Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 9, 2019
First Reading: 1 John 4.11-18
11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Psalm 72
1Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness.2He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.3The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.4He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor.5He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations.6He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.7In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.8He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.9The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust.10The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts.11All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him.12For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.13He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.14He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.15Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.16Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field.17May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.18Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.19Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.20This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.
Gospel: Mark 6.45-52
45Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.46After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.47When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.48He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them,49but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out,50because they all saw him and were terrified.51Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed,52for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the profound connection between love, faith, and trust in God. In the first reading from 1 John, we are reminded that God’s love is not abstract but deeply personal and transformative. John writes, “God is love,” and this love is not merely a feeling but a divine reality that dwells within us when we choose to love one another. The Apostle emphasizes that God’s love is perfected in us as we abide in Him, and this love casts out fear, for fear has to do with punishment, but perfect love is the assurance of His presence and care.
In the Gospel, Mark recounts the story of Jesus walking on the water to meet His disciples, who were struggling against the wind and waves. This passage is often seen as a metaphor for the challenges we face in life. Just as the disciples were tossed about by the storm, we too can feel overwhelmed by the trials and uncertainties of our world. Yet, Jesus comes to them, and His words, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid,” speak directly to our hearts. This moment reveals Jesus’ divine power and His deep concern for those He loves. It also highlights the disciples’ lack of understanding, as they had not yet grasped the full meaning of the bread—a reference to the multiplication of the loaves, which symbolizes God’s providence and abundance.
These readings are deeply intertwined. The love of God described in 1 John is the same love that Jesus embodies in the Gospel. Just as Jesus calmed the storm and reassured His disciples, God’s love is the anchor that holds us steady in the midst of life’s turbulence. The moral lesson here is clear: we are called to trust in God’s love and provision, even when the winds of fear and doubt assail us. Like the disciples, we may sometimes fail to see God’s hand at work in our lives, but His love remains constant and unchanging. Let us, therefore, strive to live in the confidence of His love, knowing that as long as we abide in Him, we need not be afraid.