January 28, 2024 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Daily readings: Deuteronomy 18:15–20, 1 Corinthians 7:32–35, Mark 1:21–28
The First Reading from the Book of Deuteronomy reveals God’s mind and promise to raise up a prophet in the mould of Moses in the far-off future. He will be God’s mouthpiece. God expects absolute loyalty from him. Those who do not heed the voice of the prophet will directly be responsible to God Himself. The people of Israel are frightened of God’s direct interaction with them, and therefore they need an intermediary. God’s promise to raise a prophet is in continuity and in consonance with the distinctive prophetic role of Moses.
Paul addresses in the Second Reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians to unmarried men and virgins. Paul teaches them how to please the Lord by offering themselves to the affairs of the Lord. Comparing them to married people, Paul says that they are always busy with how to please their wives and husbands, respectively.
Every person is called to pursue holiness in both body and spirit. One of the ways to achieve this is to offer unhindered devotion to the Lord. Although Paul loves to impose administrative decisions on people, he shows restraint in imposing moral judgments. In 7:35, Paul says, “I say this for your own benefit, not to put any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord.”
The Gospel Reading from the Gospel, according to St. Mark, portrays Jesus’ ministry of teaching and healing going hand in hand on the very first day itself. This day marks the arrival of the Messiah. Jesus impresses everyone gathered in the Synagogue. Although the content of Jesus’ teaching is not made available to us, we do know that people found joy in listening to him, and the sick found healing in him.
The Gospel text also demonstrates the fulfillment of God's promise (in the First Reading) in the person of Jesus. His authority comes from God, and it refers to his supernatural powers. On the very first day of his public ministry, he sets fire straightaway. He shows the kingdom of God opposing the kingdom of Satan. The tussle will continue. The evil spirit recognizes Jesus and the purpose of his coming into the world. He has come to defeat the demonic power structures present in the world.
Call to Action for Catholic Living: Absolute loyalty to God is one of the most critical prerogatives of a prophet. How faithful are you in your ministry?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
