Daily Readings for February 7, 2016

1ST READING

Isaiah is aware that he is not worthy to serve the Lord. The same is true for us, yet God continues to call us to help in building His Kingdom. It is humbling that the Lord of the universe wants us to work with Him in bringing the Good News of salvation to the world. As we reflect on His call, let us be generous in our response to Him.

Isaiah 6:1-2, 3-8

1 In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple. 2 Seraphim were stationed above. 3 They cried one to the other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!” 4 At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 He touched my mouth with it, and said, “See, now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” “Here I am,” I said; “send me!”

P S A L M

Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8

R: In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

1 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; 2 I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name. (R) Because of your kindness and your truth; for you have made great above all things your name and your promise. 3When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me. (R) 4 All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O Lord, when they hear the words of your mouth; 5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord: “Great is the glory of the Lord.” (R) 7 Your right hand saves me. 8 The Lord will complete what he has done for me; your kindness, O Lord, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands. (R)

2ND READING

The truth of the kerygma – the proclamation of the Gospel – is essential for the work of the Church. Paul reflects on the possibility that the resurrection did not happen. If this is the case, then Christianity is worthless. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is essential to what we believe and proclaim as Christians. Let us deepen our knowledge and experience of the kerygma through daily prayer and reflection.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1 I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. 2 Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; 4 that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; 5 that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

GOSPEL

Jesus calls us to follow Him. The Gospel today shows the call of Peter and Andrew. Jesus points them in the direction of a great catch (of fish) after calling them. He teaches us that if we are obedient to His call, then our lives will always bear fruit. Obedience to Jesus’ call leads to success in the  work of the Kingdom of God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Come after me and I will make you fishers of men.

Luke 5:1-11

1 While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. 2 He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” 9 For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, 10 and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

Credits to: www.kerygmafamily.com