Daily Catholic Mass Readings for October 7, 2017
First Reading: Baruch 4.5-12, 27-29
5Be ever more peaceful in soul, O people of God, the memorial of Israel6You have been sold to the nations, not into destruction, but because of this, in resentment, you provoked God to wrath, and so you have been delivered to adversity7For you have exasperated him who made you, the eternal God, by sacrificing to evil spirits, and not to God8For you have forgotten God, who nurtured you, and you have saddened Jerusalem, your nurse9For she saw the wrath of God approaching you, and she said, "Listen, region of Zion, for God has brought upon me great sorrow10For I have seen the captivity of my people, my sons and daughters, which the Eternal has led over them11For I nurtured them with joy, but I sent them away with weeping and sorrow12Let no one rejoice over me, a widow and a desolation, for I am forsaken by many because of the sins of my sons, because they strayed from the law of God27Be ever more peaceful in soul, sons, and call out to the Lord, for you will be remembered by him who led you away28For as much as you thought to go astray from God, ten times as much again he will require of you when converting29For he who led you into evil, he himself will again lead you to eternal happiness with your salvation.
Psalm 69
1Unto the end. For those who will be changed: of David. Save me, O God, for the waters have entered, even to my soul2I have become stuck in a deep quagmire, and there is no firm footing. I have arrived at the height of the sea, and a tempest has overwhelmed me3I have endured hardships, while crying out. My jaws have become hoarse; my eyes have failed. Meanwhile, I hope in my God4Those who hate me without cause have been multiplied beyond the hairs of my head. My enemies, who persecuted me unjustly, have been strengthened. Then I was required to pay for what I did not take5O God, you know my foolishness, and my offenses have not been hidden from you6Let those who wait for you, O Lord, the Lord of hosts, not be shamed in me. Let those who seek you, O God of Israel, not be confounded over me7For because of you, I have endured reproach; confusion has covered my face8I have become a stranger to my brothers and a sojourner to the sons of my mother9For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproached you have fallen upon me10And I covered my soul with fasting, and it has become a reproach to me11And I put on a haircloth as my garment, and I became a parable to them12Those who sat at the gate spoke against me, and those who drank wine made me their song13But as for me, truly, my prayer is to you, O Lord. This time has pleased you well, O God. In the multitude of your mercy, in the truth of your salvation, hear me14Rescue me from the quagmire, so that I may not become trapped. Free me from those who hate me and from deep waters15Do not allow the tempest of water to submerge me, nor the deep to absorb me. And do not allow the well to close in on me16Hear me, O Lord, for your mercy is kind. Look upon me, according to the fullness of your compassion17And do not turn your face away from your servant, for I am in trouble: heed me quickly18Attend to my soul, and free it. Rescue me, because of my enemies19You know my reproach, and my confusion, and my reverence20All those who trouble me are in your sight; my heart has anticipated reproach and misery. And I sought for one who might grieve together with me, but there was no one, and for one who might console me, and I found no one21And they gave me gall for my food. And in my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink22Let their table be a snare before them, and a retribution, and a scandal23Let their eyes be darkened, so that they may not see, and may their back always be crooked24Pour out your indignation upon them, and may the fury of your anger take hold of them25May their dwelling place be deserted, and may there be no one who dwells in their tabernacles26For they persecuted whomever you struck. And they have added to the grief of my wounds27Assign an iniquity upon their iniquity, and may they not enter into your justice28Delete them from the Book of the Living, and let them not be written down with the just29I am poor and sorrowful, but your salvation, O God, has taken me up30I will praise the name of God with a canticle, and I will magnify him with praise31And it will please God more than a new calf producing horns and hoofs32Let the poor see and rejoice. Seek God, and your soul will live33For the Lord has heard the poor, and he has not despised his prisoners34Let the heavens and the earth praise him: the sea, and everything that crawls in it35For God will save Zion, and the cities of Judah will be built up. And they will dwell there, and they will acquire it by inheritance36And the offspring of his servants will possess it; and those who love his name will dwell in it
Gospel: Luke 10.17-24
17Then the seventy-two returned with gladness, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us, in your name.18And he said to them: "I was watching as Satan fell like lightning from heaven19Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the powers of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you20Yet truly, do not choose to rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.21In the same hour, he exulted in the Holy Spirit, and he said: "I confess to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent, and have revealed them to little ones. It is so, Father, because this way was pleasing before you22All things have been delivered to me by my Father. And no one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and those to whom the Son has chosen to reveal him.23And turning to his disciples, he said: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see24For I say to you, that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things that you see, and they did not see them, and to hear the things that you hear, and they did not hear them.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound reflections on our relationship with God. The passage from Baruch presents a somber tone, addressing the consequences of turning away from God. It speaks of a people who, through their sins, faced adversity and the sorrow of a mother figure, Jerusalem, mourning her children's estrangement from God. Yet, amidst this sorrow, there is hope—a call to repentance and trust in God's enduring mercy.
The Gospel from Luke shifts our focus to the disciples' return from their mission, rejoicing in their newfound power over demons. Jesus, however, redirects their joy, urging them to find true rejoicing in the fact that their names are written in heaven. He praises the Father for revealing divine truths to the humble, emphasizing that spiritual understanding is a gift from God, not a result of human wisdom. This passage underscores the importance of humility and gratitude in our spiritual journey.
Both readings guide us to reflect on our own lives. Baruch reminds us to acknowledge our sins and return to God with repentant hearts, while Luke encourages us to approach our spiritual gifts with humility and gratitude. In our daily lives, let us cultivate self-awareness, seeking to recognize when we stray from God's path. Let us trust in His mercy and remain humble, understanding that our spiritual successes are not our own doing but a grace from God. May we find joy in our relationship with God and remain thankful for the revelations He grants us.