Daily Readings for January 24, 2017

1ST READING

St. Francis de Sales, whose Feast we celebrate today, wrote many works in defense of the faith. His best-known work is his two-volume exposé on the love of God. Francis focused on God’s love as he lived at a time of much confusion and violence in the Church with the Protestant Reformation raging in Geneva, Switzerland. Love is the true and perfect sacrifice we can offer to God.

Hebrews 10:1-10

1 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. 2 Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer have had any consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins, 4 for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins. 5 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; 6 burnt offerings and sin offerings you took no delight in. 7 Then I said, As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God. 8 First he says, Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in. These are offered according to the law. 9 Then he says, Behold, I come to do your will. He takes away the first to establish the second. 10 By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.

P S A L M

Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 10, 11

R: Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.

1 [2] I have waited, waited for the Lord, and he stooped toward me. 3 [4] And he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God. (R) 6 [7] Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not; 7 [8] then said I, “Behold I come.” (R) 9 [10] I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O Lord, know. (R) 10 [11] Your justice I kept not hid within my heart; your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of; I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth in the vast assembly. (R)

GOSPEL

Jesus is not interested in the conventions of the day. He is only interested in proclaiming the truth of the Gospel and calling others to help Him do so. We need to decide how committed we will be to do the work of the Gospel. This is60 what matters to Jesus – discipleship. Pope Francis calls us to be missionary disciples and we cannot do this without choosing Christ.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.

Mark 3:31-35

31 The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house. Standing outside they sent word to Jesus and called him. 32 A crowd seated around him told him, “Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.” 33 But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 35 For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”