Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 6, 2017
First Reading: Romans 11.29-36
29For the gifts and the call of God are without regret30And just as you also, in times past, did not believe in God, but now you have obtained mercy because of their unbelief31so also have these now not believed, for your mercy, so that they might obtain mercy also32For God has enclosed everyone in unbelief, so that he may have mercy on everyone33Oh, the depths of the richness of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how unsearchable are his ways34For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor35Or who first gave to him, so that repayment would be owed36For from him, and through him, and in him are all things. To him is glory, for all eternity. Amen
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 14.12-14
12Then he also said to the one who had invited him: "When you prepare a lunch or dinner, do not choose to call your friends, or your brothers, or your relatives, or your wealthy neighbors, lest perhaps they might then invite you in return and repayment would made to you13But when you prepare a feast, call the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind14And you will be blessed because they do not have a way to repay you. So then, your recompense will be in the resurrection of the just.
Sermon
The first reading from Romans reminds us of God’s boundless mercy and the mystery of His ways. Paul reflects on how God’s gifts and call are irrevocable, and how His mercy extends to all, even when humanity falls short. He emphasizes that God’s wisdom and judgments are beyond human comprehension, and that all things come from Him, through Him, and for Him. This passage invites us to trust in God’s plan, even when it seems unclear, and to recognize that His mercy is available to everyone.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches about the importance of humility and generosity. He advises against inviting only those who can repay us, whether through social status or material wealth. Instead, He calls us to invite those who are marginalized—the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind. Jesus promises that our reward will come in the resurrection of the just, reminding us that true generosity is selfless and rooted in love, not in expectation of reciprocity.
Both readings challenge us to reflect on how we live out God’s mercy in our daily lives. Paul’s words encourage us to embrace the mystery of God’s ways and to trust in His plan, while Jesus’ teaching calls us to act with humility and compassion. In a world often driven by reciprocity and self-interest, these readings remind us to live differently: to trust in God’s providence and to love without expecting anything in return. Let us strive to imitate God’s boundless mercy by serving others selflessly, knowing that our ultimate reward lies in eternal life with Him.