Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 24, 2024
First Reading: 2 Samuel 7.1-17
1And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies;2That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.3And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.4And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,5Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?6Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.7In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?8Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:9And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.10Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,11And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.12And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.13He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.14I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:15But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.16And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.17According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
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 4.1-20
1And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.2And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,3Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:4And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.5And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:6But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.8And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.9And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.10And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.11And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:12That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.13And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?14The sower soweth the word.15And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.16And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;17And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.18And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,19And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.20And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound insights into God's plan and our response to it. The first reading from 2 Samuel 7:1-17 recounts King David's desire to build a house for God, only to be redirected by God's promise of a dynasty through his offspring. This Davidic covenant is a cornerstone of Israel's hope, pointing to the future Messiah. The Gospel from Mark 4:1-20 presents Jesus' parable of the sower, where the seed of God's word meets various receptions, emphasizing the importance of fertile hearts.
Both readings highlight the theme of divine plan and human response. In 2 Samuel, God's plan surpasses David's intentions, establishing a lasting legacy through his lineage. In Mark, Jesus illustrates that the effectiveness of God's word depends on the soil of our hearts. This connection underscores that our receptiveness to God's message is crucial, just as David's faithfulness laid the groundwork for God's greater plan.
Applying this to our lives, we are reminded to align our plans with God's will, trusting in His larger vision. Like the good soil, we must cultivate hearts that are open, rooted in faith, and free from distractions. By doing so, we allow God's word to bear fruit, transforming us and enabling us to live faithfully. The moral is clear: trust in God's plan and nurture a heart receptive to His word, ensuring that His will flourishes within us.