Daily Mass Readings – Friday, 5 February 2027

1 Let the charity of the brotherhood abide in you.

2 And hospitality do not forget; for by this some, being not aware of it, have entertained angels.

3 Remember them that are in bands, as if you were bound with them; and them that labour, as being yourselves also in the body.

4 Marriage honourable in all, and the bed undefiled. For fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

5 Let your manners be without covetousness, contented with such things as you have; for he hath said: I will not leave thee, neither will I forsake thee.

6 So that we may confidently say: The Lord is my helper: I will not fear what man shall do to me.

7 Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of God to you; whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation,

8 Jesus Christ, yesterday, and today; and the same for ever.

R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

3 If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear. If a battle should rise up against me, in this will I be confident.

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

5 For he hath hidden me in his tabernacle; in the day of evils, he hath protected me in the secret place of his tabernacle.

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

8b Thy face, O Lord, will I still seek.

9abc Turn not away thy face from me; decline not in thy wrath from thy servant. Be thou my helper, forsake me not.

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

15 Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart, and yield a harvest through perseverance.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

14 And king Herod heard, (for his name was made manifest,) and he said: John the Baptist is risen again from the dead, and therefore mighty works shew forth themselves in him.

15 And others said: It is Elias. But others said: It is a prophet, as one of the prophets.

16 Which Herod hearing, said: John whom I beheaded, he is risen again from the dead.

17 For Herod himself had sent and apprehended John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias the wife of Philip his brother, because he had married her.

18 For John said to Herod: It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.

19 Now Herodias laid snares for him: and was desirous to put him to death, and could not.

20 For Herod feared John, knowing him to be a just and holy man: and kept him, and when he heard him, did many things: and he heard him willingly.

21 And when a convenient day was come, Herod made a supper for his birthday, for the princes, and tribunes, and chief men of Galilee.

22 And when the daughter of the same Herodias had come in, and had danced, and pleased Herod, and them that were at table with him, the king said to the damsel: Ask of me what thou wilt, and I will give it thee.

23 And he swore to her: Whatsoever thou shalt ask I will give thee, though it be the half of my kingdom.

24 Who when she was gone out, said to her mother, What shall I ask? But she said: The head of John the Baptist.

25 And when she was come in immediately with haste to the king, she asked, saying: I will that forthwith thou give me in a dish, the head of John the Baptist.

26 And the king was struck sad. Yet because of his oath, and because of them that were with him at table, he would not displease her:

27 But sending an executioner, he commanded that his head should be brought in a dish.

28 And he beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head in a dish: and gave it to the damsel, and the damsel gave it to her mother.

29 Which his disciples hearing came, and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

John the Baptist stands before Herod with the courage of a man whose life is anchored in God’s truth. He does not soften his words to protect himself: “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Herod recognizes John as just and holy, and even listens to him willingly, yet he allows fear, pride, and the desire to please those at his table to overcome what he knows is right. A promise made in the heat of the moment becomes an occasion for grave injustice.

The other readings show where a different kind of strength comes from. “The Lord is my light and my salvation”: therefore we need not be ruled by fear of human beings or by anxiety over what we possess. We can live with hospitality, fidelity, contentment, and care for those who suffer because Christ remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. Keeping God’s word with a generous heart requires perseverance. In ordinary choices, especially when approval is tempting, the Lord gives us freedom to stand quietly in truth. His presence is more secure than the applause of any gathering.

Lord Jesus, you are my light and my salvation. Give me the courage of John the Baptist, who remained faithful to truth even when obedience brought suffering. Deliver me from fear of human opinion, the desire to impress, and promises made without wisdom. Teach me to live with a generous heart: welcoming others, remembering those who suffer, honoring fidelity, and being content with your care. When I feel weak or threatened, remind me that you never abandon those who seek you. Keep my heart steady in your word and help my life bear fruit through perseverance. Amen.