Daily Catholic Mass Readings for May 22, 2024

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

The readings today invite us to reflect on the importance of humility, trust in God’s providence, and the need to avoid judgment and division. In the first reading from James, we are reminded that our lives are fleeting—like a mist that appears and then vanishes. James warns against arrogance and presumption, urging us to recognize that all our plans and achievements are contingent on God’s will. He calls us to live with humility, acknowledging that true wisdom comes from submitting our desires and ambitions to the Lord. The reading also emphasizes the sin of omission—failing to do good when we have the opportunity. This is a call to action, encouraging us to live intentionally and generously, mindful of the shortness of life and the importance of aligning our actions with God’s will. In the Gospel, Mark presents a scene where the disciples try to stop someone from casting out demons in Jesus’ name because he is not part of their group. Jesus responds by telling them not to prohibit the man, for “whoever is not against us is for us.” This teaching challenges us to move beyond our tendency to judge others based on whether they belong to our group or follow our way of doing things. Jesus is pointing out that God’s work is not limited to those who are part of our circle. It is a call to openness, inclusivity, and trust in God’s ability to work through anyone, even those we might not expect or understand. Together, these readings remind us that our lives are not our own, and our understanding is limited. We are called to live with humility, recognizing that all we have and all we do is a gift from God. We are also invited to let go of our need to control or judge others, trusting that God can work through anyone who seeks to do good. As we go about our daily lives, let us ask for the grace to live with humility, to trust in God’s providence, and to see the good that others do, even when it doesn’t fit our expectations. May we be open to God’s surprises and generous in our support of those who seek to serve Him, even if their path is different from our own.