📅 January 12, 2026
Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
📖 First Reading — 1 Samuel 1:1–8
(Paraphrased in full)
There was a man named Elkanah, from Ramathaim, who had two wives. One was named Hannah, and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. Each year, Elkanah went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the priests Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, were serving.
On the day Elkanah offered sacrifice, he would give portions to Peninnah and all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, even though the Lord had closed her womb. Peninnah would taunt Hannah and provoke her grievously because the Lord had left her childless. This went on year after year whenever they went up to the house of the Lord, and Hannah would weep and refuse to eat.
Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart so sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
🎶 Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 116:12–13, 14–17, 18–19
(Paraphrased)
R. I will offer to You, Lord, a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
How shall I repay the Lord
for all the good He has done for me?
I will raise the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all His people.
Precious in the eyes of the Lord
is the death of His faithful ones.
O Lord, I am Your servant,
the child of Your handmaid;
You have loosed my bonds.
I will offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call upon Your name.
✝️ Gospel — Mark 1:14–20
(Paraphrased in full)
After John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God, saying, “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
As He passed by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed Him.
Going a little farther, He saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in their boat mending their nets. He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed Him.
🌟 Verse of the Day
“Come after Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
— Mark 1:17
🕊️ Reflection
Today’s readings invite us to reflect on God’s call amid pain, waiting, and ordinary life.
In the First Reading, Hannah’s silent suffering is deeply human. Her sorrow, misunderstood by others, is carried quietly year after year. Yet even in her pain, she remains faithful, continuing to worship and trust in God. Her story reminds us that God sees what others may not and that waiting is never wasted when it is placed in His hands.
In the Gospel, Jesus enters ordinary life — fishermen at work, nets being mended — and issues an extraordinary call. There is no long explanation, no guarantees, only an invitation: “Come after Me.” And remarkably, they respond immediately.
Together, these readings teach us that God’s call often comes in moments of vulnerability and simplicity. Faith means trusting Him enough to leave what is familiar, even when the future is unclear. Like Hannah and the first disciples, we are invited to surrender our fears, our plans, and even our pain, believing that God is already at work.
🙏 Prayer for Everyone
Loving God,
You know the hidden burdens of our hearts
and the longings we carry in silence.
Today, we place before You every person who is waiting,
every heart that feels overlooked,
and every soul searching for direction.
Give us the courage to respond when You call us,
even if it means leaving behind what is familiar.
Help us trust that Your plans are greater than our fears
and that Your timing is always guided by love.
Bless our families, our friends, and our communities.
Strengthen those who are weary,
comfort those who are grieving,
and guide those who are uncertain about the path ahead.
May we follow You with open hearts
and generous lives,
trusting that You walk with us each step of the way.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
