Daily Readings - Mon Jun 04 2018

¹Simon Peter, servant and Apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have been allotted an equal faith with us in the justice of our God and in our Savior Jesus Christ²Grace to you. And may peace be fulfilled according to the plan of God and of Christ Jesus our Lord³in the same manner that all things which are for life and piety have been given to us by his Divine virtue, through the plan of him who has called us to our own glory and virtue⁴Through Christ, he has given us the greatest and most precious promises, so that by these things you may become sharers in the Divine Nature, fleeing from the corruption of that desire which is in the world⁵But as for you, taking up every concern, minister virtue in your faith; and in virtue, knowledge⁶and in knowledge, moderation; and in moderation, patience; and in patience, piety⁷and in piety, love of brotherhood; and in love of brotherhood, charity

Mark

Chapter 12

¹And he began to speak to them in parables: "A man dug a vineyard, and surrounded it with a hedge, and dug a pit, and built a tower, and he loaned it out to farmers, and he set out on a long journey²And in time, he sent a servant to the farmers, in order to receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the farmers³But they, having apprehended him, beat him and sent him away empty⁴And again, he sent another servant to them. And they wounded him on the head, and they treated him with contempt⁵And again, he sent another, and him they killed, and many others: some they beat, but others they killed⁶Therefore, having still one son, most dear to him, he sent him also to them, at the very end, saying, ‘For they will reverence my son.⁷But the settlers said one to another: ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him. And then the inheritance will be ours.⁸And apprehending him, they killed him. And they cast him out of the vineyard⁹Therefore, what will the lord of the vineyard do?" "He will come and destroy the settlers. And he will give the vineyard to others.¹⁰"And so, have you not read this scripture?: ‘The stone which the builders have rejected, the same has been made the head of the corner¹¹By the Lord has this been done, and it is wondrous in our eyes.’ ¹²And they sought to take hold of him, but they feared the crowd. For they knew that he had spoken this parable about them. And leaving him behind, they went away

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter powerful messages about faith, rejection, and the cultivation of virtues. The first reading from 2 Peter encourages believers to grow in faith and virtue, emphasizing that through these, we become partakers of the divine nature. This letter, written in a time of persecution, urges believers to remain steadfast and cultivate qualities like knowledge, moderation, patience, piety, love, and charity. The Gospel from Mark presents Jesus' parable of the vineyard, where the owner's servants and son are rejected and killed by the tenants. This parable serves as a critique of religious leaders who reject God's messengers. Jesus quotes a Psalm, highlighting that the rejected stone becomes the cornerstone, a testament to God's transformative power. Both readings connect through themes of rejection and the importance of faith. While 2 Peter focuses on believers' responses to rejection through virtue, Mark's parable illustrates the consequences of rejecting God's message. In daily life, we face rejection but should respond with patience and love, cultivating virtues that reflect our faith. The moral lesson is clear: faith and virtues transform us, and rejecting God's message leads to downfall. Let us embrace our faith and virtues, trusting in God's plan.