Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 16, 2025
First Reading: Hebrews 3.7-14
7Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,8Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:9When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.10Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.11So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)12Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.13But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.14For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Psalm 95
1O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.2Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.3For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.4In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.5The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.6O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.7For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,8Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:9When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.10Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:11Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
Gospel: Mark 1.40-45
40And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.41And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.42And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.43And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;44And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.45But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter powerful messages about faith and compassion. The first reading from Hebrews warns against hardening our hearts, referencing the Israelites' disobedience in the desert despite witnessing God's miracles. It urges believers to support one another in faith and avoid the deceit of sin. The Gospel from Mark tells the story of a leper who, with humble faith, asks Jesus for healing. Jesus, moved by pity, heals him with a touch, embodying divine mercy.
These readings connect through themes of faith and response. The leper's plea demonstrates unwavering trust in Jesus' power, while Jesus' compassionate response illustrates God's loving nature. The man's eagerness to spread the news, despite Jesus' request for discretion, highlights the tension between human impulse and divine guidance, reflecting the Hebrews passage's caution against unbelief.
In our daily lives, these lessons encourage us to maintain faith and trust in God, especially during trials. Like the leper, we should approach God with humility and confidence. Additionally, Jesus' compassionate act reminds us to extend mercy to others. Let us strive to keep our hearts open to God's will and be vessels of His compassion, reflecting His love in our actions and decisions.