Daily Readings - Tue Nov 14 2017

First Reading - Wisdom 2.23 – 3.9

Wisdom

Chapter 2

²³For God created man to be immortal, and he made him in the image of his own likeness²⁴But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world²⁵yet they imitate him, who are from his side

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

Gospel - Luke 17.7-10

Luke

Chapter 17

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.