THIRD WEDNESDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Gospel (Mark 4:1-20) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“Worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit.” (Lk 4:19)

FIRST READING - 2 Sm 7:4-17

"I will raise up your offspring after you, and I will establish his kingdom"

A reading from the Book ok Samuel

⁴ But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: ⁵ Go and tell David my servant, Thus says the Lord: Is it you who would build me a house to dwell in? ⁶ I have never dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up from Egypt to this day, but I have been going about in a tent or a tabernacle. ⁷ As long as I have wandered about among the Israelites, did I ever say a word to any of the judges whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?

⁸ Now then, speak thus to my servant David, Thus says the Lord of hosts:^[a] I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to become ruler over my people Israel. ⁹ I was with you wherever you went, and I cut down all your enemies before you. And I will make your name like that of the greatest on earth. ¹⁰ I will assign a place for my people Israel and I will plant them in it to dwell there; they will never again be disturbed, nor shall the wicked ever again oppress them, as they did at the beginning, ¹¹ and from the day when I appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you: ¹² when your days have been completed and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, sprung from your loins, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He it is^[b] who shall build a house for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. ¹⁴ I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. If he does wrong, I will reprove him with a human rod and with human punishments; ¹⁵ but I will not withdraw my favor from him as I withdrew it from Saul who was before you. ¹⁶ Your house and your kingdom are firm forever before me; your throne shall be firmly established forever.^{[c] 17} In accordance with all these words and this whole vision Nathan spoke to David.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mk 4:1-20

A sower went out to sow."

✠From the Gospel according to Mark

^1 [a]On another occasion he began to teach by the sea.^[b] A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. ² And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, ^3 [c]“Hear this! A sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. ⁶ And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. ⁷ Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. ⁸ And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” ⁹ He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

¹⁰ And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. ^11 [d]He answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, ¹² so that

‘they may look and see but not perceive,    and hear and listen but not understand,in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.’”

^13 [e]Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? ¹⁴ The sower sows the word. ¹⁵ These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. ¹⁶ And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. ¹⁷ But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ¹⁸ Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, ¹⁹ but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. ²⁰ But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

THIRD WEDNESDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Gospel (Mark 4:1-20)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear people of God,

In today's Word of God, how does God the Father show people how to listen to and put into practice His Word?

When listening to His Word, God the Father calls His children to know how to fear Him with reverence.

All things must submit to God the Father’s Holy Will in all places and at all times; we must respect His Word, rather than hearing it passively and letting it fall on deaf ears.”

The Word of God is the only word that has absolute value for humanity.

God the Father wants all people to be vigilant against the temptations of Satan, because Satan does not want people to listen to God’s Word and put it into practice.

They will use every means to distract us and put God's word aside, so that we follow Satan's temptations. Satan's temptations are delightful and subtle, but behind them is only death for humanity.

As for the God the Father’s Word, whoever listens to it and puts it into practice will receive eternal life, and will be able resist the wicked temptation of Satan. God the Father desires people to be aware of this.

For when listening to the word of God the Father, we must place our love for Him above all else; we must put our love in God the Father’s Word and love His word with both soul and body.

Only then can the Word of God the Father bear fruit in our being. Only in this way will Satan no longer have the opportunity to sneak in to tempt, incite, and steal our souls.

God the Father desires that while we are living amidst the realities of this world, we must always love His Word and keep His Word within ourselves, and from that we may act only according to His teachings.

As the words of Jesus Christ taught His disciples, it also shows that when souls or hearts know how to open up and receive God the Father's teachings, it will bring forth good fruit.

In contrast, those souls who do not know how to open up to receive His teachings will face the sufferings, hardships, and deaths that Satan holds those souls captive.

God the Father desires people to eliminate Satan’s wicked acts so that we only incorporate God the Father’s Word into our minds and into our very hearts.

God the Father calls upon His children to be aware of this, always keeping His Word in our hearts and putting it into practice.

We must always keep His Word present within ourselves, beside us, and in front of us, so that we may walk in the light of God the Father's grace.

Only in this way can we act according to the guidance influenced by the Spirit of the Holy Spirit.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

19:00 Jan 28, 2026 - Prayer of Divine Mercy - The Way to Heaven