Daily Readings - Tue Jan 24 2023
Hebrews
1The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.2If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;6with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.7Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll--I have come to do your will, O God.'"8First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made).9Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second.10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Mark
31Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."33"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!35Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of sacrifice and family, guiding us to a deeper understanding of our relationship with God and one another. In the first reading from Hebrews, we are reminded that the old covenant's sacrifices, though symbolic, could never fully remove sin. They were mere shadows of the perfect sacrifice that Christ would offer. Christ's sacrifice, once for all, fulfilled God's will and sanctified us, showing that true worship is not about rituals but about obedience to God's will.
In the Gospel, Mark presents Jesus redefining family. When his biological relatives come to him, Jesus expands the concept of family to include all who do God's will. This teaches us that our spiritual bonds can be as strong as, or even stronger than, our biological ties. It emphasizes that following God's will is what truly unites us as His family.
These readings connect in their focus on God's will. Hebrews highlights Christ's perfect obedience, while Mark shows Jesus living out that obedience and redefining family. In our daily lives, this means prioritizing spiritual relationships and living according to God's will. The moral lesson is clear: our spiritual bonds and commitment to God's will are paramount. Let us strive to live in such a way that we become part of God's family, united through faith and obedience.