Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 14, 2017
First Reading: Wisdom 2.23 – 3.9
1But the souls of the just are in the hand of God and no torment of death will touch them2In the eyes of the foolish, they seemed to die, and their departure was considered an affliction3and their going away from us, a banishment. Yet they are in peace4And though, in the sight of men, they suffered torments, their hope is full of immortality5Troubled in few things, in many things they will be well compensated, because God has tested them and found them worthy of himself6Like gold in the furnace, he has proved them, and as a holocaust victim, he has received them, and in the time of their visitatio7they will shine, and they will dash about like sparks among stubble8They will judge the nations and they will rule over the people, and their Lord will reign forever9Those who trust in him, will understand the truth, and those who are faithful in love will rest in him, because grace and peace is for his elect
Psalm 34
1To David, when he changed his appearance in the sight of Abimelech, and so he dismissed him, and he went away. I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise will be ever in my mouth2In the Lord, my soul will be praised. May the meek listen and rejoice3Magnify the Lord with me, and let us extol his name in itself4I sought the Lord, and he heeded me, and he carried me away from all my tribulations5Approach him and be enlightened, and your faces will not be confounded6This poor one cried out, and the Lord heeded him, and he saved him from all his tribulations7The Angel of the Lord will encamp around those who fear him, and he will rescue them8Taste and see that the Lord is sweet. Blessed is the man who hopes in him9Fear the Lord, all you his saints. For there is no destitution for those who fear him10The rich have been needy and hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of any good thing11Come forward, sons. Listen to me. I will teach you the fear of the Lord12Which is the man who wills life, who chooses to see good days13Prohibit your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit14Turn away from evil, and do good. Inquire about peace, and pursue it15The eyes of the Lord are on the just, and his ears are with their prayers16But the countenance of the Lord is upon those who do evil, to perish the remembrance of them from the earth17The just cried out, and the Lord heard them, and he freed them from all their tribulations18The Lord is near to those who are troubled in heart, and he will save the humble in spirit19Many are the afflictions of the just, but from them all the Lord will free them20The Lord preserves all of their bones, not one of them shall be broken21The death of a sinner is very harmful, and those who hate the just will fare badly22The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants, and none of those who hope in him will fare badly
Gospel: Luke 17.7-10
7But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, would say to him, as he was returning from the field, ‘Come in immediately; sit down to eat,8and would not say to him: ‘Prepare my dinner; gird yourself and minister to me, while I eat and drink; and after these things, you shall eat and drink?9Would he be grateful to that servant, for doing what he commanded him to do10I think not. So too, when you have done all these things that have been taught to you, you should say: ‘We are useless servants. We have done what we should have done.’
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of life, death, and our relationship with God. In the first reading from the Book of Wisdom, we hear that God created humanity to be immortal, made in His own image and likeness. However, death entered the world through the envy of the devil. Despite this, the souls of the just are in God’s hands, and no torment of death will touch them. The passage reassures us that even though the righteous may suffer in this life, their hope is rooted in immortality. They are tested and purified like gold in a furnace, and in the end, they will shine and reign with God. This reading reminds us that our true home is not this world but the eternal life promised by God.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a servant who works in the field all day and then serves his master without expecting thanks. Jesus asks if the master would be grateful to the servant for doing what was commanded. The answer, of course, is no. The servant has simply done what was expected of him. Jesus then applies this to us: when we have done all that we are commanded to do, we should not seek praise but humbly acknowledge that we are merely doing our duty. This teaching emphasizes the virtue of humility and the importance of serving God and others without seeking recognition or reward.
These readings are connected by the themes of trust in God and humility. The first reading encourages us to trust in God’s plan, even in the face of suffering and death, knowing that our ultimate reward is eternal life. The Gospel, on the other hand, calls us to live out this trust through humble service, recognizing that everything we do is part of our duty as God’s children. In our daily lives, we are called to imitate the just who endure trials with hope and to serve others with humility, remembering that our true worth is not measured by human praise but by our fidelity to God. Let us strive to live each day with faith, hope, and humility, trusting in God’s plan and serving Him and others with gratitude.