Daily Readings - Wed Sep 13 2017

First Reading - Colossians 3.1-11

¹Therefore, if you have risen together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God²Consider the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth³For you have died, and so your life is hidden with Christ in God⁴When Christ, your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory⁵Therefore, mortify your body, while it is upon the earth. For because of fornication, impurity, lust, evil desires, and avarice, which are a kind of service to idols⁶the wrath of God has overwhelmed the sons of unbelief⁷You, too, walked in these things, in times past, when you were living among them⁸But now you must set aside all these things: anger, indignation, malice, blasphemy, and indecent speech from your mouth⁹Do not lie to one another. Strip yourselves of the old man, with his deeds¹⁰and clothe yourself with the new man, who has been renewed by knowledge, in accord with the image of the One who created him¹¹where there is neither Gentile nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian nor Scythian, servant nor free. Instead, Christ is everything, in everyone

Gospel - Luke 6.20-26

Luke

Chapter 6

²⁰And lifting up his eyes to his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God²¹Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who are weeping now, for you shall laugh²²Blessed shall you be when men will have hated you, and when they will have separated you and reproached you, and thrown out your name as if evil, because of the Son of man²³Be glad in that day and exult. For behold, your reward is great in heaven. For these same things their fathers did to the prophets²⁴Yet truly, woe to you who are wealthy, for you have your consolation²⁵Woe to you who are satisfied, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep²⁶Woe to you when men will have blessed you. For these same things their fathers did to the false prophets

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the transformative power of living as followers of Christ. In the first reading from Colossians, St. Paul urges us to seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. He reminds us that our old way of life, marked by sin and self-centeredness, must be stripped away, and we must be clothed in the new man, renewed in the image of our Creator. This passage emphasizes the radical change that occurs when we die to sin and rise with Christ, living a life that reflects our unity in Him, where distinctions like Gentile or Jew, slave or free, no longer matter. In the Gospel, Luke presents Jesus delivering the Beatitudes, a series of blessings and woes that challenge our worldly notions of happiness and success. Jesus pronounces blessings on the poor, the hungry, and those who weep, while issuing woes to the wealthy, the satisfied, and those who laugh now. This teaching is not about material conditions but about the disposition of our hearts. The poor in spirit, the hungry for justice, and those who mourn over sin are promised that their reversal of fortune will come in the kingdom of God. Conversely, those who are complacent or exploit others will face sorrow. Together, these readings call us to live in a way that reflects the values of the kingdom of God. We are to renounce sin and worldly ambitions, embracing instead a life of humility, compassion, and justice. In our daily lives, this means choosing to see and serve Christ in others, especially in those who are marginalized or suffering. It means being willing to let go of our own desires and comforts for the sake of the Gospel. The moral lesson is clear: true happiness and fulfillment come not from earthly possessions or status but from living as children of God, transformed by His grace and conformed to the image of Christ.