
19Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:20For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.21Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.23For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.25But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.26If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.27Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Mark
22And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.23And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.24And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.25After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.26And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the call to live out our faith in action and to trust in God’s transformative power. In the first reading from James, we are reminded that being a follower of Christ is not merely about hearing the Word of God but putting it into practice. James warns against allowing anger or malice to guide our actions and emphasizes the importance of caring for the vulnerable, such as orphans and widows. He makes it clear that true religion is not about empty rituals but about living a life of love and service.
In the Gospel, Mark shares the story of Jesus healing a blind man in Bethsaida. This miracle is unique because it happens in stages: the man’s sight is restored gradually, first seeing people as walking trees and then fully. This two-step healing process can be seen as a metaphor for our own spiritual journey. Just as the blind man needed to trust Jesus and allow the healing to unfold, we too must trust in God’s timing and process in our lives. The healing also reminds us that faith is not always instantaneous or perfect at first; it often requires patience and perseverance.
Together, these readings encourage us to live out our faith actively and to trust in God’s plan. James calls us to be doers of the Word, not just listeners, and to care for those in need. Mark’s Gospel invites us to trust in God’s power to transform us, even if the process is gradual. In our daily lives, let us strive to put our faith into action by serving others and trusting in God’s grace to guide us. May we allow the Word of God to take root in our hearts and may we be open to the slow, sometimes imperfect, but ultimately transformative work of God in our lives.