FRIDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Gospel (Mark 4:26-34) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants.” (Mk 31:32)

FIRST READING - 2 Sm 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17

"She is Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite. Then David sent messengers and took her."

A reading from the Letter of Samuel

¹ At the turn of the year,^[a] the time when kings go to war, David sent out Joab along with his officers and all Israel, and they laid waste the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. David himself remained in Jerusalem. ² One evening David rose from his bed and strolled about on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof he saw a woman bathing; she was very beautiful. ³ David sent people to inquire about the woman and was told, “She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, and wife of Uriah the Hittite, Joab’s armor-bearer.” ⁴ Then David sent messengers and took her. When she came to him, he took her to bed, at a time when she was just purified after her period; and she returned to her house.

⁵ But the woman had become pregnant; she sent a message to inform David, “I am pregnant.”

⁶ So David sent a message to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” Joab sent Uriah to David. ⁷ And when he came, David asked him how Joab was, how the army was, and how the war was going, and Uriah answered that all was well. ⁸ David then said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and bathe your feet.” Uriah left the king’s house, and a portion from the king’s table was sent after him. ⁹ But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king’s house with the other officers of his lord, and did not go down to his own house. ¹⁰ David was told, “Uriah has not gone down to his house.” So he said to Uriah, “Have you not come from a journey? Why, then, did you not go down to your house?”

¹³ David summoned him, and he ate and drank with David, who got him drunk. But in the evening he went out to sleep on his bed among his lord’s servants, and did not go down to his house. ¹⁴ The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab which he sent by Uriah. ¹⁵ This is what he wrote in the letter: “Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce. Then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead.” ¹⁶ So while Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew the defenders were strong. ¹⁷ When the men of the city made a sortie against Joab, some officers of David’s army fell, and Uriah the Hittite also died.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mk 4:26-34

"It is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how."

✠From the Gospel according to Mark

²⁶ He said, “This is how it is with the kingdom of God;^[a] it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land ²⁷ and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. ²⁸ Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. ²⁹ And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.”

³⁰ He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. ^32 [b]But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” ³³ With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. ³⁴ Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

FRIDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Gospel (Mark 4:26-34)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear people of God,

In today’s Word of God, God desires to tell all humanity about His plan for entering the Kingdom of Heaven.

God reveals to humanity that the Kingdom of Heaven has been bestowed upon the world, and it will gradually grow without anyone knowing beforehand; only those who are determined to live and act according to God the Father’s teachings will be able to see the Kingdom of Heaven right here on this earth.

The image of the Kingdom of Heaven is precisely the image of the Son of God coming into the world to accompany humanity.

God the Father makes known that wherever there is happiness, wherever God reigns, there the Kingdom of Heaven resides within the very heart of each person on this earth.

For humanity to experience happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven, we must become little, simple, and lowly in the sight of God the Father and our brothers and sisters, furthermore, we must resolve to live according to God's will to make our souls pure, bright, good, and holy; for the Kingdom of Heaven is the happiest, most radiant, and most beautiful place belonging to God the Father.

God the Father brings the Kingdom of Heaven down to earth so that humanity may experience a taste of happiness.

To achieve this, each person must know how to abandon our old self, which means: renouncing the sinful self, the self that lives in passion, that lives in the mire of sin, and must renew ourselves by putting on a new self: which is by clothing ourselves with the very person of Jesus Christ, so that from then on the Kingdom of Heaven will grow within our souls.

The image of the Son of God becoming human intends to let humanity know that: for the Son of God to dwell in our hearts, then each person’s soul must be cleansed to become pure and radiant; meaning we must become a person living a holy and righteous life before God the Father; so that from then on, the Kingdom of Heaven will gradually grow within each person, and that person will find happiness in God the Father’s Kingdom.

Today's Word of God calls upon all humanity:

• To turn towards the eternal Kingdom of Heaven in the hereafter.

• Strive to seek the Kingdom of Heaven, for nowhere else can bring the happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven to humanity. Still, only when we turn to God the Father and follow His teachings will the Kingdom of Heaven gradually grow within each person's soul.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

19:00 Jan 30, 2026 - Prayer of Divine Mercy - The Way to Heaven