Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 9, 2026
First Reading: 1 John 5.5-13
5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.6This is the one who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.7For there are three that testify:8the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.9We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.10Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.12He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Psalm 147
1Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!2The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.3He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.4He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.5Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.6The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.7Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.8He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.9He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.10His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man;11the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.12Extol the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion,13for he strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you.14He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.15He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.16He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes.17He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast?18He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.19He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel.20He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the LORD.
Gospel: Luke 5.12-16
12While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."13Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him.14Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."15Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.16But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Sermon
Today's first reading from 1 John reminds us that it is only through belief in Jesus as the Son of God that we overcome the world and receive the gift of eternal life. The Apostle emphasizes the divine testimony concerning Christ—by water and blood, and by the Spirit—affirming the truth of His identity and saving work. This divine assurance is far greater than any human word. In the Gospel of Luke, we encounter a powerful illustration of this truth as Jesus meets a man full of leprosy, a condition that brought not only physical suffering but also social and religious ostracization. With profound humility, the leper approaches Jesus, trusting in His power and willingness to cleanse him. And Jesus, full of compassion, extends His hand, touches him—an act that would make others unclean—and immediately restores him to health and wholeness.
Both readings, therefore, speak to the transformative power of Jesus Christ. While 1 John speaks of the spiritual victory over the world and the promise of eternal life through faith, Luke shows us a tangible demonstration of Christ's authority and boundless compassion. The physical cleansing of the leper, who was effectively dead to society, prefigures the spiritual cleansing from sin and the new life offered to all who believe. Just as the leper's healing served as a testimony for the priests, so too does God's testimony about His Son, received through faith, assure us of our salvation. Jesus' willingness to touch the untouchable demonstrates His desire to reach us in our own uncleanness, whatever our struggles or sins may be, and make us whole.
In our daily lives, we face various forms of "leprosy"—sins, anxieties, isolating fears, or despair that threaten to separate us from God and neighbor. Like the leper, we are called to approach Jesus with humble trust, believing in His unwavering willingness and power to cleanse and heal us. And as 1 John assures us, this belief is not in vain; it is the source of our victory and the foundation of our hope for eternal life. Let us also remember Jesus' example of withdrawing to pray after this powerful healing, reminding us that even amidst active service and overwhelming demands, our spiritual strength comes from constant communion with the Father. May our lives, touched and transformed by Christ, also become a living testimony to His enduring love and saving grace.