Daily Readings - Mon Sep 25 2017

First Reading - Ezra 1.1-6

¹In the first year of Cyrus, king of the Persians, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of the Persians, so that the word of the Lord from the mouth of Jeremiah would be fulfilled. And he sent out a voice, throughout his entire kingdom, and also in writing, saying²"Thus says Cyrus, the king of the Persians: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given all the kingdoms of the earth to me, and he himself has instructed me that I should build a house for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judea³Who among you is from his entire people? May his God be with him. Let him ascend to Jerusalem, which is in Judea, and let him build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem⁴And let all who remain, in all the places wherever they may live, assist him, each man from his place, with silver and gold, and goods and cattle, in addition to whatever they may offer voluntarily to the temple of God, which is in Jerusalem.⁵And the leaders of the fathers from Judah and from Benjamin, with the priests, and the Levites, and all those whose spirit was stirred by God, rose up, so that they might ascend to build the temple of the Lord, which was in Jerusalem⁶And all those who were all around assisted their hands with vessels of silver and gold, with goods and cattle, with equipment, in addition to whatever they had offered freely

Gospel - Luke 8.16-18

Luke

Chapter 8

¹⁶Now no one, lighting a candle, covers it with a container, or sets it under a bed. Instead, he places it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light¹⁷For there is nothing secret, which will not be made clear, nor is there anything hidden, which will not be known and be brought into plain sight¹⁸Therefore, take care how you listen. For whoever has, it will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the theme of openness to God’s plan and the importance of living as faithful stewards of His light in the world. In the first reading from Ezra, we hear the story of Cyrus, the Persian king, who, inspired by God, issues a decree allowing the Israelites to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. This passage reminds us that God works through unexpected people and circumstances to fulfill His purposes. The Israelites, though exiled, are called to trust in God’s providence and respond generously to His call, whether through physical labor or material support. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the nature of light and how it is meant to be shared, not hidden. He warns us to be attentive to how we listen to His word, for those who are open and receptive will receive more, while those who are closed off will lose even what they think they have. This is a call to live with hearts and minds open to God’s truth, allowing His light to shine through us for the benefit of others. These readings challenge us to examine our own response to God’s call in our lives. Like the Israelites, we are invited to trust in God’s plan and contribute our time, talents, and resources to build up His kingdom. Like the lamp placed on a lampstand, we are called to live transparently and generously, allowing the light of Christ to shine through us. May we, like Cyrus and the returning exiles, be moved by God’s Spirit to act with courage and faith, and may we, like the attentive listener in the Gospel, remain open to the Word of God, so that His light may illuminate our lives and the lives of those around us.