Today's Gospel January 16, 2021 with the comment of Pope Francis

Da Paolo Tessione - January 16, 2021

READING OF THE DAY
From the letter to the Jews
Heb 4,12-16

Brothers, the word of God is alive, effective and sharper than any double-edged sword; it penetrates to the point of division of the soul and the spirit, to the joints and marrow, and discerns the feelings and thoughts of the heart. There is no creature who can hide from God, but everything is naked and uncovered in the eyes of the one to whom we must be accountable.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest, who passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us keep firm the profession of faith. In fact, we do not have a high priest who does not know how to take part in our weaknesses: he himself has been tested in everything like us, except sin.

Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with full confidence to receive mercy and find grace, so as to be helped at the right moment.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Mark
Mc 2,13-17

At that time, Jesus went out again by the sea; all the crowd came to him and he taught them. Passing by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office, and said to him: "Follow me." And he got up and followed him.

While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were also at table with Jesus and his disciples; in fact there were many who followed him. Then the scribes of the Pharisees, seeing him eat with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples: "Why does he eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"

Hearing this, Jesus said to them: «It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners ».

WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
And the doctors of the Law were scandalized. They called the disciples and said: “But how is it that your Master does this, with these people? But, become impure! ”: Eating with an impure person infects you with impurity, you are not pure. And Jesus takes the floor and says this third word: "Go and learn what 'mercy I want, and not sacrifices' means". God's mercy seeks everyone, forgives everyone. Only, he asks you to say: “Yes, help me”. Only that. (Santa Marta, 21 September 2018)