Daily Readings for January 8, 2015

1ST READING

Here, John explains the essential relationship between the love of God and love of our neighbor. The two always go together and cannot be separated. If we do one, then the other is inherent within it. If we truly love God, then we recognize that we must also love all people. Love is a decision that we make, not just a response to experiences.

1 John 4:19-5:4

19 Beloved, we love God because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 This is the commandment we have from him: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the Father loves also the one begotten by him. 2 In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, 4 for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.

P S AL M

Psalm 72:1-2, 14, 15, 17

R: Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

1 O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; 2 He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. (R) 14 From fraud and violence he shall redeem them, and precious shall their blood be in his sight. 15 May they be prayed for continually; day by day shall they bless him. (R) 17 May his name be blessed forever; as long as the sun his name shall remain. In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed; all the nations shall proclaim his happiness. (R)

GOSPEL

Jesus’ ministry was conducted under the grace of the Holy Spirit. It is the same Spirit that should lead and guide our lives. Let us reflect upon what the prophet Isaiah tells us in this text and see if we are being faithful to our calling — to bring the Good News to the poor, liberty to captives, and so on. How well do we carry out this mandate and command? Are there things we are neglecting in our response to Jesus?

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives.

Luke 4:14-22

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. 15 He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. 16 He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read 17 and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. 20 Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. 21 He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.

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