Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 8, 2025
First Reading: 1 John 4.11-18
11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Psalm 72
1Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness.2He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.3The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.4He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor.5He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations.6He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.7In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.8He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.9The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust.10The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts.11All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him.12For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.13He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.14He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.15Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.16Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field.17May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.18Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.19Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.20This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.
Gospel: Mark 6.45-52
45Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.46After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.47When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.48He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them,49but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out,50because they all saw him and were terrified.51Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed,52for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound truths about God’s love and our response to it. The first reading from 1 John reminds us that love is not just a feeling but a divine gift that flows from God’s very nature. John writes, “God is love,” and emphasizes that if we abide in love, we abide in God. This love is not merely sentimental but transformative—it casts out fear and unites us with God and one another. The Gospel from Mark complements this message with a dramatic scene of Jesus walking on water. After feeding the 5,000, Jesus retreats to pray, but when he sees his disciples struggling against the wind, he comes to them, calming their fears and demonstrating his divine power.
The context of these readings is crucial. In 1 John, the early Christian community is reminded of the essence of their faith: love. John’s words are a call to live out this love in tangible ways, just as God has loved us. In Mark’s Gospel, the story of Jesus walking on water follows the feeding of the 5,000, highlighting Jesus’ compassion and authority. The disciples, though eyewitnesses to the miracle of the loaves, still struggle with fear and doubt when faced with the storm. This mirrors our own experiences of faith—moments of clarity and trust often give way to uncertainty in the face of challenges.
Both readings invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and with others. John’s emphasis on love challenges us to examine how we treat one another. Do we allow God’s love to flow through us, or do we let fear and self-interest take root? Mark’s story, meanwhile, reminds us that even in the midst of turmoil, Jesus is always present, offering us peace and courage. Like the disciples, we may not always understand God’s ways, but we are called to trust in his providence.
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, let us ask ourselves: Where is fear holding me back? How can I let God’s perfect love cast out that fear? And how can I share this love with others? The moral lesson is clear: faith and love are inseparable. Just as Jesus calmed the storm, he can calm the storms in our lives. But we must open our hearts to his presence and allow his love to transform us. In doing so, we become instruments of that same love in a world that so desperately needs it.