*****NB*****Readings and Homily Resources – Mon 11 Jan 2026 – Sat 17 Jan 2026
The link from the Homepage to the specific day is malfunctioning, apologies. Until it is rectified see below for all Readings and Homily Resources for the rest of the week.
12 Jan 2026 – Monday of Week 1
1st Reading: 1 Samuel 1:1-8
Hannah’s grief at being childless; her husband tries to comfort her
There was a man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
Now this man used to go up year by year from his town to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
Responsorial: Psalm 115:12-19
R./: To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise
How can I repay the Lord
for his goodness to me?
The cup of salvation I will raise,
I will call on the Lord’s name. (R./)
My vows to the Lord I will fulfil
before all his people.
O precious in the eyes of the Lord
is the death of his faithful. (R./)
Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;
you have loosened my bonds.
A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;
I will call on the Lord’s name. (R./)
My vows to the Lord I will fulfil
before all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem. (R./)
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20
Jesus begins his mission and calls his first disciples
After John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea — for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught.
Handing on faith
The Scriptures begin where all of us begin, within family life, where we first find our hopes and possibilities. The Bible shows a healthy respect for the family as the nurturing place for faith. Samuel’s vocation to be a prophet began with his devout parents, as shown in today’s reading. But there are also times when one is called to go beyond the known and familiar, and launch out on a new vocation. Remember Abraham’s call, to “Leave your country and your father’s house, and go the land that I will show you.” So it was for those working fishermen, Simon and Andrew and their partners, whom Jesus called to leave their previous occupation and travel the country with him, spreading his special kind of faith to as many people as possible.
If at times Jesus may seem only vaguely present to us, he is still near and calling us to follow him as generously as they did. In the providence of God, we will have the ability and opportunity to spread that message. Those four Galilean fishermen were never the same again. And if Jesus says to us, “Follow me,” and we respond generously, our life’s fulfilment will be safe in his guiding hands.
A lifegiving meeting
Any significant encounter between people can have lifegiving effect. The meeting of Peter, Andrew, James and John with Jesus was such a life-giving moment for those fishermen. The kind of encounter they had at the lakeshore is offered to each of us. Jesus is not just a figure of history, belonging to the past. He is the living Lord, still present in his church and in the world, constantly calling out to us and meeting with us in the course of our day to day lives, as he met with Simon, Andrew, James and John while they were going about their work as fishermen.
The Lord meets us and speaks to us in various ways, especially in the Eucharist, in the Scriptures, through listening to others, listening to nature and listening to our own hearts. If we experience the good news of God’s unconditional love, we will also hear some kind of personal call to bring good news for others. In spirit, we are to bring Christ to the world, “I will make you fishers…” May we have the grace to respond to the Lord’s presence as were Peter, Andrew, James and John.
13 Jan 2026 – Tuesday of Week 1
Optional Memorial: St Hilary, c. 315-c. 367, elected Bishop of Potiers (353) and stood against Arianism. Exiled (356-59) by Emperor Constantius, he used his time to write. Works include De Trinitate.
1st Reading: 1 Samuel 1:9-20
Eli promises that Hannah will give birth to a son
After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. She made this vow: “O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a Nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head.”
As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.” Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favour in your sight.” Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer.
They rose early in the morning and worshipped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. In due time, Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I have asked him of the Lord.”
Responsorial: 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8
R./: My heart rejoices in the Lord, my Saviour
My heart exults in the Lord.
I find my strength in my God;
my mouth laughs at my enemies
as I rejoice in your saving help. (R./)
The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the weak are clothed with strength.
Those with plenty must labour for bread,
but the hungry need work no more.
The childless wife has children now
but the fruitful wife bears no more. (R./)
It is the Lord who gives life and death,
he brings men to the grave and back;
it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches.
He brings men low and raises them on high. (R./)
He lifts up the lowly from the dust,
from the dungheap he raises the poor
to set him in the company of princes,
to give him a glorious throne. (R./)
Gospel: Mark 1:21-28
Jesus teaches with authority and drives out unclean spirits. People are spellbound
They went to Capernaum; and when the Sabbath came, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”
But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching — with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
A new Power in the Land
As the people were spellbound about Jesus, his “new teaching” and his special authority, we too are invited to give him our full attention. He brought new life to those who were sitting in darkness, in need of a clear vision to live by.
The prayerful wife, Hannah, shows great dignity in spite of her grief at being childless. She gives an honest answer to the high priest who accused her of being drunk. “I am an unhappy woman…. I am only pouring out my troubles to the Lord.” What else could Eli reply to her anguished sincerity but “May the God of Israel grant your request.”
After giving birth, the delighted Hannah decides to consecrate her newborn son as a Nazirite. He would belong to the Lord in a special way and show his consecration by never drinking wine and strong drink, never shaving the beard nor cutting the hair on his head.
