Daily Readings - Sat Jan 25 2025
First Reading - Acts 22.3-16 or Acts 9.1-22
Acts
3Then Paul said: "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.4I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,5as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.6"About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.7I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'8"'Who are you, Lord?' I asked.9"'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.10"'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked.11"'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.12"A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.13He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him.14"Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.15You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.16And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'
Acts
1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest2and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.3As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"5"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.6"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.8Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.9For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!Yes, Lord," he answered.11The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."13"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.14And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."15But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.16I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."17Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."18Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,19and after taking some food, he regained his strength.20Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.21All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?"22Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
Mark
15He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;18they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments in the journey of faith. The first reading from Acts recounts Paul’s dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. Once a zealous persecutor of Christians, Paul’s life was transformed by a blinding light and a voice that revealed Jesus to him. This encounter not only changed Paul’s direction but also equipped him to become a powerful witness for Christ. The Gospel from Mark presents Jesus’ Great Commission, where He instructs His disciples to go out into the world, preach the Gospel, and baptize all nations. Jesus emphasizes that belief and baptism lead to salvation, while unbelief leads to condemnation. He also promises that signs of faith, such as healing and casting out demons, will accompany those who believe.
These readings are deeply connected. Paul’s conversion in Acts is a living example of the Great Commission in action. Paul, once a persecutor, becomes a missionary, demonstrating how God can transform even the most unlikely hearts. His story shows that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace and that everyone is called to be a witness to the Gospel. The context of both readings is one of mission and transformation. Paul’s encounter with Christ is not just a personal experience but a call to serve others, while Jesus’ commission to the disciples is a universal mandate to spread the Good News to all creation.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to reflect on our own response to God’s call. Like Paul, we may have moments of profound conversion or gradual awakening to God’s will. Like the disciples, we are called to share the Gospel with others, not just through words but through our actions and the way we live. The moral lesson here is one of trust and obedience. Just as Paul trusted in the mysterious voice on the Damascus road, and just as the disciples trusted in Jesus’ commission, we too are called to trust in God’s plan and to be open to His will, even when it leads us into unknown territory. Let us ask ourselves: Am I truly living as a witness to the Gospel? Am I open to the ways God may be calling me to serve others and to share His love? May we, like Paul and the disciples, embrace our mission with courage and faith, knowing that God’s grace will accompany us every step of the way.