Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 8, 2026
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: Luke 4.14-22a
14Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.15He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.16He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.17The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him,21and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.
Sermon
In today's Gospel, we witness Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returning to Galilee to begin his public ministry. His fame quickly spreads as he teaches in the synagogues. Significantly, he journeys to Nazareth, his hometown, and on the Sabbath, he enters the synagogue according to his custom. There, he is handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, from which he reads a pivotal passage: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." After rolling up the scroll, he declares to the astonished congregation, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
This moment in Nazareth is not merely a reading; it is a profound declaration of Jesus' identity and the very heart of his mission. He reveals himself as the long-awaited Messiah, announcing the inauguration of God's kingdom of justice, healing, and liberation for all, with a special focus on the poor, the captive, the blind, and the oppressed. The initial wonder of the people at his gracious words, quickly followed by the questioning, "Is this not Joseph's son?" underscores the challenge of recognizing the divine in the familiar, a struggle that often mirrors our own in daily life. Are we truly attentive to Christ's message, or do our preconceived notions prevent us from fully embracing the radical newness he brings?
The fulfillment of this scripture in our hearing today is a personal call to us. Just as Jesus was anointed by the Spirit to bring good news, we too are called to be agents of God's grace in the world. This means actively seeking out opportunities to embody his mission: offering compassion to those in need, advocating for the marginalized, and working for justice and peace in our communities. Each day presents a chance to make Christ's redemptive work present through our words and actions, bringing hope and liberation to those around us, and truly living out the acceptable year of the Lord in our time.