Today’s texts summon us to respond to the powerful, creative grace at the root of our existence; to wait patiently and prayerfully; to pour out our soul to God; to struggle against evil through moments of “nazirite” simplicity; to realize that Jesus has experienced all our trials in his own person so that in him we can reach our full destiny as children of God.
Healing and Praying
There are two quite different acts of Jesus in today’s gospel. He shows life-giving power by healing Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, taking her by the hand and lifting her up. He goes on to heal many sick people who were brought to him. These healings were greatly appreciated by everyone, who came crowding to see him. His second act is much more private. In the morning, long before dawn, Jesus goes off by himself to a lonely place to pray.
Whereas his healings were praised by all, his going off by himself to pray is not clearly understood. Even those closest to him didn’t think much of it. Peter, the chief disciple, rebukes Jesus, “Everybody is looking for you,” as though to say, “Why are you wasting time out here on your own?” He has yet to learn how vital for Jesus was his inner relationship with God. Prayer was as important to him as his work of teaching and healing.
Prayer is as vital for us as it was for Jesus, indeed, even more important. We need the Lord if we are to live as he wants us to live and if we are to share in some way in the Lord’s work. In prayer we express our dependence on God, and open ourselves up to grace, so as to be channels of that grace to others.
14 Jan 2026 – Wednesday of Week 1
1st Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 etc
From the sanctuary God calls Samuel, and sends him as a prophet
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.
At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. The Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
Responsorial: Psalm 39:2, 5, 7-10
R./: Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will
I waited, I waited for the Lord
and he stooped down to me;
he heard my cry.
Happy the man who has placed
his trust in the Lord
and has not gone over to the rebels
who follow false gods. (R./)
You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings,
but an open ear.
You do not ask for holocaust and victim.
Instead, here am I.
In the scroll of the book it stands written
that I should do your will.
My God, I delight in your law
in the depth of my heart.
Your justice I have proclaimed
in the great assembly.
My lips I have not sealed;
you know it, O Lord. (R./)
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39
Jesus cures Peter’s mother-in-law, withdraws to pray, then preaches the good news
As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Committed to our calling
Young Samuel ran to the old priest and said anxiously, “Here I am. You called me!” This happened three times, and each time old Eli told him, “I did not call you. Go back to sleep.” The Hebrew sounds quiet and mellow, a whispering play on words: Lo’ kerati beni; shub shahab. Finally, old Eli advises that if God should call again, he should answer, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” And so Samuel became a prophet, a spokesman for God, who changed the course of Israel’s history. His tranquil home life at the sanctuary at Shiloh was disrupted by the call to become God’s prophet.
There are echoes of another prophetic vocation in today’s gospel. After preaching in the synagogue, Jesus goes to Peter’s home in Capernaum and finds Peter’s mother-in-law in bed with a fever. How normal it was for him to notice when people were ill; and not to just stand there as a spectator. He took her by the hand and helped her up, “and the fever left her.” Remarkably, the newly-recovered woman offers hospitality to Jesus and his friends. Then the crowds gather, the sick are laid at the doorstep, and mentally deranged people are freed of the demon within them.
The hubbub was too much even for Jesus. Early next morning, he went off to a lonely place to spend time in prayer. But word had gone out and he was tracked down by Simon with the reproach, “Everyone is looking for you.” He responded by moving about among the neighbouring villages to preach… “for that is what I have come to do.” Like Samuel, Jesus had a strong sense of mission, to do God’s work. He wants us also to be faithful to our calling; to share his spirit with others, and take time out for prayer and reflection. In our own way, we take our part in Jesus’ vocation in life.
15 Jan 2026 – Thursday of Week 1
Memorial: St Ita, born in Waterford, of Christian nobility. Founded a monastery in Killeedy, CO Limerick. Called ‘the foster-mother of the Saints of Ireland’. She died in 570.
1st Reading: 1 Samuel 4:1-11
Misusing the Ark of the Covenant, the people are defeated in battle
The word of Samuel came to all Israel. In those days the Philistines mustered for war against Israel, and Israel went out to battle against them; they encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle was joined, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. When the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord put us to rout today before the Philistines? Let us bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, so that he may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” So the people sent to Shiloh, and brought from there the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the Ark of the Covenant of God.
When the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. When the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid; for they said, “Gods have come into the camp.” They also said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, in order not to become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.”
So the Philistines fought; Israel was defeated, and they fled, everyone to his home. There was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Responsorial: Psalm 43:10-11, 14-15, 24-25
R./: Save us, Lord, in your mercy
Yet now you have rejected us, disgraced us:
you no longer go forth with our armies.
You make us retreat from the foe
and our enemies plunder us at will. (R./)
You make us the taunt of our neighbours,
the mockery and scorn of all who are near.
