1st SATURDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Mark 2:13-17) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” (Mk 2:17)

FIRST READING - 1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10-1

"This is the man I told you about; he shall govern my people."

A reading from the Book of Samuel

¹ There was a powerful man from Benjamin named Kish, who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite. ² He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man. There was no other Israelite more handsome than Saul; he stood head and shoulders above the people.

³ Now the donkeys of Saul’s father, Kish, had wandered off. Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go out and hunt for the donkeys.” ⁴ So they went through the hill country of Ephraim, and through the land of Shalishah. Not finding them there, they continued through the land of Shaalim without success. They also went through the land of Benjamin, but they failed to find the animals.

¹⁷ When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord assured him: This is the man I told you about; he shall govern my people. ¹⁸ Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said, “Please tell me where the seer lives.” ¹⁹ Samuel answered Saul: “I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today. In the morning, before letting you go, I will tell you everything on your mind. ¹ Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying: “The Lord anoints you ruler over his people Israel. You are the one who will govern the Lord’s people and save them from the power of their enemies all around them.

“This will be the sign^[a] for you that the Lord has anointed you ruler over his heritage:

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mk 2:13-17

"I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

✠From the Gospel according to Mark

^13 [a]Once again he went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. ¹⁴ As he passed by,^[b] he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. ¹⁵ While he was at table in his house,^[c] many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. ^16 [d]Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹⁷ Jesus heard this and said to them [that], “Those who are well do not need a physician,^[e] but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

1st SATURDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Mark 2:13-17)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today's Word of God, God continues to teach all humanity about His immense love.

God came into the world to save humanity, to liberate people from the captivity of Satan. Therefore, throughout His journey, He always taught, saved, and healed every sickness and infirmity that humanity suffered.

God is the Father of humanity, the only Father that mankind has. He never abandons any soul, any child, yet humanity rebels against God the Father by using the freedom God grants to stray far from His love.

God wants humanity to be vigilant to come to the heart of God the Father, so that He may soothe every pain that people are experiencing. That pain is brought about by the world and by human weakness through which people have fallen into the traps of Satan, falling into great temptations of passion and sin. It is for this reason that God tells everyone that He came into the world to save sinners, to heal the sick and ailing, not to save the righteous or the healthy, for the healthy people in this world do not need God.

God wants to instruct everyone to be vigilant, for before God the Father, no one is righteous, and no one is healthy. God the Father calls upon humanity to be modest and humble, to acknowledge their condition as weak, lowly, and sinful human beings.

He also wants humanity to acknowledge that we are sick people who need to run to the love and mercy of God the Father, need to listen to His instructions and put them into practice; do not follow the path of Satan's pride, nor walk the path of darkness any longer!

Step out into the light, walk the path of love to which God the Father has called upon everyone, which is to love God above all things and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

No one is righteous before God the Father; everyone is a sinner.

God the Father calls on all humanity to come to God. He is the God of love, the God of mercy; He excludes no one when they know how to rely on His mercy.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

19:00 Jan 17, 2026 - Prayer of Divine Mercy - The Way to Heaven