January 31
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Feast shown for the year 2027; movable feasts can vary from year to year.
The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time falls within the early weeks following the Christmas season, as the Church resumes the reflective cycle of Ordinary Time. On this Sunday, the readings emphasize Christ’s public ministry, highlighting his authority and the responses he evokes from those listening to him. The Gospel often features Jesus teaching with remarkable authority, contrasting him with the scribes or religious leaders of his day, and sometimes includes dramatic encounters—such as his healing or exorcising those afflicted. This period in the liturgical year invites Christians to deepen their understanding of what it means to follow Jesus in everyday life, focusing less on special feasts and more on the ongoing call to discipleship and spiritual growth.
Ordinary Time is not 'ordinary' in the sense of being unimportant; rather, it comes from the Latin 'ordo', meaning order or sequence. The Sundays of Ordinary Time guide the faithful through the mystery of Christ in all its dimensions, giving time to meditate on the example and teachings of Jesus. The Fourth Sunday often calls the faithful to recognize Christ’s unique authority and to examine their own openness to his word and action in their lives. The church’s green vestments symbolize growth and hope, reflecting the spiritual journey of every believer.
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Liturgical texts of January 31, 2027
The liturgical day
Mass readings
First readingDt 18, 15-20
Moses said to the people:
“In the midst of you, from among your brothers,
the Lord your God
will raise up for you a prophet like me,
and you shall listen to him.
This is indeed what you asked of the Lord your God
on Mount Horeb, on the day of the assembly, when you said:
‘I no longer want to hear the voice of the Lord my God,
I no longer want to see this great fire,
I do not want to die!’
And the Lord said to me then:
‘They have spoken well in what they said.
I will raise up for them from among their brothers
a prophet like you;
I will put my words in his mouth,
and he shall tell them everything I command him.
If anyone does not listen to the words
that this prophet speaks in my name,
I myself will call him to account.
But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name
a word that I have not commanded him to say,
or who speaks in the name of other gods,
that prophet shall die.”
– The word of the Lord.
Psalm94 (95), 1-2, 6-7abc, 7d-9
Come, let us shout with joy to the Lord,
let us acclaim our Rock, our salvation!
Let us come before him giving thanks,
with festive hymns let us acclaim him!
Come in, bow down, prostrate yourselves,
worship the Lord who made us.
Yes, he is our God;
we are the people he shepherds,
the flock guided by his hand.
Today, will you listen to his word?
"Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah,
as on the day of temptation and challenge,
when your ancestors tested and provoked me,
though they had seen my deeds."
Second reading1 Co 7, 32-35
Brothers and sisters,
I would like to see you free from all worry.
The unmarried man is concerned with the affairs of the Lord,
he seeks how to please the Lord.
The married man is concerned with the affairs of the world,
he seeks how to please his wife,
and so he is divided.
The woman who is unmarried,
or who remains a virgin,
is concerned with the affairs of the Lord,
so as to be holy in body and in spirit.
The married woman is concerned with the affairs of the world,
she seeks how to please her husband.
I say this for your benefit;
it is not to put a restriction upon you,
but to promote what is good,
so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.
– The word of the Lord.
GospelMc 1, 21-28
Jesus and his disciples entered Capernaum.
At once, on the Sabbath day,
he went into the synagogue, and there he taught.
They were astounded by his teaching,
because he taught as one having authority,
and not like the scribes.
Now, there was in their synagogue
a man tormented by an unclean spirit,
who cried out:
“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are:
you are the Holy One of God.”
Jesus rebuked him sharply:
“Be silent! Come out of him.”
The unclean spirit convulsed him,
then, with a loud cry, came out of him.
They were all amazed
and questioned among themselves:
“What does this mean?
Here is a new teaching, given with authority!
He even commands the unclean spirits,
and they obey him.”
His fame spread at once everywhere,
throughout the whole region of Galilee.
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org