Among the nations, you make us a byword,
among the peoples a thing of derision. (R./)
Awake, O Lord, why do you sleep?
Arise, do not reject us for ever!
Why do you hide your face
and forget our oppression and misery. (R./)
Gospel: Mark 1:40-45
Jesus cures the leper, who then tells everyone about it
A leper came to Jesus begging him, and kneeling said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.
The externals of religion
In his story about the healing of the leper, Mark stresses the supremacy of faith. Even today our heart must be open to new graces and most of all to God’s personal presence. The externals of religion, even sacred dogmas and the holiest objects, are meant to facilitate our interior communion with the Lord. Our hearts, when silence prevails and distraction is kept at bay, are the true Ark of the Covenant and place where miracles happen. God sometimes allows the externals of religion on which we rely seemingly to collapse. The Ark will be captured by the enemy. Traditional religious practices suddenly seem inadequate to our needs and leaves us feeling helpless. We must traverse this desert to find Jesus.
Discerning true faith from false religiosity is not easy. The common folk are hardly to blame for rallying around traditional religious centres, the Ark of the Covenant and the miraculous power of God. Who then is to blame? It seems that religious leaders carry the burden of helping to keep religion pure. Earlier in First Samuel, in a section not mentioned in the liturgy, Eli’s sons Hophni and Phinehas were guilty of serious wrongdoing. They were reserving the best part of the people’s sacrifices for themselves and offering to God only the remnants; there were other scandalous actions. Religious leaders bear the brunt of blame if superstition and selfishness are rampant among the people, or if the people cannot distinguish true from false forms of religion.
We each have religious influence in one way or another: as parent or teacher, as priest or minister, as neighbour or friend. In all of these capacities we influence others and are responsible for the moral attitude and strength of faith in others. The Scriptures question us: Do I use my position of authority to dominate others or to acquire personal benefits or to further personal career? Do I seek not to be the centre of attention, so that my words and actions lead others to prayer and recollection in God’s presence?
Touching a leper
Often in the gospels Jesus heals people by means of his word. In healing the leper, however, Jesus not only spoke to him, but he touched him. In touching the leper, Jesus did what no one else would have done. For obvious reasons, people kept lepers at a distance, and lepers were expected to keep their distance from others. Jesus, however, kept no one at a distance, not even lepers. No one was beyond his reach; no one was untouchable. He came to touch our lives in a very tangible way, all of our lives, regardless of our condition. The leper wasn’t sure whether Jesus wanted to heal him, as is clear from his opening words to Jesus, “If you want to, you can cure me.” Jesus showed he wanted to heal him, by touching him.
The Lord wants to touch our lives too, because he wants to bring life to us all. Nothing we do or fail to do, no circumstance in which we find ourselves, need place us beyond his reach. As st Paul says, “nothing can come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus.” The Lord touches our lives, where we are, as we are. All we need is something of the leper’s initiative in approaching Jesus.
16 Jan 2026 – Friday of Week 1
Optional Memorial: St Fursa, Irish born missionary who went abroad, first with his brothers Foillan and Ultan to East Anglia; France circa 644 where he was given a hermitage at Lagny on the Marne. Died c 650 at Mézerolles, buried in Péronne, which became a centre of devotion to him.
1st Reading: 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22
When the people demand a king, Samuel warns of the dangers
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, “You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to govern us.” Samuel prayed to the Lord, and the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.
So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plough his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers. He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers. He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take one-tenth of your locks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, “No! but we are determined to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.” When Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and set a king over them.” Samuel then said to the people of Israel, “Each of you return home.”
Responsorial: Psalm 88:16-19
R./: For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord
Happy the people who acclaim such a king,
who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
who find their joy every day in your name,
who make your justice the source of their bliss. (R./)
For it is you, O Lord, who are the glory of their strength;
it is by your favour that our might is exalted:
for our ruler is in the keeping of the Lord;
our king in the keeping of the Holy One of Israel. (R./)
Gospel: Mark 2:1-12
A crowd gathers at Jesus’ home in Capernaum; he heals a paralytic and forgives his sins
When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — he said to the paralytic — “I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Monarchy and authority
In Samuel’s time, Israel’s very existence was threatened by the Philistines. Since their traditional tribal structure was unable to meet the Philistine forces, they could not remain independent tribes, loosely united under prophet-priests at various religious sanctuaries. Ambiguously, Samuel names a king for Israel. God works through human means within imperfect situations. He had shaped Israel’s past in the land of Egypt, then by the chastening years in the desert and while they wrestled control of the Promised Land from the Canaanites. No single form of government is perfect; so Samuel anoints their first king.
Any political system tends to abuses in the wielding of power and prestige, and has its own forms of oppression. Yet at the start, the monarchy offered hope and promise. It was an open invitation to win a phase of peace and security. An ideal monarch would give an example to guide our society, whether civil or religious.
