Daily Catholic Mass Readings for October 21, 2017

First Reading: Romans 4.13, 16-18

¹³For the Promise to Abraham, and to his posterity, that he would inherit the world, was not through the law, but through the justice of faith¹⁶Because of this, it is from faith according to grace that the Promise is ensured for all posterity, not only for those who are of the law, but also for those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all before God¹⁷in whom he believed, who revives the dead and who calls those things that do not exist into existence. For it is written: "I have established you as the father of many nations.¹⁸And he believed, with a hope beyond hope, so that he might become the father of many nations, according to what was said to him: "So shall your posterity be.

Psalm 105

Psalms

Chapter 105

¹Alleluia. Confess to the Lord, and invoke his name. Announce his works among the nations²Sing to him, and sing psalms to him. Describe all his wonders³Be praised in his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice⁴Seek the Lord, and be confirmed. Seek his face always⁵Remember his miracles, which he has done, his portents and the judgments of his mouth⁶you offspring of Abraham his servant, you sons of Jacob his elect⁷He is the Lord our God. His judgments are throughout the entire earth⁸He has remembered his covenant for all ages: the word that he entrusted to a thousand generations⁹which he assigned to Abraham, and his oath to Isaac¹⁰And he stationed the same for Jacob with a precept, and for Israel with an eternal testament¹¹saying: To you, I will give the land of Canaan, the allotment of your inheritance¹²Though they may have been but a small number, very few and foreigners there¹³and though they passed from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people¹⁴he allowed no man to harm them, and he reproved kings on their behalf¹⁵Do not be willing to touch my Christ, and do not be willing to malign my prophets¹⁶And he called a famine upon the land, and he crushed every foundation of the bread¹⁷He sent a man before them: Joseph, who had been sold as a slave¹⁸They humbled his feet in shackles; the iron pierced his soul¹⁹until his word arrived. The eloquence of the Lord inflamed him²⁰The king sent and released him; he was the ruler of the people, and he dismissed him²¹He established him as master of his house and ruler of all his possessions²²so that he might instruct his princes as himself, and teach his elders prudence²³And Israel entered into Egypt, and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham²⁴And he helped his people greatly, and he strengthened them over their enemies²⁵He turned their heart to hate his people, and to deal deceitfully with his servants²⁶He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, the one whom he chose²⁷He placed with them signs of his word, and portents in the land of Ham²⁸He sent darkness and made it conceal, and he did not afflict them with his speech²⁹He turned their waters into blood, and he slaughtered their fish³⁰Their land brought forth frogs, even in the inner chambers of their kings³¹He spoke, and there came forth common flies and gnats, in every region³²He gave them a shower of hail and a burning fire, in the same land³³And he struck their vineyards and their fig trees, and he crushed the trees of their region³⁴He spoke, and the locust came forth, and the caterpillar, of which there was no number³⁵And it devoured all the grass in their land, and it consumed all the fruit of their land³⁶And he struck all the first-born in their land, the first-fruits of all their labor³⁷And he led them out with silver and gold, and there was not an infirm one among their tribes³⁸Egypt was joyful at their departure, for the fear of them lay heavy upon them³⁹He spread a cloud for their protection, and a fire, to give them light through the night⁴⁰They petitioned, and the quail came; and he satisfied them with the bread of heaven⁴¹He ruptured the rock and the waters flowed: rivers gushed in the dry land⁴²For he had called to mind his holy word, which he kept near to his servant Abraham⁴³And he led forth his people in exultation, and his elect in rejoicing⁴⁴And he gave them the regions of the Gentiles, and they possessed the labors of the peoples⁴⁵so that they might observe his justifications, and inquire about his law

Gospel: Luke 12.8-12

Luke

Chapter 12

⁸But I say to you: Everyone who will have confessed me before men, the Son of man will also confess him before the Angels of God⁹But everyone who will have denied me before men, he will be denied before the Angels of God¹⁰And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven of him. But of him who will have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven¹¹And when they will lead you to the synagogues, and to magistrates and authorities, do not choose to be worried about how or what you will answer, or about what you might say¹²For the Holy Spirit will teach you, in the same hour, what you must say.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the power of faith and trust in our relationship with God. In the first reading from Romans, Paul emphasizes that Abraham's faith, not the law, was the foundation of the promise he received from God. This promise extends to all who share Abraham's faith, making us part of a larger family through grace. The context of this passage is Paul's discussion on the relationship between faith and the law, highlighting that faith is the cornerstone of our inheritance in God's plan. The Gospel from Luke complements this message by focusing on the importance of confessing Jesus before others and trusting in the Holy Spirit during trials. Jesus teaches that our acknowledgment of him will be acknowledged by him in heaven, while denial will lead to separation. The context here is Jesus preparing his disciples for the challenges they will face, reassuring them that the Holy Spirit will guide their words and actions. Together, these readings underscore the dual aspects of faith: as the foundation of our relationship with God and as the active trust we need in daily life. In our daily lives, these teachings encourage us to embrace faith as both a belief and a practice. Like Abraham, we are called to trust in God's promises, even when circumstances seem uncertain. Similarly, we are urged to be bold in our confession of Jesus, trusting that the Holy Spirit will empower us in moments of challenge. The moral lesson here is clear: faith is not passive but an active trust that shapes our actions and decisions, leading us to a deeper and more authentic relationship with God.