Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 5, 2022
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 God’s love and our response to it. In the first reading from 1 John, we are reminded that God’s love for us is the foundation of our faith. John writes, “God is love,” and this love is not abstract but active. It is seen in the way God sent His Son to save us and in the way we are called to love one another. This love is not just a feeling but a commitment to live in harmony with God and with others. John also emphasizes that perfect love casts out fear, for fear has to do with punishment, but those who abide in God’s love are free from such fear.
In the Gospel, Mark presents a dramatic scene where Jesus walks on the water to meet His disciples, who are struggling against a strong wind. This miracle is not just a display of divine power but a profound lesson in trust and faith. The disciples, exhausted and frightened, think Jesus is a ghost, but He reassures them, “Take courage, it is I. Do not be afraid.” This moment echoes the first reading, as Jesus’ presence brings peace and dispels fear. The disciples’ astonishment and confusion, however, also remind us that faith is not always easy. Their hearts were still blinded, as they had not fully understood the meaning of the bread Jesus had multiplied earlier. This blindness is a reminder that our faith is a journey, and growth in understanding comes over time.
These readings call us to reflect on how we respond to God’s love and presence in our lives. Like the disciples, we may face storms—challenges and uncertainties—that test our faith. But Jesus is always with us, walking on the waves of our struggles, offering His peace. The first reading reminds us that God’s love is perfected in us when we love one another. So, let us ask ourselves: Are we allowing God’s love to abide in us? Are we sharing that love with others? Let us trust in His presence, just as the disciples learned to trust, and let us strive to live in a way that reflects the love and peace of Christ.