Daily Readings for January 12, 2017

1ST READING

As Christians, we must engage the world with God’s mercy and love and help others know Jesus as we do. This is evangelization — the work of God to convert people. A disciple of Jesus is a channel by which a person experiences first-hand the loving mercy of God.

Hebrews 3:7-14

7 The Holy Spirit says: Oh, that today you would hear his voice, 8 “Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion in the day of testing in the desert, 9 where your ancestors tested and tried me and saw my works 10 for forty years. Because of this I was provoked with that generation and I said, “They have always been of erring heart, and they do not know my ways.” 11 As I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter into my rest.’” 12 Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil and unfaithful heart, so as to forsake the living God. 13 Encourage yourselves daily while it is still “today,” so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin. 14 We have become partners of Christ if only we hold the beginning of the reality firm until the end.

P S A L M

Psalm 95:6-7, 8-9, 10-11

R: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

6 Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us. 7 For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides. (R) Oh, that today you would hear his voice, 8 “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, 9 where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.” (R) 10 Forty years I was wearied of that generation, and I said: This people’s heart goes astray, they do not know my ways. 11 Therefore I swore in my anger: “They shall never enter my rest.” (R)

GOSPEL

Why are some people healed and others are not during the healing Mass? God works in mysterious ways. He knows what He is doing and His will is always the best for us. God is not impulsive or vindictive. When we suffer from sin at our own hands or the hands of other people, it is not God’s choice but ours that causes the suffering.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

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

Mark 1:40-45

40 A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” 42 The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. 43 Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. 44 Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” 45 The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.