Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 28, 2024
First Reading: Deuteronomy 18.15-20
15The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.16For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, "Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die."17The LORD said to me: "What they say is good.18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.19If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.20But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death."
Psalm 95
1Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.2Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.3For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.4In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.5The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.6Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;7for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice,8do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert,9where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.10For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways."11So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest."
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7.32-35
32I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs--how he can please the Lord.33But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world--how he can please his wife--34and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world--how she can please her husband.35I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
Gospel: Mark 1.21-28
21They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.22The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.23Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out,24"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"25"Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!"26The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.27The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching--and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him."28News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter themes of divine authority, spiritual focus, and the call to listen to God’s voice. The first reading from Deuteronomy speaks of God’s promise to raise up a prophet like Moses, a leader who will speak God’s words to His people. This prophet will have the authority to guide the people, and those who refuse to listen will face the consequences. The passage emphasizes the importance of heeding God’s messengers and the gravity of rejecting His word. The second reading from 1 Corinthians shifts the focus to the Christian life, where Paul encourages believers to live undivided in their devotion to God. He highlights the challenges of being torn between worldly concerns and spiritual priorities, urging us to seek a life of purity and single-minded service to the Lord.
In the Gospel, Mark presents Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophet promised in Deuteronomy. Jesus teaches with authority, not like the scribes, and demonstrates His power by casting out an unclean spirit. This episode shows Jesus as the Holy One of God, who commands even the forces of evil to obey Him. Together, these readings remind us that God speaks to us through His prophets and through His Son, Jesus Christ. They call us to listen with faith, to live with undivided hearts, and to trust in God’s power to transform our lives.
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: Am I listening to God’s voice in my life? Am I allowing His word to guide me, or am I distracted by the cares of the world? Let us strive to live with the kind of focus and devotion that Paul describes, seeking to please God above all else. And when we encounter the forces of darkness in our lives, let us remember Jesus’ authority and trust in His power to set us free. May we heed the call to follow Him with courage and fidelity, knowing that He is the Holy One who speaks to us and acts in our lives.