Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection January 22, 2025

22nd January 2025 (Wednesday)

Psalter: Week 2

Readings of the Day

First Reading: Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17

Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kings and blessed him. And Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything. His name first means righteous king, and he was also “king of Salem,” that is, king of peace. Without father, mother, or ancestry, without beginning of days or end of life, thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up after the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become so, not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. For it is testified: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4 (R. 4b)

R/. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Gospel Acclamation

V/. Alleluia

R/. Alleluia

V/. Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people.

R/. Alleluia.

Gospel: Mark 3:1-6

Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” Then he said to the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

Daily Gospel Reflection

Wednesday – 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

Guidelines: Life is meant to bloom and glow, to blossom and grow, to nourish itself and to flourish in fruits. A withered life is a worthless life!

1. The Gospel of the day presents Jesus healing a man with a withered hand on a Sabbath. The Pharisees and scribes accuse him heavily for violating the Sabbath. They even begin to plot to kill him. Every occasion of preaching and healing turns into an occasion of confrontation and accusation and antagonization.

2. Now, what is wrong? Certainly Jesus was not wrong, because he was doing no wrong. He did good, did only good and always did good. For him, doing good always and everywhere is the greatest concern. No law, no force can condition it or restrict it. Therefore, the restrictions of the Sabbath law did not matter for him, since healing a withered hand was more beneficial and important. That is why, he poses a challenge, with the question, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save the life or kill?”.

3. But the Pharisees and the scribes have no such concern and no such perspective. They were blinded by their own self-righteousness. They were prejudiced against Jesus, because of jealousy and hostility. In fact, these were the real withered people, more than the man with withered hand. They were withered because for them observing the law of Sabbath is more important than doing good and saving life. That is why the healing of the withered man by Jesus, leads them to plot to kill him. One who does not see God’s hand and does not confide in His power, is truly a withered person.

Practice: Every perverted, arrogant and evil-minded heart is the real withering. This is more deplorable than the external withering.