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Daily Readings - Wed Feb 23 2022

James

Chapter 4

13Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money."14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.15Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."16As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.17Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

Mark

Chapter 9

38"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."39"Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me,40for whoever is not against us is for us.

Sermon

In today's readings, we are reminded of the importance of humility and openness to God's work in the world. James warns us against arrogance, urging us to recognize the fleeting nature of life and to trust in God's will. Mark's Gospel shows Jesus teaching us not to hinder others who do good in His name, even if they are not part of our immediate group. Both readings emphasize the need to let go of our desire for control and to embrace a humble heart. James calls us to acknowledge our limitations and to act with humility, while Mark's passage encourages us to see God's work beyond our own circles. This teaches us to trust that God can work through anyone, regardless of their affiliation. In our daily lives, this means letting go of judgment and arrogance, trusting in God's plan, and being open to His work in others. The moral lesson is clear: humility and openness allow us to see and support God's work wherever it occurs.