Daily Readings - Tue Jan 28 2025
Hebrews
1The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.2If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;6with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.7Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll--I have come to do your will, O God.'"8First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made).9Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second.10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Mark
31Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."33"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!35Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of sacrifice and the true meaning of family. In the first reading from Hebrews, we hear that the sacrifices of the old covenant, though well-intentioned, could never fully remove sin. They were merely shadows of the perfect sacrifice that was to come. Christ, by offering his own body once and for all, fulfilled God’s will and sanctified us in a way that animal sacrifices never could. This passage reminds us that our salvation is not through outward rituals but through the self-giving love of Jesus Christ.
In the Gospel, Mark presents a moment where Jesus redefines family. When his mother and brothers come to find him, Jesus expands the concept of family beyond blood ties. He looks at the crowd and says, “Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of God is my brother, sister, and mother.” This is not a rejection of his earthly family but a profound statement about the spiritual bonds that unite us. True family is not just about flesh and blood but about sharing a common purpose and commitment to God’s will.
These readings challenge us to live our faith in a way that goes beyond superficial practices or biological connections. They call us to embrace a deeper understanding of sacrifice and family. Just as Christ’s sacrifice was not about external rituals but about love and obedience, our lives should be shaped by a genuine commitment to God’s will. Similarly, our sense of belonging should extend beyond our immediate circles to include all those who seek to live according to God’s plan. May we strive to be part of this spiritual family, united by our shared purpose and love for God.