WEDNESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (Mark 6:1-6) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” (Mk 6:4)

FIRST READING - 2 Sm 24:4, 9-17

"It is I who have sinned. But these sheep, what have they done?"

From the Second Book of Samuel

⁴ However, the king’s command prevailed over Joab and the leaders of the army, so they left the king’s presence in order to register the people of Israel.

⁹ Joab then reported the census figures to the king: of men capable of wielding a sword, there were in Israel eight hundred thousand, and in Judah five hundred thousand.

¹⁰ Afterward, however, David regretted having numbered the people. David said to the Lord: “I have sinned grievously in what I have done. Take away, Lord, your servant’s guilt, for I have acted very foolishly.”^{[a] 11} When David rose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying: ¹² Go, tell David: Thus says the Lord: I am offering you three options; choose one of them, and I will give you that. ¹³ Gad then went to David to inform him. He asked: “Should three years of famine come upon your land; or three months of fleeing from your enemy while he pursues you; or is it to be three days of plague in your land? Now consider well: what answer am I to give to him who sent me?” ¹⁴ David answered Gad: “I am greatly distressed. But let us fall into the hand of God, whose mercy is great, rather than into human hands.” ¹⁵ Thus David chose the plague. At the time of the wheat harvest it broke out among the people. The Lord sent plague over Israel from morning until the time appointed, and from Dan to Beer-sheba seventy thousand of the people died. ¹⁶ But when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord changed his mind about the calamity, and said to the angel causing the destruction among the people: Enough now! Stay your hand. The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. ¹⁷ When David saw the angel who was striking the people, he said to the Lord: “It is I who have sinned; it is I, the shepherd, who have done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Strike me and my father’s family!”

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mk 6:1-6

"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place."

✠From the Gospel according to Mark

¹ He departed from there and came to his native place,^[a] accompanied by his disciples. ^2 [b]When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! ³ Is he not the carpenter,^[c] the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. ^4 [d]Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” ⁵ So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,^[e] apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. ⁶ He was amazed at their lack of faith.

He went around to the villages in the vicinity teaching.

WEDNESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (Mark 6:1-6)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear people of God,

In today's Word of God, God the Father calls upon all of humanity to believe in the words of the prophets whom He has sent to humanity.

Jesus Christ himself is the Supreme Prophet of God the Father. He is the only Prophet who holds power and authority over humankind and all of creation; no one is as exalted as God. Jesus Christ is God the Father’s Prophet, bringing God the Father's word to humanity so that humanity may enjoy happiness and peace in God's grace, love, and mercy.

But wherever He goes, Satan seeks every means to oppose humanity by causing division and envy between people and God, between people themselves, and creating conflict within individuals.

God the Father makes it known to humanity that even Jesus Christ Himself went forth to proclaim God the Father's Word to all mankind, calling people to repentance, to abandon the path of sin, and to return to God's holiness.

Jesus Christ, who performed many miracles, healing both the souls and bodies of humankind, yet He still faced opposition.

How much more, then, will the prophets, those whom God the Father sends into this world to speak His Word to all of humanity, be opposed?

God the Father desires humanity to know that wherever He dwells, and wherever the prophets whom He has sent are present, we should open our hearts and receive His word, for the Word of God alone will bring eternal life.

The prophets are merely instruments that God uses to convey exactly what He has commanded.

God the Father reminds humanity that wherever the light of His love and mercy, present in Jesus Christ and in His prophets, is not received, Satan will wreak havoc on souls and bodies, and that place will be nothing but a realm of sinful darkness.

God the Father calls upon His children to rise with courage and step out of the darkness, and walk into the light, which is Jesus Christ: to renounce the path of sin, to cast aside all jealousy, strife, and envy, and to abandon hatred in order to receive God's mercy.

God the Father also calls upon His prophets to remain faithful and obedient to His Divine Will, even if they are cast out, condemned, or persecuted.

They should trust that God is the giver of all good gifts and that God the Father is the Protector of both soul and body.

Therefore, let us fulfill the mission entrusted to us by God the Father: to convey the Word of God to all of humanity and to our brothers and sisters, so that they too may open their hearts to receive the saving light of Jesus Christ's love.

God the Father calls upon His prophets to be faithful to Him, to go from place to place to proclaim His Word, and to fulfill the duties He has commanded. Let us follow the example of Jesus Christ, for He Himself remained faithful and obedient to God the Father until His very last breath.

Today, God the Father also calls upon His prophets to be faithful and obedient to His Divine Will in all places and at all times, to remain steadfast in the mission He has entrusted to them, and to offer up their entire selves as a testament of their reverence for God the Father and demonstrating their compassion for their brothers and sisters living in the path of sin.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

19:00 Feb 4, 2026 - Prayer of Divine Mercy - The Way to Heaven