12 January 2026 (Monday) / Monday of week 1 in Ordinary Time / Ordinary Weekday / Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

12 January 2026 (Monday)

Monday of week 1 in Ordinary Time.

Ordinary Weekday / Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time.

Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:

First Reading: First Samuel 1: 1-8

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 116: 12-13, 14-16, 18-19

Alleluia: Mark 1: 15

Gospel: Mark 1: 14-20

First Reading : 1 Samuel 1:1‐8

There was a man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the highlands of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives, one called Hannah, the other Peninnah; Peninnah had children but Hannah had none. Every year this man used to go up from his town to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there as priests of the Lord.

  One day Elkanah offered sacrifice. He used to give portions to Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; to Hannah, however, he would give only one portion, although he loved her more, since the Lord had made her barren. Her rival would taunt her to annoy her, because the Lord had made her barren. And this went on year after year; every time they went up to the temple of the Lord she used to taunt her. And so Hannah wept and would not eat. Then Elkanah her husband said to her, ‘Hannah, why are you crying and why are you not eating? Why so sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?’

Responsive Psalm : Psalm 115(116):12‐19

A thanksgiving sacrifice I make to you, O Lord.

or

Alleluia!

How can I repay the Lord

  for his goodness to me?

The cup of salvation I will raise;

  I will call on the Lord’s name.

A thanksgiving sacrifice I make to you, O Lord.

or

Alleluia!

My vows to the Lord I will fulfil

  before all his people.

O precious in the eyes of the Lord

  is the death of his faithful.

A thanksgiving sacrifice I make to you, O Lord.

or

Alleluia!

Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;

  you have loosened my bonds.

A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;

  I will call on the Lord’s name.

A thanksgiving sacrifice I make to you, O Lord.

or

Alleluia!

My vows to the Lord I will fulfil

  before all his people,

in the courts of the house of the Lord,

  in your midst, O Jerusalem.

A thanksgiving sacrifice I make to you, O Lord.

or

Alleluia!

Alleluia: Mark 1: 15
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
15 The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Mark 1:14‐20

After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come’ he said ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.’

  As he was walking along by the Sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men.’ And at once they left their nets and followed him.

  Going on a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending their nets. He called them at once and, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the men he employed, they went after him.

For our reflection today:

In this text of Mark the Evangelist, time is to be understood as the duration of the history of salvation worked by God; therefore, the time “fulfilled” is that in which this salvific action reaches its pinnacle, full realization: it is the historical moment in which God sent his Son into the world and his Kingdom was rendered more “close” than ever. The time of salvation was fulfilled because Jesus arrived. However, salvation is not automatic; salvation is a gift of love and as such, it is offered to human freedom. Always, when we speak of love, we speak of freedom: love without freedom is not love; it may be interest, it may be fear, many things, but love is always free, and being free it calls for a freely given response: it calls for our conversion. Thus, it means changing mentality — this is conversion, changing mentality — and changing life: no longer following the examples of the world but those of God, who is Jesus; following Jesus; “doing” as Jesus had done, and as Jesus taught us. (Pope Francis -   Angelus in the  Library of the Apostolic Palace, 24 January 2021)

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Most High Servant,
Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love (Blessed  and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)