Daily Readings - Thu Jan 17 2019
Hebrews
7So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice,8do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,9where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.10That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.'11So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'"12See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.14We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
Mark
40A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."41Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.43Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning:44"See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."45Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on faith, compassion, and the consequences of our choices. The first reading from Hebrews warns us against the dangers of hardened hearts and unbelief, drawing on the example of the Israelites in the desert who, despite witnessing God's wonders, turned away from Him. This passage reminds us that faith is not a one-time decision but a continuous commitment to trust in God's plan, even when the journey is difficult. The second reading from Mark presents us with the story of a leper who approaches Jesus with humility and faith. Jesus, moved by compassion, heals the man and instructs him to show himself to the priests as a testimony of God's power. However, the leper, overwhelmed with joy and gratitude, spreads the news of his healing, leading Jesus to withdraw to deserted places to avoid the crowds.
These readings are deeply connected. The Hebrews passage serves as a warning against the kind of unbelief that hardens hearts, while the Gospel shows us the opposite: a heart open to God's mercy and grace. The leper's faith and humility lead to his healing, but it also leads to a greater mission—to share the Good News with others. This tension between personal faith and public witness is something we all experience. Like the leper, we are called to respond to God's grace with gratitude and to share that grace with others, even when it may lead to unexpected challenges.
In our daily lives, these readings challenge us to examine our own hearts. Are we allowing God's voice to penetrate our lives, or are we hardened by sin and doubt? The leper's story reminds us that true faith leads to action—whether it's sharing the Gospel with others or simply living in a way that reflects God's love. At the same time, we are called to humility and trust, knowing that God's plan for us is always greater than our own. Let us ask for the grace to remain open to God's voice, to trust in His mercy, and to bear witness to His love in all that we do.