The Gospel episode shows both the authority of Jesus and the creative helpfulness of some friends of the sick man. Without his friends the paralytic man was unable to get anywhere, let alone get close to Jesus. The Lord shows himself a healer of body and spirit: Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk again’? To come close to God there must be forgiveness — not only from Jesus, but among ourselves too. Together we can support each other in changing times, rallying round to help, willing to serve with love.
Carrying a friend
The image of the four men carrying the paralytic to Jesus is a very graphic one. They were so determined to get him to Jesus that they opened a hole in the roof above Jesus when their way through the door was blocked because of the crowd. They wanted to get their friend to Jesus because they recognized Jesus as the source of health and life. They were taking their friend to a fuller life. The image of the four who carried their sick friend towards the source of life is a powerful lesson.
At times we can do little for ourselves and must depend on others for health, for life, for safety. At other times we might be like the friends of the paralysed man, able to help others to their feet, or bring them from despair to hope.
St Paul urges us to carry each other’s burdens. When we try to do that we align ourselves with the one who said, “Come to me all you who labour and are burdened and I will give you rest.” He wants us to help him to carry the burdens of others and help them in any way we can.
17 Jan 2026 – Saturday of Week 1
Memorial: St Anthony, died 356, Father of monasticism, lived a life of solitude yet attracted people to form communities of hermits.
1st Reading: 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 12-19; 10:1
Saul is anointed by Samuel as king of Israel, at God’s inspiration
There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. He had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders above everyone else. Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, had strayed. So Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the boys with you; go and look for the donkeys.” He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of Benjamin, but they did not find them.
When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you. He it is who shall rule over my people.” Then Saul approached Samuel inside the gate, and said, “Tell me, please, where is the house of the seer?” Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer; go up before me to the shrine, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind.
Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him; he said, “The Lord has anointed you ruler over his people Israel. You shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their enemies all around. Now this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you ruler over his heritage.”
Responsorial: Psalm 20:2-7
R./: Lord, your strength gives joy to the king
O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king;
how your saving help makes him glad!
You have granted him his heart’s desire;
you have not refused the prayer of his lips. (R./)
You came to meet him with the blessings of success,
you have set on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked you for life and this you have given,
days that will last from age to age. (R./)
Your saving help has given him glory.
You have laid upon him majesty and splendour,
you have granted your blessings to him for ever.
You have made him rejoice with the joy of your presence. (R./)
Gospel: Mark 2:13-17
Jesus calls a tax collector to be a disciple, and dines with him
Jesus went out again beside the sea; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.
And as he sat at dinner in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples — for there were many who followed him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
Tax collector and Gospel-writer
Saint Mark has described for us the call of Levi, the tax collector. In the later gospel of Matthew, the tax collector is called Matthew rather than Levi.
I remember a wonderful painting of the call of Matthew by Caravaggio. He must have seemed an unlikely candidate to join the other disciples. Tax collectors were judged to be very mercenary, and not good Jews. Yet when he was invited, Levi left his customs house and followed Jesus. He did a complete about-turn, and followed a very different way of life.
Something about the personality of Jesus caused a total change in Levi’s life. That personality has the same life-changing power among us today. The most unlikely things can happen to us if we open ourselves to the Lord’s presence and word. Our relationship with Jesus can be a truly transforming experience, moving us towards a more generous way of life.
Who should be our leader?
Each person is called to exercise leadership of one kind or another, by the grace of God. We are meant to inspire other people by our kindness and our love for truth and justice, the leadership qualities to which God calls us. Today’s readings describing the vocations of king Saul and of the apostle Matthew, invite us to reflect on the types of people God calls and the different kinds of leadership they provide.
In king Saul we see the most likely person, and in Matthew the least likely person, called into positions of responsibility. Saul was a tall young man, we are told, standing head and shoulders above his people, royal in stature. By contrast Matthew, as a tax collector under the hated Roman occupiers, was an outcast, barred from synagogue and Temple. He was barred from all contact, even at table, with law-abiding fellow-Jews. It is not that Jesus chooses only the riff-raff for religious leadership, but rather that He whose word penetrates between soul and spirit, sees the value and potential in people whom others too quickly discard. Others may see in the tax-man Matthew only a half-pagan, friendly with the foreign oppressors, but Jesus recognizes him as a man of compassionate heart, optimistic and kind to others. He was also aware of Matthew’s faults, and in explaining his choice to the grumbling Pharisees, said, “I have come to call sinners, not the self-righteous.”
Of all leadership qualities, the most basic is a desire to serve by leading. Leaders must recognize and support the talents in others. After calling Matthew into his little circle, Jesus also dines in Matthew’s home with his friends and colleagues. Matthew’s training is already underway, friendship is being deepened, confidence being established. This suggests a good ideal of leadership training for all in the Church, especially for our bishops and our pope.