Daily Readings - Sun Jan 21 2024

¹Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:²"Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you."³Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city-a visit required three days.⁴On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned."⁵The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.¹⁰When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

1 Corinthians

Chapter 7

²⁹What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;³⁰those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep;³¹those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

Mark

Chapter 1

¹⁴After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.¹⁵"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"¹⁶As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.¹⁷"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."¹⁸At once they left their nets and followed him.¹⁹When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.²⁰Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter powerful messages of repentance, urgency, and discipleship. The Book of Jonah recounts the prophet's call to Nineveh, a city steeped in sin, where the people's repentance leads to God's mercy. This story underscores the transformative power of turning away from sin and towards God. In 1 Corinthians, Paul urges believers to live with detachment, recognizing the fleeting nature of worldly concerns. He encourages a life focused on eternal values amidst temporal distractions. The Gospel of Mark depicts Jesus beginning His ministry, calling the first disciples with a sense of immediacy, highlighting the urgency of responding to God's call. These readings intertwine themes of repentance, living with purpose, and prompt obedience. Jonah's mission and the people's response illustrate the universal call to repentance, while Paul's advice in Corinthians reminds us to keep our sights on the eternal. Mark's account of the disciples leaving their nets to follow Jesus embodies the radical response required to follow Christ. Together, they challenge us to reevaluate our priorities and respond wholeheartedly to God's invitation. In our daily lives, these themes invite us to reflect on our own repentance, detachment from worldly distractions, and readiness to follow God's call. Let us embrace the urgency of living as disciples, seeking to align our lives with God's will. May we, like the people of Nineveh and the first disciples, respond with faith and commitment, trusting in God's grace to transform our lives and the world around us.