Gospel: January 16, 2025
January 16, 2025 (Thursday)
1st Week in Ordinary Time
Psalter: Week 1 / (Green)
Ps 95:6-7c, 8-9, 10-11
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
1st Reading: Hebrews 3:7-14
Listen to what the Holy Spirit says: If only you would hear God’s voice today! Do not be stubborn, as they were in the place called Rebellion, when your ancestors challenged me in the desert, although they had seen my deeds for 40 years. That is why I was angry with those people and said: Their hearts are always going astray and they do not understand my ways.
I was angry and made a solemn vow: They will never enter my rest. So, brothers, be careful, lest some of you come to have an evil and unbelieving heart, that falls away from the living God. Encourage one another, day by day, as long as it is called today. Let no one become hardened in the deceitful way of sin. We are associated with Christ, provided we hold steadfastly to our initial hope, until the end.
Gospel: Mark 1:40-45
A leper came to Jesus and begged him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do want to; be clean.” The leprosy left the man at once and he was made clean.
As Jesus sent the man away, he sternly warned him, “Don’t tell anyone about this, but go and show yourself to the priest; and for the cleansing, bring the offering ordered by Moses; in this way, you will give to them your testimony.” However, as soon as the man went out, he began spreading the news everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter any town. But even though he stayed in the rural areas, people came to him from everywhere.
Reflection:
“Be instrument of Christ’s loving mercy.”
We are presented with two attitudes of the heart today: one stubborn, and the other compassionate. The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that the People of Israel were stubborn and rebelled against God in the desert when they were put to the test. He uses this memory of the past as an encouragement to us to listen to God’s voice “today,” and not to ignore it when we face challenges.
Christ extends his hand to the human race (Heb 2:16) to lift us up and heal us of our sin, just as he does to the leper in the Gospel. May we not refuse Christ’s helping hand by shutting God out in the difficult times of life, blaming them on him. Rather than have a stubborn heart, we are to be open and docile to God’s presence and action in our lives.
This will transform us, so that our hearts become more like Christ’s in their compassion. In this way, we become instruments of Christ’s loving mercy. We become his helping, caring hands, lifting people up and supporting them in their suffering.
