Daily Catholic Mass Readings for February 23, 2022

First Reading: James 4.13-17

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.

Psalm 49

Psalms

Chapter 49

¹Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world,²both low and high, rich and poor alike:³My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding.⁴I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle:⁵Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me-⁶those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?⁷No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him-⁸the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough-⁹that he should live on forever and not see decay.¹⁰For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.¹¹Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves.¹²But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish.¹³This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Selah¹⁴Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.¹⁵But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Selah¹⁶Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases;¹⁷for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him.¹⁸Though while he lived he counted himself blessed- and men praise you when you prosper-¹⁹he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of life.²⁰A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

Gospel: Mark 9.38-40

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.