Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection January 28, 2025
3rd Week in Ordinary Time
28th January 2025 (Tuesday)
Psalter: Week 3
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Hebrews 10:1-10
Brothers and sisters: Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of them, it can never make perfect those who come to worship by the same sacrifices that they offer continually each year. Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer have had any consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins, for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins. For this reason, when he came into the world, he said: Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you took no delight. Then I said, As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God. First he says, Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in. These are offered according to the law. Then he says, Behold, I come to do your will. He takes away the first to establish the second. By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Psalm 40:2, 4ab, 7-8a, 10, 11 (R. 8a and 9a)
R/. Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 3:31-35
The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house. Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, “Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.” But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Tuesday – 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
Main Point: All of us belong to one God and one family of God. What is required is a constant awareness of this oneness of God’s family
“Who are my mother and my brothers?” “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and brother”. Thereby, Jesus makes his priorities clear. Belonging to God is higher and more important than belonging to the human group. Spiritual family is higher and more important than the natural family. Doing God’s will is higher and more important than mere formal duties.
Thus, Jesus does not allow himself to be confined or conditioned by natural affinities. In fact, he himself is the perfect embodiment of God’s will. He came to do God’s will. In the light of the first reading, Jesus makes it clear that God is pleased not by mere sacrifices and offerings but by doing God’s will.
This is a crucial challenge and urgent exigency. Sadly, we are living in a society that is fragmented by various divisive factors like caste, region, religion, language, culture, rite, et cetera. Subsequently, nepotism, favouritism, and communalism are rupturing the sense of unity.
These secondary affinities are overriding and even substitute the core identity of one family of God’s children and brothers and sisters. Consequently, a good number live and promote these affinities and their interests and agendas, detriment to the larger concerns and growth. St Thomas Aquinas rose above all such narrow confines. For him, the sole focus was on God and his commitment was to the spiritual family of God.
My Practice: Every division and disunity is a sign of inner narrowness. Therefore, let us enlarge our hearts and foster the spirit of a spiritual and fraternal family
