Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection January 20, 2025
2nd Week in Ordinary Time
20th January 2025 (Monday)
Psalter: Week 2
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Hebrews 5:1-10
Brothers and sisters: Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. No one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. In the same way, it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest, but rather the one who said to him: You are my Son: this day I have begotten you; just as he says in another place, You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. In the days when he was in the Flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
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/. The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 2:18-22
The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Monday – 2nd Week in Ordinary Time
Guidelines: God is pleased, not so much with external offerings and spiritual activities, but with an obedient heart and a genuine life
1. External spiritual activities and devotional practices are good and needed. They manifest our love for God and loyalty to Him. They show how much we care for Him and are related to Him. They also help us to grow in our faith and closeness with God. Further, they also inspire, illuminate and strengthen us to change our life for the better, to live a renewed life in tune with our devotion and spirituality. In that way, no one can deny or reduce the importance of spiritual concerns.
2. But, many times the problem with many is, there is no correspondence between the spiritual and actual life. One may be very fervent spiritually but indifferent toward others. One may praise and worship God actively, but may be very abusive and blaming others. One may be very humble and submissive before God, but arrogant and domineering toward others.
3. It is a shallow spirituality and a fake devotion. Jesus is always unhappy with such a spirituality. It is this hypocrisy that Jesus reproaches in today’s gospel as well. This is exactly putting a new patch on an old cloth, putting new wine into old wine skins. Without changing the old cloth and wineskins of sin and evil, there is no use of putting on new patches and new wine. Our devotion is not a substitution for dedication. Our spirituality is not a mask for the lack of integrity.
4. Therefore, what is most important in life and what really counts before God is not mere religious practices or offerings, but obedience to God’s will and honesty of living. All our spiritual activities should be directed to abide close to the Lord and to renew life. The presence of the bridegroom is more important than all the other matters of marriage. A thorough renewal of life is more important than mere patch works and temporary adjustments.
Practice: The right and perfect spirituality is not merely a bundle of religious duties, but a humble obedience to God’s will, as Jesus did, though Son of God himself
